FR3070196B1 - BIMANUAL SAFETY HANDLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bimanual safety handle constituted by a body (1) having at least two manually actuable control buttons (2, 5) each controlling a switch, characterized in that - said buttons (2, 5) are disposed in two zones remote from said body (1) to make it impossible to access by the fingers with one hand - each of said buttons (2, 5) is housed in a cavity opening by an access by the finger of a operator - said switches have three states E1, E2, E3 activated consecutively according to the movement of the button (2, 5) corresponding.

Description

BIMANUAL SAFETY HANDLE

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of the protection of equipment or objects against unintended manipulation, or protection of the hands of a person by preventing them from approaching a dangerous or protected area.

One of the non-limiting applications concerns the safety of industrial equipment presenting a danger zone in operating mode, installations presenting dangerous zones on machines of industrial production of any type, in particular and in particular with rotating elements, cylinders and all when they have movement, lifting and handling equipment, including gantries, cranes, cranes, forklifts, pallet trucks, stackers, order picking trucks, truck winches, cranes, gantry cranes, warehouses Automatic logistic as well as mobile machinery: Dumpsters, trailers / boat bridges, tunnel boring machines, on-board pumps / mixers, drills, crushers, demolition arms, construction machines, cleaning vehicles, railway machines, forestry and agricultural machines. The invention relates more particularly to safety devices called "deadman handle" causing the stopping of the associated equipment in case of failure of the operator.

The "dead man" safety handles are used to provide the necessary conditions to control movements in the danger zone of a machine.

Such handles must cause the associated equipment to stop immediately when the operator stops acting on the handle, which corresponds to a situation of risk where he could move his hand into the danger zone, or when he acts on the handle in an unconventional way, which may correspond to a situation of stupefaction or tension induced by a potential problem.

The present invention can also be used in a context that does not pose a danger to people, but where it is necessary not to touch anything.

State of the art

In the state of the art, a first solution described in US Pat. No. 5,115,179 concerning a portable device comprising at least one interlock switch ("dead-man switch") and at least one actuating switch, is known. and wherein a signal of the actuation switch is active only when the lock suppressor switch is depressed, the device further comprising a box-shaped body, on whose surface are the switches of actuation; characterized in that it further comprises: - at least one gripping element which has, from the sides of the body, a boss located inside the sides of the body and at least one inclined portion extending towards the surface of the body body on the back of the central part of the latter; and said lock suppressor switch is mounted in the sloping portion on the inner side with respect to the boss of the gripping member.

This solution is not satisfactory if both hands of an operator must be protected during a check, adjustment, etc., because it does not protect the operator in a situation where the hand not used for activation of the switch, remains free and can be inadvertently engaged in the hazardous area of the associated equipment.

US Pat. No. 6,003,224 describes another solution constituted by a safety switching mechanism ensuring a safety guarantee function, even in the event of a circuit failure such as a contact break, as well as a control panel. 'instructions equipped with the mechanism. When one or two levers (GL1, GL2) are seized with ordinary force, the levers oscillate around rods (AX4, AX5) and shoulder portions (SD1, SD2) engage with drive levers ( SL1, SL2), the two drive levers connected by a link (LK) oscillating simultaneously around a rod (AX3) in the direction indicated by the arrow b and switches that turn on simultaneously. Two circuits in which the switches are respectively incorporated independently emit the ON signals that are processed and to bring a robot into operation. If the lever grippers (GL1, GL2) are released in an emergency, etc., the drive levers (SL1, SL2) oscillate simultaneously in the direction indicated by the arrow A and the switches (SW1, SW2 ) are simultaneously turned off to stop the robot immediately.

Another known solution is described in US Pat. No. 8,010,234, which describes a safety handle having a manually operated switch for an industrial robot or a machine.

However, these solutions do not give complete satisfaction.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a two-hand safety handle constituted by a body (1) having at least two manually actuable buttons (2, 5) each controlling a switch.

According to the invention, - said buttons (2, 5) are arranged in two distant ones of said body (1) to make it impossible to access the fingers with one hand - each of said buttons (2, 5) is housed in a lavatory opening by an access by the finger of an operator - said switches have three states Ex, 12, E3 activated consecutively according to the displacement of louton (2, 5) corresponding. The invention may also have one and / or other of the following features: - said buttons (2, 5) are movable between a rest position corresponding to the state E3 and a position • placed at the rest position reached during the exercise by an effort on the corresponding button exceeding a value euil V2 and corresponding to the state E3, and an intermediate position reached during the exercise on the corresponding button of an effort between two values V3 and V2, it corresponding to the state E2 - at least one of said buttons (2, 5) is mobile in translation - at least one of said buttons (2, 5) is mobile m rotation - said buttons ( 2, 5) are movable between a rest position corresponding to the state E3 and a met position reached during the exercise of a force exceeding a threshold value V2 and corresponding to the state E3, and pass directly from the position depressed at the rest position when the force becomes less than said threshold value V2 - said body (1) has an elongated shape, one of said buttons (2, 5) is movable in translation in a first longitudinal direction relative to said body, and the other of said buttons (2, 5) is movable in translation in a second direction transverse to said body (1) - said body (1) has a cylindrical shape, said buttons (2, 5) being disposed at the ends of said body (1) The invention also relates to a system constituted by a bimanual safety handle as previously explained, controlling a buzzer or light in which the operation of said equipment is activated when the first switch and the second switch from the first state El to the second state E2 in a lower time interval T12 at a predetermined duration Tréf, the associated equipment remaining activated as long as the two switches remain in said second state E2, and going into mode emergency stop when at least one of said switches changes state, the reactivation of said associated equipment occurring when the first switch and the second switch again pass from the first state El to the second state E2 in said time interval T12 less than a predetermined duration

According to another advantageous embodiment, the operation of said alarm is initiated when the first switch and the second switch pass from the first state El to the second state E2 in a time interval T12 less than a predetermined duration T ref, the associated equipment passing through. activation mode when at least one of said switches changes state, the reactivation of said associated equipment intervening when the first switch and the second switch again pass from the first state El to the second state E2 in said time interval T12 less than a predetermined duration Tref.

Detailed Description of a Non-Limiting Example of the Invention

The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of a nonlimiting example of the invention which follows, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 represents an isometric view in transparency of the device according to the invention; FIG. 2 represents a view from above of the device according to the invention; FIG. 3 represents a view from below of the device according to the invention.

The device is constituted by a tubular body (1) forming a rigid housing. This case is metal or plastic.

It has on its upper face a first button (2) movable in the longitudinal direction of the housing. This button (2) is accessible through an opening (3) provided on the underside of the housing. This opening allows the introduction of the thumb of one of the hands to come and press the button (2). The cavity within which the thumb can move is closed laterally and frontally by a bottom (4).

The cavity prevents the button (2) from being actuated unexpectedly by pressing the housing on a surface, for example a table or part of the equipment.

The housing has on the opposite side to the first button (2) a second button (5) disposed on the upper face of the housing, and movable axially, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first button (2). This second button (5) is surrounded by an annular ring (6) opening through an opening for the introduction of the thumb of the second hand and avoiding inadvertent actuation by supporting the housing on a surface.

The length of the body (1) is determined to prevent one actuation of the two buttons (2, 5) with the fingers of the same hand. The section of the body (1) is determined to allow transport of the housing between two phases of use for the control of an equipment.

The housing optionally includes a third button (7) emergency stop. It may furthermore comprise other control buttons on one or more of its faces, in particular buttons or knobs located near the first button (2) and / or the second button (5), to allow actuation by the fingers of the corresponding hand, whose thumb is used to press the button respectively (2, 5).

The device comprises in the example described a cable (8) for connection to an associated equipment for the transmission of electrical signals corresponding to the state of the switches controlled by the buttons (2, 5).

The link can also be provided by a radio frequency transmission, or optical or ultrasonic.

The switches controlled by the buttons (2, 5) each have three states Ex, E2, E3 consecutive, with an automatic return to the Ex state at rest for example under the effect of a return spring: - a first state Ex corresponding to the position at rest, without action or effort exerted on the corresponding button. a second state E2 corresponding to an intermediate position, when the force exerted on the button corresponding to an intermediate value, that is to say with a force (for a button with linear displacement) or a torque (for a button rotating) of an intensity between two reference values Vx, V2 - a third state E3 corresponding to a position opposite to the rest position, with a force exerted on the corresponding button of an intensity exceeding the value V2, c ' that is, with a force (for a linear motion button) or a torque (for a rotary knob) of an intensity greater than the value V2.

Of course, the switch may also be constituted by an electromagnetic or electro-optical component detecting the three states, with an automatic return to the idle state in the absence of action. The switch is described in a linear displacement embodiment, but the invention can also be applied to a rotary switch, the button being then controlled by a lateral pressure of the thumb or a finger on a pallet. The operator activates the associated equipment by exerting, with a finger of a first hand, a controlled action on the first button (2) and with a finger of the second hand, a controlled action on the second button (5). The controlled action designated a sufficient action to exceed the value V! without exceeding the value V2.

Thresholds V! and V2 can be fixed mechanically or electronically, or standardized in the case of use for the protection of persons.

The switches are optionally mechanically designed to impose the transition from the state E3 to the state E-1 directly, without going back to the state E2.

An electronic circuit, implanted in the equipment or optionally in the housing, determines the operation of the equipment according to the state of the two switches associated with the buttons (2, 5).

When the two buttons (2, 5) pass from the state E1 to the state E2, with a time offset smaller than a predetermined value or normed, the electronic circuit, outside the equipment, controls the output of the protected mode equipment that becomes active and maintains this mode as long as both buttons remain in the same state E2. [0009] or, for example, by changing from the state E2 to the state E Letting go of the action of one of the fingers) or when switching from state E2 to state E3 (abnormal twitching of one of the fingers), electronic circuit controls the shutdown of the equipment and the heart in protected mode of the equipment.

Thus, the equipment only works when the speaker holds the casing with both hands and exercises with x fingers of both hands a controlled effort (that is to say c an intensity between the two values defining tat E2) on the buttons (2, 5) corresponding. If the operator sets a hand, the equipment goes into protected mode and avoids the risk of accident by penetrating the released hand into the danger zone. Likewise, in the case of abnormal carriage of the operator resulting in a spation or an effect exceeding the threshold value, the equipment is in protected mode.

If any one of the buttons (2, 5) leaves the intermediate state E2, the reactivation requires the return of the two tones (2, 5) to the state E1 and then the return of the two buttons to state E2 in an interval of time less than a value it.

Embodiments of the invention The invention may be implemented in various ways as described below. The characteristics described above are not recalled to avoid a □ ndance, but of course these alternatives are not Lusives characteristics already described.

In the first place, the body (1) can also make equipment control means, for example its displacement or the operation of one or more organs.

These control means can consist of: - the handle of one or other of the hands, and thus located close to one or the other of the buttons (2, 5); ), by nple on a lateral face of the sliders or tactile areas or wheels ivable by a finger - strain gauges measuring the body deformation (1) according to the forces exerted by the hands on two ends of the body (1) accelerometers measuring the displacements it body (1) - a sensor-transmitter optical or ultrasound unit has a camera for the analysis of the movements of the body (1).

Secondly, the device can also be relied upon not to control equipment, but to prevent a person traveling in a space with danger zones from interfering with a hand in that area. The es (1) is necessarily held in both hands to make the exercise of a controlled effort on the two buttons 5), this ensures that the hands are not available r gestures moved. In the event of the output of one of the intermediate state switches, an electronic circuit in the body (1) triggers an audible alarm, or triggers the transmission of a radio frequency signal with an associated alarm.

Claims (3)

1 - Two-hand safety handle consisting of a body (1) having at least two manually actuable buttons (2, 5) each controlling a switch, characterized in that - said buttons (2, 5) are arranged in two areas remote from said body (1) to make access by fingers with one hand impossible) - each of said buttons (2, 5) is housed in a cavity opening by access by the finger of an operator - said switches have three states Eir E2, E3 activated consecutively according to the movement of the corresponding button (2, 5). 2 - Two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 characterized in that said buttons (2, 5) are movable between a rest position corresponding to the Ex state and a position opposite to the rest position reached during the exercise. an effort on the corresponding button I exceeding a threshold value V2 and corresponding to the state E3, and an intermediate position reached during the exercise on the corresponding button of a force between two values V3 and V2, and corresponding to the state E2. 3 - Bimanual safety handle according to i claim 1 characterized in that at least one of said buttons (2, 5) is movable in translation. 4 - two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 characterized in that at least one of said buttons (2, 5) is movable in rotation. 5 - two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 characterized in that said buttons (2, 5) are movable between a rest position corresponding to the Ex state and a depressed position reached during the exercise of a force exceeding a threshold value V2 and corresponding to the state E3, and return directly from the depressed position to the rest position when the force becomes lower than said threshold value V2. 6 - Two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 characterized in that said body (1) has an elongated shape one of said buttons (2, 5) is movable in translation in a first longitudinal direction relative to said body, and the other said buttons (2, 5) is movable in translation in a second transverse direction relative to said body (1). 7 - security handle bimanuelle according to claim 1 characterized in that said body (1) has a cylindrical shape, said buttons (2, 5) being disposed at the ends of said body (1). 8 - System consisting of equipment controlled by a two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 characterized in that the operation of said equipment is activated when the first switch and the second switch from the first state Ex to the second state E2 in a range of time T12 less than a predetermined duration T ref, the associated equipment remaining activated as long as the two switches remain in said second state E 2, and going into emergency stop mode when at least one of said switches changes state, reactivation of said associated equipment intervening when the first switch and the second switch again pass from the first state Ex to the second state E2 in said time interval Tlj2 less than a predetermined duration Tréf. 9 - A system consisting of a two-hand safety handle according to claim 1 controlling a buzzer or light characterized in that the operation of said alarm is initiated when the first switch and the second switch from the first state E! at the second state E2 in a time interval T12 less than a predetermined duration T ref, the associated equipment entering the activation mode when at least one of said switches changes state, the reactivation of said associated equipment occurring when the first switch and the second switch again passes from the first state E: to the second state E2 in said time interval Tlr2 less than a predetermined duration T ref.