EP3748112B1 - Anti-fall device for a lift gate, in particular for protecting machinery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to fall protection for a lifting gate, in particular a machine protection lifting gate, and a lifting gate, in particular a machine protection lifting gate, with such a fall protection.

Elevating gates, of which the present invention is particularly concerned, are used in industry as part of a safety fencing around a work area, such as a robotic work station, to provide access to the otherwise fenced work area. Such a lifting gate can also be part of an intermediate subdivision of such a work area and must be moved up and down frequently and quickly, particularly in this application.

The proper functioning of the lift gate and its resistance to impact, for example a robot arm, are highly relevant to safety in order to avoid accidents, especially collisions with the robot. Therefore, high demands are placed on it. For example, it is necessary for the lifting gate to be held securely in its vertically upper position, even in the event of an accidental collision with, for example, a robot arm. Conventionally, in practice, a fall protection for the overhead door is provided for this purpose, which mechanically locks the overhead door against downward movement by providing a pneumatically or hydraulically actuated bolt that can be brought into a bolt-eyelet connection. The latch is actively actuated to bring it into its locked position within the eyelet. To lower the lifting gate, the bolt is actuated in order to remove it from the eyelet and thus release the mechanical locking. Due to the active control, conventional fall protection systems are complex and require a lot of maintenance.

EP 0 721 043 A1 discloses a monitoring device for a support cable of a door leaf with an electric catch device connected to the support cable and a mechanical catch device which are connected in series in such a way that first the electric catch device and then the mechanical catch device responds.

JPH0740994 U discloses a locking device for preventing vertical movement of the roller shutter in an upward direction, which comprises an end slat movable in a vertical direction for joint movement with the roller shutter and a support element which is stationary in the vertical direction and which can be brought into a mechanically locked engagement blocking vertical movement of the end slat ; wherein the locking device also has at least one pawl which is connected at least indirectly to the end lamella in an articulated manner and which can be pivoted into mechanically locking engagement with the support element, and a stop element is mounted in a resilient manner on the end lamella, the end lamella having a pin in which the pawl is guided in that it is pivoted in the direction of the support element when the stop element deflects, with the stop element being assigned a stop in a predetermined vertical end position, against which the stop element strikes during a vertical movement of the end plate.

The present invention is based on the object of specifying a fall protection for a lifting gate, wherein the fall protection does not require an active control, can be produced inexpensively, is advantageously low-maintenance or maintenance-free and works reliably.

The object of the invention is achieved by a fall protection with the features of claim 1 and by a lifting gate with such a fall protection according to claim 9. Advantageous and particularly expedient refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

A fall protection according to the invention for a lifting gate, in particular a machine protection lifting gate of the type explained at the outset, has at least one mechanical locking device which comprises a gate carrier that can be moved in a vertical direction for joint movement with the lifting gate and a support element that is stationary in the vertical direction, with the gate carrier and the support element in a mechanically locked engagement blocking a vertical movement, in particular a downward movement, of the gate carrier.

The locking device comprises at least one pawl which is connected at least indirectly to the door carrier in an articulated manner and which can be pivoted into the mechanically locked engagement with the support element. According to the invention, a stop element is mounted in a resilient manner on the gate carrier, which has a guide in which the pawl is guided in such a way that, when the Stop element is pivoted in the direction of the support element. In a predetermined vertical end position, in particular in a predetermined upper position, the stop element is assigned a stop against which the stop element strikes during a vertical movement, in particular an upward movement, of the gate carrier.

Advantageously, the fall protection is provided at the upper end of the lifting gate in order to prevent an undesired movement of the gate carrier and thus of the lifting gate in a vertical downward movement. In principle, however, it can also be used at a lower end of the lifting gate to prevent a vertical movement of the gate carrier or the lifting gate in an upward direction when a robot arm strikes from below. In the following, however, the invention is explained using an advantageous embodiment in which the anti-fall device prevents the gate carrier or lifting gate from moving downwards.

Preferably, the support element includes a bolt and the pawl includes a mouth, wherein the mouth can be hung on the bolt by pivoting the pawl. According to an alternative embodiment, the support element comprises a corresponding mouth or a recess and the pawl has a bolt which can be hung in the mouth or the recess. Other embodiments are possible.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide includes a link with which a link block connected to the pawl is in engagement. As a result, the desired pivoting of the pawl is achieved when the stop element is moved in the direction of the gate carrier, either because the stop element is stopped in its vertical movement by the stop and the gate carrier continues to move in the vertical direction, or because the stop element is opened by another force application is moved towards the gate carrier. Of course, the setting could also be provided in the latch be and the sliding block be connected to the stop element as part of the guide or the guide forming.

Advantageously, the pawl is rotatably connected at least indirectly to the door support about a horizontal axis of rotation. However, a pivoting movement can also be considered, in which the pawl executes a combined rotating and sliding movement.

It is advantageous if the stop is mounted so that it can be displaced in the vertical direction against a spring force. In this way, tolerances when approaching the end position of the gate carrier or the lifting gate can be compensated for if, for example, a drive device does not move the lifting gate exactly into the desired end position.

In order to safely intercept an impact of a robot arm from above on the gate carrier without the risk of the gate carrier being released from its mechanical locking with the support element, the stop element preferably completely covers the gate carrier on its upper side. In the case of protection against the gate carrier being displaced upwards, the stop element would preferably completely cover the underside of the gate carrier.

The stop element can be mounted on the gate carrier, for example, by means of at least one compression spring or with a multiplicity of compression springs.

A lifting gate according to the invention has at least one gate field and at least one drive device for moving the gate field up and down in a vertical direction. The goal field is connected to the goal support of a fall protection device according to the invention. Alternatively, the goal carrier is formed by the goal field itself.

The goal field can have several segments that can be moved one behind the other. Each segment that is comparatively lower is advantageously positioned on the side of the goal field above it that faces away from the work area or danger area in which, for example, a robot is standing, in order to prevent, for example, a robot arm from above falling onto a segment that is not covered by the stop element beats. As a rule, it can be sufficient to secure only the top goal area with a fall protection device according to the invention.

The drive device is advantageously connected vertically below the stop element and separately from the stop element on the door panel and/or on the door carrier.

The drive device can, for example, comprise a chain drive or a belt drive, which is connected to the door field and/or to the door carrier. However, other drive devices can also be considered.

The fall protection according to the invention advantageously does not require an external control and advantageously works purely mechanically.

Various springs that work together are advantageously matched to one another in terms of spring force. If, for example, the stop is slidably mounted against the force of at least one spring, this spring or spring combination has in particular a greater spring force than the spring or spring combination with which the stop element is supported on the door carrier. For example, the spring force of the spring/spring combination assigned to the stop is twice the spring force that is made available by the at least one spring or spring combination with which the stop element is mounted on the door carrier.

The stop itself can be designed, for example, in the form of a rubber buffer.

If the gate support is moved together with the stop element in the direction of the stop in a fall protection according to the invention, the stop element strikes the stop first and is moved relative to the gate support as the gate support continues to be moved. As a result of this movement, the pawl connected to the gate carrier is pivoted due to the guide provided on the stop element, so that it moves in the direction of the support element for its mechanical locking and is finally locked with the support element. If, in this locked state, a body, for example a robot arm, strikes the stop element from above, a force is thereby exerted on the stop element, which pushes it in the direction of the gate carrier. As a result of the guide, a further or increasing locking force is exerted on the pawl, which pushes it in the direction of the support element. A movement of the pawl out of the mechanical locking with the support element is reliably avoided.

If, on the other hand, a drive force of the drive device acts on the lifting door or the door support, in the sense of a vertical movement, in particular downward movement, of the lifting door or door support, the door support is removed from the stop element, which initially presses against the stop with the spring force of the spring/spring combination between the door support and the stop element is depressed and remains there, and the guide pivots the latch back out of its locking engagement with the support member. The mechanical locking between the pawl and the support element is canceled and the gate carrier or the lifting gate can be moved, in particular downwards, as desired.

A spring-loaded stop allows the gate support or the lifting gate to move by a predetermined further distance in the direction of the stop, even if the stop element has already hit the stop and has moved relatively in the direction of the gate carrier so that the pawl locks with the support element can be, because then the stop yields elastically due to its resilient suspension. However, this does not disturb the secure locking between the pawl and the support element and damage to the drive device, for example a chain drive or belt drive, is prevented. The risk of the stop element or the stop being damaged is also minimized.

The invention will be explained below using an exemplary embodiment and the figures as an example.

Figur 1

eine dreidimensionale Ansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Absturzsicherung;

Figur 2

einen Ausschnitt der Absturzsicherung aus der Figur 1;

Figur 3

eine Draufsicht von oben auf eine erfindungsgemäße Absturzsicherung;

Figur 4

eine Schnittansicht durch die erfindungsgemäße Absturzsicherung aus der Figur 1;

Figur 5

eine alternative Gestaltung einer erfindungsgemäßen Absturzsicherung;

Figur 6

eine schematische Schnittansicht durch die Absturzsicherung aus der Figur 5;

Figur 7

ein erfindungsgemäßes Hubtor mit einer Absturzsicherung.

Show it:

figure 1

a three-dimensional view of an embodiment of a fall protection according to the invention;

figure 2

a section of the fall protection from the figure 1 ;

figure 3

a plan view from above of a fall protection according to the invention;

figure 4

a sectional view through the fall protection according to the invention from figure 1 ;

figure 5

an alternative design of a fall protection according to the invention;

figure 6

a schematic sectional view through the fall protection from FIG figure 5 ;

figure 7

a lifting gate according to the invention with a fall protection.

In the figure 1 a fall protection according to the invention with a mechanical locking device 1 is shown, which comprises a gate carrier 2 that can be moved in a vertical direction Z and a support element 3 that is stationary in the vertical direction Z. As in particular using the Figures 2 to 4 As can be seen, the gate carrier 2 can be brought into a mechanically locked engagement with the support element 3 .

The locking device 1 also includes a pawl 4 which is connected to the gate carrier 2 and which can be pivoted into the mechanically locked engagement with the support element 3 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pawl 4 comprises a bolt 4.2 which can be hooked into a mouth 3.2 or a recess in the support element 3.

A stop element 5 is resiliently mounted on the gate support 2 and has a guide 6 in which the pawl 4 is guided in such a way that it is pivoted in the direction of the support element 3 when the stop element 5 is compressed in the direction of the gate support 2 .

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the guide 6 comprises a connecting link 6.1, with which a sliding block 8 connected to the pawl 4 engages in order to force the pivoting movement of the pawl 4 when the stop element 5 is moved towards the door carrier 2.

The gate carrier 2 is mounted slidably in two lateral gate guides 13, which is located in the Extend in the vertical direction Z. A stop 7 is provided at the upper end of the lateral door guides 13, against which the stop element 5 strikes when the lifting door 10 or the door carrier 2 moves into its upper end position. During the movement in the direction of the end position, the stop element 5 first hits the stop 7 and is thereby stopped in its movement in the vertical direction Z, whereas the door carrier 2, which is driven, is moved further up in the vertical direction Z. The stop element 5 springs against the force of the at least one compression spring 9, with which it is mounted on the gate carrier 2, in the direction of the gate carrier 2. During this compression movement, link 6.1 forces link block 8 outwards in a direction transverse to vertical direction Z. As a result, the pawl 4 is pivoted outwards in the direction of the support element 3 and is brought with its bolt 4.2 into an area above the mouth 3.2 in the support element 3 or is inserted directly into the mouth 3.2. The drive device not shown here is switched off and the lifting gate 10 or the gate carrier 2 is in its upper end position.

On the one hand, the lifting gate 10 or the gate carrier 2 is held in the upper end position by the drive device because the drive device has a corresponding self-locking mechanism. As a rule, however, this self-locking is not large enough to support a comparatively large downward force that is exerted on the lifting gate 10 . Such a comparatively large force can be exerted, for example, by a robot arm hitting the gate carrier 2 or the stop element 5 from above, and without the fall protection, the lifting gate 10 would be knocked down.

Due to the fact that the bolt 4.2 is in the mouth 3.2 or above the mouth 3.2, such an application of force from above results in the gate carrier 2 being or being locked securely in the upper position and the overhead gate 10 being held accordingly.

If, on the other hand, a drive device acts on the gate carrier 2 and exerts a downward force on it in the vertical direction Z, the gate carrier 2 moves downwards and the compression spring 9 springs out, as a result of which the stop element 5 is initially still held on the stop 7, so that the Gate carrier 2 removed from stop element 5. This moves the sliding block 8 in the link 6.1 inwards and the pawl 4 is removed from its position with the bolt 4.2 above or in the mouth 3.2 and pivoted inwards, so that the gate carrier 2 then moves downwards together with the stop element 5 can be.

The design according to Figures 5 and 6 operates in accordance with the design given in the Figures 1 to 4 is shown. The difference here, however, is that the pawl 4 has a mouth 4.1 and the support element 3 has a bolt 3.1. Accordingly, the mouth 4.1 is hooked by the link guide via the bolt 3.1 in order to achieve the desired mechanical locking of the gate carrier 2 with the support element 3 in the upper end position of the gate carrier 2.

In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the pawl 4 is connected to the gate carrier 2 in an articulated manner about the axis of rotation Y, so that it executes a pure rotational movement. However, another bearing could also be provided.

The stop 7 is formed by a component that is resiliently mounted in the vertical direction Z, here a rubber buffer. If the stop element 5 strikes the stop 7 and is then deflected against the compression spring 9, the stop compression spring 7.1 allows the stop 7 to yield or be displaced in the vertical direction Z, in order to avoid damage, if a drive device moves the door carrier 2 further upwards to prevent the drive device or the mechanical locking device 1.

The stop compression spring 7.1 has a greater spring force than the compression spring 9 in order to ensure that the compression spring 9 compresses first before the compression stop spring 7.1 compresses.

In the figure 7 a lifting gate 10 is shown as an example, which comprises, for example, several gate fields 11 that can be pushed one behind the other. A drive device 12, for example in the form of a belt drive or chain drive, acts on the lifting gate 10. Components of the mechanical locking device 1 are also shown as examples.

Reference List

1

Mechanical locking device

2

gate bearer

3

support element

3.1

bolt

3.2

mouth

4

pawl

4.1

mouth

4.2

bolt

5

stop element

6

guide

6.1

backdrop

7

attack

7.1

stop pressure spring

8th

sliding block

9

compression spring

10

lifting gate

11

goal field

12

drive device

13

Lateral gate guidance

Z

vertical direction

Y

axis of rotation

Claims (11)

1. Anti-fall device for a lifting gate (10), in particular a machine protection lifting gate, having a mechanical locking device (1), which comprises a gate carrier (2) movable in a vertical direction (Z) for joint movement with the lifting gate (10) and a support element (3) stationary in the vertical direction (Z), which can be brought into a mechanically locked engagement with one another, blocking a vertical movement of the gate carrier (2); wherein the locking device (1) furthermore has at least one latch (4) which is connected in an articulated manner, at least indirectly, to the gate carrier (2) and can be pivoted into the mechanically locking engagement with the support element (3), and a stop element (5) is mounted on the gate carrier (2) in a spring-loaded manner, which stop element (5) has a guide (6) in which the latch (4) is guided in such a way that it is pivoted in the direction of the support element (3) when the stop element (5) is deflected, wherein the stop element (5) is assigned a stop (7) in a predetermined vertical end position, against which the stop element (5) strikes during a vertical movement of the gate carrier (2).
2. Anti-fall device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support element (3) comprises a bolt (3.1) and the latch (4) has a mouth (4.1) which can be hooked onto the bolt (3.1) by pivoting the latch (4).
3. Anti-fall device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support element (3) comprises a mouth (3.2) or a recess and the latch (4) has a bolt (4.2) which can be hooked into the mouth (3.2) or the recess by pivoting the latch (4).
4. Anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the guide (6) comprises a connecting link (6.1) with which a sliding block (8) connected to the latch (4) is in engagement.
5. Anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the latch (4) is connected at least indirectly to the gate carrier (2) so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation (Y).
6. Anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stop (7) is mounted so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction (Z) against a spring force.
7. Anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stop element (5) completely covers the gate carrier (2) on its upper side.
8. Anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the stop element (5) is mounted on the gate carrier (2) by means of at least one compression spring (9), in particular with a plurality of compression springs (9).
9. Lifting gate (10) having at least one gate panel (11) and a drive device (12) for moving the gate panel (11) up and down in a vertical direction (Z), characterized by an anti-fall device according to one of claims 1 to 8, the gate carrier (2) of which is connected to the gate panel (11) or is formed thereby.
10. Lifting gate (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the drive device (12) is connected to the gate panel (11) and/or to the gate carrier (2) vertically below the stop element (5) and decoupled from the stop element (5).
11. Lifting gate (10) according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the drive device (12) comprises a chain drive or belt drive which is connected to the gate panel (11) and/or to the gate carrier (2).

Images