Patent ID: 7783386

Claim:
An apparatus for protection of a machine-controlled handling appliance having moving parts, comprising: a safety sensor system for detection of objects in a working area of the handling appliance; a safety controller which interacts with a controller of the handling appliance and, in the process of interacting, controls safety-relevant functions of the handling appliance as a function of signals transmitted from the safety sensor system, wherein the safety sensor system includes non-contacting proximity sensors each having respective detection areas so that a safety-relevant part of the working area of the handling appliance is covered by the detection areas of the proximity sensors, wherein the proximity sensors respectively comprise at least one sensor with different physical principles of operation with respect to the principles of operation of other proximity sensors among the proximity sensors included in the safety sensor system, wherein each proximity sensor determines distance information about the distance of a detected object from the respective proximity sensor, wherein the safety controller controls the safety-relevant functions of the handling appliance by outputting the signals, which are based on the distance information respectively determined by the proximity sensors to the controller of the handling device.