received by the International Bureau on 18 June 2020 (18.06.2020)

CLAIMS

1. A workpiece stop for a workpiece processing machine,

comprising at least one finger stop (22) having at least one contact surface (29) for a workpiece, wherein the at least one finger stop can be at least partially aligned for monitoring a contact of the workpiece with the workpiece stop and a position, in par ticular a correct processing position, of the workpiece in the workpiece processing machine; and

at least one sensor (36), wherein the at least one finger stop is associated in each case with at least one of the sensors and the sensor is designed such that it deter mines the contact of the workpiece with the finger stop and an alignment of the finger stop corresponding to the correct processing position of the workpiece.

2. The workpiece stop according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one finger stop (22) is at least partially movably and/or rotatably seated in an end position corresponding to the correct processing position of the workpiece.

3. The workpiece stop according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the sensor includes a switch and is designed so as to determine the contact of the finger stop with the switch in the correct processing position of the finger stop.

4. The workpiece stop according to any one of claims 2 and 3, including at least one el ement selected from

at least one blocking element (34), wherein the at least one finger stop is associated with in each case at least one of the blocking elements and the blocking element is designed and/or positionable such that it blocks the movement and/or rotation of the finger stop in the end position; and

at least one preload element, wherein the at least one finger stop is associated with in each case at least one of the preload elements and the preload element is designed and/or positioned such that it provides a restoring force acting on the finger stop in the end position thereof.

5. The workpiece stop according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one finger stop has a lower part (28) and an upper part (24) and a central part

48 (26) arranged therebetween, and the upper part and/or the lower part are seated movably and/or rotatably relative to the central part.

6. The workpiece stop according to claim 5,

wherein the central part is immovable; and/or

wherein the upper part and the lower part are connected to each other, in particular firmly connected to each other; and/or

wherein the upper part and the lower part are connected to each other via at least one connecting element (30, 230); and/or

wherein the upper part and the lower part are interconnected by at least one passage opening (221 , 222) of the central part; and/or

wherein at least one element selected from the upper part, central part and lower part has a recess (31 , 32, 33) for receiving and/or fixing a corner of the workpiece; and/or wherein the lower part and the central part at least partially have an identical contour; and/or

wherein the upper part is smaller than the central part and forms an offset in the end position relative to the central part; and/or

wherein the central part includes a bearing surface (38) for the workpiece; and/or wherein at least one element selected from the upper part and lower part has one or more of the contact surfaces (29); and/or

wherein the central part is provided with a friction-reducing coating, in particular with a DLC coating.

7. An imaging device for generating at least one image of the interior of a workpiece processing machine, in particular a workpiece processing machine with an interior which is not or is only incompletely visible for an operator from his/her working posi tion, including

an image capturing unit (52, 54) adapted to receive at least one image of the interior of the machine or a part of the interior; and

an image display unit (56) configured to display the at least one image,

wherein at least one of the image capturing unit and the image display unit is config ured to present the image corresponding to a virtual operator perspective of the inte rior of the machine from his/her working position,

wherein the image capturing unit includes at least one mirror (54), in particular an ad justable mirror, for mirroring the interior of the machine and at least one camera (52) for capturing at least one image of the mirrored interior.

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8. The imaging device according to claim 7, further including

a unit for detecting the working position of the operator; and/or

a projection unit configured to project a mark of a correct processing position of a workpiece to be processed into the inside of the machine.

9. The imaging device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein

the mirror is adjustably formed at a height and/or inclination which is relative to the vertical for detecting the at least one image of the mirrored interior corresponding to the virtual perspective of the operator in the interior of the machine from his/her work ing position, the imaging device including or being connected to a computing unit con verting the image of the interior of the machine to faithfully reproduce the interior of the machine.

10. The imaging device according to any one of claims 7 through 9,

wherein the image display unit includes or is or can be connected to a computing unit for converting the at least one image of the mirrored interior according to the virtual perspective of the operator to the inside of the machine from his/her working position.

1 1. A device for monitoring a processing position of a workpiece in a workpiece pro

cessing machine, in particular a bending press and/or press brake,

including at least one element selected from

a workpiece stop (20) according to any one of claims 1 through 6; and

an imaging device (50) according to any one of claims 7 through 10.

12. The device of claim 1 1 , further including a signal output device for outputting a signal directly perceptible to an operator of a workpiece processing machine from his/her working position, having a vibration generating unit (41 ) for generating and transmit ting a vibration to an operating element (42, 43) of the workpiece processing machine as the signal.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein in the signal output device the vibration generating unit is designed such that it can be coupled in a vibration-transmitting manner to the operating element; and/or

wherein the vibration generating unit includes a mechanical and/or acoustic vibration generator; and/or

50 wherein the control element includes one or more elements selected from a foot pe dal, a floor mat, a handle, a remote control, a glove, a shoe, a watch, a mobile phone, a pair of headphones, a pair of glasses, a control panel and any combination thereof; and/or

wherein the signal output device (40) is designed for wired or wireless reception of a vibration-triggering control command.

14. A workpiece processing machine, in particular a workpiece processing machine with an interior which is not or is only incompletely visible to an operator from his/her work ing position, in particular a bending press and/or press brake, including at least one element selected from

a workpiece stop (20) according to any one of claims 1 through 6; and

an imaging device (50) according to any one of claims 7 through 10.

15. The workpiece processing machine of claim 14, further including a signal output de vice for outputting a signal directly perceptible to an operator of a workpiece pro cessing machine from his/her working position, having a vibration generating unit (41 ) for generating and transmitting a vibration to an operating element (42, 43) of the workpiece processing machine as the signal.

16. The workpiece processing machine of claim 15, wherein in the signal output device the vibration generating unit is designed such that it can be coupled in a vibration- transmitting manner to the operating element; and/or

wherein the vibration generating unit includes a mechanical and/or acoustic vibration generator; and/or

wherein the control element includes one or more elements selected from a foot pe dal, a floor mat, a handle, a remote control, a glove, a shoe, a watch, a mobile phone, a pair of headphones, a pair of glasses, a control panel and any combination thereof; and/or

wherein the signal output device (40) is designed for wired or wireless reception of a vibration-triggering control command.

17. The workpiece processing machine according to any of claims 1 through 16, compris ing the imaging device according to any one of claims 7 through 10, wherein the mirror is arranged on an inside of the machine corresponding to a con stant or variable virtual perspective of the operator of the inside of the machine from his/her working position,

the camera is aligned with the mirror, and

the image display unit is arranged on an outside of the machine corresponding to a constant or variable virtual perspective of the operator of the inside of the machine from his/her working position.

18. The workpiece processing machine according to any of claims 14 through 17,

wherein the inside of the machine comprises at least one stop selected from a workpiece stop,

a workpiece rear stop, and

a workpiece stop (20) according to any one of claims 1 through 6; and

the imaging device is formed to capture an image of the stop.

19. The workpiece processing machine according to any one of claims 14 through 18, including a workpiece stop (20) according to any one of claims 1 through 6;

wherein the signal output device is designed to output a signal triggered by the at least one sensor of the workpiece stop in the correct processing position of the work- piece.

20. A use of a device for monitoring a processing position of a workpiece according to any one of claims 1 1 through 13 in a bending press and/or press brake.

21. A use of a workpiece processing machine according to any one of claims 14 through 19 for bending and/or folding a workpiece.

22. A method for processing a workpiece in a workpiece processing machine, in particu lar in a workpiece processing machine with an interior which is not or is only incom pletely visible for an operator from his/her working position, in particular in a work- piece processing machine according to any one of claims 14 through 19, including at least one step selected from:

contacting the workpiece with at least one finger stop of the machine that can be at least partially aligned and aligning the finger stop according to a correct processing position of the workpiece; generating and transmitting a vibration to an operating element of the machine as a signal; and

receiving at least one image of the interior of the machine and displaying the at least one image on an exterior of the machine, corresponding to and in the position of a vir tual perspective of the operator of the interior of the machine from his/her working po sition.

23. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the vibration of the operating element indicates the contact of the workpiece with the at least one finger stop and the correct processing position of the workpiece; and/or

wherein the at least one image reproduces the at least one finger stop; and/or wherein the capturing includes mirroring the interior of the workpiece processing ma chine in a mirror arranged to correspond to the virtual perspective of the operator and capturing at least one image of the mirrored interior.

24. The method according to claim 23,

wherein the capturing includes detecting the mirrored interior, in particular adjusting the mirror at a height and/or inclination which is relative to the vertical, corresponding to the virtual perspective of the operator of the interior of the machine from his/her working position.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 through 24,

wherein the displaying includes transforming the at least one image of the mirrored interior corresponding to the virtual perspective of the operator to the interior of the machine from his/her working position; and/or

wherein the step of receiving and displaying the at least one image of the interior of the machine includes determining the working position of the operator.

26. A computer program for operating an imaging device according to any one of the pre ceding claims 7 through 10 and/or for operating a workpiece processing machine ac cording to any one of the preceding claims 1 1 through 19, if the computer program is executed on a computer, the signal output device, the imaging device and/or on the workpiece processing machine.

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