阅读说明：本技术 限定反射型传感器 (Limited reflection type sensor ) 是由 柿本直也 中岛淳 多田明日香 于 2019-01-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种限定反射型传感器,能够在安装透镜时简便且准确地定位,并且提高防尘性。该限定反射型传感器(100)经由射出光用透镜(22),将来自发光部(32)的射出光向物体检测区域照射,并经由反射光用透镜(23),由受光部(33)接受来自存在于该物体检测区域的物体的反射光,具有：具有形成于侧面的卡止部(13)和面向该物体检测区域的第一开口部(15)且收纳发光部(32)及受光部(33)的筐体部(10)、以及具有与射出光用透镜(22)及反射光用透镜(23)一体形成的光射入射出部(21)和光射入射出部(21)的端部沿侧面延长的侧面覆盖部(24)的透镜部(20),透镜部(20)由光射入射出部(21)堵塞第一开口部(15),并且侧面覆盖部(24)被卡止部(13)卡止。(The invention provides a limited reflection type sensor, which can be simply and accurately positioned when a lens is installed and improve the dustproof performance. The limited reflection type sensor (100) irradiates the emitted light from the light emitting section (32) to the object detection area via the light emitting lens (22), and receives the reflected light from the object existing in the object detection area via the light reflecting lens (23) by the light receiving section (33), and comprises: the lens unit comprises a housing part (10) which is provided with a clamping part (13) formed on the side surface and a first opening part (15) facing the object detection area and is used for accommodating a light emitting part (32) and a light receiving part (33), and a lens part (20) which is provided with a light incident and emitting part (21) integrally formed with a lens (22) for emergent light and a lens (23) for reflected light and a side surface covering part (24) extending along the side surface of the end part of the light incident and emitting part (21), wherein the first opening part (15) is blocked by the light incident and emitting part (21) of the lens part (20), and the side surface covering part (24) is clamped by the clamping part (13).)

1. A limited reflection type sensor for irradiating an object detection area with light emitted from a light emitting section via a light emitting lens and receiving reflected light from an object existing in the object detection area by a light receiving section via a light reflecting lens, comprising:

A housing portion having a locking portion formed on a side surface and a first opening portion facing the object detection region, and accommodating the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion;

a lens unit having a light incident/output unit formed integrally with the light emitting/outputting lens and the light reflecting lens, and a side surface covering unit in which an end of the light incident/output unit extends along the side surface;

the lens unit closes the first opening by the light incident/emitting unit, and the side surface covering unit is locked by the locking unit.

2. The defined reflectance type sensor of claim 1,

the locking part is a snap structure having a locking claw formed at the front end of the elastic piece, and the locking claw is fitted in a locking opening formed in the side surface covering part.

3. The defined reflectance type sensor according to claim 1 or 2,

the side surface is formed with a guide groove for guiding the side surface covering portion.

4. The defined reflectance type sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the locking portion locks the side surface covering portion at a position closer to the light incident/emission portion than the middle in an extending direction of the side surface covering portion.

5. The defined reflectance type sensor of any one of claims 1 to 4,

a sealing groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the housing part is arranged at the inner side of the first opening part,

a sealing protrusion having a shape corresponding to the sealing groove formed on the first opening side is provided on the lens part,

the seal groove abuts against the seal projection.

6. The defined reflectance type sensor of any one of claims 1 to 5,

the housing portion has a second opening portion on a side opposite to the first opening portion,

the sensor of the defined reflection type further has:

a mounting substrate that mounts the light emitting section and the light receiving section and is housed in the housing section;

and a cover portion that is locked to the housing portion and closes the second opening portion.

7. The defined reflectance type sensor of claim 6,

a connector portion electrically connected to the outside is mounted on the mounting substrate,

the connector portion is exposed from a third opening formed in the other side surface of the housing portion.

8. The defined reflectance type sensor of claim 6,

a connector portion electrically connected to the outside is mounted on the mounting substrate,

The connector portion is exposed from a fourth opening formed in a bottom surface of the cover portion.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly to a limited reflection type sensor that irradiates an object detection area with light emitted from a light emitting section via a light emitting lens and receives reflected light from an object existing in the object detection area via a light reflecting lens.

Background

Conventionally, as a sensor for detecting whether or not an object is present at a predetermined position, a limited reflection type sensor has been proposed in which a detection region of the object is limited, light is emitted from a light emitting portion, and reflected light reflected by the object in the detection region is received by a light receiving portion (see, for example, patent document 1).

In the above-described limited reflection sensor, the detection region is irradiated with the outgoing light from the light-emitting portion via the outgoing light lens, and the reflected light reflected by the object in the detection region is received by the light-receiving portion via the light-receiving lens. When the reflected light enters the light receiving unit, the light receiving unit converts the light into an electric signal, and therefore, by detecting a change in voltage generated in the light receiving unit, it is possible to detect that an object is present in the detection region. Therefore, the detection region is limited to a range in which light can be irradiated from the light-emitting portion and can reach the light-receiving portion. The setting range of the detection region may be changed according to the optical design of the outgoing light lens and the receiving lens.

In the conventional limited reflection type sensor shown in patent document 1, each of the light emitting lens and the light receiving lens is formed by combining an aspherical lens and a cylindrical lens. Thus, the short distance is detected by the cylindrical lens and the long distance is detected by the aspherical lens, whereby the detection range of the long distance can be expanded while maintaining the detection range of the short distance.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

The above-described conventional limited reflection type sensor needs to be accurately focused on each of the light emitting section and the light receiving section by housing the lens for emitting light and the lens for receiving light in the housing. Therefore, the lens is integrally formed with projections and holes at the end portions and the center portion, and is fitted and positioned in the corresponding locking portions inside the housing. Further, by assembling lenses having different focal positions, the detection range of the limited reflection sensor can be changed to a range corresponding to the lenses.

However, when the lens is housed in the housing, the lens needs to be inserted into the housing in a held state and the lens needs to be coupled to the locking portion at a position, which causes a problem that the assembly process is complicated. Further, since it is necessary to form the positioning projection and the hole integrally with the lens, the shape of the lens becomes complicated, and the difficulty of processing increases. Further, after the lens is positioned in the housing, it is necessary to cover the upper part of the housing with a cover so that dust does not intrude into the housing, and it is difficult to confirm whether the lens corresponding to the detection range is assembled, whether the position is accurately coupled, or the like in a state where the cover is attached.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a limited reflection type sensor capable of being positioned easily and accurately when a lens is attached, and improving dust resistance.

Technical solution for solving technical problem

In order to solve the above problems, a limited reflection sensor according to the present invention is a limited reflection sensor that irradiates an object detection area with light emitted from a light emitting unit via a light emitting lens and receives reflected light from an object existing in the object detection area via a light receiving unit via a light reflecting lens, the limited reflection sensor including: a housing portion having a locking portion formed on a side surface and a first opening portion facing the object detection region, and accommodating the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion; a lens unit having: a light incident/output portion integrally formed with the light emitting/outputting lens and the light reflecting lens, and a side surface covering portion in which an end of the light incident/output portion extends along the side surface. The lens unit closes the first opening by the light incident/emitting unit, and the side surface covering unit is locked by the locking unit.

Thus, the side surface covering part extended from the light incident and emitting part is locked by the locking part formed on the side surface of the housing, thereby positioning can be simply and accurately performed when the lens is installed, and the dustproof performance is improved.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the locking portion is a snap structure in which a locking claw is formed at a tip end of the elastic piece, and the locking claw is fitted in a locking opening formed in the side surface covering portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a guide groove for guiding the side surface covering portion is formed in the side surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the locking portion locks the side surface covering portion at a position closer to the light incident/emission portion than the middle in an extending direction of the side surface covering portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a seal groove formed along a longitudinal direction of the housing portion is provided inside the first opening, a seal projection having a shape corresponding to the seal groove formed on the first opening side is provided in the lens portion, and the seal groove is in contact with the seal projection.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing portion has a second opening portion on a side opposite to the first opening portion, and further includes: a mounting substrate mounted with the light emitting section and the light receiving section and housed in the housing, and a cover section locked to the housing and closing the second opening.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a connector portion electrically connected to the outside is mounted on the mounting substrate, and the connector portion is exposed through a third opening formed in the other side surface of the housing portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the connector portion is exposed from a fourth opening formed in a bottom surface of the cover portion.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a limited reflection type sensor that can be accurately positioned when a lens is attached and that has improved dust resistance.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a structure of a limited reflection type sensor 100 according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure defining the reflective sensor 100.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing portion 10 and the base plate portion 30.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the housing 10 and the cover 40.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing 10 and the lens unit 20.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view defining the reflection type sensor 100, fig. 6(a) is a sectional view at a-a position in fig. 1, and fig. 6(B) is a sectional view at a-B position in fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a fixing structure of a mounting substrate 31 according to a second embodiment, in which fig. 7(a) shows an example in which a press-fitting pin 19a and a caulking pin 19b are used, and fig. 7(b) shows an example in which an adhesive 19c is applied to the rear surface of the mounting substrate 31.

Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a structure of a limited reflection type sensor 200 according to a third embodiment.

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure defining the reflective sensor 200.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the housing portion 50 and the base plate portion 70.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of housing 50 and cover 80.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing portion 50 and the lens portion 60.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view defining the reflective sensor 200, fig. 13(a) is a sectional view at a-a position in fig. 8, and fig. 13(B) is a sectional view at a-B position in fig. 8.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a structure of a limited reflection type sensor 100 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure defining the reflective sensor 100. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sensor 100 of the limited reflection type includes: housing 10, lens 20, substrate 30, and cover 40.

The housing 10 is a housing that defines the outer shape of the reflection sensor 100 and holds each part, and fig. 1 shows an example of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape. The housing 10 is made of a material that does not transmit light having a wavelength longer than that of ultraviolet light, and for example, a resin colored black may be used. The housing 10 further includes: the housing body 11, the mounting portion 12, the locking portion 13, the partition plate 14, and the opening 15. The shape of the housing 10 is not limited to the rectangular parallelepiped shape shown in fig. 1.

The housing body 11 has a locking opening 11a formed near the bottom surface of the side surface, a bottom opening 11b formed on the bottom surface, and a side opening 11c formed on the side surface in the longitudinal direction as the openings. The attachment portion 12 and the locking portion 13 are formed on the side surface on the short side, the opening 15 is formed on the upper surface, and the partition plate 14 is provided in the opening 15.

The locking opening 11a is an opening formed in a side surface of the housing body 11 and is formed at a position corresponding to a locking claw 41a described later. In fig. 1 and 2, the locking opening 11a is shown in the longitudinal direction of the housing 10, but may be provided on the bottom surface in the short direction. The bottom opening 11b is an opening formed in the lower surface of the housing body 11, and corresponds to a second opening of the present invention. The side opening 11c is an opening formed in the side surface of the housing body 11, and corresponds to a third opening of the present invention. The side opening 11c is formed at a position corresponding to the connector portion 34 and the opening cover portion 42 described later, and is formed in a shape corresponding to the above-described members.

The mounting portion 12 is a portion formed integrally with the housing body 11 on the short side surface of the housing portion 10, and is a portion for positioning and fixing the reflection type sensor 100 to another member. Fig. 1 and 2 show an example in which the mounting portion 12 is a protrusion having a substantially cubic shape, and a mounting hole 12a, which is a hole penetrating in the vertical direction and the depth direction, is formed. The mounting hole 12a is a hole into which a fixing member such as a screw or a bolt is inserted, and a screw groove may be formed therein as necessary. The shape of the mounting portion 12 is not limited to the shape shown in fig. 1 and 2, and for example, a flat plate shape protruding from a side surface in a substantially horizontal direction may be used.

The locking portion 13 is formed on a side surface on the short side of the housing body 11 and is a portion for locking the lens portion 20. The specific structure of the locking portion 13 is not limited, and for example, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, a snap structure in which a part of the side surface is cut out as an elastic piece and a locking claw 13a is formed at the tip end thereof may be used. The locking portion 13 has a guide groove 13b formed on the short side surface of the housing body 11, the width and length of which are substantially the same as those of a side surface covering portion 24 described later.

The partition plate 14 is a substantially flat plate-like portion standing substantially at the center of the opening 15, and divides the light emitting side from the light receiving side, and has an upper end portion abutting against a lower surface of a light incident/emitting portion 21 of a lens portion 20 described later. Since the light receiving side and the light emitting side are separated by the partition plate 14, the light can be prevented from directly reaching the light receiving section 33 from the light emitting section 32.

The opening 15 is an opening formed in the upper surface of the housing body 11, and corresponds to a first opening of the present invention. In addition, a lens contact portion 15a and a seal groove 15b are formed in the opening portion 15. The lens contact portion 15a is a portion forming the upper end of the longitudinal side surface of the housing body 11. The seal groove 15b is a step or a groove formed inside the lens contact portion 15a, and is formed to a position lower than the upper end of the partition plate 14. The sealing groove 15b is formed in a width, length, and depth corresponding to the sealing projection 25 of the lens unit 20 described later. In fig. 2, the seal groove 15b extends to the outside of the elastic piece of the locking portion 13, but may be extended to the inside of the elastic piece in order to prevent erroneous insertion of the side surface covering portion 24.

The lens unit 20 is made of a light-transmitting material such as resin, and is an optical member that transmits light emitted from the light emitting unit 32, outputs the light to the outside with a predetermined light distribution, and transmits light incident from the outside, and causes the light to enter the light receiving unit 33. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the lens unit 20 includes: a light input/output portion 21, a light output lens 22, a light reflection lens 23, a side surface covering portion 24, and a sealing protrusion 25.

The light input/output section 21 is a substantially flat plate-shaped portion forming an upper portion of the lens section 20, and an output light lens 22 and a reflected light lens 23 are integrally formed on a lower surface side thereof. The upper surface of the light input/output portion 21 is a substantially flat surface and is disposed to face the object detection region. Therefore, in the limited reflection sensor 100, light emission to the object detection region and light reception from the object detection region are performed through the light incident/exiting portion 21. By providing the lens unit 20 with the light incident/emitting unit 21, the lens unit 20 does not protrude to the outside of the reflective sensor 100, and thus space can be saved and adhesion of dirt can be suppressed. The vicinity of the outer periphery of the light incident/output portion 21 is formed to be approximately equal to the outer diameter of the lens contact portion 15a of the housing body 11, and abuts against the lens contact portion 15a to position and fix the lens portion 20 to the housing body 10.

The light emission lens 22 is a lens for irradiating the light emitted from the light emitting unit 32 to the object detection region. The reflected light lens 23 is a lens for making light reflected by the detection target in the object detection region enter the light receiving unit 33. The outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 are formed at positions separated from each other by the separation groove 26, but the lens portion 20 and the light incident/outgoing portion 21 are integrally molded. By integrally molding the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 as the lens unit 20, the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 can be positioned with respect to the light emitting unit 32 and the light receiving unit 33, respectively, simply by positioning the lens unit 20 in the housing unit 10, and the assembly process can be simplified and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

The side surface covering portion 24 is a flat plate-shaped portion in which both end portions of the light incident and output portion 21 extend downward in the drawing, and is integrally molded with the light incident and output portion 21. The shape of the side covering portion 24 is formed with the same degree of width and length as the guide groove 13 b. Further, a locking opening 24a is formed at a position corresponding to the locking portion 13 of the side surface covering portion 24, and when the lens unit 20 is attached to the housing portion 10, the side surface covering portion 24 is fitted into the guide groove 13b, and the locking portion 13 is fitted into the locking opening 24a, whereby positioning and fixing are performed.

The seal projection 25 is a projection on a straight line provided on the back side near the long side of the light incident and output portion 21, and is formed in a shape corresponding to the seal groove 15b at a position corresponding to the seal groove 15 b. As shown in fig. 2, the longitudinal ends of the seal projection 25 are located further to the outside than the inner surface of the side cover portion 24 and further to the inside than the outer surface.

The separation groove 26 is a groove that separates the space between the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 and reaches the back surface of the light incoming/outgoing portion 21, and positions and holds the lens portion 20 by inserting the spacer 14. The surfaces of the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 exposed in the separation groove 26 are tapered, and the spacer 14 is easily inserted and positioned.

The substrate section 30 is a member in which a light emitting section 32, a light receiving section 33, and a connector section 34 are mounted on one surface of a mounting substrate 31. The mounting substrate 31 is a substrate on which a wiring layer, not shown, is formed, and the light emitting unit 32, the light receiving unit 33, and the connector unit 34 are mounted on the wiring layer. The material constituting the mounting substrate 31 is not limited, and known substrates such as a printed circuit board, a metal substrate, and a composite substrate of resin and metal can be used. A positioning hole 31a, which is a through hole, is formed at a predetermined position of the mounting substrate 31.

The light emitting unit 32 transmits power and signals from the outside of the limited reflection sensor 100 through the connector unit 34 and the wiring layer, and emits light at a predetermined wavelength. The specific structure of the Light Emitting section 32 is not limited, and examples thereof include a Light Emitting Diode (LED). The wavelength of light emitted by the light emitting section 32 may be included in the absorption band of the light receiving section 33, and for example, infrared light may be used. The light emitting unit 32 may have an optical member such as a lens, and may emit light from the LED chip with desired light distribution characteristics.

The light receiving unit 33 absorbs light having a predetermined wavelength, converts the light into an electrical signal, and transmits a detection signal to the outside of the limited reflection sensor 100 via the connector unit 34 and the wiring layer. The specific configuration of the light receiving unit 33 is not limited, and for example, a phototransistor can be used. The light receiving unit 33 includes the wavelength of light irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 in the absorption band. The light receiving unit 33 may have an optical member such as a lens, and efficiently collect incident light on the phototransistor to detect the incident light.

The connector unit 34 is a member that transmits an output and a signal from the outside from an external connection harness or the like that defines the reflection sensor 100. The terminals of the connector 34 are electrically connected to the wiring layer on the mounting substrate 31. In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, the connector portion 34 is mounted on the mounting surface of the mounting substrate 31 in a parallel direction so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing 10 through the side opening 11 c.

The cover 40 closes the bottom opening 11b of the housing 10 and holds the substrate 30. The cover 40 has a cover wall 41 standing along four sides of the bottom outer periphery, and the outer periphery of the cover wall 41 is substantially the same as the inner periphery of the bottom opening 11 b. Further, a locking claw 41a is formed to protrude from a side surface of the cover wall 41, and substrate support portions 41b and 41c are formed to protrude upward from an upper end of the cover wall 41. The opening covering portion 42 is formed at a position corresponding to the side opening 11c to a position higher than the substrate support portions 41b and 41 c.

In the limited reflection type sensor 100 shown in fig. 1 and 2, electric power and signals supplied from the outside to the connector unit 34 are transmitted to the light emitting unit 32, and the light emitting unit 32 emits light. The light from the light emitting unit 32 enters the light emission lens 22, and is irradiated to the outside through the light entrance/exit unit 21 with a light distribution corresponding to the curved surface of the light emission lens 22. When an object is present in the object detection region for detecting the object, the light emitted from the light emitting section 32 is reflected in the direction of the limited reflection sensor 100, enters the reflection light lens 23 via the light incident/emitting section 21, and enters the light receiving section 33. A voltage corresponding to the intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 33 is output, and the voltage value is transmitted to the outside via the connector unit 34 as a signal for detecting an object.

Next, the assembly of the limited reflection sensor 100 will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing portion 10 and the base plate portion 30. As shown in fig. 3, a partition wall 11d is formed inside the housing 10. The partition wall 11d forms a connector housing 16, a light emitting housing 17, and a light receiving housing 18 inside the housing 10. The protrusion extending downward from the partition wall 11d is formed as a substrate positioning portion 19.

The connector housing 16 is a space formed inside the housing body 11 from the side opening 11c to house the connector 34. The connector housing portion 16 is divided from the light-emitting housing portion 17 and the light-receiving housing portion 18 by the dividing wall portion 11d, and is also divided from a space in which the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 are housed on the opening 15 side by the dividing wall portion 11 d.

The light-emitting housing portion 17 is a space provided in communication with the opening 15, and also communicates with the bottom opening 11b of the housing body 11. The light emitting unit 32 is disposed at a predetermined position in the light emitting housing 17. The light receiving and accommodating unit 18 is a space provided in communication with the opening 15, and also communicates with the bottom opening 11b of the housing body 11. The light receiving unit 33 is disposed at a predetermined position in the light receiving housing unit 18. The substrate positioning portion 19 is a protrusion formed at a position corresponding to a positioning hole 31a formed in the mounting substrate 31.

As shown in fig. 3, the substrate positioning portion 19 is positionally coupled to the positioning hole 31a, the connector housing portion 16 is positionally coupled to the connector portion 34, and the substrate portion 30 is inserted into the bottom surface opening 11 b. Thereby, the light emitting section 32 is positioned at a predetermined position of the light emitting and receiving section 17, and the light receiving section 33 is positioned at a predetermined position of the light receiving and receiving section 18.

In the present embodiment, a side opening 11c is formed in the housing 10, and the connector 34 is housed in the connector housing 16 and exposed from the side opening 11 c. As described above, since the connector housing 16, the light emitting housing 17, and the light receiving housing 18 are partitioned by the wall surface, even if the connector 34 is exposed to the outside, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of dust from the outside into the light emitting housing 17 and the light receiving housing 18, and to improve the dust-proof property. Further, the light emitting unit 32 and the light receiving unit 33 can be simply and accurately positionally coupled to each other at a predetermined position only by coupling the position of the positioning hole 31a to the position of the substrate positioning portion 19.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the housing 10 and the cover 40. As shown in fig. 4, a substantially flat bottom surface 43 is formed at the bottom of the cover 40, and a cover wall 41 is provided along the outer edge of the bottom surface 43. When the cover 40 is inserted into the bottom opening 11b of the housing 10, the outer periphery of the cover wall 41 is fitted to the inner wall of the housing body 11, and the locking claw 41a is fitted to the locking opening 11a, thereby positioning and fixing the cover 40. At this time, the substrate support portions 41b and 41c formed at the upper end of the cover wall 41 support the back surface side of the mounting substrate 31, and the opening cover portion 42 supports the lower surface side of the connector portion 34. Thus, the substrate portion 30 positioned inside the housing portion 10 is held between the cover portion 40 and the housing portion 10, and is positioned and fixed.

The open cover portion 42 is formed to close the side opening 11c except for the region where the connector portion 34 is exposed, and the bottom opening 11b can be closed by the cover portion 40, and the side opening 11c can be closed by the open cover portion 42. This makes it possible to easily fix the base plate portion 30 by the cover portion 40, and to improve the dust-proof property by suppressing the intrusion of dust from the outside.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing 10 and the lens unit 20. As shown in fig. 5, the side surface covering portion 24 of the lens portion 20 is coupled to the locking portion 13 of the housing portion 10, and the opening 15 is closed by the light incident/emitting portion 21 of the lens portion 20. At this time, the partition plate 14 is inserted into the separation groove 26, and is brought into contact with the rear surface of the light incident/output portion 21, and the seal projection 25 is inserted into the seal groove 15 b. The lens unit 20 is positioned and fixed to the housing 10 by fitting the side surface covering portion 24 into the guide groove 13b and fitting the locking claw 13a into the locking opening portion 24 a.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view defining the reflection type sensor 100, fig. 6(a) is a sectional view at a-a position in fig. 1, and fig. 6(B) is a sectional view at a-B position in fig. 1. In the limited reflection type sensor 100 of the present embodiment, the lens portion 20 is attached to the opening 15 of the housing 10, the substrate portion 30 is housed inside the housing 10, the connector portion 34 is exposed from the side opening 11c, and the cover portion 40 is attached to the bottom opening 11b of the housing 10.

The assembled state shown in fig. 6(a) and (b) will be briefly described. The partition plate 14 is inserted into the separation groove 26, and the upper end thereof abuts against the rear surface of the light incident/output portion 21. The upper end of the lens contact portion 15a contacts the rear surface of the light incident/output portion 21. The seal projection 25 is fitted in the seal groove 15 b. The side surface covering portion 24 is guided and fitted in the guide groove 13 b. The locking claw 13a is fitted in the locking opening 24 a.

The connector portion 34 is housed in the connector housing portion 16 and exposed from the side opening 11 c. The substrate positioning portion 19 is inserted into the positioning hole 31 a. The light emitting unit 32 is housed in the light emitting housing 17. The light receiving unit 33 is housed in the light receiving housing unit 18. The upper surface of the mounting substrate 31 abuts the partition wall 11 d.

The locking claw 41a is fitted in the locking opening 11 a. The upper ends of the substrate support portions 41b and 41c abut against the back surface of the mounting substrate 31. The upper end of the opening covering portion 42 abuts against the lower surface of the connector portion 34.

Therefore, the lens portion 20 is restricted from moving upward by the locking claws 13a and the locking openings 24a, and restricted from moving downward by the upper end of the partition plate 14, the lens contact portion 15a, and the rear surface of the light incident/output portion 21, and therefore is restricted from moving in the vertical direction and is positioned. Further, the lens unit 20 is positioned by being restricted from moving in the depth direction in the drawing by fitting the guide groove 13b to the side surface covering portion 24 and by abutting the seal groove 15b to the seal projection 25. Further, the lens unit 20 is positioned by being restricted from moving in the lateral direction in the drawing by the insertion of the partition plate 14 into the separation groove 26 and the sandwiching of the housing unit 10 by the two side surface covering portions 24.

The positioning described above can achieve effects by the movement restrictions alone, but the effects can be further improved by combining a plurality of types. Therefore, only by attaching the lens unit 20 to the housing 10, the movement of the lens unit 20 in the three-dimensional direction with respect to the housing 10 can be restricted. Therefore, the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 integrally molded with the light incident and outgoing portion 21 can be positioned easily and accurately with respect to the light emitting portion 32 and the light receiving portion 33 housed inside the housing portion 10.

Further, by providing the locking claw 13a on the side surface of the housing body 11, the locking portion 13 of the housing 10 is elastically deformed when the lens unit 20 is attached, and the lens unit 20 is not elastically deformed. This reduces the risk of defocusing and damage due to deformation of the lens unit 20, and allows the lens unit 20 to be easily attached.

In the example shown in fig. 1 to 5, the locking opening 24a is formed at a position above the middle of the side surface covering portion 24, that is, at a position close to the light incident/output portion 21. This makes it possible to easily deform the elastic piece in which the locking claws 13a are formed by extension when the lens unit 20 is mounted, and to eliminate the gap by covering the entire elastic piece with the side surface covering portions 24, thereby facilitating the mounting of the lens unit 20 and improving the dust-proof performance.

Further, the mounting substrate 31 is restricted from moving upward by the upper surface abutting against the partition wall 11d, and restricted from moving downward by the substrate support portions 41b and 41c abutting against the rear surface, so that the movement in the vertical direction is restricted and positioned. The substrate positioning portion 19 is inserted into the positioning hole 31a of the mounting substrate 31, and is positioned by being restricted from moving in the horizontal direction.

Although the above positioning can obtain the effect by each movement restriction alone, the effect can be further improved by combining a plurality of movement restrictions. Therefore, only by inserting the base plate portion 30 into the housing portion 10 and attaching the cover portion 40, the movement of the base plate portion 30 in the three-dimensional direction with respect to the housing portion 10 is restricted. Therefore, the light emitting portion 32 and the light receiving portion 33 mounted on the mounting substrate 31 can be easily and accurately positioned in each of the light emitting housing 17 and the light receiving housing 18. Further, since the opening covering portion 42 extends to the vicinity of the lower surface of the connector portion 34, the side opening 11c is blocked by the connector portion 34 and the opening covering portion 42, and intrusion of dust into the inside can be suppressed, thereby improving dust-proof performance.

As described above, in the limited reflection type sensor 100 of the present embodiment, accurate positioning can be performed when the lens unit 20 is attached to the housing unit 10, and dust resistance can be improved. Thus, by assembling the lens units 20 having different focal positions, the detection range of the limited reflection sensor 100 can be easily changed to a range corresponding to the lens unit 20.

The side surface covering portion 24 is integrally formed to extend from the light incident/emitting portion 21, and constitutes the outermost portion of the lens portion 20. Therefore, it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the side surface covering portion 24 fits in the guide groove 13b and whether or not the locking claw 13a fits in the locking opening portion 24a from the outside of the limited reflection type sensor 100. This makes it possible to easily confirm whether or not the outgoing light lens 22 and the reflected light lens 23 are accurately positioned after the lens unit 20 is attached.

< second embodiment >

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The description of the same contents as those of the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a fixing structure of a mounting substrate 31 according to a second embodiment, in which fig. 7(a) shows an example in which a press-fitting pin 19a and a caulking pin 19b are used, and fig. 7(b) shows an example in which an adhesive 19c is applied to the rear surface of the mounting substrate 31.

In the example shown in fig. 7(a), a plurality of positioning holes 31a are formed in advance in the mounting substrate 31, and the press-fit pin 19a and the caulking pin 19b formed in the partition wall 11d are inserted into the positioning holes 31 a. The press-fitting pin 19a is a pin having a slightly tapered tip, and has a tip smaller in diameter than the positioning hole 31a and larger in diameter than the positioning hole 31a at its base. When the press-fitting pin 19a is inserted into the positioning hole 31a while being positioned, the press-fitting pin 19a made of resin is slightly deformed and press-fitted when the mounting board 31 is strongly pressed. Thus, the press-fitting of the press-fitting pin 19a into the positioning hole 31a can perform positioning and fixing at the same time.

The caulking pin 19b is a pin having a smaller diameter than the positioning hole 31 a. After the caulking pin 19b is positioned and inserted into the positioning hole 31a, the head of the caulking pin 19b is crushed and deformed. Thus, the positioning and fixing can be performed simultaneously by caulking the caulking pin 19b to the positioning hole 31 a.

In the example shown in fig. 7(b), after the mounting substrate 31 is inserted into the bottom opening 11b, the adhesive 19c is applied to the entire rear surface side of the mounting substrate 31. The adhesive 19c fills and seals the gap between the mounting substrate 31 and the inner surface of the housing main body 11, and fixes the mounting substrate 31 inside the housing main body 11.

As a fixing structure of the mounting substrate 31, for example, a locking claw may be formed in the housing body 11 in advance, and the locking claw may be fitted to the mounting substrate 31. The above-described clamping by the cover 40, the use of the press-fitting pin 19a and the caulking pin 19b, the application of the adhesive 19c, and the locking by the locking claw may be appropriately combined.

< third embodiment >

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The description of the same contents as those of the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a structure of a limited reflection type sensor 200 according to a third embodiment. Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure defining the reflective sensor 200. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the sensor 200 of the limited reflection type includes: housing 50, lens 60, substrate 70, and cover 80.

The housing portion 50 has: the enclosure body 51, the mounting portion 52, the locking portion 53, the partition plate 54, and the opening 55. As each opening, the housing body 51 has a locking opening 51a formed near the bottom surface of the side surface, a bottom opening 51b formed on the bottom surface, and a side opening 51c formed on the side surface in the longitudinal direction. The locking portion 53 is formed by cutting out a part of the side surface as an elastic piece, and has a locking claw 53a at the tip end thereof. In addition, the locking portion 53 has a guide groove 53b formed on the short side surface of the housing body 51, the width and length of which are substantially the same as those of the side surface covering portion 64. The opening 55 is formed with a lens contact portion 55a and a seal groove 55 b.

The lens unit 60 includes: a light incident/emitting portion 61, a light emitting/emitting lens 62, a light reflecting lens 63, a side surface covering portion 64, and a sealing protrusion 65. The outgoing light lens 62 and the reflected light lens 63 are formed at positions separated from each other by the separation groove 66, but the lens portion 60 and the light incident/outgoing portion 61 are integrally molded. The locking opening 64a is formed in the side surface covering portion 64 at a position corresponding to the locking portion 53.

The substrate unit 70 is a component in which a light emitting unit 72 and a light receiving unit 73 are mounted on one surface of a mounting substrate 71, and a connector unit 74 is mounted on the other surface. Positioning holes 71a, which are through holes, are formed at predetermined positions of the mounting substrate 71.

Cover portion 80 has: the cover wall 81, the locking claw 81a, the cover wall upper end 82a, the substrate contact portion 82b, the bottom surface 83, and the connector opening portion 84. The cover wall upper end 82a is an upper end of a lower formed region in the cover wall 81. The board contact portion 82b is an upper end of a region formed higher in the cover wall 81, and is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the connector portion 74. The connector opening 84 is an opening formed at a position corresponding to the connector portion 74 in the bottom surface 83, is formed inside the substrate contact portion 82b, and corresponds to a fourth opening of the present invention. In the example shown in fig. 8 and 9, the connector portion 74 is mounted downward from the back surface of the mounting board 71, and is exposed to the outside of the housing 50 through the connector opening 84.

Next, the assembly of the limited reflection sensor 200 will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 12. Fig. 10 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of the housing portion 50 and the base plate portion 70. As shown in fig. 10, a partition plate 54 is formed inside the housing portion 50. The light emitting and receiving portions 57 and 58 are formed inside the housing portion 50 by the partition plate 54. A downward projection is formed as a substrate positioning portion 59 on the partition plate 54. The substrate positioning portion 59 is a protrusion formed at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 71a formed in the mounting substrate 71.

As shown in fig. 10, the substrate positioning portion 59 is positionally coupled to the positioning hole 71a, and the substrate portion 70 is inserted into the bottom surface opening 51 b. Thereby, the light emitting section 72 is positioned at a predetermined position of the light emitting and receiving section 57, and the light receiving section 73 is positioned at a predetermined position of the light receiving and receiving section 58.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view for explaining assembly of housing 50 and cover 80. As shown in fig. 11, cover 80 has a bottom surface 83 in a substantially flat plate shape at the bottom thereof, and a cover wall 81 is provided along the outer edge of bottom surface 83. When cover 80 is inserted into bottom opening 51b of housing 50, the outer periphery of cover wall 81 is fitted to the inner wall of housing body 51, and locking claw 81a is fitted to locking opening 51a, thereby positioning and fixing cover 40. At this time, the substrate contact portion 82b contacts the back surface side of the mounting substrate 71. Thus, the substrate portion 70 positioned inside the housing portion 50 is held between the cover portion 80 and the housing portion 50, and is positioned and fixed.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view for explaining the assembly of the housing portion 50 and the lens portion 60. As shown in fig. 12, the side surface covering portion 64 of the lens portion 60 is coupled to the locking portion 53 of the housing portion 50, and the opening 55 is closed by the light incident/output portion 61 of the lens portion 60. At this time, the spacer 54 is inserted into the separation groove 66, and is brought into contact with the rear surface of the light incident/output portion 61, and the seal projection 65 is inserted into the seal groove 55 b. The lens unit 60 is positioned and fixed to the housing 50 by fitting the side surface covering portion 64 into the guide groove 53b and fitting the locking claw 13a into the locking opening 24 a.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view defining the reflective sensor 200, fig. 13(a) is a sectional view at a-a position in fig. 1, and fig. 13(B) is a sectional view at a-B position in fig. 8. In the limited reflection sensor 200 of the present embodiment, the lens portion 60 is attached to the opening 55 of the housing 50, the substrate portion 70 is housed inside the housing 50, and the cover portion 40 is attached to the bottom opening 51b of the housing 50. The connector portion 74 is exposed downward from the connector opening 84.

The limited reflection type sensor 200 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the connector portion 74 is mounted on the back surface side of the mounting substrate 71 so as to be exposed downward in the drawing from the connector opening portion 84 provided in the cover portion 80. Further, since the connector portion 74 is not disposed between the light emitting portion 72 and the light receiving portion 73, the area of the mounting substrate 71 is reduced. Accordingly, a space for housing the connector portion 74 between the light emitting housing portion 57 and the light receiving housing portion 58 is not required, and the housing portion 50 is also reduced in size. By miniaturizing the housing main body 51, the mounting portion 52 is provided below the housing main body 51 so as to protrude from the cover portion 80.

As shown in fig. 13(a) and (b), only by attaching the lens unit 60 to the housing 50, the movement of the lens unit 60 in the three-dimensional direction with respect to the housing 50 is restricted. Therefore, the outgoing light lens 62 and the reflected light lens 63 integrally molded with the light incident and outgoing portion 61 can be easily and accurately positioned with respect to the light emitting portion 72 and the light receiving portion 73 housed inside the housing portion 50.

Further, the mounting board 71 is restricted from moving upward by the upper surface abutting against the spacer 54, and is restricted from moving downward by the board abutting portion 82b abutting against the rear surface, so that the movement in the vertical direction is restricted and positioned. Thus, movement of base plate 70 relative to housing 50 can be restricted only by inserting base plate 70 into housing 50 and attaching cover 80. Therefore, the light emitting portion 72 and the light receiving portion 73 mounted on the mounting substrate 71 can be easily and accurately positioned in the light emitting storage portion 57 and the light receiving storage portion 58.

In the limited reflection type sensor 200 of the present embodiment, the substrate contact portion 82b surrounds the connector portion 74 and contacts the back surface side of the mounting substrate 71. This can block the periphery of the connector portion 74 with the board contact portion 82b, thereby suppressing the intrusion of dust into the interior, and improving the dust-proof property.

As described above, in the limited reflection sensor 200 of the present embodiment, it is possible to perform accurate positioning when the lens unit 60 is attached to the housing unit 50, and to improve dust resistance.

The embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary in all aspects and are not intended to be construed as limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the scope of the technical solutions. The meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope are included.

Description of the reference numerals

10, 50 a housing part; 20, 60 lens parts; 30, 70 substrate portions; 40, 80 cover parts; 100, 200 define a reflective sensor; 11, 51 basket body; 11a, 51a locking opening part; 11b, 51b bottom surface openings; 11c, 51c side opening parts; 11d partition wall portions; 12, 52 mounting part; 12a mounting hole; 13, 53 locking parts; 13a, 53a locking claw; 13b, 53b guide groove; 14, 54 spacer plates; 15, 55 opening parts; 15a, 55a lens abutment; 15b, 55b seal the slots; 16 a connector housing part; 17, 57 light emitting and receiving parts; 18, 58 light receiving and accommodating parts; 19, 59 a substrate positioning portion; 19a press-in pins; 19b riveting pins; 19c an adhesive; 21, 61 light is incident on the light emitting part; 22, 62 light-emitting lenses; 23, 63 a lens for reflecting light; 24, 64 side covers; 24a, 64a locking opening; 25, 65 sealing protrusions; 26, 66 separation grooves; 31, 71 mounting substrates; 31a, 71a locating holes; 32, 72 light emitting parts; 33, 73 light receiving section; 34, 74 connector portion; 41, 81 enclosure walls; 41a, 81a locking claw; 41b a substrate support part; 42 an opening covering portion; 43, 83 bottom surface; 82a cover wall upper end; 82b a substrate abutting portion; 84 connector opening.