AU2006245430B2

AU2006245430B2 - Detector for detecting when an area has been crossed having adjustable detection

Info

Publication number: AU2006245430B2
Application number: AU2006245430A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jurgen Demuth; Peter Gosch; Thomas Modliba; Ewald Piber; Ditmar Schultschik; Wolfgang Wagner; Mario Walder; Wolfgang Warum
Original assignee: Plast Srl AB
Current assignee: PLAST Srl AB
Priority date: 2005-05-13
Filing date: 2006-05-08
Publication date: 2010-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-08
Also published as: NZ563507A; PL1722206T3; TW200702642A; WO2006120566A1; PT1722206E; CN101194152A; AU2006245430A1; EP1722206A1; ES2329483T3; MY140787A; EP1722206B1; DE602005015555D1; ATE437352T1

Abstract

The detector has an infrared sensor cooperating with an optical device (2) for focusing electromagnetic radiations, where the sensor and the device are mounted in a casing. The device has an opening (2`) receiving the radiations and is connected to the sensor via a rotatably guiding bearing (5). The device has an actuating unit (6) in the form of a circular sector that is actuated in rotation in the bearing. The sector has a marking positioned relative to the markings provided in a passage slit arranged in a front face of the casing in a bi-sector plane of a pivoting angle of the device.

Description

DETECTOR FOR DETECTING WHEN AN AREA HAS BEEN CROSSED HAVING ADJUSTABLE DETECTION The present invention relates to the field of equipment for automation of comfort facilities in the home and the services sector, in particular lighting, heating, air conditioning and alarm systems, by means of devices enabling 5 detection of movement by persons, and is directed to a movement detector having an adjustable detection zone. Known sensors of this kind use an optical device in which incident signals are directed towards one or more infrared 10 sensors that deliver a control signal for a downstream device, such as a lighting device, a heating device, an alarm device or some other device. Thus there are known from WO-A-9633435 and WO-A-9802856 15 detectors of this kind in which the sensors have predetermined detection angles which may be between 90* and 1800. Other sensors are described by US 2005/02948, US-A-5966074, 20 DE 3710561 and EP-A-0177130. These detectors do not however have built-in means enabling reduction or limiting of the detection zone. For this, blocking elements are usually used, which are applied by 25 adhesive or elastic deformation of their external surface. However these blocking elements have the disadvantage of detracting from the appearance of the external surface of the detectors. As well, these blocking elements can become detached from the detector, so that the definition of the 30 detection zone becomes less reliable.

2 This result of this is that precise determination of a desired detection zone necessitates applying one or more supplementary pieces to the detector, this involving corresponding additional mounting operations or various 5 focussing trials. Use of the detector in a different configuration then implies reorganising the arrangement of the one or more blocking elements and/or removing or adding other blocking elements. 10 It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate these difficulties by providing a movement detector having an adjustable detection zone enabling speedy, easy and precise adaptation of the detection angle. 15 For this, the movement detector according to the invention comprises the features noted in Claim 1. The invention will be best understood on the basis of the following description, which relates to a preferred manner 20 of embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the schematic drawings attached, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a detector according to 25 the invention, mounted in a casing, the front face of which has been removed; Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, of the detector in its working condition; 30 Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the detector on its own; 3 Figure 4 is a perspective view of the assembled detector before it is mounted in its casing. 5 Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings show a movement detector which substantially consists of at least one infrared sensor 1 that interacts with an optical device 2 for focussing electromagnetic radiation, the optical device being provided with an opening 2' for receiving said 10 electromagnetic radiation. In the preferred manner of embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, the detector comprises two infrared sensors 1, each of which interacts with an optical device 2, the assemblies thus constituted being mounted in a casing 3 15 closed off by a front face 4. According to the invention, the optical device 2 is linked to the sensor 1 by way of a rotary guide bearing 5 and is provided with a means 6 for effecting rotation of the device 20 in said bearing 5. Preferably the sensor 1 is incorporated, by way of its face opposite the face of the sensor directed towards the optical device 2, into a printed circuit (not shown), mounted on the 25 base of the casing 3 that accommodates the sensor 1 and the optical device 2, and the bearing 5 for rotary guidance of the optical device 2 is fixed to said printed circuit. The bearing 5 for rotary guidance of the optical device 2 is 30 provided in the form of two identical half-shells that can be assembled by way of elastically deformable detent features, these half-shells on the one hand surrounding the 4 sensor 1, without any possibility for rotation of the sensor, and, on the other hand, surrounding a guide disc 7, with the possibility of rotation of the guide disk, the guide disc being fixedly connected to the corresponding end 5 of the optical device 2. Since the sensor 1 and the bearing 5 for rotary guidance of the optical device 2 are fixedly connected to the printed circuit mounted in the bottom of the casing 3, it is possible to effect rotation of the optical device 2 with a view to positioning its opening 2' 10 relative to the front face 4 of the casing 3 by rotation of the guide disc 7 in the rotary guide bearing 5. The means 6 for effecting rotation of the optical device 2 within said bearing 5 is advantageously provided in the form 15 of a circular sector mounted on the optical device, close to the rotary guide bearing 5, this circular sector being provided at the mid-point along its periphery with a marking 6' intended to be positioned relative to markings 8 provided in a through slot 4' formed in the front face 4 of the 20 casing 3, these markings 8 being spaced relative to one another by a predetermined angular value, the angle between the end markings 8' corresponding to the maximum angular displacement of the optical device 2. In order to limit the angle of rotation of the optical device 2, it is provided, 25 according to another feature of the invention, for two stops (not shown) to interact with the optical device 2 or with the rotation-effecting means 6, these stops being located in the casing 3. 30 Accordingly, it is possible to carry out precise and speedy positional adjustment of the optical device 2 and to verify 5 immediately the angle of pivoting of the latter and thus the field of detection obtained. According to a variant in implementing the invention, it is 5 also possible to provide the means 6 for effecting rotation of the optical device 2 in the form of an adjusting spindle that is fixedly connected to the optical device 2 on the side opposite from the guide disc 7, the free end of this adjusting spindle passing through, in its position of use, a 10 face of the casing 3 that accommodates the assembly of sensor 1 and optical device 2, and being actuatable for example by way of a screwdriver which interacts with a slot provided for this purpose in the free end of said adjusting spindle. An adjusting spindle of this kind is shown in 15 Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, without being designated by a reference numeral. In known manner, the front closure face 4 of the casing 3 is provided also with through openings 9 to 11, respectively 20 for a button 12 for controlling brightness, a button 13 for controlling timing and a warning light 14. Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show a movement detector comprising two assemblies of infrared sensor 1 and 25 optical device 2, mounted in a single casing 3 closed off by a front face 4. A detector of this kind makes it possible for example to monitor two different spatial zones in front of the detector, for example by each optical device 2 having a maximum angle of 450 relative to the front face 4. This 30 results in its being possible to monitor a span of 180* when each of the optical devices 2 has a detection opening of 90*. When said optical sensors 2 are parallel to one 6 another, the detection angle will be minimised and limited to 900, the detection zones of each device 2 overlapping. In order to carry out precise adjustment of the position of 5 one or both of the optical devices 2, it suffices to act on the circular sector that forms the means 6 for effecting rotation of the optical device 2 in the bearing 5 in such a way as to position its marking 6', with respect to the markings 8 provided in the through slot 4' formed in the 10 front face of the casing 3, opposite to the desired angle of pivoting, i.e. in the bisecting plane of the detection angle of the optical device 2. By virtue of the invention, it is possible to provide a 15 movement detector capable of being speedily and precisely adjusted by use of simple means. The result of this is that the zones to be masked can be delimited very easily and that change of zones can be effected in a manner that is precise and rapid. 20 It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the manner of embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, in particular in respect of the configuration of the various 25 elements and by substitution of equivalent techniques, without departing however from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A movement detector, substantially comprised of at least one infrared sensor (1) that interacts with an optical 5 device (2) for focussing electromagnetic radiation, the optical device being provided with an opening (2') for receiving said electromagnetic radiation, characterised in that the optical device (2) is linked to the sensor (1) by way of a rotary guide bearing (5) and is provided with a 10 means (6) for effecting rotation of the optical device within said bearing (5), for the purpose of precise adjustment of a detection zone and a detection angle, and in that the rotary guide bearing (5) for the optical device (2) is provided in the form of two identical half-shells, which 15 can be assembled by means of elastically deformable detent features, said half-shells, on the one hand, surrounding the sensor (1) without any possibility of rotation of the sensor, and on the other hand, surrounding, with the possibility of rotation, a guide disc (7) that is fixedly 20 connected to the corresponding end of the optical device (2).

2. A detector according to Claim 1, characterised in that the sensor (1) is incorporated, by way of its face opposite 25 the one facing the optical device (2), into a printed circuit mounted on the bottom of the casing (3) that accommodates the sensor (1) and the optical device (2), and the rotary guide bearing (5) for the optical device (2) is fixed to said printed circuit. 30

3. A detector according to Claim 1, characterised in that the means (6) for effecting rotation of the optical device 8 (2) within said bearing (5) is provided in the form of a circular sector mounted on the optical device close to the rotary guide bearing (5), said circular sector being provided at the mid-point along its edge with a marking (6') 5 intended to be positioned relative to markings (8) provided in a through slot (4') formed in the front face (4) of the casing (3), said markings (8) being spaced relative to one another by a predetermined angular amount, the angle between the end markings (8') corresponding to the maximum angular 10 displacement of the optical device (2).

4. A detector according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it is provided with two stops which cooperate with the optical device (2) or with the means (6) 15 for effecting rotation, said stops being located in the casing (3).

5. A detector according to Claim 1, characterised in that the means (6) for effecting rotation of the optical device 20 (2) is in the form of a adjusting spindle, the spindle being fixedly connected to the optical device (2) on the side opposite a guide disc (7) that is fixedly connected to the corresponding end of the optical device (2), the free end of said adjusting spindle passing through, in a position of 25 use, a face of the casing (3) that accommodates the assembly of sensor (1) and optical device (2), and being actuatable for example by means of a screwdriver which interacts with a slot provided for this purpose in the free end of said adjusting spindle. 30