JP2002042619A - Photoelectric sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoelectric sensor capable of miniaturizing the connection of a wire lead-out surface in a photoelectric sensor body to a bracket. SOLUTION: In this photoelectric sensor, a projecting part 52 and a long hole 34 for tiltably connecting the photoelectric sensor 10 to the bracket 30 are arranged at the position other than the center of tiltation with a wire 51 led therefrom, and thus, the wire need not be passed through the center of the projecting part in a conventional practice, and the projecting part 52 can be miniaturized. The connection of the wire lead-out surface (fitting end face 50) in the photoelectric sensor body 10 to the bracket 30 can be miniaturized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photoelectric sensor in which the direction of an optical axis can be adjusted by rotating a photoelectric sensor body with respect to a bracket.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional example of this type of photoelectric sensor, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 25555475 is
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the photoelectric sensor main body 1 is sandwiched between a pair of brackets 4 and 4 from above and below, and embossed convex portions 3 formed on upper and lower end surfaces 2 and 2 of the photoelectric sensor main body 1.
Are fitted in the shaft holes 5 formed in the brackets 4, whereby the photoelectric sensor main body 1 rotates with respect to the brackets 4, and the optical axis adjustment is performed. A pair of arc-shaped long holes 6L, 6L are formed on both sides of the shaft hole 5 of the bracket 4,
By tightening the screws 7 passing through the long holes 6L into the screw holes 6 (see FIG. 6) formed in the end face 2 of the photoelectric sensor main body 1, the photoelectric sensor main body 1 is fixed at a desired rotation position.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional sensor, when the cable is led out from the end face 2 of the photoelectric sensor main body 1 addressed to the bracket 4, as shown in FIG. It is necessary to form a large tube into which the cable 9 is inserted at the center. If, for example, a space for applying a sealant is secured in order to maintain the airtightness of the lead-out portion of the cable 9, the convex portion 3 becomes even larger and the bracket 4 becomes larger accordingly.
It becomes difficult to respond to recent demands for downsizing of sensors.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric sensor capable of making a connecting portion between a wire lead-out surface and a bracket in a photoelectric sensor main body compact.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a photoelectric sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a photoelectric sensor main body containing a light emitting or light receiving element and a pair of photoelectric sensors holding the photoelectric sensor main body therebetween. Each bracket is connected to a pair of mounting end faces provided on the photoelectric sensor main body so that the photoelectric sensor main body can rotate with respect to the bracket, and a screw is inserted into an arc-shaped long hole formed in the bracket. In the photoelectric sensor that can be fixed by adjusting the direction of the optical axis by tightening a screw into a screw hole formed in the photoelectric sensor main body, the rotation of the photoelectric sensor main body on one of the mounting end faces of the photoelectric sensor main body The electric wire is led out from the center, and a cutout-shaped electric wire receiving groove for accommodating the electric wire is formed in one of the brackets. A plurality of protrusions projecting toward the other are formed, and a plurality of protrusions are accommodated in the other, and the respective protrusions relatively move inside when the photoelectric sensor main body is rotated. The feature is that an arc-shaped guide portion is formed.

A photoelectric sensor according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a photoelectric sensor main body containing a light projecting or light receiving element and a pair of brackets sandwiching and holding the photoelectric sensor main body. Each of the brackets is connected to a pair of mounting end faces provided on the photoelectric sensor main body so as to be rotatable so that the direction of the optical axis can be adjusted. While the electric wire is led out from the center of rotation of the sensor body,
One of the brackets has a notch-shaped groove for accommodating an electric wire, and a plurality of arc-shaped long holes centered on the electric wire. In this case, a plurality of protrusions which relatively move in each of the long holes and a screw hole into which a screw can be screwed through the long hole are provided. The feature is that the photoelectric sensor main body is fixed to the bracket by tightening the screw.

[0007]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the convex portion and the guide portion (or the long hole) for rotatably connecting the photoelectric sensor main body and the bracket are connected to each other by rotating the electric wire. Because it is located at a different position from the center,
It is not necessary to insert an electric wire into the center of the projection, and the projection can be made smaller. This makes it possible to make the connection portion between the wire lead-out surface and the bracket in the photoelectric sensor main body compact.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. The photoelectric sensor according to the present embodiment includes a photoelectric sensor main body 10 and a pair of brackets 20 and 30 that hold the photoelectric sensor main body 10 therebetween.

The photoelectric sensor main body 10 has a prismatic shape elongated in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 and has a plurality of light emitting / receiving sections 11 arranged along the longitudinal direction. The photoelectric sensor is used as a so-called area sensor that detects a detected object when the detected object is located on the optical axis 11L of the light emitting / receiving unit 11.

FIG. 2 shows the connection structure between the mounting end face 50 at the lower end of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 and the bracket 30. As shown in the figure, the mounting end face 50 has a rectangular shape long in the left-right direction, and the electric wire 51 is drawn out from the center (centroid of the rectangle). Further, on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the mounting end face 50, a pair of the protrusion 52 and the screw hole 53 adjacent to each other is point-symmetrical with respect to the electric wire 51.
Each pair is provided. Further, each of the convex portions 52 and each of the screw holes 53 are arranged on the same circle with the electric wire 51 as a center. In the present embodiment, as described above, the electric wire 51 is drawn from the center of the mounting end face 50. However, the electric wire may be drawn from a position shifted from the center of the mounting end face. Further, in the present embodiment, the pairs of the protrusions 52 and the screw holes 53 are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the electric wire 51, but may be arranged line-symmetrically.

On the other hand, the bracket 30 is in the form of an angle material as a whole, and has a vertical wall 32 hanging down at right angles from one long side of a rectangular horizontal wall 31 substantially the same as the mounting end face 50. The horizontal wall 31 has an electric wire receiving groove 33 formed therein. The electric wire receiving groove 33 extends from the center of the horizontal wall 31 to a side away from the vertical wall 32 and is open to the side. From which the electric wire 51 is accommodated. Furthermore, the horizontal wall 31
A pair of arc-shaped long holes 34 are formed symmetrically on both sides of the wire accommodating groove 33. The long hole 34 is
It is curved in an arc shape with the center of the horizontal wall 31 as a center point. In other words, the center of the horizontal wall 31 is
Since the electric wire 51 is passed through this portion, the long hole 34 has an arc shape centered on the electric wire 51. Further, both ends of the elongated hole 34 extend to positions near both edges of the horizontal wall 31, so that when the photoelectric sensor main body 10 is rotated, the screw 70 screwed into the screw hole 53 and the convex The portion 52 can relatively move within each of the long holes 34 (see FIG. 2B).

The vertical wall 32 of the bracket 30 has
A pair of fixing long holes 35 extending vertically and opening at the lower end are formed, and fixing screws (not shown) are passed through these long fixing holes 35 and screwed to fixed walls (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows a connection structure between the mounting end face 40 at the upper end of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 and the bracket 20. As shown in the figure, the mounting end face 40 has the same structure as the mounting end face 50 described above, except that the electric wire 51 is not drawn out. That is, on both sides of the mounting end surface 40, a pair of the convex portion 42 and the screw hole 43 are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the center point of the mounting end surface 40.

The bracket 20 has the same structure as the bracket 30 except that the bracket 20 does not include the wire receiving groove 33. That is, the bracket 20 also has the shape of an angle material as a whole, and includes the vertical wall 22 erected upward at a right angle from one edge of the horizontal wall 21. A pair of arc-shaped long holes 2 are formed on both sides of the horizontal wall 21.
4 and 24 are formed, and a pair of fixing long holes 25 and 25 are formed in the vertical wall 22.

In order to mount the photoelectric sensor of the present embodiment having the above configuration to a fixed wall (not shown), first, for example, a screw hole for fixing is formed in the fixed wall in advance.
The vertical walls 22 and 32 of the brackets 20 and 30 are directed to the fixed walls, and the fixing long holes 25 and 35 of the vertical walls 22 and 32 are provided.
The fixing screw passed through is screwed into the screw hole of the fixed wall. Here, for example, the lower bracket 30 is fixed by strongly tightening a screw, and the upper bracket 20 is temporarily fixed at a position slightly apart from a regular interval with the lower bracket 30.

The two brackets 2 facing each other
The photoelectric sensor main body 10 is sandwiched between the two horizontal walls 21 and 31 of 0 and 30. At this time, since the wire housing groove 33 formed in the horizontal wall 31 is open to the side, the wire 51 can be easily housed in the wire housing groove 33 from the side. The protruding portion 52 provided on the lower mounting end surface 50 of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 is
To the mounting end face 5 on the horizontal wall 31 of the bracket 30.
Overlap 0. Next, the temporarily fixed upper bracket 20 is lowered, and the protrusion 42 of the mounting end face 40 at the upper end of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 is inserted into the long hole 24 of the bracket 20. Then, the fixing screw passed through the fixing long hole 25 of the bracket 20 is fully tightened. Next, screw holes 43, formed in both mounting end faces 40, 50 of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 through the long holes 24, 34 of the brackets 20, 30, respectively.
A screw 70 is temporarily fixed to 53.

Before fixing the brackets 20 and 30 to the wall to be fixed, the screws 70 through the long holes 24 and 34 are used.
The brackets 20, 30 may be temporarily fixed to the photoelectric sensor main body 10, and in this state, the brackets 20, 30 may be fixed to the fixed wall.

In order to adjust the optical axis of the photoelectric sensor, while observing the light emitting / receiving state of the photoelectric sensor, the main body of the photoelectric sensor 10 is adjusted.
Is rotated with respect to the brackets 20 and 30 in a swinging state. Then, at the rotation position where the light emitting and receiving state of the photoelectric sensor is best, the screw 70 is fully tightened to fix the photoelectric sensor main body 10 to the brackets 20 and 30.

As described above, according to the photoelectric sensor of this embodiment,
Since the protruding portion 52 and the long hole 34 that rotatably connect the photoelectric sensor main body 10 and the bracket 30 are arranged at a position different from the rotation center from which the electric wire 51 is led out, as in the related art,
It is not necessary to insert an electric wire into the center of the projection, and the projection 52 can be made smaller. Thereby, the photoelectric sensor body 10
Surface (attachment end surface 50) and bracket 30
Can be made compact.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
In addition to the following, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) The mounting end face 50 of the embodiment has two projections 5
2 are provided on both sides of the electric wire 51, and correspondingly,
However, the number of protrusions and long holes is not limited to two, and three or more may be provided. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, three protrusions 60 are provided on the same circle centered on the electric wire 51 of the mounting end face 50, and three long holes 61 are formed in the bracket 30 corresponding to the three protrusions 60. It may be configured. As described above, when the number of the protrusions 60 is three, the lateral displacement of the bracket 30 with respect to the mounting end surface 50 can be suppressed as compared with the case where the number of the protrusions 60 is two. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the screw hole may be provided beside one of the protrusions 60 so that the screw screwed into the screw hole together with the protrusion 60 can move in the elongated hole 61. Alternatively, the electric wire 5 may be provided outside the three long holes 61 of the horizontal wall 31 of the bracket 30.
Another arc-shaped long hole centered at 1 may be formed, and a screw hole may be formed in the mounting end face 50 corresponding to the long hole.

(2) The connection structure between the mounting end face 40 of the photoelectric sensor main body 10 and the bracket 20 on the side opposite to the side from which the electric wire 51 is led out is located at the center of the mounting end face 40, similarly to the conventional one. A configuration in which a convex portion is formed (see FIG. 5) may be employed, or a configuration in which the electric wire 51 and the electric wire accommodating groove 33 are removed from the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4, that is, three convex portions 60 and a long hole 61 are provided. It may be configured.

(3) In the above embodiment, the pair of long holes 34, 34 are arranged on the same circle. However, if the long holes are concentric arcs centered on the electric wire, the curvature is large. It may be different. Therefore, a plurality of convex portions may be dispersedly arranged at different distances from the electric wire, and the curvature of the long holes may be changed correspondingly.

(4) Further, a convex portion may be provided on the bracket side, and an arc-shaped cam groove may be formed on the mounting end surface of the photoelectric sensor main body instead of the long hole.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a photoelectric sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lower end portion of the photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an upper end portion of the photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lower end of a photoelectric sensor according to a modification.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a lower end portion of a conventional photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lower end portion of a conventional photoelectric sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Photoelectric sensor main body 11L ... Optical axis 20, 30 ... Bracket 24, 34, 61 ... Long hole (guide part) 33 ... Electric wire accommodation groove 40, 50 ... Mounting end surface 42, 52, 60 ... Convex part 43, 53 ... Screw Hole 51: Electric wire 70: Screw

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A photoelectric sensor main body accommodating a light emitting or light receiving element, and a pair of brackets sandwiching and holding the photoelectric sensor main body, wherein the photoelectric sensor main body is rotatable with respect to the bracket. Connecting each bracket to a pair of mounting end faces provided in the photoelectric sensor main body, and passing a screw through an arc-shaped long hole formed in the bracket;
In the photoelectric sensor, which can be fixed by adjusting the direction of the optical axis by tightening the screw into a screw hole formed in the photoelectric sensor main body, the photoelectric sensor main body of the one of the mounting end faces of the photoelectric sensor main body. While the electric wire is derived from the center of rotation,
One of the brackets is formed with a notch-shaped wire housing groove for housing the wire, and one of the mounting end face and the bracket is formed with a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the other, On the other hand, a plurality of arc-shaped guide portions which accommodate the respective convex portions and which move relative to each other when the photoelectric sensor main body is rotated are formed. Sensor. 2. A photoelectric sensor main body accommodating a light projecting or light receiving element, and a pair of brackets sandwiching and holding the photoelectric sensor main body, wherein the photoelectric sensor main body is rotatable with respect to the bracket. Wherein the brackets are connected to a pair of mounting end faces provided on the photoelectric sensor main body so that the direction of the optical axis can be adjusted; and the photoelectric sensor is one of the mounting end faces of the photoelectric sensor main body. While the electric wire is led out from the center of rotation of the main body,
One of the brackets is formed with a notch-shaped wire housing groove for housing the wire, and a plurality of arc-shaped long holes centered on the wire, and the one mounting end face includes the photoelectric sensor. When the main body is rotated, a plurality of convex portions relatively moving in each of the long holes,
A screw hole capable of screwing a screw through the long hole is provided, and the photoelectric sensor main body is set to a desired rotation position, and the screw is screwed into the screw hole, so that the photoelectric sensor main body is attached to the bracket. A photoelectric sensor, which is fixed.