JP2003098067A - Sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mount a sensor from plural mounting directions. SOLUTION: A sensor body 11 is mountable and demountable to a mounting tool 30 fixed to a mounted face, and is provided with an arm part 20 having a mounting groove 21. The mounting tool 30 is provided with an engagement projection 35, and further a locking projection 36, and a locking groove 23 to be locked with the locking projection 36 is formed on the arm part 20. The engagement projection 35 has a height dimension a and a longitudinal dimension b smaller than an opening width w of the mounting groove 21, and the sensor body 11 is rotatable on the engagement projection 35 as a shaft in a state of being engaged with the mounting groove 21, whereby the sensor body 11 can be mounted and demounted from plural directions of the mounting tool 30, and can be held in a predetermined mounting posture.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly to a sensor having an improved mounting structure. 2. Description of the Related Art When a sensor is used, its detection position is generally fixed and the sensor can be removed for maintenance. For example, JP-A-2000-2
In the liquid leakage sensor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 21100, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting fixture 1 is fixed to a sensor mounting portion 2 which can be immersed in liquid leakage, and a sensor main body 3 is detachably mounted on the mounting fixture 1. The bottom surface 1A of the fixture 1 is painted gray or the like, and a light projecting unit 4 for irradiating light toward the bottom surface 1A and a light receiving unit 5 for receiving reflected light from the bottom surface 1A are provided inside the sensor body 3. Is provided. When a leak occurs, the leak enters the inside of the fixture 1, the bottom surface 1A is covered with the leak, and the leaked light refracts the light to change the traveling direction of the reflected light. Thereby, the bottom surface 1A
Is changed, the amount of light received by the light receiving means 5 changes, and the occurrence of liquid leakage is detected. In the case of this type of liquid leakage sensor, after detecting a liquid leakage, the sensor main body 3 is pulled upward from the fixture 1, and the bottom surface of the sensor main body 3 and the fixture 1 is detected. 1A
, It is necessary to perform a recovery operation of attaching the sensor main body 3 to the fixture 1 again. When the sensor body 3 is attached or detached, the sensor body 3 is pulled out upward, so a large space is required above. However, due to its nature, the liquid leakage sensor is located below piping and equipment. It is often installed, and in recent years it has become difficult to secure a large space under the equipment due to a demand for space saving. Therefore, a structure in which the sensor main body 3 is attached and detached from the side instead of being attached and detached from above the fixture 1 is being studied. However, there are cases where there is only a horizontal installation space and only a vertical installation space as installation space, so assuming a sensor that can be attached or detached from either the side or the top, There was a problem that a sensor corresponding to the space had to be prepared. In addition to the liquid leak sensor, maintenance is required for other sensors, and the space for attaching and detaching work tends to be reduced due to the demand for downsizing of the equipment. It is hoped that it will be possible. The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor which can be installed in a narrow and different installation space while being the same sensor. I do. [0007] As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 includes a mounting fixture fixed to a sensor mounting section and the sensor mounting section via the mounting bracket. A sensor body fixed to have a predetermined mounting posture with respect to a sensor body, wherein one of the mounting tool and the sensor body has a mounting groove at least one end of which is formed, and the other of the mounting tool and the sensor body is formed in the other. The mounting groove is provided with an engagement protrusion that can be engaged from the opening end thereof, and the engagement main body is formed in a shape rotatable within the mounting groove so that the sensor body is in the mounting posture. It is configured to be rotatable between different postures and the mounting posture, and that the mounting tool and the sensor main body are provided with a locking mechanism for holding the sensor main body in the mounting posture. Features Have. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the mounting groove and the engaging projection can enter from two different directions and can be engaged with each other, and the locking mechanism operates in each of the two entering directions. If the first and second locking mechanisms are configured to restrict displacement along the different approach directions, the first and second locking mechanisms restrict the displacement along the different approach directions. It is possible to securely lock without rattling in each direction. Further, if the mounting groove is formed in an arm portion protruding from the sensor main body, and the engagement projection is provided on a side portion of the mounting tool, the mounting tool has an arm portion. There is no need to form such a large protrusion, and the structure is simple, and operations such as cleaning of the fixture are easy. Further, in the above configuration, the arm portions are provided in pairs at positions sandwiching the mounting tool, and the mounting tool has a pair of engaging projections protruding toward mounting grooves of the respective arm portions. With this configuration, the arm body fixes the sensor main body with the mounting member sandwiched from both sides thereof, so that the mounting member can stably hold the sensor main body. <Operation and effect of the invention><Invention of claim 1> The attachment is fixed to the sensor attachment portion, and is provided in the attachment groove provided in one of the sensor main body and the attachment in the other. The engagement projections are engaged to fix the sensor main body to the sensor mounting portion in a predetermined mounting posture. Since the mounting groove and the fitting projection can enter or disengage along a plurality of different directions, the sensor body can be mounted or dismounted from the mounting fixture in the posture that is most easy to handle. Even when the mounting / removing posture of the sensor body is different from the prescribed mounting posture, the sensor body can be rotated between the mounting posture and a posture different from the mounting posture. It can be turned toward the posture. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a liquid leakage sensor will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid leakage sensor according to the present embodiment is detachable from a water-impregnated surface F, which is a sensor mounting portion, and detects leakage of liquid on the water-impregnated surface F. Flooded surface F
It consists of a fixture 30 fixed on top and a sensor body 11 mounted here. The fixture 30 is made of synthetic resin, has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and has a bolt hole 32 penetrating in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. The body 33 is fixed, and is fixed to the flooded surface F by the screw 31 penetrating therethrough. Further, a flat reflecting plate 34 is fixed to the attachment 30 between the mounting surface 30 and the surface F to be immersed. The reflection plate 34 is made of a metal plate material, and its upper surface (surface) is a color having a high reflectance (for example, silver or white). The sensor body 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 12 with an open top, a lid 13 for closing the opening of the case 12 in a liquid-tight state, a circuit board (not shown) housed in the case 12, And a cable 14 connected to the board. The case 12 is made of a light-transmitting synthetic resin material. On the lower surface of the case 12, a minute gap that does not appear in the drawing is provided with respect to the upper surface of the reflection plate 34 in a state where the case 12 is assembled to the fixture 30. 12A, which are opposed to each other. A circuit board is fixed in the case 12, and a light emitting element and a light receiving element (not shown) are mounted on the circuit board so as to be located above the detection surface 12A. The cable 14 is connected to a detection circuit (not shown) provided outside the case 12 and a circuit board. The cable 14 sends an electric signal for emitting light to the light projecting element and reduces the intensity of the light received by the light receiving element. It has a signal transmission function for sending a corresponding electric signal to the detection circuit. When the sensor main body 11 is assembled to the mounting fixture 30 fixed to the surface F to be immersed, it becomes usable. In this state, light emitted from the light emitting element is reflected by the detection surface 12A and received by the light receiving element. The intensity of the light received by the light receiving element is sent as an electric signal to the detection circuit via the cable 14, and the detection circuit detects the presence or absence of leakage of the liquid based on the sent electric signal. The engagement structure for attaching the sensor body 11 to the attachment 30 is as follows. Here,
The direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 is referred to as the front. Engagement projections 3 provided on both left and right side surfaces of the attachment 30 and having an inclined surface 35A that forms a substantially triangular shape and descends from the rear to the front, and an upper side and a front side.
5 are protrudingly provided. An engagement protrusion 36 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape extending vertically so as to be in contact with the upper portion of the engagement protrusion 35, and its front-rear width and the amount of protrusion from the side surface of the fixture 30 are smaller than the engagement protrusion 35. Has become. Further, in the center of the rear surface, a fitting recess 37 is formed so as to extend laterally (see FIG. 4), and a guide slope 38 that rises diagonally forward from the upper end of the fitting recess 37 is formed (FIG. 4).
(B)). A rising wall portion 39 is provided on the front surface of the attachment 30 so as to stand up from the attachment 30. The left and right ends of the rising wall 39 extend from the left and right ends of the attachment 30, and the lower end protrudes rearward. A substantially L-shaped guide portion 39A is formed (see FIG. 3). On the front surface of the case 12 of the sensor body 11,
Resiliently deformable arm portions 20 are formed to project in pairs, and mounting grooves 21 are formed on side surfaces facing each other so as to extend linearly in the front-rear direction. One end of the mounting groove 21 is open at the tip of the arm portion 20,
The opening width w is slightly larger than the height dimension a of the engagement projection 35 (see FIG. 1) and slightly larger than the dimension b of the engagement projection 35 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 1). The engaging projection 35 is formed with a slope 35A, and the opposite side of the slope 35A is chamfered, so that the engaging projection 35 is relatively rotatable in the mounting groove 21. Has become. On the other hand, a semi-cylindrical locking groove 23 capable of engaging with the locking projection 36 of the mounting tool 30 is formed at the front of the arm portion 20 above the mounting groove 21 so as to extend vertically. The first locking mechanism is constituted by both the locking groove 23 provided on the arm portion 20 and the locking projection 36 provided on the mounting fixture 30. Further, at the position between the two arm portions 20 on the front surface of the case 12, fitting projections 24 engageable with the fitting recesses 37 are provided so as to protrude forward, and these constitute a second locking mechanism. Have been. Next, a procedure for attaching and detaching the liquid leak sensor according to the present embodiment will be described. At the time of attachment, the attachment 30 is fixed to the water-impregnated surface F with screws 31 in advance. In this state, since the lower surface of the reflector 34 is in close contact with the surface F to be immersed, if there is leakage of the liquid, the liquid is transmitted to the upper surface of the reflector 34 while the amount of the liquid is small. I have. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensor body 11 is horizontally translated in the same
The case of attaching to the device will be described. This case is suitable when the mounting space extends in the horizontal direction. FIG.
When the sensor main body 11 is moved closer to the fixture 30 from the state shown in FIG.
Is smaller than the opening width w, the engagement protrusion 35 can enter the mounting groove 21, and the mounting tool 30 can be fitted between the two arm portions 20. When the upper end of the arm 20 abuts on the locking projection 36 (see FIG. 5), the sensor body 1
1 is pressed against the fixture 30 by applying a force, the tip of the arm portion 20 is elastically deformed and spreads in the left-right direction. Engage with the locking groove 23 and at the same time,
The engagement protrusion 24 engages with the engagement recess 37 (see FIG. 6). By locking the locking projection 36 and the locking groove 23 serving as the first locking mechanism, the sensor body 1 with respect to the fixture 30 is locked.
1 is restricted, and the fitting protrusion 24 serving as the second locking mechanism is engaged with the fitting recess 37, and cooperates with the engagement between the engaging protrusion 35 and the mounting groove 21. Sensor body 1
1 is restricted, and the sensor main body 11 is locked in the mounting posture. When detaching the sensor main body 11 from the fixture 30, the sensor main body 11 is strongly pulled backward. Then, the distal end of the arm portion 20 is elastically deformed in the opening direction, and the engagement between the locking projection 36 and the locking groove 23 is released. Next, a case where the sensor main body 11 is mounted from above in a posture different from the mounting posture as shown in FIG. 7 will be described. This case is suitable when there is room in the vertical direction. From above the fixture 30, the sensor body 11
After the arm unit 20 is approached downward, the sensor main body 11 is made vertical and the sensor main body 11 is pushed down while the upper end of the arm unit 20 is in contact with the rear end of the guide unit 39A. Since the locking protrusion 36 and the engagement protrusion 35 are formed such that the dimension b in the front-rear direction is smaller than the opening width w of the mounting groove 21, the locking protrusion 36 and the engagement protrusion 35 enter the mounting groove 21, and the arm The upper front end of the portion 20 abuts a rearwardly projecting portion of the lower end of the guide portion 39A. Here, when the sensor main body 11 is turned in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 8, the engaging projection 35 relatively rotates in the mounting groove 21, and the fitting projection 24 of the sensor main body 11 is attached to the mounting tool. 30 comes into contact with the guide slope 38. Therefore,
When the sensor main body 11 is strongly pushed down, the fitting projection 24 is pushed rearward by the guide slope 38 so that the fitting projection 24 is elastically deformed to the side of the arm portion 20.
Comes over the guide slope 38. When the fitting projection 24 encounters the fitting recess 37, the sensor body 11 is slightly displaced forward due to the elastic return of the arm section 20, and the locking projection 36 of the arm section 20 is locked. The engagement protrusion 24 is engaged with the groove 23 and
Into the mounting position shown in FIG. When the sensor body 11 is detached upward from this state, the sensor body 11 is removed
After turning the sensor body upward while pulling it to the rear of the fixture 30, the sensor main body 11 may be raised almost vertically and pulled up. <Second Embodiment> FIG. 9 shows a sensor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, one fixture 50
, Two identical sensor bodies 60 are shown,
The posture of the sensor main body 60 shown in FIG. Also, for convenience of explanation, the direction of arrow C is forward. The mounting member 50 is made of plastic that can be slightly elastically deformed, and is fixed to the sensor mounting portion by fixing means (not shown). Hemispherical engagement projections 51 are provided on both left and right side surfaces thereof, and a pair of locking pieces 52 projecting rearward are provided on the rear surface of the mounting fixture 50. Stop portions 52A are provided so as to approach each other. On the front surface of the sensor body 60, two arm portions 62 are formed so as to project in pairs, and each arm portion 62
A hemispherical mounting concave portion 63 is formed on the side surface facing each other. Further, first and second openings 63A and 63B connected to the mounting concave portion 63 are provided on the side surfaces of the arm portion 62 facing each other downward and forward in the posture shown in FIG. The engagement protrusion 51 provided on the mounting fixture 50 can be inserted into the mounting recess 63 so as to become shallow toward the bottom. The mounting recess 63 and the first and second openings 63A and 63B correspond to mounting grooves described in claims. A substantially T-shaped locking projection 64 which can be engaged with the locking piece 52 of the mounting tool 50 is provided between the two arm portions 62 so as to extend vertically. The locking portions 52A of the locking pieces 52 engage with both ends of the locking piece 52. The first protrusion is formed by both the engagement protrusion 51 and the mounting recess 63.
, And both the locking piece 52 and the locking projection 64 form a second locking mechanism. Also,
The upper end of the rear end face of the mounting tool 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape around the line connecting the centers of the engaging projections 51, 51, and the lower front face of the locking projection 64 is similarly formed at the center of the mounting recesses 63, 63. It has a cylindrical surface with the connected line as the axis. Thereby, the sensor main body 11 is rotated around the engagement protrusions 51, 51 and the mounting recesses 63, 63 as rotation axes, and the engagement of the engagement protrusions 64 with the engagement pieces 52 from above is facilitated. I have. Further, both sides of the locking projection 64 are chamfered at the front edge side and the rear edge side, so that the locking projection 64 and the locking piece 52 can be detached in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, to mount the sensor main body 60 from above the mounting fixture 50 in the same horizontal posture as the mounting posture, the following is performed. As shown in FIG. 9A, the sensor main body 60 is in a horizontal posture, the engagement protrusion 51 matches the first opening 63 </ b> A below the mounting recess 63, and the locking protrusion 64 locks the mounting tool 50. It is brought close so as to engage with the piece 52, and is pushed down as it is. This allows
The engagement projection 51 enters and engages with the mounting recess 63, and the engagement projection 64 engages with the engagement piece 52, and the sensor main body 6.
0 is fixed to the fixture 50. In order to mount the sensor body 60 from the side of the fixture 50 in the same horizontal attitude as the mounting attitude,
As in the case from above, the sensor main body 60 is in a horizontal posture, and the engagement projection 51 is in the second opening 6 in front of the mounting recess 63.
Approach to match 3B. At the same time as the locking piece 52 engages with the locking projection, the engaging projection 51 is
The sensor body 60 is engaged with the mounting fixture 50 by entering and engaging the mounting recess 63 from B. In order to attach the sensor body 60 to the fixture 50 in the vertical position shown in FIG. The arm portion 62 of the sensor body 60 faces downward, and the second opening 63B of the arm portion 62 is
1 and push the sensor body 60 downward. Then, the engagement projection 51 advances along the second opening 63B,
The engagement protrusion 51 is engaged with the mounting recess 63. Then, when the sensor main body 60 is rotated in the direction of arrow D, the engagement protrusion 51
Are relatively rotated in the mounting recess 63, and the sensor main body 60 can be set in a horizontal mounting posture. In order to remove the sensor main body 60 from the mounting member 50 in any of the mounting directions described above, the sensor main body 60 is turned once in the direction opposite to the arrow D to rotate the sensor main body 60 upward. May be pulled out,
Also, it may be pulled out in the horizontal position, or
It may be pulled out strongly backward in the horizontal posture. When it is strongly pulled rearward in the horizontal posture, the locking pieces 52 of the fixture 50 are removed.
The locking portion 52A is elastically deformed outward, and the locking piece 52 is separated from the locking projection 64. <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the first embodiment, an example was described in which both mounting and dismounting were performed in both vertical and horizontal directions.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a structure that allows only one of attachment and detachment from a plurality of directions, and the other allows attachment and detachment from one direction. (2) In the first embodiment, the sensor is provided by the first locking mechanism (the locking projection 36, the locking groove 23) and the second locking mechanism (the fitting projection 24, the fitting recess 37). Body 11
Are locked to the fixture 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to lock the sensor main body to the fixture by one or three or more locking mechanisms. (3) In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the sensor body 11 is provided with the arm portion 20 having the mounting groove 21 and the mounting tool 30 is provided with the engaging projection 35. Without being limited to this, it is possible to equip the attachment with an arm,
The arm portion may be provided with an engagement projection. Further, the arm portion is not necessarily required, and a mounting groove may be formed on a side surface of the sensor body or the mounting tool. (4) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the present invention is applied to a liquid leak sensor. However, the present invention can be applied to a proximity sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state before mounting from the side of a sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view in a mounting state of the sensor. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state before the sensor is mounted. FIG. 4 is a rear view and a side cross-sectional view of a mounting tool of the sensor. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view showing a mounting process of the sensor from a side. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side view showing the mounting state of the sensor. FIG. 7 is a partially cutout side view showing the state before the sensor is mounted from above. FIG. 8 shows the mounting process of the sensor from above. 9 is a perspective view showing a sensor according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a conventional liquid leakage sensor. Arm 21 mounting groove 23 locking groove 30 mounting tool 35 engaging projection 6 ... locking projection a ... height dimension b ... longitudinal dimension w ... opening width

Claims (1)

Claims 1. A mounting fixture fixed to a sensor mounting portion, and a sensor body fixed to the sensor mounting portion via the mounting fixture so as to have a predetermined mounting posture. In the sensor, one of the mounting tool and the sensor main body has a mounting groove formed at least at one end, and the other has an engaging protrusion which can enter the mounting groove from the open end thereof and engage therewith. The sensor body is provided to be rotatable between a posture different from the mounting posture and the mounting posture by providing the engagement protrusion with a shape rotatable within the mounting groove, and A sensor, wherein the attachment and the sensor main body are provided with a locking mechanism for holding the sensor main body in the mounting posture.