JP2006058050A - Sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor device dispensing with screwing, and having superior repeated mountability/dismountability. <P>SOLUTION: This sensor device comprises a sensor unit 4, formed by storing a human body approach detection means in a substantially box-shaped case, and a holder 5 holding the sensor unit and fixed to a mounted body. The holder has a base part 6 fixed to the mounted body, the first holding part 9 for slidably holding the sensor unit in a prescribed direction, the second holding part 10 for specifying a slide limit of the sensor unit, and a flexible part 11 for blocking sliding of the sensor unit by being elastically engaged with the sensor unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor device, and more particularly to a sensor device in which a human body approach detection means can be attached to an attached body made of a material that cannot be screwed so that it can be repeatedly attached and detached.

  A men's urinal having a human body approaching detection sensor S provided on the front surface as shown in FIG. 3 is known in order to automatically flow out the washing water in accordance with the contact and separation of the human body (see Patent Document 1). See). The human body approach detection sensor described in Document 1 is provided with a window that is closed with a translucent material in order to perform infrared light projection and reception. Therefore, if the window is stained to the extent that it affects the transmission of infrared rays, the sensitivity of the sensor may be reduced and the cleaning operation may become uncertain.

In order not to cause such inconvenience, there has been proposed a technique in which a microwave is used as a human body approaching detection sensor so that a light transmission window is not required (see Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-077280 A JP 2002-285626 A

  However, the microwave sensor does not require a translucent window, but can use the sensor fixing means described in Document 1 in which a portion that has passed through a hole provided in advance in a ceramic body is sandwiched from both the front and rear sides. Since this is not possible, it is troublesome to attach to a body to be mounted that cannot be screwed. In particular, it was difficult to replace the sensor in preparation for failure.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised in view of such problems of the prior art as an object to provide a sensor device that does not require screwing and is excellent in repeated detachability.

  In order to solve such a problem, claim 1 of the present invention provides a sensor device 1 having a sensor unit 4 in which a human body approach detection means is housed in a substantially box-like case, and holding the sensor unit. The holder 5 is fixed to the mounted body, and the holder includes a base 6 fixed to the mounted body, a first holding section 9 that holds the sensor unit slidably in a predetermined direction, And a second holding portion 10 that defines a sliding limit of the sensor unit, and a flexible portion 11 that elastically engages the sensor unit and prevents the sensor unit from sliding. did. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first holding portion 9 includes a pair of sandwiching walls 7 that sandwich a side surface parallel to the sliding direction of the sensor unit, and a connecting wall 8 that connects the pair of sandwiching walls. The second holding portion includes a hole 12 that engages with a convex portion 13 provided on one end surface in the sliding direction of the sensor unit in order to prevent the sensor unit from being separated from the base portion, The sensor unit is composed of a vertical wall that comes into contact with one end surface in the sliding direction. According to a third aspect of the present invention, at least a part of a portion corresponding to the human body approach detection means in the base is cut out. Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, positioning means (hanging portion 14) for the attached body is provided on the base portion.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the holder can be permanently fixed to the toilet using, for example, an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape, and the fixed holder can slide the sensor unit. Since the holding state is maintained by the elastic engagement of the flexible portion, a great effect can be obtained in increasing the repeatability of the sensor unit with respect to the holder. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sensor unit is positioned in the left-right direction by the pair of holding walls of the holder, the connecting wall connecting the pair of holding walls, the convex portion of the sensor unit, and the hole of the vertical wall of the holder. Thus, the vertical positioning of the sensor unit is performed, and the vertical positioning of the sensor unit is performed by the vertical wall of the holder. That is, by these, the three-dimensional positioning of the sensor unit with respect to the holder is performed. According to the third aspect of the present invention, a decrease in sensitivity due to microwave attenuation is suppressed. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, workability when attaching the holder to the attached body is improved.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 show a sensor device constructed according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor device 1 is accommodated in a space defined inside a forward projecting portion 3 continuously formed at the upper end of a vertical wall 2 of a male urinal. A sensor unit 4 in which a detection means for detecting the approach of a human body by a reflected wave of microwaves is housed in a box-shaped synthetic resin case, and a male that holds the sensor unit 4 and is an attached body The holder 5 is fixed to the inside of the overhanging portion 3 of the urinal for use with, for example, an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape T.

  The holder 5 is formed by injection molding of a synthetic resin material, and is a sensor for holding the base unit 6 fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall 3a in the overhang portion 3 and the sensor unit 4 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. A first holding portion 9 including a pair of holding walls 7 that sandwich the left and right side surfaces of the unit 4 and a connecting wall 8 that connects the upper end edges of the pair of holding walls 7, and a sliding limit position of the sensor unit 4 are defined. It consists of a second holding portion 10 made of a vertical wall and a pair of flexible portions 11 that are elastically engaged with the left and right side surfaces of the sensor unit 4 to prevent the sensor unit 4 from being detached.

  The second holding portion 10 is erected so as to abut on the end surface of the sensor unit 4 located on the near side when attached, and a rectangular hole 12 is formed at the center in the left-right direction. A projecting portion 13 (FIG. 2) having a cross-sectional shape that is substantially a right triangle is projected from the front end surface of the sensor unit 4. The convex portion 13 engages with the upper edge of the rectangular hole 12 and the connecting wall 8 restrains the upper surface of the sensor unit 4 so that the bottom surface of the sensor unit 4 is not separated from the upper surface of the base portion 6.

  The base 6 leaves a portion that can support the bottom surface of the sensor unit 4 to the minimum necessary extent, and most of the portion facing the bottom surface of the sensor unit 4 is cut away to suppress the attenuation of the microwave. Yes.

  A drooping portion 14 is formed on the edge of the base portion 6 located on the back side when attached, and this hits the corner of the connecting portion between the bottom wall 3a of the overhang portion 3 and the vertical wall 2 in the urinal, The holder 5 is positioned with respect to the urinal as an attachment body. A mark vertical line 15 for aligning the center position is engraved on the hanging portion 14.

  The flexible part 11 connects the left and right side edges of the second holding part 10 (vertical wall) and the front edges of the pair of sandwiching walls 7 and is somewhat somewhat bent so as to be easily bent sideways. It has been thinned. And the convex part 16 whose cross-sectional shape makes a semicircle is formed in the opposing inner surface of the front-back direction intermediate part.

  Concave portions 17 that engage with the convex portions 16 are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the sensor unit 4. A connector 18 for connecting a lead wire is provided on the end face on the back side of the sensor unit 4.

  An opening A is provided on the back surface of the urinal, so that the inside of the overhang portion 3 can be accessed from the back surface. Therefore, if the sensor unit 4 is pulled by inserting a fingertip into the inside of the overhanging portion 3, the pair of flexible portions 11 are both deformed outward, and the convex portions 16 are detached from the concave portions 17 on both side surfaces of the sensor unit 4. Therefore, the sensor unit 4 can be removed from the holder 5 by sliding the sensor unit 4 to the back side (the wall side to which the urinal is attached) as it is. On the contrary, when the sensor unit 4 is pushed from the back side to the near side when it is mounted, the convex portion 16 of the flexible portion 11 engages with the concave portion 17 of the sensor unit 4 and is prevented from coming off. Thus, according to the present invention, the sensor unit 4 can be easily and repeatedly attached to and detached from the holder 5 fixed in advance to the urinal.

  The sensor device according to the present invention can be widely applied not only to the above-described male urinal but also as a sensor for detecting human contact / separation.

It is a disassembled perspective view of this invention apparatus. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment state of this invention apparatus. It is a whole perspective view of the conventional male urinal.

Explanation of symbols

Sensor device 1
Sensor unit 4
Holder 5
Base 6
First holding part 9
Second holding unit 10
Flexible part 11
Retaining wall 7
Connecting wall 8
Convex part 13
Rectangular hole 12
Hanging part 14

Claims (4)

It consists of a sensor unit that houses human body approach detection means in a substantially box-shaped case, and a holder that holds the sensor unit and is fixed to the mounted body,
The holder includes a base fixed to an attached body, a first holding part that holds the sensor unit slidably in a predetermined direction, a second holding part that defines a sliding limit of the sensor unit, And a flexible part that elastically engages the sensor unit to prevent the sensor unit from sliding. The first holding portion includes a pair of sandwiching walls that sandwich a side surface parallel to the sliding direction of the sensor unit, and a connection wall that connects the pair of sandwiching walls.
The second holding portion includes a hole that engages with a convex portion provided on one end surface in the sliding direction of the sensor unit in order to prevent the sensor unit from being separated from the base portion. The sensor device according to claim 1, comprising a vertical wall in contact with one end surface in the direction.   3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the base portion corresponding to the human body approach detection unit is cut off. 4.   The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion includes positioning means for the attached body.

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