JP2024128652A - Operation switch - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an operation switch 1 capable of detecting only a desired operation with high accuracy and preventing unintended operation of a connected external device. [Solution] The operation switch 1 is equipped with a limited reflection type sensor unit 30, and the sensor unit 30 is characterized by comprising a sensor board 40 having a light emitting element 45 and a light receiving element 46 mounted on the front surface thereof, an operation reception panel 50 having optical transparency and arranged opposite the front surface of the sensor board 40, a light emitting lens section 52 protruding from the operation reception panel 50 toward the light emitting element 45, a light receiving lens section 53 protruding from the operation reception panel 50 toward the light receiving element 46, a holding member 70 arranged between the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50, an irradiation light diaphragm section 79 for blocking irradiation light directed toward outside a detection area E from entering the light emitting lens section 52, and a reflected light diaphragm section 80 for blocking reflected light reflected outside the detection area E from entering the light receiving element 46. [Selected Figure] Fig. 5

Description

This invention relates to an operating switch that detects a person's operating action using, for example, a limited reflection type sensor unit and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detected operating action.

Recently, in place of conventional push button switches, control switches that can detect human operation without contact are being adopted in control panels for manufacturing equipment and elevators. Such control switches use optical sensor technology to detect the presence or absence of an object by using a light-emitting element that emits irradiated light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light of the irradiated light reflected by the object.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a limited reflection type optical sensor in which the light emitted by a light emitting element is deflected by a light emitting lens section toward a desired detection area, and the light reflected by an object in the detection area is deflected by a light receiving lens section and received by a light receiving element.

However, in limited reflection type optical sensors, if part of the irradiated light projected toward outside the detection area is reflected by an object outside the detection area and enters the light receiving element, there is a risk that the device connected to the optical sensor may operate unintentionally.

In particular, in the case of an operation switch equipped with a limited reflection type optical sensor, the detection of an action other than the operation may cause the connected device to operate unintentionally, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of safety.
For this reason, limited reflection type optical sensors applied to operation switches are required to detect only the desired operation with high accuracy.

JP 2019-139830 A

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an operation switch that can accurately detect only the desired operation and prevent unintended operation of the connected device.

This invention is an operating switch equipped with a limited reflection type sensor unit that detects an operating operation within a predetermined detection area, and the sensor unit is characterized in that it is equipped with a sensor board having a light emitting element that emits irradiation light and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light of the irradiation light reflected by the operating operation mounted on one main surface, a light-transmitting member having optical transparency arranged opposite to the one main surface of the sensor board, a light-emitting lens portion protruding from the light-transmitting member toward the light-emitting element, a light-receiving lens portion protruding from the light-transmitting member toward the light-receiving element, a holding member arranged between the sensor board and the light-transmitting member and holding the sensor board and the light-transmitting member, an irradiation light shielding means arranged between the light-emitting element and the light-emitting lens portion that shields the irradiation light directed toward the outside of the detection area from entering the light-emitting lens portion, and a reflected light shielding means arranged between the light-receiving element and the light-receiving lens portion that shields the reflected light reflected outside the detection area from entering the light-receiving element.

The above-mentioned operating actions are actions performed by animals, including humans, such as a person operating a switch to start a device, or a person operating a switch to temporarily suspend or completely stop a running device.

The light-transmitting member refers to a member that forms a part of the design surface of the operation switch and that comes into close proximity with, for example, a person's hand.
The irradiated light shielding means and reflected light shielding means refer to an aperture portion provided on the holding member, an aperture portion separate from the holding member, or a light shielding material applied to a predetermined area of the light emitting lens portion and the light receiving lens portion.

According to this invention, the irradiated light shielding means and the reflected light shielding means can accurately detect only the desired operation, preventing unintended operation of the connected device.

Specifically, the sensor unit uses an irradiation light shielding means that blocks the incidence of irradiation light directed outside the detection area on the light-emitting lens section, thereby preventing the irradiation light that enters the light-emitting lens section from being projected outside the detection area, thereby narrowing the projection range of the irradiation light.

Furthermore, the sensor unit has a reflected light shielding means that blocks the reflected light reflected outside the detection area from entering the light receiving element, thereby preventing the light receiving element from receiving the reflected light reflected outside the detection area, thereby narrowing the light receiving range of the light receiving element.

This allows the sensor unit to set the detection area, which is the intersection area between the light projection range and the light reception range, to a range suitable for detecting operation actions, while preventing the detection of objects outside the detection area. As a result, the operation switch can accurately detect only the desired operation actions within the detection area, preventing unintended operation of connected devices.

In addition, since the irradiated light shielding means and the reflected light shielding means are disposed between the sensor substrate and the light-transmitting member, the operation switch can shield a portion of the irradiated light and a portion of the reflected light inside the sensor unit.

As a result, the operating switch can prevent deterioration in the appearance of the light-transmitting member and reduction in design freedom compared to when the design surface of the light-transmitting member is masked to block part of the emitted light and part of the reflected light.

As an aspect of the present invention, the irradiation light shielding means may be constituted by an irradiation light diaphragm section provided on the holding member, and the reflected light shielding means may be constituted by a reflected light diaphragm section provided on the holding member.
According to this configuration, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed compared to a case in which the member having the irradiation light diaphragm section and the reflected light diaphragm section is provided separately from the holding member, and the sensor unit can be made compact.

In another aspect of the invention, the direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is taken as the orthogonal direction, and the opening of the illumination light diaphragm section, when viewed from the orthogonal direction, is formed in a straight line such that the edge located on the opposite side to the direction of separation away from the reflected light diaphragm section passes through the apex of the light-emitting lens section and is located near an imaginary straight line perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element, and the opening of the reflected light diaphragm section, when viewed from the orthogonal direction, is formed in a straight line such that the edge located on the opposite side to the direction of separation away from the illumination light diaphragm section passes through the apex of the light-receiving lens section and is located near an imaginary straight line perpendicular to the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element.

The vicinity of the imaginary line means that the imaginary line coincides with the imaginary line, or that the imaginary line is close to the imaginary line at a position slightly spaced from the imaginary line.
The aperture of the illumination light diaphragm is an approximately semicircular aperture having a straight edge on the side opposite to the separation direction, an approximately triangular aperture, an approximately rectangular aperture, a polygonal aperture, or the like.
The opening of the reflected light diaphragm is an approximately semicircular opening having a straight edge on the side opposite to the separation direction, an approximately triangular opening, an approximately rectangular opening, a polygonal opening, or the like.

With this configuration, the light emitted from the light-emitting element can be made incident on the curved surface on the separating direction side of the light-emitting lens section by the light-emitting aperture section. Therefore, the sensor unit can reduce variation in the projection direction of the light incident on the light-emitting lens section compared to when the light is incident on the periphery of the top of the light-emitting lens section.

Furthermore, by forming the opening of the reflected light diaphragm so that its linear edge is located near a virtual line that passes through the top of the light receiving lens and is perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element, the sensor unit is able to reduce variation in the direction of the reflected light passing through the reflected light diaphragm compared to a reflected light diaphragm whose center of opening faces the top of the light receiving lens.

This allows the operation switch to reliably project light toward the detection area and allows the light-receiving element to receive the converged reflected light, making it possible to more accurately detect only the desired operation.

In another aspect of the invention, the direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is taken as the orthogonal direction, and the opening of the illumination light diaphragm has a linear edge on the side opposite the separation direction away from the reflected light diaphragm when viewed from the orthogonal direction, and is formed in one of an approximately semicircular, approximately triangular, approximately rectangular, or polygonal shape protruding in the separation direction, and the opening of the reflected light diaphragm has a linear edge on the side opposite the separation direction away from the illumination light diaphragm when viewed from the orthogonal direction, and is formed in one of an approximately semicircular, approximately triangular, approximately rectangular, or polygonal shape protruding in the separation direction.

According to this configuration, the opening area of the illumination light diaphragm section and the opening area of the reflected light diaphragm section can be made larger than that of a substantially circular opening having the same length in the separation direction.
This allows the operating switch to reliably ensure the amount of illumination light entering the light-emitting lens portion and the amount of reflected light entering the light-receiving element, thereby enabling it to more accurately detect only the desired operating action.

As another aspect of the present invention, the opening of the illumination light diaphragm portion may be formed along the thickness direction of a portion that is approximately parallel to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element, and the opening of the reflected light diaphragm portion may be formed along the thickness direction of a portion that is approximately parallel to the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element.
With this configuration, the amount of reflected light entering the light-emitting lens portion can be made more stable compared to when the opening of the irradiation light diaphragm portion is formed along the thickness direction of the portion inclined with respect to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element.

Similarly, the sensor unit can make the amount of reflected light incident on the light receiving element more stable than when the opening of the reflected light aperture portion is formed along the thickness direction of the portion inclined with respect to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element.
This allows the operation switch to further improve the detection accuracy of the operation action.

In another aspect of the invention, the holding member may be provided with an orthogonal direction positioning means for positioning the optically transparent member relative to the sensor substrate in the orthogonal direction, the direction being orthogonal to the one main surface of the sensor substrate.

The orthogonal direction positioning means refers to a means for positioning by locking, a means for positioning by fastening, a means for positioning by abutment, or the like.
According to this configuration, by assembling the sensor board and the light transmitting member to the holding member, the light transmitting member can be accurately positioned in a desired orthogonal direction relative to the sensor board.

As a result, the operation switch can accurately position the illumination light diaphragm section and the light-emitting lens section in a desired orthogonal position relative to the light-emitting element, and can accurately position the reflected light diaphragm section and the light-receiving lens section in a desired orthogonal position relative to the light-receiving element.

This allows the operation switch to reduce variation in the projection range of the irradiated light and the reception range of the light receiving element, allowing the desired operation to be detected accurately and reliably.

In another aspect of the invention, the direction of rotation about the orthogonal direction as a rotation axis is defined as the rotation direction, and the holding member may be provided with a rotation direction positioning means for positioning the optically transparent member relative to the sensor substrate in the rotation direction.

The rotational direction positioning means refers to a means for positioning by fitting, a means for positioning by fastening, a means for positioning by abutment, or the like.
According to this configuration, by assembling the sensor board and the light transmitting member to the holding member, the light transmitting member can be accurately positioned at a desired orthogonal position and rotational position relative to the sensor board.

As a result, the operation switch can precisely position the illumination light diaphragm section and the light-emitting lens section in the desired orthogonal and rotational positions relative to the light-emitting element, and can precisely position the reflection light diaphragm section and the light-receiving lens section in the desired orthogonal and rotational positions relative to the light-receiving element.

This allows the operation switch to reduce variation in the projection range of the irradiated light and the reception range of the light receiving element, making it possible to more accurately and reliably detect the desired operation.

In another aspect of the invention, a direction parallel to the one main surface of the sensor substrate may be defined as an in-plane direction, and the holding member may be provided with an in-plane direction positioning means for positioning the optically transparent member relative to the sensor substrate in the in-plane direction.

The in-plane positioning means refers to a means for positioning by fitting, a means for positioning by fastening, a means for positioning by abutment, or the like.
According to this configuration, by assembling the sensor board and the light transmitting member to the holding member, the light transmitting member can be accurately positioned at a desired position in the orthogonal direction and in-plane direction relative to the sensor board.

As a result, the operation switch can accurately position the illumination light diaphragm section and the light-emitting lens section in the desired orthogonal and in-plane positions relative to the light-emitting element, and can accurately position the reflected light diaphragm section and the light-receiving lens section in the desired orthogonal and in-plane positions relative to the light-receiving element.

This allows the operation switch to reduce variation in the projection range of the irradiated light and the reception range of the light receiving element, making it possible to more accurately and reliably detect the desired operation.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the light emitting lens portion and the light receiving lens portion may be formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate.
With this configuration, the light-emitting lens portion and the light-receiving lens portion can be made more compact than a lens portion that is substantially rectangular when viewed from the perpendicular direction, for example. Therefore, the operation switch prevents the sensor unit from becoming large, and improves the degree of freedom in the shape of the sensor unit.

In another aspect of the present invention, a housing may be provided in which the sensor unit is assembled along a direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor board, and the holding member holding the sensor board and the light-transmitting member may be engaged with the housing.

With this configuration, at least the sensor board and the light-transmitting member can be attached to the housing without using adhesives or the like. Therefore, the operating switch can efficiently assemble the sensor unit and the housing.

The present invention provides an operation switch that can accurately detect only the desired operation and prevent unintended operation of the connected device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the appearance of an operation switch. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an operation switch in an exploded state as viewed from above and in the front direction; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an operation switch in an exploded state as viewed from below and rearward; FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a detection region. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operating region characteristic. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a disassembled state of the sensor unit as viewed from above and in the front direction. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a disassembled state of the sensor unit as viewed from below and rearward; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the sensor unit as viewed along the arrows AA. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shape of the sensor unit in a horizontal cross section along the width direction. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation reception panel and a holding member. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shapes of the operation reception panel and the holding member in a vertical cross section along the width direction. FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part in FIG. 9 . FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a light receiving state of a light receiving element.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
The operation switch 1 of this embodiment is attached to, for example, an elevator or a transport device, and is configured to be able to detect a human operation such as pressing down the operation switch 1, or a human gesture as an operation operation in cooperation with another operation switch 1. Such an operation switch 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 15.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram explaining the external appearance of the operation switch 1, where FIG. 1(a) shows an external perspective view of the operation switch 1 as viewed from above and in the front, FIG. 1(b) shows an external perspective view of the operation switch 1 as viewed from below and in the rear, and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1(a).

In addition, FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the operation switch 1 as viewed from above and in the front, FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the operation switch 1 as viewed from below and in the rear, FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram outlining the detection area E, and FIG. 6 shows a diagram outlining an example of the operating area characteristics.

In addition, FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view of the sensor unit 30 as viewed from above and in the front, FIG. 8 shows an exploded perspective view of the sensor unit 30 as viewed from below and in the rear, FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 30 as viewed from the A-A arrows, and FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the sensor unit 30 in a horizontal cross section along the width direction Y.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation reception panel 50 and the holding member 70, where FIG. 11(a) shows a rear view of the operation reception panel 50 and FIG. 11(b) shows a front view of the holding member 70.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the holding member 70, where Figure 12(a) shows an external perspective view of the holding member 70 as viewed from above and in the front, and Figure 12(b) shows an external perspective view of the holding member 70 as viewed from above and in the rear.

In addition, FIG. 13 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the operation reception panel 50 and the holding member 70 along the width direction Y, FIG. 14 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts in FIG. 9, and FIG. 15 shows an explanatory diagram explaining the light receiving state of the light receiving element 46.

In addition, the arrow X in the figure indicates the front-to-rear direction of the operating switch 1 (hereinafter referred to as the front-to-rear direction X), with the direction from right to left in FIG. 1(a) being the forward direction Xf and the direction from left to right in FIG. 1(a) being the backward direction Xr.
Furthermore, the upper side in FIG. 1(a) is the upper side of the operation switch 1, the lower side in FIG. 1(a) is the lower side of the operation switch 1, and the arrow Y in the figure indicates a width direction (hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y) perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction X when viewed from above.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating switch 1 of this embodiment is a generally cylindrical switch that is long in the front-rear direction X, and is inserted and fixed, for example, into a through-hole (reference numeral omitted) in a mounting panel P that has a thickness in the front-rear direction X.

This operation switch 1 has a function of detecting a human operation and outputting a signal corresponding to the detected operation, and a function of outputting a detection signal corresponding to the detected operation to an electrically connected external device (not shown).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, such an operating switch 1 is composed of a seal ring 2 arranged on the front side of the mounting panel P, a switch body 3 inserted into an opening in the mounting panel P, and a fixing nut 4 screwed onto the switch body 3 on the back side of the mounting panel P.

The operation switch 1 is fixed to the mounting panel P by attaching the seal ring 2 and the switch body 3 to the mounting panel P from the front Xf and attaching the fixing nut 4 to the switch body 3 from the rear Xr.

In more detail, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the seal ring 2 is a flat plate with a generally circular ring shape when viewed from the front, and is disposed between the front surface of the mounting panel P and the switch body 3 (the housing flange 12 of the housing 10, which will be described later).

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the switch main body 3 is composed of a metal or synthetic resin housing 10, an input/output unit 20 and a sensor unit 30 which are assembled to the housing 10, and a flexible flat cable 5 which electrically connects the input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30.
The input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30 are assembled to the housing 10 in this order from the front Xf to the rear Xr.

The flexible flat cable 5 is a well-known technology and will not be described in detail here, but it is formed by covering rectangular conductors arranged in parallel along the width direction Y with an insulating laminate film. As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible flat cable 5 is stored inside the housing 10 in a folded state in the thickness direction.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the housing 10 of the switch body 3 has a substantially cylindrical housing body 11 that extends in the front-rear direction X with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the opening of the mounting panel P, and a housing flange 12 that is substantially annular in front view and is formed by expanding the diameter of the front end of the housing body 11.

The housing body 11 of this housing 10 is provided with a stopper portion 13 formed by reducing the diameter of the rear end of the housing body 11 as a portion that restricts the movement of the input/output unit 20 in the rear Xr, and a thread portion 14 into which the fixing nut 4 screws is formed on the outer circumferential surface in a range from the front end to approximately the center in the front-rear direction X.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the housing body 11 has four first engaging holes 15, into which the input/output unit 20 is engaged from the inside, formed in the screw thread portion 14 at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the housing body 11.
In addition, the housing body 11 has a second latch hole 16, into which the sensor unit 30 is latched from the inside, formed between two first latch holes 15 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction.

The input/output unit 20 of the switch main body 3 has a function of receiving power from an external power source, a function of supplying power to the sensor unit 30, and a function of sending and receiving various signals to and from external devices.
Furthermore, the input/output unit 20 has a function of transmitting various signals to and from the sensor unit 30 , and a function of processing signals from the sensor unit 30 .

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the input/output unit 20 includes an input/output control unit 21 that controls various processing operations related to input/output with the sensor unit 30 and external devices, and a housing case 22 that houses and holds the input/output control unit 21.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the input/output control unit 21 is composed of an input/output board 23 arranged so that the vertical direction is the thickness direction, an external connector 24 mounted on the input/output board 23, an internal connector 25, and multiple elements (not shown).
When the input/output control unit 21 is accommodated inside the accommodation case 22, its position in the up-down direction is regulated, and its position in the front-rear direction X is regulated by an engagement.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the external connector 24 is disposed at the rear of the input/output board 23, and is connected to one end of a wire harness (not shown) having the other end connected to an external device or power source.
On the other hand, the internal connector 25 is disposed at the front of the input/output board 23 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and one end of the flexible flat cable 5 is connected thereto.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the storage case 22 of the input/output unit 20 is formed into a bottomed tubular body with a substantially cylindrical case body 221 extending in the front-rear direction X and a bottom surface 222 that closes the opening at the rear Xr of the case body 221.

This storage case 22 stores the input/output board 23 therein in a positionally restricted state, and is equipped with a locking portion (reference number omitted) that holds the input/output board 23 stored therein.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front part of the case main body 221 is provided with four case locking parts 221a that are locked into the first locking holes 15 from inside the case 10 and have claw parts (reference numbers omitted) at their front ends that restrict the movement of the input/output unit 20 in the forward direction Xf.

The housing locking portions 221a are formed in a shape that extends in the front-rear direction X by slits in the case body 221 cut from the front end toward the rear Xr at positions spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the case body 221.

The sensor unit 30 of the switch body 3 also has the function of receiving power from the input/output control unit 21, the function of controlling operation based on a signal from the input/output control unit 21, and the function of emitting illumination light in the forward direction Xf.

Furthermore, the sensor unit 30 has the function of projecting infrared radiation light in a forward direction Xf and diagonally downward, the function of receiving infrared radiation reflected, for example, by the fingertip of a person nearby, and the function of outputting a signal according to the amount of reflected light to the input/output control unit 21.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the sensor unit 30 is a limited reflection type sensor in which the projection range R1 of the irradiated light projected to the outside and the reception range R2 of the reflected light detected as a human operation are each limited to a narrow range.

This sensor unit 30 is configured with optical elements that project irradiated light and optical elements that receive reflected light so that the area in the light receiving range R2 that intersects with the light projection range R1 (hereinafter referred to as the detection area E) is a range that is a predetermined distance away from the front surface of the sensor unit 30.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the sensor unit 30 is configured to obtain an operating area characteristic in which the detection area E is a range that is 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less away from the front surface of the sensor unit 30.

As shown in Figures 7 to 9, such a sensor unit 30 includes a sensor board 40 housed inside the housing 10, and an operation reception panel 50 and an illumination panel 60 arranged facing the sensor board 40 at a predetermined distance forward Xf.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the sensor unit 30 includes a small-diameter seal ring 31 that is attached to the operation reception panel 50, a large-diameter seal ring 32 that is attached to the illumination panel 60, and a holding member 70 that holds the operation reception panel 50 and the sensor board 40.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the sensor board 40 of the sensor unit 30 has a thickness in the front-rear direction X and is formed in a generally circular plate shape in a front view with a diameter that can be accommodated inside the housing 10. Note that both ends of the sensor board 40 in the width direction Y are cut out to allow the assembly legs 75 of the holding member 70, which will be described later, to be inserted therethrough.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the sensor board 40 has a pair of fitting holes 41, one positioning hole 42, and a pair of screw insertion holes 43 that penetrate in the front-rear direction X.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the pair of fitting holes 41 are spaced a predetermined distance from approximately the center in the width direction Y to the outside in the width direction Y, and are formed to penetrate so that the fitting protrusion 73a of the holding member 70, which will be described later, can be fitted into them.

As shown in Figures 8 and 10, one of the positioning holes 42 is offset outward and slightly upward in the width direction Y from approximately the center of the sensor board 40 when viewed from the back, and is formed to pass through so that a positioning pin 76 of the holding member 70, which will be described later, can be fitted into it.

8 and 9, the pair of screw insertion holes 43 are through holes through which the screws 33 are inserted to fix the sensor board 40 to the holding member 70. The pair of screw insertion holes 43 are formed by cutting out long slits in the vertical direction near the upper and lower ends of the sensor board 40 at approximately the center in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 8, a sensor board 40 having such a shape has an internal connector 44 to which the other end of the flexible flat cable 5 is connected, and multiple elements (not shown), mounted on one of its main surfaces, the rear surface.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the sensor board 40 has one light-emitting element 45, one light-receiving element 46, eight light-emitting elements 47 for illumination, and multiple elements (not shown) mounted on the front surface, which is the other main surface.

Specifically, the light-emitting element 45 is disposed at approximately the center of the sensor board 40 in the width direction Y, above approximately the center in the up-down direction, as shown in Figures 7 and 9. The light-emitting element 45 is, for example, an LED element, and is configured to be able to irradiate infrared rays forward Xf from a light-emitting surface 45a (see Figure 5) that is approximately parallel to the front surface of the sensor board 40.

As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the light receiving element 46 is disposed at approximately the center of the sensor substrate 40 in the width direction Y, below the approximately center in the up-down direction. This light receiving element 46 is composed of a semiconductor element that converts reflected light (infrared rays) received by a light receiving surface 46a (see Figure 5) that is approximately parallel to the front surface of the sensor substrate 40 into an electrical signal that corresponds to the amount of reflected light.

The eight illumination light-emitting elements 47 are composed of LED elements capable of emitting illumination light, for example, in the forward direction Xf. The eight illumination light-emitting elements 47 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the sensor substrate 40 such that two illumination light-emitting elements 47 arranged side by side along the outer periphery of the sensor substrate 40 are positioned between the screw insertion hole 43 and the notch at the end in the width direction Y.

The operation reception panel 50 of the sensor unit 30 is made of a synthetic resin that is optically transparent to allow infrared rays to pass through, and is formed in a generally circular shape in front view with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 10.

As shown in Figures 7 to 9, this operation reception panel 50 includes a panel body 51 that is generally disk-shaped when viewed from the front and has a thickness in the front-to-rear direction X, a light-emitting lens portion 52 that faces the light-emitting element 45 in the front-to-rear direction X, and a light-receiving lens portion 53 that faces the light-receiving element 46 in the front-to-rear direction X.
Furthermore, the operation receiving panel 50 includes a cylindrical wall portion 54 having a substantially cylindrical shape extending rearward Xr from the rear surface of the panel body 51 , and a pair of engagement portions 55 extending from the cylindrical wall portion 54 .

Specifically, as shown in Figures 9 and 11(a), the light-emitting lens portion 52 is formed in the shape of a roughly circular, one-sided convex lens when viewed from the rear, with a flat front surface of the panel body 51 and a curved surface that bulges out in a roughly dome shape toward the light-emitting element 45.

More specifically, the light-emitting lens unit 52 is formed so that the light projection axis (not shown) connecting its center with the center of the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45 is inclined diagonally downward with respect to the front-to-rear direction X. This enables the light-emitting lens unit 52 to deflect the light emitted by the light-emitting element 45, which is diffusely emitted toward the front Xf, toward the front Xf and diagonally downward.

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 9 and 11(a), the light receiving lens section 53 is formed in the shape of a roughly circular, one-sided convex lens when viewed from behind, with a flat front surface of the panel body 51 and a curved surface that bulges out in a roughly dome shape toward the light receiving element 46.

More specifically, the light receiving lens section 53 is formed so that a light receiving axis (not shown) connecting its center with the center of the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46 is inclined obliquely upward with respect to the front-to-rear direction X. This enables the light receiving lens section 53 to deflect reflected light from the front Xf and obliquely upward toward the light receiving element 46 in the rear Xr.

As shown in Figures 8, 9, and 11, the cylindrical wall portion 54 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 10 and an inner diameter that integrally surrounds the light-emitting element 45 and the light-receiving element 46.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the inner surface of the cylindrical wall portion 54 has an upper portion having a flat surface 54a that is approximately parallel to the width direction Y, and a lower portion having two protruding surfaces 54b that protrude toward approximately the center of the cylindrical wall portion 54 when viewed from the back, forming an uneven shape.

8 and 10, the pair of engaging portions 55 are disposed opposite each other in the width direction Y and are formed in a generally plate-like shape extending rearward Xr from the rear end of the cylindrical wall portion 54. The engaging portions 55 have engaging holes 55a formed therein that penetrate in the width direction Y and engage with the holding member 70 (described later) from the inside in the width direction Y.

The illumination panel 60 of the sensor unit 30 is made of a synthetic resin that is optically transparent and allows the illumination light from the illumination light-emitting element 47 to pass through, and is formed in a generally circular ring shape when viewed from the front, with an inner diameter that is slightly larger than that of the operation reception panel 50.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the illumination panel 60 is composed of a panel body 61 that is roughly annular in front view and surrounds the panel body 51 of the operation reception panel 50, and a roughly cylindrical wall portion 62 that extends slightly rearward Xr from the panel body 61.

The cylindrical wall portion 62 of the illumination panel 60 is formed so that the rear surface thereof faces the illumination light emitting element 47 of the sensor board 40 .
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the rear surface of the cylindrical wall portion 62 of the lighting panel 60 is provided with eight concave portions 62a spaced at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction to diffuse the light emitted by the lighting light-emitting element 47 in the forward direction Xf.

The small-diameter seal ring 31 of the sensor unit 30 is a seal member made of, for example, elastic synthetic resin, and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50. This small-diameter seal ring 31 is interposed between the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50 and the cylindrical wall portion 62 of the lighting panel 60, preventing moisture and dust from entering the inside of the sensor unit 30.

The large-diameter seal ring 32 of the sensor unit 30 is a seal member made of, for example, elastic synthetic resin, and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 62 of the lighting panel 60. This large-diameter seal ring 32 is interposed between the cylindrical wall portion 62 of the lighting panel 60 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 10, preventing moisture and dust from entering the inside of the housing 10.

As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the holding member 70 of the sensor unit 30 is disposed between the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50, and is configured to position the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 at a desired position and to hold the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 in the positioned state.

As shown in Figures 9, 11(b) and 12, the holding member 70 has a generally rectangular surrounding portion 71 in front view that surrounds the light-emitting element 45 and the light-receiving element 46, and a circular holding flange portion 72 in front view that surrounds the surrounding portion 71.

Furthermore, the retaining member 70 has a pair of locking portions 73 extending rearward Xr from both ends of the surrounding portion 71 in the width direction Y, a pair of boss portions 74 provided on the outer peripheral edge of the retaining flange portion 72, and a pair of mounting legs 75.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 9 and 12, the surrounding portion 71 of the holding member 70 is formed in an approximately box-like shape with an opening at the rear Xr, and includes a front wall portion that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front and faces the front surface of the sensor board 40, and side portions that extend from the four sides of the front wall portion to the rear Xr.
Furthermore, a partition wall 71 a is provided at approximately the center in the vertical direction of the surrounding portion 71 to separate the accommodation space for the light-emitting element 45 from the accommodation space for the light-receiving element 46 .

The length of this surrounding portion 71 in the front-rear direction X is set so that it functions as a positioning portion that determines the relative position of the operation reception panel 50 with respect to the sensor board 40 in the front-rear direction X.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the surrounding portion 71 is formed so that when the light-emitting element 45 and the light-emitting lens portion 52 are spaced apart by a desired distance, and when the light-receiving element 46 and the light-receiving lens portion 53 are spaced apart by a desired distance, the front end face of the surrounding portion 71 abuts against the rear surface of the operation reception panel 50 and the rear end face abuts against the front surface of the sensor board 40.

Furthermore, the surrounding portion 71 has a positioning pin 76 (see FIG. 12(b)) that positions the sensor board 40, a rotation restriction wall portion 77 (see FIG. 13) that restricts the rotation of the operation reception panel 50, and a number of linear protrusions 78 (see FIG. 12(a)) that position the operation reception panel 50.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 12(b), the positioning pin 76 is generally columnar and extends rearward Xr from the rear end surface of the surrounding portion 71, and is formed so as to be able to fit into the positioning hole 42 of the sensor board 40.

As shown in FIG. 13, the rotation restriction wall portion 77 is formed on the side surface of the surrounding portion 71 facing the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50, on the Xf side forward of the holding flange portion 72.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotation restriction wall portion 77 is composed of an upper surface of the surrounding portion 71 that faces, across a small gap, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 54, including the flat surface 54a, and a lower surface of the surrounding portion 71 that faces, across a small gap, the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 54, including the protruding surface 54b.

As shown in Figs. 11(b), 12(a) and 13, the linear protrusions 78 are generally linear and extend in the front-rear direction X, and are provided on the rotation restriction wall 77. The linear protrusions 78 are formed in a shape that abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 54 of the operation reception panel 50.

As shown in Figures 9 and 12, the surrounding portion 71 configured in this manner is provided with an illumination light diaphragm portion 79 that adjusts the illumination light incident on the light-emitting lens portion 52 from the light-emitting element 45, and a reflected light diaphragm portion 80 that adjusts the reflected light incident on the light-receiving element 46 from the light-receiving lens portion 53.

As shown in FIG. 14, the illumination light aperture section 79 constitutes a light-emitting optical element together with the light-emitting element 45 and the light-emitting lens section 52 described above, and limits the incidence of illumination light deflected outside the projection range R1 onto the light-emitting lens section 52.

In more detail, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 14, the irradiation light aperture section 79 is composed of a light-shielding section 791, which is a section facing the light-emitting element 45 on the front wall section of the surrounding section 71, a cylindrical light-emitting side cylinder section 792 that extends forward Xf from the light-shielding section 791 and surrounds the light-emitting lens section 52, and a light-projecting opening section 793 that penetrates the light-shielding section 791.

As shown in Figures 11(b) and 14, the light projection opening 793 of the irradiation light diaphragm section 79 is composed of a hole portion 793a that penetrates the light shielding section 791 and protrudes upward and is generally semicircular in front view, and a tapered portion 793b that gradually increases in diameter as the hole portion 793a moves forward Xf.

As shown in FIG. 14, the hole portion 793a of the light-projecting opening 793 is formed so that the straight line portion of the lower end of the roughly semicircular shape when viewed from the front is close to the upper side of an imaginary straight line L1 that passes through the apex 52a of the light-emitting lens portion 52 and is perpendicular to the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45.

As shown in FIG. 14, the reflected light aperture section 80 constitutes a light receiving side optical element together with the above-mentioned light receiving element 46 and light receiving lens section 53, and limits the incidence of reflected light incident on the light receiving lens section 53 from outside the light receiving range R2 onto the light receiving element 46.

In more detail, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 14, the reflected light diaphragm section 80 is composed of a light-shielding section 801, which is a section facing the light-receiving element 46 on the front wall of the enclosing section 71, a cylindrical light-receiving side cylinder section 802 that extends forward Xf from the light-shielding section 801 and surrounds the light-receiving lens section 53, and a light-receiving opening section 803 that penetrates the light-shielding section 801.

As shown in Figures 11(b) and 14, the light receiving opening 803 of the reflected light diaphragm section 80 is composed of a hole portion 803a that penetrates the light shielding section 801 and protrudes downward and has a generally semicircular shape in front view, and a tapered portion 803b that gradually increases in diameter as the hole portion 803a moves forward Xf.

As shown in FIG. 14, the hole portion 803a of the light receiving opening 803 is formed so that the straight line portion at the top end of the approximately semicircular shape when viewed from the front is close to the lower side of the imaginary straight line L2 that passes through the apex 53a of the light receiving lens portion 53 and is perpendicular to the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46.

As shown in Figs. 11(b) and 12, the retaining flange 72 of the retaining member 70 is circular in front view with a thickness in the front-rear direction X, and is formed at approximately the center of the surrounding portion 71 in the front-rear direction X. Furthermore, the retaining flange 72 has an opening 72a that is approximately rectangular in front view and penetrates in the front-rear direction X, adjacent to the side surface of the surrounding portion 71 in the width direction Y.

As shown in Figs. 11(b) and 12, the pair of locking portions 73 of the holding member 70 are formed in a generally plate-like shape that extends from both ends in the width direction Y to the outside in the width direction Y at approximately the center in the up-down direction of the surrounding portion 71, and then extends rearward Xr through the opening 72a of the holding flange portion 72.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the side surface of the locking portion 73 is provided with a claw portion (reference numeral omitted) that protrudes outward in the width direction Y and is adapted to be locked into the locking hole 55 a of the operation receiving panel 50 .
12B, the end of the locking portion 73 is integrally formed with a substantially cylindrical fitting protrusion 73a that protrudes rearward Xr and fits into the fitting hole 41 of the sensor board 40.

As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the pair of bosses 74 of the holding member 70 are formed at the upper end of the holding flange 72 and the lower end of the holding flange 72 so as to protrude upward and downward, respectively. The bosses 74 are formed with screw holes 74a into which the screws 33 used to fix the sensor board 40 are screwed.

As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the pair of assembly legs 75 of the retaining member 70 extend rearward Xr from the edge of the retaining flange portion 72 in the width direction Y, and are formed in a shape having a claw portion (symbol omitted) at their tip that protrudes outward in the width direction Y.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the claw portion of the mounting leg 75 is engaged with the second engaging hole 16 of the housing 10 when the sensor unit 30 is assembled to the housing 10 from the front Xf to the rear Xr.

Next, the process of assembling the operation switch 1 having the above-mentioned configuration will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as FIGS.
First, a worker or assembly device assembling the input/output unit 20 accommodates the input/output control unit 21, to which one end of the flexible flat cable 5 is connected, in the accommodation case 22 from the front Xf to the rear Xr of the accommodation case 22, to form the input/output unit 20.
At this time, the input/output board 23 of the input/output control unit 21 is locked and fixed to the housing case 22, and movement of the input/output control unit 21 in the front-rear direction X is restricted.

Meanwhile, the worker or assembly device assembling the sensor unit 30 assembles the operation reception panel 50, which has the small diameter seal ring 31 attached, to the lighting panel 60 from the front Xf, and then attaches the large diameter seal ring 32 to the lighting panel 60.

Then, the worker or the assembly device abuts the rear surface of the operation reception panel 50 against the front end surface of the surrounding portion 71 of the holding member 70, and engages the engaging portion 73 of the holding member 70 with the engaging hole 55a of the operation reception panel 50.

At this time, the linear protrusion 78 of the holding member 70 abuts against the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50, thereby determining the position of the operation reception panel 50 in the in-plane direction, which is a direction parallel to the front surface of the sensor board 40, and the position of the operation reception panel 50 in the rotational direction about the rotation axis in the forward/backward direction X.
Furthermore, the locking portion 73 of the holding member 70 holds the operation receiving panel 50 while preventing the operation receiving panel 50 from moving forward Xf with the claw portion.

When the operation reception panel 50 is assembled to the holding member 70, the worker or the assembly device abuts the front surface of the sensor board 40 against the rear end surface of the surrounding portion 71 of the holding member 70 while engaging the positioning hole 42 and the fitting hole 41 of the sensor board 40 with the positioning pin 76 and the fitting protrusion 73a of the holding member 70, respectively.

At this time, the positioning pin 76 and the fitting protrusion 73a of the holding member 70 determine the position of the sensor board 40 in the in-plane direction, which is a direction parallel to the front surface of the sensor board 40, and in the rotational direction about the front-rear direction X as the rotation axis.

Then, the worker or the assembly device fastens the sensor board 40 to the holding member 70 using the screws 33 to form the sensor unit 30. As a result, the sensor board 40 is fixed to the holding member 70 with its relative position to the operation reception panel 50 in the front-rear direction X being determined.

Then, the worker or the assembly device inserts the input/output unit 20 connected to the flexible flat cable 5 into the housing 10 from the front Xf to the rear Xr, and engages and fixes the storage case 22 of the input/output unit 20 to the first engaging hole 15 of the housing 10.

Furthermore, after connecting the flexible flat cable 5 to the sensor unit 30, the worker or the assembly device folds the flexible flat cable 5 and inserts the sensor unit 30 into the housing 10 from the front Xf to the rear Xr.

Then, the worker or the assembly device engages the sensor unit 30 with the second engaging hole 16 of the housing 10 to construct the switch body 3, and then assembles the seal ring 2 and the fixing nut 4 to the switch body 3 to construct the operation switch 1.

Next, the state of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 45 projecting to the outside and the state of the reflected light entering the light-receiving element 46 in the above-mentioned operating switch 1 will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15.

First, when the light emitting element 45 starts emitting light, the light emitted from the light emitting element 45 is diffused and emitted toward the irradiation light diaphragm section 79 as shown by the arrow in FIG.
At this time, as shown in Figure 14, a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting element 45 is blocked by the light-shielding portion 791 of the light-emitting aperture portion 79, and the light that passes through the light-projecting opening portion 793 enters a portion of the curved surface of the light-emitting lens portion 52 above the apex 52a.

As a result, the irradiation light incident on light-emitting lens portion 52 is refracted inside light-emitting lens portion 52 and projected toward light projection range R1.
The irradiation light projected into the light projection range R1 is reflected by an object that passes through the light projection range R1, as shown by the arrow in Figure 14, and enters the light receiving lens unit 53 as reflected light from the front Xf and diagonally above, and is then bent inside the light receiving lens unit 53 and projected toward the rear Xr.

At this time, reflected light reflected outside the detection area E (see FIG. 5), i.e., reflected light passing outside the light receiving range R2 and entering the light receiving lens section 53, is blocked by the reflected light aperture section 80 and does not enter the light receiving element 46, as shown in FIG. 14.

On the other hand, the reflected light reflected at the detection area E (see FIG. 5), i.e., the reflected light that passes through the light receiving range R2 and enters the light receiving lens section 53, is projected onto the reflected light aperture section 80 via a portion of the curved surface of the light receiving lens section 53 below the apex 53a.

Then, the reflected light projected toward the reflected light aperture section 80 is incident on the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46 through the light receiving opening 803. At this time, the reflected light is incident at a vertical position according to the detection distance.

For example, in the case of an operating switch 1 with a detection distance of 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, the reflected light reflected at a detection distance of 5 mm is incident mainly on the vicinity of the lower end of the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46, as shown in FIG. 15(a).

In addition, the reflected light reflected at a detection distance of 20 mm is incident mainly on the upper part of the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46 as shown in FIG. 15(b), and the reflected light reflected at a detection distance of 30 mm is incident near the upper end of the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46 as shown in FIG. 15(c).

According to FIG. 15, a satisfactory amount of converged reflected light is incident on the light receiving element 46 at any detection distance.
Furthermore, since the incident position of the reflected light shifts from the lower end to the upper end of the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46 as the detection distance increases, it can be seen that the reflected light incident on the light receiving element 46 is limited by the reflected light diaphragm section 80 to only the reflected light that passes through the light receiving range R2.

The light receiving element 46 receives the reflected light in this manner and outputs an electrical signal according to the amount of reflected light to the input/output control unit 21 via the sensor board 40 and the flexible flat cable 5.

Then, the input/output control unit 21 determines the amount of reflected light based on the electrical signal from the light receiving element 46, and if the amount of reflected light is greater than or equal to a threshold value, it determines that a human operating action has been detected, and outputs a detection signal to an external device.
In this manner, the operation switch 1 detects the operation action of a person in the detection area E with high accuracy.

As described above, the operation switch 1 of this embodiment includes the limited reflection type sensor unit 30 that detects an operation within a predetermined detection area E.
The sensor unit 30 of this operation switch 1 comprises a sensor board 40 having on its front surface a light-emitting element 45 that emits irradiated light and a light-receiving element 46 that receives reflected light of the irradiated light reflected by the operation operation, and a light-transmitting operation receiving panel 50 arranged opposite the front surface of the sensor board 40.

The operation switch 1 further includes a light-emitting lens portion 52 that protrudes from the operation reception panel 50 toward the light-emitting element 45, a light-receiving lens portion 53 that protrudes from the operation reception panel 50 toward the light-receiving element 46, and a holding member 70 that is disposed between the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 and holds the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50.

In addition, the operation switch 1 is provided with an irradiation light shielding means (irradiation light aperture section 79) that is disposed between the light-emitting element 45 and the light-emitting lens section 52 and blocks the incidence of irradiation light directed outside the detection area E on the light-emitting lens section 52, and a reflected light shielding means (reflected light aperture section 80) that is disposed between the light-receiving element 46 and the light-receiving lens section 53 and blocks the incidence of reflected light reflected outside the detection area E on the light-receiving element 46.

With this configuration, the irradiated light shielding means (irradiated light aperture section 79) and reflected light shielding means (reflected light aperture section 80) can accurately detect only the desired operation, preventing unintended operation of the connected device.

Specifically, the sensor unit 30 uses an irradiation light shielding means that blocks the irradiation light directed outside the detection area E from entering the light-emitting lens unit 52, thereby preventing the irradiation light that enters the light-emitting lens unit 52 from being projected outside the detection area E, thereby narrowing the projection range R1 of the irradiation light.

Furthermore, by using a reflected light shielding means that blocks the incidence of reflected light reflected outside the detection area E on the light receiving element 46, the sensor unit 30 can prevent the light receiving element 46 from receiving reflected light reflected outside the detection area E, thereby narrowing the light receiving range R2 of the light receiving element 46.

As a result, the sensor unit 30 can make the detection area E, which is the intersection area of the light projection area R1 and the light reception area R2, a range suitable for detecting operation actions, and can prevent the detection of objects outside the detection area E. Therefore, the operation switch 1 can accurately detect only the desired operation actions within the detection area E, and prevent unintended operation of connected external devices.

In addition, since the irradiated light shielding means and the reflected light shielding means are disposed between the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50, the operation switch 1 can shield a portion of the irradiated light and a portion of the reflected light within the sensor unit 30.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can prevent deterioration in the appearance of the operation reception panel 50 and reduction in design freedom compared to when the design surface of the operation reception panel 50 is masked to block part of the irradiated light and part of the reflected light.

In addition, since the irradiated light shielding means is composed of an irradiated light aperture section 79 provided on the holding member 70, and the reflected light shielding means is composed of a reflected light aperture section 80 provided on the holding member 70, the operating switch 1 can suppress an increase in the number of parts compared to a case in which a member having the irradiated light aperture section 79 and the reflected light aperture section 80 is provided separately from the holding member 70, and the sensor unit 30 can be made compact.

The hole portion 793a of the irradiation light aperture portion 79 is formed in a straight line such that the lower edge is located near the imaginary straight line L1 that passes through the top 52a of the light-emitting lens portion 52 and is perpendicular to the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45.

On the other hand, the hole portion 803a of the reflected light diaphragm portion 80 is formed in a straight line such that its upper edge is located near the imaginary straight line L2 that passes through the top 53a of the light receiving lens portion 53 and is perpendicular to the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46.

With this configuration, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 45 can be made incident on the upper curved surface of the light-emitting lens section 52 by the light-emitting aperture section 79. Therefore, the sensor unit 30 can reduce variation in the projection direction of the light emitted into the light-emitting lens section 52 compared to when the light is incident around the apex 52a of the light-emitting lens section 52.

Furthermore, by forming the hole portion 803a of the reflected light diaphragm portion 80 so that its linear upper end is positioned near the imaginary straight line L2 that passes through the apex 53a of the light receiving lens portion 53 and is perpendicular to the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46, the sensor unit 30 can reduce variation in the direction of the reflected light passing through the reflected light diaphragm portion 80 compared to a reflected light diaphragm portion in which the center of the hole faces the apex 53a of the light receiving lens portion 53.

This allows the operating switch 1 to reliably project the irradiated light toward the detection area E, while allowing the light-receiving element 46 to receive the converged reflected light, making it possible to detect only the desired operating action with even greater precision.

In addition, the hole portion 793a of the illumination light diaphragm portion 79 has a straight edge on the lower side and is formed in a roughly semicircular shape protruding upward when viewed from the front, and the hole portion 803a of the reflection light diaphragm portion 80 has a straight edge on the upper side and is formed in a roughly semicircular shape protruding downward when viewed from the front.

With this configuration, the opening area of the hole portion 793a in the irradiation light diaphragm portion 79 and the opening area of the hole portion 803a in the reflected light diaphragm portion 80 can be made larger than an approximately circular opening with the same vertical length.

This allows the operation switch 1 to reliably ensure the amount of irradiated light entering the light-emitting lens portion 52 and the amount of reflected light entering the light-receiving element 46, allowing it to more accurately detect only the desired operation.

The hole portion 793a of the irradiation light diaphragm portion 79 is formed along the thickness direction of the light-shielding portion 791, which is approximately parallel to the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45, and the hole portion 803a of the reflection light diaphragm portion 80 is formed along the thickness direction of the light-shielding portion 801, which is approximately parallel to the light-receiving surface 46a of the light-receiving element 46.

With this configuration, the amount of reflected light entering the light-emitting lens section 52 can be made more stable than when the hole portion 793a of the irradiation light aperture section 79 is formed along the thickness direction of the light-shielding section inclined relative to the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45.

Similarly, the sensor unit 30 can make the amount of reflected light incident on the light receiving element 46 more stable than when the hole portion 803a of the reflected light aperture portion 80 is formed along the thickness direction of the light-shielding portion inclined with respect to the light receiving surface 46a of the light receiving element 46.
This allows the operation switch 1 to further improve the detection accuracy of the operation motion.

The holding member 70 also includes a front end surface of the surrounding portion 71 that abuts against the operation reception panel 50, a rear end surface of the surrounding portion 71 that abuts against the sensor substrate 40, and a locking portion 73 that engages with the locking hole 55a of the operation reception panel 50, as a front-rear direction X positioning means for positioning the operation reception panel 50 relative to the sensor substrate 40 in the front-rear direction X.

With this configuration, by assembling the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 to the holding member 70, the operation reception panel 50 can be positioned with high precision in the desired position in the front-rear direction X relative to the sensor board 40.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can precisely position the irradiated light diaphragm section 79 and the light-emitting lens section 52 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X relative to the light-emitting element 45, and can precisely position the reflected light diaphragm section 80 and the light-receiving lens section 53 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X relative to the light-receiving element 46.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can reduce variation in the light projection range R1 of the irradiated light and the light receiving range R2 of the light receiving element 46, allowing the desired operation to be detected accurately and reliably.

The direction of rotation around the forward/rearward direction X as the rotation axis is defined as the rotation direction, and the holding member 70 is provided with a rotation direction positioning means for positioning the operation reception panel 50 relative to the sensor board 40 in the rotation direction.

More specifically, the holding member 70 is provided with a positioning pin 76 that fits into the positioning hole 42 of the sensor board 40, a linear protrusion 78 that abuts against the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50, and a fitting protrusion 73a that fits into the fitting hole 41 of the sensor board 40 as rotational positioning means.

With this configuration, by assembling the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 to the holding member 70, the operation reception panel 50 can be positioned with high precision in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X and rotational direction relative to the sensor board 40.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can precisely position the irradiated light diaphragm section 79 and the light-emitting lens section 52 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X and in the rotational direction with respect to the light-emitting element 45, and can precisely position the reflected light diaphragm section 80 and the light-receiving lens section 53 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X and in the rotational direction with respect to the light-receiving element 46.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can further reduce variation in the light projection range R1 of the irradiated light and the light receiving range R2 of the light receiving element 46, allowing the desired operating action to be detected more accurately and reliably.

The direction parallel to the front surface of the sensor board 40 is defined as the in-plane direction, and the holding member 70 is provided with an in-plane direction positioning means for positioning the operation reception panel 50 relative to the sensor board 40 in the in-plane direction.

More specifically, the holding member 70 is provided with a positioning pin 76 that fits into the positioning hole 42 of the sensor board 40, a linear protrusion 78 that abuts against the cylindrical wall portion 54 of the operation reception panel 50, and a fitting protrusion 73a that fits into the fitting hole 41 of the sensor board 40 as in-plane positioning means.

With this configuration, by assembling the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 to the holding member 70, the operation reception panel 50 can be positioned with high precision in the desired position in the front-rear direction X and in the in-plane direction relative to the sensor board 40.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can precisely position the irradiated light diaphragm section 79 and the light-emitting lens section 52 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X and in the in-plane direction with respect to the light-emitting element 45, and can precisely position the reflected light diaphragm section 80 and the light-receiving lens section 53 in the desired position in the forward/backward direction X and in the in-plane direction with respect to the light-receiving element 46.

As a result, the operation switch 1 can further reduce variation in the light projection range R1 of the irradiated light and the light receiving range R2 of the light receiving element 46, allowing the desired operating action to be detected more accurately and reliably.

In addition, since the light-emitting lens section 52 and the light-receiving lens section 53 are formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front-rear direction X, the operation switch 1 can have a more compact light-emitting lens section 52 and light-receiving lens section 53 than, for example, a lens section that is substantially rectangular when viewed from the front-rear direction X. As a result, the operation switch 1 can prevent the sensor unit 30 from becoming larger and improve the freedom of shape of the sensor unit 30.

The operation switch 1 also includes a housing 10 in which the sensor unit 30 is assembled along the front-rear direction X. A holding member 70 that holds the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 is engaged with the housing 10.

With this configuration, at least the sensor board 40 and the operation reception panel 50 can be attached to the housing 10 without using adhesives or the like. Therefore, the operation switch 1 can efficiently assemble the sensor unit 30 and the housing 10.

In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment,
One of the main surfaces of the sensor substrate of the present invention corresponds to the front surface of the sensor substrate 40 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The light-transmitting member corresponds to the operation reception panel 50,
The irradiation light shielding means corresponds to the irradiation light diaphragm 79,
The reflected light blocking means corresponds to the reflected light diaphragm unit 80.
The orthogonal direction corresponds to the front-rear direction X,
The opening of the irradiation light diaphragm corresponds to the hole portion 793a.
The direction in which the light is moved away from the reflected light diaphragm corresponds to the upward direction.
The opening of the reflected light diaphragm corresponds to the hole portion 803a.
The direction of separation from the irradiation light diaphragm corresponds to the downward direction,
The portion that is approximately parallel to the light emitting surface of the light emitting element corresponds to the light blocking portion 791.
The portion that is approximately parallel to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element corresponds to the light shielding portion 801.
The orthogonal direction positioning means corresponds to the front end surface of the surrounding portion 71, the rear end surface of the surrounding portion 71, and the locking portion 73,
The rotational direction positioning means and the in-plane direction positioning means correspond to the positioning pin 76, the linear protrusion 78, and the fitting protrusion 73a.
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

Specifically, in the above-described embodiment, the operation switch 1 is attached to a lifting device or a transport device, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be an operation switch attached to any appropriate device.
In addition, the mounting panel P is configured so that the operation switch 1 is attached along the front-rear direction X, but is not limited to this. The mounting panel may be configured so that the operation switch 1 is attached from an appropriate direction, such as the width direction Y or the up-down direction.

In addition, the operation switch 1 is generally circular when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this, and may be a generally rectangular operation switch, a generally triangular operation switch, or a generally polygonal operation switch when viewed from the front. In this case, the housing 10 is not limited to being generally cylindrical, and may be generally cylindrical, such as a generally rectangular cylinder, a generally triangular cylinder, or a polygonal cylinder.

In addition, the sensor unit 30 is assembled to the housing 10 that is separate from the mounting panel P, but this is not limited to this, and the sensor unit 30 may be attached to a housing that is integral with the mounting panel.

Furthermore, the functions of the input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30 are not limited to the above-mentioned functions, and appropriate functions may be assigned to them.
Further, the light emitting element 45 emits infrared light, but is not limited to this, and may be a light emitting element that emits an appropriate light beam as long as it is capable of detecting an operating action by a person.

In addition, the sensor unit 30 is equipped with an illumination light-emitting element 47 and an illumination panel 60, but this is not limited thereto, and the sensor unit may not be equipped with an illumination light-emitting element 47 and an illumination panel 60.

In addition, the sensor unit 30 is equipped with a small diameter seal ring 31 and a large diameter seal ring 32, but this is not limited to this, and the sensor unit may not be equipped with a small diameter seal ring 31 and a large diameter seal ring 32.

In addition, the input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30 are electrically connected by a flexible flat cable 5, but this is not limited to this. The input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30 may be connected by a ribbon cable made up of parallel electric wires with round cross sections, or by multiple electric wires with round cross sections.

In addition, the input/output unit 20 is engaged with the first engaging hole 15 of the housing 10, and the sensor unit 30 is engaged with the second engaging hole 16 of the housing 10, but this is not limited thereto, and the input/output unit 20 and the sensor unit 30 may be engaged in engaging grooves provided inside the housing 10.

In addition, the input/output control unit 21 determines the amount of reflected light based on the electrical signal from the light receiving element 46, but this is not limited to the above, and the sensor unit 30 may determine the amount of reflected light and output a predetermined signal to the input/output control unit 21.

In addition, the straight edge of the approximately semicircular shape in front view is the hole portion 793a of the irradiation light diaphragm portion 79 that is close to the upper side of the imaginary straight line L1, but this is not limited to this, and the straight edge of the approximately semicircular shape in front view may be the hole portion 793a that coincides with the imaginary straight line L1 or is close to the imaginary straight line L1 at a position slightly spaced downward.

Similarly, the straight edge of the hole 803a in the reflected light diaphragm section 80 in the approximately semicircular shape seen from the front is close to the lower side of the imaginary straight line L2, but this is not limited thereto, and the straight edge of the hole 803a in the approximately semicircular shape seen from the front may coincide with the imaginary straight line L2 or may be close to the imaginary straight line L2 at a position slightly spaced above the imaginary straight line L2.

In addition, the hole portion 793a of the irradiation light diaphragm portion 79 and the hole portion 803a of the reflection light diaphragm portion 80 are formed to have a generally semicircular shape when viewed from the front, but this is not limited thereto, and the openings may be formed to have a generally triangular shape, a generally rectangular shape, or a polygonal shape when viewed from the front.

Even in this case, the straight line portion at the lower end of the hole portion 793a of the illumination light diaphragm portion 79 is formed to be located near the imaginary line L1, and the straight line portion at the upper end of the hole portion 803a of the reflection light diaphragm portion 80 is formed to be located near the imaginary line L2.

According to this configuration, as in the above-described embodiment, the opening area of the hole portion 793 a in the irradiation light diaphragm portion 79 and the opening area of the hole portion 803 a in the reflected light diaphragm portion 80 can be made larger than those of an approximately circular opening having the same vertical length.
This allows the operating switch 1 to reliably ensure the amount of light incident on the light-emitting lens portion 52 and the amount of reflected light incident on the light-receiving element 46, thereby enabling it to more accurately detect only the desired operating action.

In addition, the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45 and the light-receiving surface 46a of the light-receiving element 46 are arranged so as to be approximately parallel to the front surface of the sensor substrate 40, but this is not limited to this, and the light-emitting surface 45a of the light-emitting element 45 and the light-receiving surface 46a of the light-receiving element 46 may each be inclined toward the detection area E with respect to the front surface of the sensor substrate 40.
In this case, the hole 793a of the irradiation light diaphragm section 79 may be formed to open along the light projection axis, and the hole 803a of the reflected light diaphragm section 80 may be formed to open along the light reception axis.

In addition, the irradiation light shielding means for blocking the irradiation light is configured with the irradiation light aperture section 79 of the holding member 70, and the reflected light shielding means for blocking the reflected light is configured with the reflected light aperture section 80 of the holding member 70, but this is not limited thereto, and the irradiation light shielding means and the reflected light shielding means may be configured with, for example, a light shielding material applied to a predetermined area of the light-emitting lens section 52 and the light-receiving lens section.

1...operation switch 10...housing 30...sensor unit 40...sensor board 45...light-emitting element 45a...light-emitting surface 46...light-receiving element 46a...light-receiving surface 50...operation reception panel 52...light-emitting lens portion 53...light-receiving lens portion 70...holding member 73...engaging portion 73a...fitting protrusion 76...positioning pin 78...linear protrusion 79...irradiated light diaphragm portion 80...reflected light diaphragm portion 791...light-shielding portion 793a...hole portion 801...light-shielding portion 803a...hole portion L1...imaginary line L2...imaginary line E...detection area X...front-rear direction

Claims (10)

An operation switch having a limited reflection type sensor unit that detects an operation within a predetermined detection area,
The sensor unit includes:
a sensor substrate having a light-emitting element that emits irradiation light and a light-receiving element that receives reflected light of the irradiation light that is reflected by the operation action mounted on one main surface thereof;
a light-transmitting member disposed opposite the one main surface of the sensor substrate and having light-transmitting properties;
a light-emitting lens portion protruding from the light-transmitting member toward the light-emitting element;
a light receiving lens portion protruding from the light transmitting member toward the light receiving element;
a holding member disposed between the sensor substrate and the light transmitting member, the holding member holding the sensor substrate and the light transmitting member;
an irradiation light shielding means arranged between the light emitting element and the light emitting lens portion and configured to shield the irradiation light directed toward the outside of the detection area from being incident on the light emitting lens portion;
an operating switch including a reflected light shielding means disposed between the light receiving element and the light receiving lens portion, for blocking the reflected light reflected outside the detection area from entering the light receiving element; the irradiation light shielding means is constituted by an irradiation light diaphragm portion provided on the holding member,
2. The operating switch according to claim 1, wherein the reflected light blocking means is constituted by a reflected light diaphragm portion provided on the holding member. A direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is defined as an orthogonal direction,
The aperture of the irradiation light diaphragm portion is
an edge located on the opposite side to a direction in which the reflected light diaphragm portion is spaced apart from the reflected light diaphragm portion as viewed from the perpendicular direction is formed in a straight line located in the vicinity of a virtual straight line that passes through a top of the light emitting lens portion and is perpendicular to a light emitting surface of the light emitting element,
The aperture of the reflected light diaphragm portion is
3. The operating switch according to claim 2, wherein an edge located on the opposite side to the direction away from the illumination light diaphragm portion when viewed from the perpendicular direction is formed in a straight line located near a virtual straight line that passes through a top of the light receiving lens portion and is perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element. A direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is defined as an orthogonal direction,
The aperture of the irradiation light diaphragm portion is
the reflected light diaphragm portion has a linear edge on a side opposite to a separation direction in which the reflected light diaphragm portion is separated from the reflected light diaphragm portion as viewed from the orthogonal direction, and is formed in any one of a substantially semicircular shape, a substantially triangular shape, a substantially rectangular shape, and a substantially polygonal shape protruding toward the separation direction,
The opening of the reflected light diaphragm portion is
4. The operating switch according to claim 2, wherein the operating switch has a linear edge on a side opposite to a direction in which the illumination light diaphragm portion is spaced from the illumination light diaphragm portion when viewed from the orthogonal direction, and is formed in any one of a substantially semicircular, substantially triangular, substantially rectangular, and polygonal shape protruding toward the direction in which the illumination light diaphragm portion is spaced from the illumination light diaphragm portion. The opening of the irradiation light diaphragm portion is
The light emitting element is formed along a thickness direction of a portion that is substantially parallel to a light emitting surface of the light emitting element,
The opening of the reflected light diaphragm portion is
3. The operation switch according to claim 2, wherein the light receiving element is formed in a thickness direction of a portion that is substantially parallel to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element. A direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is defined as an orthogonal direction,
The holding member is
3. The operating switch according to claim 2, further comprising orthogonal direction positioning means for positioning said light transmitting member relative to said sensor board in said orthogonal direction. A direction of rotation about the orthogonal direction as a rotation axis is defined as a rotation direction,
The holding member is
7. The operating switch according to claim 6, further comprising a rotational direction positioning means for positioning said light transmitting member relative to said sensor board in said rotational direction. a direction parallel to the one main surface of the sensor substrate is defined as an in-plane direction;
The holding member is
7. The operation switch according to claim 6, further comprising an in-plane direction positioning means for positioning the light transmitting member relative to the sensor substrate in the in-plane direction. The light emitting lens portion and the light receiving lens portion are
2. The operation switch according to claim 1, which is formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor substrate. a housing in which the sensor unit is assembled along a direction perpendicular to the one main surface of the sensor board;
2. The operation switch according to claim 1, wherein the holding member that holds the sensor board and the light-transmitting member is configured to be engaged with the housing.

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