JP4239013B2 - Multi-axis photoelectric sensor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor used for monitoring a human body intrusion into a dangerous area, and in particular, according to the width of a target dangerous area, the diameter of a minimum detection object, etc. The present invention relates to a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor that can flexibly change the length, the number of optical axes, the optical axis pitch, and the like.

  As is well known, this type of multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor has a light projecting column that houses a projector row in a columnar case, and a light receiving column that houses a light receiver row in a columnar case. An object detection light curtain is generated between the projecting / receiving column bodies by arranging the projecting / receiving column bodies at appropriate intervals so that the projecting / receiving surfaces face each other. .

  Conventionally, a projector / receiver array accommodated in a columnar case is generally configured by a combination of multi-axis optical modules having unit optical axis numbers (for example, 4 optical axes, 8 optical axes, 16 optical axes, etc.). It was. This multi-axis optical module is composed of a number of optical elements for the number of optical axes (light emitting element and light projecting lens for a projector, light receiving element and light receiving lens for a light receiver), and a resin holder with a fixed optical axis pitch. Are held together.

  However, in such a conventional multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor, the length of the light projecting / receiving column body, the number of optical axes, and the optical axis can be obtained by combining the multi-axis optical module with the fixed number of optical axes and the optical axis pitch. Since the pitch is determined, the length of the light projecting / receiving column, the number of optical axes, the optical axis pitch, etc. can be flexibly changed according to the width of the target dangerous area and the diameter of the minimum detectable object. However, it was very difficult.

  Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a novel multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor in which a projector row and a light receiver row housed in a columnar case are configured by an assembly of uniaxial optical modules (patent) Reference 1).

According to such a novel multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor, the light projector row and the light receiver row housed in the columnar case are configured by an assembly of uniaxial optical modules. Since the length of the column body can be selected and manufactured, there is an advantage that a light curtain that exactly fits the target dangerous area width can be generated.
JP 2002-124170 A

  However, in such a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to the above-mentioned proposal by the present applicant, the optical components constituting the light projecting optical system or the light receiving optical system are accommodated in individual modules. However, the electrical components such as the light emitting circuit and the light receiving circuit corresponding to each module are integrally mounted on a circuit board that cannot be divided individually. It has been pointed out that the printed pattern on the circuit board must be changed according to the length of the column, the number of optical axes, the optical axis pitch, etc., resulting in a delay in completion and an increase in cost. ing.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to determine the length of the light projecting / receiving column depending on the width of the target dangerous area, the diameter of the minimum detection object, and the like. Another object is to provide a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor that can be manufactured by flexibly selecting the number of optical axes, the optical axis pitch, and the like.

  Other objects and operational effects of the present invention will be easily understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the description of the following specification.

  The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor of the present invention includes a light projecting column body that houses a projector row in a columnar case, and a light receiving column body that houses a light receiving case in the columnar case. By disposing the light projecting / receiving columns so that the light projecting / receiving surfaces face each other with an appropriate interval, an object detection light curtain is generated between the light projecting / receiving columns.

  In such a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor, the projector row and / or the light receiver row includes an optical module group having a predetermined configuration, a support frame having a predetermined configuration, and a flat cable having a predetermined configuration.

  The optical module group is formed by integrating an optical system for one optical axis, an electric circuit for one optical axis, and a flip-flop corresponding to one stage of a shift register, and a flat cable at each bottom. A number of optical modules corresponding to the required number of optical axes are prepared so that pressure contact type terminal pins connectable to the respective core wires protrude.

  The support frame is a rigid body in which U-shaped holding portions are arranged in a line at a predetermined pitch, and each of the U-shaped holding portions holds each optical module constituting the optical module group. Thus, the optical module row assembly is configured.

  The flat cable is connected between a common conductive line commonly connected from an optical module located at one end of the optical module row assembly to an optical module located at the other end, and between adjacent modules connecting only adjacent light projecting modules. The conductive wires are integrated with each conductive wire kept insulated.

  Furthermore, in the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor of the present invention, each of the optical modules constituting the optical module row assembly is electrically connected to the flat cable via the press contact terminal pin, and is adjacent to each other. A shift register is formed by connecting the flip-flops in the optical module with each other through a conductive line between adjacent modules, whereby each optical module constituting the optical module row assembly is sequentially changed by data forwarded by the shift register. It comes to work.

  According to such a configuration, the U-shaped holding portions are arranged in a line at a predetermined pitch on the support frame, and each optical module constituting an optical module group in each of the U-shaped holding portions. Since the support frame is formed of a rigid body, the optical module group is aligned and positioned in a state of being arranged in one row at a specified pitch, thereby forming an optical module row assembly. .

  In other words, in addition to being able to electrically connect each optical module group to an arbitrary position on the flat cable, the connection position is defined in advance by the position of the U-shaped holding portion on the support frame. As long as the number and pitch of the U-shaped holding portions are appropriately set, an optical module array assembly having a desired pitch, number of optical axes, and length is obtained. An optical axis photoelectric sensor can be completed.

  At this time, the material of the support frame may be a rigid metal. If metal is used as the material of the support frame in this way, the support frame itself functions as a shield member, and noise resistance is improved.

  In the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor configured as described above, a plurality of pairs of opposing support protrusions to which individual optical modules constituting the optical module array assembly are mounted are arranged on the front side in the longitudinal direction. In addition, a substrate holder holding a CPU substrate on which a CPU constituting the control circuit is mounted may be provided on the back side. According to such a configuration, the CPU board can be held on the back surface side of the optical module row assembly, and the entire apparatus can be easily made compact.

  In addition, a light emitting element for display may be mounted on the CPU substrate, and a light guide for guiding light from the light emitting element to the front side of the optical module row may be provided on the substrate holder. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently guide the light from the light emitting element mounted on the CPU substrate to the front side of the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor, and realize various display lamps, bar graphs, and the like.

  In addition, the pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set larger than the width of the optical module, and a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules is made of a metal plate from the front side. The top shield member may be covered and closed together. According to such a configuration, even when a gap is generated between the optical modules due to an increase in the optical axis pitch, and electromagnetic waves enter from there and noise is mixed into the flat cable, this top shield Such electromagnetic wave noise is blocked by the member, and mixing of noise components into the flat cable can be prevented.

  Further, the pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and a conductive shield piece is attached to each of a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules. You may make it block. According to such a configuration, the conductive shield piece itself is extremely simple in structure and can be manufactured at a low cost. In addition, since the conductive shield piece is mounted in each of the empty spaces, a plurality of conductive shield pieces are provided in advance. If prepared, as long as the optical axis pitch is the same, individual voids can be appropriately shielded regardless of the length of the optical module row.

  In addition, the pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and the surface of the resin body is metal-coated in a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules. The shield dummy module may be mounted from the front side and closed. According to such a configuration, since the outer surface of an inexpensive resin molded product is merely metal-coated to make it conductive, in addition to being able to be manufactured at low cost, it is also relatively high in rigidity. There is also an advantage of excellent durability.

  The pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set larger than the width of the optical module, and a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules includes a resin member and a metal member. A dummy module for shielding formed by combining the above may be mounted from the front side and closed. According to such a configuration, the resin member is made rigid, while the metal member is made elastic so that the close contact continuity when mounted can be ensured for a long period of time.

  Further, the optical module row assembly is housed in a columnar case whose front is covered with a transparent front plate, and a transparent film having conductivity is applied to the transparent front plate in an overlapping manner. May be. According to such a configuration, the possibility of electromagnetic waves entering from the front surface of the optical element (light projecting element or light receiving element) itself to generate noise is reduced by the shielding effect of the conductive transparent film. Can do.

  According to the present invention, the U-shaped holding portions are arranged in a line at a predetermined pitch on the support frame, and each optical module constituting the optical module group is held by each of the U-shaped holding portions. On the other hand, since the support frame is composed of a composite body, the optical module group is aligned and positioned by the support frame in a state of being arranged in one row at a specified pitch, thereby forming an optical module row assembly. In other words, in addition to being able to electrically connect each optical module group to an arbitrary position on the flat cable, the connection position is defined in advance by the position of the U-shaped holding portion on the support frame. As long as the number and pitch of the U-shaped holding portions are appropriately set, an optical module array assembly having a desired pitch, number of optical axes, and length is obtained. An optical axis photoelectric sensor can be completed.

  In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of a light projecting (or light receiving) column according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to the present invention has light projecting and light receiving column bodies 10 arranged to face each other when in use.

  The case of the column 10 includes a columnar case main body 101, an end cap 102 that closes one end opening of the columnar case main body, an end cap 103 that closes the other end opening, and a front plate 104 that closes the front side. . As will be described in detail later, the columnar case body 101 and the end caps 102 and 103 are made of metal and have a substantially U-shaped cross section. The front plate 104 is a plastic plate that is transparent to the light rays used. A sensor assembly 10 </ b> A is accommodated in the column body 10.

  A perspective view of the sensor assembly viewed from the front side is shown in FIG. 2, and a perspective view of the sensor assembly viewed from the back side is shown in FIG. As is apparent from these drawings, the sensor assembly 10A is mainly composed of a multi-optical axis assembly 200A and a circuit component assembly 300 screwed to the back side of the multi-optical axis assembly. As will be described in detail later, the multi-optical axis assembly 200A is configured around a large number of single-axis optical modules aligned and integrated in one row. On the other hand, the circuit component assembly 300 is mainly composed of a circuit board on which a CPU or the like is mounted. In these drawings, reference numeral 400 denotes a connector part assembly.

  An exploded perspective view of the sensor assembly is shown in FIG. In the figure, the case main body 101, the end caps 102 and 103, and the front plate 104 described earlier are also drawn.

  As described above, the case for housing the sensor assembly 10A includes the columnar case body 101 having a substantially U-shaped cross section, the end caps 102 and 103 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that closes the openings at both ends, and the front surface. And a front plate 104 that closes the side opening.

  More specifically, one end portion of the columnar case main body 101 is closed with the end cap 102 with the seal member 105 interposed, and is fixed with the screw 110. Similarly, the other end of the columnar case main body 101 is closed with an end cap 103 with a seal member 106 interposed, and is fixed with a screw 112. A plug 109 is inserted into the end cap 102 and fixed with screws. An inter-cord connector 108 is attached to the tip end of the electric cord 107 drawn out from the plug 109. The electric cord 107 is used when one or more light projecting (or light receiving) column bodies 10 are connected.

  On the other hand, a socket 111 corresponding to the plug 109 is fixed to the end cap 103 which is the other end portion via a screw 113. The front side opening of the columnar case having a substantially U-shaped cross-section thus configured has a rubber packing 120, an adhesive sheet 121, seal members 116, 117, 118, 119, and insulating sheets 114, 115 interposed therebetween, so that the front plate 104 is adhered and fixed.

  On the other hand, the multi-optical axis assembly 200A includes a number of single-axis optical modules 200 corresponding to the number of optical axes, a flat cable 220, a number of cable holders 230 corresponding to the number of optical axes, and a support frame 250. Composed.

  An enlarged exploded perspective view of the multi-optical axis assembly is shown in FIG. In the figure, only the portion corresponding to the four optical axes is shown enlarged. As is apparent from the figure, the uniaxial optical module 200 is formed by combining and integrating several optical components including the lens member 201 with a resin optical component holder 203. As will be described in detail later, A pressure contact type terminal pin 205a protrudes from the lower surface side.

  The flat cable 220 is a cable in which a plurality of core wires parallel to each other are accommodated in a resinous belt-like coating, and the length thereof can be arbitrarily cut and adjusted with scissors, a cutter, or the like. In this example, the first core wire 220-1, the second core wire 220-2, the third core wire 220-3, the fourth core wire 220-4, the fifth core wire 220-5, the sixth core wire 220-6, Eight core wires composed of a seven-core wire 220-7 and an eighth core wire 220-8 are included. In particular, the fifth core wire 220-5, which is used as both the D input and Q output of the D flip-flop, is divided by punch holes 220-5a that are opened at equal intervals. This is because the other core wires can be assigned as a common line to the plurality of single-axis optical modules 220, whereas only the fifth core wire 220-5 is a D-type flip-flop in each single-axis optical module 200. This is because the D input and Q output must be shared.

  The cable holder 230 is a resin-integrated molded product, and has a backing portion 230a located in the center and having a wavy groove on the surface, and four upright portions 230c, 230c, 230c, which are erected from the four corners of the backing portion 230a. 230c. Each of these standing portions 230c is formed with a protrusion 230d. As will be described later in detail, the protrusions 230d are fitted and locked into recesses 250c formed on the left and right side edges of the standing part 250a on the support frame 250 side.

  The support frame 250 is a metal product (for example, phosphor bronze) and has a shape in which a large number of U-shaped sections are connected along the longitudinal direction thereof. Concave portions 250 b are formed on the left and right side edges of the pair of upright portions 250 a and 250 a that constitute the U-shaped portion, and the concave portions 250 b are protrusions 230 d formed on the upright portions 250 c of the cable holder 230. And locked. In addition, a hole 250c is formed at the base of each upright portion 250a of the support frame 250, and the hole 250c is fitted to a protrusion 230b formed on the lower surface of the cable holder 230 so that both are positioned.

  As is apparent from the above, the cable holder 230 is positioned and fixed at an equal pitch by attaching the cable holder 230 to the portions of the upright portions 250a and 250b formed on the support frame 250 that face each other. Further, the flat cable 220 is placed on the backing portion 230a of the cable holder 230, and the uniaxial optical module 200 is overlaid and pressed from above, whereby the uniaxial optical module 200 and the flat cable 220 are stacked. And electrical continuity is taken.

  The important point at this time is that, as will be described in detail later, all optical circuit elements such as an optical component (light emitting element or light receiving element), its driving circuit, and a D-type flip-flop corresponding to one stage of a shift register are optical. Since it is housed on the component holder 203 side, the mounting position along the longitudinal direction of the flat cable 220 of each uniaxial optical module 200 is not subject to any restrictions. Therefore, the adjacent number and adjacent pitch of the pair of upright portions 250a and 250a facing each other formed on the support frame 250 can be freely set, and the adjacent number and adjacent pitch are directly used in the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor. In order to deal with the number of optical axes and the optical axis pitch, according to the present invention, the degree of freedom in designing the number of optical axes and the optical axis pitch can be remarkably improved.

  Next, some specific configurations of the uniaxial optical module 200 will be described. An exploded perspective view (part 1) of the single-axis optical module is shown in FIG. In this example, the uniaxial optical module 200 includes a lens member 201, a trap 202, an optical component holder 203, a shield plate 204, and a package optical IC 205. In the figure, 201a is a projection for positioning a lens member, 204a is a beam section shaping hole, 205a is a pressure contact type terminal pin, and 205b is a dual in-line package (DIP).

  The lens member 201 is a so-called plastic lens, and a positioning projection 201a is formed on one side thereof. The trap 202 corresponds to a lens barrel of the optical system, and is aligned with the lens member 201 on the axis. The optical component holder 203 is an integrally molded plastic product, and accommodates a lens member 201 and a trap 202 that are coaxially aligned. On the other hand, the shield plate 204 and the package optical IC 205 are mounted on the bottom surface side of the optical component holder 203. A specific mounting structure will be described later in detail. The shield plate 204 serves to shield the package optical IC 205, and is made of a metal component such as phosphor bronze. A beam cross-section shaping hole 204 a is formed in the substantially central portion of the shield plate 204.

  The package optical IC 205 has a dual in-line package (DIP) 205b made of a transparent resin. From both side edges of the dual in-line package 205b, pressure contact type terminal pins 205a are supported in a state of protruding downward. As described above, the idea of using the terminal pins 205a of the dual in-line package 205b as the pressure contact type terminal pins 205a is unique to the present inventors, and is very novel in itself. Of course, the press contact type terminal pin 205a itself is used for a connector application such as conduction between substrates except for the leg of the package IC. However, the press contact terminal pin 205a itself is used as the terminal pin of the package optical IC 205 in this way. According to the configuration in which the package optical IC 205 can be mounted at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable 220 by using the type terminal pin 205a and inserting it into the flat cable 220, various types are not limited to the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor. In such an optical device, the degree of freedom of arrangement of optical elements (light emitting elements or light receiving elements) can be remarkably improved.

  Inside the package optical IC 205, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 24, an optical element (light emitting element or light receiving element), a driving circuit for the optical element, and a D-type flip-flop for sequentially operating the driving circuit Etc. are accommodated.

  One specific example of such an internal circuit is shown in FIG. As is apparent from the figure, the circuit 20 is accommodated in the case of the light projecting column, and the circuit 30 is accommodated in the case of the light receiving column. The circuit 20 includes a D-type flip-flop (denoted as D-type FF) 21 constituting one stage of the shift register, a drive circuit 22 to which a Q output of the D-type flip-flop 21 is input, and an output of the drive circuit 22 And the light emitting element 23 driven by. A shift register is configured by connecting a large number of D-type flip-flops 21. As a result, each circuit 20 is sequentially activated (active state) one by one.

  On the other hand, in the circuit 30, a light receiving element 31, an amplification circuit 32 that amplifies the output of the light receiving element 31, a D-type flip-flop (denoted as D-type FF) 34 that constitutes one stage of the shift register, And an analog switch 33 which is interposed on the output side of the amplifier circuit 32 and is controlled to be opened and closed by the Q output of the D-type flip-flop 34. Also in this case, the D-type flip-flops 34 are connected to form a shift register, and the individual D-type flip-flops 34 operate one by one sequentially.

  Thus, in the present invention, these circuits 20 or 30 are accommodated in the packaged optical IC 205 and integrated as a single-axis optical module 200. In other words, the conventional apparatus is called a uniaxial optical module, but the optical component is accommodated in the module, but the circuit component is arranged on a separate circuit board. On the other hand, in the uniaxial optical module of the present invention, not only optical components but also circuit components are accommodated on the uniaxial optical module side. There is no restriction imposed by the circuit pattern on the substrate, and the number of optical axes and the optical axis pitch in this type of multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor are improved.

  In addition, since the effect that such design freedom is improved is based on the fact that the circuit 20 or 30 shown in FIG. 24 is accommodated on the uniaxial optical module side, the accommodated circuit 20 It will be understood that it is not necessarily a requirement whether 30 is integrated as a packaged optical IC.

  That is, in the present invention, the circuit 20 or 30 shown in FIG. 24 may be mounted on a dedicated circuit board piece and accommodated in the single-axis optical module 200. In addition, since the function of the flat cable itself is only required to have conductive patterns parallel to each other, a flexible circuit board or the like can be used if an appropriate length exists. In this case, in order to mount and conduct the uniaxial optical module at an arbitrary position of the conductor pattern on the flexible substrate, a flexible connection structure such as through-hole connection may be arbitrarily employed.

  FIG. 7 shows an exploded perspective view (No. 2) of the uniaxial optical module. In this example, a mask print 205c having a window hole 205d is provided on the upper surface side of the dual inline package 205b. As described above, the mask printing 205c and the window hole 205d can also provide a beam shaping function. Further, the mask printing 205c can avoid mixing of noise components into the built-in optical element while using a transparent resin as a package material.

  A cross-sectional view of the single-axis optical module (integrated type) is shown in FIG. In this example, individual parts are not housed in the optical part holder 203 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, but these parts are joined and integrated in advance by insert molding. In the figure, 205a is a pressure contact terminal pin, 205e is a lead frame, 206 is a package with a lens, 206a is a lens structure, 207 is a mask member, 208 is a slit, and 209 is an optical element.

  As is apparent from the figure, in this example, the optical element 209 and other circuit parts are mounted on a lead frame 205c inserted into the lens-equipped package 206, and this is integrally molded with a resin, thereby forming the lens structure 206a. And molded together.

  Next, FIG. 9 shows a sectional view showing the internal structure of the packaged optical IC used in the structure of FIGS. FIG. 4A shows a lead frame mounting type, and FIG. 4B shows a board mounting type.

  As described above, the package optical IC having such a press contact type terminal pin 205a has a very novel structure, and is the original creation of the present inventors.

  In the lead frame mounting type package optical IC 205 shown in FIG. 9A, the optical element 205j and the circuit component 205k are directly mounted on the lead frame 205i integrated with the press contact terminal pin 205a. Particularly in this example, the reflector structure 205h, which is a mortar-shaped recess, is formed on the lead frame 205i by pressing, and the optical element 205j is arranged at the center of the bottom so as to increase the light projecting or receiving efficiency. Ingenuity has been made. Reference numeral 205g is a transparent sealing resin. Further, the tip shape itself of the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is known, that is, the tip is bifurcated and the tips of the left and right branch portions are sharpened, and a flat cable is formed in the slit between the two branch portions. A core wire is press-fitted to establish electrical continuity between the two. Furthermore, in this example, the conductive path for each circuit component or optical element is secured by punching out the conductive path in an appropriate band shape in the planar shape of the lead frame 205i.

  In the board mounting type shown in FIG. 9B, a double-sided circuit board 205l is provided separately from the lead frame 205i, on which the optical element 205j and the circuit component 205k are mounted, while the lower surface of the circuit board 205l. Conductive patterns are formed on the side of each of the press contact type terminal pins 205a, and each lead frame 205i is solder-bonded to each of the press contact type terminal pins 205a, whereby the individual press contact type terminal pins 205a, the optical elements 205j, and the circuit components 205k It is designed to be conductive.

  In this example, since the substrate 205l is provided separately from the lead frame 205i, the rigidity is increased, and the rigidity of the optical element 205j is also increased by the pressing force at the time of connection of the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a. There is an advantage that no displacement occurs.

  That is, in the lead frame mounting type shown in FIG. 5A, since the optical element 205j is mounted on the lead frame 205i itself, the internal lead frame is applied by the pressure applied to the press contact terminal pin 205a. However, in the case of the board mounting type shown in FIG. 5B, the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a may be deformed due to the rigidity of the board 205l. Even if it bends, there is an advantage that the position of the optical element 205j is hardly displaced.

  Next, a positioning structure between the optical component holder and the package optical IC will be described. As shown in FIG. 9A, an optical element 205j and a circuit component 205k are mounted on a lead frame 205i, insert-molded using a sealing resin 205g, and terminal pins protruding from the lead frame 205i are provided. When a package optical IC 205 such as a pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is used and a configuration in which the package optical IC 205 is mounted on the lower surface side of the optical component holder 203 as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. The position of the optical element 205j must be accurately aligned with the optical axis of the lens 201 placed in the optical component holder 203.

  As a method for that purpose, for example, a method of providing a positioning protrusion on the dual in-line package 205b of the package optical IC 205 and fitting it with a positioning recess provided on the optical component holder 203 side is conceivable. However, if such a positioning structure is employed, the position of the optical element 205f cannot always be accurately aligned with the optical axis of the lens 201 due to molding errors of the dual inline package 205b.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, positioning is performed between any part of the lead frame protruding from the package 205b and the optical component holder 203 instead of the package 205b of the package optical IC 205, so that Accurate positioning between the optical element 205f and the optical axis of the lens member 201 is enabled.

  FIGS. 10 to 12 are explanatory views (No. 1 to No. 3) of the positioning structure between the optical component holder and the package optical IC. As apparent from the state in which the packaged optical IC 205 and the optical component holder 203 shown in FIG. 10 are slightly separated up and down, a plurality of engagement protrusions are formed on the lower side edges of the left and right sides of the optical component holder 203. The portion 203b is formed to protrude downward.

  On the other hand, an engagement hole 205f is formed in the base portion (bent corner portion) of the press contact terminal pin 205a protruding downward from the package optical IC 205 corresponding to the plurality of engagement projections 203b on the package optical IC 205 side. Yes. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, when the package IC 205 is completely attached to the optical component holder 203, each of the plurality of engaging protrusions 203b on the package 205b side is positioned at the base of the press-contact terminal pin 205a. The package 205b and the base of the press contact type terminal pin 205a are accurately positioned by being fitted into the engaging holes 205f to be engaged.

  By the way, when both are positioned in this manner, the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is integrated with the lead frame 205i, and the optical element 205j is mounted on the lead frame 205i. Since the mounting position of the optical element 205j is accurately maintained, if the positioning accuracy between the optical component holder 203 and the lens 201 and the molding accuracy of the engaging projection 203b with respect to the optical component holder 203 are firmly managed, Therefore, accurate alignment between the optical element 205j and the optical axis of the lens member 201 becomes possible.

  The position of the engagement hole 205f provided in the base of the press contact terminal pin 205a is also shown in more detail in FIG. That is, the engagement hole 205f is accurately formed at the corner position of the bent portion between the lead frame 205i and the press contact terminal pin 205a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the package IC 205 is accurately mounted on the lower surface side of the optical component holder 203, the engaging protrusion 203b contacts the upper end of the vertically extending portion 205m of the press contact terminal pin 205a. You will be in touch. For this reason, when the tip of the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is pushed up on the flat cable and pressed to break the coating, each of the engagement protrusions 203b causes the inner peripheral lower surface of the engagement hole 205f to be directly above it. The downward pressing force applied to the optical component holder 203 is transmitted to the vertical extending portion 205m of the terminal pin 205a without waste, and there is an advantage that the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is not easily bent.

  That is, if the vertical extending portion 205m is bent, the lead frame 205i in the package IC 205 is also bent so as to be pulled by this, and the optical element 205j mounted thereon may also be displaced. According to such a positional relationship between the engaging protrusion 203b and the engaging hole 205f, there is an advantage that the displacement of the optical element is less likely to occur because the press contact terminal pin 205a is not easily bent.

  Next, an explanatory view showing a modification of the uniaxial optical module is shown in FIG. In addition, the figure (a) is an example which uses a press-contact type terminal pin receiving socket, and the figure (b) is a usage example of a spring terminal piece receiving socket. As described above with reference to the circuit diagram of FIG. 24, the main feature of the uniaxial optical module of the present invention is that it accommodates not only optical components but also electrical circuit components. The axial optical module can be easily mounted at any position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable or flexible circuit board.

  From this point of view, especially from the latter point, it suffices if the pressure contact type terminal pin or the universal contact protrudes from the bottom surface side of the uniaxial optical module, and what about the optical component container or circuit component assembly? It may be accommodated in any form. If you try, divide the single-axis optical module into two parts. If the lower side is the upper part of the socket and the component housing part is used, it is possible to facilitate replacement and maintenance at the time of failure.

  Design examples from such a viewpoint are shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b). In the example of FIG. 6A, the uniaxial optical module 200 itself is the same as that described above, but a socket 200A is interposed between the uniaxial optical module 200 and the flat cable 220. A terminal pin receiving hole 205A-1 for receiving the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a of the uniaxial optical module 200 is provided on the upper surface side of the socket 200A, and the pressure contact type terminal pin that protrudes from the bottom surface side to each core wire of the flat cable. 205A-2 protrudes.

  On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 13B, the uniaxial optical module 200 has a spring contact (not shown) protruding from the bottom side. On the other hand, a socket 200 </ b> A is provided between the uniaxial optical module 200 and the flat cable 220. On the upper surface side of the socket 200A, a conductor pattern 205A-3 is formed that contacts a spring contact (not shown) protruding from the bottom surface side of the uniaxial optical module 200. Each of the conductor patterns 205A-3 is electrically connected to a crimp terminal pin 205A-2 projecting to the bottom surface side, and the crimp terminal pin 205A-2 projecting from the socket 200A is connected to each core wire of the flat cable 220. It is pushed and conduction is taken. Thus, various structures can be adopted as the uniaxial optical module.

  Next, FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view showing a connection state between the flat cable and the pressure contact type terminal pin. In the figure, 201 is a lens member, 202 is a trap, 205 is a package optical IC, 220 is a flat cable, 220a is a bent portion of the flat cable, 205a is a pressure contact terminal pin, and 230 is a cable holder. As is apparent from the figure, the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a pierces the flat cable 220, penetrates through it, and pierces to the lower surface side. At that time, the corresponding core wire of the flat cable 220 is press-fitted into the tip slit of each terminal pin 205a, thereby establishing electrical continuity between them. The flat cable 220 is bent through the bent portion 220 a at the end of the single-axis optical modules arranged in a row, and is folded along the bottom of the cable holder 230.

  An explanatory view of the flat cable holding structure is shown in FIG. In the figure, 201 is a lens member, 203 is an optical component holder, 230 is a cable holder, 203d is a locking claw of the optical component holder, 230e is a locking step of the cable holder, 220a is a bent portion of a flat cable, and 220b is a cable. Connectors 220-1 to 220-8 are the first to eighth core wires of the flat cable.

  As is apparent from the drawing, the flat cable 220 is held in a state where it is sandwiched between the bottom of the optical component holder 203 and the backing portion 230a of the cable holder 230. The optical component holder 203 and the cable holder 230 are The engagement between the locking claw 203d and the step portion 230e is firmly fixed to prevent it from coming off.

  Next, the configuration of the shield member for avoiding the influence of the noise of the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor even in a poor noise environment at the production site will be described. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a state before assembling the shield member, FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of a conduction structure between the shield member and the support frame, and FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view showing the state after the shield member is assembled. Each is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the feature of the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor of the present invention is that a single-axis optical module is specially complicated on a parallel conductor member such as a flat cable at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction. It is a point that it can arrange without processing. Conversely, this causes one drawback. That is, a space 250e is formed in a gap between adjacent one-axis optical modules and the one-axis optical module, and a parallel conductor pattern is exposed in this space 250e. If this occurs, this directly affects the conductor pattern and causes noise contamination.

  Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 16, an upper surface shield member 260 is provided to shield the gap between the modules, thereby preventing noise from being mixed into the parallel conductor pattern (for example, each core wire of the flat cable). It is preventing.

  As shown in the figure, the top shield member 260 has a central portion 260a extending in the module arrangement direction, and laterally extending portions 260b and 260b extending in the left-right direction from both side edge portions thereof. Locking claws 260c and 260c are formed between the side extending portion 260b and the side extending portion 260b. When this top shield member 260 is placed on a series of single-axis optical module assemblies, the locking claws 260c engage with the top corners of the optical component holder 203 of the single-axis optical module, thereby positioning the both. At the same time, the side extending portion 260b closes the space 250e between the modules, thereby performing a necessary shielding action.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 17, the laterally extending portion 260b is provided with a spring property in the direction of expanding in the left-right direction as indicated by the arrows in the drawing, and thereby the laterally extending portion 250b. The contact portion 260e is in contact with the inner surface of the upright portion 250d of the support frame 250 to form a contact conduction portion 260e. As a result, the eddy current generated due to the influence of electromagnetic noise is released to the support frame 250 side by the action of the contact conduction portion 260e, and the shielding effect is promoted. As shown in FIG. 18, after assembling the shield member, the space between the modules is completely closed by the side extending portion 260b and the central portion 260a. Alternatively, the optical axis for receiving light is secured.

  As described above, according to the examples of FIGS. 16 to 18, by providing the upper surface shield member 260 made of metal (for example, phosphor bronze), the void 250 e generated between adjacent modules is completely shielded. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent noise from being mixed into the conductor pattern (flat cable or the like) underneath.

  Next, a perspective view showing the structure of the circuit component assembly is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the circuit component assembly 300 includes a CPU board 301, a connector board 302, and a board holder 303. The substrate holder 303 holds the CPU substrate 301 and the connector substrate 302 on the lower surface side, and holds the multi-optical axis assembly 200A on the upper surface side.

  On the CPU substrate 301, the circuit 40 or the circuit 50 shown in FIG. 24 is mounted. That is, a processing circuit (CPU) 41, a gate circuit 42, a display circuit 43, an input / output circuit 44, and a communication circuit 45 are mounted on the circuit 40 on the light projecting column body side. Similarly, a processing circuit (CPU) 51, an amplification circuit 52, a display circuit 53, an input / output circuit 54, and a communication circuit 55 are mounted on the light receiving column circuit 50.

  Each of the display circuits 43 and 53 includes a light emitting element for display, and these light emitting elements 301a are arranged at an appropriate interval on one side edge of the CPU substrate 301 as shown in FIG. A light guide portion 303e extending in the vertical direction is formed integrally with the substrate holder 303 at a position corresponding to each of the light emitting elements 301a. A tip 303f of the light guide portion 303e is formed on the optical component holder 203. It is exposed to the upper surface side through the gap. Therefore, although the light-emitting element 301a is provided on the substrate, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 301a is guided upward by the light guide portion 303e, and emitted from the tip 303f to the outside, thereby improving display visibility. Yes.

  The substrate holder 303 has a pair of support protrusions 303a and 303b facing in the left-right direction. A groove 303c exists between the adjacent support protrusions 303a and 303a, and the optical component holder 203 is positioned and fixed on the upper surface side of the substrate holder 303 by inserting a corresponding portion of the optical component holder 203 into the groove 303c. The As a result, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, the sensor assembly 10 </ b> A in which the circuit component assembly 300 is coupled to the lower surface side of the multi-optical axis assembly 200 </ b> A is completed.

  Next, FIG. 20 shows an explanatory diagram of the front blocking structure of the columnar case. As shown in FIG. 2A, the front plate 104 that closes the front opening of the case is composed of a relatively rigid light projecting plate 104a made of plastic or the like and a light guide film 104b laminated on the back side thereof. ing. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the laminate of the light projecting plate 104a and the conductive film 104b is fitted into the front opening of the columnar case main body 101 and fixed by an adhesive tape (not shown) or the like. Since the conductive film 104b is thus provided on the rear side of the light projecting plate 104a, the influence of noise on the internal parallel conductor (flat cable or the like) can be reduced.

  Next, an end view of a light projecting (or light receiving) column is shown in FIG. In the figure, 101 is a columnar case body, 104 is a front plate, 114 is an insulating sheet, 203 is an optical component holder, 220 is a flat cable, 230 is a cable holder, 302 is a connector board, 302a is a connector, and 303 is a board holder. . Those parts described above are accommodated in the columnar case main body 101 as shown in the figure, and both ends are closed by the end caps 102 and 103 as described above.

  Next, an explanatory view (No. 1) showing a modification of the shield structure is shown in FIG. 22, and an explanatory view (No. 2) is shown in FIG. As described above, there is a void 250e between the adjacent single-axis optical modules 200 and 200, and noise may enter the flat cable from there. Therefore, in the previous example shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the metal upper shield plate 260 is covered here to exert a shielding action. However, in this case, the top shield plate 260 must be remade each time depending on the number of connected optical modules. On the other hand, in the example of FIGS. 22 and 23, individual voids can be individually shielded by installing shield pieces 273 or 274 or dummy modules 271 or 272 individually in those voids. It is said. According to such a configuration, the inter-module space can be shielded regardless of the number of modules connected as long as the inter-module pitch is constant.

  An enlarged view of the dummy module 271 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the dummy module 271 includes a non-conductive main body and metal legs 271e and 271e provided with springiness protruding on the lower surface side thereof. The module body is a non-conductive member having an upper surface 271a and left and right side surfaces 271b, and four protrusions 271c, 271c, 271d, 271d are formed from both ends thereof. Of these, the protrusions 271c and 271c are push-down protrusions, and the protrusions 271d and 271d are retaining protrusions. When such a dummy module 271 is pushed into each of the inter-module spaces 250e, the push-down projections 271c and 271c are brought into contact with the corresponding portions of the support frame 250, and the repulsive action of the legs 271e and 271e is compatible. Thus, the dummy module 271 is in close contact with the support frame 250 via the leg portions 271e and 271e, and at the same time, the dummy module 271 is fixed by the retaining step portions 271d and 271d.

  On the other hand, the shield piece 273 is shown enlarged in FIG. As shown in the figure, the shield piece 273 is made of a thin metal plate material (for example, phosphor bronze) or the like, and has an upper surface plate 273a and a side surface plate 273b. Bifurcated portions 273c and 273c and bifurcated portions 273d and 273d are formed at both ends of the upper surface plate 273a, and these two branched portions hold the corresponding protrusions on the support frame from the upper surface. The shield piece 273 is mounted in the space. In addition, the contact piece 273e bent in the drawing has a spring property, and the contact piece 273e comes into contact with the inner surface of the support frame 250, thereby establishing conduction between the two. Reference numeral 273e denotes a retaining protrusion, which prevents the shield piece from coming off.

  Returning to FIG. 22, the dummy module 272 is a resin body having a similar structure with a metal film deposited on the outer surface thereof, and similarly has a push-down projection 272 a and an up-and-down retaining projection 272 b. . The shield piece 274 is formed by forming a U-shaped metal piece by the simplest pressing, and has a retaining piece 274a.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the gap between the modules or the space 250e is closed by mounting the dummy modules 271, 272 or the shield pieces 273, 274, and the space or the gap is connected to the core wire in the flat cable. This prevents the mixing of noise. And according to such an individual mounting method, as long as several types of dummy modules or shield pieces are prepared in advance according to the optical axis pitch, the gap between the modules can be shielded regardless of the number of optical axes. Can do.

  Finally, an overall circuit diagram of the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25. FIG. As described above, the multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to the present invention includes a circuit unit built in the light projecting column and a circuit unit built in the light receiving column. The light projecting column includes a circuit 20 corresponding to each optical axis and a circuit 40 corresponding to the CPU substrate. Similarly, the circuit unit 30 corresponding to each optical axis is also used for the light emitting column. And a circuit unit 50 corresponding to the CPU substrate.

  If it demonstrates from the column for light projection, the circuit part 20 will be incorporated in the uniaxial optical module 200 as it is. As a built-in or housed form, a corresponding circuit component may be mounted on an individual circuit board piece, or a package optical IC 205 may be configured as shown in FIGS. Also good. Moreover, what is necessary is just to determine the connection structure of each uniaxial optical module 200, the flat cable used as the connection object, a parallel conductor flexible substrate, etc. according to the structure by the side of a conductor pattern.

  If the parallel conductor member side to which the uniaxial optical module is to be connected is a flat cable 220 as shown in FIG. 5, a pressure contact type terminal pin 205a shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 is adopted as the connection structure. On the other hand, if the parallel conductor member side is a flexible circuit board, a spring contactor or a through-hole structure that can be connected to an arbitrary position on the conductor pattern may be employed.

  In any case, it is preferable that the single-axis optical module should be mounted at any longitudinal position on the parallel conductor member without requiring special complicated processing. As a result, the uniaxial optical module can be mounted at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction on the parallel conductor member, so that the degree of freedom in setting the optical axis pitch and the number of optical axes is improved. In the figure, refer to the time chart of FIG. 25 for the timing and waveforms of the signals a to d.

  On the other hand, the circuit 40 mounted on the CPU substrate includes a processing circuit (CPU) 41, a gate circuit 42, a display circuit 43, and an input / output circuit 44. When a series of adjacent circuits 20 are connected via parallel conductors such as flat cables, a shift register is constituted by a series of D-type flip-flops 21, 21,... The drive circuit 6 is operated by the Q output of the flip-flop 21 and the light emitting elements 23 are sequentially turned on. At this time, the drive timing is controlled by the signal d.

  Next, for the light receiving column, each circuit 30 is accommodated in each of the uniaxial optical modules. About the accommodation form, what is necessary is just to mount in a circuit board small piece or package optical IC as demonstrated previously.

  The circuit 30 includes a light receiving element 31, an amplifier circuit 32, an analog switch 33, and a D-type flip-flop 34. The connection between the uniaxial optical module and the parallel conductor member may be a flat cable or a flexible circuit board. In the same manner as on the light projecting side, a shift register is configured by connecting the adjacent uniaxial optical modules via conductor patterns in such a manner that adjacent one-axis optical modules are connected to each other, and a D-type flip-flop corresponding to the output of each stage is formed. When the analog gate 44 opens in response to the Q output, the output of the light emitting element of each module is taken into the processing circuit 51.

  As described above in detail, according to the embodiment of the present invention, not only the optical components but also the components of the circuits 20 and 30 are accommodated as the uniaxial optical module 200 constituting the multi-optical axis assembly 200A. Since the connection between the optical module 200 and the parallel conductor member to be connected has a one-touch connection structure, the single-axis optical module 200 can be mounted at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction on the parallel conductor member side. The degree of freedom in designing the number of optical axes has been significantly improved.

  In particular, the pressure contact type terminal pin 205a is adopted as the terminal structure on the uniaxial optical module 200 side, while the flat cable 220 is adopted as the corresponding parallel conductor member. A flexible response to the axial pitch and the number of optical axes has become possible.

  In addition, since the electric circuit components are accommodated in the uniaxial optical module 200, since this is a circuit board small piece or a packaged optical IC 205, the yield and the productivity are improved. In particular, in the example in which the circuit component is the package optical IC 205, the fitting structure between the engagement hole 205f provided in the base portion of the press contact terminal pin 205a and the engagement protrusion 203b on the optical component holder 203 side is used. By adopting it, it is possible to achieve high precision in alignment alignment between the in-package optical element 205f and the optical axis of the lens member 201.

  In addition, when the uniaxial optical module is disposed on the parallel conductor member at an arbitrary pitch, a space between adjacent modules is generated, which is closed by the upper surface shield member 260, or separately, the dummy module 271, By blocking with 272 or shield pieces 273 and 274, it is possible to reliably prevent noise coming from the front side of the case from being mixed into parallel conductors (flat cable cores and the like) exposed in the voids.

  In particular, when a flat cable is used as a parallel conductor member, as shown in FIG. 5, a punch hole 220-5a is fixed in the core wire 220-5 used for both D input and Q output of the D flip-flop. Since the core wire is divided by opening at intervals, it is possible to mount two different terminal pins on the same core wire, and it is possible to handle D-type flip-flops while maintaining a completely parallel conductor pattern It became. In other words, in the separated adjacent core portions, the two terminal pins are aligned on the same line by alternately connecting the Q output of the preceding flip-flop and the D input of the succeeding flip-flop. It became possible to cope with the circuit configuration.

1 is an external perspective view of a light projecting (or light receiving) column according to the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the sensor assembly from the surface side. It is the perspective view which looked at the sensor assembly from the back side. It is a disassembled perspective view of a sensor assembly. It is a disassembled perspective view of a multi-optical axis assembly. It is a disassembled perspective view (the 1) of a uniaxial optical module. It is a disassembled perspective view (the 2) of a uniaxial optical module. It is sectional drawing of a uniaxial optical module (integral type). It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of package optical IC. It is explanatory drawing (the 1) of the positioning structure of an optical component holder and package optical IC. It is explanatory drawing (the 2) of the positioning structure of an optical component holder and package optical IC. It is explanatory drawing (the 3) of the positioning structure of an optical component holder and package optical IC. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification of a uniaxial optical module. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection state of a flat cable and a press-contact type terminal pin. It is explanatory drawing of a flat cable holding structure. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state before a shield member assembly | attachment. It is explanatory drawing of the conduction | electrical_connection structure of a shield member and a support frame. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state after a shield member assembly | attachment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a circuit component assembly. It is explanatory drawing of the front obstruction | occlusion structure of a columnar case. It is sectional drawing of the column body for light projection (or for light reception). It is explanatory drawing (the 1) which shows the modification of a shield structure. It is explanatory drawing (the 2) which shows the modification of a shield structure. 1 is an overall circuit diagram of a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to the present invention. It is a time chart which shows operation | movement of the whole circuit. It is timing explanatory drawing of a shift clock.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Light projection (or light reception) pillar 10A Sensor assembly 20 Light projection 1 axis optical module circuit 30 Light reception 1 axis optical module circuit 40 Light projection CPU board circuit 50 Light reception CPU board circuit 101 Columnar case body 102, 103 End cap 104 Front plate 104a Light projection plate 104b Light guide film 105, 106 Shield member 107 Electrical cord 108 Connector between cords 109 Plug 110 Screw 111 Socket 112, 113 Screw 114 Insulating sheet 114, 115 Insulating sheet 116 , 117 Shield member 118, 119 Shield member 120 Rubber packing 121 Adhesive sheet 200 Single axis optical module 200A Multi-optical axis assembly 200A Socket 201 Lens member 201a Positioning projection 202 Trap 203 Optical component holder 203a Positioning recess 203b Engaging protrusion 203c Retaining step 203d Locking claw 204 Shield plate 204a Beam cross-section shaping hole 205 Package optical IC
205a Pressure contact type terminal pin 205b Dual in-line package (DIP)
205c Mask printing 205d Window hole 205e Lead frame 205f Engagement hole 205g Sealing resin 205h Reflector structure 205i Lead frame 205j Optical element 205k Circuit component 205l Circuit board 205a-1 to -8 First terminal pin to Eighth terminal pin 205A-1 Terminal pin receiving hole 205A-2 Pressure contact type terminal pin 205A-3 Conductor pattern 206 Package with lens 206a Lens structure 207 Mask member 208 Slit 220 Flat cable 220A Bent part of flat cable 230 Cable holder 230e Step part 250 Support frame 250a Standing part 250e Cavity 250d Standing portion 260 Upper surface shield member 260a Center portion 260b Side extension portion 260c Locking claw 260d Window hole 260e Contact conduction portions 271 and 272 Mie module 271a Upper surface 271b Left and right side surfaces 271c Push-down projection 271d Retaining projection 271e Metal leg portion 273,274 Shield piece 273a Upper surface plate 273b Side plate 273c A pair of branch portions 273d A pair of branch portions 273e Contact piece 273f Stop projection 300 Circuit component assembly 301 CPU substrate 301a Light emitting element 302 Connector substrate 302a Connector 303 Substrate holder 303a, 303b Opposing support projections 303c, 303d Grooves between support projections 303e Light guide portion 303f Light guide portion tip 400 Connector components Assembly a, a ′ Start pulse b, b ′ Shift pulse c, c ′ End return signal d Light emission width or light reception width determination pulse

Claims (9)

There are a light projecting column that houses a projector row in a columnar case, and a light receiving column that contains a light receiver row in a columnar case, and the light projecting and receiving columns are arranged at appropriate intervals. Is a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor in which a light curtain for object detection is generated between light projecting / receiving column bodies by disposing the light projecting / receiving surface to face each other,
The emitter row and / or the receiver row is
An optical system for one optical axis, an electric circuit for one optical axis, and a flip-flop corresponding to one stage of a shift register are integrated, and each bottom can be connected to each core wire of a flat cable An optical module group in which the number of optical modules from which a number of pressure contact type terminal pins protrude corresponds to the required number of optical axes;
An optical module which is a rigid body formed by arranging U-shaped holding portions in a row at a predetermined pitch, and by holding each optical module constituting an optical module group in each of the U-shaped holding portions. A support frame constituting a row assembly;
A common conductive line commonly connected from the optical module located at one end of the optical module row assembly to the optical module located at the other end, and a conductive line between adjacent modules connecting only adjacent light projecting modules to each other. A flat cable integrated with the insulation of each conductive wire,
Including
Each of the optical modules constituting the optical module row assembly is electrically connected to the flat cable via a pressure contact terminal pin.
The shift register is configured by connecting the flip-flops in the adjacent optical modules to each other by the conductive lines between the adjacent modules.
Thereby, each optical module which comprises an optical module row | line | column assembly operate | moves sequentially according to the data advanced by a shift register, The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor characterized by the above-mentioned.   The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein a material of the support frame is a metal.   On the front side, a plurality of pairs of opposing support projections to which individual optical modules constituting the optical module row assembly are mounted are arranged along the longitudinal direction, and a CPU constituting a control circuit is mounted on the back side. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate holder on which the CPU substrate is held.   A light emitting element for display is mounted on the CPU substrate, and a light guide for guiding light from the light emitting element to the front side of the optical module row is provided on the substrate holder. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 3.   The pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules is provided with a top shield made of a metal plate from the front side. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein the members are covered and closed together.   The pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and each of the series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules is attached and closed. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1.   The pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and the surface of the resin body is coated with metal in a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein a dummy module for shielding is attached and closed from the front side.   The pitch of the U-shaped holding portions arranged on the support frame is set to be larger than the width of the optical module, and a resin member and a metallic member are combined in a series of voids formed between adjacent optical modules. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein a shield dummy module is attached and closed from the front side.   The optical module row assembly is housed in a columnar case whose front is closed with a transparent front plate, and a transparent film having conductivity is deposited on the transparent front plate. The multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor according to claim 1.

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