JP5198190B2 - Photo-interrupter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a photointerrupter, particularly a photointerrupter suitable for being applied to a pushbutton switch that can secure a sufficient operation stroke for an object to be attached.

  In general, a transmissive photoelectric switch called a photo interrupter has a main part, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element that are erected on the substrate and arranged to face each other, and a case that covers both elements with a passage therebetween (For example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The appearance of a similar photo interrupter is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the photo interrupter 1 as shown in FIG. 2. The sensor body 10 in FIG. 2B is covered with the sensor case 20 in FIG. 2A from above, and the cover 30 in FIG. The finished product of FIG. 1 is obtained by covering.

  In the sensor main body 10 of FIG. 2B, a light emitting element 16 and a light receiving element 18 erected on a substrate 12 via lead terminals 14 are arranged with their element surfaces facing each other.

  The sensor case 20 that houses the sensor body 10 has a first housing portion 24A and a second housing portion 24B that extend above the upper end 22A of the case body 22 at positions corresponding to the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 18. A passage 26 whose upper surface 22A is the bottom surface is formed between the housing parts 24A and 24B which are spaced apart from each other.

  Further, at the lower part of the case 20, joint portions 28 are continuously formed on both sides of the case body 22 in the opposing direction of the first and second housing portions 24 </ b> A and 24 </ b> B, respectively, and the back surface (lower surface) is joined. The photo interrupter 1 can be attached to an object (not shown) by bringing the surface into contact with the object and screwing it.

  Since the photointerrupter 1 described above is mounted vertically on an object, if it is a vertical type, there is also a horizontal photointerrupter 2 that is mounted sideways as shown in FIG. As shown in the exploded view in FIG. 4, the sensor main body 10 and the cover 30 can be obtained by simply attaching the joint portion 28 of the sensor case 20 (A) to the side (side of the case main body 22). Are the same.

  Since the vertical type and horizontal type shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 respectively differ only in the mounting direction, the vertical type will be described below as a representative.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part of a push button switch in which the photo interrupter 1 and the push button 40 are combined, and FIG. 6 is a front view thereof.

  This push button switch is formed between the element surface of the light emitting element 16 and the element surface of the light receiving element 18 shown in FIG. 2B, and is projected and received through the slit 29 of the sensor case 20 (light). ON-OFF operation is performed depending on whether or not the shaft (B) is blocked by the pressed light shielding plate 42. Such a pushbutton switch can be used in a game machine such as a so-called pachislot.

  As the push button switch, there are combinations of a vertical direction as shown by an arrow A and a horizontal direction shown by an arrow B in FIG. 5 depending on the direction in which the light shielding plate 42 of the push button 40 is pushed (the push button is omitted).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the amount of push-in when the light shielding plate 42 is pushed in is as follows. The image corresponding to the photo interrupter 1 and the push button 40 is shown in FIG. There is a detection stroke until -OFF is detected.

  When such a pushbutton switch is used, for example, in a game machine or the like, there is a request for a player to obtain a sufficiently depressed touch, and for that purpose, a sufficient operation stroke can be secured. It becomes important.

  In the case of the combination in which the light shielding plate 42 is pushed in the lateral direction B, the operation stroke is not particularly limited due to the structure, so that a sufficient feel can be obtained.

JP-A-6-317756 JP 2002-57366 A

  However, when the combination of pushing the light-shielding plate in the vertical direction A is only possible in relation to the object to which the photo interrupter is attached, the operation stroke is limited to the bottom surface of the passage 26 of the sensor case 20, that is, the upper end 22A of the case body 22. If you install a photo interrupter with an excessively long operation stroke even though the installation space in the vertical direction is limited However, there is a problem that the front end of the light shielding plate 42 may collide with the upper end 22A of the case body 22 (the bottom surface of the passage 26) and damage the case body 22 and thus the sensor body 20.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and even when the light shielding plate is pushed in the vertical direction, the operation stroke of the light shielding plate is not limited by the sensor case, and therefore the installation space in the vertical direction is not limited. It is an object of the present invention to provide a photointerrupter that can obtain a sufficient indentation feel even in the case where the size is narrow.

  According to the present invention, a sensor main body having a light emitting element and a light receiving element that are arranged to face each other, and a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion that accommodate the sensor main body and that correspond to the light emitting element and the light receiving element, respectively, are separated from each other. In the photo interrupter provided with the sensor case formed in the above, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are formed to protrude upward from the upper end of the case body constituting the lower portion of the sensor case, and The above-described problem is solved by forming the case body so as to protrude laterally from the side end of the case body.

  According to the present invention, the light emitting element and the light receiving element respectively accommodated in the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion are supported so as to protrude from the side end of the substrate body accommodated in the case body. You may make it stand by the part via the lead terminal, respectively.

  In the present invention, a joining portion for attaching the sensor case by joining a lower surface to an object may be provided continuously at a lower end portion of the case main body.

  According to the present invention, in a photointerrupter that is attached to an object with the case body lower side down, the first housing part that houses the light emitting element and the second housing part that houses the light receiving element protrude upward from the upper end of the case body. In addition, since it protrudes to the side from the case body side edge, the operation stroke should be limited to the case body upper end as in the past even in the case of vertical operation that pushes the light shielding plate toward the object. Since it can be set for a long time without any trouble, the operator can feel it fully depressed.

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

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a photo interrupter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the main part in an exploded manner.

  As shown in FIG. 9C, the photo interrupter 3 of this embodiment is erected on the substrate 12 via the lead terminals 14 as in the conventional case shown in FIG. 2B. However, the substrate is formed in a U shape in the planar direction. That is, the support portions 12A and 12B, which are the substrate portions that support the lead terminals 14, are continuous with each other because the conventional substrate has a rectangular shape. The shape protrudes to the side from the side end 12D and is spaced apart from each other.

  Therefore, the sensor case 20 shown in FIG. 9A that accommodates the sensor body 10 also includes a first accommodating portion 24A and a second accommodating portion 24B that accommodate the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 18, respectively. Is formed so as to protrude above the upper end 22A of the case main body 22 that accommodates the portion of the substrate main body 12C, and is spaced apart from and corresponding to the support portions 12A and 12B. It is formed so as to protrude from the side end 22B to the side.

  Accordingly, the sensor case 20 is L-shaped when viewed from the right side in the figure. The passage 26 formed between the first housing portion 24A and the second housing portion 24B is the same as the conventional one in the horizontal stroke above the upper end 22A of the case body 22, but the vertical stroke. Also, the shape does not interfere with the case main body 22.

  In addition, a joint portion 28 for attaching the sensor case 20 is connected to the lower end portion of the case body 22 so that the lower surface is joined to the target portion.

  In the present embodiment, the sensor case 20 is formed of translucent plastic, and when assembling the photo interrupter, the light emitting portion 16 and the light receiving portion 18 of the sensor main body 10 have cross-shaped slits that coincide with the respective element surfaces. A cap 50 formed in a penetrating manner is covered, and then the sensor case 20 is covered from above, and then covered with a cover 30 corresponding to the shape of the substrate 12 from below to obtain the finished product shown in FIG.

  Next, a push button switch that employs the photo interrupter 3 of the present embodiment will be described.

  In FIG. 10, the principal part of a pushbutton switch at the time of attaching the photo interrupter 3 to the target object which is not shown in figure through the junction part 28 is shown.

  In the case of this horizontal fixation, although it is a push button switch of a method of pushing down the light shielding plate 42 by the push button 40 arranged above the joint portion 28, that is, the object, the passage 26 penetrates downward, As shown in the state seen from different directions in FIG. 11, the lower stroke is not limited to the upper end 22A of the case main body 22, so that the light shielding plate 42 can be sufficiently pushed in the vertical direction.

  Further, the photo interrupter 3 of the present embodiment can be used by being attached to an object such as a wall portion in the vertical direction by the joint portion 28. In the case of this vertical fixing, as shown in FIG. 12, the main part of the pushbutton switch corresponding to FIG. 11 can be pushed in the photo interrupter 3 in the lateral direction without interfering with the case body 22.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, since the cross-shaped slit 52 is formed through the cap 50 covering the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 18, the light shielding plate 42 as shown in FIG. Can be detected by the light receiving element 18 with high sensitivity. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, for the sake of convenience, the same-shaped light-shielding plate 42 is moved, and the horizontal stroke can be detected in the same manner when the longitudinal slit elongated portion is blocked.

  According to the embodiment described above in detail, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When the light shielding plate 42 enters the passage 26 formed in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis B of the sensor in the horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the mounting surface of the photo interrupter 3, and passes through the optical axis position, After the passage, the light shielding plate 42 and the sensor case 20 do not interfere with each other in the operation stroke in any direction, so that the detection position can be freely set with respect to the operating range of the light shielding plate 42.

  In particular, in the pushbutton switch, the operation stroke and the detection stroke can be set freely, so that the detection operation point can be set in the vicinity of the push-in position of the button in the entire operation stroke, or set in the middle. Therefore, design constraints can be eliminated and the range of use can be expanded.

(2) When the light shielding plate enters the passage formed in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis B of the sensor in the horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the mounting surface of the photo interrupter 3, the sensor is detected in any stroke direction. The arrival of the light shielding plate 42 can be detected with high accuracy by the cross-shaped slits 52 formed in the cap 50 accommodated in the case 20.

(3) Since the stroke of the light shielding plate 42 is not limited by the case body 22, one photo interrupter can be used in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

A perspective view showing an appearance of a conventional vertical photo interrupter The perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the said vertical photo interrupter in the principal part A perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional horizontal photo interrupter The perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the said horizontal type photo interrupter in the principal part The perspective view which shows the pushbutton switch which employ | adopted the conventional vertical photo interrupter Front view showing the pushbutton switch Explanatory drawing showing the detection stroke and operation stroke of the shading plate The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the photo interrupter of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention The perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the photo interrupter of this embodiment to the principal part The perspective view which shows the pushbutton which employ | adopted the photo interrupter of this embodiment fixed horizontally The perspective view which shows operation | movement of the pushbutton of FIG. Pushbutton switch adopting the photo interrupter of the present embodiment fixed vertically, and a perspective view showing its operation Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the stroke direction of a light-shielding plate and a slit

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2, 3 ... Photo interrupter 10 ... Sensor main body 12 ... Board | substrate 12A, 12B ... Support part 14 ... Lead terminal 16 ... Light emitting element 18 ... Light receiving element 20 ... Sensor case 22 ... Case main body 22A ... Upper end 22B ... Side end 24A ... 1st accommodating part 24B ... 2nd accommodating part 26 ... channel | path 28 ... junction part 30 ... cover 40 ... pushbutton 42 ... light-shielding plate 50 ... cap 52 ... slit

Claims (3)

A sensor main body having a light emitting element and a light receiving element arranged opposite to each other, and a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion for receiving the sensor main body and corresponding to the light emitting element and the light receiving element, respectively, are formed apart from each other. In a photo interrupter with a sensor case,
The first storage portion and the second storage portion are
While projecting upward from the upper end of the case body constituting the lower part of the sensor case,
A photo interrupter, wherein the photo interrupter is formed to project laterally from a side end of the case body.   The light emitting element and the light receiving element accommodated in the first accommodating part and the second accommodating part, respectively, are connected to the support part formed to protrude from the side end of the substrate body accommodated in the case body via a lead terminal. The photo interrupter according to claim 1, wherein each of the photo interrupters is erected.   The photointerrupter according to claim 1, wherein a joint portion for attaching the sensor case by joining a lower surface to an object is connected to a lower end portion of the case body.

Images