JPH0685600U - Ultrasonic sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The sensor body can be properly fixed and held without compromising the rotatability of the sensor body incorporated in the ultrasonic sensor when adjusting the angle. Make sure that the set angle of the sensor body is not unduly changed. [Structure] Sensor body 3 having ultrasonic transducer 3b
A housing case 1 having a front opening 10 for accommodating the sensor main body 3; and the front opening 10 for preventing the sensor main body 3 from coming off from the front opening 10 of the housing case 1. An inwardly projecting locking convex portion 11 on the inner peripheral edge of the pressing body 4, and a pressing means 4 for pressing the rear portion of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 of the sensor body 3 to the front side.
5, the elastic member 9 is provided between the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 of the sensor body 3 and the locking projection 11.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor used for applications such as detecting the presence of an obstacle by transmitting an ultrasonic wave and then receiving a reflected wave thereof.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, as an ultrasonic sensor of this type, there is one as shown in FIG. 5, for example. That is, this conventional structure has a structure in which the sensor body 3e having an ultrasonic transducer (not shown) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is housed inside the tip of the housing case 1e. . Then, the rear portion of the sensor body 3e is pressed and urged forward by the leaf spring 4e, and the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 of the sensor body 3e is projected on the inner peripheral surface of the housing case 1e. The sensor main body 3e is held so that its angle can be adjusted by abutting on the locking projection 11. According to the ultrasonic sensor having such a configuration, by rotating the sensor main body 3e and changing the mounting angle thereof, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the direction of the detection area of the ultrasonic sensor Se can be changed. Can be changed arbitrarily.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the above-mentioned conventional one, since the front portion of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 of the sensor body portion 3e is in direct contact with the locking convex portion 11 of the housing case 1e, it is as follows. Was causing some difficulties. That is, the locking projection 11 is usually formed of a hard material such as synthetic resin similar to the housing case 1e, and the locking projection 11 is different from the leaf spring 4e. Differently, it does not apply a positive pressing force to the sensor body 3e. The friction coefficient between the locking projection 11 and the sensor body 3e is also a very small value. Therefore, conventionally, if the pressing force of the leaf spring 4e against the sensor body 3e is set to be weak, the sensor body 3e cannot be fixedly held in a properly stopped state. In such a case, for example, if vibration occurs around the mounting position of the ultrasonic sensor, the set angle of the sensor main body 3e is easily displaced due to the vibration, and the detection area is changed inappropriately. There was a problem that.

In order to solve the above-mentioned difficulties, it is necessary to considerably increase the pressing force of the leaf spring 4e. However, if the pressing force of the leaf spring 4e is increased in this way, the rotatability of the sensor body 3e is lost, and the angle adjustment of the sensor body 3e when changing the detection area cannot be performed smoothly. Had occurred.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor main body without impairing the rotatability of the sensor main body incorporated in the ultrasonic sensor during angle adjustment. The point is to be able to properly hold the part so that the set angle of the sensor body is not unduly changed due to external vibration or the like.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 An ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention, which is proposed to achieve the above object, is a sensor body having an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and the sensor body. A housing case having a front opening for accommodating a part, and an inwardly projecting inner peripheral edge of the front opening to prevent the sensor body from falling out of the front opening of the housing case. An ultrasonic sensor comprising: a locking projection and a pressing means for pressing the rear part of the outer peripheral spherical surface of the sensor body to the front side so that the mounting angle of the sensor main body can be adjusted. An elastic member is provided between the front side of the outer spherical surface of the sensor body and the locking projection.

An ultrasonic sensor according to a second aspect of the present invention is the ultrasonic sensor according to the first aspect, wherein the elastic member is an O-ring.

An ultrasonic sensor according to a third aspect of the present invention is the ultrasonic sensor according to the first or second aspect, wherein the pressing means is an elastic member that abuts on a rear portion of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion of the sensor body. It is composed of a leaf spring that presses this elastic member toward the front side of the sensor body.

[0009]

[Action]

 In the ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, in the ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention, since the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion of the sensor main body is brought into contact with the elastic member, the elastic restoration of the elastic member is performed. The force can be used to hold the sensor body, and the frictional force between the elastic member and the sensor body is more than that when the outer spherical surface of the sensor body directly contacts the locking projection. Can also be larger. Therefore, the elastic member can exert the force for preventing the rotation of the sensor main body, which can enhance the fixing / holding force of the sensor main body, even when vibration is applied from the outside. , It is possible to prevent the sensor body from rotating unduly. On the other hand, when changing the set angle of the sensor body, if the front side of the sensor body is pressed backward and retracted, the front side of the outer spherical surface of the sensor body and the elastic member will be separated. The contact state can be released, or the frictional force between them can be reduced. Therefore, in such a state, since the elastic member no longer exerts a large force that prevents the rotation of the sensor body, the sensor body can be smoothly rotated to easily change the set angle. You can

In the ultrasonic sensor according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the elastic member is configured as an O-ring, the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion of the sensor main body and the housing case are separated. The O-ring makes it possible to hermetically seal the gap between the locking projection and the both. Therefore, it is possible to achieve waterproofing, dustproofing, and the like of each device arranged in the rear side of the sensor main body and housed in the housing case.

In the ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention as set forth in claim 3, since the sensor main body can be held in a state where the elastic member is also in contact with the rear portion of the sensor main body, the main body of the sensor is It is possible to more reliably prevent the careless rotation. In addition, since the elastic member that abuts the rear part of the sensor body is pressed forward by the leaf spring, when the sensor body is pressed backward when adjusting the angle of the sensor body, the leaf spring The main body of the sensor can be rotated by flexing the to a large extent rearward.

[0012]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of an ultrasonic sensor S according to the present invention. The ultrasonic sensor S includes a housing case 1 formed of a front case 1a and a rear case 1b, a hollow disk-shaped cover plate 2, and a front opening 10 formed in the front case 1a of the housing case 1. The sensor body 3 is disposed in the front side and the O-ring 9 is disposed in the front opening 10. In addition to these, a leaf spring 4 for pushing the sensor body 3 forward (in the direction of arrow a), a pressing body 5 interposed between the leaf spring 4 and the sensor body 3, It also has a circuit board 6 and the like.

Of the above, the sensor main body 3 is one in which the ultrasonic transducer 3b is held in a predetermined holder 3c and incorporated in a substantially spherical hollow casing 3a in which an outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 is formed. The ultrasonic wave can be transmitted and received through the opening 3d formed on the front surface. The circuit board 6 is connected to the ultrasonic transducer 3b of the sensor body 3 via the shield wire 7, and supplies a predetermined high frequency (tone burst wave) voltage signal to the ultrasonic transducer 3b. The ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic vibrator 3b. Further, when such an ultrasonic wave hits an obstacle and is reflected, the reflected wave is received by the ultrasonic transducer 3b and converted into a voltage signal, and the circuit board 6 amplifies the voltage signal and generates noise. By performing signal processing such as removal and detection, it is configured to execute the detection judgment of the presence or absence of an obstacle.

The O-ring 9 is made of, for example, silicone rubber or another material having elasticity, and corresponds to the elastic member according to the present invention. The O-ring 9 is arranged inside (rear side) of the locking projection 11 that is provided inwardly on the inner peripheral surface of the front opening 10 of the front case 1a. The locking projection 11 is provided to prevent the sensor body 3 from falling off to the front side of the front opening 10. At the same time, the locking projection 11 also functions to prevent the O-ring 9 from falling off. .

The leaf spring 4 is formed of a thin spring steel material having a high elasticity, and the left and right ends or the upper and lower ends thereof are screwed by screws 8 and 8 so as to press the sensor body 3 forward. Is fixed to a predetermined wall portion of the front case 1a. A pressing body 5 is attached to the center of the leaf spring 4. As the pressing body 5, for example, one entirely made of silicon rubber or another material having elasticity can be applied, but other than that, for example, one having the configuration as shown in FIG. 2 is also applied. Good. That is, the pressing body 5 shown in FIG. 2 is a case 5a made of a synthetic resin or the like and having a predetermined shape, and an O-ring 5b made of an elastic material such as silicon rubber is attached to the front surface of the case 5a. The O-ring 5b is supported by the leaf spring 4 so as to come into contact with the rear portion of the outer peripheral spherical surface portion 30 of the sensor body 3. The sensor main body 3 is pressed forward by the leaf spring 4 and the pressing body 5, so that the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface part 30 is attached to the O-ring 9 in a state of being locked by the locking projection 11. The sensor main body 3 is held in abutting contact with the front case 1a so as to be slidable on the spherical surface.

The ultrasonic sensor S having the above-mentioned configuration transmits ultrasonic waves to a predetermined detection area in a state where it is installed on, for example, a ceiling surface or a wall surface of a house, and detects the reflected wave to detect obstacles or obstacles. Used for applications such as human body detection. Therefore, in this ultrasonic sensor S, not only the O ring 5b of the pressing body 5 is in contact with the rear portion of the sensor body 3 but also another O ring 9 is provided on the front side of the sensor body 3. Are in contact. Therefore, the front and rear positions of the sensor main body 3 are both held by the O-rings 9 and 5b having a large frictional force. Even if applied, the sensor body 3 will not easily rotate. As a result, the detection area of the ultrasonic sensor S will not be unduly changed.

Next, there is a case where it is desired to positively change the detection area of the ultrasonic sensor S. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 3, the front surface of the sensor body 3 is moved backward in the direction of arrow b. The sensor body 3 may be rotated after being pressed to the side. If the sensor body 3 is pressed and retracted, the O-ring 9 and the sensor body 3 can be brought into a non-contact state or a state in which the O-ring 9 and the sensor body 3 are in a light contact with very weak frictional force. it can. Therefore, in such a state, the sensor main body 3 can be smoothly rotated by the amount that the frictional resistance force due to the contact with the O-ring 9 is reduced. That is, when the sensor main body 3 is fixedly held, the sensor main body 3 can be surely fixed by utilizing the frictional force caused by the contact with the O-ring 9, while the sensor main body 3 is rotated when the sensor main body 3 is rotated. The frictional force due to the contact with the O-ring 9 can be reduced. As a result, the work of changing the detection area of the ultrasonic sensor S can be easily performed.

In the above embodiment, since the elastic member such as the O-ring 5a is brought into contact with the rear side of the sensor body 3 (corresponding to claim 3), the sensor body 3 is fixedly held. There are certain advantages. However, in the present invention according to claims 1 and 2, such a configuration is not an essential requirement, and for example, the leaf spring 4 may be brought into direct contact with the rear portion of the sensor body 3.

[0019]

[Effect of device]

 As can be understood from the above description, in the ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention as set forth in claims 1 to 3, the sensor main body is fixed by bringing the elastic member into contact with the front surface side of the sensor main body. Since the holding force can be increased, it is possible to prevent improper rotation of the sensor main body due to vibration, etc., even if the pressing force against the sensor main body is not so great as to impair the rotatability of the sensor main body. The special effect of being able to maintain the detection area in an appropriate state is obtained. In particular, in the present invention, when the sensor body is rotated to change its angle, the sensor body is pressed rearward to reduce the contact frictional force between the front side of the sensor body and the elastic member. As a result, the rotation operation of the sensor main body can be made smooth, and the provision of the elastic member has the effect of not causing a defect that impairs the rotatability.

Further, according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2, the elastic member configured as an O-ring can be made to function as a sealing material for airtightness or waterproofing, and is incorporated in the ultrasonic sensor. There is an advantage that electronic components and the like can be protected.

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 3, since the elastic member is brought into contact with the rear side of the sensor body as well, it is possible to more reliably prevent the sensor body from accidentally rotating. At the same time, when the angle of the sensor main body is adjusted, the leaf spring pressing the elastic member is largely bent backward, so that the sensor main body can be smoothly rotated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an essential part showing an example of a pressing body applied to the ultrasonic sensor shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of adjusting the angle of the sensor body of the ultrasonic sensor shown in FIG.

4A and 4B are explanatory views showing an example of a setting state of a detection area when an obstacle is detected by an ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional ultrasonic sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Housing Case 1a Front Case (Housing Case) 1b Rear Case (Housing Case) 2 Cover Plate 3 Sensor Body 3b Ultrasonic Transducer 4 Leaf Spring 5 Pressing Body 5b O-Ring 6 Circuit Board 7 Shield Wire 8 Screw 9 O-Ring (Elastic member) 10 Front opening 11 Locking protrusion S Ultrasonic sensor

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A sensor body having an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and a housing case having a front opening for accommodating the sensor body.
In order to prevent the sensor main body from dropping off from the front opening of the housing case, the locking projection protruding inwardly on the inner peripheral edge of the front opening and the mounting angle of the sensor main body are set. An ultrasonic sensor comprising a pressing means for pressing the rear part of the outer peripheral spherical surface of the sensor main body to the front side so as to be adjustable, the front side of the outer peripheral spherical surface part of the sensor main body and the locking part. An ultrasonic sensor characterized in that an elastic member is interposed between the convex portion and the convex portion. 2. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is configured as an O-ring. 3. The pressing means comprises an elastic member that comes into contact with the rear portion of the outer peripheral spherical surface of the sensor body, and a leaf spring that presses the elastic member toward the front side of the sensor body. The ultrasonic sensor according to 1 or 2.