JPH0712571A - Optical type magnetic direction detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To install a direction sensor section in a non-magnetic field section and to install a display section in an easily seen position by separating to the direction sensor and the display section. CONSTITUTION:The optical type magnetic direction detector comprises a sensor section A and a display section B. The section A has a spherical float 5 which mounts a reflector 3 having a light receiver 1 and a light emitting unit 2 and fixes a rodlike permanent magnet 8 to a lower part, and an external sphere 9 in which the float 5 is suspended in liquid 10 filled in an inner cavity 6 and suitable number of direction indicating photoreceiving sensors 11 arranged at a predetermined interval on an outer periphery. On the other hand, section B has an indicator 15 for oppositely exposing display lamps for lighting and indicating a direction, wires the lamps of the section B to the corresponding sensors 11 and lights a light source 18 at an exterior of the sphere 9 corresponding to the receiver 1 for constituting the reflector 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor for converting a magnetic change of an object to be detected into a position change of a light ray into an electric signal and detecting the electric signal, and a display section for displaying the position detected by the sensor. The present invention relates to an optical magnetic direction detection device configured by.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional magnetic direction detecting device of this type, a geomagnetic sensor using a Hall magnetic element, a device for detecting the direction of a compass using a mercury switch, and the like are provided.

[0003]

However, a geomagnetic sensor using a Hall magnetic element is expensive, its constituent circuit is complicated, and a microcomputer is required.
There is a problem in terms of cost for the purpose of simple detection of geomagnetism. Further, in the detecting device for the direction of the azimuth magnet using the mercury switch, there is a drawback that it is difficult to show an accurate azimuth due to friction between the mercury switch and the magnet. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to reduce the amount of displacement of a magnet that is acted by extremely weak magnetism such as the earth's magnetism with low friction and to efficiently generate electricity. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical magnetic direction detection device that can be output to the outside as a signal and can be used in a place where there are many disturbance magnetic fields, gradients and vibrations, or in an environment where durability is required.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the direction detecting device of the present invention comprises a sensor portion and a display portion, and the sensor portion includes a light receiving portion and a light transmitting portion. A spherical float with the body attached and a rod-shaped permanent magnet fixed to the bottom, and the spherical float suspended in the liquid filled in the internal cavity and a suitable number of direction indicator photosensors on the outer periphery at regular intervals. The display unit is composed of an external sphere arranged for each, and the display unit is provided with a lighting power source and a display unit for advancing a display lamp for instructing lighting of a direction, and corresponds to each direction indicator lamp of the display unit. The respective direction indicating light receiving sensors are individually connected, and a light source is turned on outside an external sphere corresponding to a light receiving portion which constitutes the reflector. The reflector uses an optical fiber bundle and has a light receiving portion and a light transmitting portion bent substantially at right angles.

[0005]

In the sensor portion of the direction detecting device of the present invention, the spherical float which is floated inside has a rod-shaped permanent magnet fixed to the lower part sensitive to the earth's magnetism, and the N of the rod-shaped permanent magnet is directed to the north direction. Also takes the position. When the switch of the optical magnetic direction detection device of the present invention is turned on, the light emitting diode which is the light source is turned on, and the light beam is refracted from the light receiving portion of the reflector through the optical fiber and is refracted in a substantially perpendicular direction and is sent to the light transmitting portion. . The light beam emitted from the light transmitting unit is received by the light receiving sensor, and is further amplified to turn on the direction indicating unit provided in the display unit. The direction indicator is at least north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, more preferably the direction indicator is north, northeast, northeast, northeast,
It is provided to light up east-northeast, east, southeast east, southeast, south-southeast, south, south-southwest, southwest, west-southwest, west, west-northwest, northwest, north-northwest.

[0006]

EXAMPLES Examples will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4, the optical fiber bundle 4 is inserted into the inside of an L-shaped cylindrical reflector 3 having one end light receiving portion 1 and the other end light transmitting portion 2 showing an embodiment of the present invention. At least, the L-shaped tubular reflector 3 is integrally mounted so as to penetrate the spherical float 5. A light-receiving transparent plate 6 and a light-transmitting transparent plate 7 are fixed to the end portions of the one-end light receiving portion 1 and the other end light-transmitting portion 2 of the optical fiber bundle 4 to hermetically seal the inside. A spherical float 5 having the above-mentioned L-shaped reflector 3 mounted and a rod-shaped permanent magnet 8 fixed to the lower part thereof is suspended in a liquid 10 filled in an inner cavity of an outer sphere 9 and sealed. . An alcohol liquid or distilled water is suitable for the liquid sealed inside.

At the outer peripheral portion of the outer sphere 9 and in the circumferential position corresponding to the moving position of the light transmitting portion 2 of the reflector 3, a proper number of direction indicating light receiving sensors 11 composed of phototransistors 11 are located at the north, The directions (8 in total) indicating northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest are fixed at regular intervals. Furthermore, for more accurate direction detection,
North, north-northeast, northeast, east-northeast, east, southeast, southeast, south-southeast, south, south-southwest, southwest, west-southwest, west, west-northwest, northwest, north-northwest (16 total) It is convenient to provide 11. The sensor unit A is provided with the L-shaped cylindrical reflector 3 as described above, and the spherical float 5 having the rod-shaped permanent magnet 6 fixed to the lower portion thereof, and the spherical float 5 floating in the internal cavity portion and receiving the direction indicator light on the outer peripheral portion. It is composed of an external sphere 9 provided with a sensor 11.

On the other hand, the display section B is provided with a power source 12 composed of a dry battery and a switch 13, and has a box structure in which a display lamp 14 for instructing lighting of a direction is exposed in a display hole 16 formed in a display plate 15. The indicator lamp 14 (light emitting diode) is provided with the number of the direction indicating light receiving sensors 11, that is, the directions and numbers corresponding to north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest, and Wirings are respectively connected via the amplifying transistor 17 so that the direction and the direction of the indicator light 14 coincide with each other.

In the spherical float floating inside, the rod-shaped permanent magnet fixed to the lower portion is sensitive to the earth's magnetism, and the N of the rod-shaped permanent magnet points in the north direction, and at the same time the spherical float maintains a certain directionality. When the switch 13 provided on the display section B side is turned on, the light emitting diode 18 which is a light source is turned on, and the light beam is refracted from the light receiving section 1 of the reflector through the optical fiber bundle 4 in a substantially right angle direction and is transmitted. Sent to part 2. The light beam emitted from the light transmitting unit 2 is received by the light receiving sensor 11, and the light is further transmitted through the amplifying transistor 17 to turn on the direction indicator lamp 14 provided in the display unit B using the optical signal as an electrical signal. Two 1.5 V dry batteries are used as the power source. Since the spherical float 5 and the spherical float 5 are suspended in the liquid in the internal cavity, even if the sensor unit A is inclined by the angle G from the horizontal line H due to the vibration of the automobile, the light beam emitted from the light transmitting unit 2 As shown in FIG. 3, since the aperture of the light transmitting portion 2 of the L-shaped tubular reflector 3 is made sufficiently large, the light beam from the optical fiber bundle 4 is received by the light receiving sensor 10 and magnetic detection becomes possible. .

As an example of the use of the sensor unit A, the sensor unit A is provided at the tip of a movable support shaft 21 as shown in FIG. 5, and a VTR camera 22 is installed so as to interlock with the support shaft 21. On the other hand, when the moving body 24 having the magnet 23 mounted on the front surface is moved in the direction of the arrow a, the sensor unit A responds to the magnet 23 mounted on the front surface of the moving body to cause the moving body to move in the a direction. The direction of the arrow b can be moved to rotate the VTR camera 22 to automatically visualize the direction. As described above, since the magnet can be attached to the moving body and the moving body can be tracked by the sensor unit A of the present invention, in addition to the above-described example, for example, one rotation of the motor, the prime mover, etc. It can also be used as a detection device for rotation control, or as a position detection / positioning device for detecting the position of a moving body.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the fixed magnet 31 for turning right, the fixed magnet 32 for turning left, and the fixed magnet 33 for stop are set at the separated positions of the track 35 of the automated guided vehicle 34, and the automated guided vehicle is driven. The sensor unit A of the present invention can also be used for the unmanned control of the automatic guided vehicle 34 that detects the position by the sensor unit A mounted in front of the vehicle and causes the automatic guided vehicle to travel.

[0012]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. The optical magnetic direction detection device according to claim 1 comprises a sensor unit and a display unit, and the sensor unit is equipped with a reflector having a light receiving unit and a light transmitting unit, and a rod-shaped permanent magnet is fixed to the lower portion. It consists of a spherical float and an external sphere in which the spherical float is suspended in a liquid filled with an internal cavity and a suitable number of direction indicating photosensors are arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery. The display unit is provided with a lighting power source and a display body for displaying a display lamp for indicating a direction for lighting, and each direction indicator lamp of the display unit and each corresponding direction indicator light receiving sensor are individually connected. Since the light source is turned on outside the external sphere corresponding to the light receiving portion that constitutes the reflector, the external sphere and the spherical float have a spherical structure, so that they are caught even when tilted. It can visually detect immediately because lit resistance as possible geomagnetism detected without an accurate orientation in the direction instruction section and the like. Since the light receiving sensor has earthquake resistance, it can be used for a long time without trouble even in a place where it vibrates like an automobile. Further, since the display unit and the sensor unit are separated, a light receiving sensor is installed in a place where the influence of the magnetic field is small, and the display unit is arranged in a place where the user can easily see, so that the accurate and reliable direction can be known. it can. Since the structure has low voltage and low power consumption, it can be provided at low cost and light weight. Moreover, since no physical force acts on the light receiving sensor, it is possible to avoid the failure of the light receiving sensor. Since it has the above features, for example, a low-cost on-vehicle compass, magnetic measurement in a place where only a low voltage can be obtained such as mountainous areas, as a simple geomagnetic sensor, a robot position detection sensor and a toy roulette, Stop indicator devices such as wind vanes, lifts, etc., rotation positions of motors, motors, etc., detection devices for detection and rotation control, or detection of the position of moving bodies,
The positioning device can be used in various fields such as unmanned control of an automated guided vehicle. In the optical magnetic direction detecting device according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the reflector uses the bundled optical fiber and the light receiving part and the light transmitting part are bent substantially at right angles, the direction detecting device is made compact. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a direction detection device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 showing an arrangement state of a direction indicating light receiving sensor

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the sensor unit is inclined.

[Fig. 4] Circuit diagram

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view using a sensor unit as an automatic turning device of a VTR camera.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram in which a sensor unit is used for unmanned control of use of an automated guided vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A. ． Sensor unit A B. ． Display unit B 1. ． Light receiving part 2. ． Light transmitter 3. ． L-shaped tubular reflector 4. ． Optical fiber bundle 5. ． Spherical float 6. ． Light receiving transparent plate 7. ． Light transmitting transparent plate 8. ． Rod-shaped permanent magnet 9. External sphere 10. ． Liquid 11. ． Directional light-receiving sensor 12. ． Power supply 13. ． Switch 14. ． Indicator light 15. ． Display board 16. ． Display hole 17. ． Amplifying transistor 18. ． Light emitting diode 19. ． Inner wall plate 21. ． Spindle 22. ． VTR camera 23. ． Magnet 24. ． Mobile unit 31. ． Fixed magnet for turning right 32. ． Fixed magnet for left turning 33. ． Fixed magnet for stop 34. ． Automated guided vehicle 35. ． Orbit

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] September 22, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[ Claims]

2. The optical magnetic direction detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector uses a bundled optical fiber and the light receiving portion and the light transmitting portion are bent substantially at right angles.

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 18, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[ Claims]

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sensor unit and a display unit,
The sensor part is fitted with a reflector having a light receiving part and a light sending part, and a spherical float having a rod-shaped permanent magnet fixed to the lower part, and the spherical float is suspended in the liquid filled with the internal cavity part. The outer sphere comprises an outer sphere in which a proper number of direction indicating light-receiving sensors are arranged at regular intervals, while the display unit has a lighting power source and a display body for displaying a direction indicating direction lighting. Each of the direction indicator lamps of the display unit and the corresponding direction indicator light receiving sensors are individually connected, and a light source is turned on outside the external sphere corresponding to the light receiver unit constituting the reflector. An optical magnetic direction detection device characterized by the above. 2. The optical magnetic direction detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector uses a bundled optical fiber and the light receiving portion and the light transmitting portion are bent substantially at right angles.