WO2023175773A1

WO2023175773A1 - Sensor holder

Info

Publication number: WO2023175773A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/011914
Authority: WO
Inventors: 鉄郎辰岡
Original assignee: Tdk株式会社
Priority date: 2022-03-16
Filing date: 2022-03-16
Publication date: 2023-09-21

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a sensor holder having improved operation efficiency in sensor positioning. [Solution] A magnetic sensor holder 100 comprises: a sensor case 20; a sensor guide 30 into which the sensor case 20 is inserted; a lever 40 including a lock gear 44 engaged with a rack gear 23 so as to allow movement of the sensor case 20 in a +Z direction and to inhibit movement of the sensor case in a -Z direction; a coil spring 50 which comprises a non-magnetic body and which biases the sensor case 20 in the -Z direction; and an elastic body ring 60 that biases the lever 40 so as to maintain the engaged state between the rack gear 23 and the lock gear 44. When a ratchet releasing operation is carried out by using the lever 40, the movement of the sensor case 20 in the Z direction is enabled.

Description

sensor holder

The present invention relates to a sensor holder, and particularly to a sensor holder that can position a sensor such as a magnetic sensor.

In order to obtain a sufficient signal level in a magnetic measurement device that detects extremely weak magnetic fields such as biomagnetic fields, it is necessary to bring the magnetic sensor close to the object to be measured, and the movement of the magnetic sensor also introduces noise. It is necessary to position the magnetic sensor so that it does not As a method for realizing this, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of positioning the magnetic sensor by inserting the magnetic sensor into a cylindrical member and fixing it with screws.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-168138

However, the method of fixing magnetic sensors with screws has a problem in that work efficiency is extremely low when there are a large number of magnetic sensors or when the shape of each object to be measured is different. Such a problem occurs not only in magnetic sensors but also in sensors that detect extremely weak physical quantities.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor holder with improved sensor positioning efficiency.

The sensor holder according to the present invention has a rack gear, a sensor case for accommodating the sensor, a sensor guide into which the sensor case is inserted, and a sensor holder fixed to the sensor guide, so that the insertion depth of the sensor case into the sensor guide is deep. a lever including a locking gear that engages with a rack gear to allow movement of the sensor case in a first direction and prevent movement of the sensor case in a second direction where the sensor case is shallowly inserted into the sensor guide; The lever includes a first biasing mechanism that biases the case in a second direction and a second biasing mechanism that biases the lever so that the engaged state of the rack gear and the locking gear is maintained. The sensor case is characterized in that the sensor case is configured to be movable in the second direction by releasing the engagement between the rack gear and the locking gear through an operation.

According to the present invention, by inserting the sensor case containing the sensor in the first direction, the sensor can be brought closer to the object to be measured, and the ratchet mechanism consisting of the rack gear and the locking gear allows the sensor case to be inserted into the second direction. It is possible to prevent a return to the direction. When changing the object to be measured, the position of the sensor case can be easily returned to the initial state by performing a release operation using the lever.

In the present invention, the lever includes a fulcrum capable of circular motion, a first functional piece located on one side of the fulcrum and provided with a locking gear, and a second functional piece located on the other side of the fulcrum. The second biasing mechanism includes an elastic ring wrapped around the sensor guide so that the first functional piece is pressed against the sensor guide side, and the lever includes a functional piece that presses the first functional piece against the sensor guide side. It may be configured such that the release operation can be performed by displacing the sensor toward the sensor guide side. According to this, the engaged state of the rack gear and the locking gear can be maintained with a simple configuration, and the release operation can be easily performed by pressing the second functional piece of the lever.

In the present invention, the sensor guide and the first functional piece of the lever may have a positioning part for positioning the elastic ring. According to this, it becomes possible to prevent the elastic ring from shifting.

The sensor holder according to the present invention further includes a release mechanism that engages the first functional piece of the lever, and the lever is released by displacing the first functional piece away from the sensor guide using the release mechanism. It does not matter if it is configured to be operable. According to this, it becomes possible to perform a release operation on a plurality of sensor holders at once.

In the present invention, the sensor case may further include an indicator that indicates the depth position with respect to the sensor guide. According to this, it becomes possible to easily confirm the depth position of the sensor case.

In the present invention, the sensor guide has a cylindrical part that covers the sensor case, the indicator of the sensor case is provided on the outer wall surface covered by the cylindrical part of the sensor guide, and the cylindrical part of the sensor guide has a cylindrical part that covers the sensor case. The opening has an opening through which the outer wall surface can be viewed, and the opening allows the indicator to be viewed when the release operation is performed, and after the release operation is performed, the sensor case is placed in the sensor guide in the first direction. It may be provided at a position where it becomes invisible when inserted to a depth greater than a predetermined depth. According to this, it becomes possible to easily confirm whether the position of the sensor case is in the initial state.

In the present invention, the sensor case may house a magnetic sensor including a sensor head at the end in the first direction. According to this, it becomes possible to apply it to a magnetic measurement device that detects an extremely weak magnetic field such as a biomagnetic field.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sensor holder with improved sensor positioning efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a magnetic measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the structure of the magnetic sensor holder 100. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the magnetic sensor holder 100. FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the magnetic sensor holder 100.

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a magnetic measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The magnetic measurement device shown in FIG. 1 includes a measurement jig 200 and a plurality of magnetic sensor holders 100 fixed to the measurement jig 200. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four magnetic sensor holders 100 are fixed to the measurement jig 200, but the number of magnetic sensor holders 100 fixed to the measurement jig 200 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of magnetic sensor holders 100 are fixed to the flat XY plane of the measurement jig 200, but the shape of the measurement jig 200 is not particularly limited and may vary depending on the object to be measured. It is sufficient if it has a shape. The measurement jig 200 shown in FIG. 1 has a cylindrical structure, and is provided with an opening (not shown) at a position overlapping with the magnetic sensor holder 100. Then, with the object to be measured placed in the cylindrical space 210, a sensor case, which will be described later, included in the magnetic sensor holder 100 is pushed in the +Z direction, and measurement is performed while pressing the sensor head against the object to be measured. Thereby, measurement can be performed while the distance between the object to be measured and the magnetic sensor is very close.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the structure of the magnetic sensor holder 100. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the magnetic sensor holder 100, and FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the magnetic sensor holder 100.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the magnetic sensor holder 100 according to the present embodiment includes a cylindrical sensor case 20 that fixes the magnetic sensor 10, a cylindrical sensor guide 30 into which the sensor case 20 is inserted, and a sensor It includes a lever 40 fixed to a guide 30, a coil spring 50 made of a non-magnetic material, and an elastic ring 60. The magnetic sensor 10 is a rectangular prism-shaped body whose longitudinal direction is the Z direction and whose XY cross section is approximately square.A sensor head 11 is provided at the end in the +Z direction, and a cable 12 is connected to the end in the -Z direction. has been done. When actually performing measurement, the sensor head 11 of the magnetic sensor 10 held in the sensor case 20 is pressed against the object to be measured.

The sensor case 20 has a cylindrical part 21 that accommodates the magnetic sensor 10, and a flange part 22 provided at the end of the cylindrical part 21 in the -Z direction. When the magnetic sensor 10 is housed in the cylindrical portion 21 of the sensor case 20, the two are substantially integrated and their relative positional relationship is fixed. A rack gear 23 is provided on the outer circumferential wall forming the XZ plane of the cylindrical portion 21 . Furthermore, an indicator 24 that indicates the depth position of the sensor case 20 with respect to the sensor guide 30 is provided on another outer peripheral wall that constitutes the YZ plane of the cylindrical portion 21 . The indicator 24 is composed of, for example, a symbol printed on the outer circumferential wall of the cylindrical portion 21.

The sensor guide 30 is a part fixed to the measurement jig 200 shown in FIG. It has a flange portion 32 provided therein. The cylindrical part 31 of the sensor guide 30 has a screw hole 33 provided on the outer peripheral wall forming the XZ plane of the cylindrical part 31 for fixing the lever 40, and an opening for exposing the rack gear 23 of the sensor case 20. 34 and an opening 35 for viewing the indicator 24.

The lever 40 includes a screw 43 serving as a fulcrum, a functional piece 41 located on the +Z direction side when viewed from the fulcrum and having a locking gear 44 and a hook portion 45, and a functional piece 41 located on the −Z direction side when viewed from the fulcrum. 42. The screw 43 is inserted into the screw hole 33 so as to extend in the X direction, and is fixed with a nut 47. This allows the lever 40 to move in an arc using the screw 43 as a fulcrum. When the lever 40 is moved in an arc, the positions of the

functional pieces

41 and 42 in the Y direction are displaced. The functional piece 41 is provided with a locking gear 44, and when the functional piece 41 is displaced in the -Y direction, the rack gear 23 exposed from the opening 34 of the sensor guide 30 engages with the locking gear 44. do. Conversely, when the functional piece 41 is displaced in the +Y direction, the engagement between the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 is released.

The rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 constitute a ratchet, and when they are engaged, the sensor case 20 is inserted into the sensor guide 30 in the first direction, that is, the sensor case 20 is inserted deeper into the sensor guide 30. While movement in the direction of displacing the sensor case 20 in the +Z direction is permitted, movement in the second direction where the insertion depth of the sensor case 20 into the sensor guide 30 becomes shallower, that is, movement in the -Z direction with respect to the sensor guide 30 Movement in the direction of displacement is prevented. In order to release the engagement between the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44, a release operation is performed in which the functional piece 42 of the lever 40 is pushed toward the sensor guide 30, that is, in the -Y direction. As a result, the locking gear 44 is displaced in the +Y direction, so that the engagement between the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 is released, allowing the sensor case 20 to move in the -Z direction.

The coil spring 50 is disposed between the flange portion 22 of the sensor case 20 and the flange portion 32 of the sensor guide 30, and constitutes a first biasing mechanism that biases the two so that the distance between them becomes a predetermined distance. As a result, in the initial state where the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 are not engaged, the distance between the

flange portions

22 and 32, that is, the relative position of the sensor case 20 and the sensor guide 30 in the Z direction is determined by the coil spring 50. Determined by Then, when the sensor case 20 is displaced from the initial state in the +Z direction, the coil spring 50 is compressed, and the compressed coil spring 50 urges the sensor case 20 in the -Z direction with respect to the sensor guide 30.

The elastic ring 60 is made of rubber or the like, and constitutes a second biasing mechanism that is wound around the sensor guide 30 so that the functional piece 41 of the lever 40 is pressed against the -Y direction side, that is, the sensor guide 30 side. By wrapping such an elastic ring 60 around the sensor guide 30 and lever 40, when no external force is applied to the lever 40, the functional piece 41 remains displaced in the −Y direction. , the engaged state of the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 is maintained. Here, the cylindrical portion 31 of the sensor guide 30 is provided with a groove 36 for positioning the elastic ring 60, and the functional piece 41 of the lever 40 is provided with a groove 46 for positioning the elastic ring 60. In this way, since the sensor guide 30 and the lever 40 are provided with the

grooves

36 and 46 that function as positioning parts for the elastic ring 60, displacement of the elastic ring 60 in the Z direction is prevented. Instead of the

grooves

36 and 46, protrusions or the like may be used to prevent the elastic ring 60 from shifting in the Z direction.

When performing measurement using the magnetic sensor holder 100 having such a configuration, the position of the sensor case 20 with respect to the sensor guide 30 is returned to the initial state by performing a release operation using the lever 40 in advance. From this state, by pushing the sensor case 20 in the +Z direction, the sensor head 11 of the magnetic sensor 10 is pressed against the object to be measured located in the space 210 shown in FIG. As described above, since the rack gear 23 and the locking gear 44 constitute a ratchet, movement in the first direction where the insertion depth of the sensor case 20 becomes deeper is permitted, whereas insertion of the sensor case 20 is Movement in the second direction, where the depth becomes shallower, is prevented. Therefore, when the sensor head 11 of the magnetic sensor 10 is pressed against the object to be measured, this state will be maintained.

Here, if the insertion depth of the sensor case 20 is too deep, any magnetic sensor holder 100 can be returned to the initial state by performing a release operation on the magnetic sensor holder 100 individually. Then, when the measurement is completed, by performing a release operation on all the magnetic sensor holders 100, the positions of the sensor cases 20 of all the magnetic sensor holders 100 are returned to the initial state. The release operation for all magnetic sensor holders 100 can be performed at once using the release mechanism 300 shown in FIG. The release mechanism 300 includes a release lever 310 and a plurality of rod-shaped parts 320 connected to the release lever 310. The rod-shaped portion 320 extends in the X direction and engages with the hook portion 45 of each lever 40. Then, when the release lever 310 is operated in the +Y direction, the functional piece 41 of the lever 40 is displaced in the +Y direction by the rod-shaped part 320 engaged with the hook part 45. Therefore, in all magnetic sensor holders 100, the rack gear 23 The engagement of the locking gear 44 is released. By using such a release mechanism 300, even when a large number of magnetic sensor holders 100 are provided, it is possible to perform a release operation on all magnetic sensor holders 100 at once.

Further, when the position of the sensor case 20 is returned to the initial state by the release operation, the indicator 24 becomes visible through the opening 35 provided in the cylindrical portion 31 of the sensor guide 30. That is, when the position of the sensor case 20 is in the initial state, the positions of the indicator 24 and the opening 35 in the Z direction overlap, and the indicator 24 can be visually recognized from the opening 35. Thereby, it is possible to easily confirm that the current position of the sensor case 20 is in the initial state. Then, when the sensor case 20 is pushed in the +Z direction from the initial state to a predetermined depth or more, the indicator 24 and the opening 35 lose their overlap, and the indicator 24 becomes invisible from the opening 35. Thereby, it can be easily confirmed that the current position of the sensor case 20 is different from the initial state.

As described above, since the magnetic measurement device according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of magnetic sensor holders 100 each having a ratchet mechanism, it is possible to perform measurement work efficiently even when the shape of each object to be measured is different. becomes possible.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Needless to say, it is included within the scope.

For example, in the above embodiment, the coil spring 50 is used to bias the sensor case 20 in the −Z direction, but a biasing mechanism different from the coil spring 50 may be used. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the elastic ring 60 is used to urge the functional piece 41 of the lever 40 in the −Y direction, but a different urging mechanism than the elastic ring 60 may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, the screw 43 is used as the fulcrum of the lever 40, but the member constituting the fulcrum is not limited to this. Furthermore, the magnetic sensor 10 and the sensor case 20 may be integrated, and the rack gear 23 and the indicator 24 may be provided on the side surface thereof.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a magnetic sensor holder capable of positioning a magnetic sensor has been described as an example, but it is also applicable to a sensor holder capable of positioning a sensor other than a magnetic sensor.

10 Magnetic sensor 11 Sensor head 12 Cable 20 Sensor case 21 Cylindrical part 22 Flange part 23 Rack gear 24 Indicator 30 Sensor guide 31 Cylindrical part 32 Flange part 33 Screw holes 34, 35 Opening part 36 Groove 40

Lever

41, 42 Functional piece 43 Screw 44 Locking gear 45 Hook part 46 Groove 47 Nut 50 Coil spring 60 Elastic ring 100 Magnetic sensor holder 200 Measuring jig 210 Space 300 Release mechanism 310 Release lever 320 Rod-shaped part

Claims

a sensor case having a rack gear and accommodating the sensor;
a sensor guide into which the sensor case is inserted;
A second direction is fixed to the sensor guide and allows movement of the sensor case in a first direction in which the insertion depth of the sensor case into the sensor guide becomes deeper, and a second direction in which the insertion depth of the sensor case into the sensor guide becomes shallower. a lever including a locking gear that engages the rack gear to prevent movement of the sensor case in the direction;
a first biasing mechanism that biases the sensor case in the second direction;
a second biasing mechanism that biases the lever so that the engaged state of the rack gear and the locking gear is maintained;
The sensor holder is characterized in that the lever is configured to allow movement of the sensor case in the second direction by releasing the engagement between the rack gear and the locking gear by a release operation.
The lever has a fulcrum capable of circular motion, a first functional piece located on one side of the fulcrum and provided with the locking gear, and a second functional piece located on the other side of the fulcrum. and a functional piece of
The second biasing mechanism includes an elastic ring wrapped around the sensor guide so that the first functional piece is pressed against the sensor guide,
The sensor holder according to claim 1, wherein the lever is configured such that the release operation can be performed by displacing the second functional piece toward the sensor guide.
The sensor holder according to claim 2, wherein the sensor guide and the first functional piece of the lever have a positioning part that positions the elastic ring.
further comprising a release mechanism that engages the first functional piece of the lever,
According to claim 2 or 3, the lever is configured such that the release operation can be performed by using the release mechanism to displace the first functional piece in a direction away from the sensor guide. The sensor holder described.
The sensor holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor case further includes an indicator that indicates a depth position with respect to the sensor guide.
The sensor guide has a cylindrical part that covers the sensor case,
The indicator of the sensor case is provided on an outer wall surface covered by the cylindrical part of the sensor guide,
The cylindrical part of the sensor guide has an opening through which the outer wall surface of the sensor case can be viewed,
The opening allows the indicator to be visually recognized when the release operation is performed, and after the release operation is performed, the sensor case is inserted into the sensor guide to a depth greater than or equal to a predetermined depth in the first direction. 6. The sensor holder according to claim 5, wherein the sensor holder is provided at a position where the sensor holder becomes invisible when inserted.
The sensor holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor case accommodates a magnetic sensor that includes a sensor head at an end in the first direction.