JP2010219202A - Photoelectric sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a photoelectric sensor device that can be realized in a simple manner and can be both downsized and high performance.
A circuit board (4) on which an optical element (2) is mounted, a case (6) in which the circuit board is accommodated, and a lens (10) that is assembled to the case and determines an optical system of the optical element. A photoelectric sensor device (1) having a cover (8) provided, and positioning means for defining the distance of the optical element with respect to the lens on the case side by assembling and positioning the circuit board with respect to the case ( 12) is provided.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a photoelectric sensor device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photoelectric sensor device that detects an object by either reflection of visible light, invisible light, or light shielding is known. This type of photoelectric sensor device is known to detect an object by either reflection or shading of visible or invisible light, and enable long distance detection. A light emitting diode (light emitting element) or a photodiode (light receiving element) is known. A circuit board on which an optical element is mounted, a circuit board on which the optical element is mounted, a case that houses the circuit board, and a cover that is assembled to the case and includes a lens that determines the optical system of the optical element It is equipped with.

  In addition, a slide adjusting means for moving the optical element or the lens along the optical axis that is the optical central axis of the optical element is provided, and the distance between the optical element and the lens is changed by the slide adjusting means, so that the optical axis can be easily adjusted. A technique for improving the performance of the photoelectric sensor device by performing the technique is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-2586 A

However, since the slide adjusting means of the above prior art requires a rotating mechanism for adjusting the distance between the optical element and the lens, the number of parts of the photoelectric sensor device increases, and as a result, the production cost of the photoelectric sensor device increases. The configuration of the photoelectric sensor device becomes complicated, and there is a problem that the photoelectric sensor device cannot be easily downsized.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric sensor device that can be simplified and can realize both downsizing and high performance.

  In order to achieve the above object, a photoelectric sensor device according to claim 1 determines a circuit board on which an optical element is mounted, a case in which the circuit board is accommodated, a case, and an optical system of the optical element. A photoelectric sensor device comprising a cover provided with a lens, comprising a positioning means for defining the distance of the optical element with respect to the lens on the case side by assembling and positioning the circuit board with respect to the case. It is said.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the positioning means has a protrusion formed on the case and protrudes on the back surface of the optical element opposite to the optical surface of the optical element facing the lens. It is characterized in that the distance of the optical element with respect to the lens is defined by contacting the part.
Further, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that in claim 1, a fixing means for fixing the circuit board to the case or the cover is provided.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that in claim 1, a plurality of sets of corresponding optical elements, circuit boards, lenses, and positioning means are provided.

  According to the photoelectric sensor device of the present invention, it is provided with positioning means for defining the distance of the optical element from the lens on the case side by assembling and positioning the circuit board with respect to the case. This eliminates the need for a separate member for defining the distance of the optical element with respect to the lens, thereby reducing the production cost of the photoelectric sensor device and improving the performance of the photoelectric sensor device. Both downsizing and high performance of the sensor device can be realized.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the assembly state of the photoelectric sensor apparatus seen from the AA direction of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which shows the fixing means of the circuit board different from FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which shows the fixing means of the circuit board different from FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which shows the fixing means of the circuit board different from FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on the modification of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the principal part of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on another modification of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the photoelectric sensor apparatus which concerns on another modification of this invention.

Hereinafter, a photoelectric sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described from the first embodiment with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the photoelectric sensor device 1 according to this embodiment.
The photoelectric sensor device 1 is a detector that detects an object via the optical element 2 by either reflection or shading of visible or invisible light, and the optical element 2 is electrically mounted to form a wiring pattern. The circuit board 4, a case 6 that accommodates the circuit board 4, and a cover 8 that is assembled to the case 6 are schematically configured.

  The optical element 2 is a surface-mount package component in which an electronic component is mounted on a substrate such as silicon and the surface is sealed with an epoxy resin or the like, and is used as a light emitting diode (light emitting element), a photodiode (light receiving element), or the like. 1 has an external dimension of about 2 mm in length and width and about 0.4 mm in height, for example, and is mounted on the circuit board 4 at substantially the center of the mounting surface 4a on which the optical element 2 is mounted.

Each of the case 6 and the cover 8 is formed in a box from a synthetic resin or the like, and has outer dimensions of, for example, a vertical width of 10 mm, a horizontal width of 20 mm, and a height of 4 mm in the direction of FIG.
Referring to the longitudinal sectional view of the assembled state of the photoelectric sensor device 1 as viewed from the AA direction in FIG. 2, the cover 8 is provided with a lens 10 on the bottom surface 8 a of the box, and the optical element 2. Together with this, an optical system is formed. In the case of this embodiment, the lens 10 is positioned to face the optical element 2 in the height direction of the case 6 and the cover 8, and thereby the light emission and light reception of the optical element 2 are parallel to the mounted surface 4 a. The photoelectric sensor device 1 that can be configured with

Hereinafter, the assembly procedure of the photoelectric sensor device 1 will be described.
First, the circuit board 4 is placed on the bottom surface 6 a of the case 6 from the back surface 4 b, which is the surface opposite to the mounting surface 4 a, and is accommodated in the case 6.
Next, the opening end surfaces 6b and 8b of the box bodies of the case 6 and the cover 8 are brought into contact with each other, and the outer peripheral portions of the case 6 and the cover 8 are fixed with jigs, for example, between the opening end surfaces 6b and 8b. The contact surfaces of the case 6 and the cover 8 are joined by an appropriate joining method such as laser welding, for example, so that no large assembly error occurs in the assembly of the case 6 and the cover 8. That is, the cover 8 is assembled to the case 6 based on the mutual external shape reference with the case 6, and the assembly of the photoelectric sensor device 1 is completed.

By the way, in the present embodiment, a positioning mechanism (positioning means) 12 for assembling and positioning the circuit board 4 with respect to the case 6 is provided.
Specifically, a cylindrical boss (protrusion) 14 having an outer dimension with a height H approximately equal to or slightly larger than the thickness t of the circuit board 4 and a diameter d of several millimeters is formed on the bottom surface 6a of the case 6. On the other hand, the circuit board 4 is provided with a boss hole 16 through which the boss 14 can be fitted, and the positioning mechanism 12 includes a pair of the boss 14 and the boss hole 16. . The tip of the boss 14 preferably has a plane parallel to the bottom surface 6a of the case 6, but may have a convex shape or a conical shape. The boss 14 may be formed integrally with the case 6 or may be provided after being joined to the bottom surface 6a. The optical element 2 is fixed to the mounting surface 4 a of the circuit board 4 so as to close the boss hole 16. This fixing is performed by an adhesive or by soldering the electrical terminals of the optical element 2 to the circuit pattern of the mounting surface 4a. The boss hole 16 is closed by the back surface of the optical element 2 on the mounted surface 4 a of the circuit board 4 and opened at the back surface 4 b of the circuit board 4. The optical element 2 desirably completely covers the boss hole 16, but it is sufficient that at least a part of the boss hole 16 is blocked.

  When the circuit board 4 is placed on the bottom surface 6a, the boss 14 is fitted into the boss hole 16, and at this time, the end surface 14a of the boss 14 faces the optical element 2 facing the lens 10, preferably the optical element 2. The circuit board 4 is assembled to the case 6 by being brought into contact with the back surface 2b opposite to the surface (optical surface) 2a on which electronic components that emit or receive light are mounted. As a result, the circuit board 4 with respect to the bottom surface 6a, and in turn the positioning of the optical element 2 in the direction of the mounting surface 4a (width and depth in the direction of FIG. 1), and at the same time, the distance D of the optical element 2 with respect to the lens 10 is the case. It is defined on the 6th side. The fit of the boss 14 to the boss hole 16 is not particularly limited. Therefore, it is not always necessary to have an interference fit, and a clearance fit or an intermediate fit between a clearance fit and an interference fit may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the boss 14 and the boss hole 16 are ideally provided so that the central axis thereof overlaps the optical axis 18 that is the optical central axis of the optical element 2. Is positioned approximately in the center of the optical element 2 in plan view. In other words, as described above, the lens 10 is in a positional relationship facing the optical element 2, and the optical axis 18 of the optical element 2 coincides with the optical axis of the lens 10. It can be said that it is provided on the common optical axis 18 of the element 2 and the lens 10. Of course, it is difficult to completely overlap the central axis of the boss 14 and the boss hole 16 with the optical axis 18, but it is sufficient if there is a positional relationship such that the central axis passes through the optical element 2 as a guide.

  As described above, the present embodiment includes the positioning mechanism 12 that defines the distance D of the optical element 2 with respect to the lens 10 on the case 6 side by assembling and positioning the circuit board 4 with respect to the case 6. Specifically, the positioning mechanism 12 has a boss 14 formed on the case 6, and the boss 14 is applied to the back surface 2 b of the optical element 2 opposite to the optical surface 2 a of the optical element 2 facing the lens 10. By making contact, the distance D of the optical element 2 with respect to the lens 10 is defined. Thereby, since a separate member for defining the distance D of the optical element 2 with respect to the lens 10 is not required, the performance of the photoelectric sensor device 1 can be improved while reducing the production cost when mass-producing the photoelectric sensor device 1. Thus, both the downsizing and the high performance of the photoelectric sensor device 1 can be realized in a simple manner.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, the fixing means for the circuit board 4 will be described. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the fixing means will be mainly described.
3 to 6 show longitudinal sectional views of the optical sensor device 1 provided with various fixing means for the circuit board 4. In these cases, although the height H of the boss 14 is larger than the thickness t of the circuit board 4 depending on the size of the distance D set in advance according to the optical profile determined by the optical sensor device 1 ( H ≧ t), the optical element 2 is mounted on the circuit board 4, and the end face 14 a of the boss 14 is in contact with the back face 2 b of the optical element 2, so that the back face 4 b of the circuit board 4 is separated from the bottom face 6 a of the case 6. Thus, a space 20 is formed between the circuit board 4 and the case 6.

In the case of FIG. 3, an injection hole 22 drilled in the side wall 6 c of the case 6 is opened in the space 20, and an adhesive portion 24 is formed by injecting an adhesive into the space 20 through the injection hole 22. Then, the circuit board 4 is bonded and fixed to the bottom surface 6 a by the bonding portion 24.
In the case of FIG. 4, an elastic member 26 is provided at an appropriate position between the cover 8 and the circuit board 4, and the elastic member 26 is a rubber, an elastomer, a spring, or the like that generates a predetermined elastic force. The circuit board 4 is fixed by pressing 4 toward the case 6.

In the case of FIG. 5, an adhesive portion 28 made of UV (ultraviolet) adhesive is interposed in advance between the side surface 4 c of the circuit board 4 and the side wall 6 c of the case 6. The circuit board 4 is fixed by curing the adhesive portion 28 by irradiation.
In the case of FIG. 6, before assembling the cover 8 to the case 6, the circuit board 4 is thermally welded to the case 6 by a so-called heat stake 30 to fix the circuit board 4 to the case 6.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the fixing means for fixing the circuit board 4 to the case 6 or the cover 8, the height H of the boss 14 is set to the circuit board 4 according to the preset distance D. Even when the thickness is larger than the thickness t, the positioning mechanism 12 can reliably define the distance D.
Although the description of one embodiment of the present invention has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, the present invention is not limited to the photoelectric sensor device 1 in each of the above embodiments, and the present invention can also be applied to the oblique projection type photoelectric sensor device 1 shown in FIG. Specifically, by forming the end face 14a of the boss 14 on an inclined surface perpendicular to the optical axis 18 inclined at a predetermined inclination angle from the vertical direction, even in the oblique light projection type photoelectric sensor device 1, the lens 10 and the optical element 2 face each other, and the distance D can be defined.

Further, the present invention can also be applied to a photoelectric sensor device 1 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the boss 14 may be erected on the bottom surface 6 a of the case 6 and bent in an L shape toward the lens 10 provided on the side wall 8 a of the cover 8 to define the distance D.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical element 2 is mounted on the back surface 4 b of the circuit board 4, and an opening 32 is provided in a predetermined region of the circuit board 4, so that at least the central part of the optical surface 2 a of the optical element 2 is provided. May be directly opposed to the lens 10 without being covered by the circuit board 4, and the boss 14 may be in contact with the entire back surface 2b of the optical element 2 to define the distance D.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, by mounting the optical element 2 on the back surface 4 b of the circuit board 4 and providing an opening 32 in a predetermined region of the circuit board 4, at least the center of the optical surface 2 a of the optical element 2. The portion is made to face the lens 10 without being covered with the circuit board 4, and the back surface 2 b of the optical element 2 is directly brought into contact with the bottom surface 6 a of the case 6, so that the case 6 and the cover 8 have a depth of box. The distance D may be defined by changing it.

  Further, referring to an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the photoelectric sensor device 1 of FIG. 11, the notch 34 is provided on the circuit board 4, the optical element 2 is mounted on the notch 34, and the notch 34. A protrusion 36 that can be fitted to the case 6 may be formed continuously from the side wall 6 c of the case 6. In this case, the end surface 36a of the protruding portion 36 formed flush with the opening end surface 6b of the case 6 is brought into contact with the back surface 2b of the optical element 2, and the distance D is defined according to the height H of the protruding portion 36. Is done.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, a through hole 38 through which the boss 14 can penetrate is provided in the mounting region of the optical element 2 on the circuit board 4, and the boss 14 through the through hole 38 directly contacts the optical element 2. You may make it fit. Specifically, by providing a small protrusion 14c on the end surface 14a of the boss 14 and providing a small recess 2c in which the small protrusion 14c can be fitted at the center of the back surface 2b of the optical element 2, the distance D can be more accurately determined. Can be specified.

Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, the shape of the boss 14 is not limited to the cylindrical shape as described above. You may provide the cylindrical boss | hub 14 which provided the hollow part.
In each of the above embodiments, a set of corresponding optical elements 2, circuit boards 4, and positioning mechanisms 12 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of sets of corresponding optical elements 2, circuit boards 4, positioning mechanisms 12 are provided. May be provided. For example, a light emitting element and a circuit board corresponding to the light emitting element, a positioning mechanism, and a light receiving element and a circuit board corresponding to the light receiving element may be provided. One circuit board may be divided and connected by a connecting member that is flexibly connected by the arrangement position of each positioning mechanism.

  Finally, in each of the above embodiments, the optical element 2 is a surface mount package component in which an electronic component is mounted on a substrate such as silicon and the surface is sealed with an epoxy resin or the like. A so-called bare chip may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoelectric sensor apparatus 2 Optical element 2a Optical surface 2b Back surface 4 Circuit board 6 Case 8 Cover 10 Lens 12 Positioning mechanism (positioning means)
14 Boss (projection)

Claims (4)

A photoelectric sensor device comprising: a circuit board on which an optical element is mounted; a case in which the circuit board is accommodated; and a cover that is assembled to the case and provided with a lens that determines an optical system of the optical element. And
A photoelectric sensor device, comprising: positioning means for defining a distance of the optical element with respect to the lens on the case side by assembling and positioning the circuit board with respect to the case.   The positioning means has a protrusion formed on the case, and the protrusion is brought into contact with the back surface of the optical element opposite to the optical surface of the optical element facing the lens. The photoelectric sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the distance of the optical element with respect to a lens is defined.   The photoelectric sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing unit that fixes the circuit board to the case or the cover.   The photoelectric sensor device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of sets of the corresponding optical elements, the circuit board, the lens, and the positioning means.

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