Ultrasonic sensor module

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasonic sensor module. The ultrasonic sensor module includes a shell, an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit. The shell includes a first surface. The first surface includes a first opening, a second opening and at least one groove. The groove is located between the first opening and the second opening. The ultrasonic transmitting unit is arranged in the shell and emits sound waves outward through the first opening. The ultrasonic receiving unit is arranged in the shell and receives sound waves through the second opening. The groove has a width, and the width satisfies the following formula: w=L(n+1 / m); wherein w is the width, n is an integer greater than or equal to zero, L is the wavelength of the sound wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit, and m is a value between 3 and 16.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor. Background Art

[0002] A conventional ultrasonic sensor uses a transmitting end to transmit sound waves to the object to be measured, and then uses a receiving end to receive the reflected sound waves to detect the distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the object to be measured.

[0003] However, in actual use, it is easy to encounter the situation where the sound waves from the transmitting end are directly diffracted to the receiving end, causing problems with the ranging function and causing the ultrasonic sensor to misjudge. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic sensor module to solve at least one of the above problems.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides an ultrasonic sensor module. The ultrasonic sensor module includes a shell, an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit. The shell includes a first surface. The first surface includes a first opening, a second opening and at least one groove. The groove is located between the first opening and the second opening. The ultrasonic transmitting unit is arranged in the shell and emits sound waves outward through the first opening. The ultrasonic receiving unit is arranged in the shell and receives sound waves through the second opening. The groove has a width, and the width satisfies the following formula: w=L(n+1 / m); wherein w is the width, n is an integer greater than or equal to zero, L is the wavelength of the sound wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit, and m is a value between 3 and 16.

[0006] The ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention has at least one groove between the first opening and the second opening of the shell. The groove has a specific width. The sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit to the surface of the shell will be reflected back and forth in the groove to reduce their intensity. In this way, the sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit to the ultrasonic receiving unit can be effectively eliminated to avoid misjudgment of the ultrasonic sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2-Figure 4 To correspond to Figure 1 A front view schematic diagram, a side view schematic diagram and a top view schematic diagram of an ultrasonic sensor module;

[0009] Figure 5 To correspond to Figure 3 Schematic cross-sectional view of the AA section;

[0010] Figure 6is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a second embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a third embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 8 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention; and

[0013] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic diagram of a fifth embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The specific implementation of the present invention will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the schematic diagram. The advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not in exact proportions, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention. Figure 2-Figure 4 To correspond to Figure 1 A front view schematic diagram, a side view schematic diagram and a top view schematic diagram of an ultrasonic sensor module. Figure 5 To correspond to Figure 3 In one embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor module 100 can be applied to robot-related products, such as industrial robots, toy robots, Lego robots, sweeping robots, etc., to detect the external environment and avoid collisions.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic sensor module 100 includes a housing 120 , an ultrasonic transmitting unit 140 and an ultrasonic receiving unit 160 .

[0017] The housing 120 includes a first surface 121 and a second surface 122. The first surface 121 includes a first opening 123, a second opening 124 and at least one groove (three grooves 125a, 125b, 125c are used as an example in the figure). The ultrasonic emitting unit 140 is disposed in the housing 120 and emits sound waves to the outside through the first opening 123. The ultrasonic receiving unit 160 is disposed in the housing 120 and receives sound waves through the second opening 124. The grooves 125a, 125b, 125c are located between the first opening 123 and the second opening 124.

[0018] In one embodiment, a connector 180 is disposed on a side of the housing 120 to provide the power required for the ultrasonic sensor module 100 to operate and to transmit the detection signal generated by the ultrasonic sensor module 100 to the outside.

[0019] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, a spacer layer 170 may be disposed between the ultrasonic transmitting unit 140 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 160 for separation. The spacer layer 170 is located inside the housing 120. In one embodiment, the spacer layer 170 may be filled with a sound absorbing material, such as foam.

[0020] In this embodiment, these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c have the same width w, and the width w satisfies the following formula: w=L(n+1 / m); wherein w is the width, n is an integer greater than or equal to zero, L is the wavelength of the sound wave emitted by the ultrasonic emitting unit 140, and m is a value between 3 and 16.

[0021] The width setting can avoid the generation of standing waves in the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c, so that the sound waves diffracted on the surface of the housing 120 can be reflected back and forth in the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c to reduce their intensity. At the same time, it can also avoid the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c being too narrow to affect the manufacturing process. In this way, the sound waves diffracted from the ultrasonic transmitting unit 140 to the ultrasonic receiving unit 160 can be effectively eliminated.

[0022] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the length of the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c is approximately equal to the width of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124. However, it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the length of the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c is greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124, which can effectively achieve the effect of reducing diffracted sound waves.

[0023] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the first opening 123 is circular and the second opening 124 is circular to match the appearance of the transmitting end of the ultrasonic transmitting unit 140 and the receiving end of the ultrasonic receiving unit 160. The center of the first opening 123 and the center of the second opening 124 define a midline LM (i.e., a line connecting the center of the first opening 123 and the center of the second opening 124). The grooves 125a, 125b, 125c are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the midline LM.

[0024] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c extend along the straight line direction D1, and their extending direction is perpendicular to the midline LM. However, this is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, according to actual needs, these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c can also be arranged obliquely on the first surface 121. In addition, in other embodiments, the extending directions of each groove 125a, 125b, 125c can also be different.

[0025] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the three grooves 125a, 125b, 125c are arranged parallel to each other between the first opening 123 and the second opening 124, and the spacing g between two adjacent grooves 125a, 125b, 125c is kept constant. However, it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, because the sound waves generated by the ultrasonic emitting unit 140 may slightly change, the spacing g between the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c may be designed in a different spacing distance according to the change.

[0026] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the extending directions of these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c are parallel to each other, and the width w of each groove 125a, 125b, 125c is the same. However, it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, because the sound waves generated by the ultrasonic emitting unit 140 may vary slightly, these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c may be designed with different widths according to the variation. However, these widths must satisfy the aforementioned formula: w = L (n + 1 / m), and m is a value between 3 and 16. In one embodiment, the spacing distance g of these grooves 125a, 125b, 125c may be greater than or equal to the width w of the groove.

[0027] The second surface 122 includes a plurality of connection structures 1222 arranged in an array. In one embodiment, the connection structures 1222 are circular. The connection structures 1222 can be used to connect with other surfaces or elements having corresponding connection structures. Thus, the ultrasonic sensor module 100 of the present invention can be easily fixed at a desired installation position in a modular manner.

[0028] In one embodiment, the housing 120 is substantially rectangular, and the second surface 122 and the first surface 121 are located on opposite sides of the housing. However, this is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, according to actual needs, the second surface 122 for installation and the first surface 121 for sensing can also be located on adjacent sides of the housing 120 to provide different installation methods.

[0029] The following table (Table 1) presents the degree of improvement of the diffracted sound waves by the ultrasonic sensor module configured according to the first embodiment of the present invention with experimental data. D in the table is the distance from the center of the first opening 123 to the center of the second opening 124. The diffraction increment caused by the shell is to compare the intensity of the diffraction signal before and after the shell is installed. The lower the value, the better the improvement in diffraction. The control sample 1 in the table is an ultrasonic sensor module without grooves. The groove width of the control sample 2 is larger, and its corresponding m value is 2.01, which does not fall within the range set by the present invention (i.e., a value between 3 and 16). Sample 1 and sample 2 both adopt the configuration method of the first embodiment of the present invention, but their groove widths are different.

[0030]

[0031] Table 1

[0032] According to the experimental data in the table above, the shell of the ultrasonic sensor module does cause diffraction and affect the detection results of the ultrasonic sensor module. In addition, although the formation of grooves on the shell can improve the diffraction problem, compared with the improvement effect of the control sample 2 (the corresponding m value of the groove width is 2.01), the grooves formed according to the groove width set by the present invention (i.e., samples 1 and 2) can significantly improve the improvement of the diffraction problem.

[0033] In addition, the ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention can be designed to have different sizes or specifications according to the needs. In one embodiment, if the distance from the center of the first opening 123 to the center of the second opening 124 is large, that is, when the D value in the table is large, the value of n can be increased accordingly. In one embodiment, if the size of the ultrasonic sensor module is limited by the D value and cannot be too large, that is, when the value of w needs to be reduced, the value of m can be increased.

[0034] Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of a second embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module 200 of the present invention. Figure 1 In the ultrasonic sensor module 100, the length of the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c is approximately equal to the diameter of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124. The grooves 225a, 225b, 225c of the ultrasonic sensor module 200 of this embodiment extend to the edge of the first surface 221 to ensure that the sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 140 to the surface of the housing 220 will be transmitted to the ultrasonic receiving unit 160 after the intensity is reduced by the grooves 225a, 225b, 225c. However, it is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the length of the grooves 125a, 125b, 125c is greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124, which can effectively achieve the effect of reducing the diffracted sound waves.

[0035] Figure 7 FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of a third embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module 300 of the present invention. Figure 1 In the ultrasonic sensor module 100 of the present embodiment, the three grooves 125a, 125b, and 125c have the same length, while the three grooves 325a, 325b, and 325c of the ultrasonic sensor module 300 of the present embodiment are designed to have different lengths. Figure 7 As shown, the lengths of the two grooves 325a, 325c near the first opening 123 and the second opening 124 are shorter, and the length of the groove 325b located in the middle is longer, so as to match the trajectory of the sound wave diffusing outward from the first opening 123 to the second opening 124, and effectively cover the range of the sound wave diffracted by the ultrasonic emitting unit 140 to the surface of the shell 320.

[0036] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram of a fourth embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module 400 of the present invention. Figure 1 The ultrasonic sensor module 100 of the embodiment has three grooves 125a, 125b, 125c disposed on the housing 120, while the housing 420 of the embodiment only has the groove 425. The embodiment is applicable to the case where the housing 420 is small in size or the distance between the first opening 123 and the second opening 124 is small.

[0037] Fig. 9 FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram of a fifth embodiment of an ultrasonic sensor module 500 of the present invention. Figure 1 In the ultrasonic sensor module 100 of the present embodiment, the three grooves 125a, 125b, and 125c extend along the straight direction D1, while the grooves 525a, 525b, and 525c of the ultrasonic sensor module 500 of the present embodiment extend along the arc direction D2.

[0038] In one embodiment, the lengths of the grooves 525a, 525b, 525c are greater than half the width of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124, and the radius of curvature of the arc direction D2 is greater than half the width of the first opening 123 or the second opening 124, so as to ensure that the grooves 525a, 525b, 525c can effectively cover the range of sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic emitting unit 140 to the surface of the shell 520.

[0039] In one embodiment, if Fig. 9As shown in FIG. 1 , the bending directions of the grooves 525a, 525b, and 525c are all toward the first opening 123. However, this is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the groove 525a near the first opening 123 may be bent toward the first opening 123, the groove 525b near the second opening 124 may be bent toward the second opening 124, and the groove 525b in the middle may be bent toward the first opening 123 or the second opening 124. Figure 1 The straight groove 125b is shown in FIG.

[0040] In summary, the ultrasonic sensor module of the present invention has at least one groove between the first opening and the second opening of the shell, and the groove has a specific width. The sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit to the surface of the shell will be reflected back and forth in the groove to reduce their intensity. In this way, the sound waves diffracted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit to the ultrasonic receiving unit can be effectively eliminated to avoid misjudgment of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0041] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the present invention in any way. Any technician in the relevant technical field, without departing from the scope of the technical means of the present invention, makes any form of equivalent replacement or modification to the technical means and technical content disclosed in the present invention, which is within the scope of the technical means of the present invention and still falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic sensor module, characterized in that: include: A housing, comprising a first surface, wherein the first surface comprises a first opening, a second opening and at least one groove, wherein the at least one groove is located between the first opening and the second opening; An ultrasonic wave transmitting unit is disposed in the housing and transmits sound waves outward through the first opening; an ultrasonic wave receiving unit, disposed in the housing and receiving the sound wave through the second opening; Wherein, the groove has a width, and the width satisfies the following formula: w = L(n+1 / m); Wherein, w is the width, n is an integer greater than or equal to zero, L is the wavelength of the sound wave emitted by the ultrasonic emitting unit, and m is a value between 3 and 16.

2. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing further comprises a second surface, wherein the second surface comprises a plurality of connection structures arranged in an array.

3. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second surface and the first surface are located on two opposite sides of the housing.

4. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the groove is greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the first opening.

5. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The groove extends along a straight line direction.

6. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first opening is circular, and the second opening is circular.

7. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The groove extends along an arc direction, and a curvature radius of the arc direction is greater than a radius of the first opening or the second opening.

8. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The length of the groove is greater than 1 / 2 of the width of the first opening.

9. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of grooves, and the plurality of grooves are arranged parallel to each other between the first opening and the second opening.

10. The ultrasonic sensor module according to claim 9, characterized in that: A spacing distance between the plurality of grooves is greater than or equal to the width.

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