An inductive probe with variable distance between transmitting and receiving ends and electronic device

Abstract

The application provides an inductive probe with variable transmitting end and receiving end spacing and electronic equipment, and relates to the field of photoelectric inductive sensors.The inductive probe comprises a probe body integrating a transmitting part and a receiving part, and is further provided with at least one optical lens which can be arranged on the light path of the transmitting part and / or the light path of the receiving part.The application refracts and shifts light through the optical lens, distinguishes between original light beams and variable light beams, and shifts the variable light beams by a distance greater than the original inherent distance between the transmitting end and the receiving end, so as to expand the water drop interference area.The application avoids false triggering and inductive failure caused by water drop mirror reflection from the light path source, overcomes the defects of traditional waterproof structures which can only passively prevent water and have poor anti-interference ability, and has the advantages of simple overall structure, strong compatibility, low cost, and adaptation to intelligent bathroom, outdoor sensing and other high-humidity water drop accumulation working conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photoelectric sensing sensor technology, specifically to a sensing probe and electronic device with variable spacing between the transmitter and receiver. Background Technology

[0002] Photoelectric sensing probes, such as infrared photoelectric sensors, are widely used in automatic sensing equipment, smart homes, and many other fields due to their advantages such as fast response speed, high detection accuracy, simple structure, and strong adaptability. Conventional photoelectric sensing probes mainly rely on the transmitter to emit detection light, and the receiver to receive the light signal reflected by the object being measured, thereby determining whether there is an object in front and completing the sensing and detection operation.

[0003] Currently, most traditional sensor probes on the market have an integrated, fixed assembly structure for the transmitter and receiver. To adapt to the installation requirements of miniaturized devices and reduce the overall size to ensure structural compactness, most manufacturers reduce the spacing between the transmitter and receiver. This smaller inherent spacing directly results in a small area of ​​the probe resistant to water droplet interference. In humid environments, rainy days, under spray conditions, or in scenarios with large temperature differences, water droplets and mist easily condense and adhere to the probe's detection surface. When water droplets cover the detection area between the transmitter and receiver, the droplets can be equivalent to miniature mirror structures. The original light output from the transmitter can easily be reflected directly into the receiver through the water droplet mirror, thus generating an invalid sensing signal. Meanwhile, to simplify the types of components and reduce procurement and warehousing costs, it is common practice to purchase the same model of photoelectric sensor probes with consistent specifications and parameters in bulk and assemble them in different types of electronic devices, such as bathroom sensor-equipped sanitary ware devices. However, there are significant differences in the installation space, detection distance, and working environment of different devices. Sensor probes with fixed transmit and receive distances cannot adapt to diverse working conditions. In particular, in the use scenario of bathroom sensor sanitary ware devices with high humidity and easy water droplet adhesion, the water droplet interference problem is further amplified, resulting in poor product adaptability.

[0004] The above situation will cause two major defects: First, the invalid stray light signal generated by the reflection of water droplets will be misidentified by the receiver as a valid detection signal, causing false start-up and false sensing problems when there is no object to trigger the probe; Second, water droplets will block and refract the normal detection light path, weakening the intensity of the effective reflected signal, resulting in a decrease in the detection sensitivity of the probe and failure of sensing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to propose a sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver to solve the problems mentioned in the background section above.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver includes a sensing probe body, wherein the sensing probe body is configured with a transmitter for emitting light and a receiver for receiving light; and also includes at least one optical lens. The optical lens is mounted on the outgoing light path of the emitting part and / or on the incoming light path of the receiving part; The light rays refracted by the optical lens form a variable light beam, while the original light rays that do not pass through the optical lens form the original light beam. The optical lens is used to change the light propagation path, so that the spacing between the variable light beam and the original light beam is greater than the inherent spacing between the original emitted light beam of the emitting part and the original incident light beam of the receiving part.

[0007] Furthermore, the optical lens is mounted on the path of the emitted light from the emitting part.

[0008] Furthermore, the horizontal distance between the optical lens and the emitting part is greater than 0.5 cm.

[0009] Furthermore, the optical lens is provided with a first refractive end face and a second refractive end face in sequence along the direction of light propagation; the emitted light emitted by the emitting part passes through the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face in sequence to complete two refractions, and the light after double refraction forms the variable light beam.

[0010] Furthermore, the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face are arranged parallel to each other. The first refractive end face faces the emitting part as the light incident surface, and the second refractive end face serves as the light exiting surface. The parallel double end face structure causes the light to be translated and deflected inside the lens, and the light exiting direction is consistent with the incident direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the angle between the first refractive end face and the horizontal plane is 45°±10°.

[0012] Furthermore, the optical lens also includes two sets of parallel light-shielding sides, which are respectively connected to the left and right ends of the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face; the light-shielding sides are provided with a light-blocking layer.

[0013] Furthermore, the first and second refractive end faces are provided with antireflective films, which are adapted to the wavelength of the light emitted by the emitting part.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a switching mechanism, which is linked to the optical lens. By moving the switching mechanism, the optical lens is disengaged from the outgoing light path and / or the incoming light path.

[0015] In another embodiment, the present invention provides an electronic device including a sensing probe as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Firstly, this invention adds an optical lens to offset the transmitting / receiving optical path, using the lens's double refraction to change the light propagation position, increasing the equivalent spacing between the variable light beam and the receiving light beam, expanding the anti-water droplet interference area between the transmitter and receiver, and eliminating the problem of water droplet mirror reflection directly triggering the receiver from the optical path level. This completely solves the defects of probe false sensing and malfunction under humid and spray conditions. Compared with traditional waterproof protection structures, it has better anti-interference effect and a wider range of applications.

[0017] Secondly, this invention features a linkage switching mechanism that allows for flexible switching of the lens's working state according to operating conditions: under humid and high-interference conditions, the lens enters the optical path and uses a large-pitch variable light beam for detection; under normal dry conditions, the lens exits the optical path and uses the original small-pitch light beam for detection, balancing structural compactness and anti-interference performance, and is suitable for various devices such as bathroom equipment, outdoor sensors, and industrial production lines.

[0018] Thirdly, the present invention adopts a parallel birefringent end face structure, which maintains the same incident and exit angles of light while realizing the lateral translation and offset of light. It does not change the original detection distance and detection range of the probe, does not require recalibration of equipment parameters, is compatible with existing integrated sensing probe bodies, has strong compatibility, and has low modification costs.

[0019] Fourth, by limiting the distance between the lens and the emitting part and the tilt angle of the end face, and by combining the light-shielding side and the anti-reflection film structure, on the one hand, the light loss during the light path transmission process is reduced and the detection sensitivity is improved; on the other hand, external stray light interference is isolated, further improving the working stability of the probe under complex working conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The above figures include the following reference numerals: 1. Sensor probe body; 11. Transmitter; 12. Receiver; 2. Optical lens; 21. First refractive end face; 22. Second refractive end face; 23. Light-shielding side; 2a. First lens; 2b. Second lens. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the description of these embodiments is for the purpose of aiding understanding the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0024] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a sensing probe for varying the distance between the transmitter and receiver includes a sensing probe body. The sensing probe body includes, but is not limited to, an infrared reflective sensing probe. The sensing probe body integrates a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is an infrared light-emitting diode (LED) used to emit infrared light of a specific wavelength, and the receiver is a photosensitive receiver tube used to receive the reflected infrared light. The transmitter and receiver are integrally fixedly assembled, as shown in the reference diagram. Figure 1 As shown, the inherent spacing between the transmitter and receiver is denoted as A.

[0025] It also includes at least one optical lens; the optical lens is correspondingly disposed on any one or both of the light paths of the emitted light from the emitting part and the incident light path from the receiving part; the light rays that are refracted by the optical lens to change their propagation trajectory are defined as variable light beams, and the light rays that are not refracted by the optical lens and propagate along the original trajectory are defined as original light beams; synchronous reference Figure 1 The offset spacing between the variable light beam and the original light beam is defined as spacing B. This invention uses an optical lens to refract and offset the light path, so that the spacing B formed after the offset is greater than the initial inherent spacing A of the probe. This expands the effective area between the transmitter and receiver that can avoid interference from water droplet mirror reflection, thereby fundamentally reducing the probability of false sensing caused by water droplet adhesion.

[0026] As a first embodiment of the optical lens, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the cross-section of the optical lens is an oblique parallelogram.

[0027] Preferably, the optical lens is mounted on the path of the emitted light from the emitting unit. By placing the optical lens in front of the emitting end, all detection light rays output from the emitting unit can be uniformly refracted and deflected, ensuring that the emitted light rays can be deflected as much as possible to form a complete variable light beam.

[0028] Preferably, the horizontal distance between the optical lens and the emitting part is greater than 0.5 cm, i.e., referring to... Figure 1As shown in dimension C. The size of the horizontal spacing directly determines the diffusion range of light before it enters the optical lens, thus affecting the spacing B after the light is deflected. Limiting the horizontal spacing to greater than 0.5cm ensures sufficient diffusion space for the light, which, combined with the refraction and deflection effect of the optical lens, results in a sufficiently large spacing B, providing ample space to widen the anti-water droplet interference area. This value range also balances the light deflection effect with the overall size of the probe. If the horizontal spacing is less than 0.5cm, the light enters the lens before it has fully diffused, resulting in insufficient deflection.

[0029] Preferably, the optical lens has a first refractive end face and a second refractive end face arranged sequentially along the direction of light propagation; the emitted light from the emitting part passes through the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face sequentially to complete two refractions, and the light after double refraction forms the variable light beam. The double refraction structure can stably control the light deflection angle and avoid the problem of light path divergence that easily occurs in single refraction.

[0030] Preferably, the first and second refractive end faces are arranged parallel to each other. The first refractive end face faces the emitting part as the light incident surface, and the second refractive end face serves as the light exiting surface. The parallel double-end face structure causes the light to be translated and deflected inside the lens, and the light exiting direction is consistent with the incident direction. This structure only changes the longitudinal position of the light, without changing the light exiting angle, ensuring that the probe detection distance remains unchanged, and only increasing the equivalent distance between the light and the receiver.

[0031] Preferably, the angle between the first refractive end face and the horizontal plane is 45°±10°. The end face tilt angle can be finely adjusted according to actual installation requirements. 45° is the optimal offset angle, which can maximize the lateral offset of the light. The tolerance range of 35°~55° can be adapted to the sensor body with different installation tilt angles.

[0032] Preferably, the optical lens further includes two sets of parallel light-shielding sides, which are respectively connected to the left and right ends of the first and second refractive end faces; a light-blocking layer is provided on the light-shielding sides. The light-blocking layer can be any one of a black matte light-absorbing coating, a blackened metal plating, a light-shielding ink layer, or a rubber light-shielding patch. The light-shielding sides can isolate stray light from entering the lens and constrain the refracted light to travel only along the optical path, preventing light leakage from the lens sides, eliminating lateral stray light and light leakage from affecting the detection accuracy of the sensing probe, and improving the working stability of the probe.

[0033] Preferably, the first and second refractive end faces are provided with antireflection films, which are adapted to the wavelength of the light emitted by the emitting part. Specifically, the antireflection film is a single-layer magnesium fluoride film or a multilayer dielectric composite film. The multilayer dielectric composite film is prepared by alternating layers of silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide, and the antireflection film corresponds to the infrared emission wavelength (940nm). The antireflection film can effectively reduce the interface reflection phenomenon of light at the first and second refractive end faces, reduce the light energy loss during the light refraction process, improve the light transmittance, ensure that the variable light beam has sufficient and stable light signal intensity, avoid the decrease in detection sensitivity due to excessive light loss, and further improve the detection accuracy and operational stability of the sensing probe.

[0034] Preferably, the system further includes a switching mechanism linked to the optical lens. By actuating the switching mechanism, the optical lens is disengaged from the outgoing light path and / or the incoming light path, thereby enabling free switching between the original detection mode and the offset anti-interference mode. The switching mechanism can be arranged in a lifting configuration depending on the transmission structure type, specifically including but not limited to the following structures: a rack and pinion transmission structure, where a rack is connected to the bottom of the switching mechanism, the optical lens is fixed to a corresponding lifting slider, a transmission gear is mounted inside the slider, and the rack and gear mesh with each other. By driving the rack to reciprocate and rotate the gear, the overall lifting and lowering of the optical lens is controlled, allowing the lens to enter or exit the light path. These are conventional and mature mechanical transmission structures in the field, therefore, their specific principles will not be elaborated upon in this application, and no separate accompanying drawings are provided. As another embodiment, the switching mechanism is a micro-motor, which is directly connected to the outer frame of the optical lens to control its lifting and lowering movement.

[0035] As a second embodiment of the optical lens, refer to Figure 2As shown, the optical lens is constructed by bonding a first lens and a second lens together. The first and second lenses are bonded together to form an L-shaped arrangement, which adapts to different installation spaces and extends the light path refraction distance, further improving the light deflection. The first lens has a right-angled trapezoidal structure, while the second lens has an oblique parallelogram structure; their mating surfaces are firmly attached to each other, ensuring no light leakage gaps at the joint. The end of the first lens near the emitting part extends and abuts against the light-emitting end face of the emitting part, maximizing the collection of the original light beam output by the emitting part and preventing light leakage and loss. Simultaneously, both the first and second lenses have light-shielding sides on their outer peripheral walls, with light-blocking layers attached to their surfaces. This circumferentially enclosed light-shielding structure confines the entire light beam within the optical lens, completing multi-stage refraction and preventing lateral light leakage and interference from external stray light on the internal optical path. Light beam workflow: The original light beam output from the transmitter first enters the first lens for initial refraction, then enters the second lens for secondary deflection, and after multiple refractions and offsets through the L-shaped lens structure, it is emitted laterally, forming a variable light beam with a larger offset distance, further increasing the spacing B and enhancing the probe's resistance to water droplet interference.

[0036] This invention also provides an electronic device equipped with a sensing probe with a variable transmitter-receiver distance as described in any of the above embodiments. Specifically, this type of electronic device mainly covers bathroom smart devices that are easily affected by water accumulation and spray mist, including but not limited to smart toilets, automatic sensor faucets, sensor urinals, bathroom hand dryers, etc. These bathroom products are prone to splashing water droplets and condensation during daily use, and the probe detection surface is constantly under harsh conditions of high humidity and easy water accumulation, making it a high-incidence scenario for water droplet interference. The sensing probe is fixedly embedded in the sensing installation area of ​​the electronic device and serves as the signal sensing input terminal of the electronic device. The electronic device can switch the working mode of the sensing probe according to the actual usage environment through a switching mechanism: in daily flushing and water discharge conditions that easily generate water droplet splashes, the offset anti-interference mode is activated, using an optical lens to increase the equivalent distance between the transmitting and receiving rays, expanding the anti-interference area, and avoiding false sensing caused by water droplet mirror reflection; in a dry and static environment, the lens function is turned off and the original detection mode is used, ensuring that the device structure is compact and the response is sensitive. By incorporating the sensor probe described in this application, common problems such as false triggering, unexplained self-starting, and sensor malfunction in bathroom electronic devices can be fundamentally solved, significantly improving the stability and user experience of smart bathroom products.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0038] In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0039] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the invention should be included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A sensing probe with variable distance between transmitting and receiving ends, comprising a sensing probe body, wherein the sensing probe body is configured with a transmitting part for emitting light and a receiving part for receiving light; characterized in that: It also includes at least one optical lens; The optical lens is mounted on the outgoing light path of the emitting part and / or on the incoming light path of the receiving part; The light rays refracted by the optical lens form a variable light beam, while the original light rays that do not pass through the optical lens form the original light beam. The optical lens is used to change the light propagation path, so that the spacing between the variable light beam and the original light beam is greater than the inherent spacing between the original emitted light beam of the emitting part and the original incident light beam of the receiving part.

2. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical lens is mounted on the path of the emitted light from the emitting part.

3. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 2, characterized in that: The horizontal distance between the optical lens and the emitting part is greater than 0.5 cm.

4. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 2, characterized in that: The optical lens has a first refractive end face and a second refractive end face arranged sequentially along the direction of light propagation; the emitted light emitted by the emitting part passes through the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face in sequence to complete two refractions, and the light after double refraction forms the variable light beam.

5. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first refractive end face and the second refractive end face are arranged parallel to each other. The first refractive end face faces the emitting part as the light incident surface, and the second refractive end face serves as the light exiting surface. The parallel double end face structure causes the light to be translated and deflected inside the lens, and the light exiting direction is consistent with the incident direction.

6. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 4, characterized in that: The angle between the first refractive end face and the horizontal plane is 45°±10°.

7. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 4, characterized in that: The optical lens also includes two sets of parallel light-shielding sides, which are respectively connected to the left and right ends of the first refractive end face and the second refractive end face; the light-shielding sides are provided with a light-blocking layer.

8. The sensing probe with variable distance between the transmitter and receiver according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first and second refractive end faces are provided with antireflective films, and the antireflective films are adapted to the wavelength of the light output by the emitting part.

9. A sensing probe with variable distance between transmitter and receiver according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a switching mechanism, which is linked to the optical lens. By moving the switching mechanism, the optical lens is disengaged from the outgoing light path and / or the incoming light path.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: Including the sensing probe as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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