DToF laser imaging distance measuring sensor

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of distance measuring sensor equipment, and particularly discloses a dToF laser imaging distance measuring sensor, which comprises a transparent rubber shell, an encapsulation resin layer, a mounting seat, a connecting lead, a PCB assembly, an LED lamp and a dToF laser head, a placement groove is formed in the inner side of the upper end of the transparent rubber shell, the PCB assembly is inserted into the inner side of the placement groove, and the dToF laser head is inserted into the placement groove. And the potting resin layer is arranged at the upper end of the PCB assembly. The VCSEL transmits pulse waves to a scene, the SPAD receives the pulse waves reflected from a target object, the dToF transmits and receives optical signals N times in single frame time, histogram statistics is carried out on recorded N times of flight time, the flight time t with the highest occurrence frequency is used for calculating the depth of a to-be-measured object, and the depth of the to-be-measured object is calculated. According to the technical scheme, the laser head adopting the dToF technology has the advantages of being simple in structure, high in measurement precision, rapid in response, accurate in synchronous detection of multiple objects and the like, and meanwhile due to the fact that the duty ratio of pulse waves is low, the power consumption of the dToF is relatively low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of distance measuring sensor equipment, in particular to a dToF laser imaging distance measuring sensor. Background Art

[0002] A laser imaging ranging sensor is a high-precision, high-speed, non-contact measurement device. It emits laser pulses and receives the reflected laser signal from a target object, calculating the distance to the target using the speed of light and time difference, achieving high-precision ranging. This sensor is widely used in industries such as industry, construction, autonomous driving, and robotics, offering extremely high measurement accuracy and rapid response. Its operating principle is based on the time-of-flight method, leveraging the rectilinear propagation characteristics of the laser beam to ensure accurate and stable measurement results. Laser imaging ranging sensors can not only measure distances but also perform image scanning and 3D modeling, providing comprehensive measurement solutions for a variety of application scenarios.

[0003] Chinese patent publication number CN206671559U discloses a laser ranging sensor, the structure of which includes a laser emission hole, a phase detector, a semiconductor laser, a modulator, a junction box, a laser warning light, a filter, a screw hole, a current interface, a signal processor, a bolt, a groove, and a fuselage. The laser emission hole is fastened to the phase detector, the semiconductor laser is fastened to the modulator, the junction box is provided on the fuselage, the laser warning light is provided in the semiconductor laser, and the laser warning light is composed of a horizontal guide rail, a stepper motor laser tube, a vertical guide rail, a hemispherical cover, a buzzer, and a stepper motor laser tube. The horizontal guide rail is fastened to the vertical guide rail, the stepper motor laser tube is provided on the vertical guide rail, and the horizontal guide rail is provided with a stepper motor laser tube.

[0004] At present, traditional laser imaging ranging sensors on the market mainly use the laser diode integrated inside the laser transmitter as a light source to emit high-intensity laser beams. These beams are used to measure the distance of the target object. At the same time, the optical components inside the sensor control and guide the propagation path of the laser beam through elements such as lenses, reflectors, gratings and optical fibers to ensure that the laser can accurately illuminate the target object and effectively receive the reflected laser beam. Finally, the laser beam reflected from the target object is received by the receiver. After the reflected light is processed by the optical system, it is imaged onto the photodetector and converted into an electrical signal. However, this traditional laser ranging sensor structure has low measurement accuracy, slow response speed, and high power consumption. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dToF laser imaging ranging sensor to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a dToF laser imaging ranging sensor, comprising a transparent plastic shell, a potting resin layer, a mounting base, connecting wires, a PCB board assembly, an LED lamp, and a dToF laser head. A placement groove is provided on the inner side of the upper end of the transparent plastic shell, the PCB board assembly is plugged into the inner side of the placement groove, the potting resin layer is provided on the upper end of the PCB board assembly, one end of the connecting wire is welded to the upper end of the PCB board assembly, the LED lamp and the dToF laser head are both welded to the inner side of the lower end of the PCB board assembly, the mounting base is fixedly connected to the outer side of the transparent plastic shell, an extension portion is provided at the lower end of the transparent plastic shell, the lamp head of the LED lamp extends into the inner side of the extension portion, and a heat dissipation mechanism is provided on the outer side of the transparent plastic shell.

[0007] The heat dissipation mechanism includes a mounting groove and a heat conductor, the mounting groove is symmetrically opened at the upper end of the transparent plastic shell, the lower end of the heat conductor is provided with a slot, the heat conductor is plugged into the middle of the mounting groove through the slot, the heat conductor and the upper end of the transparent plastic shell are fixedly installed, the heat conductor is provided with a heat conduction groove on the side close to the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell, and the heat conductor is fixedly connected with a heat sink on the side close to the outer wall of the transparent plastic shell. The heat dissipation mechanism on the transparent plastic shell can quickly dissipate the heat inside the sensor.

[0008] Furthermore, a protective sleeve is fixedly connected to the lower end of the transparent plastic shell, and the extended portion of the transparent plastic shell extends into the inner side of the protective sleeve. The protective sleeve can conveniently protect the extended portion of the transparent plastic shell.

[0009] Furthermore, the mounting seat is arranged on one side of the transparent plastic shell close to the connecting wire. A fixing groove is opened on one side of the mounting seat, and a fixing hole is opened on the inner side of the fixing groove. The fixing hole on the mounting seat can be used to facilitate the installation and use of the ranging sensor.

[0010] Furthermore, a positioning rib is fixedly installed on one side of the inner wall of the placement groove, and a positioning groove is provided on the outer side of the PCB board assembly. The placement groove is plugged into the positioning rib and the positioning groove. Through the positioning rib at the placement groove and the positioning groove on the PCB board assembly, the PCB board assembly can be conveniently positioned and installed at the placement groove of the transparent plastic shell.

[0011] Furthermore, a power connection rod is symmetrically provided at the upper end of the LED lamp, and a power connection hole is opened on the inner side of the PCB board assembly. The end of the power connection rod away from the LED lamp is welded to the power connection hole. Through the power connection rod on the LED lamp and the power connection hole on the PCB board assembly, the LED lamp can be conveniently welded to the PCB board assembly for power connection and use.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper end of the transparent plastic shell is symmetrically provided with connecting screw grooves, the inner side of the heat conductor is provided with a countersunk hole, the inner side of the countersunk hole is provided with a mounting bolt, and the heat conductor is fixedly installed by passing the mounting bolt through the countersunk hole and the connecting screw groove. Through the connecting screw groove, the countersunk hole and the mounting bolt, the heat conductor can be conveniently installed on the transparent plastic shell for use.

[0013] Furthermore, matching ridges are symmetrically provided at the notch of the mounting groove, and connecting ridges are symmetrically fixedly connected to the outer side of the end of the heat conductor. The connecting ridges and the matching ridges are plugged into each other. Through the matching ridges at the mounting groove and the connecting ridges on the heat conductor, the mounting grooves of the heat conductor and the transparent plastic shell can be conveniently positioned and plugged into each other.

[0014] Furthermore, a heat dissipation groove is provided on the side of the heat sink away from the heat conductor, and a heat dissipation hole is provided on the inner side of the heat sink. The heat dissipation effect of the heat sink can be further improved through the heat dissipation holes and the heat dissipation groove on the heat sink.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] First, in the present invention, the technical solution adopts a dToF laser head with depth perception technology, whose core components include a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), and a time-to-digital converter (TDC). During use, the VCSEL emits a pulse wave into the scene, and the SPAD receives the pulse wave reflected from the target object. The dToF emits and receives N light signals within a single frame time, and then performs a histogram statistics on the N recorded flight times. The flight time t with the highest frequency is used to calculate the depth of the object to be measured. The advantages of the laser head using dToF technology in this technical solution are simple structure, high measurement accuracy, fast response, accurate synchronous detection of multiple objects, etc. At the same time, due to the low duty cycle of the pulse wave, the power consumption of dToF is also relatively low.

[0017] Secondly, in the utility model, a heat conductor with a slot is installed at the mounting groove of the transparent plastic shell. The heat conductor groove on the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell on one side of the heat conductor contacts the potting resin layer to absorb heat, and the heat is dissipated through the heat sink on the other side of the heat conductor. This can effectively improve the heat dissipation protection effect of the internal components of the laser ranging sensor in a sealed state, and greatly reduce the failure rate and service life of the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a bottom view of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 3It is an exploded view of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning groove structure of the PCB board assembly in the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the LED lamp and the PCB board assembly in the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the heat conductor and the transparent plastic shell in the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 For the utility model Figure 6 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0025] In the figure: 1. Transparent plastic shell; 2. Potting resin layer; 3. Mounting seat; 301. Fixing hole; 302. Fixing slot; 4. Connecting wire; 5. Heat dissipation mechanism; 501. Mounting slot; 502. Heat conduction slot; 503. Heat conductor; 504. Heat sink; 505. Slot; 6. Protective baffle; 7. Extension; 8. PCB board assembly; 9. LED lamp; 10. Positioning rib; 11. Placement slot; 12. Positioning slot; 13. Power connection hole; 14. Power connection pole; 15. dToF laser head; 16. Mounting bolt; 17. Matching rib groove; 18. Countersunk hole; 19. Connecting screw groove; 20. Connecting rib; 21. Heat dissipation slot; 22. Heat dissipation hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Example

[0027] See also Figure 1-Figure 7In an embodiment of the present invention, a dToF laser imaging ranging sensor includes a transparent plastic shell 1, a potting resin layer 2, a mounting seat 3, a connecting wire 4, a PCB board assembly 8, an LED lamp 9 and a dToF laser head 15. A placement groove 11 is provided on the inner side of the upper end of the transparent plastic shell 1, and the PCB board assembly 8 is inserted into the inner side of the placement groove 11. The potting resin layer 2 is provided on the upper end of the PCB board assembly 8. One end of the connecting wire 4 is welded to the upper end of the PCB board assembly 8. The LED lamp 9 and the dToF laser head 15 are both welded to the inner side of the lower end of the PCB board assembly 8. The mounting seat 3 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the transparent plastic shell 1. An extension part 7 is provided at the lower end of the transparent plastic shell 1. The lamp head of the LED lamp 9 extends into the inner side of the extension part 7. A heat dissipation mechanism 5 is provided on the outer side of the transparent plastic shell 1. The full name of the dToF is direct time of flight method, which adopts deep Depth perception technology is a method of inferring the depth information of an object by measuring the flight time or frequency of light on the object. It is a means of obtaining the depth information of an object by directly measuring the flight time. Its core components include vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and time to digital converter (TDC). During use, VCSEL emits a pulse wave into the scene, and SPAD receives the pulse wave reflected from the target object. dToF transmits and receives N light signals within a single frame time, and then makes a histogram statistics of the N recorded flight times. The flight time t with the highest frequency is used to calculate the depth of the object to be measured. This dToF laser imaging ranging sensor is used to detect spatial distance. As an important means of depth perception, dToF technology has a wide range of applications in image processing and machine vision.

[0028] The heat dissipation mechanism 5 includes a mounting groove 501 and a heat conductor 503. The mounting groove 501 is symmetrically arranged at the upper end of the transparent plastic shell 1. A slot 505 is provided at the lower end of the heat conductor 503. The heat conductor 503 is plugged into the middle of the mounting groove 501 through the slot 505. The heat conductor 503 is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the transparent plastic shell 1. A heat conducting groove 502 is provided on the side of the heat conductor 503 close to the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell 1. A heat sink 504 is fixedly connected to the side of the heat conductor 503 close to the outer wall of the transparent plastic shell 1. The heat conductor 503 on one side of the heat conductor 503 is in contact with the potting resin layer 2 at the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell 1 to absorb heat, and the heat is dissipated through the heat sink 504 on the other side of the heat conductor 503, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation protection effect of the laser ranging sensor and greatly reducing the failure rate and service life of the product; the potting resin layer 2 specifically adopts silicone potting glue, and adds high thermal conductivity fillers such as aluminum oxide, boron nitride, etc. to ensure the thermal conductivity of the potting resin layer 2, and the heat conductor 503 is a copper body part and an aluminum body part, and the copper body part is located at the bottom. After the potting resin layer 2 is potted in the mounting groove 501 on the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell 1, the resin is embedded in the heat conduction groove 502 of the copper body part, which can expand the heat conduction and heat absorption surface and improve the heat dissipation efficiency. The heat is conducted and the heat sink 504 connected to the aluminum body part on the other side can quickly dissipate the heat, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the electronic components inside the sensor; In addition, a plurality of heat pipes are provided inside the heat conductor 503. The heated end of the heat pipe is provided in the copper body, and the condensing end is provided in the aluminum body. The heat transfer inside the heat pipe mainly relies on the vapor-liquid phase change of the working liquid. The heat dissipation resistance is very small, so it has a high thermal conductivity. It is a relatively mature existing technology product and is often used in laptop radiators. Therefore, we will not go into too much detail here. Since the potting resin has good insulation properties and contacts with the copper body portion, it can achieve efficient heat conduction. The copper body portion does not contact the PCB board assembly 8, so there is no power transmission problem. The heat conductor 503 is located on one side of the inner wall of the installation groove 501 of the transparent plastic shell 1 and is on the same horizontal plane with the inner wall of the installation groove 501. This will not affect the placement of the PCB board assembly 8 into the placement groove 11 of the transparent plastic shell 1.

[0029] See also Figure 1 The lower end of the transparent plastic shell 1 is fixedly connected with a protective baffle 6, and the extension part 7 of the transparent plastic shell 1 extends into the inner side of the protective baffle 6. During use, the protective baffle 6 at the lower end of the transparent plastic shell 1 can protect the extension part 7 of the lower end of the transparent plastic shell 1 to a certain extent, preventing it from bumping into the extension part 7 of the lower end of the transparent plastic shell 1, thereby affecting the light irradiation effect of the LED lamp 9.

[0030] See also Figure 1The mounting base 3 is provided on a side of the transparent plastic shell 1 close to the connecting wire 4. A fixing groove 302 is provided on one side of the mounting base 3. A fixing hole 301 is provided on the inner side of the fixing groove 302. By utilizing the fixing groove 302 with the fixing hole 301 on the mounting base 3, the transparent plastic shell 1 can be conveniently mounted on the designated mounting position by screws.

[0031] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 A positioning rib 10 is fixedly installed on one side of the inner wall of the placement groove 11, and a positioning groove 12 is provided on the outer side of the PCB board assembly 8. The placement groove 11 is plugged into the positioning rib 10 and the positioning groove 12. When installing the PCB board assembly 8, the positioning groove 12 on the PCB board assembly 8 is positioned along the positioning rib 10 on the inner side of the placement groove 11 and inserted into the transparent plastic shell 1.

[0032] See also Figure 5 The upper end of the LED lamp 9 is symmetrically provided with a power connection rod 14, and the inner side of the PCB board assembly 8 is provided with a power connection hole 13. The end of the power connection rod 14 away from the LED lamp 9 is welded and connected to the power connection hole 13. By using the power connection rod 14 on the LED lamp 9, the LED lamp 9 can be conveniently welded and conductively used through the power connection rod 14 and the power connection hole 13 on the PCB board assembly 8.

[0033] See also Figure 6 , the upper end of the transparent plastic shell 1 is symmetrically provided with connecting screw grooves 19, and the inner side of the heat conductor 503 is provided with a countersunk hole 18, and the inner side of the countersunk hole 18 is provided with a mounting bolt 16. The heat conductor 503 is fixedly installed by the mounting bolt 16 passing through the countersunk hole 18 and the connecting screw groove 19. When installing the heat conductor 503, the heat conductor 503 is inserted into the mounting groove 501 of the transparent plastic shell 1 through the slot 505. After insertion, the countersunk hole 18 on the heat conductor 503 overlaps with the connecting screw groove 19 on the transparent plastic shell 1, and can be engaged with the mounting bolt 16 to install and fix it; since the cross-section of the mounting groove 501 of the transparent plastic shell 1 is U-shaped, it meets the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation mechanism 5 while ensuring the integrity of the transparent plastic shell 1. Therefore, there will be no large number of gaps in the process of implementing the encapsulation resin layer 2, which will cause resin leakage.

[0034] See also Figure 6 The mounting groove 501 has symmetrically provided mating ribs 17 at its notch, and the outer side of the end of the heat conductor 503 is symmetrically fixedly connected with connecting ribs 20. The connecting ribs 20 and the mating ribs 17 are plugged into each other. By utilizing the mating ribs 17 at the notch of the mounting groove 501 and cooperating with the connecting ribs 20 on the heat conductor 503, the heat conductor 503 can be conveniently positioned and installed at the mounting groove 501.

[0035] See also Figure 7A heat dissipation groove 21 is provided on the side of the heat sink 504 away from the heat conductor 503, and a heat dissipation hole 22 is provided on the inner side of the heat sink 504. The heat dissipation groove 21 provided on the heat sink 504 can expand the heat dissipation surface of the heat sink 504 and improve the heat dissipation effect. At the same time, the heat dissipation holes 22 on the heat sink 504 can allow part of the external air to flow along the heat dissipation holes 22 on the heat sink 504 when the air does not pass through the heat dissipation groove 21, thereby further ensuring the heat dissipation effect of the heat sink 504.

[0036] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: during assembly, the PCB assembly 8 with the dToF laser head 15 and the LED lamp 9 is first inserted through the placement slot 11 on the transparent plastic shell 1. During insertion, the positioning ridges 10 on the placement slot 11 cooperate with the positioning slots 12 on the PCB assembly 8. At the same time, the LED lamp 9 extends into the extension 7 on the transparent plastic shell 1. The protective shield 6 is provided on the periphery of the extension 7 to prevent the extension 7 from being scratched. After installation, the potting resin layer 2 can be directly applied to the upper end of the transparent plastic shell 1.

[0037] During use, the dToF laser head 15 on the PCB board assembly 8 emits a pulse wave into the scene through the VCSEL, and the SPAD receives the pulse wave reflected from the target object. The dToF emits and receives N light signals within a single frame time, and then performs a histogram statistics on the recorded N flight times. The flight time t with the highest frequency is used to calculate the depth of the object to be measured, thereby achieving high measurement accuracy and high response and precise detection effects. In addition, when the sensor is continuously used and a large amount of heat is generated by the internal electronic components, the heat conductor 503 is installed at the mounting groove 501 of the transparent plastic shell 1. The heat conductor 503 on one side of the heat conductor 503 is in contact with the potting resin layer 2 at the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell 1 to absorb heat, and the heat is dissipated through the heat sink 504 on the other side of the heat conductor 503, which can reduce the aging of the internal components of the product and increase its service life.

Claims

1. A dToF laser imaging ranging sensor, characterized in that: It includes a transparent plastic shell, a potting resin layer, a mounting seat, a connecting wire, a PCB board assembly, an LED lamp and a dToF laser head. A placement groove is opened on the inner side of the upper end of the transparent plastic shell, and the PCB board assembly is inserted into the inner side of the placement groove. The potting resin layer is arranged on the upper end of the PCB board assembly. One end of the connecting wire is welded to the upper end of the PCB board assembly. The LED lamp and the dToF laser head are both welded to the inner side of the lower end of the PCB board assembly. The mounting seat is fixedly connected to the outer side of the transparent plastic shell. An extension part is provided at the lower end of the transparent plastic shell. The lamp head of the LED lamp extends into the inner side of the extension part. A heat dissipation mechanism is provided on the outer side of the transparent plastic shell.

2. A dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the transparent plastic shell is fixedly connected with a protective shield, and the extended portion of the transparent plastic shell extends into the inner side of the protective shield.

3. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting seat is arranged on one side of the transparent plastic shell close to the connecting wire. A fixing groove is opened on one side of the mounting seat, and a fixing hole is opened on the inner side of the fixing groove.

4. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning rib is fixedly installed on one side of the inner wall of the placement groove, and a positioning groove is provided on the outer side of the PCB board assembly. The placement groove is plugged into the positioning rib and the positioning groove.

5. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the LED lamp is symmetrically provided with a power connection rod, the inner side of the PCB board assembly is provided with a power connection hole, and one end of the power connection rod away from the LED lamp is welded to the power connection hole.

6. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat dissipation mechanism includes a mounting groove and a heat conductor. The mounting groove is symmetrically opened at the upper end of the transparent plastic shell. A slot is opened at the lower end of the heat conductor. The heat conductor is plugged into the middle of the mounting groove through the slot. The heat conductor and the upper end of the transparent plastic shell are fixedly installed. A heat conduction groove is opened on the side of the heat conductor close to the inner wall of the transparent plastic shell. A heat sink is fixedly connected to the side of the heat conductor close to the outer wall of the transparent plastic shell.

7. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper end of the transparent plastic shell is symmetrically provided with connecting screw grooves, the inner side of the heat conductor is provided with a countersunk hole, the inner side of the countersunk hole is provided with a mounting bolt, and the heat conductor is fixedly installed by the mounting bolt passing through the countersunk hole and the connecting screw groove.

8. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: Matching ridges are symmetrically provided at the notch of the installation slot, and connecting ridges are symmetrically fixedly connected to the outer side of the end of the heat conductor, and the connecting ridges are plug-connected with the matching ridges.

9. The dToF laser imaging ranging sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that: A heat dissipation groove is provided on a side of the heat dissipation fin away from the heat conductor, and a heat dissipation hole is provided on the inner side of the heat dissipation fin.

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