Water flow sensor and hydraulic switch

Abstract

The application discloses a water flow sensor and a hydraulic switch, and relates to the technical field of sensors, wherein the water flow sensor comprises a first shell, a second shell and a sensing assembly, the first shell is provided with a water flow channel; the second shell is arranged on one side of the first shell, the second shell is provided with a notch and a transparent convex part, the transparent convex part is arranged in the notch, and the transparent convex part is connected with the outer side wall of the water flow channel, wherein the transparent convex part is a symmetrical structure; the sensing assembly is arranged in the notch, the sensing assembly comprises a light-emitting module and a light-sensing module, the light-emitting module and the light-sensing module are arranged on the two sides of the symmetrical transparent convex part respectively, the light-emitting module is used for emitting a light source to the transparent convex part, the light-sensing module is used for receiving the light source reflected from the transparent convex part, and the transparent convex part is used for receiving the light source at a wide angle; the symmetrical transparent convex part is arranged, the light source is received at a wide angle, the phenomenon of light leakage is avoided, the water flow sensor is prevented from being misjudged, and the accuracy of the water flow sensor is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a water flow sensor and a hydraulic switch. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, traditional water flow sensors typically rely on a light-emitting module and a photosensitive module to detect whether there is water flow in the water channel. When there is no water flowing in the channel, the light source is reflected back to the photosensitive module, thus determining that there is no water. When there is water flowing in the channel, the light source is refracted into the water flow, so there is no light source reflected back to the photosensitive module, thus determining that there is water. However, the light-emitting modules of traditional water flow sensors emit light at different angles, which means that the emitted light source cannot be completely reflected or refracted, resulting in low anti-interference ability. This may lead to misjudgment by the water flow sensor and reduce the accuracy of the water flow sensor. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a water flow sensor and hydraulic switch that can receive light sources over a wide angle through symmetrical transparent protrusions, thereby ensuring total internal reflection or total refraction of the light source and improving the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0004] A water flow sensor according to a first aspect embodiment of this application includes a first housing having a water flow channel; a second housing disposed on one side of the first housing, the second housing having a slot and a transparent protrusion, the transparent protrusion being disposed within the slot and connected to the outer wall of the water flow channel, wherein the transparent protrusion has a symmetrical structure; and a sensing component disposed within the slot, the sensing component including a light-emitting module and a photosensitive module, the light-emitting module and the photosensitive module being respectively disposed on symmetrical sides of the transparent protrusion, the light-emitting module being used to emit a light source toward the transparent protrusion, the photosensitive module being used to receive the light source reflected back from the transparent protrusion, and the transparent protrusion being used to receive the light source at a wide angle.

[0005] The water flow sensor according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects: The water flow channel facilitates the guidance of water flow direction; the slot design protects the sensing components located within the slot, preventing unnecessary damage from impacts; the photosensitive module and the light-emitting module are symmetrically positioned on both sides of the transparent protrusion; the symmetrical transparent protrusion facilitates the wide-angle collection of the light source emitted by the light-emitting module, thereby facilitating total internal reflection or refraction of the light source and preventing light leakage that could lead to misjudgment by the water flow sensor, thus affecting the anti-interference capability and accuracy of the water flow sensor; the arrangement of the light-emitting module and the photosensitive module facilitates the sensing of whether water flows through the water flow channel. When water flows, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module is refracted by the water flow, preventing the photosensitive module from receiving the light source and thus resulting in no signal output; when there is no water flow, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module is completely reflected back to the photosensitive module through the transparent protrusion, allowing the photosensitive module to receive the light source and conduct, thereby outputting a signal to determine whether water flows through the water flow channel; the connection between the transparent protrusion and the water flow channel ensures that the light source is refracted by the water flow when water flows through the channel.

[0006] According to some embodiments of this application, the transparent protrusion is semi-circular, the arc surface of the transparent protrusion faces away from the first housing, and the non-arc surface of the transparent protrusion is in contact with the outer wall of the water flow channel.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this application, it further includes a first frustum-shaped guide, the first housing is provided with an outlet and an inlet, the outlet and the inlet are connected through the water flow channel, the first frustum-shaped guide is a hollow structure, the first frustum-shaped guide is sleeved on the end of the first housing provided with the inlet, and the end of the first frustum-shaped guide with a smaller diameter extends away from the first housing.

[0008] According to some embodiments of this application, a second frustum-shaped guide is also included. The second frustum-shaped guide has a hollow structure and is sleeved on the end of the first housing where the water outlet is located. The end of the first frustum-shaped guide with a smaller diameter extends away from the first housing.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this application, the portion of the outer wall of the water flow channel that connects with the transparent protrusion is made of a transparent material.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this application, a cover plate is also included, which covers the slot.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this application, a fixing post is also provided in the slot, and a fixing hole corresponding to the fixing post is provided on the cover plate. The cover plate is detachably fitted onto the slot through the fixing post and the fixing hole.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this application, side grooves are provided on both sides opposite to the slot, and the sensing component is provided with a protrusion corresponding to the side groove, the protrusion engaging with the side groove.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this application, the second housing is fitted onto the first housing.

[0014] The hydraulic switch according to a second aspect embodiment of this application includes:

[0015] The water flow sensor of the first aspect of this application.

[0016] The hydraulic switch according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects: The water flow channel facilitates guiding the water flow direction; the slot design protects the sensing components housed within the slot, preventing unnecessary damage from impacts; the photosensitive module and the light-emitting module are symmetrically positioned on both sides of the transparent protrusion, which facilitates wide-angle collection of the light emitted by the light-emitting module, thereby enabling total internal reflection or refraction of the light source and preventing light leakage that could lead to misjudgment by the water flow sensor, thus affecting the anti-interference capability and accuracy of the water flow sensor; the arrangement of the light-emitting module and the photosensitive module facilitates sensing the water flow channel. The presence or absence of water flow determines the accuracy of the light source. When water flows, the light emitted by the light-emitting module is refracted by the water flow, preventing the photosensitive module from receiving the light and thus resulting in no signal output. When there is no water flow, the light emitted by the light-emitting module is completely reflected back to the photosensitive module through the transparent protrusion. The photosensitive module receives the light and then conducts, outputting a signal to determine whether there is water flow in the water channel. The connection between the transparent protrusion and the water channel ensures that the light source is refracted by the water flow when there is water flow. By setting the water flow sensor of this application, light leakage is avoided, reducing the probability of misjudgment and improving accuracy.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a water flow sensor according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the water flow sensor is shown.

[0021] Figure 3This is an optical path diagram of the water flow channel in an embodiment of this application when there is no water.

[0022] Figure 4 This is an optical path diagram of the water flow channel in an embodiment of this application when there is water.

[0023] Figure label:

[0024] First housing 100; first frustoconical guide 101; second frustoconical guide 102; water flow channel 103; second housing 110; slot 111; transparent protrusion 112; fixing post 113; side groove 114. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 application.

[0027] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0028] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0029] Currently, traditional water flow sensors detect the presence of water flow in a channel using a light-emitting module and a photosensitive module. When there is no water flow in the channel, the light source directed at the outer wall of the channel is reflected back to the photosensitive module, indicating that there is no water in the channel. However, when there is water flow, the light source directed at the outer wall of the channel is refracted into the water flow, resulting in no light source being reflected back to the photosensitive module, indicating that there is water in the channel. However, the angle at which the light source is emitted by the light-emitting module is not uniform, which may lead to light leakage. That is, some light sources may not be reflected or refracted at the preset angle. For example, even when there is water in the channel, some light sources may still be reflected back to the photosensitive module, causing the water flow sensor to misjudge and thus affecting the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0030] Based on this, this application proposes a water flow sensor and a hydraulic switch that can receive light sources over a wide angle through symmetrical transparent protrusions 112, thereby ensuring total reflection or total refraction of the light source and improving the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0031] It is understood that the water flow sensor in this embodiment includes a first housing 100, a second housing 110, and a sensing component. The first housing 100 is provided with a water flow channel 103. The second housing 110 is located on one side of the first housing 100 and is provided with a slot 111 and a transparent protrusion 112. The transparent protrusion 112 is located inside the slot 111 and is connected to the outer wall of the water flow channel 103. The transparent protrusion 112 has a symmetrical structure. The sensing component is located inside the slot 111 and includes a light-emitting module and a photosensitive module. The light-emitting module and the photosensitive module are respectively located on symmetrical sides of the transparent protrusion 112. The light-emitting module is used to emit a light source to the transparent protrusion 112, and the photosensitive module is used to receive the light source reflected back from the transparent protrusion 112. The transparent protrusion 112 is used to receive the light source at a wide angle.

[0032] The beneficial effects of the water flow sensor in this embodiment are as follows: The water flow channel 103 facilitates guiding the direction of water flow; the slot 111 protects the sensing components within it, preventing unnecessary damage from impacts; the photosensitive module and the light-emitting module are symmetrically positioned on either side of the transparent protrusion 112, allowing for wide-angle collection of the light emitted by the light-emitting module, thus facilitating total internal reflection or refraction of the light source and preventing light leakage that could lead to misjudgment by the water flow sensor, thereby affecting its anti-interference capability and accuracy. The arrangement of the light module and the photosensitive module facilitates the sensing of whether there is water flow in the water flow channel 103. When there is water flow, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module will be refracted by the water flow, so the photosensitive module cannot receive the light source and therefore has no signal output. When there is no water flow, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module is completely reflected back to the photosensitive module through the transparent protrusion 112. After receiving the light source, the photosensitive module is turned on and outputs a signal, thereby determining whether there is water flow in the water flow channel 103. The connection between the transparent protrusion 112 and the water flow channel 103 ensures that the light source is refracted by the water flow when there is water flow in the water flow channel 103.

[0033] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the first housing 100 is provided with a water flow channel 103, which is used to guide the flow of water, thereby facilitating the detection by the sensing component. (Refer to...) Figure 3 and Figure 4That is, when water flows through the water channel 103, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module is refracted into the water flow through the outer wall of the water channel 103, causing the photosensitive module to not receive the light source, thus determining that water flows through the water channel 103; conversely, when there is no water flow in the water channel 103, the light source emitted by the light-emitting module is totally reflected back to the photosensitive module, thus determining that there is no water flow in the water channel 103. Since the transparent protrusion 112 is in close contact with the outer wall of the water channel 103, To ensure that the light source can be refracted into the water flow through the transparent protrusion 112 when water flows through the water channel 103, and to prevent the gap between the side wall of the water channel 103 and the transparent protrusion 112 from being too thick, which would affect the refraction effect and thus the accuracy of the water flow sensor; the second housing 110 is located on one side of the first housing 100, and the second housing 110 has a slot 111. The transparent protrusion 112, the light-emitting module, and the photosensitive module are located in the slot 111, which facilitates the light source's reflection into the water flow. The optical module is protected to prevent accidental bumps and knocks that could damage the aforementioned devices and increase operating costs. The transparent protrusion 112 has a symmetrical structure, with the light-emitting module and the photosensitive module positioned on opposite sides of the transparent protrusion 112. This facilitates the stability of the light-emitting module's emission and the photosensitive module's reception of the light source, and also makes subsequent fine-tuning of the light-emitting and photosensitive modules easier. The transparent protrusion 112 is a structure that allows for arbitrary light transmission and wide-angle light reception, facilitating the complete collection of the light emitted by the light-emitting module through the transparent protrusion 112. This allows for total internal reflection or total refraction. Compared to traditional technologies where some light sources are directly received by the photosensitive module without reflection or refraction, leading to misjudgments by the water flow sensor, the transparent protrusion 112 in this application avoids light leakage, improves anti-interference capabilities, and ensures that the light source is completely collected within the transparent protrusion 112 for total internal reflection or refraction, thereby avoiding misjudgments and improving the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0034] It should be noted that both the first and second outer shells can be made of transparent material that allows light to pass through.

[0035] It is understandable that the transparent protrusion 112 is semi-circular, the arc surface of the transparent protrusion 112 faces away from the first housing 100, and the non-arc surface of the transparent protrusion 112 is in contact with the outer wall of the water flow channel 103.

[0036] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1In this embodiment, the transparent protrusion 112 is a semi-circular lens. The arc surface of the transparent protrusion 112 faces away from the outer wall of the water flow channel 103. In addition to receiving light sources at a wide angle, the semi-circular shape also allows the light source to be refracted by the arc surface of the semi-circular convex lens and directed towards the non-arc surface of the transparent protrusion 112 at a specific angle range, thereby ensuring the controllability of the incident angle of the light source. The semi-circular shape can also be adapted to water flow channels 103 of different specifications by adjusting its radius of curvature, thereby improving its compatibility. When the water flow channel changes from having water to no water, a layer of water film may remain on the outer wall where the water flow channel 103 and the transparent protrusion 112 meet. This may cause the light source to scatter after passing through the water film, making it impossible to achieve total internal reflection of the light source back to the photosensitive module. The semi-circular transparent protrusion 112 facilitates the collection of the light source scattered by the water film and focuses it to the photosensitive module, ensuring that the photosensitive module can be triggered, thereby improving the anti-interference ability, sensitivity and accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0037] It is understood that: it also includes a first frustum-shaped guide 101, the first housing 100 is provided with an outlet and an inlet, the outlet and the inlet are connected through a water flow channel 103, the first frustum-shaped guide 101 is a hollow structure, the first frustum-shaped guide 101 is sleeved on the end of the first housing 100 where the inlet is provided, and the end of the first frustum-shaped guide 101 with a smaller diameter extends away from the first housing 100.

[0038] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the first housing 100 has an inlet and an outlet on opposite sides, which are connected by a water flow channel 103. The second housing 110 is located between the inlet and the outlet. The larger diameter end of the first conical guide is fitted onto the end of the first housing 100 with the inlet, while the smaller diameter end of the first conical guide extends away from the first housing 100, which makes it easier to fit and connect the water pipe at the inlet.

[0039] It is understood that it also includes a second frustum-shaped guide 102, which is a hollow structure. The second frustum-shaped guide 102 is sleeved on the end of the first housing 100 where the water outlet is located, and the end of the first frustum-shaped guide 101 with a smaller diameter extends away from the first housing 100.

[0040] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the larger diameter end of the second conical guide is fitted onto the end of the first housing 100 where the water outlet is located, while the smaller diameter end of the second conical guide extends away from the first housing 100, which makes it easier to fit and connect the water pipe at the water outlet.

[0041] It is understandable that the part of the outer wall of the water flow channel 103 that connects with the transparent protrusion 112 is made of transparent material.

[0042] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the part of the outer wall of the water flow channel 103 that connects with the transparent protrusion 112 is made of transparent material. This makes it easier for the light source that is directed at the part of the transparent protrusion 112 that connects with the outer wall of the water flow channel 103 to pass through the outer wall of the water flow channel 103 and be refracted into the water flow when the water flows through the water flow channel 103, thus avoiding insufficient refraction that could affect the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0043] It is understandable that this also includes a cover plate, which fits onto the slot 111.

[0044] For example, in some embodiments, a cover plate is fitted over the slot 111 to protect the photosensitive module, the light-emitting module, and the transparent protrusion 112 disposed in the slot 111, preventing impurities or dust from entering the slot 111, which would cause the device to age faster and increase maintenance costs. Impurities or dust can also affect the accuracy of the water flow sensor. For example, impurities or dust may scatter the light source and trigger the photosensitive module, thus misjudging "no water flow". Impurities or dust may also block the light path of the light source, causing the photosensitive module to be unable to receive the light source, thus misjudging "water flow", thereby affecting the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0045] It is understandable that a fixing post 113 is provided inside the slot 111, and a fixing hole corresponding to the fixing post 113 is provided on the cover plate. The cover plate can be detachably fitted onto the slot 111 through the fixing post 113 and the fixing hole.

[0046] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, two fixing posts 113 are provided in the slot 111. The two fixing posts 113 are respectively located on both sides of the transparent protrusion 112 symmetrically. The cover plate is provided with two fixing holes, which correspond one-to-one with the two fixing posts 113. The cover plate can be detachably covered on the slot 111 through the fixing holes and fixing posts 113, which facilitates the opening and replacement of the cover plate and improves efficiency.

[0047] It is understandable that: the slot 111 has side slots 114 on both sides opposite to each other, and the sensing component has a protrusion corresponding to the side slot 114, which engages with the side slot 114.

[0048] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, side grooves 114 are provided on opposite sides of the sidewall of the slot 111, and transparent protrusions 112 are provided between the two side grooves 114. The sensing component is provided with two protrusions, which correspond one-to-one with the two side grooves 114. The protrusions are engaged with the side grooves 114 to facilitate fixing the sensing component in the slot 111, avoiding the sensing component from shifting during use, which would affect the light source received by the photosensitive module, thereby causing misjudgment and reducing the accuracy of the water flow sensor.

[0049] It is understandable that the second housing 110 is fitted onto the first housing 100.

[0050] For example, in some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the second housing 110 is detachably fitted onto the first housing 100, which facilitates adjustment of the specific position of the second housing 110, thereby making it suitable for a wider range of application scenarios. The detachable fit also facilitates the replacement of the second housing 110, thereby replacing the photosensitive module, the light-emitting module, and the transparent protrusion 112, improving compatibility.

[0051] The hydraulic switch according to the second aspect of the application includes the water flow sensor of the first aspect of the application described above.

[0052] According to the hydraulic switch of this application embodiment, a water flow channel 103 is provided to facilitate guiding the flow direction of water. The slot 111 is provided to protect the sensing component installed in the slot 111, avoiding unnecessary damage caused by bumps. The photosensitive module and the light-emitting module are located on symmetrical sides of the transparent protrusion 112. The symmetrical transparent protrusion 112 facilitates the collection of the light source emitted by the light-emitting module at a wide angle, thereby facilitating total internal reflection or refraction of the light source and avoiding light leakage that could lead to misjudgment by the water flow sensor, thus affecting the anti-interference capability and accuracy of the water flow sensor. The arrangement of the light-emitting module and the photosensitive module facilitates the sensing of whether there is water in the water flow channel 103. When water flows through the water channel 103, the light emitted by the light-emitting module is refracted by the water flow, preventing the photosensitive module from receiving the light and thus resulting in no signal output. When there is no water flow, the light emitted by the light-emitting module is completely reflected back to the photosensitive module through the transparent protrusion 112. After receiving the light, the photosensitive module is turned on and outputs a signal, thereby determining whether there is water flowing through the water channel 103. The connection between the transparent protrusion 112 and the water channel 103 ensures that the light source is refracted by the water flow when there is water flowing through the water channel 103. By setting the water flow sensor of this application, light leakage is avoided, reducing the probability of misjudgment and thus improving accuracy.

[0053] Since the hydraulic switch includes the water flow sensor of the first aspect embodiment, the corresponding contents of the water flow sensor in the first aspect embodiment can be applied to the hydraulic switch of the second aspect, and have the same implementation principle and technical effect. To avoid redundancy, it will not be described in detail here.

[0054] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application.

Claims

1. A water flow sensor, characterized in that, include: A first housing, wherein the first housing is provided with a water flow channel; The second housing is disposed on one side of the first housing. The second housing has a slot and a transparent protrusion. The transparent protrusion is disposed in the slot and is connected to the outer wall of the water flow channel. The transparent protrusion has a symmetrical structure. A sensing component is disposed within the slot. The sensing component includes a light-emitting module and a photosensitive module, which are respectively disposed on two symmetrical sides of the transparent protrusion. The light-emitting module is used to emit a light source towards the transparent protrusion, and the photosensitive module is used to receive the light source reflected back from the transparent protrusion. The transparent protrusion is used to receive the light source at a wide angle.

2. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transparent protrusion is semi-circular, with the arc surface of the transparent protrusion facing away from the first housing, and the non-arc surface of the transparent protrusion connected to the outer wall of the water flow channel.

3. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first frustum-shaped guide. The first housing has an outlet and an inlet. The outlet and the inlet are connected through the water flow channel. The first frustum-shaped guide is a hollow structure. The first frustum-shaped guide is sleeved on the end of the first housing with the inlet. The end of the first frustum-shaped guide with a smaller diameter extends away from the first housing.

4. The water flow sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a second frustum-shaped guide, which is a hollow structure. The second frustum-shaped guide is sleeved on the end of the first housing where the water outlet is located, and the smaller diameter end of the first frustum-shaped guide extends away from the first housing.

5. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portion of the outer wall of the water flow channel that connects with the transparent protrusion is made of transparent material.

6. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cover plate that fits over the slot.

7. The water flow sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that, The slot is also provided with a fixing post, and the cover plate is provided with a fixing hole corresponding to the fixing post. The cover plate can be detachably fitted onto the slot through the fixing post and the fixing hole.

8. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slot has side slots on both sides opposite to the slot, and the sensing component has a protrusion corresponding to the side slot, which engages with the side slot.

9. The water flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second housing is fitted onto the first housing.

10. A hydraulic switch, characterized in that, include: The water flow sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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