Mounting device

Abstract

A mounting device (10) for a sensor, wherein the sensor is adjustable and can be attached to a base by means of the mounting device (10), characterized in that the mounting device (10) has a receiving part (12) mounted in a mounting frame (11), that the receiving part (12) is penetrated in the axial direction by a through-opening (13) which forms a receptacle for a sensor component, and wherein the receiving part (12) has a spherical segment-shaped outer surface (14), that the mounting frame (11) has two frame parts (15, 16), each of which has an inwardly curved receiving surface (18, 19) complementary to the outer surface 14 of the receiving part (12), that the frame parts (15, 16) of the mounting frame (11) can be fixed to one another and attached to the base with only two fastening screws (22) with intermediate support of the receiving part (12),wherein, with the fastening screws (22) loosely tightened, the receiving part (12) is pivotable in the receiving surfaces (18, 19) of the frame parts (15, 16) in two spatial directions, thereby making the sensor connected to the receiving part (12) adjustable, and wherein by tightening the fastening screws (22) an adjustment position of the receiving part (12) with the sensor is fixed.

Description

The invention relates to a fastening device for a sensor. The mounting device is used to attach a sensor to a surface such as a wall element of a machine or system. This allows the sensor to be mounted at a predetermined position on the machine or system, enabling it to perform monitoring tasks. The sensor is adjustable on the mounting device, whereby by adjusting the sensor it is aligned so that objects in a specific monitoring area are detected. For example, if the sensor is designed as an optical sensor, the optical sensor is aligned so that light rays emitted by it pass within a specific monitoring area. DE 297 22 497 U1 relates to a device for attaching a sensor to a receiving element, with a cup attached to the outer wall of the sensor. The wall of the cup projects from the wall of the sensor in the form of a concave bulge, the bulge having a bore in which an intermediate element is rotatably mounted and slidably mounted on the surface of the cup and lockable in a specific position, the receiving element being attached to the intermediate element. This device has a relatively complex design, as mounting a sensor on a machine or similar equipment requires not only the cup to be attached to the sensor, but also an intermediate element and a mounting element, such as a rod, that is guided within this intermediate element. Furthermore, the cup must be attached to the sensor with several screws. The intermediate element is adjustable and mounted to the cup with another screw. Finally, the mounting element itself must also be attached to the machine. The invention is based on the objective of providing a fastening device of the type mentioned above, which enables precise adjustment of a sensor and which is easy and quick to mount. The features of claim 1 are provided to solve this problem. Advantageous embodiments and expedient further developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. The invention relates to a mounting device for a sensor, wherein the sensor can be adjusted and attached to a substrate by means of the mounting device. The mounting device has a receiving part mounted in a mounting frame. The receiving part has an axially penetrating opening that forms a receptacle for a sensor component. The receiving part has a spherical segment-shaped outer surface. The mounting frame has two frame parts, each with an inwardly curved receiving surface complementary to the outer surface of the receiving part. The frame parts of the mounting frame can be fixed to one another with only two mounting screws, with the receiving part temporarily supported, and then attached to the substrate.With the mounting screws loosely tightened, the mounting part can pivot in two directions within the mounting surfaces of the frame components, allowing adjustment of the sensor connected to the mounting part. Tightening the mounting screws fixes the adjustment position of the mounting part and sensor. The arrangement according to the invention, consisting of a fastening device and an associated sensor, enables quick and easy mounting of a sensor on a substrate, which may be formed, for example, by a part of a machine or system, the area in front of which is to be monitored by the sensor. For clarity regarding the components of the fastening device, the term "bottom" is used in the following text relative to a substrate located below the fastening device; that is, the fastening device rests with its underside on the substrate. However, this orientation is not mandatory. A substrate can also be a wall element, for example, one oriented in a vertical plane. The mounting device, consisting of the mounting frame and the receiver, has a simple design. Since only two mounting screws are required to attach the device and thus the sensor to the surface, quick and easy installation is guaranteed. The assembly is carried out in such a way that the receiving part which receives the sensor component is inserted between the frame parts of the mounting frame so that the receiving surface of the frame parts rests against the outer surface. This arrangement is held in place only by the two mounting screws on the base. Initially, the mounting screws are not tightened securely, but only enough to allow the cylindrical surface of the mounting part to move relative to the mounting surfaces. Due to the spherical cylindrical surface of the mounting part and the complementary mounting surfaces of the frame parts, the mounting part, and thus the sensor, can be pivoted in two spatial directions, enabling simple and precise adjustment of the sensor. Once the adjustment is complete, the mounting screws are tightened securely and the sensor is fixed in the desired adjustment position. According to an advantageous embodiment, when the mounting frame is installed, its receiving surfaces complement each other to form an at least approximately closed overall receiving surface that encloses the outer surface of the receiving part. This ensures good guidance of the lateral surface in the receiving surfaces, which essentially complement each other in a ring structure. Advantageously, the widths of the mounting surfaces of the frame parts are smaller than the width of the lateral surface of the mounting part. Since the sensor mounting part must be pivoted within the mounting frame for adjustment, the enlarged surface area of ​​the mounting part, extending axially, allows for a large pivoting range. The mounting parts of the frame components serve only as guides for the surface of the sensor mounting part and therefore can have a smaller axial dimension on the mounting frame. According to a structurally advantageous embodiment, the lateral surface and the through-opening form a concentric arrangement that is rotationally symmetrical about an axis of symmetry of the receiving part. According to a first embodiment, the through-opening of the receiving part forms a snap-in receptacle for the sensor component. In this case, it is advantageous that the sensor component is an adapter on a housing of the sensor. The adapter can then be fixed in place by simply inserting it into the through-hole on the receiving part. The borehole advantageously, but not necessarily, has a circular cross-section. In principle, polygonal cross-sections of the borehole are also possible. According to a further embodiment, the through-opening of the receiving part has an internal thread into which an external thread of the sensor component can be screwed. In this case, the sensor component can be a segment of a cylindrical housing of the sensor. The sensor is then a round-sleeve device. Providing the external thread on the housing can be achieved without significant additional effort, particularly if the housing is made from at least one injection-molded plastic part. According to an advantageous embodiment, the mounting frame has two parallel bores running in its longitudinal direction, in each of which a mounting screw is guided. The holes penetrate the mounting frame and exit at its upper and lower ends. This ensures easy handling of the mounting screws for attaching the mounting frame to a substrate. Advantageously, the bores run along opposite edge areas of the frame parts, with the receiving surfaces located between these edge areas. The mounting frame is mirror-symmetrical to a plane of symmetry extending in its longitudinal direction. This arrangement of the holes ensures a stable, tilt-proof, and rotation-resistant mounting of the mounting frame on the substrate when the fastening screw is inserted. Furthermore, the holes are located outside the receiving surfaces of the frame component, so that the guidance of the outer surface within the receiving surfaces is not obstructed by the fastening screws passing through the holes. In principle, it is possible to fix the mounting frame directly to the base using a lower frame part, provided that the lower frame part has a sufficiently large contact surface at its lower edge, which can be stored on the base in a way that prevents it from tipping over. According to an advantageous embodiment, a support plate can be attached to the underside of the mounting frame by means of the mounting screw, and this support plate has a bearing surface for resting on the substrate. Alternatively, the substrate itself can also serve as the base. The contact surface ensures a flat, stable fit of the fastening device on the substrate, with the contact plate advantageously running in one plane for this purpose. The assembly of the fastening device is further simplified by the fact that the lower frame part has means on its underside for pre-fixing to the support plate. According to one variant, the means for pre-fixing orientation pins are formed. These orientation pins on the lower frame part are inserted into recesses in the support plate, which not only pre-fixes the lower frame part to the support plate, but also defines the orientation of the lower frame part relative to the support plate. According to a second variant, the support plate can be securely connected to the lower frame part using the means for pre-fixing. According to a suitable training course, a labeling area is provided on the top of the mounting frame. According to an advantageous embodiment, the sensor is designed as an optical sensor. The optical sensor can be designed as a light sensor, distance sensor, or the like. The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1: Schematic representation of an optical sensor. Fig. 2: Perspective view of an embodiment of the mounting device according to the invention. Fig. 3: Sectional view of the mounting device according to Fig. 1. Fig. 4: Representation of the components of the mounting device according to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5: Detail view of a lower frame part of the mounting device according to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6: Variant of the frame part according to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a highly schematic embodiment of a sensor in the form of an optical sensor 1. In this case, the optical sensor 1 is designed as a photoelectric sensor. The optical sensor 1 has a cubic housing 2 in which a light beam 3 emitting transmitter 4, a light beam 3 receiving receiver 5, and an evaluation unit 6 are integrated. The transmitter 4 can be a light-emitting diode (LED), and the receiver 5 can be a photodiode. The evaluation unit 6 can be a microcontroller. The optical sensor 1 serves to detect objects 7 in a monitoring area. For this purpose, the light beams 3 emitted by the transmitter 4 are guided into the monitoring area through a transparent disc 8 in the front wall of the housing 2. The light beams 3 are reflected back from an object 7 to be detected in the monitoring area and guided via the disc 8 to the receiver 5.Depending on the received signals generated in this way, an object detection signal is generated in the evaluation unit 6, which is output via an output not shown. An adapter 9 is located on the back of the optical sensor 1 as an additional sensor component. This serves to mount the optical sensor 1 in a mounting device 10, as shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4. The fastening device 10 according to the invention essentially consists of a fastening frame 11 and a receiving part 12. The receiving part 12 has an axially extending through-opening 13 (Fig. 4), which forms a receptacle for a sensor component, in this case the adapter 9 of the optical sensor 1. The through-opening 13 has a circular cross-section and is arranged concentrically to the axis of symmetry of the receiving part 12. In this case, the adapter 9 is inserted into the through-opening 13 and secured by a snap-fit ​​connection. Alternatively, an internal thread can be provided on the inner wall bounding the through-opening 13. In this case, the sensor component can have an external thread with which it can be screwed into the through-opening 13. This is particularly the case if the sensor is a round-sleeve device with a cylindrical housing. Then the external thread is provided on the outside of the housing. The outer lateral surface 14 of the receiving part 12 has the shape of a spherical segment, which forms a rotationally symmetric, convex surface with respect to the axis of symmetry of the receiving part 12. The mounting frame 11 has a lower frame part 15 and an upper frame part 16 (Fig. 4). The lower frame part 15 is mounted on a support plate 17, which is part of the mounting device 10. The support plate 17 is formed as a component extending in a plane. In this case, the support plate 17 is placed on a substrate (not shown). In principle, the support plate 17 could itself also serve as the substrate. In this case, the support plate 17 forms the underside of the mounting device 10. Generally, the support plate 17 can also be mounted on a vertically oriented wall or similar surface. The lower frame part 15 has a receiving surface 18 on its upper side. The receiving surface 18 extends over an angular range of almost 180° and has an inwardly facing, concave shape of a spherical segment. This receiving surface 18 is complementary to the lateral surface 14 of the receiving part 12. The upper frame part 16 also has a receiving surface 19 on its underside. This receiving surface 19 also extends over an angular range of almost 180° and has an inwardly facing, concave shape of a spherical segment. This receiving surface 19 is also designed to be complementary to the lateral surface 14 of the receiving part 12. Orientation pins 20 extend from the lower edge of the lower frame part 15 and are inserted into recesses in the support plate 17 to pre-fix the lower frame part 15 in a predetermined orientation on the support (Figs. 4 and 5). Fig. 6 shows a variant of the lower frame part 15 that enables a captive connection between the frame part 15 and the support plate 17. On opposite edge regions of the mounting frame 11, which is mirror-symmetrical to a plane of symmetry, two bores 21 run parallel to each other in its longitudinal direction, each forming a receptacle for a mounting screw 22. Part of each bore 21 extends into the lower frame section 15 and then into the upper frame section 16. The bores 21 are located on both sides of the receiving part 12 and pass through the fastening device 10, i.e. they open at the top and bottom of the fastening device 10. To attach the fastening device 10 to the base, the fastening screws 22 shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are inserted into the bores 21 and fixed with nuts 23. The receiving part 12 lies between the receiving surfaces 18, 19 of the frame parts 15, 16. As long as the fastening screws 22 and nuts 23 are not tightened securely, but only loosely, the receiving part 12 with the sensor component can be pivoted in two spatial directions for sensor adjustment. A large pivoting range is achieved because the outer surface 14 projects beyond the receiving surfaces 18, 19 in the axial direction of the mounting device 10. When the receiving part 12 is pivoted, the outer surface 14 slides with minimal play in the receiving surfaces 18, 19 of the frame parts 15, 16, which together form an almost completely closed receiving surface 19. Once the sensor is fixed in its intended position, the nuts 23 are tightened on the mounting screws 22 and the sensor is fixed in its intended position. Reference symbol list 1 Optical sensor 2 Housing 3 Light beam 4 Transmitter 5 Receiver 6 Evaluation unit 7 Object 8 Disc 9 Adapter 10 Mounting device 11 Mounting frame 12 Receiving part 13 Through opening 14 Circumferential surface 15 Lower frame part 16 Upper frame part 17 Support plate 18 Receiving surface 19 Receiving surface 20 Orientation pin 21 Bore 22 Mounting screw 23 Nut QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature DE 297 22 497 U1

[0005]

Claims

Mounting device (10) for a sensor, wherein the sensor is adjustable and can be attached to a base by means of the mounting device (10), characterized in that the mounting device (10) has a receiving part (12) mounted in a mounting frame (11), that the receiving part (12) is penetrated in the axial direction by a through-opening (13) which forms a receptacle for a sensor component, and wherein the receiving part (12) has a spherical segment-shaped outer surface (14), that the mounting frame (11) has two frame parts (15, 16), each of which has an inwardly curved receiving surface (18, 19) complementary to the outer surface 14 of the receiving part (12), that the frame parts (15, 16) of the mounting frame (11) can be fixed to one another and to the base with only two fastening screws (22) with intermediate support of the receiving part (12),wherein, with the fastening screws (22) loosely tightened, the receiving part (12) is pivotable in the receiving surfaces (18, 19) of the frame parts (15, 16) in two spatial directions, thereby making the sensor connected to the receiving part (12) adjustable, and wherein by tightening the fastening screws (22) an adjustment position of the receiving part (12) with the sensor is fixed. Fastening device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the fastening frame (11) is mounted, its receiving surfaces (18, 19) combine to form an at least approximately closed overall receiving surface (18, 19) which encloses the lateral surface (14) of the receiving part (12). Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the widths of the receiving surfaces (18, 19) of the frame parts (15, 16) are smaller than the width of the lateral surface (14) of the receiving part (12). Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outer surface (14) and the through-opening (13) form a concentric arrangement rotationally symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the receiving part (12). Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the through-opening (13) of the receiving part (12) forms a snap-in receptacle for the sensor component. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the through-opening (13) of the receiving part (12) has an internal thread into which an external thread of the sensor component can be screwed. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sensor component is a segment of a cylindrical housing (2) of the sensor. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sensor component is an adapter (9) on a housing (2) of the sensor. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fastening frame (11) has two parallel bores (21) extending in its longitudinal direction, in each of which a fastening screw (22) is guided. Fastening device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the bores (21) penetrate the fastening frame (11) and open out at its upper and lower ends. Fastening device (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the bores (21) extend in opposite edge regions of the frame parts (15, 16), wherein the receiving surfaces (18, 19) lie between these edge regions. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the fastening frame (11) is mirror-symmetrical to a plane of symmetry extending in its longitudinal direction. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that a support plate (17) can be attached to the underside of the fastening frame (11) by means of the fastening screw (22). Fastening device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that the support plate (17) runs in a plane. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that the lower frame part (15) has means on its underside for pre-fixing to the support plate (17). Fastening device (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that the means for pre-fixing orientation pins (20) are formed. Fastening device (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that the support plate (17) can be connected to the lower frame part (15) in a loss-proof manner using the means for pre-fixing. Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that a labeling area is provided on the top of the fastening frame (11). Fastening device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the sensor is an optical sensor (1).

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