Measuring equipment

Abstract

To prevent vibration of a holder that holds a sensor unit and an optical unit moving relative to each other.SOLUTION: A measuring device according to the present disclosure has: a sensor unit that has a light emitting device emitting light and a light receiving device receiving reflected light; an optical unit that irradiates an object with the light emitted from the light emitting device and causes the light receiving device to receive the reflected light; a spring member that has a stationary part and vibration parts, and is attached to the optical unit at the stationary part and attached with the sensor unit at the vibration parts, thereby holding the sensor unit movably with respect to the optical unit; and a holder that is attached to the stationary part of the spring member, and holds the sensor unit and the optical unit in a relatively movable manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a scanning device that scans with laser light by moving a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and an optical system relative to each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2021-500554 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a sensor unit having a light emitting element and a light receiving element and an optical unit are held in a holder so as to be movable relative to each other, there is a risk that the holder will vibrate.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress vibrations of a holder that holds a sensor unit and an optical unit that move relative to each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives reflected light; an optical unit that irradiates an object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive the reflected light; a spring member that has a fixed portion and a vibrating portion, wherein the fixed portion is attached to the optical unit and the sensor unit is attached to the vibrating portion, thereby movably holding the sensor unit relative to the optical unit; and a holder that is attached to the fixed portion of the spring member and holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other. a vehicle body mounting member for mounting to a vehicle body; and a housing for accommodating the sensor unit, the optical unit, and the spring member; A measuring device having the housing has an upper housing that covers an upper portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a lower housing that covers a lower portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on a side surface of the housing, the holder has a protruding portion that protrudes from the gap on the side surface of the housing to the outside of the housing, the vehicle body mounting member holds the protruding portion, and the gap between the housing and the protruding portion of the holder is closed by a gasket. It is a measuring device.

[0007] Other problems and solutions disclosed in the present application will be made clear in the detailed description and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress vibrations of the holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit, which move relative to each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the measuring device 1 with a vehicle body mounting member 100 removed from a main body part 3. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the main body 3. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning of laser light, Figure 3B is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning in a certain frame, and Figure 3C is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning by multiple channels. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the housing 30 is removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the holder 40 and the processing substrate 50 are removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the spring member 60. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded explanatory view of the optical unit 20, the spring member 60, and the holder 40. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] Fig. 8A is an explanatory diagram of the holder 40 before attachment, and Fig. 8B is an explanatory diagram of the holder 40 after attachment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the measuring device 1. [Figure 10] Fig. 10A is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle body mounting member 100. Fig. 10B is a perspective view of the first mounting member 110. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the insert part 24 of the lens housing 23. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams of the end portion of the vibrating portion 62 of the spring member 60. FIG. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing how the mounting screws 97 are attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical or similar components may be designated by common reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

[0011] <Overall structure> Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the measuring device 1 in a state where a vehicle body mounting member 100 has been removed from a main body part 3. Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of the main body part 3.

[0012] In the following description, directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1A. The direction parallel to the optical axis (axis of rotational symmetry of the lens) of the optical system (light projecting optical system 21 or light receiving optical system 22) is defined as the Z direction. The object to be measured by measurement device 1 is separated from measurement device 1 in the Z direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction, in which light projecting optical system 21 and light receiving optical system 22 are aligned, is defined as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z and X directions is defined as the Y direction. The side of the object to be measured as seen from the measuring device 1 (positive side in the Z direction) is sometimes called the "front," and the opposite side (negative side in the Z direction) is sometimes called the "rear." When looking at the front from the rear, the right side is sometimes called the "right," and the left side is sometimes called the "left." The upper side in the vertical direction (positive side in the Y direction) is sometimes called the "top," and the opposite side (negative side in the Y direction) is sometimes called the "bottom."

[0013] The measuring device 1 is a device that measures the distance to an object. The measuring device 1 emits laser light, detects the light reflected from the surface of the object, and calculates the distance to the object based on the detection result. Specifically, the measuring device 1 measures the distance to the object using a time-of-flight (TOF) method by measuring the time from when a pulsed laser light is emitted from a light-emitting element 11 to when the reflected light is received by a light-receiving element 12. The measuring device 1 has a main body 3 and a vehicle body mounting member 100.

[0014] The main body 3 is a member that constitutes the main body of the measurement device 1. The main body 3 has a sensor unit 10 and an optical unit 20. The main body 3 also has a housing, a holder, a processing board, a spring member, a vibrating member, and a drive unit.

[0015] The sensor unit 10 has a light-emitting element 11, a light-receiving element 12, and a sensor substrate 13. The light-emitting element 11 is an element that emits laser light. The light-receiving element 12 is an element that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The sensor substrate 13 is a substrate on which the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 are mounted. The sensor unit 10 is configured by mounting the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 on the same substrate. Here, the sensor substrate 13 has a plurality of light-emitting elements 11 and a plurality of light-receiving elements 12. However, the sensor substrate 13 may have only one light-emitting element 11 and one light-receiving element 12.

[0016] The optical unit 20 is an optical system that irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 toward an object and receives the light reflected from the object at the light-receiving element 12. The light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 are respectively arranged at conjugate positions of the optical system constituted by the optical unit 20. The optical unit 20 has a light-projecting optical system 21 and a light-receiving optical system 22. The light-projecting optical system 21 is an optical system that irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 toward the object. The light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 11 is arranged within the focal plane of the light-projecting optical system 21. The light-projecting optical system 21 irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 as collimated light toward the object. The light-receiving optical system 22 is an optical system that focuses the reflected light onto the light-receiving element 12. The light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element 12 is arranged within the focal plane of the light-receiving optical system 22. The light-projecting optical system 21 and the light-receiving optical system 22 are integrally configured to constitute the optical unit 20. Here, the light projecting optical system 21 and the light receiving optical system 22 are each made up of a group of lenses. However, the light projecting optical system 21 and the light receiving optical system 22 may each be made up of a single lens.

[0017] The sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 move relative to each other in directions perpendicular to the Z direction (X and Y directions). This relative movement between the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 changes the positional relationship of the light emitting element 11 with respect to the optical unit 20, and as a result, the angle at which the laser light is emitted changes. In other words, the relative movement between the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 allows the laser light to scan. The sensor unit 10 moves relative to the optical unit 20 by vibrating in the X and Y directions at predetermined resonance frequencies, respectively.

[0018] 3A is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning of laser light. When the sensor unit 10 vibrates at a predetermined resonance frequency in the X and Y directions relative to the optical unit 20, the laser light is emitted so as to draw a Lissajous curve as shown in FIG. 3A. 3B is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning in a certain frame. For each measurement of a frame (one three-dimensional image), the measurement device 1 measures the distance (Z coordinate) to the surface of the object at multiple points on the Lissajous curve. This allows coordinates to be measured with increased resolution. 3C is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning using multiple channels. By providing the sensor substrate 13 with multiple light-emitting elements 11 and multiple light-receiving elements 12, it is possible to perform two-dimensional scanning over a different range for each channel, as shown in the figure. This enables measurement over a wide range in the X and Y directions, achieving a wide FOV (field of view).

[0019] It should be noted that the two-dimensional scanning does not have to follow a Lissajous curve. For example, two-dimensional scanning may be performed by performing a line scan in the X direction (or Y direction) multiple times while shifting the line scan in the Y direction (or X direction). Also, instead of two-dimensional scanning, one-dimensional scanning (scanning in one direction, either the X direction or the Y direction) may be performed.

[0020] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the state where the housing 30 is removed. The housing 30 is a member (enclosure) that houses the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10. The housing 30 has a rear housing 31, an upper housing 32, and a lower housing 33.

[0021] The rear housing 31 is a portion that covers the rear portion of the main body 3. The rear housing 31 has a connector 311 and a coil substrate 312. The connector 311 is a portion (connection portion) for electrically connecting to an external power source and a vehicle ECU. The coil substrate 312 is a substrate for driving the coil 71 (see FIG. 2) of the drive unit 70.

[0022] The upper housing 32 is a part that covers the upper part of the main body 3. The lower housing 33 is a part that covers the lower part of the main body 3. A gap is formed between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33 on the side of the housing 30, and the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is inserted into this gap. The gap between the housing 30 (upper housing 32 and lower housing 33) and the holder 40 is sealed by a gasket 35.

[0023] The gasket 35 is a member that seals the gap between the housing 30 (upper housing 32 and lower housing 33) and the holder 40. The gasket 35 is sandwiched between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33 on the side of the main body 3. The gasket 35 has an insertion portion 35A through which the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is inserted. The gasket 35 is made of rubber so that it can easily seal the gap between the housing 30 and the holder 40.

[0024] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the holder 40 and the processing substrate 50 are removed.

[0025] The holder 40 is a member that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20. Here, the holder 40 is fixed to a spring member 60 that is fixed to the optical unit 20, and indirectly holds the optical unit 20 via the spring member 60. The sensor unit 10 is attached to the spring member 60, and the holder 40 holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 so that they can move relative to each other. The holder 40 is made up of a right holder 40A and a left holder 40B. Instead of being made up of two parts, the holder 40 may be made up of one part. However, by making the holder 40 up of two parts, the right holder 40A and the left holder 40B, the holder 40 can be made smaller.

[0026] The holder 40 has a protrusion 41. The protrusion 41 is a portion that protrudes outward to the left and right from the main body of the holder 40. The protrusion 41 is inserted into the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33, causing an end of the protrusion 41 to protrude outside the housing 30. The end of the protrusion 41 that protrudes outside the housing 30 is held by the vehicle body mounting member 100. In other words, the protrusion 41 is a portion that is attached to the vehicle body mounting member 100.

[0027] The processing board 50 is a board that performs various processes such as control processing and signal processing (arithmetic processing) of the sensor unit 10. The processing board 50 is mounted with chips (not shown in FIG. 5) that control the light emission timing of the light-emitting element 11 and calculate the distance to an object based on the light-receiving signal of the light-receiving element 12. The processing board 50 is fixed onto the holder 40. One end of the processing board 50 is supported by the holder 40 via a support member 80. A shield member 91 is disposed between the processing board 50 and the optical unit 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a heat-transfer sheet 92 is disposed between the processing board 50 and the upper housing 32.

[0028] The spring member 60 is a member that holds the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10 so that they can move relative to each other. The spring member 60 holds the sensor unit 10 relative to the optical unit 20 so that the sensor unit 10 can vibrate in the X direction and the Y direction at predetermined resonance frequencies.

[0029] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the spring member 60. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The spring member 60 has a fixed portion 61 and a pair of vibrating portions 62 . The fixed portion 61 is a portion that is fixed to the optical unit 20. The fixed portion 61 is also a portion that is fixed to the holder 40. The fixed portion 61 is a strip-shaped (plate-shaped) portion that extends along the front-rear direction, and is disposed in the center of the spring member 60 in the up-down direction. The vibrating section 62 is a vibrating section. The vibrating section 62 is a U-shaped (tuning fork-shaped) section and has a branching section 621, a first bent section 62A, and a second bent section 62B. The branching section 621 is a section between the fixed section 61 and the first bent section 62A and the second bent section 62B, and is a section where the first bent section 62A and the second bent section 62B branch off from the fixed section 61. The first bent section 62A and the second bent section 62B are cantilever-shaped sections extending from the branching section 621 and are sections that bend at a predetermined natural frequency. The base end (front end) of the first bent section 62A is connected to the branching section 621, and the opposite end (rear end; tip) is connected to the sensor unit 10. The base end (front end) of the second bent section 62B is connected to the branching section 621, and the opposite end (rear end; tip) is connected to the vibrating member 65. When the vibration part 62 including the first bending part 62A and the second bending part 62B vibrates in a predetermined vibration mode, the sensor unit 10 vibrates at a predetermined resonant frequency in the X direction and the Y direction relative to the optical unit 20.

[0031] The fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 is disposed between the pair of vibrating portions 62. Therefore, the vibrations of the pair of vibrating portions 62 are canceled out in the fixed portion 61, and the fixed portion 61 is less likely to vibrate even during relative movement between the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10.

[0032] The vibrating member 65 is a member for resonating the sensor unit 10. The vibrating member 65 is held by the spring member 60. The second bent portions 62B of the spring member 60 are connected to the left and right edges of the vibrating member 65. When the vibrating member 65 receives forces in the X and Y directions from the drive unit 70, the sensor unit 10 resonates via the spring member 60, and as a result, the sensor unit 10 moves relative to the optical unit 20 in the X and Y directions.

[0033] The drive unit 70 is a member (motor) that generates a drive force for moving the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10 relative to each other. The drive unit 70 has a coil 71 and a magnet 72 (see FIG. 2). Here, the coil 71 is fixed to the housing 30 (rear housing 31) and forms a stator. The magnet 72 is fixed to the vibration member 65 and forms a mover. The magnet 72 may be the stator and the coil 71 may be the mover. However, when the coil 71 is used as the stator, wiring to the coil 71 is easier than when the coil 71 is used as the mover. Furthermore, the drive unit 70 is not limited to a motor composed of the coil 71 and the magnet 72, and may be another actuator, such as a piezoelectric transducer.

[0034] The vehicle body mounting member 100 is a member that mounts the main body 3 to the vehicle body (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). A pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 are arranged on the left and right sides of the main body 3. The pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 respectively hold the protruding portions 41 of the holder 40 that protrude from the left and right side surfaces of the main body 3. The vehicle body mounting member 100 has a first mounting member 110 and a second mounting member 120. The main body 3 is held by the vehicle body mounting member 100 by sandwiching the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. In addition, a damper member 130 is arranged between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 and the holder 40. The damper member 130 is a rubber member that absorbs vibrations. By the vehicle body mounting member 100 holding the holder 40 via the damper member 130, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations of the main body 3 to the vehicle body.

[0035] <About the placement and fixing of the holder 40> Fig. 7 is an explanatory exploded view of the optical unit 20, the spring member 60, and the holder 40. Fig. 8A is an explanatory view before the holder 40 is attached. Fig. 8B is an explanatory view after the holder 40 is attached.

[0036] The optical unit 20 has a lens housing 23 (lens barrel) that houses a lens. A fixing portion 24A and an alignment pin 24B are provided on the side of the lens housing 23. The fixing portion 24A is a portion (screw hole) that fixes the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20 (lens housing 23). The alignment pin 24B is a portion that is used to align the spring member 60 (and holder 40).

[0037] The fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 has a first hole 61A, a second hole 61B, and an alignment hole 61C. The first hole 61A is a hole (through hole) for screwing the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20. The second hole 61B is a hole for screwing the holder 40. The alignment hole 61C is a hole for aligning the spring member 60 with respect to the optical unit 20. The alignment pin 24B of the optical unit 20 is inserted into the alignment hole 61C of the spring member 60, thereby aligning the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60.

[0038] The holder 40 has a fixing portion 45 and an alignment hole 46. The fixing portion 45 is a portion for screwing the holder 40 to the spring member 60. The alignment hole 46 is a hole for aligning the holder 40 with respect to the optical unit 20. The alignment pin 24B of the optical unit 20 is inserted into the alignment hole 46 of the holder 40, thereby aligning the optical unit 20 with the spring member 60.

[0039] As already explained, the spring member 60 has a fixed portion 61 and a vibrating portion 62 (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 8A, the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 is attached to the optical unit 20, and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) is attached to the end (rear end; front end) of the vibrating portion 62. In this way, the spring member 60 holds the sensor unit 10 so that it can move relative to the optical unit 20. In such a structure, if the holder 40 were attached to a vibrating part such as the vibrating portion 62, the holder 40 would vibrate, and as a result, there is a risk that the vibration of the holder 40 would be transmitted to the vehicle body. Therefore, in this embodiment, the holder 40 is attached to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60. As already explained, the fixed portion 61 is disposed between the pair of vibrating portions 62, and since the vibrations of the pair of vibrating portions 62 are canceled out at the fixed portion 61, the fixed portion 61 is a portion that is unlikely to vibrate even during relative movement between the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10. Therefore, by attaching the holder 40 to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60, the vibration of the holder 40 can be suppressed, and therefore the transmission of vibration to the vehicle body can be suppressed.

[0040] 9 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of the measuring device 1. In this figure, the vehicle body mounting member 100 is shown holding the holder 40.

[0041] Since the housing 30 accommodates the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 (and the spring member 60), the holder 40 that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 is also accommodated in the housing 30. On the other hand, if the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the housing 30 in order to hold the main body 3, there is a risk that vibrations of the housing 30 will be transmitted to the vehicle body. For this reason, it is desirable for the vehicle body mounting member 100 to hold the holder 40, which has reduced vibrations, rather than holding the housing 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, a gap is formed between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33 on the side surface of the housing 30. Furthermore, the holder 40 has a protrusion 41, which is inserted into the gap in the housing 30 (the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33), and the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 protrudes from the gap in the housing 30 to the outside of the housing 30. This allows the vehicle body mounting member 100 to hold the holder 40 by gripping the protrusion 41 protruding to the outside of the housing 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibration to the vehicle body.

[0042] When a structure is adopted in which the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is inserted into the gap in the housing 30 (the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33), it is necessary to provide a gap (play) between the protrusion 41 and the housing 30. On the other hand, if there is a gap between the protrusion 41 and the housing 30, there is a risk that dust and the like may enter the inside of the housing 30 from the outside. Therefore, in this embodiment, the measuring device 1 is provided with a gasket 35 that closes the gap between the housing 30 and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40. The gasket 35 closes the gap between the housing 30 and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40, thereby preventing dust and the like from entering the inside of the housing 30 from the outside. The gasket 35 is preferably made of flexible rubber. By interposing the gasket 35 between the housing 30 and the holder 40, the housing 30 and the holder 40 can be prevented from being rigidly fixed together. This prevents vibrations from the housing 30 from being transmitted to the holder 40, and therefore prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

[0043] As already explained, the stator (coil 71) of the drive unit 70 is fixed to the housing 30 (see FIG. 2). For this reason, the housing 30 is a member that is more susceptible to vibration than the holder 40. For this reason, it is desirable that the vehicle body mounting member 100 hold the holder 40 rather than the housing 30. Therefore, a structure in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is a particularly desirable structure when the stator (coil 71) of the drive unit 70 is fixed to the housing 30.

[0044] <Regarding the vehicle body mounting member 100> 9, the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via a damper member 130. The vehicle body mounting member 100 has a first mounting member 110 and a second mounting member 120, the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 is disposed between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120, and damper members 130 are disposed between the first mounting member 110 and the protruding portion 41 and between the second mounting member 120 and the protruding portion 41. By fastening the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 with screws (not shown), the damper member 130 is compressed in the vertical direction and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 is clamped between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 via the damper member 130. As in this embodiment, the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via the damper member 130, thereby suppressing the transmission of vibrations (especially vibrations in the vertical direction) of the main body 3 to the vehicle body. Note that the structure in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via the damper member 130 is not limited to the structure using the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 as shown in the drawings, and other structures may also be used.

[0045] Fig. 10A is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle body mounting member 100. Fig. 10B is a perspective view of the first mounting member 110.

[0046] The first mounting member 110 has a vehicle body mounting portion 111, a fixing portion 112, and an accommodating portion 113. The vehicle body mounting portion 111 is a portion (mounting hole) for mounting the vehicle body mounting member 100 to the vehicle body. The fixing portion 112 is a portion for fixing the second mounting member 120. The accommodating portion 113 is a portion for accommodating the damper member 130. The accommodating portion 113 is formed in a concave shape, and the damper member 130 is accommodated in the space inside the concave accommodating portion 113.

[0047] The accommodation section 113 has a bottom surface 113A and an inner wall surface 113B rising from the bottom surface 113A. The damper member 130 is accommodated in a space surrounded by the bottom surface 113A and the inner wall surface 113B. The bottom surface 113A is a surface perpendicular to the up-down direction (a surface parallel to the horizontal direction). The bottom surface 113A faces the protrusion 41 of the holder 40. The bottom surface 113A also serves as a mounting surface on which the damper member 130 is mounted. The damper member 130 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 113A and the lower surface of the protrusion 41. The inner wall surface 113B is a surface parallel to the up-down direction. Here, the inner wall surface 113B has a pair of opposing surfaces (first surfaces) perpendicular to the front-rear direction and a pair of opposing surfaces (second surfaces) perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0048] 9, there is a gap S in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the up-down direction; front-rear and left-right directions) between the inner wall surface 113B of the first mounting member 110 and the side surface of the damper member 130. This allows shear deformation of the damper member 130 and suppresses transmission of vibrations of the main body 3 (especially vibrations in the horizontal direction) to the vehicle body.

[0049] If the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 is displaced excessively relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100 in the horizontal direction (front-rear and left-right directions), the shear deformation of the damper member 130 will increase, potentially damaging the damper member 130. Therefore, in this embodiment, a portion of the inner wall surface 113B of the first mounting member 110 is provided at the same height as the side surface of the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 to form a contact portion 113C that comes into contact with the protruding portion 41. The contact of the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110 with the protruding portion 41 prevents the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 from being displaced significantly in the horizontal direction relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100. In other words, the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110 functions as a stopper that limits the maximum horizontal displacement of the holder 40. The contact portion 113C is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 9 , and may be any shape that can come into contact with the protruding portion 41. For example, the second mounting member 120 may have a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion 41. Also, the vehicle body mounting member 100 does not have to have a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion 41.

[0050] <About Lens Housing 23> 11 is an explanatory diagram of the insert part 24 of the lens housing 23. The hatched parts in the drawing are the insert parts 24.

[0051] As already explained, a fixing portion 24A is provided on the side surface of the lens housing 23 of the optical unit 20, and the spring member 60 is screwed to this fixing portion 24A. However, because the spring member 60 has a vibrating portion 62, there is a risk that the screw fastening the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20 may come loose. For this reason, the screw fastening the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60 needs to be tightened with a high torque. On the other hand, there is also a demand to construct the lens housing 23 from lightweight resin or aluminum in order to reduce the weight of the main body 3 of the measuring device 1. However, if the fixing portion 24A (screw hole) of the lens housing 23 is constructed from resin or aluminum, the strength of resin or aluminum is relatively low, and therefore it becomes impossible to fasten a screw into the fixing portion 24A (screw hole) with a high torque (or fastening a screw into the fixing portion 24A (screw hole) with a high torque may damage the fixing portion 24A).

[0052] Therefore, in this embodiment, the lens housing 23 is formed by insert molding. The main body of the lens housing 23 (the portion not hatched in FIG. 11) is formed from resin. The resin main body and the metal insert part 24 are integrated by insert molding. Note that the main body of the lens housing 23 is not limited to resin and may be made of other materials (such as aluminum).

[0053] The insert part 24 is made of a metal stronger than resin or aluminum, and is made of stainless steel (SUS) in this example. However, the insert part 24 is not limited to stainless steel (SUS), and may be made of any material that is stronger than the material that makes up the main body of the lens housing 23.

[0054] The insert part 24 has a fixing portion 24A. In this embodiment, since the fixing portion 24A (screw hole) is provided in the insert part 24, it is possible to screw the spring member 60 to the fixing portion 24A with a high torque.

[0055] The optical unit 20 has a pair of insert parts 24. The pair of insert parts 24 are arranged on the left and right side surfaces of the optical unit 20 (lens housing 23), respectively. The lens group of the optical unit 20 is arranged between the pair of insert parts 24.

[0056] The pair of insert parts 24 are configured to have the same shape. By using a common insert part 24 on each side, manufacturing costs can be reduced. In order to make the insert parts 24 arranged on the left and right sides of the optical unit 20 have the same shape, the insert parts 24 are configured to have vertically symmetrical shapes. Furthermore, the pair of insert parts 24 are arranged at the same height as the optical axis of the optical unit 20, facing each other with the optical axis of the optical unit 20 therebetween (see also FIG. 9 ). Note that, because the pair of insert parts 24 are arranged at the same height as the optical axis of the optical unit 20, it is easy to arrange the fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 fixed to the insert parts 24 in alignment with the center of gravity of the optical unit 20. Furthermore, because the pair of insert parts 24 are arranged at the same height as the optical axis of the optical unit 20, it is easy for the holder 40 to hold the vicinity of the center of gravity of the optical unit 20 via the spring member 60.

[0057] The insert part 24 has an alignment pin 24B. As already described, the alignment pin 24B is a part for aligning the spring member 60 and the holder 40. By providing the alignment pin 24B in the insert part 24, damage to the alignment pin 24B can be suppressed, enabling high-precision alignment. Furthermore, by providing the fixing portion 24A and the alignment pin 24B in the same insert part 24, the spring member 60 can be fixed to the optical unit 20 in a state in which the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60 are aligned with high precision. Furthermore, because the alignment pin 24B is inserted into both the alignment hole 61C of the spring member 60 and the alignment hole 46 of the holder 40, the spring member 60 and the holder 40 can be aligned with respect to the optical unit 20. As a result, the spring member 60 and the holder 40 can be fixed to the spring member 60 in a state in which the spring member 60 and the holder 40 are aligned.

[0058] The insert part 24 has two alignment pins 24B. The two alignment pins 24B are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-rear direction. A fixing portion 24A (screw hole) is arranged between the two alignment pins 24B. In other words, the two alignment pins 24B are arranged outside the fixing portion 24A in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the gap between the two alignment pins 24B to be widened, thereby improving alignment accuracy. Similarly, the fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 has two alignment holes 61C (see FIG. 7). The two alignment holes 61C are arranged with a gap between them in the front-to-rear direction. The first hole 61A and the second hole 61B are arranged between the two alignment holes 61C. In other words, the two alignment holes 61C are arranged outward in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the first hole 61A and the second hole 61B. This allows the gap between the two alignment holes 61C to be widened, thereby improving alignment accuracy.

[0059] <About screws> 12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams of the end portion of the vibrating portion 62 of the spring member 60. FIG.

[0060] 12A and 12B, the vibrating portion 62 of the spring member 60 (more specifically, the rear end of the first bent portion 62A) is connected to the sensor unit 10 via a hinge member 96. Similarly, the vibrating portion 62 of the spring member 60 (more specifically, the rear end of the second bent portion 62B) is connected to the vibrating member 65 via a hinge member 96.

[0061] The hinge member 96 is a member that connects the spring member 60 and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65). The hinge member 96 is an L-shaped member. Here, the hinge member 96 is made of a bent metal plate. In order to connect the vibrating part 62 that is parallel to the front-rear direction and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) that is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the spring member 60 and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) are connected via the hinge member 96.

[0062] The mounting screw 97 is a screw for mounting the hinge member 96. One end of the hinge member 96 is screwed to the vibrating portion 62 of the spring member 60 by the mounting screw 97. The other end of the hinge member 96 is screwed to the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) by another mounting screw 97.

[0063] The tip of the vibrating portion 62 (more specifically, the first bent portion 62A and the second bent portion 62B) of the spring member 60 is a relatively thin portion, and therefore, in order to fix the hinge member 96 to the tip of such a thin vibrating portion 62, the mounting screw 97 needs to be relatively small in diameter. Furthermore, since the hinge member 96 is disposed in a location where other components are closely spaced, the mounting screw 97 needs to be small. On the other hand, since the hinge member 96 is attached to a vibrating member, the mounting screw 97 needs to be fastened with a predetermined, relatively high torque. In other words, despite its small diameter and small size, the mounting screw 97 needs to be fastened with a predetermined, relatively high torque. Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of a worker fastening the mounting screw 97, a screwdriver is used to automatically fasten the mounting screw 97.

[0064] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing how the mounting screws 97 are attached.

[0065] The mounting screw 97 has a tip 97B. In other words, the mounting screw 97 is configured as a tip screw. The tip 97B is a cylindrical protrusion that is thinner than the diameter of the threaded portion. The tip 97B is provided at the end (tip) of the mounting screw 97 on the opposite side from the head 97A. A through hole 96A for inserting a mounting screw 97 is formed at the end of the hinge member 96. The opening of the through hole 96A is chamfered. Here, the opening of the through hole 96A has a so-called C-face.

[0066] 13A and 13B, the mounting screw 97 has a tip 97B, which can be guided into the opening (surface C) of the through-hole 96A. In this way, in this embodiment, the mounting screw 97 can be automatically fastened using a screw driver. Note that the vibrating part 62 of the spring member 60 and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) may also be fastened by the mounting screw 97 without using the hinge member 96. In this case, too, the mounting screw 97 has a tip 97B, which can be automatically fastened by a screw driver.

[0067] 12A, it is desirable that head 97A of mounting screw 97 is smaller than the width of hinge member 96. In other words, it is desirable that the diameter of head 97A of mounting screw 97 is smaller than the vertical dimension of hinge member 96. This makes it possible to prevent head 97A of mounting screw 97 from protruding from hinge member 96. Furthermore, because hinge member 96 is disposed in an area where other components are closely spaced, it is effective that head 97A of mounting screw 97 does not protrude from hinge member 96.

[0068] <Summary> As described above, the measuring device 1 includes the sensor unit 10, the optical unit 20, the spring member 60, and the holder 40. The sensor unit 10 includes the light-emitting element 11 that emits light and the light-receiving element 12 that receives reflected light. The optical unit 20 irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 and causes the light-receiving element 12 to receive the reflected light. The spring member 60 includes a fixed portion 61 and a vibrating portion 62. The fixed portion 61 is attached to the optical unit 20, and the sensor unit 10 is attached to the vibrating portion 62, thereby movably holding the sensor unit 10 relative to the optical unit 20. The holder 40 is attached to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 and holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 so that they can move relative to each other. The fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 is a portion that is unlikely to vibrate, so by attaching the holder 40 to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60, vibration of the holder 40 can be suppressed.

[0069] The measuring device 1 also includes a vehicle body mounting member 100 and a housing 30. The housing 30 houses the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20, and therefore the holder 40 that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 is also housed in the housing 30. However, if the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the housing 30, there is a risk that vibrations from the housing 30 will be transmitted to the vehicle body. Therefore, in this embodiment, a protrusion 41 is provided on the holder 40, and the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the protrusion 41 that protrudes from a gap in the housing 30 to the outside of the housing 30. This makes it possible to suppress transmission of vibrations to the vehicle body.

[0070] The measuring device 1 also has a gasket 35 that seals the gap between the housing 30 and the protrusion 41 of the holder 40. By interposing the gasket 35 between the housing 30 and the holder 40, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations of the housing 30 to the holder 40.

[0071] The measuring device 1 has a drive unit 70 that moves the sensor unit 10 relative to the optical unit 20, and a stator of the drive unit 70 is fixed to the housing 30. In such a structure, the housing 30 is a member that is more susceptible to vibration than the holder 40, so a structure in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is particularly advantageous.

[0072] The vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 via the damper member 130. This makes it possible to suppress transmission of vibrations (particularly vibrations in the vertical direction) of the main body portion 3 to the vehicle body.

[0073] Furthermore, a gap S is provided between the vehicle body mounting member 100 and the damper member 130 in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41) (see FIG. 9). This makes it possible to suppress transmission of vibrations of the main body 3 (especially vibrations in the horizontal direction) to the vehicle body.

[0074] Furthermore, the vehicle body mounting member 100 has a contact portion 113C that can come into contact with the protrusion 41. This makes it possible to limit the maximum amount of displacement of the holder 40.

[0075] The optical unit 20 has an insert part 24 that is insert-molded, and the fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 is screwed to the insert part 24. This allows the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60 to be firmly fixed together.

[0076] The optical unit 20 has a pair of insert parts 24 of the same shape, and the pair of insert parts 24 are arranged opposite each other at the same height as the optical axis of the optical unit 20, sandwiching the optical axis of the optical unit 20. By sharing the insert parts 24, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0077] The insert part 24 has an alignment pin 24B, and the fixing part 61 of the spring member 60 has an alignment hole 61C. By providing the alignment pin 24B in the insert part 24, damage to the alignment pin 24B can be suppressed, and high-precision alignment between the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60 becomes possible.

[0078] The fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 has a first hole 61A for screwing the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20 and a second hole 61B for attaching the holder 40 to the spring member 60. The first hole 61A and the second hole 61B are arranged inside the two alignment holes 61C. This allows the distance between the two alignment holes 61C to be widened, thereby improving alignment accuracy.

[0079] The mounting screw 97 that attaches the vibration part 62 of the spring member 60 to the sensor unit 10 has a rod tip 97B. This results in a structure that allows the vibration part 62 of the spring member 60 to be attached to the sensor unit 10 using a screwdriver.

[0080] The vibration part 62 of the spring member 60 and the sensor unit 10 are fixed via a hinge member 96, and the head 97A of the mounting screw 97 is smaller than the width of the hinge member 96. This prevents the head 97A of the mounting screw 97 from protruding from the hinge member 96.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and includes various modifications. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the above embodiments can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 measuring device, 3 main body, 10 sensor unit, 11 light emitting element, 12 light receiving element, 13 sensor substrate, 20 Optical unit, 21 Light projection optical system, 22 light receiving optical system, 23 lens housing, 24 Insert part, 24A Fixing part, 24B Alignment pin, 30 housing, 31 rear housing, 31A Heat sink, 311 Connector, 312 Coil board, 32 Upper housing, 32A heat dissipation fin, 33 Lower housing, 33A Heat dissipation fin, 35 gasket, 35A insertion part, 40 holder, 40A right holder, 40B left holder, 41 protrusion, 45 fixing portion, 46 alignment hole, 50 processing substrates, 60 spring member, 61 fixing portion, 61A First hole, 61B Second hole, 61C Alignment hole, 62 vibration part, 621 branch part, 62A first bent part, 62B second bent part, 65 vibrating member, 70 drive unit, 71 coil, 72 magnet, 80 support member, 91 shield member, 92 heat transfer sheet, 96 hinge member, 96A through hole, 97 Mounting screw, 97A Head, 97B Tip, 100 vehicle body mounting member, 110 first mounting member, 111 vehicle body mounting portion, 112 fixing portion, 113 storage section, 113A bottom surface, 113B inner wall surface, 113C contact area, 120 second mounting member, 130 damper member

Claims

1. a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives reflected light; an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive reflected light; a spring member having a fixed portion and a vibrating portion, the fixed portion being attached to the optical unit and the sensor unit being attached to the vibrating portion, thereby movably holding the sensor unit relative to the optical unit; a holder attached to the fixed portion of the spring member and holding the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other; a vehicle body mounting member for mounting the device to a vehicle body; a housing that accommodates the sensor unit, the optical unit, and the spring member; A measuring device having: the housing includes an upper housing that covers an upper portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a lower housing that covers a lower portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on a side surface of the housing; the holder has a protrusion that protrudes from the gap in the side surface of the housing to the outside of the housing, the vehicle body mounting member holds the protrusion, A measuring device, wherein a gap between the housing and the protrusion of the holder is sealed by a gasket.

2. A measuring device according to claim 1, a drive unit that moves the sensor unit relative to the optical unit; The stator of the drive unit is fixed to the housing. Measuring device.

3. A measuring device according to claim 1 or 2, The vehicle body mounting member clamps the protrusion via a damper member.

4. A measuring device according to claim 3, a gap is provided between the vehicle body mounting member and the damper member in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the vehicle body mounting member clamps the protruding portion.

5. A measuring device according to claim 4, The vehicle body mounting member has a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion.

6. A measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the optical unit has an insert part that is insert-molded, The fixing portion of the spring member is screwed to the insert part. Measuring device.

7. The measuring device according to claim 6, the optical unit has a pair of insert parts having the same shape, The pair of insert parts are disposed opposite each other at the same height as the optical axis of the optical unit, with the optical axis of the optical unit being sandwiched therebetween. Measuring device.

8. A measuring device according to claim 6 or 7, The insert part has an alignment pin; The fixing portion of the spring member has an alignment hole that is aligned with the alignment pin. Measuring device.

9. The measuring device according to claim 8, the fixing portion has a first hole for screwing the spring member to the optical unit and a second hole for attaching the holder to the spring member, The first hole and the second hole are disposed inside the two alignment holes. Measuring device.

10. A measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The measuring device, wherein the screw that attaches the vibration portion of the spring member and the sensor unit has a rod tip.

11. The measuring device according to claim 10, The vibration portion of the spring member and the sensor unit are fixed via a hinge member, The head of the screw is smaller than the width of the hinge member.

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