Optoelectronic Sensor With One-Piece Optics for Simpler Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optoelectronic sensors require complex and costly adjustments due to individual optical components with high positional tolerances, leading to assembly errors and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
An optoelectronic sensor with integrated optical components, including a one-piece optical combination element that aligns the light transmitter and receiver with associated lenses, reducing the need for precise assembly and minimizing component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual optical components are used for light transmitter and receiver, then the sensor can be adjusted in production environment, but the assembly becomes complex and costly with increased positional tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light transmitter, light receiver, and both lenses into a single integrated sensor component. This merging eliminates the need for separate adjustment of multiple individual optical components, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining the optical functionality. The integration ensures fixed relative positions between all optical elements, removing the adjustability step but simplifying the overall assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it houses the light transmitter, light receiver, first lens, and second lens in a single universal unit. This multi-functionality approach allows the sensor to perform its optical detection task without requiring separate adjustment of each component, thus reducing assembly complexity while maintaining adaptability through the unified design.
2Ease of manufacture
If individual optical components are used with separate mounting, then each component can be optimized independently, but manufacturing costs increase and assembly errors probability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges all optical components into a single integrated unit that can be manufactured as one piece or pre-assembled with fixed positions. This approach improves manufacturing efficiency by eliminating multiple separate mounting operations and reducing the probability of assembly errors, while the integrated design itself can be optimized during the manufacturing process.
3Ease of operation
If multiple separate components are assembled, then the sensor can be adjusted for alignment, but the probability of assembly errors increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines all optical components into a single integrated sensor unit where the relative positions of the light transmitter, light receiver, and lenses are fixed during manufacturing. This eliminates the need for field adjustment while ensuring high assembly accuracy, as the integrated component is produced as a single unit or with precision-fixed internal arrangements, thereby improving reliability.
4Device complexity
If traditional chip mounting is used for light receiver, then the assembly process is simplified, but the adjustment precision becomes insufficient for miniaturized sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the light receiver with the lenses and light transmitter in a single component, eliminating the traditional chip mounting process. This integration ensures that the light receiver is positioned with high precision relative to the optical elements, meeting the stringent requirements of miniaturized sensors while maintaining assembly simplicity through the unified structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integrated design reduces assembly errors, lowers manufacturing costs, and enhances sensor performance by minimizing positional tolerances and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
with at least one first lens (6) which is arranged upstream of the light transmitter (4) and with at least one second lens (7) which is arranged upstream of the light receiver (5)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
AI summary
Optoelectronic sensor (1) for object detection, comprising a sensor housing (2), at least one printed circuit board (3), a light transmitter (4) and a light receiver (5) arranged at a distance therefrom, wherein the light transmitter (4) and the light receiver (5) are arranged on the printed circuit board(s) (3), and at least one first lens (6) arranged in front of the light transmitter (4) and at least one second lens (7) arranged in front of the light receiver (5), wherein the first lens (6) and the second lens (7) are integrated in a one-piece optical combination element (8), wherein the optical combination element (8) has at least one transmitter aperture (9) and at least one receiver aperture (10).