Multiple Optical Axis Sensor Adaptive Muting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multiple optical axis photoelectric sensors face challenges in balancing safety and productivity, particularly when handling workpieces of varying heights, as their muting functions often deactivate unintended areas, leading to reduced productivity and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
The sensor system dynamically adjusts the muting area based on the range of blocked optical axes during a specified acquisition period, allowing for adaptive muting processing without the need for pre-setting multiple areas, and enables communication between multiple sensors to aggregate detection results and select optical axes for muting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the muting function deactivates the entire detection area when two muting signals are output, then safety is ensured, but productivity is reduced because areas not requiring muting are also deactivated
Solution Approach 1:
The detection area is divided into multiple independent detection regions corresponding to different optical axes. The muting function can selectively deactivate only specific detection regions rather than the entire area, allowing other regions to remain active for productivity while maintaining safety in muted regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the detection area are treated differently with respect to muting. Some regions are muted while others remain active, allowing localized safety measures without sacrificing overall productivity. This enables tailored safety zones based on specific workpiece types and conveyor positions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the muting area is set according to the maximum height of workpieces, then all workpiece heights are covered, but areas above shorter workpieces are unnecessarily deactivated
Solution Approach 1:
The muting area is dynamically adjusted based on the actual workpiece height detected during operation, rather than being fixed at the maximum height. The system adapts the muting region size and position in real-time, ensuring that only the necessary area is muted while maintaining productivity in other regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The muting area parameters (position, size, shape) are changed dynamically according to the detected workpiece characteristics. This allows the system to optimize the muting region for each specific workpiece type, avoiding unnecessary deactivation of areas that do not require muting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple muting areas are pre-set for different workpiece types, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects workpiece characteristics and self-adjusts the muting area configuration without requiring manual pre-setting of multiple areas. The sensor system itself performs the adaptation by detecting optical axis blockages and dynamically configuring appropriate muting regions, eliminating the need for complex pre-programming.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the detection of optical axis blockages to automatically adjust muting area settings. By monitoring which optical axes are blocked and analyzing the patterns, the system determines appropriate muting regions dynamically, reducing the need for manual configuration and lowering device complexity.
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
This approach allows for effective muting processing tailored to different workpiece heights, enhancing both safety and productivity by dynamically adjusting the muting area and reducing the need for complex pre-setting, thereby preventing unnecessary deactivation of areas.
Implementation Method 1
a light projecting section in which a plurality of light projecting elements are arranged in a row, and a light receiving section in which the same number of light receiving elements as the light projecting elements are arranged in a row. The light projecting elements and the light receiving elements are disposed to face each other in a one-to-one relationship in such a way as to set up a detection area by a plurality of optical axes.
Implementation Method 2
The light receiving section abstracts amounts of light received at respective light receiving elements from the light receiving elements corresponding to respective light projecting elements, at timings that are synchronized with the light emission operation of the light projecting elements. With this configuration, the light blocking states of the optical axes of the multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor are detected respectively.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor capable of performing muting processing adapted to a plurality of kinds of workpieces having different heights without the need for complicated pre-setting according to the kinds of workpieces, is provided. The multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor SNS is provided with a light projecting device 1 and a light receiving device 2, which forms a plurality of optical axes together with the light projecting device 1. In at least one portion of a detection area LC, which is set according to the optical axes, a muting area for nullifying the result of detection of blocked light is set up. A sensor system acquires a range of blocked light corresponding to the blocked optical axis during passage of a workpiece W, and alters the muting area of the multiple optical axis photoelectric sensor SNS from a first range to a second range.