Optoelectronic Sensor Optics With Adjustable Lens Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optoelectronic sensors face challenges in precisely aligning the transmit and receive fields of view due to manufacturing tolerances causing deviations in focal lengths of lenses, leading to reduced detection accuracy and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The sensor design allows adjustable distances between lenses in the transmitting and receiving optics arrangements to align the fields of view by adjusting the overall focal length, ensuring the transmitted light spot matches the receive field of view in size and, optionally, focal length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If lenses with minimal focal length deviation are selected, then field of view alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to lens classification and sorting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the optical system adjustable by introducing a mechanism to change the distance between the light source and transmitting optics, or between the light receiver and receiving optics. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to compensate for lens focal length variations without requiring strict lens selection, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of optical path length by allowing adjustment of distances between optical components. This parameter change enables compensation for lens focal length deviations, allowing the use of lenses with broader tolerance ranges and reducing the need for expensive lens classification and sorting processes.
2Measurement precision
If lens focal lengths are strictly controlled, then detection accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to increased lens sorting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable optical system allows post-assembly tuning of the optical path length, enabling detection accuracy to be optimized after manufacturing without requiring strict lens focal length control during production. This eliminates time-consuming lens sorting processes and improves manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates an adjustment mechanism that enables preliminary alignment and calibration of the optical system during or after assembly. This preliminary action ensures detection accuracy is achieved without requiring pre-selection of lenses with precisely controlled focal lengths, thereby maintaining high productivity.
3Ease of operation
If adjustable optical paths are implemented, then ease of adjustment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controlled dynamic element (adjustable distance mechanism) between the light source/receiver and the optics. This single degree of freedom adjustment provides sufficient flexibility to compensate for manufacturing tolerances without requiring complex multi-parameter adjustment systems, thus maintaining relative simplicity.
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 enhances detection accuracy and sensitivity by precisely aligning the fields of view, reducing the need for lens classification and sorting, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and improving performance.
Implementation Method 1
a light source for generating transmitted light and a transmitting optics arrangement for focusing the transmitted light
Implementation Method 2
the transmitted light emitted by the light emitter is remitted from the object's surface towards the receiver, i.e., diffusely or specularly reflected
Implementation Method 3
a receiving optics arrangement which is configured to image a transmitted light spot, generated by the light transmitter arrangement on an object present in the monitoring area, into a receiving light spot on the light receiver
Implementation Method 4
TOF sensors are designed to measure the transit time of a light pulse between the time of its emission and the time of detection of the corresponding light pulse reflected from the object
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3b
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The present invention relates to an optoelectronic sensor for detecting objects in a monitoring area, comprising a light transmitter arrangement configured to generate a transmitted light spot on an object present in the monitoring area and including a light source for generating the transmitted light and a transmitting optics arrangement for focusing the transmitted light, and a receiving arrangement comprising a light receiver and a receiving optics arrangement configured to image a transmitted light spot, generated by the light transmitter arrangement on an object present in the monitoring area, into a receiving light spot on the light receiver. The invention provides that the transmitting optics arrangement comprises at least two lenses whose distance from each other is adjustable, and/or the receiving optics arrangement comprises at least two lenses whose distance from each other is adjustable.