Optical device

• US 20070086084A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Mori, Toshihiro, Tsukuda, Shinichi, Higashi, Toshiya
• Application Number:
  US11/486,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086084A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/362
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room

Abstract

Provided is an optical device capable of detecting a breakage of a housing that accommodates an optical system at an early stage and with reliability. The optical device includes a housing having an optical window which is optically transparent and an optical system that is accommodated in the housing and projects/receives light through the optical window, and has a construction in which a electrically conducting region is provided to the optical window of the housing and a breakage of the optical window is detected based on an electric change of the current-carrying region.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a housing having a light transmittable region in at least a part thereof; and

an optical system accommodated in the housing, for performing one of light projection, light reception, and light projection/reception,

wherein an electrically conducting region is provided to one of a part of the housing and an entirety of the housing, and whether the housing is broken is detected in a region of the housing in which the electrically conducting region is provided, based on an electric change of the electrically conducting region.

2. An optical device according to claim 1, wherein:

the light transmittable region is formed of an optical window; and

the electrically conducting region is provided to the optical window.

3. An optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting region is formed by one of a continuous linear conductive member and a continuous belt-shaped conductive member.

4. An optical device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conducting region is formed by one of a continuous linear conductive member and a continuous belt-shaped conductive member.

5. An optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided to a surface of the housing.

6. An optical device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided to a surface of the housing.

7. An optical device according to claim 3, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided to a surface of the housing.

8. An optical device according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided to a surface of the housing.

9. An optical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided in the middle in a thickness direction of the housing.

10. An optical device according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided in the middle in a thickness direction of the housing.

11. An optical device according to claim 3, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided in the middle in a thickness direction of the housing.

12. An optical device according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conducting region is provided in the middle in a thickness direction of the housing.

13. An optical device according to claim 2, wherein electric contact points are formed at splicing surfaces of the housing and the optical window.