Light grid

• US 20070170354A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Original Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Inventors: Schmitz, Stephan, Hippenmeyer, Heinrich, Zwoelfer, Ulrich
• Application Number:
  US11/657,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20070170354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.290
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A light grid can be constructed with individual modules (10). Each module (10) is an independent functional transmitter and/or receiver unit in an enclosed housing (12). The modules (10) can be coupled to each other in series in a galvanically separate manner for purposes of energy and/or signal transmission.

Claims

1. Light grid that may be constructed with individual modules (10), with each module (10) constituting an independently functional transmitter and/or receiver unit in an enclosed housing (12) and with the modules (10) capable of being coupled to each other in series for purposes of power and/or signal transmission, characterized by the fact that the modules (10) can be linked in a galvanically separate manner.

2. Light grid according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the modules (10) can be linked inductively.

3. Light grid according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the modules (10) can be linked capacitively.

4. Light grid according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the modules (10) can be linked optically.

5. Light grid according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the modules (10) have a transducer interface (18) at opposite ends of their housing (12), that modules (10), which are to be coupled to each other, are joined at the ends of their housings (12) in such a manner that the respective transducer interfaces (18) of these ends fit together and complement each other so as to form a transducer.

6. Light grid according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the transducer interfaces (18) are located in mating surfaces (16) of the housing (12) so that the mating surfaces (16) of modules (10) to be coupled to one another join at their surfaces.

7. Light grid according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the housings (12) of the modules (10) are elongated and contain at least two transmitter and/or receiver elements, which are arranged in a row parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing (12).

8. Light grid according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the mating surfaces (16) are located at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the housing (10).

9. Light grid according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the mating surfaces (16) are located parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing (12) and the ends of the adjoining housings (12) overlap within the range of the mating surfaces (16).

10. Light grid according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the adjoining housings (12) may be rotated with respect to each other in the plane of the mating surfaces (16) and that the transducers are rotationally symmetric with respect to an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the mating surfaces (16).