Protective zone device for a vehicle
First Claim
1. Apparatus for forming a protective zone immediately forward of a vehicle travelling along a path, the apparatus comprising a light transmitter for directing a light beam into the protective zone, a light receiver for detecting light from the beam reflected from the protective zone, an electronic processing circuit operatively coupled with the light receiver for generating a control signal for stopping the vehicle when a change in the reflected light is detected by the light receiver the light transmitter including means for directing the light beam at a first fixed angle obliquely onto the path of travel from above, means for scanning the light beam from the transmitter about an axis perpendicular to the path of travel the receiver being positioned so that light reflected by the plane of the zone and detected by the receiver is at a second fixed angle which is different from said first fixed angle and means for scanning the light beam from the receiver synchronously with the light beam from the transmitter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A protective zone apparatus on a vehicle capable of travelling along a path has a light transmitter (16) and a light receiver (18). The transmitted light beam (11) is obliquely directed onto the path of travel (12) at a first fixed angle (α) and executes a scanning movement about an axis (13) perpendicular to the path of travel (12). The received light beam extends at a second fixed angle (β) from the point of impingement (15) of the transmitted light beam (11) on the path of travel (12) to the perpendicular axis (13) and executes a scanning movement synchronous with that of the transmitted light beam (11). An electronic processing circuit transmits a control signal which stops the vehicle if an obstacle arises in the protective zone (FIG. 1).
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Citations
22 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for forming a protective zone immediately forward of a vehicle travelling along a path, the apparatus comprising a light transmitter for directing a light beam into the protective zone, a light receiver for detecting light from the beam reflected from the protective zone, an electronic processing circuit operatively coupled with the light receiver for generating a control signal for stopping the vehicle when a change in the reflected light is detected by the light receiver the light transmitter including means for directing the light beam at a first fixed angle obliquely onto the path of travel from above, means for scanning the light beam from the transmitter about an axis perpendicular to the path of travel the receiver being positioned so that light reflected by the plane of the zone and detected by the receiver is at a second fixed angle which is different from said first fixed angle and means for scanning the light beam from the receiver synchronously with the light beam from the transmitter.
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14. Apparatus for attachment adapted to travel over a surface to a vehicle to establish a protective zone in an area adjacent the vehicle within which protective zone the detection of an object causes the vehicle to stop, the apparatus comprising:
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a light transmitter for generating a light beam, the light transmitter being disposed on an axis which is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle; a light detector, disposed on said axis, for detecting a reflected light beam; a first deflection mirror, disposed on said axis, for directing the light beam from the light transmitter obliquely onto the surface in the protective zone at a first fixed angle defined by the light beam and the surface plane of the protective zone; a second deflection mirror for directing onto the light receiver, light from the beam reflected by the surface at a second fixed angle relative to the surface which is different from the first fixed angle; motor means, disposed on said axis, for rotating the first and second deflection mirrors about said axis so that the transmitted beam and the detected beam rotate synchronously about said axis, thereby producing a scan zone composed of the transmitted and detected light beams; electronic processing circuit means operatively connected to the light receiver for processing signals therefrom, the processing circuit being operative according to a passive current principle such that when a light beam is detected by the light receiver no control signal is emitted by the processing circuit, and the processing circuit being further operative to blank out part of the scan zone so that the detection of an object in the blanked-out part of the scan zone will not cause the vehicle to stop, and the processing circuit being further operative so that an arc segment of the scan zone is continuously adjustable by said blanking circuit to establish protective zones of different extents; an electronic switching device operatively connected to said electronic processing circuit for transmitting a control signal to the vehicle such that when no light beam is detected by the light receiver, the processing circuit emits a control signal to the switching device to cause the vehicle to stop; and means for housing the light transmitter, the light receiver, the deflection mirrors, and the motor means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification