Optical sensor holder

• US 6,548,808 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ozawa, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/826,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 250/239, 250/216, 250/551, 220/525, 220/530, 220/531, 220/833, 220/834, 220/837, 257/81, 257/434, 257/433
• US Class Current: 250/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/08 by photoelectric sensing G11B15/07 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical sensor holder to detect only the light beam coming through a window by a sensor unit without increasing the number of component parts and without complicated assembling procedure, comprising: an opening to accommodate the photo sensors on its backside; a holder main unit made of synthetic resin and having a window so that the sensor unit faces toward outside at upper portion on front side; a cover unit made of synthetic resin and mountable on the opening to cover the sensor unit; and an arm made of synthetic resin and integrally molded between tip of the holder main unit and tip of the cover unit so that it is flexible and can be bent between tip of the holder main unit and tip of the cover unit, and when it is bent, the cover unit can be moved between the upper portion of the holder main unit and the opening of the holder main unit.

Claims

1. An optical sensor holder, comprising:

a holder main unit made of synthetic resin and having an opening formed on a backside thereof through which an optical sensor is insertable, a window where a sensor unit arranged on the optical sensor faces outward on an upper portion of a front side of the holder main unit, a partition plate is formed toward the backside and divides an inner space of the holder main unit in a lateral direction so that a pair of metal terminals of the optical sensor are moveable away from each other in the lateral direction in the holder main unit, a first positioning pin projects from the second inner space of the opening toward the backside, and a second positioning pin integrally projects from a bottom surface for positioning the holder with respect to a base plate, the second positioning pin being insertable into a positioning hole formed on the base plate;

a cover unit made of synthetic resin, having a first positioning hole for receiving the first positioning pin and being mountable on said opening so that the sensor unit, is covered from the backside;

an arm made of synthetic resin integrally molded so as to extend between the main unit and the cover unit, the arm being bendable between a tip of the holder main unit and a tip of the cover unit; and

a leg structure having a pair of leg units extending approximately in parallel and in a same direction to be separated from the holder main unit, having pawls engageable with mounting holes formed on the base plate and being arranged on forward ends of the leg units so as to be separated from each other, and said leg units being bendable toward one another.

9. An optical sensor holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder main unit having the opening on the back side thereof has an elongated shape, and wherein the cover unit covers approximately half of the backside opening in which the sensor unit is arranged facing the window.

2. An optical sensor holder, comprising:

a holder main unit, having an opening for receiving an optical sensor on a backside thereof and having a window on a front side of the holder main unit to allow a sensor unit provided on the optical sensor to face out of the front side;

a cover unit mountable on said opening so that the sensor unit is covered from the backside; and

a connection unit extending between, and integrally formed with, both the holder main unit and cover unit for connecting said holder main unit with the cover unit;

wherein the connection unit is made of a bendable material to allow the cover unit to be bent over in order to close the opening of the holder main unit and wherein the main unit having the opening on the back side thereof has an elongated shape, and wherein the cover unit covers approximately half of the backside opening in which the sensor unit is arranged facing the window.

3. An optical sensor holder according to claim 2, wherein said holder main unit comprises a leg structure which, in use, is mountable on a base plate.

4. An optical sensor holder according to claim 3, wherein said leg structure comprises a pair of leg units extended approximately in parallel and in the same direction to be separated from the holder main unit, having pawls to be engaged with mounting holes formed on the base plate and arranged on forward end thereof to be separated from each other, and said leg units being bendable in directions to be moved closer to each other.

5. An optical sensor holder according to claim 4, wherein said holder main unit comprises a positioning pin integrally projected toward extending direction of said leg unit so that the main unit is positionable with respect to the base plate, and said positioning pin being inserted into a positioning hole formed on said base plate.

6. An optical sensor holder according to claim 2, wherein said connection unit has flexibility so that it is bendable toward backside of the holder main unit.

7. An optical sensor holder according to claim 2, wherein:

a positioning pin projected to backside is provided in inner part of the opening of the holder main unit; and

said cover unit comprises a positioning hole where the positioning pin is insertable to perform positioning.

8. An optical sensor holder according to claim 2, wherein a partition plate for dividing inner space of the holder main unit in lateral direction is formed in backward direction in inner part of the opening of the holder main unit so that a pair of metal terminals provided on the optical sensor is movable away from each other in lateral direction in inner space of the holder main unit.