Recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor

• US 7,751,042 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Okuno, Motoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu T
• Application Number:
  US11/873,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/364
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/14 using reflectors

Abstract

A recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor has a sensor main body and a recursive reflecting part. The sensor main body includes a light projecting part that projects first circularly polarized light and a light receiving part. When a mixture of the first circularly polarized light and second circularly polarized light which is differently polarized from the first circularly polarized light is incident to the light receiving part, only the second circularly polarized light is selectively passed. The recursive reflecting part reflects the first circularly polarized light by converting into reflected light that includes the second circularly polarized light.

Claims

1. A recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor comprising:

a sensor main body including a light projecting part that projects first circularly polarized light and a light receiving part that selectively receives, when a mixture of the first circularly polarized light and second circularly polarized light which is differently polarized from said first circularly polarized light is incident thereto, said second circularly polarized light; and

a recursive reflecting part that reflects said first circularly polarized light by converting into reflected light that includes said second circularly polarized light;

wherein said sensor main body includes;

a light projecting element;

a light receiving element;

a first phase-shift plate that converts first linearly polarized light into said first circularly polarized light and said second circularly polarized light into said first linearly polarized light; and

a first polarization filter that is placed between said light receiving element and said first phase-shift plate on a optical path from said recursive reflecting part to said light receiving element and serves to selectively allow said first linearly polarized light to pass therethrough.

2. The recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light transmitting part that serves both as a light projecting window and a light receiving window;

both said phase-shift plate and said first polarization filter are positioned so as to cover said light transmitting part;

said light receiving element is positioned so as to receive light in a direction transverse to the light projecting direction of said light projecting element; and

said sensor main body further includes a half mirror that serves to pass either projected light from said light projecting element and received light received by said light receiving element and to reflect the other of said projected light and said received light.

3. The recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light projecting window and a light receiving window formed next to each other;

and

said first phase-shift plate and said first polarization filter are both positioned so as to cover said light projecting window and said light receiving window.

4. The recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor of claim 1 wherein said sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light projecting window and a light receiving window formed next to each other;

said first phase-shift plate is positioned so as to cover said light projecting window and said light receiving window;

said first polarization filter is positioned so as to cover said light receiving window; and

said light projecting element comprises a laser projecting element that projects said first linearly polarized light.

5. The recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor of claim 1 wherein said light projecting element and said light receiving element are in an amplifier part;

said first phase-shift plate and said first polarization filter are in a head part that is separate from said amplifier part; and

said sensor main body further includes optical fibers that connect said amplifier part and said head part.

6. The recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor of claim 1 wherein said recursive reflecting part comprises:

a reflector that recursively reflects light;

a second phase-shift plate that converts said first circularly polarized light into second linearly polarized light and said second linearly polarized light into said second circularly polarized light; and

a second polarization filter that is placed between said second phase-shift plate and said reflector on an optical path from said light projecting element to said reflector and serves to selectively allow said second linearly polarized light to pass therethrough.

7. A sensor main body of a recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor, said sensor main body comprising:

a light projecting element;

a light receiving element;

a phase-shift plate that converts linearly polarized light into first circularly polarized light and second circularly polarized light, which is differently polarized from said first circularly polarized light, into said linearly polarized light; and

a polarization filter that is placed between said light receiving element and said phase-shift plate on an optical path from a recursive reflecting part to said light receiving element and serves to selectively allow said linearly polarized light to pass therethrough.

8. The sensor main body of claim 7 wherein said sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light transmitting part that serves both as a light projecting window and a light receiving window,

both said phase-shift plate and said polarization filter are positioned so as to cover said light transmitting part;

said light receiving element is positioned so as to receive light in a direction perpendicular to the light projecting direction of said light projecting element; and

said sensor main body further includes a half mirror that serves to pass either of projected light from said light projecting element and received light received by said light receiving element and to reflect the other of said projected light and said received light.

9. The sensor main body of claim 7 wherein said sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light projecting window and a light receiving window formed next to each other;

and

said phase-shift plate and said polarization filter are both positioned so as to cover said light projecting window and said light receiving window.

10. The sensor main body of claim 7 wherein the sensor main body is contained in a case provided with a light projecting window and a light receiving window formed next to each other;

said phase-shift plate is positioned so as to cover said light projecting window and said light receiving window;

said polarization filter is positioned so as to cover said light receiving window; and

said light projecting element comprises a laser projecting element that projects said linearly polarized light.

11. The sensor main body of claim 7 wherein said light projecting element and said light receiving element are in an amplifier part;

said phase-shift plate and said polarization filter are in a head part that is separate from said amplifier part; and

said sensor main body further includes optical fibers that connect said amplifier part and said head part.

12. A recursive reflecting part of a recursive-reflective photoelectric sensor, said recursive reflective part comprising:

a reflector that reflects light recursively;

a phase-shift plate that converts first circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light and said linearly polarized light into second circularly polarized light; and

a polarization filter that is placed between said phase-shift plate and said reflector on an optical path from a sensor main body to said reflector and selectively passes said linearly polarized light therethrough.