Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Housings
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-31
2002-09-17
Le, Que T. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Housings
C250S551000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06452162
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a concatenated sensor system comprised of a plurality of concatenated sensor units, and more particularly, to a relay device for electrically connecting adjacent ones of a plurality of sensor unit groups arranged to be spaced in a concatenated sensor system or a master unit and a sensor unit group adjacent thereto.
BACKGROUND ART
For control of operations of various manufacturing apparatuses, detection information detected by a plurality of sensor units of a sensor system are used in some cases. For instance, each sensor unit is composed of a sensor unit body and a detecting element connected thereto. The detecting element is located to face an object of detection in a manufacturing apparatus. The detection information detected by the detecting element is delivered to a controller of the sensor system through the sensor unit body.
In order to reduce the arrangement space of the sensor system of this type and shorten signal cables (signal conductors) used for transfer of signals between the detecting elements and the sensor unit bodies and between the sensor unit bodies and the controller, a concatenated sensor system may be used. The concatenated sensor system has sensor unit bodies thereof provided with male and female input-output connectors and is so arranged that the respective input-output connectors of the adjacent sensor unit bodies are connected to one another when the sensor unit bodies are disposed on a base in intimate contact with one another.
In the concatenated sensor system, a master unit may be provided between the controller of the sensor system and the sensor unit groups. The master unit has a setting section for collectively settings detection threshold values for the detecting elements and a display section for collectively displaying operating states of the individual sensor units.
As described above, the concatenated sensor system has such an advantage that a large number of sensor units can be arranged in intimate contact with one another, thereby reducing the arrangement space. However, depending on an object to which the system is applied, a detection signal transmission line extending from the detecting element to the sensor unit body may be lengthened, so that the detecting performance can be lowered.
In the case where the concatenated sensor system is used to detect the presence of a workpiece on the side upstream of a coating machine and check the workpiece for coating on the side downstream of the coating machine, for example, a detecting element for workpiece detection and a detecting element for coating detection are spaced from each other. Irrespective of the location of the concatenated sensor system relative to the coating machine, therefore, the distance from the sensor system to the detecting element for workpiece detection or to the detecting element for coating detection becomes long to the extent that a long signal cable (signal conductor) must be used to connect the detecting element and the sensor unit body.
In this case, laying the signal cable is laborious, and the detection information may possibly be attenuated during the transfer through the signal cable, to lower the detecting performance. When an optical fiber (optical fiber cable) is used for the signal transmission, the optical fiber cannot be laid with ease since it is more susceptible to bending than an electric cable is. If the optical fiber has a lot of bent portions, the detecting performance of the sensor units may be lowered.
This awkward situation may possibly be removed by dividing the sensor units of the concatenated sensor system into a plurality of sensor unit groups and locating the individual sensor unit groups in the vicinity of the detection objects. According to the sensor system of this type, the distance between the sensor unit body and the detecting element in each sensor unit group is short, so that the signal cable can be shortened, and lowering of the detecting performance that is attributable to the attenuation of the detection information can be avoided.
On the other hand, signal transmission is required between the sensor unit groups. In brief, two sensor units that are situated individually at the opposed ends of each two adjacent sensor unit groups can be connected to each other by means of a relay cable provided with connectors. That is, the two sensor units can be connected to each other by plugging the connectors at the opposite ends of the relay cable into connectors on the two sensor units, whereby the adjacent sensor unit groups can be connected.
However, the connection between the relay cable and the sensor units, established by means of the connectors, is not strong enough, and therefore, if a tensile force acts on the relay cable, the connectors of the relay cable may possibly be disengaged from the connectors of the sensor units. If lock mechanisms are provided on the connectors of the sensor units to prevent the disengagement of the connectors, the sensor units become complicated in construction and entail higher cost. The lock mechanism on one of each two adjacent sensor unit groups projects toward the lock mechanism on the other sensor unit group, and therefore, if the adjacent sensor unit groups are expected to be located close to each other, such close location cannot be realized. Although the connectors of the relay cable can be fastened to the sensor units with use of screws so that they are prevented from disengagement, the sensor units require a space for female screw formation, so that the sensor units are large-sized and cost high.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a relay device that can securely electrically connect adjacent ones of a plurality of sensor units or sensor unit groups arranged to be spaced in a concatenated sensor system or connect a master unit and a sensor unit or sensor unit group disposed adjacent thereto.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention there is provided a relay device for a concatenated sensor system including a first unit group comprised of at least one sensor unit or a master unit and a second unit group comprised of at least one sensor unit.
The relay device for the concatenated sensor system of the present invention comprises a first relay unit adapted to be juxtaposed in intimate contact with one side of the first unit group and adapted to be fixed, together with the first unit group, to a first base, the first relay unit including a first linking connector electrically connectable with a first input-output connector provided on the one side of the first unit group; a second relay unit adapted to be juxtaposed in intimate contact with another side of the second unit group and adapted to be fixed, together with the second unit group, to a second base, the second relay unit including a second linking connector electrically connectable with a second input-output connector on another side of the second unit group; and a relay cable electrically connecting the first relay unit and the second relay unit.
According to the relay device of the present invention, when the first and second relay units are juxtaposed in intimate contact with the first and second unit groups, the linking connectors of the first and second relay units are connected to the input-output connectors of the first and second unit groups, respectively. Electrical connection between the first and second unit groups can be established by connecting the first and second relay units through the relay cable.
Thus, the relay device of the present invention is used to connect a plurality of unit groups of the concatenated sensor system. By means of the relay device, a plurality of sensor units, a plurality of sensor unit groups, or the master unit and the sensor unit or the sensor unit group, for instance, can be connected to one another.
More specifically, if each of the first and second unit groups is formed of a sensor unit group, the linking connectors of the first and second relay units are connected individua
Koike Tetsuo
Kusano Yousuke
Matsuno Hisashi
Sugihara Tetsu
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Le Que T.
Yamatake Corporation
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