Photoelectric proximity switch

Photoelectric proximity switch for detecting the presence of an object in a monitored area, the photoelectric proximity switch comprising

• a light pulse transmitter for emitting transmitting light pulses into the monitored area that are triggered by an output signal of a pulse generator and emitted with a time interval between each of them, and
• a light receiver arranged in relation to the light pulse transmitter and to the monitored area in such a manner that in the absence of an object to be detected in the monitored area, it receives essentially no light from the light pulse transmitter, but in the presence of an object to be detected in the monitored area, it receives such an amount of light from the light pulse transmitter due to reflection that a receiving signal evaluating device connected to the light receiver delivers an object detection signal,
• characterized in that
• (a) the pulse generator is a random signal generator or a pseudo-random signal generator,
• (b) an output of the pulse generator is connected to an input of the light pulse transmitter, which is thus supplied with a first output signal of the pulse generator generated by the random signal generator or the pseudo-random signal generator and serving for determining the pulse position of the transmitting light pulses emitted by the light pulse transmitter, and
• (c) an output of the pulse generator is connected to an input of the receiving signal evaluating device, which is thus supplied with a second output signal of the pulse generator that is identical or corresponds to the first output signal of the random signal generator or of the pseudo-random signal generator.