Multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus
AssigneeKeyence Corporation
InventorsMotohiro Kudo, Tetsu Inoue
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus is provided that has a light emitting unit, a light receiving unit and a control unit for controlling each optical path. A light block substance sensing function for a multi-optical-path light curtain is also provided to sense an object between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. A muting area setting unit is also provided that can be taught how to set an area for exerting a muting function. The muting function can be provided only in a partial area of the light curtain by using the muting area setting unit.
Claims13
A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus comprising:
- a light emitting unit;
- a light receiving unit forming a light curtain with the light receiving unit;
- and
- a muting function for temporarily rendering a protection function of the light curtain ineffective by allowing a predetermined light block substance to pass through the light curtain, and
- wherein the muting function includes defining a muting area where the muting function is performed and the muting areas is in a region of a detection area forming the light curtain.
A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus comprising:
- a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting elements equally spaced from each other and being disposed in a row;
- a light receiving unit separated from the light emitting unit and having a corresponding number of light receiving elements as the number of the light emitting elements, the light receiving elements being equally spaced from each other and being disposed in a row, and wherein each of the light receiving elements and a corresponding light emitting element form optical paths for forming a light curtain;
- a control unit for controlling each of the optical paths to detect entry of a light block substance;
- and
- a muting optical path setting unit for setting a muting function for each of the optical paths for temporarily rendering the protection function of the light curtain ineffective by allowing a predetermined light block substance to pass through the light curtain, and
- wherein the muting optical path setting unit exerts the muting function to define a muting area where the muting function is performed for a part of the light curtain.
A multi-optical-path photoelectric safety apparatus comprising:
- a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting elements equally spaced from each other and being disposed in a row;
- a light receiving unit separated from the light emitting unit and having a corresponding number of light receiving elements as the number of the light emitting elements, the light receiving elements being equally spaced from each other and being disposed in a row, and wherein each of the light receiving elements and a corresponding light emitting element form optical paths for forming a light curtain;
- a control unit for controlling each of the optical paths to detect entry of a light block substance;
- a muting area setting unit for setting a muting function for a muting area for temporarily rendering the protection function of the light curtain ineffective by allowing a predetermined light block substance to pass through the light curtain;
- and
- wherein the muting area setting unit exerts the muting function for a part of the light curtain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.