Optoelectronic sensor

An optoelectronic sensor having a light transmitter for the transmission of a transmitted light beam into a monitored region, having a light receiver for the reception of a received light beam, which is formed by the transmitted light reflected in the direction of the light receiver from an article in the monitored region, wherein the received light beam stands at a variable beam angle to the transmitted light beam, in dependence on the spacing of an article from the sensor, and having a control and evaluation unit for processing the output signal of the light receiver, wherein the light receiver has a multi-element light sensor having at least four individual sensor elements which are arranged adjacent to one another in such a way that different sensor elements are illuminated by the received light beam in dependence on the beam angle, wherein the control and evaluation unit comprises means by which the sensor elements of the multi-element light sensor can be subdivided in a variable manner into a plurality of sensor regions, wherein the sensor regions correspond to different zones of the monitored region, wherein each of the sensor elements is associated with one of the sensor regions, wherein the control and evaluation unit may be brought into a calibration operation in which the subdivision of the sensor elements into sensor regions is performed, wherein the control and evaluation unit may be brought into a monitoring operation in which the subdivision of the sensor elements into sensor regions is maintained, wherein during the monitoring operation at least one sensor region is electronically blended out from monitoring, and wherein the control and evaluation unit comprises monitoring means for producing an article detection signal only when an article is detected within a zone of the monitored region corresponding to a sensor region which is not blended out.