Sensor system and connector used therefor

A connector system including a plurality of connectors that can be detachably coupled to neighboring ones in an aligned row, and each can be detachably coupled to a sensor body along a longitudinal direction, wherein

• said plurality of connectors include at least one main connector and one or two or more sub connectors;
• said main connector includes
• a first joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal adapted for feeding power to an internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a second joint for a neighboring connector including a power feed terminal for feeding power to a neighboring connector,
• an electric cord inlet adapted for drawing in an electric cord including a power feed line into said main connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power fed through said electric cord to the power feed terminal included in said first joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said second joint for the neighboring connector, inside the main connector;
• said sub connector includes
• a third joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal adapted for feeding power to the internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a fourth joint for a first neighboring connector, including a power receiving terminal for receiving power from one neighboring connector,
• a fifth joint for a second neighboring connector, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to the other neighboring connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power received through the power receiving terminal included in said fourth joint for the first neighboring connector, to the power feed terminal included in said third joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said fifth joint for the second neighboring connector, inside the sub connector;
• and
• by coupling an arbitrary number of said sub connectors adjacent to said main connector, the power supplied to said main connector through said electric cord is distributed to said joint for the sensor body of each of said main and sub connectors.

A connector system including a plurality of connectors that can be detachably coupled to neighboring ones in an aligned row, and each can be detachably coupled to a sensor body along a longitudinal direction, wherein

• said plurality of connectors include at least one main connector and one or two or more sub connectors;
• said main connector includes
• a first joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal adapted for feeding power to an internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a second joint for a neighboring connector including a power feed terminal for feeding power to a neighboring connector,
• an electric cord inlet adapted for drawing in an electric cord including a power feed line into said main connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power fed through said electric cord to the power feed terminal included in said first joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said second joint for the neighboring connector, inside the main connector;
• said sub connector includes
• a third joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal adapted for feeding power to the internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a fourth joint for a first neighboring connector, including a power receiving terminal for receiving power from one neighboring connector,
• a fifth joint for a second neighboring connector, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to the other neighboring connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power received through the power receiving terminal included in said fourth joint for the first neighboring connector, to the power feed terminal included in said third joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said fifth joint for the second neighboring connector, inside the sub connector;
• wherein by coupling an arbitrary number of said sub connectors adjacent to said main connector, the power supplied to said main connector through said electric cord is distributed to said joint for the sensor body of each of said main and sub connectors;
• an electric cord introduced to said main connector, said electric cord including, in addition to the power feed line, one or two or more signal lines;
• wherein said first joint for the sensor body of said main connector includes a corresponding number of signal terminals, and an internal conductor coupling respective ones of the signal lines of said electric cord to the corresponding signal terminals of said first joint for the sensor body is provided in said main connector;
• and
• an electric cord introduced to said sub connector, said electric cord introduced to said sub connector including at least one signal line, wherein said third joint for the sensor body of said sub connector includes a corresponding number of signal terminals, and an internal conductor coupling respective ones of the signal lines of said electric cord introduced to said sub connector to the corresponding signal terminals of the third joint for the sensor body is provided in said sub connector.

A sub connector, having a connector body that can be detachably coupled to one of a plurality of sensor bodies arranged aligned and adjacent to each other, said connector body including

• a first joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal adapted for feeding power to the internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a second joint for a first neighboring connector, including a power receiving terminal for receiving power from one neighboring connector,
• a third joint for a second neighboring connector, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to the other neighboring connector,
• wherein an internal conductor for conducting the power received through the power receiving terminal included in said second joint for the first neighboring connector, to the power feed terminal included in said first joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said third joint for the second neighboring connector, inside the sub connector, and
• an electric cord introduced to said connector body, said electric cord including at least one signal line, and
• wherein said first joint for the sensor body of said connector body includes a corresponding number of signal terminals, and an internal conductor coupling respective ones of the signal lines of said electric cord to the corresponding signal terminals of the first joint for the sensor body is provided in said connector body.

A sensor system, comprising:

• a plurality of sensor bodies arranged aligned and in contact with each other, and a plurality of connectors which can be detachably coupled to the sensor bodies respectively and to neighboring ones of the connectors;
• wherein
• said plurality of connectors include at least one main connector and one or two or more sub connectors;
• each of said sensor bodies is provided with a body joint corresponding to a connector, each of said body joints including a power receiving terminal for receiving, from a corresponding connector, a power to an internal electric circuit;
• said main connector includes
• a first joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to an internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a second joint for a neighboring connector, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to a neighboring connector,
• an electric cord introduced to said main connector, said electric cord including, in addition to a power feed line, one or two or more signal lines,
• an electric cord inlet for drawing in the electric cord including the power feed line into said main connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power fed through said electric cord to the power feed terminal included in said first joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said second joint for the neighboring connector, inside the main connector,
• wherein said first joint for the sensor body of said main connector includes a corresponding number of signal terminals, and an internal conductor coupling respective ones of the signal lines of said electric cord to the corresponding signal terminals of said first joint for the sensor body is provided in said main connector;
• said sub connector includes
• a third joint for a sensor body, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to the internal electric circuit of said sensor body,
• a fourth joint for a first neighboring connector, including a power receiving terminal for receiving power from one neighboring connector,
• a fifth joint for a second neighboring connector, including a power feed terminal for feeding power to the other neighboring connector, and
• an internal conductor for conducting the power received through the power receiving terminal included in said fourth joint for the first neighboring connector, to the power feed terminal included in said third joint for the sensor body and to the power feed terminal included in said fifth joint for the second neighboring connector, inside the sub connector;
• by coupling an arbitrary number of said sub connectors adjacent to said main connector, power fed to said main connector through said electric cord is distributed to each of said sensor bodies through a row of the connectors;
• and
• an electric cord introduced to said sub connector, said electric cord introduced to said sub connector including at least one signal line, wherein said third joint for the sensor body of said sub connector includes a corresponding number of signal terminals, and an internal conductor coupling respective ones of the signal lines of said electric cord introduced to said sub connector to the corresponding signal terminals of the third joint for the sensor body is provided in said sub connector.