Attachment for placement onto an optical sensor and method of operating an optical sensor
AssigneeSick AG
InventorMartin Wustefeld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an attachment for placement onto an optical sensor having a housing with an inlet opening for the entry of detection light into the attachment, a test light receiver for receiving light incident at the test light receiver and for a power measurement of the light incident at the test light receiver as test light and having a signal outputting device for outputting an output signal correlated to the test light power. The invention moreover relates to a combination of an optical sensor and such an attachment and to a method for operating an optical sensor which method can be carried out with such an attachment.
Claims12
An attachment for placement onto an optical sensor or onto a part thereof, wherein the optical sensor having a transmission unit for the transmission of detection light into a detection region;
- a receiver for receiving light reflected or remitted from the detection region or for receiving light transmitted through the detection region;
- and an evaluation unit for evaluating the received light, wherein the attachment comprises the following:
- a housing having an inlet opening for the entry of at least a part of the detection light into the attachment;
- a test light receiver for receiving detection light incident as test light and for the power measurement of the detection light incident as test light at the test light receiver;
- a signal outputting device for outputting an output signal correlated with the test light power;
- an outlet opening for the exit of detection light from the attachment into the detection region, wherein at least the outlet opening has a transparent outlet window;
- a device for monitoring the window contamination of the outlet window;
- and
- a dividing mirror arranged in the optical path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for decoupling a part beam from the detection light as test light such that the test light is deflected to the test light receiver at least at a point in time.
A combination of an optical sensor and an attachment for placement onto the optical sensor or onto a part thereof comprising a transmission unit, wherein the attachment comprises the following:
- a housing having an inlet opening for the entry of at least a part of a detection light into the attachment;
- a test light receiver for receiving detection light incident as test light and for the power measurement of the detection light incident as test light at the test light receiver;
- a signal outputting device for outputting an output signal correlated with the test light power;
- an outlet opening for the exit of detection light from the attachment into the detection region, wherein at least the outlet opening has a transparent outlet window;
- a device for monitoring the window contamination of the outlet window;
- and
- a dividing mirror arranged in the optical path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for decoupling a part beam from the detection light as test light such that the test light is deflected to the test light receiver at least at a point in time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.