초록 ▼

A light curtain system and method of operation which detects the intrusion of objects into a protected zone. The system is characterized in having an inherent self-checking mode of operation by logic circuits which analyze data signals from both the LED light transmitters and phototransistor receive

A light curtain system and method of operation which detects the intrusion of objects into a protected zone. The system is characterized in having an inherent self-checking mode of operation by logic circuits which analyze data signals from both the LED light transmitters and phototransistor receiver circuits. A shutdown signal is generated if the logic circuit determines that light is not received in a selected channel at the time that the LED is strobing light exclusively for that channel. The system further provides a relatively simple and inexpensive method of selecting and amplifying the LED transmitters and PT receivers. In the circuit each PT acts as a switch which selects itself, and a single amplifier is employed for a plurality of the channels. The circuit further provides for the concatenation of groups of amplifier/PT circuits into a longer chain using a single diode.

대표청구항 ▼

For use in a light curtain system having a light transmitter which sequentially strobes light beams across a zone to be protected and a light receiver having a plurality of phototransistors arrayed to receive the light beams, said phototransistors each having a base, a collector and an emitter, the

For use in a light curtain system having a light transmitter which sequentially strobes light beams across a zone to be protected and a light receiver having a plurality of phototransistors arrayed to receive the light beams, said phototransistors each having a base, a collector and an emitter, the improvement including control circuit means for selecting the sequence in which the phototransistors are enabled to produce output signals upon receiving light beams from the light transmitter, said control circuit means including shift register means for applying a voltage to the collector of a selected phototransistor sufficient to enable the phototransistor to generate an output signal responsive to incident light, said shift register means de-selecting said phototransistor by grounding the collector at the time that the light transmitter is not strobing light in the channel of the de-selected phototransistor, said circuit means including amplifier means for receiving and amplifying output signals from the phototransistors which are selected and which receive light from the transmitter.