Patent ID: 6650401
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
An optical distance sensor comprising:a light emitting element emitting a light beam and located at a reference point, a light detector detecting a reflected light beam that is part of the light beam emitted by said light emitting element and that is reflected from an object, the light detector including a light detecting element and measuring one of distance from the reference point to the object, location of the object, and displacement of the object, using a triangulation technique, a substrate on which said light emitting element and said light detecting element are disposed, and a one-piece optical structure including first converging means for converging the light beam emitted by said light emitting element so that the light beam emitted propagates along a first optical axis outside of said optical structure, second converging means for converging the reflected light beam reflected from the object and propagating along a second optical axis outside said optical structure, and reflecting means twice internally deflecting within said optical structure the reflected light beam reflected from the object so that the reflected light beam propagates along a third optical axis within said optical structure, wherein the third optical axis is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the first and second optical axes.