Patent ID: 6858832

Claim:
A multiple-axis photoelectric sensor comprising a plurality of light-projecting elements, a plurality of light-receiving elements provided each opposed to said light-projecting elements to form a plurality of optical axes, light-projecting control means for repeating a light-projecting scan operation including causing said plurality of light-projecting elements to be successively lighted at a predetermined timing, blockage detection means for detecting a blockage of light at each of the optical axes by detecting a received light signal from each of said light-receiving elements in synchronization with lighting of said light-projecting elements opposed to said light-receiving elements and forming the optical axes, and interfering-light detection means for detecting the existence of interfering light based on the received signals from said light-receiving means in a period during which none of said light-projecting elements is lighted, wherein said multiple-axis photoelectric sensor comprises changing means for changing the time at which the light-projecting scan operation is started in the operation of said light-projecting control means when interfering light is detected by said interfering-light detection means.