Patent ID: 6989526

Claim:
An optoelectronic device for detecting switching positions of a switching element, wherein the switching element is movable along a detent curve in order to move between the switching positions, the device comprising: a light-beam assembly having an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, wherein the optical transmitter and the optical receiver are fixed in position and the optical transmitter is positioned to illuminate the optical receiver; a shutter positioned between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, the shutter having a shutter aperture, the shutter being coupled to the switching element to be displaced relative to the optical transmitter and the optical receiver in response to the switching element moving along the detent curve between the switching positions; and a light-beam aperture formed on the detent curve at a point corresponding to a given switching position of the switching element such that the light-beam aperture and the shutter aperture are in alignment with one another when the switching element is in the given switching position; wherein one of the optical transmitter and the optical receiver is positioned behind the detent curve and is aligned with the light-beam aperture viewed from the direction of the other one of the optical transmitter and the optical receiver such that light from the optical transmitter travels through the light-beam aperture and the shutter aperture to illuminate the optical receiver when the switching element is in the given switching position.