PURPOSE: To detect the pressure continuously and accurately, to make the size compact, and to reduce the price, by providing a light emitting element, a light receiving element, which receives the light from said light emitting element, and a diaphragm, which converts the change in pressure into mechanical displacement.
CONSTITUTION: A pair of a light emitting elment 49 and a light receiving element 50 is fixed so that the elements face each other with a light shielding plate 44 in-between. A diaphragm 34 can convert the change in pressure into mechanical displacement. In this constitution, the relationship between the water level and the output voltage of a pressure sensor 66 becomes as shown in the Figure. The pressure sensor 66 can continuously detect the water level in a washing tank 61. Only one pair of the light emitting and receiving elements is sufficient in the pressure sensor 66. Thus the compact and inexpensive pressure sensor is obtained.
NONAKA HIROYUKI
TAKAHASHI WATARU
OOIWA GIHEI
TOMITA TAKAAKI
Next Patent: PRESSURE SENSOR