Optical sensor module and a wearable device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018114875-A1
Application number	US-201715789181-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical sensor module has a light receiver and a light-emitter which is surrounded by a light blocking wall, wherein the light receiver is disposed on a main plate and the light-emitter is disposed on a side plate separately from the main plate. The light blocking wall is formed as a light barrier wall between the light receiver and the light-emitter. A projecting portion projecting upward from the main plate is enclosed by the light barrier wall, and a top face of the projecting portion is higher than the light receiving face and the light-emitting face.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical sensor module comprising:
a lead frame including
a main plate that has a support portion and at least one projecting portion, said support portion having two opposite first sides and a support face located between said two opposite first sides, said at least one projecting portion projecting upward from one of said two opposite first sides in a direction opposite to said support face, said at least one projecting portion having a top face extending away from said support face, and
at least one side plate that is disposed separately from said one of said opposite first sides of said support portion and being spaced apart from said at least one projecting portion;
a receiver unit including
a light receiver that is disposed on said support face and that has a light receiving face opposite to said support face;
at least one light-emitting unit including
a light-emitter that is disposed on a mounting face of said at least one side plate and that has alight-emitting face opposite to said mounting face; and
a housing molded over said lead frame and including
a first light-blocking wall that has a first opening exposing said light-receiver, and
a second light-blocking wall that has at least one second opening exposing said light-emitting unit, said first and second light-blocking walls adjoining each other between said first and second openings to form at least one common light barrier wall,
wherein said at least one projecting portion is at least partially enclosed by said at least one common light barrier wall between said first opening and said at least one second opening, and said top face of said at least one projecting portion is higher than said light receiving face and said light-emitting face.

2 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one projecting portion further comprises an inclined section, a connection section and a light partition section, said inclined section adjoining said one of said two opposite first sides and inclining said support face by an obtuse angle, said connection section extending horizontally from said inclined section toward said mounting face of said at least one side plate, said light partition section extending upwardly from said connection section in a direction away from said support face, said light-receiving face being lower than said light-emitting face, said light partition section having said top face higher than said light receiving face and said light emitting face.

3 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said main plate further comprises a first leg portion and a second leg portion, said support portion of said main plate further comprising two opposite second sides each of which is interconnected between said two opposite first sides, said first leg portion being disposed on one of said two opposite second sides in a spaced-apart manner, said second leg portion being connected to another one of said two opposite second sides; and said at least one side plate has a mount portion, a third leg portion and a fourth leg portion, said mount portion having said mounting face, said third leg portion being spaced apart from said mount portion and disposed at the same side as that of said first leg portion, said fourth leg portion being connected to said mount portion and disposed at the same as that of said second leg portion.

4 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
each of said first and second leg portions has
an upper section extending from one of said second sides in a direction away from said first opening,
an extending section extending downwardly from said upper section, and
a terminal section extending from said extending section in a direction away from said first opening for making an electrical connection with an external circuit;
each of said third and fourth leg portions has
a top section proximal to said at least one second opening,
a linking section extending downwardly from said top section, and
a terminal section extending from said linking section in a direction away from said at least one second opening for making an electrical connection with an external circuit; and
said light receiver is connected electrically to said first and second leg portions, thereby establishing an electrical connection with the external circuit, said light-emitter being electrically connected to said third and fourth leg portions, thereby establishing an electrical connection with the external circuit.

5 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
said second light-blocking wall extends around said first light-blocking wall, and molded over said first and second leg portions and said third and fourth leg portions; and said first and second leg portions and said third and fourth leg portions are exposed from the bottom face of said second wall.

6 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said at least one projecting portion further comprises two opposite ends that are respectively adjacent to said first and second leg portions and that are respectively formed with arcuate notched edges indented toward said first opening, each of said third and fourth leg portions further has a concaved edge that is concaved in a direction away from said first opening, said concaved edges of said third and fourth leg portions facing respectively said arcuate notched edges of said at least one projecting portion of said main plate.

7 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said first light-blocking wall has an outer surrounding surface that surrounds said opening and that has two arcuate grooves indented toward said opening from said outer surrounding surface at positions respectively adjacent to said arcuate notched edges of said main plate.

8 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first light-blocking wall further has an inner surrounding surface defining said first opening, said inner surrounding surface of said first light-blocking wall having a sloping surface section contacting and extending obliquely and upwardly from said support face, a horizontal surface section extending horizontally from a top end of said sloping surface section and away from said light receiver, and an anti-overflow surface section extending upwardly from said horizontal surface section and away from said support face; and said second light blocking wall further has an inner surrounding surface defining said at least one second opening, said inner surrounding surface of said second light blocking wall having a sloping surface section contacting and extending obliquely and upwardly from said mounting face, a horizontal surface section extending horizontally from said sloping surface section and away from said light-emitter, and an anti-flow surface section extending upwardly from said horizontal surface section and away from said mounting face.

9 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said receiver unit further includes a first light-transmissible encapsulant encapsulating said light receiver and covering said support face; and said at least one light-emitting unit further includes a second light-transmissible encapsulant encapsulating said light-emitter and covering said mounting face.

10 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said first light-blocking wall is made from a first black opaque material; and said second light-blocking wall is made from one of a second black opaque material and a white opaque material.

11 . The optical sensor module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said at least one side plate include

Assignees

• Lite On Opto Tech Changzhou Co Ltd
• Lite On Tech Corp

Inventors

• Ho Tsan-Yu
• Lin Chen-Hsiu
• Chou Meng-Sung

Classifications

• A61B5/14552

  Details of sensors specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A61B2562/0233

  Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00 · CPC title

• A61B5/0261

  using optical means, e.g. infrared light · CPC title

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/6831

  Straps, bands or harnesses · CPC title