PROXIMITY SWITCH DEVICE

PURPOSE:To easily detect the moving direction of an object by providing two detection electrode plates, arranging them in parallel and connecting differentially the two detection electrode plates. CONSTITUTION:An oscillated output of a prescribed frequency is radiated from an oscillation circuit 5 through both the oscillation electrodes 1, 2 and an oscillation electrode plate 3 and electric line of force are generated around the electrode plates. In such a case, the electric line of force around the electrode plate 1, for example, accessed earlier by a human body are changed and an induced voltage is generated between the two electrode plates 1, 2 connected differentially and the induced voltage is extracted from a detection coil 6. When the human body passes by the electrode plate 1 and moves on to the other electrode plate 2, the electric line of force around the electrode plate 2 are changed at this time and an induced voltage of opposite polarity to that of the preceding voltage is generated between the electrode plates. Thus, the detection signal of a different polarity is outputted in the order corresponding to the moving direction of the object thereby detecting the moving direction of the object easily.