OPTICAL DEVICE FOR DETECTING SPHERICAL BODY

PURPOSE:To prevent wrong detection due to the rotation, vibration or the like of a sphere and enable the spheres to be continuously detected by disposing light emitting element and a bisected photodetector putting a sphere path hole therebetween and opposed to each other and providing a detecting circuit for processing the output signal from the bisected photodetector. CONSTITUTION:When a spherical body enters a spherical body passing hole 5 and passes by the center position of optical axis interconnecting a light emitting element 6 and bisected photodetector 7, the spherical body interrupts temporarily the light of the light emitting element 6, so that light receiving parts 7a, 7b in the bisected photodetector 7 detect individually the passage of the spherical body to output signals. Then, by a digital process circuit built in the bisected photodetector 7, a lag of timing in the detection if spherical body having output wave forms of the light receiving parts 7a,7b is compared so that normal passage of the spherical body can be confirmed and wrong detection in the abnormal passage can be prevented to accurately detect the passage of the sphrical body one body one.