Contactless connector

• US 20060202135A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chubu Nihon Maruko Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chubu Nihon Maruko Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koitabashi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3604 Rotary joints allowing relative rotational movement between opposing fibre or fibre bundle ends

Abstract

The contactless connector comprises a rotation-side light element on a rotating body that rotates about an axis of rotation and a fixed side light element on a fixed body that is fixed, and the rotating body further comprises a reflective body that rotates about the axis of rotation. The two light elements are constituted so that a light path is formed between the two light elements when a specified fixed-side light element is located on a light path line segment where light that is emitted from a specified rotation-side light element is reflected by the reflective body. The reflective body is rotated at half the rotation speed of the rotating body.

Claims

1. A contactless connector comprising a rotation-side light element provided on a rotating body that rotates about an axis of rotation, and a fixed-side light element provided on a fixed body, data being sent and received in a contactless between the rotation-side light element and the corresponding fixed-side light element,

wherein the rotating body comprises a reflective body that reflects light emitted from the rotation-side light element or the fixed-side light element in the rotation-axis position;

the contactless connector further comprising;

a light path formed via the reflective body between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element is substantially orthogonal to the axis of rotation;

wherein the light path is formed via the reflective body between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element so that the rotation-side light element or the fixed-side light element receives reflected light from the reflective body.

2. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-side light element is provided on a disk face of the rotating body that is orthogonal to the axis of rotation, and the fixed-side light element is provided on a planar face of the fixed body that is substantially parallel to the disk face of the rotating body.

3. The contactless connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection portion that detects the rotation speed or rotation angle of the rotating body; and

a reflective body driving portion that drive-controls the rotation speed or rotation angle of the reflective body by using data detected by the detection portion.

4. The contactless connector according to claim 3, further comprising:

a computing portion that computes the rotation speed or rotation angle of the reflective body to constitute the light path from any of the rotation-side light element to any of the fixed-side light element by using the data detected by the detection portion.

5. The contactless connector according to claim 3, wherein the reflective body driving portion is inputted a value of half of rotation speed or rotation angle of the rotating body when the rotation body is rotating or stationary;

further comprising;

a connector portion that always connects the light path of the light from the specified light element to the specified light element; and

a switch portion that switches the light path of the light from the specified light element to the specified light element,

wherein the connector portion and switch portion are same construction.

6. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-side light element is provided in a plurality in any positions on a disk face of the rotating body;

the respective fixed-side light element is provided in a plurality on the fixed body so that the light path is formed between the respective fixed-side light elements and the respective rotation-side light elements via the reflective body when the fixed-side light element is located on a light path line segment of incidence and reflection of the reflective body with the rotation-side light element.

7. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-side light element having a light-emitting function and the rotation-side light element having a light-receiving function are arranged mixed in any positions on a disk face of the rotating body;

the fixed-side light element having a light-receiving function for receiving the light emitted from the rotation-side light element having the light-emitting function and the fixed-side light element having a light-emitting function for emitting the light toward the rotation-side light element having the light-receiving function are arranged mixed on the fixed body; and

the fixed-side light element having the light-receiving function and the fixed-side light element having the light-emitting function are arranged mixed so that, when the fixed-side light element having the light-emitting function or the fixed-side light element having the light-receiving function is located on a light path line segment of incidence and reflection of the reflective body with the rotation-side light element having the light-receiving function or the rotation-side light element having the light-emitting function, the light path is formed respectively between the rotation-side light element having the light-emitting function and the rotation-side light element having the light-receiving function via the reflective body.

8. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element, which are in a face that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, are provided in a plurality of stages respectively substantially parallel to the axis of rotation on the rotating body and the fixed body, and the light path is formed between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element in each stage.

9. The contactless connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switching portion for being inputted data which is received by the rotation-side light element or the fixed-side light element, and for outputting the data to a desired output terminal among a plurality of output terminals.

10. The contactless connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating transformer that is constituted by a transformer core and a transformer winding for each of the rotating body and the fixed body.

11. The contactless connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a blind mating portion, in a structure that permits mutual mating between the rotating body and the fixed body, which allows a predetermined light path to be formed by computing the initial angle of the reflective body between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element irrespective of the mating position of the rotating body in the direction of rotation of the rotating body.

12. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixed-side light element is provided at a different height from that of the rotation-side light element in the direction of the axis of rotation, and the rotation-side light element is provided at an angle so that the light path is formed between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element, with respect to a planar disk of the rotating body that is orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

13. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the reflective body, when the reflective body is located between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element in accordance with the rotation of the rotating body, comprises a reflective face at a distance of pencil of light of the light path from the axis of the rotation, the reflective body is a structure that prevents obstruction of the light path between the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element, and both faces of the reflective body are mirror faces.

14. The contactless connector according to claim 1, wherein the rotation-side light element and the fixed-side light element are formed at an optical fiber light output end when functioning as light-emitting elements, the rotation-side light element and fixed-side light element are formed at an optical fiber light input end when functioning as light-receiving elements, and a light path is formed between the optical fiber light output end and the optical fiber light input end via the reflective body.