LASER TRANSMITTER
First Claim
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1. A laser transmitter, comprising:
- a transmitter housing;
a generally flat, circuit board stator;
a rotor defining a central opening;
a bearing, supporting said rotor for rotation about a rotation axis that is generally perpendicular to said generally flat, circuit board stator, and that is aligned with the center of said central opening;
a laser source, mounted on said stator, for providing a beam of laser light directed outward from said circuit board stator in alignment with said rotation axis;
a pentaprism assembly mounted on said rotor for rotation therewith, said pentaprism assembly receiving said beam of laser light through said central opening and redirecting at least a portion of said laser light outward in a direction normal to said rotation axis;
a gimbal support for supporting said stator within said transmitter housing;
a gimbal motor arrangement for orienting said gimbal support; and
a plurality of pairs of light sources and light sensors for sensing the proximity of said circuit board stator with respect to the interior of said transmitter housing.
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Abstract
A laser transmitter has a transmitter housing and a laser source in the housing. A gimbal support arrangement supports the laser source in the housing and includes a gimbal motor arrangement for moving the gimbal support arrangement and said laser source in said housing. A gimbal motor drive circuit actuates the gimbal motor arrangement to cause the gimbal support arrangement to move in said housing. A plurality of optical proximity sensors sense the orientation of said gimbal support arrangement to the interior of said housing. By this arrangement, damage to the transmitter is prevented.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A laser transmitter, comprising:
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a transmitter housing; a generally flat, circuit board stator; a rotor defining a central opening; a bearing, supporting said rotor for rotation about a rotation axis that is generally perpendicular to said generally flat, circuit board stator, and that is aligned with the center of said central opening; a laser source, mounted on said stator, for providing a beam of laser light directed outward from said circuit board stator in alignment with said rotation axis; a pentaprism assembly mounted on said rotor for rotation therewith, said pentaprism assembly receiving said beam of laser light through said central opening and redirecting at least a portion of said laser light outward in a direction normal to said rotation axis; a gimbal support for supporting said stator within said transmitter housing; a gimbal motor arrangement for orienting said gimbal support; and a plurality of pairs of light sources and light sensors for sensing the proximity of said circuit board stator with respect to the interior of said transmitter housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A laser transmitter comprising:
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a transmitter housing; a laser source in said housing; a gimbal support arrangement for supporting said laser source in said housing, and including a gimbal motor arrangement for moving said gimbal support arrangement and said laser source in said housing; gimbal motor drive circuit for actuating said gimbal motor arrangement to cause said gimbal support arrangement to move in said housing; and a plurality of optical proximity sensors, movable with said gimbal support arrangement, for sensing the orientation of said gimbal support arrangement with respect to the interior of said housing, whereby damage to said laser transmitter from movement within said transmitter housing is prevented. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A laser transmitter, comprising:
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a transmitter housing; a laser source and support structure; a gimbal support for supporting said laser source and support structure within the transmitter housing; and a plurality of optical sensors on said support structure for sensing the proximity of said support structure to the interior of said transmitter housing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of positioning a laser source and support structure in the housing of a laser transmitter, said transmitter including a gimbal support for supporting said laser source and support structure, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of optical sensors on said support structure; sensing the proximity of the interior of said transmitter housing with each of said optical sensors; and preventing said support structure from being moved into contact with the interior of said transmitter housing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification