Optical Blade Clearance Probe
First Claim
1. A sensor comprising:
- a source of electromagnetic radiation to be mounted on a stationary member to project an electromagnetic radiation beam across a gap toward at least one translating member;
a reference detector having a reference field of view (FOV) and a signal detector having a signal FOV to be mounted on the stationary member,wherein the electromagnetic radiation beam, the reference FOV and the signal FOV intersect in a volume including said gap,wherein a feature of the translating member is measured from the reflected electromagnetic radiation received by the reference detector and by the signal detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The sensor comprises a beam of electromagnetic radiation projecting across a gap between the stationary member and the translating member, a reference detector having a reference FOV and a signal detector having a signal FOV. The sensor is to be mounted on the stationary member. The electromagnetic radiation beam, the reference FOV and the signal FOV intersect in a volume including the gap, and the gap is calculated from the reflected electromagnetic radiation received by the reference and signal detectors. The gap can be determined from a ratio between a rise time in the signal pulse and a rise time in the reference pulse, or a ratio between a fall time in the signal pulse and a fall time in the reference pulse, or a ratio between a delay time in the signal pulse and a delay time in the reference pulse, among other features.
16 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A sensor comprising:
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a source of electromagnetic radiation to be mounted on a stationary member to project an electromagnetic radiation beam across a gap toward at least one translating member; a reference detector having a reference field of view (FOV) and a signal detector having a signal FOV to be mounted on the stationary member, wherein the electromagnetic radiation beam, the reference FOV and the signal FOV intersect in a volume including said gap, wherein a feature of the translating member is measured from the reflected electromagnetic radiation received by the reference detector and by the signal detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for measuring a gap between a stationary member and at least one translating member comprising the steps of:
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i. projecting a beam of electromagnetic radiation across said gap; ii. providing a reference field of view (FOV) and a signal FOV across said gap; wherein the beam of electromagnetic radiation, the reference FOV and the signal FOV intersect in a volume that includes said gap; iii. receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation through the reference FOV and the signal FOV as the translating member moves through the beam of electromagnetic radiation; iv. calculating said gap from time markers on pulses derived from at least one of a signal pulse received from the signal FOV and a reference pulse received from the reference FOV. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification