ORIENTATION INDICATING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. Orientation indicating apparatus for applying to a member to indicate when the member is in a chosen orientation, said apparatus including:
- radiation modulating means having a chamber charged with modulating liquid defining an orientation bubble movable therein according to the orientation of the modulating means, radiation emitting means positioned to emit radiation into said chamber so as to impinge on said bubble depending on the orientation of the modulating means, and radiation receiving means including radiation detecting means positioned to receive radiation deflected laterally by said bubble and said receiving means being arranged to generate an identification signal when the radiation received from the bubble is at a maximum intensity;
the arrangement and placement of the emitting means and detecting means relative to the modulating means being such that when the member is in the chosen orientation, radiation from the emitting means passes through the modulating liquid, impinges on a near boundary of the bubble, and is deflected laterally thereby so as to be received with maximum intensity by the detecting means thus producing the identification signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Orientation indicating apparatus for applying to a member to indicate when the member is in a chosen orientation including radiation emitting means and radiation receiving means for receiving radiation modulated by a bubble in a liquid charged chamber. The radiation receiving means preferably includes a switching network including a photo-sensitive ciruit member for activating signalling means to indicate the orientation of the member. The radiation emitting means is preferably a light source loacated at the end of an elongated liquid charged tube, light being deflected laterally from an end edge of the bubble to the photo-sensitive circuit member.
60 Citations
9 Claims
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1. Orientation indicating apparatus for applying to a member to indicate when the member is in a chosen orientation, said apparatus including:
- radiation modulating means having a chamber charged with modulating liquid defining an orientation bubble movable therein according to the orientation of the modulating means, radiation emitting means positioned to emit radiation into said chamber so as to impinge on said bubble depending on the orientation of the modulating means, and radiation receiving means including radiation detecting means positioned to receive radiation deflected laterally by said bubble and said receiving means being arranged to generate an identification signal when the radiation received from the bubble is at a maximum intensity;
the arrangement and placement of the emitting means and detecting means relative to the modulating means being such that when the member is in the chosen orientation, radiation from the emitting means passes through the modulating liquid, impinges on a near boundary of the bubble, and is deflected laterally thereby so as to be received with maximum intensity by the detecting means thus producing the identification signal.
- radiation modulating means having a chamber charged with modulating liquid defining an orientation bubble movable therein according to the orientation of the modulating means, radiation emitting means positioned to emit radiation into said chamber so as to impinge on said bubble depending on the orientation of the modulating means, and radiation receiving means including radiation detecting means positioned to receive radiation deflected laterally by said bubble and said receiving means being arranged to generate an identification signal when the radiation received from the bubble is at a maximum intensity;
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2. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber is defined by an elongated tube and the orientation bubble has a length greater than half the length of the tube.
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3. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radiation emitting means comprises a light emitting diode positioned adjacent an end of said chamber.
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4. Orientation indicating apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said radiation modulating means is supported on a mounting base, the mounting base being adjustably mounted on the member.
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5. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber, radiation emitting means and radiation detecting means are encased in a pre-fabricated module in predetermined relationship to each other to thereby provide a replaceable component for the apparatus.
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6. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein when the apparatus is indicating that the member is in the chosen orientation the chamber is tilted from a central chosen orientation indicating position by an amount insufficient to break the surface tension holding the bubble in said indicating position whereby upon further tilting of the chamber the surface tension holding the bubble breaks and the apparatus ceases to indicate that the member is in the chosen orientation.
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7. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radiation receiving means further includes orientation signalling means, and a switching network for switching said signalling means in response to changes in intensity of radiation impinging on said detecting means.
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8. Orientation indicating apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said switching network includes a switching member having two discrete states, said switching member being in one state when the member is in the chosen orientation and in the other state when the member is not in the chosen orientation.
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9. Orientation indicating apparatus for applying to a member to indicate when the member is in a chosen orientation, said apparatus including:
- radiation modulating means having an elongated chamber charged with modulating liquid defining an orientation bubble movable therein according to the orientation of the modulating means, a light emitting diode positioned against one end of said chamber to emit light longitudinally into said chamber so as to impinge on the edge of said bubble nearest to said diode, and light receiving means including light detecting means having a relatively small light sensitive surface positioned to receive light deflected laterally by said edge of the bubble and said receiving means being arranged to generate an identification signal when the light received from the bubble is at a maximum intensity;
the arrangement and placement of the diode and detecting means relative to the modulating means being such that when the member is in the chosen orientation light from the diode passes along the chamber through the modulating liquid, impinges on said edge of the bubble, and is deflected laterally thereby so as to be received with maximum intensity by the detecting means thus producing the identification signal.
- radiation modulating means having an elongated chamber charged with modulating liquid defining an orientation bubble movable therein according to the orientation of the modulating means, a light emitting diode positioned against one end of said chamber to emit light longitudinally into said chamber so as to impinge on the edge of said bubble nearest to said diode, and light receiving means including light detecting means having a relatively small light sensitive surface positioned to receive light deflected laterally by said edge of the bubble and said receiving means being arranged to generate an identification signal when the light received from the bubble is at a maximum intensity;
Specification