Optical temperature transducer

• US 4,288,159 A
• Filed: 10/01/1979
• Issued: 09/08/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: YSI Incorporated (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Yellow Springs Instrument Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Newman, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stewart J.
• Application Number:
  US06/080,759
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.15, 350/96.29, 356/43, 356/44, 356/45, 73/355 R, 73/356, 73/362 R
• US Class Current: 374/161
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/18 of materials which change translucency

Abstract

A substantially solid temperature-dependent light absorbing mass including multiple-faceted randomly oriented and distributed reflecting chips is optically coupled on the terminal end of a fiber optical light conductor.

Claims

1. An optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) fiber optical light conducting means having a terminal end,

(b) a substantially solid temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass optically coupled on said terminal end of said fiber optical light conducting means, and

(c) said matrix mass including multifaceted randomly oriented and distributed reflecting chips therein for randomly distributiung light therein received from said fiber optical light conducting means and returning a portion of the unabsorbed light therethrough, reflection of light by said chips being substantially unaffected by temperature.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein said matrix mass comprises a substantially solid transparent material containing minutely crushed temperature-dependent light absorbing material.

3. The transducer of claim 2 wherein said transparent material is an epoxy resin.

4. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing component of said temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass includes a crushed temperature-dependent light absorbing semiconductor material.

5. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing component of said temperature-dependent light absorber includes micro-encapsulated temperature-dependent light absorbing liquids.

6. The transducer of claim 1 further comprising an optically opaque coating on the exterior thereof.

7. An optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) a bundle of optical fibers having a terminal end,

(b) a substantially solid temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass optically coupled on said terminal end of said fiber optical bundle,

(c) said matrix being a transparent epoxy resin,

(d) said matrix mass including multifaceted randomly oriented and distributed, crushed, temperature-dependent, light absorbing, reflecting semiconductor chips for randomly distributing light therein received from said fiber optical bundle and returning a portion of the unabsorbed light therethrough, and

(e) an optically opaque coating on the exterior of said matrix mass.

8. A method for fabricating an optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) mixing a temperature-dependent light absorbing material, multifaceted reflecting chips, and a hardenable carrier, and

(b) hardening a mass thereof on the terminal end of a fiber optical light conducting means.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said mixing step further comprises crushing a temperature-dependent light absorbing material and mixing it with the carrier.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising applying an optically opaque coating to the exterior of the mass.

11. A method for fabricating an optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) crushing a temperature-dependent light absorbing semiconductor material,

(b) mixing the crushed material with an epoxy resin carrier,

(c) hardening a mass thereof on the terminal end of a bundle of optical fibers, and

(d) applying an optically opaque coating to the exterior of the mass.

12. An optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) fiber optical light conducting means having a terminal end,

(b) a substantially solid matrix mass optically coupled on said terminal end of said fiber optical light conducting means, and including multifaceted randomly oriented and distributed reflecting chips therein for randomly distributing light therein received from said fiber optical light conducting means and returning a portion of the unabsorbed light therethrough, said chips providing temperature dependent absorption of light.

13. The transducer of claim 12 wherein said chips are formed of a crushed, temperature-dependent light absorbing semiconductor material.

14. The transducer of claim 12 further comprising an optically opaque coating on the exterior thereof.

15. An optical temperature transducer, comprising:

(a) fiber optical light conducting means having a terminal end,

(b) a substantially solid temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass optically coupled on said terminal end of said fiber optical light conducting means, and

(c) said matrix mass including multifaceted randomly oriented and distributed reflecting chips therein for randomly distributing light therein received from said fiber optical light conducting means and returning a portion of the unabsorbed light therethrough, said chips providing temperature dependent absorption of light.

16. The transducer of claim 15 wherein said matrix mass comprises a substantially solid transparent material containing minutely crushed temperature-dependent light absorbing material.

17. The transducer of claim 16 wherein said transparent material is an epoxy resin.

18. The transducer of claim 15 wherein the light absorbing component of said temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass includes a crushed temperature-dependent light absorbing semiconductor material.

19. The transducer of claim 15 wherein the light absorbing component of said temperature-dependent light absorbing matrix mass includes micro-encapsulated temperature-dependent light absorbing liquids.

20. The transducer of claim 15 further comprising an optically opaque coating on the exterior thereof.