Pressure-actuated optical switch
First Claim
1. An optical switching element comprising:
- (a) a diaphragm of resilient material, said diaphragm having at least one optically reflective surface,(b) means for supporting said diaphragm for rapid snap-action movement between a spherical concave state and a spherical convex state in response to a condition desired to be sensed,(c) means for directing a light beam toward said at least one optically reflective surface of said diaphragm, said directing means including a member having an aperture therein through which said light beam passes, said aperture positioned a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm,(d) means for receiving said light beam after reflection from said diaphragm,(e) said diaphragm operative in said concave state to reflect at least a portion of said light beam to said receiving means, and(f) said diaphragm operative in said convex state to reflect said portion of said light beam away from said receiving means,whereby said diaphragm provides a rapid switching element for abruptly making and breaking a light path formed by said light beam between said light directing and receiving means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical switching element utilizes a spherical diaphragm mounted for snap-action movement between a concave and convex shape. A light beam is directed through a small aperture to impinge on the diaphragm. The aperture is positioned at a distance from the diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of the diaphragm to obtain maximum reflection of the light when the diaphragm is in its concave shape. Upon movement of the diaphragm to the convex shape in response to an external stimuli, substantially all of the light is absorbed within the supporting housing with little or no light being reflected through the small aperture. The presence or absence of the light beam thus provides an indication of the external condition which may be a temperature value, pressure value or the like. The switch may also be utilized as a mechanical limit switch or a plurality of such optical switches may be fabricated to form a keyboard for entry of data into a computing system.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An optical switching element comprising:
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(a) a diaphragm of resilient material, said diaphragm having at least one optically reflective surface, (b) means for supporting said diaphragm for rapid snap-action movement between a spherical concave state and a spherical convex state in response to a condition desired to be sensed, (c) means for directing a light beam toward said at least one optically reflective surface of said diaphragm, said directing means including a member having an aperture therein through which said light beam passes, said aperture positioned a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm, (d) means for receiving said light beam after reflection from said diaphragm, (e) said diaphragm operative in said concave state to reflect at least a portion of said light beam to said receiving means, and (f) said diaphragm operative in said convex state to reflect said portion of said light beam away from said receiving means, whereby said diaphragm provides a rapid switching element for abruptly making and breaking a light path formed by said light beam between said light directing and receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An optical switch comprising:
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(a) a spherical diaphragm having a light reflecting surface, (b) means for supporting said diaphragm for snap-action movement between a first, concave shape and a second, convex shape in response to one of a pressure and temperature condition desired to be sensed, (c) a housing for at least partially shielding the light reflecting surface of said diaphragm, (d) said housing having an aperture spaced from said diaphragm by a distance substantially equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm, and (e) means for transmitting light through said aperture and onto said light reflecting surface and for transmitting light reflected from said diaphragm in said concave shape, again through said aperture and to the exterior of said housing, whereby, in said first shape, the reflecting surface of said diaphragm reflects light toward said light transmitting means and, in said second shape, the reflecting surface of said diaphragm reflects light away from said light transmitting means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An optical switching element comprising:
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(a) a diaphragm of resilient material, said diaphragm having at least one optically reflective surface, (b) means for supporting said diaphragm for rapid snap-action movement between a spherical concave state and a spherical convex state in response to a condition desired to be sensed, (c) a light source positioned at a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm, said light source generating light toward said diaphragm, (d) a receiver for receiving light reflected from said diaphragm, (e) said diaphragm operative in said concave state to reflect substantially all of said light to said receiver, and (f) said diaphragm operative in said convex state to reflect substantially all of said light away from said receiver, whereby said diaphragm provides a rapid switching element for abruptly making and breaking a light path formed by said light between said light source and receiver. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A push-button optical switch comprising:
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(a) a diaphragm having a light reflecting surface, (b) means for securing said diaphragm for snapaction movement from a first shape to a second shape in response to a manual force, and for automatically returning said diaphragm from said second shape to said first shape upon termination of said force, one of said first and second shapes being spherical convex and the other of said first and second shapes being spherical concave, (c) a push-button element for communicating said force to said diaphragm, (d) means for directing a light beam toward said diaphragm, said directing means including a member having an aperture therein through which said light beam passes, said aperture positioned a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm, (e) means for receiving at least a portion of said light beam reflected from said diaphragm, (f) said diaphragm operative in said concave shape to reflect said portion of said light beam toward said receiving means, and (g) said diaphragm operative in said convex shape for directing said portion of said light beam away from said receiving means.
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30. An optical switch comprising:
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a light source; a light detector; a flexible light transmission line; a housing attached to one end of said transmission line; a spherical, concave light-reflective diaphragm contained within said housing; said light transmission line conveying light from said light source into said housing and conveying reflected light from said diaphragm to said detector said end of said transmission line positioned a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm; and said diaphragm abruptly reversing its curvature to have a convex shape in response to the application of a predetermined force transmitted to said diaphragm so that a major portion of light conveyed by said transmission line to said diaphragm is reflected by said diaphragm away from said transmission line and absorbed within said housing.
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31. An optical switching keyboard comprising:
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(1) a plurality of push-button optical switches, each optical switch including; (a) a diaphragm having a light reflecting surface, (b) means for securing said diaphragm for snapaction movement from a first shape to a second shape in response to a manual force, and for automatically returning said diaphragm from said second shape to said first shape upon termination of said force, one of said first and second shapes being spherical convex and the other of said first and second shapes being spherical concave, (c) a push-button element for communicating said force to said diaphragm, (d) means for directing a light beam toward said diaphragm, said directing means including a member having an aperture therein through which said light beam passes, said aperture positioned a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm, (e) means for receiving at least a portion of said light beam reflected from said diaphragm, (f) said diaphragm operative in said convex shape to reflect said portion of said light beam toward said receiving means, and (g) said diaphragm operative in said convex shape for directing said portion of said light beam away from said receiving means, (2) at least some of said plurality of switches having diaphragms fabricated from a single sheet of resilient and optically-reflective material. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A pressure-actuated optical switch comprising an enclosure having a light absorbing interior surface;
- first and second aperatures at either end of said enclosure for transmitting light to said enclosure;
a spherical diaphragm having light reflective surfaces located within said enclosure so that substantially all light entering said first aperture is reflected by said diaphragm back to said first aperture and substantially all light entering said second aperture is absorbed within said enclosure;
said first and second apertures positioned at a distance away from said diaphragm equal to the radius of curvature of said diaphragm; and
said diaphragm abruptly reversing its curvature in snap-action fashion in response to the application of predetermined external force so that substantially all light entering said first aperture is absorbed within said enclosure and a substantial amount of light entering said second aperture is reflected by said diaphragm back to said second aperture.
- first and second aperatures at either end of said enclosure for transmitting light to said enclosure;
Specification