Optical sensor

• US 4,750,796 A
• Filed: 05/30/1986
• Issued: 06/14/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Yutaka, Nishimura, Akira, Uemiya, Takafumi, Niwa, Shin-ichiro, Osawa, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E.
• Application Number:
  US06/868,683
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.15, 350/96.29, 250/227
• US Class Current: 385/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35345 using Amplitude variations to detect the measured quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35377 Means for amplifying or modifying the measured quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/243 using means for applying force perpendicular to the fibre axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02033 Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material G02B1/04 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical sensor which comprises an optical waveguide comprising a cladding and an optical waveguide member made of a transparent elastomer which is surrounded by the cladding and through which light is propagated, wherein an amount of light to be propagated through the waveguide member is changed according to a degree of elastic deformation of the waveguide member, which is not affected by electrical and/or magnetic fields.

Claims

1. An optical sensor which comprises an optical waveguide comprising a cladding and an optical waveguide member made of a transparent elastomer which is surrounded by the cladding and through which light is propagated, wherein an amount of light to be propagated through the waveguide member is changed according to a degree of elastic deformation of the waveguide member.

2. The optical sensor according to claim 1, which is elastically deformed by applying load to at least a part of the optical waveguide.

3. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cladding is made of an elastomer.

4. The optical sensor according to claim 3, wherein the cladding is made of a fluoroelastomer.

5. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide member is made of a transparent elastomer selected from the group consisting of polysiloxane elastomer, polyurethane and polybutadiene rubber.

6. The optical sensor according to claim 5, wherein the waveguide member is made of polysiloxane elastomer.

7. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the waveguide is round, square or rectangular.

8. The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide has a flattened cross section.