Fiber optic displacement transducer with dichroic target

• US 4,798,951 A
• Filed: 12/14/1987
• Issued: 01/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Consolidated Controls Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, FANNIE L
• Application Number:
  US07/132,409
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 250/226, 250/227, 250/231 R, 250/231 P, 356/372, 356/373, 356/375, 73/705, 73/700, 73/655, 73/800
• US Class Current: 250/206.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence

Abstract

A fiber optic displacement transducer is provided by a fiber optic reflective probe (2), and an axially moveable target (4) having a dichroic optical filter (16) with first and second reflection surfaces (20 and 24) axially spaced by a fixed distance t and reflecting different wavelength light.

Claims

1. A fiber optic displacement transducer comprising a target movable in an axial direction, a sender fiber optic cable having a light emitting end axially spaced from said target a receiver fiber optic cable having a light receiving end axially spaced from said target, optical filter means on said target having a first surface reflecting light of a first wavelength from said sender cable to said receiver cable, said optical filter means having a second surface axially spaced from said first surface by a fixed distance t and reflecting light of a second wavelength from said sender cable to said receiver cable, where I1 is the intensity of said first wavelength light in said receiver cable and I2 is the intensity of said second wavelength light in said receiver cable, and wherein I1(I2-I1)×

t varies linearly with axial separation s of said cable ends from said target over a given range of s, such that changes in transmitted light intensity due to optical disturbances in said sender cable cancel out of said fraction I1/(I2-I1) whereby to prevent a false reading of s as measured by I1/(I2-I1)×

t, because t is fixed.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said second surface is axially spaced farther from said cable ends than said first surface by said fixed distance t, and wherein said first surface passes said second wavelength light in each direction, and wherein said optical filter means comprises means between said first and second surfaces which is optically transmissive to said second wavelength light to pass the latter from said first to said second surface and then from said second to said first surface.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein I1 and I2 increase with increasing s over said given range of s.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said cables at said ends extend substantially parallel and axial, and wherein the lower limit of said given range of s is a sufficient axial distance to enable the cone of light from said sender cable to spread sufficiently to be reflected to said receiver cable.