Lens system for optic temperature sensor

• US 5,036,194 A
• Filed: 02/27/1990
• Issued: 07/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Inventors: Hazel, Barry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Messinger, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/485,673
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 374/161, 374/131, 374/162, 250/231.1, 250/227.21, 250/227.23, 250/458.1, 250/459.1, 350/96.18, 350/96.29, 350/96.31, 350/96.24, 356/43, 356/51
• US Class Current: 250/227.21
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/3213 using changes in luminescence, e.g. at the distal end of the fibres

Abstract

An optic system (10) having a lens arrangement (38) for collimating a beam of light carried by a first array (20) of a bifurcated fiber bundle (18) to uniformly illuminate the entire surface (36) of a fluorescent material (30) to create an output signal corresponding to the temperature of the fluorescent material (30). The lens arrangement (38) focuses the output signal onto the end (34) of bifurcated fiber bundle (18) where a second array (24) communicates up to one half of the output signal generated by the glow of the fluorescent material (30) to a detector (44) which processes the output signal to inform an operator of the temperature of the fluorescent material (30).

Claims

1. In an optic sensor having a bifurcated fiber bundle with a first array of fibers for communicating pulsed light form a source to illuminate a surface of a fluorescent material, said fluorescent material responding to said pulsed light by glowing to produce an output signal, said bifurcated fiber bundle having a second array of fibers for transmitting the output to a detector, the improvement comprising:

lens means for collimating pulsed light from said first array from a cone into a collimated beam to uniformly illuminate the entire surface of said fluorescent material to produce said glowing as function of the pulsed light carried by said first array and for uniformly collimating said glowing onto the second array to transmit up to one half of the total glow produced by the fluorescent material to said detector.

2. In the optic sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the glowing of the fluorescent material functions as a multitude of point sources of output light, said point sources of output light being collimated by said lens arrangement to uniformly illuminate said first and second arrays to assure that up to half of the output light produced by said fluorescent material is transmitted to said detector.

3. In the optic sensor as in claim 1 wherein said glow of the fluorescent material varies as a function of temperature.