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Optical sensor system

  • US 5,572,315 A
  • Filed: 11/14/1994
  • Issued: 11/05/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A sensor system for determining the optical conditions at a boundary surface which separates a first medium in the form of a solid body and a second medium whose refracting indices (n1, n2) are different from one another, with the sensor system having an optical unit which comprises:

  • at least one sending unit with at least one sending element and having a light emission surface;

    at least one receiving unit with at least one receiving element, and having a light admission surface;

    an optical path linking the sending unit with the at least receiving unit;

    a light-conducting body arranged in the optical path and having a base surface and first and second optically active end surfaces, with the base surface of the light-conducting body being affixed to the surface side of the first medium disposed between the at least one sending unit and the at least one receiving unit and the boundary surface, and with the first end surface of the light-conducting body facing the light emission surface of the at least one sending unit and the second end surface of the light-conducting body facing the light admission surface of the receiving unit;

    and wherein the first and second end surfaces of the light-conducting body, the light emission surface of the at least one sending unit, and the light admission surface of the at least one receiving unit are each provided with a predetermined convex shape, with the light emission surface of the sending unit and the light admission surface of the receiving unit each having such a weakly convex shape and with the two end surfaces of the light-conducting body each having such a strongly convex shape that the emitted radiation received on the base surface of the light-conducting body is distributed homogeneously and the distance (a1) between the at least one sending unit and light-conducting body and the distance (a2) between the at least one receiving unit and light-conducting body are minimal.

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