Apparatus for determining the position of a movable mechanical element and method of marking a mechanical element
First Claim
1. A mechanical element comprising an optically readable marking, the optically readable marking comprising a surface and a plurality of areas, the surface having a first reflectivity and the plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, wherein a substrate is disposed between the mechanical element and the surface, and wherein the surface comprises chromium and wherein the substrate comprises bronze, and further wherein each of the plurality of areas comprises an exposed area of the substrate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for determining the position of a mechanical element wherein the mechanical element is marked in an optically readable manner, comprising reading means to provide a first output dependent on the position of the mechanical element.
-
Citations
42 Claims
- 1. A mechanical element comprising an optically readable marking, the optically readable marking comprising a surface and a plurality of areas, the surface having a first reflectivity and the plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, wherein a substrate is disposed between the mechanical element and the surface, and wherein the surface comprises chromium and wherein the substrate comprises bronze, and further wherein each of the plurality of areas comprises an exposed area of the substrate.
- 9. A mechanical element comprising an optically readable marking, the optically readable marking comprising a surface having a first reflectivity and a plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, each of the areas having a width, the width of each of the areas being generally the same in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of the mechanical element, and wherein adjacent areas are separated by a distance, the distance being variable, and further wherein a binary digit is indicated by the distance between two of the areas.
- 15. An apparatus for determining the position of a movable mechanical element wherein the mechanical element comprises an optically readable marking, the optically readable marking comprising a surface having a first reflectivity and a plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, wherein a substrate is disposed between the mechanical element and the surface, wherein the surface comprises chromium and the substrate comprises bronze, and wherein the areas comprise exposed areas of the substrate, the apparatus comprising reading means to provide an output dependent on the position of the mechanical element, the reading means comprising illuminating means, detector means and decoding means.
- 26. An apparatus for determining the position of a movable mechanical element wherein the mechanical element comprises an optically readable marking, the optically readable marking comprising a surface and a plurality of areas, the surface having a first reflectivity and the plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, each of the areas having a generally equal width measured in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of the mechanical element, wherein adjacent areas are separated by a distance, the distance being variable, and wherein a binary digit is indicated by the distance, the apparatus comprising reading means to provide an output dependent on the position of the mechanical element, said reading means comprising illuminating means, detector means and decoding means.
- 38. A method of marking a mechanical element comprising providing the mechanical element with a substrate and providing a surface on the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises bronze and the surface comprises chromium, and providing a marking thereon, the marking comprising a plurality of areas, each of the areas having a reflectivity, the method comprising the step of marking each of the areas by removing a portion of the surface to expose a portion of the substrate.
- 40. A method of marking a mechanical element comprising the steps of providing a surface on the mechanical element, the surface having a first reflectivity, the mechanical element including a marking, the marking comprising a plurality of areas, each of the plurality of areas having a second reflectivity, marking the areas such that the areas each have generally the same width in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of the mechanical element, and wherein a binary digit is indicated by a distance between two of the areas.
Specification