Method and optical switch for altering an electromagnetic energy wave in response to acceleration forces
First Claim
1. A method of altering an aspect of an electromagnetic energy wave in response to an acceleration force, said method comprising the step of interposing in a propagation path of said electromagnetic energy wave, a material that changes from a solid state to a liquid state in response to said acceleration force, and changes back to said solid state in absence of said acceleration force, the optical properties of said material in said liquid state being different than the optical properties in said solid state, such that said change from one of said states to the other said state results in altering said aspect of said electromagnetic energy wave.
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Abstract
An aspect of an electromagnetic energy wave is altered by disposing in its propagation path a material that changes optical properties in response to an acceleration force.
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Citations
24 Claims
- 1. A method of altering an aspect of an electromagnetic energy wave in response to an acceleration force, said method comprising the step of interposing in a propagation path of said electromagnetic energy wave, a material that changes from a solid state to a liquid state in response to said acceleration force, and changes back to said solid state in absence of said acceleration force, the optical properties of said material in said liquid state being different than the optical properties in said solid state, such that said change from one of said states to the other said state results in altering said aspect of said electromagnetic energy wave.
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7. An optical switch, having an on condition and an off condition, comprising:
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(a) an electromagnetic energy source for generating a electromagnetic energy wave;
(b) an electromagnetic energy sensor for detecting said electromagnetic energy wave;
(c) a material disposed in the propagation path of said electromagnetic energy wave between said electromagnetic energy source and said electromagnetic energy sensor, for altering an aspect of said energy wave by changing from a solid state to a liquid state in response to an acceleration force, and by changing back to said solid state in the absence of said acceleration force, the optical properties of said material in said liquid state being different than the optical properties in said solid state, such that said altering of said energy wave aspect results in said switch changing between said conditions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. In an acceleration responsive optical switch having an electromagnetic energy wave source and an electromagnetic energy wave sensor, an improvement comprising a material disposed in a propagation path of an electromagnetic energy wave between said electromagnetic energy source and said electromagnetic energy wave sensor, for altering an aspect of said energy wave by changing from a solid state to a liquid state in response to an acceleration force, and by changing back to said solid state in the absence of said acceleration force, the index of refraction of said material in said liquid state being different than the index of refraction of said material in said solid state.
Specification