Opto-electronic encoder with three-dimensional scales
First Claim
1. An apparatus for directly producing encoded analogue and/or digital signals from a motion under the influence of a force or torque exerted varyingly by linked and/or external elements, for data processing and/or data logging, comprising:
- orbicular confines to a spherical body and said spherical body rotatable relative to said orbicular confines under the influence of said force or torque;
said orbicular confines and said spherical body separately attachable to said linked and/or external elements, or separately integrable with said linked elements;
means arranged externally to said spherical body, connected to said orbicular confines, for emission of light directed to said spherical body along the circular sectional planes of said spherical body;
said spherical body having selective means for entry into, travel along and exit from said circular sectional planes of said spherical body of said light directed to said spherical body along said circular sectional planes;
means connected to said orbicular confines and positioned externally to said spherical body for opto-electronic detection of variations in said light after full crossing by said light of said selective means for entry into, travel along and exit from said circular sectional planes of said spherical body.
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Abstract
A single-, two- or three-axis opto-electronic encoder, or error-inputting device, with an optical scale which is overall cylindrical, spherical or volumetric, as opposed to extant planar, circular optical scales; mostly parallel rays of light enter from the cylindrical or spherical surface of the scale, travel, with or without being modulated in intensity due to rotation/rotations of, or distortion/distortions in, the scale, along elliptical and/or circular sectional planes of the scale and exit to fall upon an obstructing opto-electronic sensor or a plurality of such sensors. A photo-transmissive spherical float on a photo-opaque liquid sealed inside a spherical optical scale, moving vertically under the influence of an external force, upwardly displacing the photo-opaque liquid to block the light that enters the spherical optical scale from reaching any of the opto-electronic sensors, produces a distinct electronic condition for auxiliary use in addition to or conjunction with encoder or error-inputting device output or outputs.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for directly producing encoded analogue and/or digital signals from a motion under the influence of a force or torque exerted varyingly by linked and/or external elements, for data processing and/or data logging, comprising:
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orbicular confines to a spherical body and said spherical body rotatable relative to said orbicular confines under the influence of said force or torque; said orbicular confines and said spherical body separately attachable to said linked and/or external elements, or separately integrable with said linked elements; means arranged externally to said spherical body, connected to said orbicular confines, for emission of light directed to said spherical body along the circular sectional planes of said spherical body; said spherical body having selective means for entry into, travel along and exit from said circular sectional planes of said spherical body of said light directed to said spherical body along said circular sectional planes; means connected to said orbicular confines and positioned externally to said spherical body for opto-electronic detection of variations in said light after full crossing by said light of said selective means for entry into, travel along and exit from said circular sectional planes of said spherical body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification