| US 7,541,569 B1 | ||
| Position sensor utilizing light emissions from a lateral surface of an optical fiber | ||
| Gabor Devenyi, Pentang (Canada) | ||
| Assigned to Raytheon Company, Waltham, Mass. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 16, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/222,468. | ||
| Int. Cl. H01L 31/08 (2006.01); H01J 1/56 (2006.01); G01B 11/14 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 250—214PR [250/229; 356/614] | 23 Claims |
| 1. A position sensor comprising
a light source;
a light-emitting optical fiber having
an insertion end that receives a light input from the light source, and
a plurality of light emitters disposed along an emitting length of a lateral surface of the light-emitting optical fiber;
a light detector;
a light-collecting optical fiber in a parallel but spaced-apart relation to the light-emitting optical fiber and having
an extraction end that provides a light output to the light detector, and
a plurality of light collectors disposed along a collecting length of a lateral surface of the light-collecting optical fiber
in a facing relation to the respective light emitters of the light-emitting optical fiber; and
an opaque light shield disposed between and movable parallel relative to the light-emitting optical fiber and the light-collecting
optical fiber.
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