Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Laurel Bank Machines Company, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Tohru Nakajima

Mituhiro Nagase

Mitsuzo Arii

Yasunari Kawabata

Osamu Kondoh

Koichi Kamoi

A pattern detecting apparatus having an irradiating means for emitting light and irradiating a surface of an object whose pattern is to be detected, and a light detecting means for detecting light reflected from the surface of or transmitted through the object, wherein a pattern on the surface of the object is detected based on information from the light detecting means is disclosed. The pattern detecting apparatus further comprises a light transmitting means for transmitting light advancing in a predetermined direction. The light transmitting means is positioned between the object and the light detecting means such that the predetermined direction coincides with the direction in which the reflected or transmitted light from the object advances.

Pattern detecting apparatus

A coin discriminating apparatus including a light source for irradiating the surface of a coin to be discriminated with light normal thereto, a plurality of optical fiber groups each including a plurality of optical fibers for guiding light reflected by the surface of the coin to be discriminated, each of the optical fibers disposed so that an imaginary extension of the center axis thereof passes through the center of the surface of the coin to be discriminated at a predetermined angle, the predetermined angle being different between different optical fiber groups, a plurality of photoelectric converters each facing an end portion of an associated one of the optical fiber groups further from the end portion facing the coin to be discriminated and being adapted for receiving the reflected light guided by the associated optical fiber group and converting it to an electrical signal proportional to the amount of the received light, and a discriminator for discriminating coins based upon the electrical signals generated by the plurality of photoelectric converters. The thus constituted apparatus can, with a simple structure, discriminate the denominations, genuineness and the like of coins by detecting coin surface unevenness.

Coin discriminator using a plurality of optical fiber groups

A main optical waveguide portion and/or branching optical waveguide portions of the optical waveguide is tapered in such a way so as to expand towards the output side for reducing a coupling loss due to mismatching of numerical apertures N.A. between optical fibers and the optical waveguide, wherein the light entering the optical waveguide at an angle determined by the numerical aperture N.A. of the optical fiber gradually reduces its angle of incidence to an interface of the core and cladding as it passes by a portion where the taper is provided and when the light reaches the output side of the optical fiber, the numerical aperture N.A. thereof is effectively reduced to a value which is lower than the numerical aperture N.A. determined by a difference of refractive-indices in the optical waveguide. By making the numerical aperture N.A. of the optical waveguide a little greater than that of the optical fiber, it is possible to reduce the loss at the input side as well as the loss at the output side simultaneously, and further, the taper need not necessarily be a straight taper but a curved taper also can be used.

Optical divider for multimode optical fiber systems

A laser knife with which a laser beam having at least two different wavelengths to thereby eliminate undesirable effects on body tissue, blood and body fluids. First and second laser sources provide first and second operating light beams of different wavelengths. The first and second operating light beams are focused along the same optical axis with the focus points being independently controllable. An illuminating or guide light beam is also provided along the same optical axis which also can be independently focused.

Laser knife device

A counterbalance device for operation with the manipulator of a laser knife in which the moment of the knife is maintained in a balanced state over the entire range of movement of the knife so that the movement of the knife is smooth over its entire range and its operability highly increased. A counterbalance device of the invention is coupled to the manipulator at a fulcrum point. The centers of gravity of the manipulator and counterbalance device are in the same vertical plane. The center of gravity of the counterbalance device is moved in parallel with the movement of the center of gravity of the manipulator. In preferred embodiments, the counterbalance device includes arm sections which are geometrically similar to the arm structure of the manipulator device. A rotatable arm of the counterbalance device is coupled through rotatable links to the corresponding rotatable arm of the manipulator so as to maintain dynamical balance.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tohru Nakajima