The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 23, 1988
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1986
James S Johnston, Bognor Regis, GB;
Rosemount Limited, , GB;
Abstract
A displacement sensor employs a light conducting member containing a fluorescent material. A source of irradiating light is movable relative to the light conducting member along a track. The irradiating light produces fluorescence within the member at a corresponding position. Light from the fluorescent point is conducted in both directions along the member and can thus be collected at one end for feeding to a photo detector. By monitoring variations in the intensity of light at the detector, the distance of the fluorescent point from the end of the member can be measured, and thus movement of the source along the track monitored. Additional embodiments enable dependency on the intensity of the irradiating light source and on losses between the light conducting member and the photo detector, to be mathematically eliminated. Further embodiments measure the attenuation between two fluorescent points in a length of fibre, and can be used to sense any physical parameter that can be arranged to affect this attenuation, such as stress, bending or temperature.