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:
Sep. 11, 1990
Filed:
Jul. 03, 1989
Keiji Matsui, Aichi, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Okuma Tekkosho, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
An optical encoder includes a light source for emitting coherent parallel light and a scale having a grating track for defracting parallel light emitted from the light source. The grating track of the scale includes a plurality of linear adjacent gratings extending in a lengthwise direction. Each of the gratings extends in a widthwise direction direction to define a pitch of the grating. Each grating includes a non-transmitting portion and an adjacent transmitting portion extending in lengthwise direction. The aperture ratio defined by the ratio between a width of the transmitting portion and the pitch of each grating is substantially constant for each of the gratings along the grating track. However, the pitch of each of the gratings of the grating track varies along the grating track. A light spot positioning detector is provided for receiving positive and negative defracted light beams of a same order defracted from a grating track for determining a position of the scale.