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:
May. 06, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1994
James R Bortolini, Broomfield, CO (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
Duplicated optical detectors detect the removal of a printed circuit board and are also used as indicators to indicate conditions on the printed circuit board. The detectors comprise a controller, two pairs of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and two light pipes mounted through and secured to a latch handle attached to the printed circuit board. Each light pipe extends over a pair of LEDs in the closed position of the latch handle. One LED of each pair is utilized as a transmitter, and the other LED of the pair is utilized as a light sensor. In the closed position of the latch handle, light is communicated from the transmitter via the light pipe to the light sensor and through the latch handle to the back of the printed circuit board. For purposes of detecting the removal of the board, as the board is being removed, the latch handle pivots away from the board moving the light pipes from the closed position that is over the LEDs. This movement is detected by the controller, since both sensors are no longer detecting light. The controller provides a series of maintenance operations to ascertain that both detectors are working or that there exists one reliable detector still in operation.