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:
Oct. 12, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 07, 2000
Ichiro Okumura, Matsudo, JP;
Yasushi Miura, Yokohama, JP;
Masahiko Igaki, Yokohama, JP;
Manabu Takayama, Kamakura, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An optical encoder has a light irradiating device; an optical scale having a grating for transmitting or reflecting incident light; light-receiving elements disposed in a plurality of different directions; and an optical system for amplitude-modulating light traveling from the light irradiating device to the optical scale and transmitted or reflected by the grating, by a dividing element in which a plurality of V-shaped grooves are juxtaposed, and for dividing the amplitude-modulated light into beams along a plurality of different directions to guide the beams to the respective light-receiving elements. The dividing element is comprised of repetitions of such structure that a plurality of V-grooves consisting of planes of mutually different angles are juxtaposed at a predetermined pitch.