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:
Nov. 25, 2008
Filed:
May. 03, 2006
Bradley Engstrand, Hartford, WI (US);
Bradley Engstrand, Hartford, WI (US);
Phaedrus, LLC, Hartford, WI (US);
Abstract
A system and a method detect that a movable element within an interior of a compartment is at an end of a stroke and/or a beginning of the stroke within the interior of the compartment. A switch and/or an electrical circuit is connected to the compartment for detecting that the movable element may be at the beginning of and/or at the end of the stroke. A microprocessor is connected to the switch or to the electrical circuit for detecting that the movable element is at the end of and/or at the beginning of the stroke within the interior of the compartment. An end cap having a light detector is connected to the compartment to measure an intensity of the light within an interior of the end cap which is attenuated by and/or is diffused by a surface of the movable element and/or of the compartment. The intensity of the light within the interior of the end cap corresponds to a position of the movable element within the interior of the compartment. The light detector determines the position of the movable element which is at the end of the stroke, at the beginning of the stroke and/or between the end of the stroke and the beginning of the stroke via the intensity of light within the interior of the end cap.