Patent · US Expired

Scanning of moving objects using unique polygon mounted on carousel which rotates at twice polygon's speed

US5184246A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
6References
25Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 25, 1991
Grant dateFeb 2, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 25, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B5/09
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A polygon for reading and writing information, and for tracking industrial products on a rotating carousel is arranged so that each of its sides behaves effectively like a mirror mounted directly on a rotational axis of the polygon. When this polygon is installed in the center of rotating carousel, it can perform accurate tracking of objects on the carousel with a constant (fixed) rotational speed equal to half of the rotational speed of the carousel. One design employs a polygon with side mirrors tilted in an arbitrary angle with surrounding mirrors (opposite-side mirrors) tilted at a right angle with respect to the tilted side mirrors of the polygon (FIG. 12). Additional designs are of polygons with side mirrors tilted at an arbitrary angle .alpha. and opposite-side mirrors tilted at an angle .alpha./n (where n is an integer) with respect to the tilted side mirrors of the polygon. Such a polygon is illustrated in FIG. 11 for n=1 (.alpha.=.beta.=45 degrees). All the planes of the side mirrors and the surrounding mirrors (opposite-side mirrors) have a common intersection located on the polygon's axis as shown (FIGS. 5, 6, and 11). The design of these polygons eliminates all the unw…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.