Patent · US Expired

Optical position-detecting apparatus

US5249032A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
2References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 5, 1991
Grant dateSep 28, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/38
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical position-detecting apparatus includes an optical block capable of causing interference light having interference fringes perpendicular to a diffraction grating on a subject of measurement to be all the time projected onto the diffraction grating. The apparatus detects the position of a subject of measurement by receiving either light transmitted through a diffraction grating on said subject of measurement or light reflected from said diffraction grating. The apparatus includes an optical block for causing collimated rays generated from a coherent light source to be diffracted, for causing only the ".+-.1" order diffracted light to be extracted and to interfere with each other, and for causing an interference light field area having interference fringes perpendicular to said diffraction grating to be generated and to be projected onto said diffraction grating. Thus, it is possible, with a simple construction, to assure stable outputting of a displacement signal.

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