Patent · US Expired

Optical control switch device having a plurality of light receptors

US5347123A · kind A · utility

99Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 1993
Grant dateSep 13, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 6, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/941
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical rotary control device (10) is provided comprising a light source (12) and at least one light receptor (14) linearly spaced, creating a planar axis with the light source (12). A rotatable light director (16) is provided which includes means for directing light from the light source (12) to at least one optical aperture (22) in the light director (16). The optical aperture (22) refracts the directed light from the light director (16) to the light receptor (14). The optical rotary control (10) device further comprises an isolator portion (20) having recesses (24) for receiving and separating the light source (12) and light receptor (14). The means for directing light may include a cut out section (18) in one end of the light director (16 ).

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