Patent · US Expired

Readhead for an opto-electronic rotary encoder

US5886352A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
9References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 1, 1997
Grant dateMar 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 1, 2017

Classification

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

Abstract

A readhead for an opto-electronic encoder includes a light source, an analyser grating and a detector. The light source illuminates a scale of the opto-electronic encoder such that the light passed on by the scale forms a periodic light pattern. The analyser grating interacts with the periodic light pattern to generate a resultant fringe pattern. The resultant fringe pattern is incident upon the detector which generates a plurality of phase shifted cyclically modulating signals upon relative movement of the readhead positioned in registration with the scale. Either the periodic light pattern or the resultant fringe pattern is a linear pattern while a remaining one of the periodic light pattern and the resultant fringe pattern is an angular pattern.

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