Switch assembly incorporating optical control function
US6015970A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01D5/34784
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical switch assembly for a two-way radio has electrical and mechanical subassemblies. The electrical portion consists an IR emitter (12) and a pair of IR receivers (14,16) strategically positioned upon a printed circuit board (10). The mechanical portion consists of a rotatable interposer mechanism (20) interconnected to a knob (35) on the radio via a shaft (28). The interposer has inner (22) and outer (24) concentric cylindrical walls. The outer wall controls the light transmitted between the emitter and one of the receivers (16), ultimately controlling the On-Off state of the radio. The inner wall has an integrated gray-scale graphic which controls the transmission of light between the emitter and the other IR receiver (14), ultimately controlling the audio output of the radio.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.