Educational tool comprised of selectable optically-linked modules
US6382982B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 7, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09B23/22
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is a teaching tool, intended to elucidate the principles of light and its associated technologies. For several of the embodiments, the optics and components are embedded into sliding or rotating structures, so that the student is able to “shift” or “dial” the component into a pre-determined location within the optical train in order to perform the intended optical demonstrations. The invention may contain diode lasers, light-emitting diodes, light bulbs, lenses, modulators, holograms, prisms, interferometers, polarizers, slits, apertures, detectors, and fiber optics. Because the optics are readily selectable within the optical train, a large variety of different demonstrations can be conveniently performed. Another type of architecture is to employ linkable modules, each containing one or more components, which can be linked together in a variety of permutations in order to perform many different demonstrations.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.