US 11,885,614 B2
Optical rotary sensor
Jean-Pierre Maufras, Pomona, CA (US); Michael John Frick, Newbury Park, CA (US); Michel Chiasson, Granby (CA); and Teodor Petrea, Loungueuil (CA)
Assigned to OSI Optoelectronics, Inc., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed by OSI Optoelectronics, Inc., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/114,273.
Prior Publication US 2022/0178682 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G01D 5/30 (2006.01); G01B 11/26 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 11/26 (2013.01) [G01D 5/30 (2013.01); G02B 26/0875 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for detecting an angle of rotation of a rotating member, the apparatus comprising:
a light source for emitting light rays;
a light conditioner configured to receive and condition the light rays emitted by the light source in order to control an emission pattern of the light rays, wherein the light conditioner is further configured to emit the conditioned light rays;
an optical transducer with at least one refractive surface, wherein the optical transducer is coupled to the rotating member, wherein the optical transducer is configured to receive the conditioned light rays emitted by the light conditioner through its at least one refractive surface and to emit refracted rays in form of a light spot, and wherein the at least one refractive surface has a varying dimension that corresponds with the angle of rotation of the rotating member; and
an optical detector configured to receive the light spot emitted from the optical transducer, wherein the optical detector is configured to output an analog signal based on a position of the light spot and wherein the analog signal is indicative of the angle of rotation of the rotating member.