EP0147097A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fiber optic switching device
Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
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Filing: 1984-12-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-12-05
Abstract
Abstract A fiber optic switching device (10) which provides complete electrical isolation between switch control (30, 30') and load (14) is taught. Briefly stated, the device includes a light emitting circuit (16), a light receiving circuit (18) and a load control circuit (20). Power for the three circuits is derived from the power of the load to be controlled. A fiber optic cable is run to the light producing device (22) as well as the light receiving device (24) and is then connected to each other in a "Y" fashion (26). This is then run (28) to a switch (30, 30') which is capable of either reflecting or absorbing all or part of the light in the fiber optic cable thereby varying the light presented to the light receiving circuitry so as to turn the load (14) on or off or at a state inbetween.
Inventors
- 👤 George Cvijanovich
- 👤 Milan Bures
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:16
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/28; G02B6/2804; H; H02; H02M; H02M5/00; H02M5/02; H02M5/04; H02M5/22; H02M5/25; H02M5/257; H02M5/2573
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
284 words
A fiber optic switching device for controlling a load (14) having a light producing device (LE1), a light receiving device (LD) having an electrical output signal which is related to the light received by the light receiving device, a load control device (20), a fiber optic transmit cable (22), a fiber optic receive cable (24) , a fiber optic coupling device (26) and a fiber optic intermediate cable (28) wherein the fiber optic cables interconnect the light producing and light receiving devices with a light adjustment switch device (30), characterized in that: the load control device (LD) is adapted to receive the electrical output signal (18) of the light receiving device so as to vary the flow of electrical current through the load in response to the amount of light received by the light receiving device (LD) wherein the fiber optic transmission (22) and receive cables (24) have one end optically coupled to the light producing device and the light receiving device respectively with the remaining ends of the fiber optic transmission cable (22) and the fiber optic receive cable (24) disposed in the coupling device (26) with the fiber optic intermediate cable (28) having one end optically connected to the fiber optic coupling device (26) so as to receive light from the light transmission device (LE) and introduce light into the light receiving device (LD) and the other end optically connected to a light adjustment switch device (30, 30') for optically controlling the amount of light emanating therefrom which is reintroduced into said fiber optic intermediate cable (28) thereby controlling the amount of light received by the light receiving device (20) and thereby controlling the flow of electrical current through the load (14).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
284 words
A fiber optic switching device for controlling a load (14) having a light producing device (LE1), a light receiving device (LD) having an electrical output signal which is related to the light received by the light receiving device, a load control device (20), a fiber optic transmit cable (22), a fiber optic receive cable (24) , a fiber optic coupling device (26) and a fiber optic intermediate cable (28) wherein the fiber optic cables interconnect the light producing and light receiving devices with a light adjustment switch device (30), characterized in that: the load control device (LD) is adapted to receive the electrical output signal (18) of the light receiving device so as to vary the flow of electrical current through the load in response to the amount of light received by the light receiving device (LD) wherein the fiber optic transmission (22) and receive cables (24) have one end optically coupled to the light producing device and the light receiving device respectively with the remaining ends of the fiber optic transmission cable (22) and the fiber optic receive cable (24) disposed in the coupling device (26) with the fiber optic intermediate cable (28) having one end optically connected to the fiber optic coupling device (26) so as to receive light from the light transmission device (LE) and introduce light into the light receiving device (LD) and the other end optically connected to a light adjustment switch device (30, 30') for optically controlling the amount of light emanating therefrom which is reintroduced into said fiber optic intermediate cable (28) thereby controlling the amount of light received by the light receiving device (20) and thereby controlling the flow of electrical current through the load (14).
Claim 3
Independent Claim
37 words
A device according to claimffurther characterized in that the light adjustment switch device (30, 30') is comprised of a toggle switch (48) having a reflective (56) and a nonreflective (54) surface thereon, thereby reflecting or absorbing light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
3 . A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the light producing device is comprised of a light emitting diode (LEl).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
4 . A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the light receiving device is comprised of a photoresistor (LD1) or a phototransistor (LD3) or a photodiode (LD2).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the light producing device produces infrared light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the load control device (20) is comprised of a triac (TRC-1) or the like in series circuit relationship with the load (14) and having a firing circuit connected to the gate terminal of the triac thereby controlling the amount of current through the triac and thereby the load.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device according to claim 6 further characterized in that the firing circuit is comprised of a timing network (R1, C3, C4) and a switching diode (SD-1).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the fiber optic transmission cable (22) and the fiber optic receive cable (24) are connected in a "Y" fashion in the fiber optic coupling device (26).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
92 words
A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the light adjustment switch device (30 1 ) is comprised of a reflective surface (56, 64) adjacent the fiber optic intermediate cable such that light exiting from the fiber optic intermediate cable strikes the reflective surface wherein the proximity of the light reflective surface with respect to the fiber optic intermediate cable determines the amount of light which is reflected back and thereby reintroduced into the fiber optic intermediate cable (28) and which is in turn received by the light receiving device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
A device according to claim 1 further characterized in that said light adjustment switch device (30) is comprised of an adjustable reflective surface (52) which is adjustable relatively from presenting a fully reflective surface (56) to a relatively nonreflective surface (54), the adjustable reflective surface (56) being adjacent the fiber optic intermediate cable such that light exiting from the fiber optic intermediate cable strikes the adjustable reflective surface with the adjustable reflective surface determining the amount of light which is reintroduced into the fiber optic intermediate cable and which is in turn received by the light receiving device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
202 words
A fiber optic switching device for controlling a load ( 14 ) having a light producing device (LE1), a light receiving device (LD) having an electrical output signal which is related to the light received by the light receiving device, a load control device (TRC-1), a fiber optic cabling device (22, 24, 26, 28), wherein the fiber optic coupling device interconnects the light producing and light receiving devices with a light adjustment switch device (30, 30'), characterized in that: the load control device (20) is adapted to receive the electrical output signal of the light receiving device so as to vary the flow of electrical current through the load (14) in response to the amount of light received by the light receiving device wherein the fiber optic cabling device (22, 24, 26, 28) optically interconnects the light producing device, the light receiving device and the light adjustment switch device (30, 30 1 ) with the light adjustment switch device (30, 30') optically controlling the amount of light emanating from or which is reintroduced into said fiber optic coupling cables thereby controlling the amount of light received by the light receiving device and thereby controlling the flow of electrical current through the load.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
202 words
A fiber optic switching device for controlling a load ( 14 ) having a light producing device (LE1), a light receiving device (LD) having an electrical output signal which is related to the light received by the light receiving device, a load control device (TRC-1), a fiber optic cabling device (22, 24, 26, 28), wherein the fiber optic coupling device interconnects the light producing and light receiving devices with a light adjustment switch device (30, 30'), characterized in that: the load control device (20) is adapted to receive the electrical output signal of the light receiving device so as to vary the flow of electrical current through the load (14) in response to the amount of light received by the light receiving device wherein the fiber optic cabling device (22, 24, 26, 28) optically interconnects the light producing device, the light receiving device and the light adjustment switch device (30, 30 1 ) with the light adjustment switch device (30, 30') optically controlling the amount of light emanating from or which is reintroduced into said fiber optic coupling cables thereby controlling the amount of light received by the light receiving device and thereby controlling the flow of electrical current through the load.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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