Optical coupler for transmitting light linearly between a single point and plural points

Claim 2

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow spherical interior surface, a photoreceptor mounted in the body with a light-receiving window on the surface of the sphere, and a plurality of light sources on the surface of the sphere, each light source being located equidistant from a point on the sphere diametrally opposed from said light-receiving window and aimed at said light-receiving window whereby light transmitted through the sources into the sphere linearly actuates said photoreceptor.

Claim 3

An optical coupler as in claim 1 wherein each of said sources comprises a fiber optic member extending through the body to the surface of the sphere, each fiber optic member being aimed directly at said ight-receiving window.

Claim 4

An optical coupler as in claim 2 wherein each fiber optic member includes a lens at the end thereof on the surface of the sphere.

Claim 5

An optical coupler as in claim 1 wherein the interior surface of the sphere is light-diffusing.

Claim 6

An optical coupler as in claim 1 wherein the interior surface of the sphere is spectral reflective.

Claim 7

An optical coupler as in claim 2, including bores extending through the body to the sphere, each bore closely confining a fiber optic member and having a length of about ten times the diameter of the fiber optic member so that the light carried in the fiber optic member is aimed at the light-receiving window.

Claim 8

An optical coupler comprising a body having a pair of body members, means for holding the body members together, a hollow spherical interior surface between said members, a photoreceptor mounted in one body member with a light-receiving window on the surface of the sphere, and a plurality of light sources mounted in said other body member on the surface of the sphere, each light source being located equidistant from a point on the sphere diametrally opposed from said light-receiving window and arranged in a circle surrounding said point, said light sources including light transmitting means extending outwardly of the sphere through alignment bores formed in said other body member, said bores being aimed at said light-receiving window whereby light transmitted through said light transmitting means and from said light sources into the sphere is aimed at said light-receiving window and linearly actuates said photoreceptor.

Claim 9

An optical coupler comprising a body having a pair of body members, means for holding the body members together, a hollow spherical interior surface between said members, a photoreceptor mounted in one body member with a light-receiving window on the surface of the sphere, and a plurality of light sources mounted in said other body member on the surface of the sphere, each light source being located equidistant from a point on the sphere diametrally opposed from said light-receiving window and arranged in a circle surrounding said point, said light sources including light transmitting means extending outwardly of the sphere through alignment bores formed in said other body member, said bores being aimed at said light-receiving window whereby light transmitted through said light transmitting means and from said light sources into the sphere is aimed at said light-receiving window and linearly actuates said photoreceptor.

Claim 10

An optical coupler as in claim 7 wherein said light sources are comprised of fiber optic members.

Claim 11

An optical coupler as in claim 8 wherein the interior surface of the sphere is light-diffusing.

Claim 12

An optical coupler as in claim 9, including lenses on the ends of said fiber optic members.

Claim 13

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow interior recess of circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the recess, a photoreceptor mounted in the body with a light-receiving window on the surface of the recess at one end of the axis, and a plurality of light sources on the surface of the recess, each light source being located equidistant from the point of intersection of the other end of the axis with the surface of the recess and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the sources into the recess linearly actuates said photoreceptor.

Claim 14

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow interior recess of circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the recess, a photoreceptor mounted in the body with a light-receiving window on the surface of the recess at one end of the axis, and a plurality of light sources on the surface of the recess, each light source being located equidistant from the point of intersection of the other end of the axis with the surface of the recess and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the sources into the recess linearly actuates said photoreceptor.

Claim 15

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow spherical interior surface, a light source mounted in the body with a light-emitting window on the surface of the sphere, and a plurality of photoreceptors on the surface of the sphere, each photoreceptor being located equidistant from a point on the sphere diametrally opposed from said light-emitting window and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the window into the sphere linearly energizes said photoreceptors.

Claim 16

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow spherical interior surface, a light source mounted in the body with a light-emitting window on the surface of the sphere, and a plurality of photoreceptors on the surface of the sphere, each photoreceptor being located equidistant from a point on the sphere diametrally opposed from said light-emitting window and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the window into the sphere linearly energizes said photoreceptors.

Claim 17

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow interior recess of circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the recess, a light source mounted in the body with a light-emitting window on the surface of the recess at one end of the axis, and a plurality of photoreceptors on the surface of the recess, each photoreceptor being located equidistant from the point of intersection of the other end of the axis with the surface of the recess and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the window into the surface linearly energizes said photoreceptors.

Claim 18

An optical coupler comprising a body having a hollow interior recess of circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the recess, a light source mounted in the body with a light-emitting window on the surface of the recess at one end of the axis, and a plurality of photoreceptors on the surface of the recess, each photoreceptor being located equidistant from the point of intersection of the other end of the axis with the surface of the recess and aimed at said window whereby light transmitted through the window into the surface linearly energizes said photoreceptors.

Claim 19

An optical coupler comprising a surface surrounding an interior volume and having a circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the volume, the interior side of the surface being light reflective, a first photo element on the surface at one end of the axis, a plurality of second photo elements on the surface, each second photo element being located equidistant from the other end of the axis, the optical axis of each second photo element being aimed at said first photo element, and either said first photo element being a photoreceptor and said second photo elements being photoemitters or said first photo element being a photoemitter and said second photo elements being photoreceptors, whereby light is linearly transmitted between said first photo element and said second photo element.

Claim 20

An optical coupler comprising a surface surrounding an interior volume and having a circular cross section in planes perpendicular to an axis extending across the volume, the interior side of the surface being light reflective, a first photo element on the surface at one end of the axis, a plurality of second photo elements on the surface, each second photo element being located equidistant from the other end of the axis, the optical axis of each second photo element being aimed at said first photo element, and either said first photo element being a photoreceptor and said second photo elements being photoemitters or said first photo element being a photoemitter and said second photo elements being photoreceptors, whereby light is linearly transmitted between said first photo element and said second photo element.