Rotary optical coupler utilizing cylindrical ringshaped mirrors and method of making same

Claim 1

A rotary optical coupler comprising: first and second members coupled together by bearing means which permit relative rotation between the members about a central axis, each of said members having a generally cylindrical cup-shaped housing closed at one end remote from the bearing means by a transverse base plate; sealing means mounted adjacent the bearing means between the open ends of the respective cylindrical housings for sealing the juncture between the two members adjacent the bearing means; a first plurality of optical radiation source elements mounted at selected positions in the base plate of the first member, said optical radiation source elements being directed inwardly to transmit optical radiation toward the base plate of the second member; a second plurality of optical radiation source elements mounted at selected positions in the base plate of the second member, said optical radiation source elements being directed inwardly to transmit optical radiation toward the base plate of the first member; a first plurality of reflective ring elements mounted at selected positions in the base plate of the first member; a second plurality of reflective ring elements mounted at selected positions in the base plate of the second member; a first plurality of optical receivers mounted at selected positions displaced from each other about an inner peripheral wall portion of the housing of the first member; and a second plurality of optical receivers mounted at selected positions displaced from each other about an inner peripheral wall portion of the housing of the second member; each individual ring element of the first and second pluralities of reflective ring elements being disposed to reflect optical radiation from a corresponding optical radiation source element to a corresponding receiver, regardless of the extent of relative rotation between the two members.

Claim 25

The method of fabricating a set of ring reflectors having the capability of directing reflected light from an incident beam to different point locations for each different ring comprising the steps of: cutting a series of rings from a geometric figure having a concave reflective surface such that each of said rings constitutes a right circular cylinder having a reflective edge at one end of the cylinder, said edge being beveled at a continuously variable angle about the circumferential edge of said cylinder, the angle at any point on said edge being such as to direct light reflected from that ring to the same point location; and orienting the rings of said set on a base member with an orientation such that light from an incident beam is reflected toward a plurality of point locations generally positioned at different selected rotational angles about the periphery of said base member with said selected angles being different for the respective rings.

Claim 26

The method of fabricating a set of ring reflectors having the capability of directing reflected light from an incident beam to different point locations for each different ring comprising the steps of: cutting a series of rings from a geometric figure having a concave reflective surface such that each of said rings constitutes a right circular cylinder having a reflective edge at one end of the cylinder, said edge being beveled at a continuously variable angle about the circumferential edge of said cylinder, the angle at any point on said edge being such as to direct light reflected from that ring to the same point location; and orienting the rings of said set on a base member with an orientation such that light from an incident beam is reflected toward a plurality of point locations generally positioned at different selected rotational angles about the periphery of said base member with said selected angles being different for the respective rings.