Optical position sensor using Faraday effect element and magnetic scale

Claim 1

An optical position sensor for use on an aircraft comprising: light emitting means for emitting light; first optical wave guiding means connected at its one end to said light emitting means and adapted for guiding said light emitted from said light emitting means; polarizing means connected at its one end directly to the other end of said first optical wave guiding means and adapted to convert said light into light having a unitary plane of polarization; a Faraday effect element connected at its one end directly to the other end of said polarizing means and having reflecting means at its other end; a movable magnetic scale disposed in opposed relationship to said reflecting means and having a plurality of magnetized segments mounted thereon, the unitary plane of polarization being optically rotated in accordance with the arrangement of said magnetized segments; polarization detecting means connected at its one end directly to the other end of said Faraday effect element and adapted to pass therethrough light wherein the plane of polarization thereof is not optically rotated; second optical wave guiding means connected at its one end directly to the other end of said polarization detecting means and adapted for guiding said light from said polarization detecting means; and opto-electric converting means connected to the other end of said second optical wave guiding means and adapted for converting said light guided by said second optical wave guiding means into an electric signal.