Opto-mechanical fuse
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJonathan D. Bradbury, Jonathan Fry, Michael Kane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An opto-mechanical fuse is provided. The opto-mechanical fuse includes a chassis component, an extrusion disposed on a monitored component proximate to the chassis component and a sensor. The sensor includes an optical conductor mounted to the chassis component to assume one of an optically transmitting state and an optically non-transmitting state in both power-on and power-off conditions. An assumption of the optically non-transmitting state by the optical conductor occurs due to an interaction of the optical conductor and the extrusion resulting from a predefined magnitude of deflection of the monitored component.
Claims20
An opto-mechanical fuse, comprising:
- a chassis component;
- an extrusion disposed on a monitored component proximate to the chassis component;
- and
- a sensor comprising an optical conductor mounted to the chassis component to assume one of an optically transmitting state and an optically non-transmitting state in both power-on and power-off conditions,
- an assumption of the optically non-transmitting state by the optical conductor being characterized by a breakage of the optical conductor occurring due to an interaction of the optical conductor and the extrusion resulting from a predefined magnitude of deflection of the monitored component whereby the extrusion comes into contact with and then breaks the optical conductor.
An opto-mechanical fuse, comprising:
- a chassis component disposable within a computing device housing;
- an extrusion disposed on a monitored component proximate to the chassis component;
- and
- a sensor comprising an optical conductor mounted to the chassis component to permit clean deflection or breakage of the optical conductor such that the optical conductor assumes one of an optically transmitting state and an optically non-transmitting state in both power-on and power-off conditions,
- an assumption of the optically non-transmitting state by the optical conductor occurring due to breakage of the optical conductor by the extrusion resulting from monitored component deflection of a predefined magnitude whereby the extrusion comes into contact with and then breaks the optical conductor, and
- the assumption of the optical non-transmitting state by the optical conductor resulting in a measurable decrease in light transmission through the optical conductor.
A method of operating an opto-mechanical fuse for detecting a predefined action of or relative to a monitored component, the method comprising:
- disposing an extrusion on the monitored component with the monitored component proximate to a chassis component;
- mounting a sensor to the chassis component;
- configuring the sensor with an optical conductor to be breakable in power-on and power-off conditions by the extrusion as a result of the predefined action of or relative to the monitored component whereby the extrusion comes into contact with and then breaks the optical conductor;
- and
- configuring the sensor to determine whether an optical signal is transmittable through the optical conductor and to signal an occurrence of a breakage during power-on conditions following the breakage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.