Fiber optic photoelectric sensor with liquid removing means
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorEugene F. Duncan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid removing attachment (22,24) for a fiber optic photoelectric sensor (14) that is used in a wet environment such as near a workpiece or tool (20) that is being sprayed or flowed with a liquid coolant. Such coolant produces an ambient mist or splash of liquid at the adjacent end of the fiber optic cable (16,18) which condenses or accumulates as a liquid mass or drops (6) on the exposed end of the optical fiber bundle (7) tending to interfere with light transmission therethrough. The attachment (22,24) provides radial channels (8b-e) adjacent the exposed ends of the optical fibers (7) that through adhesion of the liquid thereto together with the force of gravity cause such liquid mass or drops (6) to flow away thereby to reduce the liquid accumulation in the light transmission path.
Claims17
In a fiber optic photoelectric sensor having a housing enclosing photoelectric means and fiber optic cable means having a local end portion mounted on said housing in operative relation to said photoelectric means therein and a remote end portion exposing optical fiber ends mounted in operative relation to an object to be sensed, said remote end portion being in a wet environment such as near a workpiece or toool that is being sprayed or flowed with liquid coolant which produces an ambient mist or splash at said remote end portion that accumulates or condenses as a liquid mass or drop on said remote end portion tending to interfere with passage of light signals thereat, the improvement comprising:
- liquid removing means at said remote end portion of said fiber optic cable means for causing said liquid mass to flow away from said ends of said optical fibers at said remote end portion so as to prevent such accumulation of said liquid as to significantly interfere with the passage of light signals therethrough.
A fiber optic cable having a first end mounted in operative relation to photoelectric apparatus and an end remote from said apparatus exposing optical fiber ends to an object to be sensed by light signals emitted or received at said optical fiber ends, and liquid removing means at said remote end comprising means extending beyond said optical fiber ends and having groove communicating with said optical fibers ends, said groove having surfaces which effect adhesion of said liquid thereto, said adhesion and gravitational force causing said liquid to flow away from said optical fiber ends preventing an accumulation of liquid on said optical fiber ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.