Optical stencil
AssigneeCoherent, Inc.
InventorPeter G. Sugden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A variable optical stencil assembly has a plurality of discs (1) each of which discs (1) is of substantially equal diameter and comprises a plurality of windows (3) therein, disposed around the periphery thereof and each having a respective character or combination of characters or a set of characters therein. Each disc is rotatably driven about a respective axis of rotation by drive means (2). The assembly comprises not less than three discs (1) and not more than five discs (1) and each disc (1) overlaps with the other discs (1) at a central point between the axes of rotation, such that a window from each disc (1) is aligned with a window from each of the other discs.
Claims11
A variable optical stencil assembly comprising:
- at least three discs each having a separate central axis, each disc being of substantially equal diameter, each disc including a plurality of windows disposed around the periphery thereof, each window having at least one character therein;
- and
- means for independently rotating each of said discs about the center axis thereof and wherein the center axis of the discs are spaced apart such that each said disc only partially overlaps each of the other discs at a central point between the axes of rotation of the discs in a manner such that the windows of each disc are aligned with the windows of the other discs.
An optical encoder for a rotatable disc comprising:
- a disc rotatable about a central axis, said disc having a plurality of slots all located at a common radial distance from the central axis and at a plurality of axial positions;
- and
- a plurality of optical sensors aligned with the radial position of said slots, with the slots being formed so that for any given angular position of the disc relative to the sensor, less than all of the slots will be aligned with all of the Sensors and a unique code is defined by the slots aligned with and detected by the optical sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.