US 5,373,153 A · Optoelectronic tilt detector having tapered floors extending in same direction

Abstract

An optoelectronic tilt detector (10 and 35) having a cavity (17) is provided. The cavity (17) has a sidewall (18), a tapered floor (19), and a tapered ceiling (20). The tapered floor (19) and the tapered ceiling (20) have a first passage (23) and a second passage (24) through which radiation such as light may pass. Housed within the cavity (17) is an opaque sphere (14). The opaque sphere (14) moves within the container (17) in accordance with the tilt of the cavity (17) to uncover either the first passage (23) or the second passage (24). The opaque sphere (14) may operate in conjunction with a light emitting device (12) and a light detector (13) to allow radiation to travel from the light emitting device (12) to the light detector (13) when the cavity (17) is tilted, thereby providing a measure of tilt.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An optoelectronic tilt detector, comprising:

an opaque sphere;
a cavity for housing the opaque sphere wherein the cavity comprises:
a lateral sidewall;
a tapered floor having a first cavity vertex and a first passage extending therethrough, wherein the tapered floor extends from a first portion of the lateral sidewall;
and
a tapered ceiling having a second cavity vertex, the tapered ceiling extending from a second portion of the lateral sidewall, wherein the tapered floor and tapered ceiling are tapered in the same direction;
a light emission source for transmitting light through the first passage, the second passage, and the cavity;
and
a light detector for detecting light emitted by the light emission source.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optoelectronic tilt detector having tapered floors extending in same direction

Life of this patent

Optoelectronic tilt detector having tapered floors extending in same direction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8