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US 5,394,241 AGranted
Multiple axis ring laser gyroscope with longitudinal excitation
AssigneeBritish Aerospace Public Limited Company
InventorJohn A. Geen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ring laser gyroscope in which RF excitation is used to cause gas discharge as opposed to DC excitation which is used in conventional ring laser gyroscopes. External surfaces of the body of the ring laser gyroscope are metallized to form electrodes and an RF signal is capacitively coupled to gas reservoirs forming part of the lasing cavities.
Claims9
A multiple axis ring laser gyroscope comprising:
- a body made of dielectric material and having portions defining a series of passages through said body;
- a plurality of reflective members fixed to said body, said plurality of reflective members and said passages comprising means for defining a plurality of like closed polygonal paths for respective laser beams to pass therearound;
- a gas located within said passages in which an electrical discharge may be induced to excite said laser beams;
- at least two electrodes fixed to said body at opposite sides of said body;
- and
- radio-frequency signal generating means, coupled to said electrodes, for inducing said discharge capacitively through said body;
- said polygonal paths including respective limbs which all extend symmetrically and generally in the same direction between said two electrodes, said polygonal paths, said at least two electrodes and said radio frequency signal generating means comprising a means for inducing longitudinal excitation of said gas in said passages.
4 more elements
A multiple axis ring laser gyroscope comprising:
- a body having at least one wall defining a cavity;
- reflective means for defining a polygonal path for two coaxial laser beams travelling in opposite directions in the cavity;
- electrode means, electrically coupled to said cavity through said at least one wall defining said cavity, for providing an electrical excitation signal;
- and
- electrical circuit, connected to said electrode means, for forming an electrical resonant circuit and for supplying an excitation signal to said electrode means, electrical characteristics of said resonant circuit being dependent upon the electrical charge between said electrode means and said body.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.