Optical transducer for measuring acceleration or vibration using a curved light reflector

Abstract

An optical transducer, wherein the output end of a light transmitting optical fiber or fiber bundle and the input end of a light receiving optical fiber or fiber bundle are fixed angularly adjacent an effective light receiving area of a movable light reflecting member. The light transmitting optical fiber directs a beam of light from a source onto the light reflecting area at a predetermined angle and the light receiving optical fiber is connected with light detection device for receiving at least a portion of the reflected light and detecting the intensity of the reflected light. Upon acceleration or vibration, the movable light reflecting member moves relative to the output and input ends of the optical fibers such that the movement of its effective light reflecting area varies the intensity of the reflected light and the intensity of the reflected light received by the light receiving optical fiber corresponds approximately logarithmically to the amount of movement of the light reflecting member. In a preferred embodiment the light reflecting member is a convex curved mirror surface at the free end of a resilient spring wherein the incident light beam is directed onto a first arcuate segment of the curved surface and, upon movement, the incident light is directed onto a second arcuate segment of the curved surface of different dimension than the first arcuate segment to vary the intensity of the reflected light.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.