Bizarre Patents
Vehicular Impact Signaling Device
An apparatus for the deployment of a visible plume to alert other motorists that a proximate motor vehicle has been involved in a collision.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6137926 | Hybrid optical multi-axis beam steering apparatus An apparatus for precisely steering a beam of light by making use of a hybrid inter optical alignment precision which occurs when a beam steering mechanism is micromachined with respect to a crystallographic orientation of a substrate.... | 10/24/2000 |
| 6125218 | Fiber optic pressure sensitive optical switch and apparatus incorporating same An optical switch operatively sensitive to a fluid pressure differential includes a house having an open end, a fiber optic input line, a fiber optic output line, and a fluid-proof diaphragm sealingly engaged with the housing. The diaphragm is formed from... | 09/26/2000 |
| 6108466 | Micro-machined optical switch with tapered ends One-by-three and two-by-two optical switches comprising optical waveguides or fibers with tapered ends that utilize electrostatically-driven actuators are disclosed. Tapering of the fiber ends allow the ends to be positioned in close proximity to one anot... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6097858 | Sensing configuration for fiber optic switch control system A fiber optical control system for use in an optical switch generally includes, in one embodiment, a fiber assembly (86), a signal separator (88), a sensor unit (90), a lens assembly (92), stationary mirror (94), targeting RED (96), moveable mirror assemb... | 08/01/2000 |
| 6091868 | Fiber optic magnetic switch A fiber optic magnetic switch device comprising a fiber optic transceiver ving a light source and a length of fiber optic cable for transmitting light to a fiber optic magnetic switch. The switch includes a magnet, a position biased shutter operably attac... | 07/18/2000 |
| 6035079 | Saturable absorber based optical inverter An optical inverter (10) that uses a saturable absorber (28) to distinguish between a logical one and a logical zero. A low power laser (18) generates an optical beam that is split into a first beam that propagates among a first beam path (24) and a secon... | 03/07/2000 |
| 6028978 | Display device having a colored layer disposed between a displacement transmitting section and an optical waveguide plate Disclosed is a display device comprising an optical waveguide plate for introducing light thereinto, and a driving section provided opposingly to the back surface of the optical waveguide plate and including a number of actuator elements arranged correspo... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5978527 | Thermal optical switches for light A thermal optical switching cell has a channel of either gas or boilable liquid that crosses an optical waveguide at a forty-five degree angle. Two or more appropriately placed heaters use the water/steam/dry states of thermal ink jet technology to quickl... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5934971 | Fiber optic deadman control An emergency control system for selectively activating and deactivating an apparatus. The system includes a fiber optic transmitter for emitting radiation and a fiber optic receiver for receiving and measuring a wavelength and an intensity of the radiatio... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5930417 | Switch apparatus A switch apparatus includes a carrier for an optical cable. The carrier supports the optical cable in a U-shaped configuration with parallel leg portions of the optical cable extending along opposite sides of the carrier. A pushbutton is supported by the ... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5923798 | Micro machined optical switch Optical switches utilizing electrostatically-driven actuators formed from micro machined plates are disclosed. Under an applied voltage, a movable plate moves toward a fixed plate or a conductive region of an underlying support. The switches further inclu... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5920665 | Mechanical optical fiber switch having enhanced alignment Enhanced alignment of a mechanical optical switch is achievable using two optical fiber structures containing corresponding arrays of optical fibers fixed to first and second substrates cleaved from a common substrate. In an exemplary embodiment, an array... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5872880 | Hybrid-optical multi-axis beam steering apparatus An apparatus for precisely steering a beam of light by making use of a hybrid inter optical alignment precision which occurs when a beam steering mechanism is micromachined with respect to a crystallographic orientation of a substrate.... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5870517 | Package including self-aligned laser diode and method of aligning a laser diode A laser diode alignment package has a substrate with capacitive alignment pads. A charge generator is configured to charge or discharge each of the capacitive alignment pad to a respective voltage in response to an instruction from a processor. A laser di... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5862275 | Display device Disclosed is a display device for displaying a picture on an optical waveguide plate in accordance with an image signal by controlling displacement movement of each of actuator elements in a direction to make contact or separation with respect to the opti... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5848206 | Device for compensating deformations of a part of an optomechanical or micromechanical system Device for compensating deformations of a part of an optomechanical or micromechanical system. This device compensates deformations, in a first direction (z), of a mobile part (26) of an apparatus, e.g. of a micromechanical and optomechanical nature, said... | 12/08/1998 |
| 5828799 | Thermal optical switches for light A thermal optical switching cell has a channel of either gas or boilable liquid that crosses an optical waveguide at a forty-five degree angle. Two or more appropriately placed heaters use the water/steam/dry states of thermal ink jet technology to quickl... | 10/27/1998 |
| 5791756 | Distributed lighting system A distributed lighting system has a light source and a set of optical conduits. Input ends of the set of optical conduits may be placed in close proximity to the light source to increase the efficiency with which light is transmitted from the light source... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5774604 | Using an asymmetric element to create a 1XN optical switch An architecture for a compact, 1×N optical switch. The switch package receives light from an input optical fiber (12b), which is directed over a well or gap at the bottom of which lies a micromechanical structure (10). If the structure is in an unaddress... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5764823 | Optical switch for isolating multiple fiber optic strands An apparatus and method for selectively blocking optical light signals provided from a plurality of input fiber optical strands with an optical switch. An input fiber termination port is provided for coupling the plurality of input fiber optical strands t... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5757994 | Three-part optical coupler The optical coupler includes first, second and third port assemblies and a deflecting element. The first port assembly receives a first optical signal, the first port assembly including a first lensing element. The second port assembly emits a predetermin... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5732168 | Thermal optical switches for light A thermal optical switching cell has a channel of either gas or boilable liquid that crosses an optical waveguide at a forty-five degree angle. Two or more appropriately placed heaters use the water/steam/dry states of thermal ink jet technology to quickl... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5727099 | Positioning system for controlling optical alignment of optical waveguides A positioning system is provided for controlling the optical alignment of optical waveguides. At least one optical waveguide is mounted to a first displaceable terminus and an opposite waveguide is mounted to a second terminus. A force can be applied to o... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5721794 | Optical switch An optical switch comprises a pair of optical interrupters 31 and 32, a shutter 41 and a switch knob 61. The optical interrupters are composed of light-emitting elements 11 and 12 and optical fibers 21 and 22. The optical fiber of each optical interrupter... | 02/24/1998 |
| 5666448 | Variable splitting optical coupler A variable splitting optical coupler includes a first port assembly, a second port assembly, a movable deflecting element assembly and a third port assembly. The first port assembly includes a first lensing element and receives a first optical signal. The... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5619600 | Near-field photon tunneling devices using liquid metal A near-field photon tunneling device consisting of a plurality of optical waveguides, such as optical fibers, arranged in juxtaposition with a variable tunnel gap through which photons from at least one of said optical fibers can be caused to tunnel, and ... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5594820 | Opto-mechanical device having optical element movable by twin flexures An opto-mechanical switch suitable for use in optical telecommunications systems comprises an input port and two output ports interconnected by an optical path, an optical element and an actuation mechanism for moving the optical element relative to the o... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5535293 | High-speed electro-optical modulator, chopper, and multiplexer/demultiplexer A high-speed optical switch having a first light port, a second light port, a focussing system, a mirror, and a motor. The focussing system focuses light from the first light port at a focal point via a first optical path, and focuses light from the secon... | 07/09/1996 |
| 5513286 | White light dimmer for fiber optic illumination sources The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dimming the white light received by an optical fiber. The apparatus is a cover having a thin edge and a flat surface for application to the optical fiber commencing at the fiber rim.... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5509093 | Temperature compensated fiber fabry-perot filters This invention relates to temperature compensated FFPs with improved means for alignment of optical fibers. The invention provides ferrule holders with shaped ferrule passageways, as components of FFP alignment fixtures, in which optical fiber ends can be... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5509096 | Receptacle and plug fiber optic connector assembly A receptacle and plug assembly for connecting a plurality of optical fibers to a single light source. The receptacle contains a plurality of individual sockets. The receptacle is generally cylindrical and the sockets are generally pie shaped and arranged ... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5422792 | Illumination device for vehicles An illumination device for a vehicle comprises at least one light generator with a light source, a plurality of light conductors receiving light from the light source, a plurality of light distributing units connected with the light conductors and operati... | 06/06/1995 |
| 5408550 | Remote fiber optic electrical switch using light pulse signals A remote switch system for controlling electrical devices, such as electrical lights, from a remote switch location using a single optical fiber or thin bundle of optical fibers to communicate the controlling signal from the remote switch to the device. T... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5384871 | Fiber optic couplings and measurement apparatus using flexible liquid filled bladder An optical coupler (20) is provided for joining first and second opposed fiber optic ends (22, 24). A flexible tubular bladder (30) has first and second opposed ends (32, 34). The first end (32) is sealingly attached to the first fiber optic end (22) and ... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5367584 | Integrated microelectromechanical polymeric photonic switching arrays A microelectromechanical photonic switching array comprises a plurality of first waveguides and a plurality of second waveguides. Insulative cladding is situated between the first and second waveguides. Each of the first waveguides is positioned with pred... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5361315 | Refractive element optical transmission switch An optical switch having a fixed-position concave reflector, a fixed array of optical waveguides facing the concave reflector, said array including n number of input waveguides for transmitting the optical signal into the switch, and m number of output wa... | 11/01/1994 |
| 5345521 | Architecture for optical switch An optical switching device with switch elements (224) similar to digital micromirror devices (DMD). The switching element (224) resides in a trench (216) between two elevated areas on the substrate (214a, 214b). Sending and receiving fibers (218a, 218b) ... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5337379 | Fiber optic coupling assembly An optical transmission device for use on an apparatus for disposing a sleeve in encircling relation on an article unit is disclosed. Signals are sent and received between two data handling devices monitoring the machine. The first data handling device is... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5324283 | Medical instrument having a switch for controlling an external device A medical instrument has a switch for controlling the operation of an external device operatively connected to the switch by way of a control section. The control section is a light transmitting section extending between a light source and a light receive... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5311410 | Distributed lighting system with fiber optic controls A vehicle lighting system includes one or more central light sources, a plurality of optical loads including headlight lenses, an optical fiber network that extends from the light sources to illuminate the headlight lenses and other optical loads, and opt... | 05/10/1994 |
