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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5410917 | Optical force sensor for high density planar electrical interconnects The present invention is a method and an apparatus for the precise quantitative measurement of the magnitude of force exerted at the points of contact on a high density electrical interconnect that quantitatively determines the magnitude of the force. The... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5408305 | Method and apparatus for analyzing nodal interference patterns vibrationally induced in semi-monocoque structure Methods and apparatus for automatically analyzing anti-nodal patterns formed in the outer skin of a semi-monocoque structure when it is excited to vibrate at a resonant frequency at which out-of-plane displacement is optimized. The described principles of... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5402508 | Fiber optic probe having fibers with endfaces formed for improved coupling efficiency and method using same A fiber optic probe for detecting scattered light, with transmitting and receiving fibers having slanted ends and bundled together to form a bevel within the tip of the probe. The probe comprises a housing with a transparent window across its tip for prot... | 03/28/1995 |
| 5399854 | Embedded optical sensor capable of strain and temperature measurement using a single diffraction grating An embedded optical sensor has a plurality of layers 10-20 and an optical fiber 21 with a fiber grating 28, disposed between the layers 14,16. The layers 10-20 comprise filaments 22 and resin 24 which have different thermal expansion coefficients and the ... | 03/21/1995 |
| 5396805 | Force sensor and sensing method using crystal rods and light signals A force sensor and a force sensing method use crystal rods as both force responsive elements and light transmission media in combination with light input circuitry and processing circuitry to sense an applied force, such as oil or gas well pressure or flu... | 03/14/1995 |
| 5394752 | Method for determing shear direction using liquid crystal coatings A method is provided for determining shear direction wherein a beam of white light is directed onto the surface of a liquid crystal coating to cause the white light to be dispersed (reflected) from the surface in a spectrum having bands of different color... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5383368 | Deflection sensor for robot links A robot link deflection gauge providing precise measurement of the deformation of a robot link due to load and acceleration forces. The robot link deflection gauge of the present invention includes at least one light source, a plurality of lenses and corr... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5381492 | Fiber optic vibration sensor A fiber optic vibration sensor utilizes two single mode optical fibers supported by a housing with one optical fiber fixedly secured to the housing and providing a reference signal and the other optical fiber having a free span length subject to vibration... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5381005 | Optical fiber stress detector using amplitude modulation An optical fiber stress detector in which the light beam transmitted in the optical fiber which has to detect stresses is modulated in amplitude by a microwave alternating signal. The signal coming from the fiber is demodulated and then transmitted to a d... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5374821 | Elastomeric optical fiber sensors and method for detecting and measuring events occurring in elastic materials Fiber optic sensing means for the detection and measurement of events such as dynamic loadings imposed upon elastic materials including cementitious materials, elastomers, and animal body components and/or the attrition of such elastic materials are provi... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5372044 | Optical sensor, especially pressure sensor, and corresponding optical measurement process The optical sensor includes a support (2), an optical fiber (15) and two elements (9, 10) mounted on the support (2) in such a manner as to move as a function of the variations of a quantity to be measured, such as pressure. The attenuation of an optical ... | 12/13/1994 |
| 5365059 | Parallel beam force measurement apparatus having an optical light sensor means Presented is a strain measurement transducer incorporating a load-beam subject to deflection when a load is applied, and a non-load-bearing beam mounted on the load beam in a manner to preclude displacement of the non-load-bearing beam when the load beam ... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5361638 | Arrangement for measuring mechanical properties of a foil material through use of an excitation unit that includes a laser An arrangement for measuring mechanical properties of foil material (10), preferably paper. The arrangement includes a material excitation unit (12) and a material sensing detection unit (14). The two units are connected electrically to a common arithmeti... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5357813 | Pressure sensor A pressure actuated sensor device (20) has an upper plate (21) functionally cooperating with an optical fiber (26) so that when pressure is applied onto the upper plate (21) light transmitted through the optical fiber is attenuated. The optical fiber (26)... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5338928 | System and method for controlling deformation of a structure having a phase shift detector Vibrations within ceramic matrix and metal matrix composite materials are controlled by applying an excitation voltage to an array of piezoelectric actuators mounted to the surface of such materials. The actuators are driven in response to the phase shift... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5330136 | Railway coded track circuit apparatus and method utilizing fiber optic sensing A railway track circuit system utilizing an optical sensor which emits a vehicle detection light signal when a railway vehicle is present in a track section. A reference light signal is also generated by a light emission source. A detector in optical comm... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5327216 | Apparatus for remote seismic sensing of array signals using side-by-side retroreflectors A remote seismic sensing system is provided which operates as a bipolarized, differential mode, LDI (laser differential interferometry) system to detect electrical signals produced at a remote location. In preferred embodiments, the system is used in seis... | 07/05/1994 |
| 5317383 | Array retroreflector apparatus for remote seismic sensing A remote sensing system is provided which operates as a bipolarized, differential mode, LDI (laser differential interferometry) system to detect an electrical signal produced at a remote location. The system is adapted to reduce the effects of turbulence ... | 05/31/1994 |
| 5309772 | Self-exciting optical strain gage A self-exciting optical strain sensor (20) includes dual parallel bridges (22,24) having parallel facing surfaces (32,34). Light energy (38) entering a Fabry-Perot cavity (36) formed by this surfaces (32,34) induces a periodic buildup and release of energ... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5309767 | Pressure sensor using liquid crystals A pressure sensor includes a liquid crystal positioned between transparent, electrically conductive films (18 and 20), that are biased by a voltage (V) which induces an electric field (E) that causes the liquid crystal to assume a first state of orientati... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5308973 | Method and device for the measurement of force by a fiber optics system by evaluating phase shift of light waves A method and the device for fiber-optic measurement of the absolute value of the pretensioning in a highly loaded mechanical structural component part are based on the measurement of the phase displacement of a light wave caused by the strain-induced bire... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5298964 | Optical stress sensing system with directional measurement capabilities A stress sensor having directional measurement capabilities based on the photoelastic effect in isotropic photoelastic materials. Directional measurement capability is achieved in the sensor by the incorporation of three different optical axes passing thr... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5265475 | Fiber optic joint sensor The invention is a failure detecting system including fiber optic cables of different lengths disposed in the vicinity of a secured region between two or more adherends, and an electro-optical analysis circuit for analyzing signals detected by the fiber o... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5257089 | Optical head for shearography An optical head for a shearography system includes any standard TV camera lens 56, such as a wide-angle lens, which views a region of a test object 50 that is illuminated by coherent light 52. The lens 56 creates an image at an image plane where a field l... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5257088 | Apparatus and method for nondestructive inspection of a vehicle This invention tests a vehicle, such as an aircraft, using nondestructive interferometry. An interferometer detects movements in the vehicle surface due to stress. One applies such stress by pressurizing the vehicle. In one embodiment, a hood housing the ... | 10/26/1993 |
| 5250802 | Fiber optic stress sensor for structural joints A system for monitoring strain in structural joints has one or more optical ibers embedded in the joint between the structural members. The joint may be fastened using fasteners such as rivets or bonded using an adhesive. Strain on the joined members is tr... | 10/05/1993 |
| 5245180 | Metal coated fiber optic damage detection sensors with system Optical fiber sensor coated with linear work hardening elastic-plastic materials is provided that are used for a non-destructive optical damage detection sensor. The detection coating's intrinsic and extrinsic properties are critical on the sensor's conti... | 09/14/1993 |
| 5222165 | Optical fiber elastomeric switch device An optical switch device, comprising enclosed switch chamber, preferably in the form of a cylinder, in which an elastomeric rubber optical cable is positioned and formed into a loop. The cable, preferably comprising an optical wave transmitting core and a... | 06/22/1993 |
| 5199304 | Apparatus for optically measuring specimen deformation during material testing A technique for in a thermo-dynamic material testing system for optically measuring changes in specimen size that occur during material testing. Specifically, a pair of jaws, one movable and one fixed, engage opposite ends of the test specimen and are con... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5187983 | Fiber-optic strain gauge manometer A fiber-optic strain gauge manometer and a method thereof are for measuring pressure of a fluid, to be respectively connected to a light source and a measurement apparatus. The manometer comprises: a cylindrical hollow body, acting as a pressure transduce... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5182449 | System and method for structural monitoring using optical imaging of fiber sensors A sensor system for a structure includes at least one laser diode or LED light source coupled to a bundle of optical fibers, optical sensors integral with the structure and coupled to optical fibers wherein the sensors are adapted for modulating the inten... | 01/26/1993 |
| 5164587 | Polarimetric parameter measurement systems and methods for measuring a plurality of parameters A systems for measuring the value of a plurality of parameters includes an optical fiber having a core that conducts coherent light along two orthogonal polarization axes at different velocities, e.g., an elliptical core, a light source for launching line... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5148017 | Apparatus for detecting changes of length in a medium employing different fiber length Apparatus for detecting changes of a medium along a measuring path in the medium, comprising several lightwave conductors arranged on a carrier, conveniently in a sleeve. Reflective ends of the light wave conductors are fixed at different distances along ... | 09/15/1992 |
| 5132529 | Fiber-optic strain gauge with attached ends and unattached microbend section A strain gauge is made of an optical fiber into which quasi-sinusoidal microbends have been permanently introduced. The permanent microbends cause a reduction in the fiber's optical transmission, but, when the gauge is attached to a substrate that is subs... | 07/21/1992 |
| 5126558 | Joint position detector with fiber optical microbend loop An apparatus for precisely controlling the movement and position of objects. The apparatus includes at least one moveable arm and a system for optically measuring the movement of the arm. The optical measurement system includes an optical fiber loop capab... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5065331 | Apparatus and method for determining the stress and strain in pipes, pressure vessels, structural members and other deformable bodies An apparatus and method of measuring and analyzing the deformation of deformable bodies which includes a source of an electromagnetic or accoustical signal emitted from a deformable body which can be received and analyzed so that the signal can be analyze... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5064270 | Optical fiber sensor The disclosed optical fiber sensor uses the effect of variation in the birefringence in a birefringent optical fiber as a function of the stresses and of the temperature. It has a linearly polarized, wide-spectrum source coupled to a polarizing-preserving... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5048969 | Piezoelectric measurement of laser power A method for measuring the energy of individual laser pulses or a series of laser pulses by reading the output of a piezoelectric (PZ) transducer which has received a known fraction of the total laser pulse beam. An apparatus is disclosed that reduces the... | 09/17/1991 |
| 5044205 | Method for monitoring deformations with light waveguides A method for the monitoring of deformation of components with light waveguides which are connected securely to the component at least over part of the length of the latter and are connected to a measuring apparatus with which the transmitting capacity of ... | 09/03/1991 |
| 5040154 | Method of monitoring the state of extended shell The method of monitoring the state of an extended line is based on using an extended line (4) of transmission of wave energy as a distributed responsive element and a channel for transmission of data on varying geometry of the surface of an extended shell... | 08/13/1991 |
