IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,828,994
Granted Patent B2
US 11,828,994 · App. 17/591,762 · Granted Nov 28, 2023

Coupling device for light guides

Inventor: Eugen Möhlinger (Friesenheim, DE)
Assignee: Schölly Fiberoptic GmbH
G02B6/4296G02B6/4292G02B23/2469G02B23/2476A61B1/00126A61B1/07G02B2006/4297
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,828,994
App. No.
17/591,762
Granted
Nov 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A coupling device ( 9 ) for light guides ( 8 ), including a light entrance ( 11 ) and a light-guide space ( 12 ) aligned at the light entrance ( 11 ), and including a clamping device with a first roller pair ( 20 ) with two opposing rollers ( 21; 32 ), between which an inserted light guide ( 8 ) can be clamped. The coupling device ( 9 ) has a second roller pair ( 26 ) with two opposing rollers ( 21 ), and the second roller pair ( 26 ) is arranged closer to the light entrance ( 11 ) than the first roller pair ( 20 ).

Claims (21)

1. A coupling device ( 9 ) for light guides ( 8 ), comprising:

a light entrance ( 11 );

a light-guide space ( 12 ) aligned at the light entrance ( 11 );

a clamping device with a first roller pair ( 20 ) with two opposing rollers ( 21 ; 32 ), between which an inserted one of the light guides ( 8 ) is adapted to be clamped;

a second roller pair ( 26 ) with two opposing rollers ( 21 ), the second roller pair ( 26 ) being arranged closer to the light entrance ( 11 ) than the first roller pair ( 20 ), and

the rollers ( 21 ) of at least one of the first or second roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) are mounted eccentrically with a slope of less than 7°.

2. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein spindles ( 23 ) of the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) of the first roller pair ( 20 ) and spindles ( 23 ) of the rollers ( 21 ) of the second roller pair ( 26 ) form an angle relative to one another.

3. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) of the first and second roller pairs ( 20 ) have a rotationally symmetric form.

4. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) each have a for a light guide ( 8 ).

5. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rollers ( 32 ) of one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) are movable toward one another.

6. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling device ( 9 ) has a guide ( 24 ) which moves the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) of at least one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) away from the light guide ( 8 ).

7. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the guide ( 24 ) is a slotted guide.

8. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the guide ( 24 ) has a holding position and is impinged by a spring ( 31 ) which moves the guide ( 24 ) from the holding position to an open position.

9. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the guide ( 24 ) is axially movable, and an axial movement of the guide ( 24 ) brings about a radial movement of the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) of at least one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ).

10. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a rotary actuator ( 30 ) and a converter, a rotational movement of the rotary actuator ( 30 ) being converted into an axial movement of the guide ( 24 ) by the converter.

11. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rollers ( 21 ) of at least one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) are self-locking.

12. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rollers ( 21 ) of at least one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) have coupled rotational movement.

13. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rollers ( 21 ; 32 ) of at least one of the roller pairs ( 20 , 26 ) are braced against one another by a spring ( 22 ).

14. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a deactivation device ( 19 ) which prevents an entry of light into the light-guide space ( 12 ) when no light guide ( 8 ) has been inserted.

15. The coupling device ( 9 ) as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the deactivation device electrically deactivates a light source ( 3 ).

16. The coupling device of claim 1 , wherein a light guiding path of the light guides is interruptible via the light entrance ( 11 ) being closeable in light-tight fashion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2022
From: MOHLINGER, EUGEN
To: SCHOLLY FIBEROPTIC GMBH
Reel/Frame 058988/0366 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102021102887.6 · Feb 8, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220252804A1 · Aug 11, 2022