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EP0460635A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical phase modulator

Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1991-06-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-06-05
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Abstract

Abstract An optical phase modulator (10) for use with a fiber optic sensor such as a fiber optic gyroscope includes a piezoelectric vibrator (11) which is asymmetric in at least one cross-sectional shape thereof, a pair of electrodes (14,15) for applying a voltage to said piezoelectric vibrator (11), and an optical fiber (13) joined to at least a portion of said piezoelectric vibrator (11) by adhesive bonding. The piezoelectric vibrator (11) has a cavity (12) defined therein, and one of said electrodes (14) is disposed on a surface of said piezoelectric vibrator which defines said axial cavity (12), the other electrode (15) being disposed on an outer surface of said piezoelectric vibrator (11). The piezoelectric vibrator may be cylindrical, elliptically cylindrical, or planar in shape. The cavity (12) may be cylindrical or elliptically cylindrical in shape.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yoshinori Takeuchi
  • 👤 Yuko Takei
  • 👤 Hidehiko Negishi
  • 👤 Ken Idota

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 14:21
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/58; G01C19/64; G01C19/72; G01C19/721; G01C19/722; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/0128; G02F1/0131; G02F1/0134

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 52 words
An optical phase modulator comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator which is asymmetric in at least one cross-sectional shape thereof; a pair of electrodes for applying a voltage to said piezoelectric vibrator, said electrodes being attached to said piezoelectric vibrator; and an optical fiber joined to at least a portion of said piezoelectric vibrator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 48 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator has a cavity defined therein, one of said electrodes being disposed on a surface of said piezoelectric vibrator which defines said axial cavity, the other electrode being disposed on an outer surface of said piezoelectric vibrator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 2, wherein said optical fiber is wound around said other electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 22 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 2, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator is cylindrical in shape, said cavity being defined axially therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 4, wherein said cavity is cylindrical in shape.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 4, wherein said cavity is elliptically cylindrical in shape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 5, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator has a slanted end lying obliquely to the axis thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 2, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator is elliptically cylindrical in shape, said cavity being defined axially therein.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 8, wherein said cavity is cylindrical in shape.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 8, wherein said cavity is elliptically cylindrical in shape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 10, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator has a recess defined in a corner thereof remotely from said cavity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 23 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 2, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator is triangularly prismatic in shape, said cavity being defined axially therein.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 16 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 12, wherein said cavity is frustoconically cylindrical in shape.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 50 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 5, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator has a plurality of cylindrical sections having different diameters and axially superimposed in eccentric relationship, said other electrode having a plurality of cylindrical sections held respectively against outer circumferential surfaces of said cylindrical sections of said piezoelectric vibrator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator comprises a piezoelectric vibratory plate, said electrodes being disposed on respective opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric vibratory plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 21 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 15, wherein said optical fiber is bonded to one of said electrodes by adhesive.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 34 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric vibrator comprises a plurality of piezoelectric vibratory plates, said electrodes being disposed on respective opposite surfaces of each of said piezoelectric vibratory plates.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical phase modulator according to claim 17, wherein said optical fiber is bonded to one of said electrodes on each of said piezoelectric vibratory plates by adhesive.

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