Patent ID: 6907161

Claim:
A fiber optic rotary joint, comprising: a stator and a concentric rotor relatively rotatable with respect to one other through a full 360° revolution; an arcuate waveguide disposed on one of said rotor or stator, said waveguide having an arcuate length of less than 360° and having a flat reflecting surface disposed along an arcuate wall inside said waveguide; a single light receiver operatively associated with said waveguide; wherein said reflecting surface is so configured and arranged that light entering said waveguide will be directly reflected off said reflecting surface on to said light receiver; a plurality of light transmitters positioned on the other of said stator or rotor, each of said light transmitters being adapted to emit an optical signal and being of such a number and of such circumferential spacing that at least one transmitter will always be operatively arranged to transmit said optical signal into said waveguide; means for substantially simultaneously emitting an optical signal from each of said plurality of light transmitters; and means to focus said reflected optical signal on said light receiver.