1. An apparatus comprising a filling element for free-jet filling of containers with a liquid charge, said filling element comprising a filling-element housing comprising a liquid channel formed therein, a liquid valve provided upstream of a dispensing opening, and an actuator device for actuating said liquid valve for controlled discharge of said liquid charge via said dispensing opening into a container arranged with a container opening thereof spaced below said dispensing opening, wherein, in an open state thereof, said liquid valve, when completely open, forms an gap through which said liquid charge flows, said gap having a gap width of at least four millimeters, and wherein said actuating device for said liquid valve is configured to cause said liquid valve to reach said completely open state only after more than one hundred milliseconds from actuation thereof.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gap width is between eight millimeters and twenty millimeters.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gap width is between thirteen millimeters and sixteen millimeters.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said actuating device is configured to cause the time for said liquid valve to reach said completely open state to be between one hundred milliseconds and one thousand milliseconds.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said actuating device is configured to cause a time for said liquid valve to reach said open state to be between four hundred milliseconds and six hundred milliseconds.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid valve comprises a valve body comprising a valve body segment that, upon commencement of opening of said liquid valve, moves along a segment of said liquid channel, wherein said valve body segment and said liquid channel segment are configured to have a geometry such that a width of said gap formed between said valve body segment and an inner face of said liquid channel segment on first opening of said liquid valve increases as said liquid valve is opened further, and wherein said liquid valve comprises an inner cross section that expands in a direction of opening movement of said valve body.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, and wherein said valve tappet has an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, and wherein an element surrounding said valve tappet has an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bellows, wherein said valve body comprises a valve tappet, wherein said bellows surround said valve tappet, and wherein said bellows have an outer diameter that is the same as a maximum outer diameter of said valve body.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said liquid channel is designed without an element acting as a gas lock.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circulating filling machine comprising a rotor for supporting a multiplicity of filling elements, including said filling element, said rotor being configured to be driven about a vertical machine axis.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid valve comprises a valve body comprising a valve body segment that, upon commencement of opening of said liquid valve, moves along a segment of said liquid channel, wherein said valve body segment and said liquid channel segment are configured to have a geometry such that a width of said gap formed between said valve body segment and an inner face of said liquid channel segment on first opening of said liquid valve increases as said liquid valve is opened further, and wherein said valve body segment comprises an outer cross section that reduces in response to said opening movement of said valve body.
13. A method for filling a container, said method comprising free jet filling of a container with liquid charge, wherein free-jet filling comprises providing a filling-element housing comprising a liquid channel formed therein, providing a liquid valve upstream of a dispensing opening, arranging a container so that a container opening thereof is spaced below said dispensing opening, actuating said liquid valve for controlled discharge of said liquid charge via said dispensing opening into said container, wherein actuating said liquid valve comprises causing said liquid valve to transition into a completely open state during which said liquid valve forms an gap through which said liquid charge flows, said gap having a maximum width of at least four millimeters, and causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state only after a lapse of at least one hundred milliseconds from actuation.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to transition into said completely-open state comprises causing said gap to reach a maximum width of between eight millimeters and twenty millimeters.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to transition into said completely open state comprises causing said gap to attain a maximum width that is between thirteen millimeters and sixteen millimeters wide.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state only after a lapse of at least one hundred milliseconds comprises causing said liquid valve to reach said completely-open state after a lapse of between one hundred milliseconds and one thousand milliseconds.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein causing said liquid valve to be in said open state comprises causing said liquid valve to be in said open state for between four hundred milliseconds and six hundred milliseconds.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A multi-frequency interferometric imager, comprising:
a signal manipulator configured to receive a signal from a source and produce a reference signal and a sample signal;
a reference portion configured to receive the reference signal from the signal manipulator and to send the reference signal back to the signal manipulator;
a sample portion configured to receive the sample signal from the signal manipulator and to send the sample signal back to the signal manipulator, wherein the signal manipulator is further configured to combine the reference signal and the sample signal and to produce a first and a second measurement signal with a 180 degree phase difference therebetween; and
a detector portion configured to receive the first and second measurement signals.
2. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the reference portion comprises:
a first polarization controller;
a first phase modulator applicably coupled to the first polarization controller; and
a reference delay unit optically coupled to the first phase modulator.
3. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the reference portion comprises a first phase modulator optically coupled to a first polarization controller.
4. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises a first fiber coupler optically coupled to a second fiber coupler, and wherein the reference portion is configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler and output a signal to the second fiber coupler.
5. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 4, wherein the detector portion is configured to receive a signal from the second fiber coupler.
6. The multi-frequency imager of claim 6, wherein the detector portion is configured to receive a first signal and a second signal from the second fiber coupler, wherein the first signal and the second signal comprise different phases.
7. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the sample portion comprises a second polarization controller optically coupled to scanning optics, and wherein the sample portion is further configured to be optically coupled to a sample.
8. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises an optical circulator optically coupled to a first fiber coupler.
9. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 8, wherein the reference portion and the sample portion are each configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler.
10. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 9, wherein the detector portion is configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler and a signal from the second fiber coupler.
11. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 10, wherein the detector portion comprises a first detector configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler and a second detector configured to receive a signal from the optical circulator.
12. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises a first fiber coupler optically coupled to a second fiber coupler.
13. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 12, wherein the reference portion and the sample portion are optically coupled to the first fiber coupler.
14. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 13, wherein the detector portion is configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler and the second fiber coupler.
15. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 14, wherein the detector portion comprises a first detector is configured to receive a signal from the first fiber coupler and a second detector configured to receive a signal from the second fiber detector.
16. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises a first fiber coupler.
17. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 16, wherein the sample portion comprises:
a first polarization controller; and
an optical circulator optically coupled to the first polarization controller.
18. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 17, wherein the detector portion comprises a second fiber coupler, and first and second detectors configured to receive signals from the second fiber coupler.
19. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 18, wherein the reference portion and the sample portion are coupled to the second fiber coupler.
20. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises:
a polarizer; and
a non-polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to the polarizer.
21. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 20, wherein the reference portion comprises:
a n plate; and
a reference delay unit optically coupled to the n plate.
22. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 21, wherein the sample portion comprises scanning optics optically coupled to a sample.
23. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 22, wherein the detector portion comprises a polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to a first and second lenses, a first detector configured to be optically coupled to the first lens, and a second detector configured to be optically coupled to the second lens.
24. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the signal manipulator comprises a polarizing element configured to be optically coupled to a fiber coupler.
25. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 24, wherein the reference portion and the sample portion are optically coupled to the fiber coupler.
26. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 25, wherein the detector portion comprises:
first and second lenses optically coupled to a polarizing beam splitter;
a first detector coupled to the first lens; and
a second detector coupled to the second lens.
27. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the reference arm is configured to selectively alter the polarization of a signal.
28. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the reference arm is configured to selectively alter the phases of a first and second polarization of a signal.
29. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 28, wherein a first polarization of a signal forms a first signal and a second polarization of a signal forms a second signal and, wherein the first signal and the second signal have an approximately radian phase difference.
30. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 29 where the polarization of the first signal is orthogonal to the polarization of the second signal.
31. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the sample portion is configured to selectively alter the phase of a signal.
32. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 1, wherein the detector portion comprises a spectrometer and an array detector, and wherein the spectrometer and the array detector are configured to measure a power of a signal as a function of frequency
33. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 30, wherein the array detector comprises a photo-detector array.
34. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 2, wherein the reference delay unit comprises a reflector.
35. The multi-frequency interferometric imager of claim 21, wherein the reference delay unit comprises a reflector.
36. A device, comprising:
a signal manipulator configured to receive a signal from a source;
a reference portion configured to optically couple the signal manipulator to a reference delay unit;
a sample portion configured to optically couple the signal manipulator to a sample; and
a detector portion configured to receive a signal from the signal manipulator, wherein the signal can be used to measure a distance to the sample without scanning.
37. The device of claim 36, wherein the reference delay unit comprises a reflector.
38. A method, comprising:
receiving a first spectra and a second spectra having a 180 degree phase difference therebetween from a signal manipulator;
determining a difference between the first and second spectra; and
inverse Fourier transforming the difference between the first and second spectra.
39. The method of claim 38, further comprising adjusting a portion of the first and second spectra to reduce reflections therein for z<0.
40. A method, comprising:
receiving a first spectra and a second spectra having a 180 degree phase difference therebetween from a signal manipulator;
determining a first difference spectra between the first and second spectra;
receiving a third and fourth spectra having a 180 degree phase difference therebetween from a signal manipulator, wherein the first and second spectra are orthogonal to the third and fourth spectra, respectively;
determining a second difference spectra between the third and fourth spectra;
complex Fourier transforming the first and second difference spectra to produce a complex Fourier transform, wherein the first difference spectra comprises the real part of the complex Fourier transform and the second difference spectra comprises the imaginary part of the complex Fourier transform; and
inverse Fourier transforming the complex Fourier transform.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first spectra has a 0 degree phase shift relative to a reference spectra.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the phase difference between the first spectra and the third spectra is approximately 90 degrees.
43. A method, comprising:
creating a first and a second spectra;
shifting the phase of the first and second spectra relative to one another with a retarder until the first and second spectra have a 180 degree phase difference;
determining a difference spectra between the first and second spectra; and
inverse Fourier transforming the difference spectra.
44. The method of claim 43, further comprising adjusting a portion of the first and second spectra to reduce reflections therein for z<0.
45. The method of claim 43, wherein the retarder is a 4 waveplate.
46. The method of claim 43, wherein the first spectra has a 0 degree phase shift relative to a reference spectra.
47. A method, comprising:
receiving a first spectra and a second spectra having a 0 degree phase difference therebetween from a signal manipulator;
determining a first difference spectra between the first and second spectra;
receiving a third and fourth spectra having a 90 degree phase difference therebetween from a signal manipulator, wherein the first and second spectra are orthogonal to the third and fourth spectra, respectively;
determining a second difference spectra between the third and fourth spectra;
complex Fourier transforming the first and second difference spectra to produce a complex Fourier transform, wherein the first difference spectra comprises the real part of the complex Fourier transform and the second difference spectra comprises the imaginary part of the complex Fourier transform; and
inverse Fourier transforming the complex Fourier transform.
48. A method, comprising:
creating a first, second, third and fourth spectra, wherein there is a 90 degree phase shift between the first, second, third and fourth spectra, respectively, a 180 degree phase shift between the first and third spectra, and a 180 degree phase shift the second and fourth spectra;
determining a first difference spectra between the first and third spectra;
determining a second difference spectra between the second and fourth spectra;
complex Fourier transforming the first and second difference spectra to produce a complex Fourier transform, wherein the first difference spectra comprises the real part of the complex Fourier transform and the second difference spectra comprises the imaginary part of the complex Fourier transform; and
inverse Fourier transforming the complex Fourier transform.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein the first spectra comprises a first polarization, the second spectra comprises a second polarization, the third spectra comprises a third polarization, and the fourth spectra comprises a fourth polarization.