1. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller, comprising:
a bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner surface of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
2. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, further including a tubular roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert.
3. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, further including:
a hollow tubular conveyor roller, the bearing housing being removably disposed within the conveyor roller;
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller, the axle passing through the bearing housing and the bearing cap; and
bearing housing retention means permanently disposed within the conveyor roller for retaining the bearing housing.
4. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 3 wherein the conveyor roller is internally threaded, the bearing housing being removably threaded directly into the conveyor roller.
5. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1 wherein the bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
6. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 5, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
7. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 1, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.
8. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller, comprising:
a bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a tubular roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert; and
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface.
9. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, further including:
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner surface of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
10. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, further including:
a hollow, tubular conveyor roller, the roller insert being permanently affixed within the conveyor roller, the bearing housing and bearing being removably disposed within the roller insert; and
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller, the axle passing through the inner surface of the bearing.
11. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8 wherein the bearing holder sleeve has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
12. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 11, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
13. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller according to claim 8, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.
14. A replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and a conveyor roller, comprising in combination:
a hollow, tubular conveyor roller;
an axle disposed concentrically within the conveyor roller;
a bearing housing removably disposed within the conveyor roller and about the axle, the bearing housing having an internal bearing seat and an outer retaining flange, the bearing seat having a bearing cap passage disposed therethrough and an elongate, externally threaded bearing holder sleeve extending therefrom;
a bearing installed within the bearing housing adjacent the bearing seat thereof, the bearing having an inner surface and an outer surface; and
bearing housing retention means permanently disposed within the conveyor roller for retaining the bearing housing.
15. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14, further including:
a bearing cap having a hollow stem, the stem being removably installed through the bearing cap passage of the bearing seat and through the inner race of the bearing; and
a bearing retainer disposed upon the stem of the bearing cap, the bearing retainer capturing the bearing upon the stem of the bearing cap between the bearing seat of the bearing housing and the bearing retainer, and retaining the stem of the bearing cap and the bearing installed thereon within the bearing housing.
16. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 further including a tubular roller insert permanently disposed within the conveyor roller, the roller insert having an internally threaded portion, the externally threaded bearing holder sleeve of the bearing housing being removably threaded into the internally threaded roller insert.
17. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 wherein the conveyor roller is internally threaded, the bearing housing being removably threaded directly into the conveyor roller.
18. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14 wherein the bearing holder sleeve has an unthreaded portion adjacent the bearing seat, the bearing being seated within the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve.
19. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 18, wherein the unthreaded portion of the bearing holder sleeve has a smaller diameter than the threaded portion thereof.
20. The replaceable bearing for a conveyor roller and conveyor roller combination according to claim 14, wherein the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing has an outer face having a plurality of circumferentially disposed notches therein, the bearing further comprising a bearing housing installation and removal tool, the tool having a bearing housing engagement face having a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the teeth being adapted to engage the notches of the outer retaining flange of the bearing housing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes.
2. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first detection diodes are connected in parallel to be jointly read out by a first evaluation circuit.
3. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of second detection diodes are connected in parallel.
4. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
an evaluation circuit for determining an actual position of the light beam from the intensity, detected in the detection window, of the light beam at the second detection diodes.
5. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first detection diodes has an area structured in a comb-like manner, with a first kind of doping, and a trough with a second kind of doping, wherein the area structured in a comb-like manner is embedded.
6. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the area structured in a comb-like manner has an n+-doped area, and the trough is p\u2212-doped.
7. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second detection diodes have an n\u2212-doped area formed in the same trough.
8. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, wherein the two arrays are arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes, and wherein the n\u2212-doped area of each second diode is formed in a cross shape with four arms, each of which projects into an area between two adjacent first detection diodes to separate them in terms of diffusion current.
9. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first readout circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier.
10. The optical detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second readout circuit comprises:
a connector for serially connecting every second detection diode to a supply voltage to charge a diode junction capacitance of the second detection diode so that a voltage across the second detection diode corresponds to the supply voltage, and for subsequently separating the second detection diode from the supply voltage, and for serially outputting the voltage applied across every second detection diode once an integration period has expired after the separation from the supply voltage.
11. An optical scanning device for reading out a track of an optical plate by detecting the light beam reflected from a track and modeled in accordance with data stored on the track, comprising
an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes; and
a controller for outputting control signals for tracking andor focus control depending on the detected intensity of the light beam at the second detection diodes.
12. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller further comprises:
a determinator for determining a deviation of an actual position of the light beam in the detection window from a target position in the detection window from the detected intensity of the light beam at the second detection diodes; and
a calculator for calculating a control signal for tracking andor focus control from the deviation, such that the deviation is reduced.
13. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the deviation determined is established in two dimensions.
14. The optical scanning device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller comprises:
a determinator for determining an extent of a simultaneous readout of two adjacent tracks from the detected intensity of the light beam at a part of the first detection diodes; and
a determinator for determining a control signal for setting the threshold value for digitalizing the data detected from the extent determined, such this bit errors in the digitalization are reduced.
15. An optical storage device, comprising
an optical plate having an optical track which has data stored thereon;
a light-beam generator for generating the light beam;
an optical scanning device for reading out a track of an optical plate by detecting the light beam reflected from a track and modeled in accordance with data stored on the track, comprising
an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, comprising
an array having a plurality of first detection diodes in the detection window;
an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window;
a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diodes, for reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed lower than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes; and
a controller for outputting control signals for tracking andor focus control depending on the detected intensity of the light beam and the second detection diodes;
optics for focusing the light beam onto the track and for directing a light beam which has been reflected from the track to the detection window of the optical detection device;
a carrier for carrying the first and second detection diodes of the optical detection device, the light-beam generator and the optics; and
a servo for setting a distance between the carrier and the track, and a lateral position of the carrier in relation to the track, depending on the control signal for tracking and focus control from the optical scanning device.
16. A method of operating an optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam, the optical detection device having an array having a plurality of first detection diodes and an array having a plurality of second detection diodes in the detection window, wherein the array of first detection diodes is an n\xd7n array, and the array of second detection diodes is an (n+1)\xd7(n+1) array, both arrays being arranged such that the first detection diodes are arranged in the gaps of the array of second detection diodes, the method comprising:
reading out the first detection diodes at a first readout speed to yield the data; and
reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed, smaller than the first readout speed, to determine the intensity of the light beam.