I claim:
1. A dusk collection system for collecting production dust from a source machine that generates such dust in a production operation, said source machine having a blower means for picking up said dust and exhausting the dust entrained in a stream of air to an exhaust outlet on the source machine; comprising
a cyclone separator mounted on said source machine, said cyclone separator including a circular upper inlet portion, an inner tubular baffle coaxial with the upper inlet portion and having open ends, the upper inlet portion and inner baffle defining between them an annular inlet space, a frustoconic portion beneath the upper inlet portion and having a wide end joined to the upper inlet portion and a narrow lower end, a dust outlet duct at said narrow lower end, an inlet duct extending from outside the upper inlet portion into said annular inlet space;
air cleaning means above upper inlet portion for cleaning air that passes out through said inner cylinder and permitting the air to return into ambient air in the vicinity of said source machine;
a first conduit coupled between the exhaust outlet on the source machine and the inlet duct of the cyclone separator; and
an elongated flexible duct coupled from said dust outlet duct to a dust collection station positioned remote from said source machine, for conveying a minor flow of air plus dust entrained therein to the dust collection station.
2. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said air cleaning means includes a replaceable air filter removably positioned above said outer cylinder.
3. A dust collection system according to claim 2 wherein said air filter is in the form of a cylinder mounted coaxially with said cyclone separator.
4. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said inlet duct penetrates to a region of said annular inlet space that is midway between said upper inlet portion and said inner tubular baffle.
5. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said first conduit is a rigid hollow member forming means for supporting said cyclone separator on said source machine.
6. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said inlet portion and said tubular baffle are in the form of coaxial cylinders.
7. A dust collection system according to claim 3 further comprising a threaded post extending upward at an axis of said tubular baffle and above said cyclone separator, and female threaded means for holding said filter in place on said threaded post.
8. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said dust collection station includes a second cyclone separator having an inlet port to which said elongated flexible duct is connected, a dust collection drum positioned below a lower end of said second cyclone separator for receiving the dust carried to it through said elongated flexible duct, an pump for drawing air through said second cyclone separator, and an air filter interposed between an outlet baffle of said second cyclone separator and said air pump.
9. A dust collection system according to claim 1 wherein said elongated flexible conduit is a hose of about inch to one inch in diameter.
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 fiber, comprising:
a core and a cladding;
an entrance face that is optically coupleable with a device for transmitting a light beam through said optical fiber, said entrance face being configured such that said core protrudes from said cladding, an end face of said core being parallel with an end face of said cladding,
wherein said entrance face is provided with a structure that diffracts a light beam reflected by said entrance face.
2. The optical fiber according to claim 1,
wherein said core protrudes from said cladding by a length less than \u03bb(4n), where \u03bb0 represents the wavelength of the light reflected by said entrance face, and n represents the refractive index of a medium transmitting the light.
3. The optical fiber according to claim 2,
wherein said core protrudes from said cladding by a length equal to \u03bb8n.
4. An optical fiber, comprising:
a core and a cladding;
an entrance face that is optically coupleable with a device for transmitting a light beam through said optical fiber, said entrance face being recessed at said core with an end face of said core being parallel with an end face of said cladding,
wherein said entrance face is provided with a structure that diffracts a light beam reflected by said entrance face.
5. An optical fiber, comprising,
an entrance face that is optically coupleable with a device for transmitting a light beam through said optical fiber,
wherein said entrance face is provided with a step having a height less than \u03bb4n, where \u03bb represents the wavelength of the light beam reflected by said entrance face, and n represents a refractive index of a medium transmitting the light.
6. The optical fiber according to claim 4, wherein said core protrudes from said cladding by a length less than \u03bb(4n), where \u03bb represents the wavelength of the light reflected by said entrance face, and n represents the refractive index of a medium transmitting the light.
7. The optical fiber according to claim 6, wherein said core protrudes from said cladding by a length equal to \u03bb8n.
8. The optical fiber according to claim 1, wherein said cladding is at least partially covered with a coating that enhances the reflectivity of said entrance face.
9. The optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein said coating is formed substantially over a whole area of said cladding.
10. The optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein said coating is selectively formed on an area of said cladding defined in a vicinity of said core.
11. The optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein said coating is made of metal.
12. The optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein said coating has a mirror surface.
13. The optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein said entrance face is perpendicular to an optical axis of said optical fiber.
14. The optical fiber according to claim 4, wherein said cladding is at least partially covered with a coating that enhances the reflectivity of said entrance face.
15. The optical fiber according to claim 14, wherein said coating is formed substantially over a whole area of said cladding.
16. The optical fiber according to claim 14, wherein said coating is selectively formed on an area of said cladding defined in a vicinity of said core.
17. The optical fiber according to claim 14, wherein said coating is made of metal.
18. The optical fiber according to claim 14, wherein said coating has a mirror surface.
19. The optical fiber according to claim 14, wherein said entrance face is perpendicular to an optical axis of said optical fiber.