US Patent 7524105 Optical dilatometer

An optical dilatometer includes a furnace, in which a sample may be laid on a sample carrier, and an optical system for measuring a length of the sample at different temperatures, windows for the passage of beams being provided on a sample chamber of the furnace. A light source and a collimator for generating a parallel beam path are situated on one side of the furnace, the length of the sample being detectable via a silhouette image by a sensor, situated on the diametrically opposite side of the furnace from the light source, and a lens system. This allows a simple length measurement without orientation of an optical system.