Optics: measuring and testing – By alignment in lateral direction
Patent
1993-05-17
1995-06-06
Evans, F. L.
Optics: measuring and testing
By alignment in lateral direction
385 52, G01B 1100, G02B 636
Patent
active
054227259
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a device for lash free positioning of especially components used in optical and optoelectronical equipments relatively to a fixed reference unit using at least two interconnected elastic blocks, each consisting of two base elements placed at a distance from each other and interconnected by elastic elements constituting a cantilevered system as related to one of the base elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A modern development of optics is optronics (also termed optoelectronics). Areas of applications of optronics are e.g. optical fiber communications, gauges for measurements of dimensions and for indications of positions, sensors for special analysis and for analysis of scattering etc. The optical equipment is comprised by optical, mechanical and electronic building elements.
It is desirable in optronic equipment to integrate the building elements into a stable and miniaturized unit. Especially in a development phase it is also preferred to have some of the elements easily replaceable. A requirement set for many of the elements is also that they should be adjustable as regards position and attitude, so that the optical beam path strived for in the equipment can be attained. The beam cross section, in e.g. semiconductor lasers and single mode fibres that are used in optical communications, have a diameter of the order of magnitude of micrometers. It is therefore in aligning such equipment necessary to be able to make adjustments with an accuracy and precision corresponding to a micrometer or submicrometer change in position. It is also important that components, which have been positioned, keep their position and attitude for a very long period of time, also in a mechanically adverse surrounding environment. It is common in a development phase that the optronical components are mounted on mechanical units obtained from a standardized building set of optical benches, sleds, holders, translational and rotational devices etc. It is unavoidable that such construction becomes bulky unstable and sensitive to vibrations. This is true even if the individual elements themselves are capable of e.g. a translation with a sufficient precision. Several designs of spring blocks of the type referred to are known, e.g. through an article in Journal of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 33, January 1956 titled "Some parasitic deflexions in parallell spring movements". This type of device has, however, only found a limited use.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,858 refers to a positioning apparatus for optical fibres, which is intended to make two fibre ends, or one fibre end and a laser beam, parallel in relation to each other. The apparatus consists of 3 circular plates, provided at a distance from each other and connected to each other by "shoulders" integrated in the plates, that is by segment formed portions of material. In the plates central apertures are provided for mounting of e.g. a fibre end in the movable upper plate and to permit free optical beam path to e.g. a laser, which is mounted in the fixed part of the apparatus.
By means of screws, which apply forces on the plates crosswise these, that is in the axis direction of the apparatus, the upper movable plate can be forced to form a first angle with the central plate, and this, in the same way with further screws, which act in the axis direction, can be forced to form a second angle with the bottom plate. In these turning movements, which occur about the chords of the segments, both the movable plates will be tilted and therewith the part--e.g. the fibre end--which is to be adjusted.
This apparatus known can be used when two directions shall be brought to correspond and where it is of no importance if the movable component, which is to be adjusted, in addition to the desired turning also performs an inevitable, that is coupled, translation in the axis direction. This apparatus known thus cannot be used for positioning of an optical component, where it is required that the movable component during the adjustment maintains its angular positio
REFERENCES:
patent: 3764934 (1973-10-01), Schamberger
patent: 4884015 (1989-11-01), Sugimoto et al.
patent: 4930858 (1990-06-01), Veenendaal
Evans F. L.
Radians Innova AB
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