Optical: systems and elements – Light control by opaque element or medium movable in or... – With rotating or pivoting element
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-01
2004-06-29
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Light control by opaque element or medium movable in or...
With rotating or pivoting element
C385S140000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757090
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to a transmission mechanism and, more particularly to a transmission mechanism capable of changing an angle of an optical element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a variable optical attenuator (VOA) or a tunable filter, a transmission mechanism is often used to adjust the inclined angle of an optical element such as a flat glass or a filter so as to obtain different refracting offsets or wavelengths.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional transmission mechanism
2
includes a lead screw
203
, a moving member
204
and an arm
205
. The lead screw
203
is driven by a stepping motor
201
so that the lead screw
203
moves by way of its threads. As shown in
FIG. 2
, since the moving member
204
is telescoped onto the lead screw
203
, the moving member
204
also moves on the base
202
when the stepping motor
201
drives the lead screw
203
to move. In addition, a roller
214
is provided at one end of the moving member
204
, a slot
215
is formed in the arm
205
, and the roller
214
can slide back and forth along the slot
215
. Therefore, when the moving member
204
moves, the roller
214
at one end of the moving member
204
slides along the slot
215
so as to rotate the arm
205
. Accordingly, the filter
3
connecting to one end of the arm
205
also rotates. When the filter
3
rotates to a specified angle, the light having a different central wavelength output from the collimators
4
can be filtered due to the angle variation of the filter
3
.
If the arm is made longer, the angle variation of the optical element such as a filter becomes smaller. That is, it is possible to finely adjust the transmission mechanism so as to improve the resolution thereof. However, when the arm is made longer, the volume of the transmission mechanism is also greater. In this case, such optical products cannot meet the requirement of light, thin, short and small tendency.
Although the pitch of the lead screw can be decreased to shorten the moving distance of the moving member and reduce the angle variation of the optical element, this way will greatly increase the manufacturing difficulty and the manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, it is an important subject of the invention to increase the resolution of the transmission mechanism and decrease the volume thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned subject, it is therefore an objective of the invention to provide a transmission mechanism with a high resolution and a small volume.
To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the transmission mechanism of the invention is provided in an optical device for changing an angle of an optical element. The transmission mechanism includes a first member and a second member. The first member has a slanted surface and is capable of sliding back and forth along a first direction. An angle between a normal direction of the slanted surface and the first direction is constant and not a 90-degree angle. The second member has a first part and a second part. The first part is contacted with the slanted surface of the first member. The second part is connected to the optical element. When the first member moves, the first part contacting the slanted surface moves relative to the slanted surface, thereby causing the second part to rotate so as to change the angle of the optical element.
When the first member moves, the first part of the second member moves relative to the slanted surface so as to change the angle of the optical element. On the basis of the geometric relationship between the first member and the second member, the minimum rotation angle of the optical element can be made very small. That is, it is possible to finely adjust the optical element so as to increase the resolution of the transmission mechanism and to greatly reduce the overall volume of the transmission mechanism.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4167306 (1979-09-01), Longland
patent: 5177644 (1993-01-01), Stark
Amari Alessandro
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Martine & Penilla LLP
Robinson Mark A.
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