Optical surface polisher
US4128968A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 1976 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B2219/49381
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for precisely polishing an optical surface is described. The apparatus includes polishing pads which are small in size in comparison with the surface being polished. The pads are maintained in contact with and moved across the surface being polished by a pad driver in a manner producing a removal profile which is maximum at the center of pad movement and minimum at the extremes of pad movement. A position drive means is utilized to move the pad drive along a substantially spiraling path centered at the center of the surface being polished and spiraling outward to the parimeter where parallel spiral arcs are spaced a constant distance apart along any given path radius. By controlling the speed of movement along the contour path, the rate of material removal at a particular position on the optical surface is controlled.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.