Confocal reflector system
US4357075A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 26, 1980 |
| Grant date | Nov 2, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 26, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B19/009
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A reflective focussing system comprises two concave reflectors. Each reflector is a surface of revolution generated by rotating selected quadratic conic sections about an axis. The first reflector has its first focus on the axis and the second reflector has its first focus on, or at least centered on, the axis, and located on the side of the second reflector remote from the first reflector. The second foci of the reflectors are commonly located. Alternative arrangements are disclosed in which the second foci of the two reflectors are not commonly located, but further means is provided to project radiation from the first reflector to the second focus of the second reflector; in which one or both of said foci are rings centered on the axis rather than points; in which adjacent pairs of reflectors are divided into portions, corresponding portions of the pair being confocal, but different portions sharing different common foci; and in which radiation projected from said two reflectors crosses the axis nil, one or a plurality of times.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.