Precision mounting of front surface mirrors
US6386719B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 14, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 14, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B7/1825
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for aligning the reflective surface of a front surface mirror with a reference surface on a base structure includes a resilient support structure and a retaining structure. The front surface mirror is mounted on the resilient support structure. A contact region of the retaining structure is placed across a portion of both the reference surface and the reflective surface and is clamped to the reference surface. Because the contact region represents a coplanar portion of the retaining structure, and because the resilient support structure holds the reflective surface against the contact region, the reflective surface is aligned with the reference surface. An eight-sided camera according to the invention includes eight mirrors, each mirror being mounted in a resilient mounting structure and being clamped down by a retaining structure having a coplanar contact region spanning a reference surface and the mirror reflective surface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.