Multiple collimator unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535257-B2
Application number	US-201414226970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A collimator unit includes an on-axis collimator tube fixedly attached to at least two off-axis collimator tubes. The off-axis collimator tubes are angled relative to the on-axis collimator tube. Each collimator tube can include a lens, a light source, and a target placed at the lens' focal point. The collimator tubes can be positioned within a housing such that the on-axis collimator tube is coaxial and centered with respect to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collimator unit comprising:
an on-axis collimator tube fixedly attached to at least two off-axis collimator tubes within a housing, wherein the off-axis collimator tubes are angled relative to the on-axis collimator tube, wherein each collimator tube comprises:
a lens defining a focal point;
a light source; and
a target placed at the focal point,

and wherein each collimator tube is removable from the housing and is replaceable with a collimator tube having one of a different focal length and a different wavelength.

2. The collimator unit of claim 1 , wherein the angle between each off-axis collimator tube and the on-axis collimator tube is symmetrical.

3. The collimator unit of claim 1 , wherein the collimator tubes are positioned within the housing such that the on-axis collimator tube is coaxial and centered with respect to the housing.

4. The collimator unit of claim 3 , wherein the angle between the at least two off-axis collimator tubes and the on-axis collimator tube is fixed with respect to the housing.

5. The collimator unit of claim 1 , wherein the on-axis collimator tube is positioned to focus a center of a focal plane and the off-axis collimator tubes are positioned to focus on off-center field points.

6. The collimator unit of claim 5 , wherein the off-axis collimator tubes are positioned to focus on a respective edge of the focal plane.

7. The collimator unit of claim 1 , including one on-axis collimator tube and three off-axis collimator tubes surrounding the on-axis collimator tube.

8. The collimator unit of claim 1 , including one on-axis collimator tube and four off-axis collimator tube surrounding the on-axis collimator tube.

9. The collimator unit of claim 1 , wherein the angle between the off-axis collimator tubes and the on-axis collimator tube is adjustable.

10. The collimator unit of claim 1 , wherein the light source is an incoherent light source.

11. The method of calibrating an optical device, the steps comprising:
simultaneously displaying target images on a focal plane from each collimator tube of a collimator unit including at least two collimator tubes fixedly attached together, wherein each collimator tube comprises:
a lens defining a focal point;
a light source; and
a target placed at the focal point,

and wherein each collimator tube is removable from a housing and is replaceable with a collimator tube having one of a different focal length and a different wavelength.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the collimator unit includes three collimator tubes, such that one collimator tube is on-axis and two collimator tubes are off-axis.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the two off-axis collimator tubes are angled relative to the on-axis collimator tube.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the on-axis collimator tube is positioned to focus a center of a focal plane and the off-axis collimator tubes positioned to focus on off-center field points.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the off-axis collimator tubes is positioned to focus on a respective edge of the focal plane.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Johnson James B

Classifications

• G02B27/30 Primary

  Collimators · CPC title

• G02B27/62

  Optical apparatus specially adapted for adjusting optical elements during the assembly of optical systems · CPC title