Temperature insensitive precision locking apparatus for use with large aperture adjustable optic mounts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9684146-B2
Application number	US-201414769895-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A temperature insensitive locking apparatus for use with large optical mounts having at least one locking nut having an internal threaded portion adjacent to an internal tapered portion, at least one flexurized spring collet attached to a rigid base structure having an external threaded portion and a plurality of tapered flexures, a pivot shaft engaged with an optical yoke on a rotational axis of symmetry wherein when the internal threads of the locking nut engage with the external threads of the flexurized spring collet an increased level of a radial clamping force is provided around the pivot shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A temperature insensitive locking apparatus for use with large optical mounts used in precision-aligned laser systems comprising:
a rigid base structure;
an optical yoke having a pair of pivot shafts extending therefrom which define a rotational axis of symmetry, and the optical yoke providing a mount for an optical component;
two locking nuts each having an internal threaded portion spaced apart from an internal taper;
two flexurized spring collets which each couple a respective one of the pivoting shafts to the rigid base structure, the two flexurized spring collets having a first end and a second end, the first end forming a sleeve which separates a respective one of the pivoting shafts from the rigid base structure and the second end comprises a plurality of flexures, and an external threaded portion being located between the plurality of flexures and the sleeve;
and
the mating internal and external threads join a respective one of the two locking nuts with a respective one of the two flexurized spring collets so that the internal taper engages with the plurality of flexures as the locking nut is rotated clockwise engaging the mating internal and external threads, providing an increased level of a radial clamping force onto the pivot shafts by compressing the plurality of flexures thereby reducing crosstalk and lock-and-walk in the precision-aligned laser system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two flexurized spring collets each comprise a ramp angle that engages with the internal taper of the respective locking nut.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two flexurized spring collets each generate an interference when tightened with the two locking nuts that causes the plurality of flexures in each flexurized spring collet to squeeze each respective pivot shaft, applying a purely symmetrical radial force during the locking process.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the pair of pivot shafts is located on either side of the optical yoke.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the two flexurized spring collets is located on either side of the rigid base structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein neither the optical yoke nor the pair of pivot shafts are directly contacted by either of the two locking nuts.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical yoke and the pair of pivot shafts are made of materials which have a same coefficient of thermal expansion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of pivot shafts and the optical yoke are made of stainless steel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical yoke and the pair of pivot shafts rotate as a single unit about the rotational axis of symmetry that is common to the pair of pivot shafts, the two flexurized spring collets, and the two locking nuts.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical component requires fine angular or translational adjustment.

11. A system for securely and stably mounting precision-aligned optical components in a rugged environment comprising:
a rigid base structure;
an optical yoke for providing a mount for at least one optical component; and
a temperature insensitive locking apparatus for locking the position of the at least one optical component after being aligned, the system comprising:
a pair of pivot shafts extending from the optical yoke to define a rotational axis of symmetry;
two locking nuts each having an internal threaded portion located adjacent to an internal taper;
two flexurized spring collets which each couple a respective one of the pivoting shafts to the rigid base structure, the two flexurized spring collets having a first end and a second end, the first end forming a sleeve which separates a respective one of the pivoting shafts from the rigid base structure and the second end comprises a plurality of flexures, and an external threaded portion being located between the plurality of flexures and the sleeve;
and
mating internal and external threads join a respective one of the two locking nuts with a respective one of the two flexurized spring collets so that the internal taper engages with the plurality of flexures as the locking nut is rotated clockwise engaging the mating internal and external threads, providing an increased level of a radial clamping force onto the pair of pivot shafts by compressing the plurality of flexures thereby reducing crosstalk and lock-and-walk in the precision-aligned optical system.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the two flexurized spring collets generate an interference when tightened with the two locking nuts that causes the plurality of flexures, in each respective flexurized spring collet, to squeeze the respective pivot shaft, applying a purely symmetrical radial force during the locking process.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the two flexurized spring collets each comprise a ramp angle that engages with the internal taper of the respective locking nut.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein one of the pair of pivot shafts is located on either side of the optical yoke.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein one of the two flexurized spring collets is located on either side of the rigid base structure.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein neither the optical yoke nor the pair of pivot shafts are directly contacted by either of the two locking nuts.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the optical yoke and the pair of pivot shafts are made of materials which have a same coefficient of thermal expansion.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pair of pivot shafts and the optical yoke are both made of stainless steel.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the optical yoke and the pair of pivot shafts rotate as a single unit about the rotational axis of symmetry that is common to the pair of pivot shafts, the two flexurized spring collets, and the two locking nuts.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the optical component requires fine angular or translational adjustment.

Assignees

• Bae Sys Inf & Elect Sys Integ

Inventors

• Marcinuk Adam J
• Shaw Michael J
• Thompson David E

Classifications

• F16C11/103

  frictionally clamped · CPC title

• G02B7/181

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• G02B7/008 Primary

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title