Hinge mechanism for small optics and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884399-B2
Application number	US-201414161205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2014
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A hinge assembly for a deployable mirror includes a base, a mirror segment base coupled to the base, a mirror segment coupled to the mirror segment base by two bearings, and at least one linear actuator secured to the base and capable of adjusting the mirror segment. Other embodiments of the hinge assembly are further disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating bearing seats for a hinge assembly of a movable optical assembly, the method comprising:
providing a first body of the hinge assembly having a first surface;
positioning a first bearing on the first surface of the first body; and
grinding a first bearing seat with the first bearing so that a profile for the first bearing seat matches an outer surface of the first bearing.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a second body of the hinge assembly having a second surface;
positioning the first bearing on the second surface of the second body; and
grinding a second bearing seat with the first bearing so that a profile for the second bearing seat matches an outer surface of the first bearing.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein positioning the first bearing on at least one of the first surface of the first body and the second surface of the second body includes boring a hole within the body and seating the first bearing within the hole.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first surface of the first body faces the second surface of the second body.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
positioning a second bearing on a third surface of the first body; and
grinding a third bearing seat with the second bearing so that a profile for the third bearing seat matches an outer surface of the second bearing.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
positioning the second bearing on a fourth surface of the second body; and
grinding a fourth bearing seat with the second bearing so that a profile for the fourth bearing seat matches an outer surface of the second bearing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each bearing has a hardness that is significantly harder than a hardness of a material of the each body forming the bearing seats.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bearing seats are fabricated from glass material and the bearings are fabricated from ceramic material.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bearings are fabricated from silicon nitride.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising coupling the second body to the first body, and moving the second body with respect to the first body.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first body is a mirror segment base and the second body is a mirror segment.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein each bearing has a maximum surface roughness of 0.5 Ra.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each bearing has a maximum deviation from spherical shape of 0.000003 inches.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Theriault Philip Christopher

Classifications

• B24B15/00

  Machines or devices designed for grinding seat surfaces; Accessories therefor (for spherical surfaces in general B24B11/00) · CPC title

• G02B7/1824

  Manual alignment · CPC title

• B24B19/22 Primary

  characterised by a special design with respect to properties of the material of non-metallic articles to be ground · CPC title

• G02B7/1822

  comprising means for aligning the optical axis (G02B7/1821 takes precedence) · CPC title