Spectrometer and optical input portion thereof

• US 10,436,639 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OTO Photonics
• Original Assignee: OTO Photonics
• Inventors: Wang, Meng-Hua, Chang, Kuei Wu, Chou, Chang Cheng, Hung, Chien-Hsiang, Yeh, Jan Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Geisel, Kara E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nixon, Omar H
• Application Number:
  US15/546,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20170363470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 356326
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/024 using means for illuminating a slit efficiently (e.g. entrance slit of a spectrometer or entrance face of fiber)
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0243 having a through-hole enabling the optical element to fulfil an additional optical function, e.g. a mirror or grating having a throughhole for a light collecting or light injecting optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/20 Rowland circle spectrometers

Abstract

A spectrometer (100) and an optical input portion (32) thereof are disclosed. The optical input portion (32) comprises an assembly structure (322), and the assembly structure (322) is formed at a hole wall (321) of a through hole (3211) of the optical input portion (32). A light (L1) is incident into a dispersing element (2) of the spectrometer (100) along an optical path (13) after passing through the through hole (3211), and is dispersed by the dispersing element (2). The assembly structure (322) is used to be detachably assembled with an optical element (200). When the optical element (200) is assembled with the assembly structure (322), an optical axis of the optical element (200) is linked to the optical path (13). As a result, the light (L1) passing through the optical element (200) is incident to the dispersing element (2) along the optical axis and the optical path (13).

Claims

1. A spectrometer, comprising an optical waveguide member defining an optical path, a dispersing element disposed in the optical path, and an optical input portion having a through hole and an assembly structure formed on a hole wall of the through hole, wherein a light passes through the through hole and then travels along the optical path in order to be incident to the dispersing element, a plurality of spectral components are generated by the dispersing element from the light incident to the dispersing element, the assembly structure is used to be detachably assembled with an optical element, when the optical element is assembled with the assembly structure, an optical axis of the optical element is linked to the optical path so that a light to be measured passing through the optical element is incident to the dispersing element along the optical axis and the optical path;

wherein the optical waveguide member comprises two reflecting plates, each of the reflecting plates comprises a reflecting surface, the reflecting surfaces of the reflecting plates are arranged face to face, and a gap is formed between the reflecting surfaces, the optical path is located in the gap;

wherein the spectrometer further comprises a reflective element, the light passing through the through hole is reflected by the reflective element before the light further travels along the optical path to reach the dispersing element;

wherein a slit member is disposed between the optical input portion and the optical waveguide member, the slit member comprises a slit, a light incidence surface and a light emergence surface opposite to the light incidence surface, the slit extends from the light incidence surface to the light emergence surface, the reflective element is disposed between the optical input portion and the slit member, the light passing through the through hole is reflected by the reflective element to be incident to the light incidence surface, and then to exit from the light emergence surface; and

wherein an extension direction of the through hole is parallel to the light incidence surface of the slit member.

2. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the through hole comprises a central axis and the assembly structure is coaxial with the through hole.

3. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical input portion comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the through hole extends from the first surface to the second surface, the light enters the through hole from the first surface and leaves the through hole from the second surface, and then travels along the optical path, when the optical element is assembled with the assembly structure, the optical element is insertedly installed in the through hole from the first surface without protruding out of the second surface.

4. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly structure is an inner thread, and the optical element is screwed and fixed in the through hole via the inner thread.

5. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 4, wherein a spiral trajectory is formed along the minimum inner radius of the inner thread, and a distance between one of any two points set at the spiral trajectory and a central axis of the through hole is same as a distance between the other of the any two points set at the spiral trajectory and the central axis.

6. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the optical waveguide member and the dispersing element are disposed inside the housing, and the through hole is exposed from an outer surface of the housing.

7. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a substrate and a cover assembled with the substrate, the optical input portion, the optical waveguide member and a diffraction grating are disposed and fixed on the substrate, during disassembly of the optical element from the assembly structure, the substrate and the cover remain assembled without detachment.

8. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a decoration shell, wherein the optical waveguide member, the dispersing element and the optical input portion are all disposed in the decoration shell, the optical element comprises an adaptor used to be detachably assembled with the assembly structure, after the adaptor is assembled with the assembly structure, at least one portion of the adaptor is immerged in the optical input portion without protruding out of an outer surface of the decoration shell.

9. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a sealing cap, wherein the decoration shell comprises an opening spatially communicable with the through hole, the sealing cap is installed in the opening and used to cover the through hole.

10. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a slit member disposed between the optical input portion and the optical waveguide member, wherein the slit member comprises a slit, a light incidence surface and a light emergence surface opposite to the light incidence surface, the slit extends from the light incidence surface to the light emergence surface, the light is incident to the slit from the light incidence surface, and then exits from the light emergence surface, a size of the slit is varied to be gradually decreased from the light incidence surface to the light emergence surface.

11. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the slit comprises a plurality of sidewalls, an angle between any one of the plurality of sidewalls and the incidence surface of the slit member is greater than 90 degrees.

12. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 10, wherein an extension direction of the slit is perpendicular to the reflecting surface.

13. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispersing element is a reflective diffraction grating, and comprises a concave surface being a non-circular arc face and a diffraction structure formed on the concave surface.

14. The spectrometer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an optical sensor used to receive the plurality of spectral components for spectral analysis.

15. An optical input portion of a spectrometer configured to be used for the spectrometer, wherein the spectrometer comprises an optical waveguide member and a dispersing element, the optical waveguide member defines an optical path, the optical input portion comprises an assembly structure formed on a hole wall of a through hole of the optical input portion, a light passes through the through hole and then travels along the optical path in order to be incident to the dispersing element for splitting the light, the assembly structure is used to be detachably assembled with an optical element, when the optical element is assembled with the assembly structure, an optical axis of the optical element is linked to the optical path so that a light to be tested passing through the optical element is incident to the dispersing element along the optical axis and the optical path;

wherein the optical waveguide member comprises two reflecting plates, each of the reflecting plates comprises a reflecting surface, the reflecting surfaces of the reflecting plates are arranged face to face, and a gap is formed between the reflecting surfaces, the optical path is located in the gap;

wherein the spectrometer further comprises a reflective element, the light passing through the through hole is reflected by the reflective element before the light further travels along the optical path to reach the dispersing element;

wherein a slit member is disposed between the optical input portion and the optical waveguide member, the slit member comprises a slit, a light incidence surface and a light emergence surface opposite to the light incidence surface, the slit extends from the light incidence surface to the light emergence surface, the reflective element is disposed between the optical input portion and the slit member, the light passing through the through hole is reflected by the reflective element to be incident to the light incidence surface, and then to exit from the light emergence surface; and

wherein an extension direction of the through hole is parallel to the light incidence surface of the slit member.

16. The optical input portion of a spectrometer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the through hole comprises a central axis and the assembly structure is coaxial with the through hole.

17. The optical input portion of a spectrometer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the assembly structure is an inner thread, and the optical element is screwed and fixed in the through hole via the inner thread.

18. The optical input portion of a spectrometer as claimed in claim 17, wherein a spiral trajectory is formed along the minimum inner radius of the inner thread, and a distance between one of any two points set at the spiral trajectory and a central axis of the through hole is same as a distance between the other of any two points set at the spiral trajectory and the central axis.

19. The optical input portion of a spectrometer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the optical input portion comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the through hole extends from the first surface to the second surface, the light enters the through hole from the first surface and leaves the through hole from the second surface, and then travels along the optical path, when the optical element is assembled with the assembly structure, the optical element is insertedly installed in the through hole from the first surface without protruding out of the second surface.

20. The optical input portion of a spectrometer as claimed in claim 19, wherein the optical element comprises an adaptor used to be detachably assembled with the assembly structure, after the adaptor is assembled with the assembly structure, at least one portion of the adaptor is immerged in the optical input portion.