OPTIC OBSCURATION ASSEMBLY, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WORKING ON AN OPTICAL ELEMENT, AND RESULTING OPTICAL ELEMENT
First Claim
1. An optic obscuration assembly for holding an optical element, the optic obscuration assembly comprising:
- a back cover comprising a magnet holder, where the magnet holder is configured to hold a magnet; and
an optical element cell, connected to the back cover, within which there is held the optical element such that a front surface of the optical element is exposed and a back surface of the optical element is located a predetermined distance from the magnet.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optic obscuration assembly, a system and method for working on an optical element, and the resulting optical element are described herein. In one example, the system and related components (e.g., optic obscuration assembly, positioning system, and coating system) allow the accurate placement of a very round thin metal obscuration (e.g., thin metal disk) in the center of a front surface of the optical element before a high reflective thin film coating is applied to the front surface. Once, the optical element has had the high reflective thin film coating applied thereto then the thin metal obscuration is removed to reveal a transmissive aperture.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optic obscuration assembly for holding an optical element, the optic obscuration assembly comprising:
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a back cover comprising a magnet holder, where the magnet holder is configured to hold a magnet; and an optical element cell, connected to the back cover, within which there is held the optical element such that a front surface of the optical element is exposed and a back surface of the optical element is located a predetermined distance from the magnet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for working on an optical element, the system comprising:
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an optic obscuration assembly configured to hold the optical element which does not have a reflective coating thereon, the optic obscuration assembly comprising; a back cover comprising a magnet holder, where the magnet holder is configured to hold a magnet; and an optical element cell, connected to the back cover, within which there is held the optical element such that a front surface of the optical element is exposed and a back surface of the optical element is located a predetermined distance from the magnet; a positioning system configured to place a metal obscuration on a predetermined position of the front surface of the optical element while the optical element is held in the optic obscuration assembly and the magnet holds the metal obscuration in the predetermined position on the optical element; a coating system configured to deposit a reflective coating onto at least an exposed portion of the front surface of the optical element while the optical element is held in the optic obscuration assembly and the magnet holds the metal obscuration in the predetermined position on the optical element; and wherein after the reflective coating is deposited onto the optical element the metal obscuration is removed from the front surface of the optical element and the optical element is removed from the optic obscuration assembly such that the removed optical element has the reflective coating located thereon and a transmissive aperture located in the predetermined position where the metal obscuration was originally placed and subsequently removed from. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for working on an optical element, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing the optical element which does not have a reflective coating thereon; providing an optic obscuration assembly for holding the optical element, the optic obscuration assembly comprising; a back cover comprising a magnet holder, where the magnet holder is configured to hold a magnet; and an optical element cell, connected to the magnet holder, within which there is held the optical element such that a front surface of the optical element is exposed and a back surface of the optical element is located a predetermined distance from the magnet; placing a metal obscuration on a predetermined position of the front surface of the optical element while the optical element is held in the optic obscuration assembly and the magnet holds the metal obscuration in the predetermined position on the optical element; depositing a reflective coating onto at least an exposed portion of the front surface of the optical element while the optical element is held in the optic obscuration assembly and the magnet holds the metal obscuration in the predetermined position on the optical element; removing the metal obscuration from the front surface of the optical element; and removing the optical element from the optic obscuration assembly, wherein the removed optical element has the reflective coating located thereon and a transmissive aperture located in the predetermined position where the metal obscuration was originally placed and subsequently removed from. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 19. An optical element which has a reflective coating located on a front surface thereof and a non-ion milled transmissive aperture at a predetermined position of the front surface, and wherein the non-ion milled transmissive aperture is surrounded by the reflective coating.
Specification