Monolithic optical assembly and associated retroreflector with beamsplitter assembly
First Claim
1. A monolithic optical assembly for use with an interferometer, comprising:
- a top plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces;
a bottom plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces;
a first mounting member having first and second edges, wherein a portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said top plate and another portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate;
a second mounting member having a first surface and a first edge, wherein a portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said top plate and another portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said bottom plate;
a first mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface, wherein said first mirror assembly is adhered between at least two of either said first mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate, or between said second mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate; and
a beamsplitter assembly having a surface having a beamsplitter coating, said surface being in reflecting relation with said first mirror assembly, and having top and bottom edges, said top edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along a portion of said bottom surface of said top plate and said bottom edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along another portion of said top surface of said bottom plate;
wherein said adhesion of said first and second mounting members and said beamsplitter assembly to said top and bottom plates creates a substantially stable, substantially vibration and shock resistant structure regarding said reflective relationship between said first mirror assembly and said beamsplitter assembly.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with the invention, an improved optical assembly having a monolithic structure, and an improved optical assembly having a monolithic structure and a retroreflector/beamsplitter combination is provided. The monolithic optical assembly comprises top and bottom plates which are joined into a monolithic structure by first and second mounting members and a beamsplitter. The assembly also comprising a first reflecting assembly in reflecting relation with the beamsplitter. An alternate embodiment of the invention substitutes the monolithic structure having the above six components, with a monolithically constructed hollow corner-cube retroreflector, wherein one of the retroreflector panels is a reflecting surface, another panel (situated at a 45 degree angle to the reflecting surface of the first panel) is a beamsplitter, and the third panel is a support panel used to complete the construction of the hollow corner-cube retroreflector.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A monolithic optical assembly for use with an interferometer, comprising:
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a top plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a bottom plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a first mounting member having first and second edges, wherein a portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said top plate and another portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate; a second mounting member having a first surface and a first edge, wherein a portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said top plate and another portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said bottom plate; a first mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface, wherein said first mirror assembly is adhered between at least two of either said first mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate, or between said second mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate; and a beamsplitter assembly having a surface having a beamsplitter coating, said surface being in reflecting relation with said first mirror assembly, and having top and bottom edges, said top edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along a portion of said bottom surface of said top plate and said bottom edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along another portion of said top surface of said bottom plate; wherein said adhesion of said first and second mounting members and said beamsplitter assembly to said top and bottom plates creates a substantially stable, substantially vibration and shock resistant structure regarding said reflective relationship between said first mirror assembly and said beamsplitter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A monolithic optical assembly for use with an interferometer, comprising:
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a top plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a bottom plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a first mounting member having first and second edges, wherein a portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said top plate and another portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate; a second mounting member having a first surface and a first edge, wherein a portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said top plate and another portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate; a first mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface, wherein said first mirror assembly is adhered between at least two of either said first mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate, or between said second mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate; a beamsplitter assembly having a surface having a beamsplitter coating, said beamsplitter assembly adhered to either said top or bottom plate of said monolithic optical assembly, so that said surface is in reflecting relation with said first mirror assembly; and a third mounting member having an edge, wherein a portion of said edge is adhered to a portion of a third edge of said top plate and another portion of said edge is adhered to a portion of a third edge of said bottom plate; wherein said adhesion of said first, second and third mounting members to said top and bottom plates creates a substantially stable, substantially vibration and shock resistant structure regarding said reflective relationship between said first mirror assembly and said beamsplitter assembly.
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20. An interferometer assembly, comprising:
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a radiation source; a first mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface; a monolithic reflecting structure having at least two reflecting surfaces in reflecting relation with said first mirror assembly, said monolithic reflecting structure, comprising; a top plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a bottom plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a first mounting member having first and second edges, wherein a portion of said first edge of said first mounting member is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said top plate and another portion of said first edge of said first mounting member is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate; a second mounting member having a first surface and a first edge, wherein a portion of said first surface of said second mounting member is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said top plate and another portion of said first surface of said second mounting member is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said bottom plate; a second mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface, wherein said second mirror assembly is adhered between at least two of either said first mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate, or between said second mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate; and a beamsplitter assembly having a surface having a beamsplitter coating, said surface being in reflecting relation with said first and second mirror assemblies, and having top and bottom edges, said top edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered to a portion of said bottom surface of said top plate and said bottom edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered to another portion of said top surface of said bottom plate; wherein said adhesion of said first and second mounting members and said beamsplitter assembly to said top and bottom plates creates a substantially stable, substantially vibration and shock resistant structure regarding said reflective relationship between said second mirror assembly and said beamsplitter assembly; and a radiation detector for detecting differences in the intensity variation of said radiation reaching said detector from said radiation source after leaving said beamsplitter assembly and reflecting off of said first and second mirror assemblies. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A monolithic optical assembly for use with an interferometer, comprising:
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a top plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a bottom plate having top, bottom and edge surfaces; a first mounting member having first and second edges, wherein a portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said top plate and another portion of said first edge is adhered to a portion of a first edge of said bottom plate; a second mounting member having a first surface and a first edge, wherein a portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said top plate and another portion of said first surface is adhered to a portion of a second edge of said bottom plate; a first mirror assembly having at least one reflecting surface, wherein said first mirror assembly is adhered between at least two of either said first mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate, or between said second mounting member and said top plate or said bottom plate; a beamsplitter assembly having a surface having a beamsplitter coating, said surface being in reflecting relation with said first mirror assembly, and having top and bottom edges, said top edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along a portion of said bottom surface of said top plate and said bottom edge of said beamsplitter assembly adhered along another portion of said top surface of said bottom plate, wherein said adhesion of said first and second mounting members and said beamsplitter assembly to said top and bottom plates creates a substantially stable, substantially vibration and shock resistant structure regarding said reflective relationship between said first mirror assembly and said beamsplitter assembly; and a fourth mounting member adhered to said second mounting member and to still another portion of said top surface of said bottom plate, and extending across an optical path of a radiation beam transmitted through said beamsplitter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A retroreflector assembly for use in an interferometer, comprising:
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a first panel having a reflecting surface; a beamsplitter panel having a beamsplitter coating on a surface of said panel, said beamsplitter coating in reflecting relation with said reflecting surface of said first panel; and a support panel having a receiving surface; wherein each of said panels has a side at substantially a right angle to said surface of said panel, and wherein each of said panels is abutting and joined along said side to said surface of said panel immediately adjacent to said side. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
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Specification