System and method for mounting components using ball and socket structure

• US 6,765,733 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nlight Inc.
• Original Assignee: nLIGHT Corporation
• Inventors: Schulte, Derek E., Johnson, Roger F., Igl, Scott A., Rook, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US10/145,512
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 359/811, 359/819, 359/813, 359/820, 359/822, 359/871, 359/872, 372/107, 372/9, 372/15
• US Class Current: 359/822
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/003 Alignment of optical elements G02B7/001, G02B7/002 take precedence; for mirrors G02B7/1822
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/027 the lens being in the form of a sphere or ball

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods providing adjustable mounting with multiple degrees of freedom, such as three degrees of freedom allowing controlled adjustment of pitch, roll, and/or yaw. In providing such degrees of freedom, a ball member of a ball and socket mounting apparatus may preferably be disposed upon a surface and a mount, having a socket portion sized and shaped to correspond to a mating surface of the ball member, may be placed in communication therewith. The mount may have a component to be mounted placed thereon after the mount is placed in communication with the ball member. Preferably as part of the system manufacturing process, an adjustment mechanism is placed in communication with the mount and provides manipulating forces thereto, preferably causing the socket portion of the mount to slidably engage the mating surface of the ball member, in order to precisely position a component mounted thereon.

Claims

1. An adjustable mounting system providing movement with at least three degrees of freedom, said system comprising:

an attachment member adapted for attachment to a surface of a host system;

a mount adapted for attachment to a component of said host system, said mount having an interface surface adapted to slidably interface with a corresponding interface surface of said attachment member, said mount also having a receiver adapted to receive a probe of external tooling for controlling said slidable interfacing with said attachment member; and

an attachment element disposed in at least one of said attachment member and said mount for retaining said mount in a desired relationship with said attachment member.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said three degrees of freedom include adjustment of yaw, pitch, and roll.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said interface surface of at least one of said attachment member and said mount comprises a frustum of a sphere and the other interface surface of said attachment member and said mount comprises a corresponding socket.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said interface surface of said mount comprises said frustum of a sphere, and wherein an aspect of said component is attached to said mount to correspond with a center of said sphere.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said interface surface of said attachment member comprises said frustum of a sphere, and wherein said receiver is positioned upon said mount such that when said mount is interfaced with said attachment member said receiver is disposed over the center of said sphere so that there is substantially no overturning moment as external force is applied to said mount by said probe.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said attachment element is adapted to retain said mount in said desired relationship with said attachment member without creep.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said attachment element comprises a portion of said mount adapted to engage an adhesive.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said attachment element comprises a portion of said mount adapted to accept a laser weld.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said attachment element comprises a plurality of portions of said mount adapted to accept a laser weld, wherein said plurality of positions are arranged to cooperate to cancel effects of creep associated therewith.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said attachment element comprises a compression interface.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said attachment element comprises a portion of said mount adapted to accept solder.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said attachment element is adapted to prevent biasing said attachment member and said mount when said attachment element is operated to provide a substantially permanent attachment therebetween.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said receiver comprises a detent to accept at least a portion of said probe to thereby facilitate movement with respect to at least a first axis and second axis, and wherein said receiver comprises a surface to engage at least a portion of said probe to thereby facilitate movement with respect to at least a third axis.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said detent comprises a circular opening and said surface to engage at least a portion of said probe comprises a surface of a corresponding pin hole.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said detent comprises an opening having at least one flat side and said surface to engage at least a portion of said probe comprises said at least one flat side.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said detent comprises at least one channel and said surface to engage at least a portion of said probe comprises a side of said at least one channel.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said component comprises a micro-optic component.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said micro-optic component comprises a laser diode array.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said micro-optic component comprises a lens.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said micro-optic component comprises a mirror.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said micro-optic component comprises a diffraction grating.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said host system comprises an incoherently beam combined laser.

23. A system for providing positioning adjustment of a micro-component disposed in a host apparatus, said system comprising:

a mounting system which survives into said host apparatus, said mounting system comprising;

an attachment member;

a mount adapted for attachment to said micro-component, said mount having an interface surface adapted to slidably interface with a corresponding interface surface of said attachment member, said mount also having a receiver adapted to receive a probe of external tooling for controlling said slidable interfacing with said attachment member; and

an attachment element disposed in at least one of said attachment member and

said mount for retaining said mount in a desired relationship with said attachment member; and

an external tooling system which interfaces temporarily with said mounting system, said external tooling system comprising;

a translator providing controlled translation in a plurality of directions; and

a probe coupled to said translator, wherein said probe is adapted to interface with said mount and provide controlled adjustment thereof in response to said translation.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said attachment member is adapted for attachment to a surface of a host apparatus.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said host apparatus comprises an incoherently beam combined laser.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said micro-component comprises a laser diode array.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said micro-component comprises a lens.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein said micro-component comprises a mirror.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein said micro-component comprises a diffraction grating.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein said positioning adjustment comprises three degrees of freedom.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein said translation comprises linear translation in a plurality of directions.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said controlled adjustment of said mounting system in response to said translation comprises rotational adjustment.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said translation further comprises rotational translation.

34. The system of claim 23, wherein said probe is coupled to said translator via a flexure mount.

35. The system of claim 23, wherein said interface surface of at least one of said attachment member and said mount comprises a frustum of a sphere and the other interface surface of said attachment member and said mount comprises a corresponding socket.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said interface surface of said mount comprises said frustum of a sphere, and wherein said component is attached to said mount to correspond with a center of said sphere.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said interface surface of said attachment member comprises said frustum of a sphere, and wherein said receiver is positioned upon said mount such that when said mount is interfaced with said attachment member said receiver is disposed over the center of said sphere so that there is substantially no overturning moment as external force is applied to said mount by said probe.

38. The system of claim 23, wherein said attachment element is adapted to retain said mount in said desired relationship with said attachment member without creep.

39. The system of claim 23, wherein said probe comprises a tab to engage a corresponding detent of said receiver and said probe further comprises a pin to engage a corresponding pin hole of said receiver.

40. The system of claim 23, wherein said probe comprises a member having at least one flat side to engage a corresponding orifice of said receiver.

41. The system of claim 23, wherein said probe comprises at least one ball surface to engage at least one channel of said receiver.

42. A method for providing adjustment of a micro-component, said method comprising:

disposing said micro-component upon a ball and socket mounting apparatus;

interfacing a probe with said ball and socket mounting apparatus;

controlling movement of said probe to thereby provide adjustment of a relative position of a first portion of said ball and socket mounting apparatus with respect to a second portion of said ball and socket mounting apparatus;

determining if said relative position is a desired relative position;

engaging an attachment element of said ball and socket mounting apparatus to retain said relative position; and

deinterfacing said probe from said ball and socket mounting apparatus.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said disposing said micro-component upon said ball and socket mounting apparatus comprises disposing said micro-component at a position corresponding to a center of a sphere of said ball.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said disposing said micro-component upon said ball and socket mounting apparatus comprises disposing said micro-component such that said probe interfaces with said ball and socket mounting apparatus at a position corresponding to a center of a sphere of said ball so that there is no overturning moment as external force is applied by said probe.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said interfacing said probe with said ball and socket mounting apparatus comprises inserting at least a portion of said probe into an orifice of a receiver of said ball and socket mounting apparatus.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein said interfacing said probe with said ball and socket mounting apparatus comprises engaging at least one ball surface of said probe with a channel of a receiver of said ball and socket mounting apparatus.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein controlling movement of said probe comprises operating a plurality of translation actuators to provide controlled movement with respect to a plurality of translation stages.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein said determining if said relative position is a desired relative position comprises monitoring an operational aspect of said micro-component for identifying an optimum attainable said operational aspect.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said controlling movement of said probe is accomplished as a function of said monitoring said operational aspect of said micro-component.

50. The method of claim 42, wherein said engaging an attachment element comprises exposing a portion of said attachment element to laser energy.

51. The method of claim 42, wherein said engaging an attachment element comprises introducing an adhesive to said attachment element.

52. the method of claim 42, wherein said engaging an attachment element comprises introducing solder to said attachment element.

53. The method of claim 42, wherein said engaging an attachment element comprises increasing a compressive force associated with said attachment element.

54. The method of claim 42, wherein said deinterfacing said probe comprises removing said probe completely from said ball and socket mounting apparatus such that said ball and socket mounting apparatus and not said probe survive into a product which includes said micro-component.