Meso-optic device

• US 8,687,286 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hach Company (Veralto Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hach Company (Veralto Corp.)
• Inventors: Palumbo, Perry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Darryl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'NEILL, GARY WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US13/395,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120170137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 359/641, 359/642, 359/709, 359726-731, 359/853, 359/867, 359/708, 372 92-109
• US Class Current: 359/709
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/008 adapted to collect light from a complete hemisphere or a plane extending 360 degrees around the detector
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/001 Axicons, waxicons, reflaxicons

Abstract

A meso-optic device (1) includes a substantially annular meso-optic body (100) including an axis of revolution (2), a divergent conic optical surface (112) substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution (2), with the divergent conic optical surface (112) configured to receive electromagnetic radiation propagating along an optical axis (3) from an impingent direction, wherein the optical axis (3) is coincident with or intersects the axis of revolution (2), and with the divergent conic optical surface (112) configured to divergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation away from the axis of revolution (2), and a convergent conic optical surface (114) substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution (2), with the convergent conic optical surface (114) configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation divergently re-directed by the divergent conic optical surface (112) and with the convergent conic optical surface (114) configured to convergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation toward the axis of revolution (2).

Claims

1. A meso-optic device, comprising:

a substantially annular meso-optic body including an axis of revolution;

a divergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution, with the divergent conic optical surface configured to receive electromagnetic radiation propagating along an optical axis from an impingent direction, wherein the optical axis is coincident with or intersects the axis of revolution, and with the divergent conic optical surface configured to divergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation away from the axis of revolution; and

a convergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution with the convergent conic optical surface configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation divergently re-directed by the divergent conic optical surface and with the convergent conic optical surface configured to convergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation toward the axis of revolution;

with the meso-optic body further comprising;

an annular planar optical surface located on an impingent direction side of the meso-optic body, with the annular planar optical surface configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation;

a cylindrical optical surface located around the axis of revolution and configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation leaves the convergent conic optical surface; and

a non-optical conic surface extending between the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface, with the divergent conic optical surface, the convergent conic optical surface, the annular planar optical surface, the cylindrical optical surface, and the non-optical conic surface providing a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape of the meso-optic body;

with said annular planar optical surface being oriented substantially radially to the axis of revolution and with an outside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the convergent conic optical surface;

with an inside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with one end of the cylindrical optical surface and with an other end of said cylindrical optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the divergent conic optical surface; and

wherein the electromagnetic radiation leaving the convergent conic optical surface substantially passes through the cylindrical optical surface.

2. The meso-optic device of claim 1, with the substantially annular meso-optic body including a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape.

3. The meso-optic device of claim 1, wherein the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface are configured to substantially reflect, refract, or diffract the electromagnetic radiation.

4. The meso-optic device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface converges substantially on the axis of revolution.

5. The meso-optic device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface is substantially perpendicular to the electromagnetic radiation entering the meso-optic body, regardless of an angular separation or coincidence between the optical axis and the axis of revolution.

6. The meso-optic device of claim 1, wherein the divergent conic optical surface is at a first angle (α

1) from the axis of revolution and wherein the convergent conic optical surface is at a second angle (α

2) from the axis of revolution, wherein the first angle (α

1) and the second angle (α

2) are different.

7. The meso-optic device of claim 1, wherein the divergent conic optical surface is at a first angle (α

1) from the axis of revolution and wherein the convergent conic optical surface is at a second angle (α

2) from the axis of revolution and wherein the first angle (α

1) is larger than the second angle (α

2).

8. A meso-optic device, comprising:

a substantially annular meso-optic body including an axis of revolution;

a divergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution, with the divergent conic optical surface configured to receive electromagnetic radiation propagating along an optical axis from an impingent direction, wherein the optical axis is coincident with or intersects the axis of revolution, and with the divergent conic optical surface configured to divergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation away from the axis of revolution; and

a convergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution, with the convergent conic optical surface configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation divergently re-directed by the divergent conic optical surface and with the convergent conic optical surface configured to convergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation toward the axis of revolution;

wherein the divergent conic optical surface is at a first angle (α

1) from the axis of revolution and wherein the convergent conic optical surface is at a second angle (α

2) from the axis of revolution and wherein the first angle (α

1) is larger than the second angle (α

2);

with the meso-optic body further comprising;

an annular planar optical surface located on an impingent direction side of the meso-optic body, with the annular planar optical surface configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation;

a cylindrical optical surface located around the axis of revolution and configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation leaves the convergent conic optical surface; and

a non-optical conic surface extending between the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface, with the divergent conic optical surface, the convergent conic optical surface, the annular planar optical surface, the cylindrical optical surface, and the non-optical conic surface providing a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape of the meso-optic body;

with said annular planar optical surface being oriented substantially radially to the axis of revolution and with an outside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the convergent conic optical surface;

with an inside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with one end of the cylindrical optical surface and with an other end of said cylindrical optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the divergent conic optical surface; and

wherein the electroma netic radiation leavin the conver ent conic optical surface substantially passes through the cylindrical optical surface.

9. The meso-optic device of claim 8, with the substantially annular meso-optic body including a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape.

10. The meso-optic device of claim 8, wherein the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface are configured to substantially reflect, refract, or diffract the electromagnetic radiation.

11. The meso-optic device of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface converges substantially on the axis of revolution.

12. The meso-optic device of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface is substantially perpendicular to the electromagnetic radiation entering the meso-optic body, regardless of an angular separation or coincidence between the optical axis and the axis of revolution.

13. A meso-optic device, comprising:

a substantially annular pentagonal meso-optic body including an axis of revolution;

a divergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution, with the divergent conic optical surface configured to receive electromagnetic radiation propagating along an optical axis from an impingent direction, wherein the optical axis is coincident with or intersects the axis of revolution, and with the divergent conic optical surface configured to divergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation away from the axis of revolution;

a convergent conic optical surface substantially coaxial with the axis of revolution, with the convergent conic optical surface configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation divergently re-directed by the divergent conic optical surface and with the convergent conic optical surface configured to convergently re-direct the electromagnetic radiation toward the axis of revolution;

an annular planar optical surface located on an impingent direction side of the meso-optic body, with the annular planar optical surface configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation;

a cylindrical optical surface located around the axis of revolution and configured to substantially pass the electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation leaves the convergent conic optical surface; and

a non-optical conic surface extending between the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface, with the divergent conic optical surface, the convergent conic optical surface, the annular planar optical surface, the cylindrical optical surface, and the non-optical conic surface providing a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape of the meso-optic body;

with said annular planar optical surface being oriented substantially radially to the axis of revolution and with an outside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the convergent conic optical surface;

with an inside radius of the annular planar optical surface being in common with one end of the cylindrical optical surface and with an other end of said cylindrical optical surface being in common with an inside radius of the divergent conic optical surface; and

wherein the electromagnetic radiation leaving the convergent conic optical surface substantially passes through the cylindrical optical surface.

14. The meso-optic device of claim 13, wherein the divergent conic optical surface and the convergent conic optical surface are configured to substantially reflect, refract, or diffract the electromagnetic radiation.

15. The meso-optic device of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface converges substantially on the axis of revolution.

16. The meso-optic device of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation re-directed by the convergent conic optical surface is substantially perpendicular to the electromagnetic radiation entering the meso-optic body, regardless of an angular separation or coincidence between the optical axis and the axis of revolution.

17. The meso-optic device of claim 13, wherein the divergent conic optical surface is at a first angle (α

1) from the axis of revolution and wherein the convergent conic optical surface is at a second angle (α

2) from the axis of revolution, wherein the first angle (α

1) and the second angle (α

2) are different.

18. The meso-optic device of claim 13, wherein the divergent conic optical surface is at a first angle (α

1) from the axis of revolution and wherein the convergent conic optical surface is at a second angle (α

2) from the axis of revolution and wherein the first angle (α

1) is larger than the second angle (α

2).