Optical fiber assembly wrapped across gimbal axes
First Claim
1. A gimbaled optical pointer, comprising:
- An outer gimbal that rotates around a first gimbal axis;
An inner gimbal that rotates around a second gimbal axis orthogonal to the first to point an optical axis in a multi-dimensional space defined by said first and second gimbal axes;
An optical element on the inner gimbal that is nominally aligned with the line-of-sight of the optical axis;
A fiber assembly including a continuous optical fiber; and
A control mechanism for routing the fiber assembly to carry light from an off-gimbal source across the first and second gimbal axes to the optical element so that the fiber assembly moves with the inner and outer gimbals as the gimbals rotate about their respective axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control mechanism pins an optical fiber assembly on and off gimbal and between gimbals to route the assembly from an off-gimbal optical source across the gimbal axis/axes to an on-gimbal optical element so that the fiber assembly moves with the rotation of the gimbals. To accommodate a relatively large range of motion, the control mechanism is suitably configured to route the fiber assembly in a “U-shaped” loop with one end pinned off-gimbal in a stationary guide track and the other end pinned on-gimbal point in a rotating guide track so that the loose fiber assembly is constrained in the concentric tracks on and off gimbal. As the gimbal rotates, the loop seats onto one guiding track and peels off of the other guiding track while always maintaining its U shape. To accommodate a relatively small range of motion in other gimbal configurations, the control mechanism is suitably configured to pin one end of the fiber assembly off-gimbal and pass the fiber assembly directly over the gimbal where it is pinned on the other side of the gimbal. In a multi-gimbal pointer, the fiber assembly preferably exhibits different mechanical stresses as it crosses the different gimbals.
38 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A gimbaled optical pointer, comprising:
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An outer gimbal that rotates around a first gimbal axis; An inner gimbal that rotates around a second gimbal axis orthogonal to the first to point an optical axis in a multi-dimensional space defined by said first and second gimbal axes; An optical element on the inner gimbal that is nominally aligned with the line-of-sight of the optical axis; A fiber assembly including a continuous optical fiber; and A control mechanism for routing the fiber assembly to carry light from an off-gimbal source across the first and second gimbal axes to the optical element so that the fiber assembly moves with the inner and outer gimbals as the gimbals rotate about their respective axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification