Robustly mounted, single DOF, adjustable mirror

• US 9,234,989 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Watts, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US12/874,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 359/831, 359/833, 359/872, 359/871, 359/900
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1805 for prisms G02B7/181 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1824 Manual alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/198 with means for adjusting the mirror relative to its support G02B7/1822 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of mounting and adjusting a mirror (and a concomitant mount and mirror apparatus) comprising providing a mount surface and mounting a mirror approximately parallel to the mount surface but at an offset angle alpha.

Claims

1. A method of mounting and adjusting a mirror, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a mirror having a mount surface having a first diameter and a reflective surface having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter and that is at an offset angle alpha with respect to the mount surface;

mounting the mirror to a mechanical mount having a shoulder that forms an opening having a diameter greater than the second diameter and less than the first diameter, the mount surface of the mirror and the shoulder of the mechanical mount contacting one another at a mounting plane;

adjusting the offset angle alpha by rotating the mirror with respect to the mechanical mount about an axis normal to the mounting plane to adjust a direction of a reflected light ray; and

fixing the mirror to the mechanical mount to inhibit further rotation of the mirror with respect to the mechanical mount.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the offset angle alpha is between approximately 1 and 100 milliradians.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the offset angle alpha is between approximately 5 and 50 milliradians.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the offset angle alpha is approximately 10 milliradians.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a first light channel in the mechanical mount, a light ray; and

reflecting, via the reflective surface, the light ray down a second light channel in the mechanical mount.