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US 10,437,024 B2Granted
Method of producing an optical element
AssigneeSeek Thermal, Inc.
InventorsScott Dayton, William J. Parrish, Joseph G. Finegold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for producing an optical element, which may be suitable for use in an infrared camera with sharp surface features and low emissivity surfaces, including the steps of casting the element in the desired shape in a zinc alloy, deburring the zinc alloy element with a thermal deburring operation, and coating the deburred zinc alloy element with an electrocoating operation.
Claims17
A process for producing an optical element, the process comprising:
- casting zinc alloy using a casting mold, the casting mold comprising a void in a targeted shape of the optical element, the targeted shape including one or more features in an interior portion of the optical element, wherein a total height, length, and width of the optical element are each less than or equal to about 10 mm;
- deburring the cast zinc alloy element with a thermal deburring operation, the thermal deburring operation performed at a charging pressure between about 30 psi and about 110 psi, the thermal deburring operation configured to preserve physical features of the one or more features in the interior portion of the optical element;
- and
- coating the deburred zinc alloy element with an electrophoretic deposition operation configured to apply a substantially white coating having a thickness between about 10 μm and about 25 μm,
- wherein the interior portion of the optical element has a reflectivity that is less than or equal to about 5% for long-wavelength infrared light.
2 more elements
A process for producing an optical element, the process comprising:
- forming the optical element in a targeted shape in a metal alloy, the targeted shape including an interior portion that includes one or more physical features;
- deburring the metal alloy with a thermal deburring operation performed at a charging pressure between about 30 psi and about 110 psi, the deburring operation configured to roughen a surface of the interior portion of the optical element and configured to preserve physical features of the one or more features in the interior portion of the optical element;
- coating the deburred metal alloy element with an electrophoretic deposition operation configured to apply a coating with a thickness that is less than or equal to about 25 μm, such that a combination of the deburring and coating steps result in the optical element having a reflectivity that is less than or equal to about 10%;
- and
- mounting a lens to the optical element such that the lens is configured to direct light through the interior portion of the optical element.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.