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US 10,884,199 B2Granted
Optical alignment of fiber-optic rotary joint assembly
AssigneeCanon U.S.A., Inc.
InventorsAlexander Altshuler, Daisuke Yamada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A first optical axis of a first optical component is caused to be at a first angle with respect to a first precision surface of the first optical component. A second optical axis of a second optical component is aligned to be at a second angle to a second flat surface of the second optical component. The second angle is equal to or derived from the first angle. The first and second flat surfaces are caused to directly face each other to allow only sliding motion between the first and second flat surfaces. The sliding motion is performed between the first and second flat surfaces until the first and second optical axes are sufficiently collinear.
Claims14
An apparatus comprising:
- a first optical component having a first optical axis, a first optical axis adjuster, and a first base element having a first precision surface;
- a second optical component having a second optical axis, a second optical axis adjuster, and a second base element having a second precision surface adapted to slidingly mate with the first precision surface with a predetermined range of motion;
- a first collimator located inside the first optical axis adjuster, wherein the first optical axis adjuster adjusts at least one of a pitch and a yaw angles and the translational displacements of the first collimator for the first optical axis to assume a first optical position with respect to the first precision surface;
- a second collimator located inside the second optical axis adjuster, wherein the second optical axis adjuster adjusts at least one of a pitch and yaw angles of the second collimator for the second optical axis to assume a second optical position with respect to the second precision surface;
- a mount stage for adjustably clamping the first precision surface and the second precision surface, such that the first precision surface and the second precision surface may each be independently moved in a single plane;
- a communication pathway for communication between a light source and at least one of the first collimator or second collimator;
- and
- a detector movably mounted to the mount stage such that the detector may be moved from a proximal position to a distal position, and vice versa, parallel to the surface of the mount stage,
- wherein adjusting the first optical axis to be at the first optical position includes emitting light through the first collimator onto the detector and recording positions of a spot of the light incident on the detector as the detector is moved from the proximal position to the distal position, followed by determining horizontal and vertical angular displacements that correspond to the first optical position, and moving the collimator based on the horizontal and vertical angular displacements to bring the first optical axis to the first optical position.
6 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first optical component having a first optical axis, a first optical axis adjuster, and a first base element having a first precision surface;
- and
- a second optical component having a second optical axis, a second optical axis adjuster, and a second base element having a second precision surface adapted to slidingly mate with the first precision surface with a predetermined range of motion,
- a first collimator located inside the first optical axis adjuster, wherein the first optical axis adjuster adjusts at least one of a pitch and a yaw angles and the translational displacements of the first collimator for the first optical axis to assume a first optical position with respect to the first precision surface;
- a second collimator located inside the second optical axis adjuster, wherein the second optical axis adjusts at least one of a pitch and yaw angles of the second collimator for the second optical axis to assume a second optical position with respect to the second precision surface;
- a mount stage for adjustably clamping the first precision surface and the second precision surface, such that the first precision surface and the second precision surface may each be independently moved in a single plane;
- a communication pathway for communication between a light source and at least one of the first collimator or second collimator;
- and
- a detector movably mounted to the mount stage such that the detector may be moved from a proximal position to a distal position, and vice versa, parallel to the surface of the mount stage,
- wherein the second precision surface is a flat surface that is adapted to slidingly mate with the first precision surface that is a flat surface and the flat surface of the first precision surface and flat surface of the second precision surface are in the same plane.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.