Optical element holding device
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorYuichi Shibazaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical element holding apparatus (39) provided with a holding portion (43) for holding a flange portion (38a) of an optical element (38). The holding portion includes a bearing surface block (50a) having a bearing surface (49), which contacts the flange portion, and a bearing surface block support mechanism (51), which rotatably supports the bearing surface block about a tangential axis (Y) of the optical element. This structure holds the optical element (38) with the optical element holding apparatus (39) in a kinematical manner and maintains satisfactory imaging performance in the optical element.
Claims41
An optical element holding apparatus (39) provided with a holding portion (43) for holding a peripheral portion of an optical element, characterized in that the holding portion includes:
- a bearing surface block (50a, 73) having a bearing surface (49, 92), which contacts the peripheral portion of the optical element;
- and
- a bearing surface block support mechanism (51) for rotatably supporting the bearing surface block about a tangential axis (Y) of the optical element.
An optical element holding apparatus characterized by:
- a holding portion (43) for holding a peripheral portion of an optical element;
- and
- a fastening portion (42) to which the holding portion is fastened;
- wherein the holding portion includes:
- a bearing surface block (50a, 73) having a bearing surface (49, 92) that contacts the peripheral portion of the optical element;
- a base portion (56) fixed to the fastening portion;
- and
- a pair of link mechanisms (57, 58) for restricting movements of the bearing surface block relative to the base portion in a plurality of different directions and for connecting the base portion and the bearing surface block rotatably about each axis of the plurality of different directions.
A holding apparatus characterized by:
- a holding portion (42) for holding a member to be held (38),
- wherein the holding portion includes a drive mechanism (85a, 85b, 108, 143) for providing the member to be held with three movements along three coordinate axes (R, θ, Z) with an origin being substantially the center of the member to be held and two rotations about at least two coordinate axes of the three coordinate axes.
An optical element holding apparatus characterized by:
- a holding member (40) for holding a peripheral portion of an optical element (38);
- three flexure members (41) for holding the holding member at three locations;
- and
- first and second manipulation members (85a, 85b), connected to at least one of the flexure members to manipulate the at least one flexure member, wherein the manipulation member is held such that manipulation of the first manipulation member causes the at least one flexure member to move the optical element in a first direction and such that manipulation of the second manipulation member causes the at least one flexure member to move the optical element in a second direction that differs from the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.