Polymer-free compliant optical member support
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorBrian Monroe McMaster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly for fixing an optical element in a manner that decouples the optical element from mechanical stresses and thermal strains while providing freedom to facilitate alignment of the optical element, and while also eliminating polymers that can cause contamination problems including a mount configured for attachment to an optical system; a plurality of flexible metal members, each flexible member having a first end affixed to or integrally extending from the mount, and a free end defining a bearing surface for supporting an optical element; and an inorganic adhesive joining a surface of the optical member to the bearing surface.
Claims15
An assembly for mounting an optical element in an optical system, comprising:
- a mount configured for rigid attachment to the optical system;
- a plurality of flexible metal members, each flexible metal member having a first end affixed to or integrally extending from the mount, and a free end defining a bearing surface for supporting an optical element;
- and
- an optical element joined to the bearing surfaces of the plurality of flexible members with an inorganic adhesive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.