Flexure arrangements for optical components
AssigneeCognex Corporation
InventorJohn Filhaber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical system can include a receiver secured to a first optical component and a flexure arrangement secured to a second optical component. The flexure arrangement can include a plurality of flexures, each with a free end that can extend away from the second optical component and into a corresponding cavity of the receiver. Each of the cavities can be sized to receive adhesive that secures the corresponding flexure within the cavity when the adhesive has hardened, and to permit adjustment of the corresponding flexure within the cavity, before the adhesive has hardened, to adjust an alignment of the first and second optical components relative to multiple degrees of freedom.
Claims20
An optical system comprising:
- a receiver that includes a receiver body secured to a first optical component, the receiver further including a first pocket block, a second pocket block, and a third pocket block that extend from the receiver body and include a first pocket, a second pocket, and a third pocket, respectively;
- and
- a flexure arrangement that includes a flexure base secured to a second optical component, the flexure arrangement further including a first flexure, a second flexure, and a third flexure that extend from the flexure base into the first, second, and third pockets, respectively, and are secured therein with adhesive;
- each of the first, second, and third pockets being sized to permit adjustment of the corresponding first, second, or third flexure within the pocket along multiple axes before the adhesive has hardened, to adjust an alignment of the first and second optical components relative to multiple degrees of freedom.
An optical system comprising:
- a receiver secured to a first optical component, the receiver including a receiver body that supports the first optical component and a plurality of slots;
- and
- a flexure arrangement secured to a second optical component, the flexure arrangement including a plurality of flexures, each with a free end that extends away from the second optical component and into a corresponding one of the slots;
- each of the slots being sized to receive adhesive that secures the corresponding flexure within the slot when the adhesive has hardened, and to permit adjustment of the corresponding flexure within the slot, before the adhesive has hardened, to adjust an alignment of the first and second optical components relative to multiple degrees of freedom.
An optical system comprising:
- a receiver secured to a first optical component, the receiver including a receiver body that supports the first optical component, and a plurality of cavities;
- a flexure arrangement secured to a second optical component, the flexure arrangement including a plurality of flexures that extend away from the second optical component to be nested within the cavities;
- each of the cavities:
- including adhesive that is hardened to secure the corresponding flexure within the cavity;
- and
- having a cross-section that is larger than a cross-section of the corresponding flexure and a depth in an insertion direction that is larger than an insertion length for the corresponding flexure, so that the corresponding flexure is adjustable relative to multiple degrees of freedom within the cavity, while remaining nested within the cavity, before the adhesive is hardened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.