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US 4,265,510 AGranted
Three mirror anastigmatic optical system
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorLacy G. Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Primary mirror 12, secondary mirror 14 and tertiary mirror 16 form an anastigmatic relayed image forming optical system which is off-axis and decentered in both aperture and field angle. The secondary and tertiary mirrors are tilted and decenter relative to the optical axis of the primary mirror to enhance image quality. Additional advantages include compact packaging, easy accessibility to all components, and improved shielding of unwanted out-of-field radiation.
Claims18
A three mirror anastigmatic optical system comprising:
- a primary mirror defining an optical axis, said primary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface on one side of said optical axis;
- an image surface on the other side of said optical axis;
- a secondary mirror having a conic hyperboloid reflective surface which is tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis;
- and
- a tertiary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface which is tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis, said primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors having surfaces shaped to form an image of an object at said image surface, said optical system being off-axis in aperture and field to determine said positions of said primary mirror and said image surface.
2 more elements
A three mirror anastigmatic optical system comprising:
- a primary mirror defining an optical axis, said primary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface on one side of said optical axis;
- an entrance pupil for said optical system on the surface of said primary mirror;
- a secondary mirror having a conic hyperboloid reflective surface which is tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis;
- a tertiary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface which is tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis, said primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors having surfaces shaped to focus an object at an image surface, said image surface being on the other side of said optical axis from said reflective surface of said primary mirror, said system being off-axis in aperture and field to produce said positions of said reflective surface of said primary mirror and said image plane.
1 more element
A three mirror anastigmatic optical system comprising:
- a primary mirror defining an optical axis, said primary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface on one side of said optical axis;
- a secondary mirror having a conic hyperboloid reflective surface which is tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis;
- a tertiary mirror having a conic ellipsoid reflective surface tilted and decentered with respect to said optical axis, said primary, secondary and tertiary mirrors having surfaces shaped to focus an object at an image surface, said image surface being positioned on the other side of said optical axis from said reflective surface of said primary mirror;
- an entrance pupil adjacent the reflective surface of said primary mirror, said secondary and tertiary mirrors imaging said entrance pupil at an aperture stop plane between said tertiary mirror reflective surface and said final image surface;
- an aperture stop positioned at said aperture stop plane;
- said reflective surface of said primary mirror and said reflective surface of said secondary mirror focusing the object at an intermediate image plane between said secondary reflective mirror surface and said tertiary reflective mirror surface, a field stop positioned at said intermediate image plane so that said entrance pupil, said field stop and said aperture stop shielding said final image surface from unwanted out-of-field radiation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.