Nonorthogonal gimbal

Abstract

Gimbal comprised of four concentric cylindrical shells rotatively attached to each other by three pairs of bearings or flexures. The innermost shell is rigidly attached to a suspended instrument. The outermost shell is attached to a vehicle. Each of the three pairs of bearings are colinear and define three axes of rotation which intersect at a point. None of the three axes are coincidental with a line of sight emanating from the instrument, and two of them are nonorthogonal. The gimbal provides the instrument with freedom of rotation about any axis relative to the vehicle, including about the instrument's line of sight, without the line of sight being vignetted by a bearing or any other gimbal structure. The respective angles between the three axes of rotation are set to minimize the exposure of the gimbal to gimbal lock, as well as to minimize the onset of secondary disturbances that occur when gimbal lock is approached.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.