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US 5,329,356 AGranted
Interferometer head and interferometer arrangement with rigid support structure
AssigneeWerner Tabarelli
InventorsWerner Tabarelli, Rene Lazecki
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AssigneeWerner Tabarelli
InventorsWerner Tabarelli, Rene Lazecki
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to an interferometer head with a rigid bearer or casing to which a beam divider for the spatial division of laser light into a measuring and a reference beam and at least one recombination device are firmly secured (adhesively), where a reference beam guided by a reference path in the interferometer head and a measuring beam or part thereof guided by a movable measuring mirror of reflective measuring surface interfere to form at least one optical interference signal. To facilitate precise measurement of long shift paths or distances and obtain increased insensitivity to external and especially mechanical interference, according to the invention the interferometer head has a decoupling lens secured to the bearer of the interferometer head to decouple the measuring beam guided in a light waveguide in the interferometer head to a measuring path lying outside the interferometer head, and in addition the interferometer head has at least one coupling lens secured to the bearer to couple the measuring beam or section thereof returning after reflection from a measuring mirror fitted outside the interferometer head or from a reflective surface of the measuring path into a light waveguide. Moreover, to guide the reference beam(s) and the part of the measuring beam travelling in the interferometer head, there are light waveguides which are rigidly connected to the bearer of the interferometer head and are preferably cast with it.
An interferometer head comprising a support body to which there are rigidly connected a beam splitter for spatially dividing laser light into a measuring beam and a reference beam and at least one recombination device at which a respective reference beam which is guided by way of a reference section extending in the interferometer head and a respective measuring beam or measuring beam component which is guided by way of a movable measuring mirror of a reflecting measuring surface interfere, forming at least one optical interference signal, characterized in that the interferometer head has a coupling-out lens which is connected to the support body of the interferometer head, for coupling-out of the measuring beam guided in the interferometer head in at least one light waveguide on to a measuring section which is disposed outside the interferometer head, that the interferometer head further has at least one coupling-in lens connected to the support body for coupling-in of the measuring beam or measuring beam component which is returning from the measuring section after reflection at a measuring mirror arranged outside the interferometer head or at a reflecting surface, into a respective light waveguide, and that light waveguides are provided for guidance of a reference beam or beams and the parts of the measuring beam which extend in the interferometer head, which light waveguides are rigidly connected to the support body of the interferometer head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.