Optimal kinematic mount for large mirrors
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsHans P. Naepflin, Alexander K. Raco, Maciej D. Makowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high performance kinematic mirror mount facilitating the reduction of thermally and mechanically induced optical distortion of a precision mirror is disclosed. The mirror mount assembly includes a mirror with a front reflective surface and a rear support surface. A set of sub-tier mounting assemblies are provided being affixed to the rear support surface of the mirror utilizing a number of strut pairs and a number of bonded mount pads arranged so as to connect the sub-tier mounting assemblies to the mirror with numerous strut pairs arranged as bipods.
Claims25
An adjustable mirror assembly comprising:
- a mirror having a reflective surface and a support structure;
- and
- a kinematic mirror mount operable to support the mirror, the kinematic mirror mount comprising a plurality of sub-tier mounting assemblies spaced from one another about the support structure of the mirror to distribute the support forces about the mirror, the sub-tier mounting assemblies each comprising:
- an individual support base;
- a plurality of bipod strut pairs coupled to the support base, each bipod strut pair comprising individual first and second struts;
- adjustable struts coupled to the individual support base about a side opposite a side about which the plurality of bipod strut pairs are coupled, the adjustable struts being adjustable to equalize the load between each bipod strut pair;
- and
- a mount pad supported about each of the first and second struts, the mount pads being secured to the support structure of the mirror.
A method for supporting a mirror comprising:
- obtaining a mirror having a reflective surface and a support structure in support of the reflective surface;
- and
- securing the mirror to a kinematic mirror mount having a plurality of sub-tier mounting assemblies operable to support the mirror, the sub-tier mounting assemblies each comprising:
- an individual support base;
- a plurality of bipod strut pairs coupled to the support base, each bipod strut pair comprising individual first and second struts;
- adjustable struts coupled to the individual support base about a side opposite a side about which the plurality of bipod strut pairs are coupled, the adjustable struts being adjustable to equalize the load between each bipod strut pair;
- and
- a mount pad supported about each of the first and second struts, the mount pads being secured to the support structure of the mirror.
A kinematic mirror mount operable to support a mirror, comprising:
- a plurality of sub-tier mounting assemblies coupleable to a support structure of a mirror to distribute the support forces about the mirror, the sub-tier mounting assemblies each comprising:
- an individual support base spaced apart from the individual support bases of the other sub-tier mounting assemblies;
- a plurality of bipod strut pairs coupled to the support base, each bipod strut pair comprising individual first and second struts;
- adjustable struts coupled to the individual support base about a side opposite a side about which the plurality of bipod strut pairs are coupled, the adjustable struts being adjustable to equalize the load between each bipod strut pair;
- and
- a mount pad supported about each of the first and second struts, the mount pads being securable to the support structure of the mirror.
A sub-tier mounting assembly of a kinematic mirror mount operable to support a mirror, the sub-tier mounting assembly comprising:
- a support base;
- a plurality of bipod strut pairs coupled to the support base, each bipod strut pair comprising individual first and second struts;
- a mount pad supported about each of the first and second struts, the mount pads being securable to the support structure of the mirror;
- and
- adjustable struts coupled to the support base about a side opposite a side about which the plurality of bipod strut pairs are coupled, the adjustable struts being adjustable to equalize the load between each bipod strut pair,
- wherein the sub-tier mounting assembly is operable to be coupled to a support structure of a mirror with at least one additional sub-tier mounting assembly to distribute the support forces about the mirror, and wherein the individual support bases of each of the sub-tier mounting assemblies are configured to support the mirror in spaced apart positions from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.