Manufacturing methods for geometric reference components and multi-faceted optical elements

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of optical element manufacturing technology, and more particularly to a form and position reference component and a method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element. The method includes: providing a blank and a form and position reference component; the blank including a connected positioning part and a main body part; determining the target coordinates of the target multifaceted optical element in a reference spatial coordinate system; placing the positioning part in a positioning groove to fix the blank on a base; determining the basic coordinates of the blank in the reference spatial coordinate system; determining the machining allowance based on the difference between the basic coordinates and the target coordinates; machining the blank based on the machining allowance to obtain an initial multifaceted optical element; using a target sphere as a detection reference, sequentially detecting the relative positions and surface shape errors of multiple faces of the initial multifaceted optical element, and iteratively processing until the multifaceted optical element is obtained. This invention at least helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty of multifaceted optical elements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of optical component manufacturing technology, and particularly relates to a form and position reference component and a method for manufacturing a multi-faceted optical component. Background Technology

[0002] Complex multifaceted optical elements refer to multiple aspherical, freeform, or other complex optical surfaces that are fabricated onto the same optical substrate with defined positional relationships. Upon completion of manufacturing, the optical surfaces are optically registered, effectively reducing the number of optical elements requiring system adjustment, lowering system assembly complexity, and the integrated structure contributes to high system stability. Therefore, multifaceted optical elements are widely used in compact, mass-produced precision optoelectronic devices.

[0003] Multifaceted optical elements are integrally formed without assembly, thus greatly reducing the complexity of optical system assembly and adjustment. However, the integral forming process significantly increases the manufacturing difficulty, requiring the multiple faces to be in the correct positions during processing; otherwise, the performance of the optical system will be affected. Multifaceted optical elements require continuous iteration through processing and inspection to accurately determine the relative poses of the multiple faces, posing new challenges to existing manufacturing methods. Therefore, it is urgent to study a form and position reference that can be used throughout the processing and inspection of multifaceted optical elements, fundamentally solving the problem of a unified reference coordinate system for processing and inspection in the manufacturing process of multifaceted optical elements, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of multifaceted optical elements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a geometric reference component and a multi-faceted optical element, which at least helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty of multi-faceted optical elements.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution created by this invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] This invention provides a geometric reference component for providing a reference for the processing and inspection of multi-faceted optical elements. The geometric reference component includes: a base having a positioning surface and a positioning groove for fixing a blank, the positioning groove being disposed on the positioning surface; a plurality of reference rods arranged at intervals around the outer ring of the positioning groove; and a target ball disposed at the end of the reference rods away from the base.

[0007] In some embodiments, the number of reference rods is at least three.

[0008] In some embodiments, the length of the reference rod is different.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the billet is fixed on the base, the target ball is higher than the top surface of the billet.

[0010] Another aspect of this invention provides a method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element, comprising: providing a blank and the aforementioned form and position reference component, the blank including a positioning part and a main body part connected together; establishing a reference spatial coordinate system based on the relative positions between multiple target spheres, and determining the target coordinates of the target multifaceted optical element in the reference spatial coordinate system; setting the positioning part in a positioning groove to fix the blank on a base; determining the basic coordinates of the blank in the reference spatial coordinate system; determining the machining amount based on the difference between the basic coordinates and the target coordinates, and machining the blank based on the machining amount to obtain an initial multifaceted optical element; using the target spheres as a detection reference, sequentially performing relative position detection and surface shape error detection of multiple faces of the initial multifaceted optical element, and iteratively processing until the multifaceted optical element is obtained.

[0011] In some embodiments, the multifaceted optical element is an interactive off-axis three-mirror system.

[0012] In some embodiments, providing a form and position reference element further includes: analyzing the degrees of freedom of multiple faces of the target multifaceted optical element, determining the degrees of freedom that need to be controlled for the multiple faces; and obtaining the form and position reference element based on the degrees of freedom and the blank design.

[0013] In some embodiments, determining the base coordinates includes: using a coordinate measuring machine to measure the relative spatial position of the blank and the geometric reference part to determine the base coordinates.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: The embodiments of the present invention provide a form and position reference component that runs through the entire manufacturing process of a multi-faceted optical element. The form and position reference component defines a reference space coordinate system and unifies the coordinate system for the processing and inspection of the multi-faceted optical element, solving the problem of transferring the complex form and position relationships of multiple faces during the processing and inspection of the multi-faceted optical element. Specifically, during the processing of the multi-faceted optical element, a form and position reference component is first provided. A reference space coordinate system is established based on the form and position reference component to determine the spatial position of each face of the multi-faceted optical element to be processed. Then, the multi-faceted optical element is processed in an integrated manner using the form and position reference component as the processing reference, and the form and position of the multi-faceted optical element is inspected using the form and position reference component as the inspection reference. In this way, the relative positional relationship and surface shape of each face of the multi-faceted optical element can be effectively controlled, reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the multi-faceted optical element and improving the optical imaging performance of the multi-faceted optical element. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the form and position reference component described in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the blank as described in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the blank set on the form and position reference component as described in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the multifaceted optical element described in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the interactive off-axis three-reflector system described in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the M-type off-axis three-reflector system described in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 5. Base; 10. Blank; 4. Positioning groove; 3. Reference rod; 2. Target ball seat; 7. Primary mirror; 8. Secondary mirror; 9. Third mirror; 11. Exit surface. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] refer to Figure 1 This invention provides a geometric reference component, which serves as a reference for the processing and inspection of multifaceted optical elements. The geometric reference component includes: a base 5 having a positioning surface and a positioning groove 4 for fixing a blank 10, the positioning groove 4 being disposed on the positioning surface; multiple reference rods 3 spaced apart on the outer ring of the positioning groove 4; and a target ball 1 disposed at the end of the reference rods 3 away from the base 5. The spatial positions and relative positional relationships of multiple faces of the multifaceted optical element can be described and transmitted through the geometric reference component, thereby ensuring that the surface shape and spatial position of each face of the multifaceted optical element meet design requirements.

[0029] In some embodiments, the number of reference rods 3 is at least three, and a reference space coordinate system can be defined using at least three non-coplanar target spheres 1. In some examples, the number of reference rods 3 is four, which is more reasonable. Increasing the number of reference rods 3 would require more placement space and increase the difficulty of data processing. Four target spheres 1 are correspondingly set for the four reference rods 3, and a reference space coordinate system is defined using the four non-coplanar target spheres 1. When the multifaceted optical element is set in a fixed position in this reference space coordinate system, the coordinates of each face of the multifaceted optical element in this reference space coordinate system are unique.

[0030] In some embodiments, the length of the reference rod 3 is different. This allows multiple target balls 1 to be non-coplanar.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the blank 10 is fixed on the base 5, the target ball 1 is higher than the top surface of the blank 10. This facilitates the use of equipment such as an interferometer in conjunction with the target ball to detect multi-faceted optical elements.

[0032] In some embodiments, the base 5 of the form and position reference component involved in this invention can be a flat plate with high parallelism, whose size is required to support the multifaceted optical element and the reference rod 3. The positioning groove 4 is used to ensure the positioning accuracy when the multifaceted optical element is repeatedly fixed on the base 5. Specifically, the shape of the blank 10 can be determined according to the shape of the multifaceted optical element, and the positioning groove 4 matching the blank 10 can be machined on the base 5. In some examples, one end of the reference rod 3 can be threaded, and the base 5 has a threaded hole for setting the reference rod 3. The threaded end of the reference rod 3 is screwed into the corresponding threaded hole.

[0033] In some embodiments, the end of the reference rod 3 away from the base has a target ball seat 2, and a target ball 1 is disposed on the target ball seat 2. The target ball 1 can serve as a mechanical reference during the processing of the multifaceted optical element and as an optical reference during the inspection process of the multifaceted optical element. By establishing a reference spatial coordinate system using multiple non-coplanar target balls, the spatial positions of multiple faces of the multifaceted optical element can be described and transferred using form and position reference components. The form and position reference components serve as processing references for each face, ensuring precise control of the relative spatial pose of multiple faces during processing.

[0034] Another aspect of this invention provides a method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element, comprising: providing a blank 10 and the aforementioned form and position reference component, the blank 10 including a positioning part and a main body part connected together; establishing a reference spatial coordinate system based on the relative positions between multiple target spheres 1, and determining the target coordinates of the target multifaceted optical element in the reference spatial coordinate system; setting the positioning part in a positioning groove 4 to fix the blank 10 on a base 5; determining the basic coordinates of the blank 10 in the reference spatial coordinate system; determining the machining amount based on the difference between the basic coordinates and the target coordinates, and machining the blank 10 based on the machining amount to obtain an initial multifaceted optical element; using the target spheres 1 as a detection reference, sequentially performing relative position detection and surface shape error detection of multiple faces of the initial multifaceted optical element, and iteratively processing until the multifaceted optical element is obtained.

[0035] Here, blank 10 is the blank workpiece used to process multi-faceted optical elements. The step of determining the basic coordinates of blank 10 in the reference space coordinate system is to obtain the relative pose relationship between the form and position reference component and blank 10 by measuring geometric quantities. In some embodiments, determining the basic coordinates includes: using a coordinate measuring machine to measure the relative spatial position of blank 10 and form and position reference component to determine the basic coordinates.

[0036] In this embodiment of the invention, the relative spatial position relationship between the blank 10 and the form and position reference component remains unchanged during the processing. The form and position reference component is used as the processing reference during the processing of the multi-faceted optical element. After processing, the form and position reference component is used as the detection reference to detect the relative position and surface shape error of multiple faces of the multi-faceted optical element. Then, through iterative processing, a multi-faceted optical element that meets the requirements is obtained.

[0037] In some embodiments, the multifaceted co-optical element can be an off-axis three-mirror system; in some examples, reference... Figure 4 and Figure 5 The multifaceted co-optical element is an interactive off-axis three-mirror system; in other examples, refer to Figure 6 Multifaceted optical elements can also be used for M-type off-axis three-mirror systems.

[0038] In some embodiments, providing a form and position reference element further includes: analyzing the degrees of freedom of the multiple faces of the target multifaceted optical element, determining the degrees of freedom that need to be controlled for the multiple faces; and designing the form and position reference element based on the degrees of freedom and the blank 10.

[0039] In some examples, the degrees of freedom include at least the following: each surface has 6 degrees of freedom, which can be translation in the x-direction, translation in the y-direction, translation in the z-direction, tilting in the x-direction, tilting in the y-direction, and rotation; the degree of freedom for the relative positional relationship between each pair of optical surfaces includes the included angle between the two optical surfaces and the positional deviation between the two optical surfaces. It should be noted that the above degrees of freedom are merely examples, and different multifaceted optical elements have different degrees of freedom. Therefore, this invention does not limit the number of degrees of freedom of multifaceted optical elements.

[0040] Considering the issues of insufficient space for the clamping mechanism due to the compactness of the system assembly and optical system, the compact off-axis three-mirror system can be integrated into a single component for processing. (Refer to...) Figures 1 to 5 The manufacturing method of the multifaceted optical element involved in this invention will be described in detail below, taking the multifaceted optical element as an example of an interactive off-axis three-mirror system:

[0041] Step 1: Design the co-type form according to the specific interactive off-axis three-mirror system, and manufacture the blank structure of the multi-faceted co-type optical element, i.e. blank 10;

[0042] Step 2: Analyze the degrees of freedom of the multiple surfaces of the target multi-faceted optical element, and design the form and position reference component based on the degrees of freedom and their number. Use the spatial coordinate system established by the form and position reference component as the reference spatial coordinate system in its processing.

[0043] Step 3: Install and fix the blank 10 on the geometric reference component, and use a coordinate measuring machine to measure the spatial relative position of the blank 10 and the geometric reference component, that is, obtain the coordinates of the blank 10 in the reference spatial coordinate system. The coordinates of the blank 10 in the reference spatial coordinate system are used as the basic coordinates.

[0044] Step 4: During the processing, ensure that the relative spatial position relationship between the blank 10 and the form and position reference remains unchanged. Using the form and position reference as the processing reference, process each surface of the multi-faceted optical element in sequence until the initial processing of the multi-faceted optical element is completed.

[0045] Step 5: Using the form and position reference component as the detection reference, the relative position and surface shape error of multiple surfaces of the initial multi-faceted optical element are detected in sequence, and iterative processing is carried out until the multi-faceted optical element is manufactured. The multi-faceted optical element may include the incident surface 6, the primary mirror 7, the secondary mirror 8, the third mirror 9, and the exit surface 11.

[0046] It should be noted that the method for detecting multi-faceted optical elements in this embodiment of the invention can be a target-sphere-based computational hologram (CGH), that is, a form and position collaborative detection based on multi-region computational holography. Multi-region computational holography includes a reference region and a main region, which can simultaneously detect four target spheres and optical surfaces. The main region detects the optical surfaces to obtain the surface shape error, and the reference region detects the four target spheres to obtain the position error between the optical surfaces and the ideal position. Therefore, the form and position error of the optical surfaces can be obtained based on the detection results.

[0047] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this invention disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0048] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A geometric reference component, characterized in that, The form and position reference component is used to provide a reference for the processing and inspection of multi-faceted optical elements, and the form and position reference component includes: A base having a positioning surface and a positioning groove for fixing a blank, the positioning groove being disposed on the positioning surface; Multiple reference rods are arranged at intervals around the outer ring of the positioning groove, and the number of reference rods is at least four, with different lengths. The target ball is set at the end of the reference rod away from the base, and four non-coplanar target balls establish a reference space coordinate system; When the blank is fixed on the base, the target spheres are all higher than the top surface of the blank. An interferometer is used in conjunction with the target spheres to detect the multi-faceted optical element. The multifaceted co-optical element is an off-axis three-mirror system; The target coordinates of the target multifaceted optical element are determined in the reference spatial coordinate system. The relative spatial position of the blank and the form and position reference part is measured using a coordinate measuring machine to determine the basic coordinates of the blank in the reference spatial coordinate system. The processing amount is determined based on the difference between the basic coordinates and the target coordinates. The blank is processed based on the processing amount to obtain the initial multifaceted optical element. Using the target sphere as the detection reference, the relative position detection and surface error detection of multiple faces of the initial multifaceted optical element are performed sequentially. After iterative processing, the multifaceted optical element is obtained.

2. A method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element, characterized in that, include: A blank and a form and position reference component as described in claim 1 are provided, the blank comprising a positioning portion and a main body portion connected together; A reference spatial coordinate system is established based on the relative positions of the four target spheres, and the target coordinates of the multifaceted optical element in the reference spatial coordinate system are determined. The positioning part is placed in the positioning groove to fix the blank on the base; Determine the basic coordinates of the billet in the reference space coordinate system; The processing amount is determined based on the difference between the base coordinates and the target coordinates, and the blank is processed based on the processing amount to obtain an initial multi-faceted coherent optical element; Using the target sphere as a detection reference, the relative position detection and surface error detection of multiple faces of the initial multifaceted optical element are performed sequentially. After iterative processing, the multifaceted optical element is obtained. The multifaceted optical element is an off-axis three-mirror system.

3. The method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multifaceted optical element is an interactive off-axis three-mirror system.

4. The method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element according to claim 2, characterized in that, Providing the form and position reference component further includes: analyzing the degrees of freedom of multiple faces of the target multifaceted optical element, and determining the degrees of freedom that need to be controlled for the multiple faces; The form and position reference component is obtained based on the stated degrees of freedom and the design of the blank.

5. The method for manufacturing a multifaceted optical element according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the basic coordinates includes: using a coordinate measuring machine to measure the relative spatial position of the blank and the geometric reference component to determine the basic coordinates.

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