Stress-free supporting mirror frame with high surface shape precision, optical assembly and optical equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of optical lens installation, in particular to a stress-free supporting lens frame with high surface shape precision, an optical assembly and optical equipment. The supporting elastic pieces and the glasses frame main body are of an integrally-formed structure, and the supporting elastic pieces are distributed in the circumferential direction of the glasses frame main body and extend inwards in the radial direction from the inner edge of the glasses frame main body; wherein each supporting elastic sheet has axial flexibility and can generate elastic deformation along the optical axis direction under the action of external force; the upper surface of each supporting elastic piece is a binding face, and the binding faces and the lower surface of the supported optical element have matched curvature radiuses so that the optical element can be evenly attached to the supporting elastic pieces under the self-weight effect, and therefore stress-free supporting can be conducted on the optical element. The optical lens supporting structure can solve the problems that an existing optical lens supporting structure is strict in machining tolerance requirement, complex in assembly, low in production efficiency and the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical lens mounting, in particular to a high surface accuracy stress-free support frame, an optical assembly and an optical device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The performance of high-end optical devices (such as space telescopes, lithography machines, etc.) is highly dependent on the imaging quality of optical lenses. These lenses are usually made of special materials and have very high surface accuracy requirements. Any slight stress can cause the lens surface shape to change, i.e. "surface error", which can seriously affect the imaging clarity.

[0003] To protect the lenses from stress, the traditional method uses a "multi-point support" technique, i.e. supporting the lens from different positions by multiple independent small supports. This method can control the deformation of the lens to some extent, but has many problems: first, each support part needs to be machined with high precision to ensure that its size and shape meet the requirements; second, during assembly, the support points need to be aligned and fixed one by one, which is tedious and prone to errors; in addition, due to the complexity of the support structure, any slight assembly deviation can exert additional pressure on the lens, which can affect its surface accuracy.

[0004] Therefore, the existing multi-point support technology not only has high cost and low efficiency, but also is prone to errors during manufacturing and assembly, which is difficult to meet the stringent requirements of high-end optical devices for lens support stability and precision. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a high surface accuracy stress-free support frame that can overcome the problems of strict machining tolerance requirements, complex assembly, and low production efficiency in existing optical lens support structures.

[0006] Another purpose of the present application is to provide an optical assembly that can overcome the problems of strict machining tolerance requirements, complex assembly, and low production efficiency in existing optical lens support structures.

[0007] The technical solution of the present application is as follows: A high surface accuracy stress-free support frame for supporting an optical element, comprising: a frame body; and a plurality of support springs, which are integrally formed with the frame body, distributed along the circumference of the frame body and extending radially inward from the inner edge thereof; wherein each support spring has axial flexibility and can elastically deform along the optical axis direction under external force; The upper surface of the support spring is a bonding surface, and the bonding surface has a matching radius of curvature with the lower surface of the supported optical element, so that the optical element can be uniformly bonded to each support spring under its own weight, thereby providing stress-free support for the optical element.

[0008] Furthermore, the supporting spring is a cantilevered elastic structure, with its root fixedly connected to the main body of the frame, and its free end extending upward to form a supporting surface for supporting optical elements.

[0009] Furthermore, the support spring is Z-shaped and includes a support part, a turning part and a connecting part arranged in sequence. The upper surface of the support part is the fitting surface, and the connecting part is connected to the main body of the frame.

[0010] Furthermore, the widths of the support portion, the turning portion, and the connecting portion are the same.

[0011] Furthermore, the thickness of the upper and lower surfaces of the support is different at various points, with a minimum thickness of H1. The turning part and the connecting part are both sheet-like structures with the same thickness of H2, satisfying H1 > H2.

[0012] Furthermore, the turning portion is perpendicular to the connecting portion, and the turning portion is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of supporting spring pieces is 12, which are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the main body of the frame.

[0014] Furthermore, the frame body and the supporting spring are integrally manufactured from metal materials through precision machining, and the metal materials include any one of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy or Invar alloy.

[0015] An optical assembly includes an optical element and a support structure for supporting the optical element, wherein the support structure is the stress-free support frame described above. The optical element is placed on multiple support springs and, under its own weight, completely adheres to the contact surface of each support spring, achieving stress-free support with high surface accuracy.

[0016] An optical device comprising the aforementioned optical components, wherein the optical device is an astronomical telescope, a laser interferometer, a lithography machine, or a space remote sensing imaging system.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This solution provides a stress-free support frame with high surface accuracy. The support springs and the frame body are integrally formed, and each support spring has axial flexibility, enabling it to elastically deform along the optical axis under external force. The upper surface of the support spring is the contact surface, and the contact surface has a matching radius of curvature with the lower surface of the supported optical element, so that the optical element can be uniformly contacted with each support spring under its own weight, thereby providing stress-free support for the optical element. This solution achieves high-precision, low-stress, and assembly-free support for optical elements through integrated structural design and elastic support mechanism. It can overcome the problems of strict processing tolerance requirements, complex assembly, and low production efficiency in existing optical lens support structures. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the stress-free support frame for supporting a convex mirror according to the present invention. Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the supporting spring sheet; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the stress-free support frame for supporting a convex mirror according to the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stress-free support frame for supporting a concave mirror according to the present invention; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the supporting spring sheet; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the stress-free support frame for supporting a concave mirror according to the present invention.

[0020] In the picture: 1-Frame body; 2-Supporting spring; 201-Connecting part; 202-Turning part; 203-Supporting part; 3-Lamination surface; 4-Optical element. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0022] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0023] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. They 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 of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" 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 can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0028] Example 1 A stress-free support frame with high surface accuracy for supporting optical element 4, comprising: The main body of the frame 1; and Multiple support springs 2 are integrally formed with the frame body 1, distributed circumferentially along the frame body 1 and extending radially inward from its inner edge; Each of the supporting spring pieces 2 has axial flexibility and can undergo elastic deformation along the optical axis under the action of external force; The upper surface of the support spring 2 is the bonding surface 3. The bonding surface 3 and the lower surface of the supported optical element 4 have a matching radius of curvature, so that the optical element 4 can be uniformly bonded to each support spring 2 under its own weight, thereby providing stress-free support for the optical element 4.

[0029] The support spring 2 is a cantilevered elastic structure, with its root fixedly connected to the main body 1 of the frame, and its free end extending upward to form a support surface for supporting the optical element 4.

[0030] The support spring 2 is Z-shaped and includes a support part 203, a turning part 202 and a connecting part 201 arranged in sequence. The upper surface of the support part 203 is the fitting surface 3, and the connecting part 201 is connected to the frame body 1.

[0031] The support part 203, the turning part 202 and the connecting part 201 have the same width.

[0032] The thickness of the support portion 203 varies between its upper and lower surfaces, with a minimum thickness of H1. The turning portion 202 and the connecting portion 201 are both sheet-like structures with the same thickness of H2, satisfying H1 > H2. The support portion 203 is thicker to provide support.

[0033] The turning part 202 is perpendicular to the connecting part 201, and the turning part 202 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0034] There are 12 supporting spring pieces 2, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the frame body 1.

[0035] The frame body 1 and the supporting spring 2 are made of metal materials through precision machining. The metal materials include any one of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy or Invar alloy.

[0036] The curvature of the contact surface 3 of the supporting spring 2 is customized according to the shape of the lower surface of the supported optical element 4, and is adapted to convex, concave or planar optical elements 4.

[0037] The thickness and length of the supporting spring 2 are optimized through structural design, which can keep the surface shape error of the optical element 4 within a reasonable range under gravity and thermal load conditions.

[0038] The outer periphery of the frame body 1 may also be provided with an installation interface for fixing the entire supporting frame in the optical system bracket, without changing the preset stress state of the supporting spring 2 during the installation process.

[0039] Multiple support springs 2 are integrally molded with the lens frame body 1, and the whole is manufactured by precision machining (such as five-axis CNC milling, wire EDM or laser micromachining), without the need for subsequent assembly. The support springs 2 are evenly or non-uniformly arranged along the circumference of the lens frame body 1, and their number is optimized according to the size, weight and required degrees of freedom of the optical element 4.

[0040] In this embodiment, the support springs 2 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the lens frame body 1, preferably in twelve groups. Their number and layout are optimized based on the mass, dimensions, and required degrees of freedom of the supported optical element 4. Each support spring 2 has a certain axial flexibility, meaning it possesses controllable elastic deformation capability in the direction perpendicular to the lens surface, while maintaining high rigidity in the radial and tangential directions, thus achieving the functional characteristics of "axial compliance and radial constraint." Each support spring 2 is a cantilevered elastic structure with a certain axial flexibility, capable of undergoing slight deformation under stress to adapt to the installation requirements of the optical element 4.

[0041] The upper surface of the supporting spring 2 and the lower surface of the supported optical element 4 have the same radius of curvature, ensuring maximum contact area when they come into contact. This allows the optical element 4 to naturally conform to the upper surface of each supporting spring 2 under its own weight, achieving uniform contact and stress relief. This bonding process automatically compensates for height errors generated during the manufacturing process of the supporting spring 2, avoiding local stress concentration and effectively improving overall surface accuracy. When the optical element 4 is installed above the supporting spring 2, it slowly sinks under its own weight. Each spring undergoes coordinated micro-axial compression deformation under force until all contact points are fully bonded and reach a state of mechanical equilibrium. This process achieves automatic leveling and stress-free fixation of the optical element 4 without the need for external preload or adjusting screws.

[0042] Furthermore, the contact surface of the supporting spring 2 can be customized according to the shape of different optical elements 4, adapting to various types of optical elements 4 such as planar, convex, or concave surfaces. For example, for a downwardly convex optical element 4, the upper surface of the supporting spring 2 is designed as a corresponding concave contact surface (e.g., Figures 1-3 The upper surface of the connecting part is flush with the upper surface of the lens frame; for the concave optical element 4, it is designed with a corresponding convex contact surface to ensure maximum fit and minimum deformation in the contact area (e.g., Figures 4-6This customizable contact interface design significantly enhances the versatility and adaptability of this support structure.

[0043] The working process of this solution is as follows: First, the completed integrated support frame is placed in a clean environment. Then, the optical element 4 to be supported is gently placed on the upper surface of each support spring 2. Due to the axial flexibility of the springs, the optical element 4 causes the springs to deform in a coordinated manner under its own weight, ultimately achieving simultaneous contact and forming a stable support state at all contact points. During this process, if individual springs have slight height errors (e.g., within ±5μm), they can be automatically compensated for through elastic deformation, avoiding lens surface deterioration caused by local stress concentration.

[0044] This solution achieves high surface accuracy, stress-free, and adjustment-free support for optical element 4 through an integrated elastic support design. It has the advantages of simple structure, convenient processing, and strong adaptability. It is suitable for applications with extremely high optical performance requirements, such as high-end imaging systems, space optical instruments, and extreme ultraviolet lithography objective lens units. It is especially used to reduce lens surface errors caused by assembly stress, gravity deformation, or temperature changes, thereby improving the imaging quality of the optical system.

[0045] Example 2 An optical assembly includes an optical element 4 and a support structure for supporting the optical element 4, wherein the support structure is the stress-free support frame described above. The optical element 4 is placed on multiple support springs 2 and, under its own weight, is completely in contact with the upper surface of each support spring 2, achieving stress-free support with high surface accuracy.

[0046] Example 3 An optical device comprising the aforementioned optical components, wherein the optical device is an astronomical telescope, a laser interferometer, a lithography machine, or a space remote sensing imaging system.

[0047] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of the present invention are: 1. Integrated structure, simplified manufacturing and assembly: The supporting frame and its supporting spring 2 are integrally formed by machining (such as precision milling, EDM or additive manufacturing), which eliminates the traditional multi-component assembly process, greatly improves production efficiency and reduces the cumulative error introduced by assembly.

[0048] 2. Adaptive bonding for high surface accuracy: The optical element 4 is driven by its own weight to naturally bond with the spring sheet, automatically compensating for processing errors, eliminating local stress caused by rigid contact, and significantly improving the problem of lens surface distortion.

[0049] 3. Flexible support to reduce the impact of thermal stress and vibration: The support spring 2 structure has good axial compliance and can effectively absorb deformation when temperature changes or external load fluctuations, thus maintaining the stability of the optical system.

[0050] 4. Highly customizable and highly adaptable: The number of springs, layout and contact surface shape can be flexibly adjusted according to the needs of different optical systems, and it is widely applicable to high-precision support of various aspherical, free-form and other complex optical elements.

[0051] In summary, the stress-free support frame with high surface accuracy proposed in this solution not only solves the problem of decreased accuracy caused by complex assembly in traditional multi-point support structures, but also achieves a higher level of surface control capability through innovative integrated elastic design. It is suitable for applications with extremely stringent optical performance requirements, such as high-end optical systems, space telescopes, and extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A stress-free support frame with high surface accuracy for supporting optical elements (4), characterized in that, include: The main body of the frame (1); Multiple support springs (2), the support springs (2) and the frame body (1) are integrally formed, distributed along the circumference of the frame body (1) and extending radially inward from its inner edge; Each of the supporting springs (2) has axial flexibility and can undergo elastic deformation along the optical axis under the action of external force; The upper surface of the support spring (2) is the bonding surface (3), and the bonding surface (3) and the lower surface of the supported optical element (4) have a matching radius of curvature, so that the optical element (4) can be uniformly bonded to each support spring (2) under its own weight, thereby providing stress-free support for the optical element (4).

2. The stress-free support frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support spring (2) is a cantilever elastic structure, with its root fixedly connected to the main body of the lens frame (1), and its free end extending upward to form a support surface for supporting the optical element (4).

3. The stress-free support frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support spring (2) is Z-shaped and includes a support part (203), a turning part (202) and a connecting part (201) arranged in sequence. The upper surface of the support part (203) is the fitting surface (3), and the connecting part (201) is connected to the frame body (1).

4. The stress-free support frame according to claim 3, characterized in that, The widths of the support portion (203), the turning portion (202), and the connecting portion (201) are the same.

5. The stress-free support frame according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the support part (203) varies between the upper and lower surfaces, with the minimum thickness being H1. The turning part (202) and the connecting part (201) are both sheet-like structures with the same thickness of H2, satisfying H1 > H2.

6. The stress-free support frame according to claim 5, characterized in that, The turning part (202) is perpendicular to the connecting part (201), and the turning part (202) is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

7. The stress-free support frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The number of the supporting spring pieces (2) is 12, which are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the main body of the frame (1).

8. The stress-free support frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame body (1) and the supporting spring (2) are made of metal material through precision machining. The metal material includes any one of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy or Invar alloy.

9. An optical assembly comprising an optical element (4) and a support structure for supporting the optical element (4), characterized in that, The supporting structure is a stress-free support frame as described in any one of claims 1-8; The optical element (4) is placed on multiple support springs (2) and, under its own weight, is fully attached to the contact surface (3) of each support spring (2), thereby achieving stress-free support with high surface accuracy.

10. An optical device comprising the optical components as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The optical equipment is an astronomical telescope, a laser interferometer, a lithography machine, or a space remote sensing imaging system.

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