Clamping and fixing device for light delay line reflector

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device, which relates to the technical field of optical precision instruments and comprises a reflector clamping device and an angle adjusting device arranged at the bottom of the reflector clamping device. The reflector clamping device comprises a top plate, a clamping plate and a driving component, wherein the top plate abuts against the side walls of the mutually orthogonal reflectors, the clamping plate is arranged on one side of the top plate and used for clamping the reflectors, and the driving component is used for driving the clamping plate to clamp the reflectors. The angle adjusting device comprises a front plate arranged at the bottom of the top plate, a rear plate arranged at the bottom of the front plate and at least two adjusting lead screws which penetrate through the rear plate and are rotationally connected with the front plate, the adjusting lead screws are in threaded connection with the rear plate, by arranging the clamping device, reflectors of different sizes can be clamped, and the angle adjusting device can be used for adjusting the angle of the reflectors of different sizes. After the reflecting mirror is stably clamped, the at least two adjusting lead screws rotate to different heights through the angle adjusting device, and adjustment of the reflecting mirror at different angles can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical precision instrument technology, and specifically to a clamping and fixing device for an optical delay line reflector. Background Technology

[0002] Optical delay lines are core components in fields such as lidar, optical coherence tomography, and ultrafast optics, controlling time delay by precisely altering the optical path of a beam. As a crucial optical element in the delay line, the stability of the mirror's installation, its adjustability, and its long-term resistance to environmental interference directly determine the performance of the entire system. Existing technologies, such as hollow retroreflectors, cannot accommodate or replace mirrors of various sizes, while rearward mirrors are expensive.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to develop and design a clamping and fixing device for optical delay line reflectors. Adjusting the angle while ensuring stable clamping of reflectors of different sizes is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device that allows for angle adjustment while ensuring stable clamping of reflectors of different sizes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: A light delay line reflector clamping and fixing device includes a reflector clamping device and an angle adjustment device disposed at the bottom of the reflector clamping device; The mirror clamping device includes a top plate that abuts against the side walls of the mirrors that are orthogonal to each other, a clamping plate disposed on one side of the top plate for clamping the mirrors, and a driving member for driving the clamping plate to clamp the mirrors. The angle adjustment device includes a front plate disposed at the bottom of the top plate, a rear plate disposed at the bottom of the front plate, and at least two adjusting screws passing through the rear plate and rotatably connected to the front plate, wherein the adjusting screws are threadedly connected to the rear plate.

[0006] Preferably, a connecting plate is provided below the top plate, and an L-shaped groove for accommodating the reflector is formed between the connecting plate and the top plate.

[0007] Preferably, the driving component includes a screw that passes through the clamping plate and is rotatably connected to the connecting plate, a compression spring sleeved on the screw, and a first knob disposed at the end of the screw away from the connecting plate. The screw is threadedly connected to the clamping plate, one end of the compression spring abuts against the first knob, and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the connecting plate.

[0008] Preferably, the front plate and the connecting plate are connected by a flat plate, and the top surface of the flat plate abuts against the bottom surface of the clamping plate.

[0009] Preferably, a flexible strip is provided on the mating surface of the clamping plate and the reflector.

[0010] Preferably, there are three adjusting screws: the first adjusting screw is located at the orthogonal position of the reflector, and the second and third adjusting screws are located away from the orthogonal position of the reflector. The first adjusting screw, the second adjusting screw, and the third adjusting screw are arranged in a triangle.

[0011] Preferably, a second knob is provided at the end of the second adjusting screw and the third adjusting screw away from the front plate.

[0012] Preferably, the mating ends of the first adjusting screw, the second adjusting screw, and the third adjusting screw with the front plate are all provided with steel balls that can be rotatably connected to the front plate. The mating end of the front plate with the first adjusting screw is provided with a receiving groove to accommodate the steel balls. A circular shim is provided between the second adjusting screw and the front plate, and a V-shaped shim is provided between the third adjusting screw and the front plate. A tension spring is provided between the front plate and the rear plate to connect the front plate and the rear plate.

[0013] Preferably, at least two connection holes for connecting the optical platform are provided on the side wall of the rear plate and on the end face away from the front plate.

[0014] Preferably, the mating surfaces of the top plate and the reflector are provided with grid lines marking the scale, and the top surface of the top plate is provided with auxiliary lines along the light path direction.

[0015] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art: By setting up a clamping device, it is possible to clamp mirrors of different sizes. After the mirror is stably clamped, the angle adjustment device can be used to rotate at least two adjusting screws to different heights, thereby adjusting the mirror to different angles. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Appendix Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the main view structure of the optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device disclosed in this invention. Appendix Figure 2 This is a rear view structural schematic diagram of the optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device disclosed in this invention; Appendix Figure 3 This is a bottom view structural schematic diagram of the optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device disclosed in this invention; Appendix Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the adjusting screw and the front plate of the optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device disclosed in this invention; The components are as follows: 1. Second knob; 2. Rear plate; 3. First knob; 4. Flexible strip; 5. Clamping plate; 6. Reflector; 7. Top plate; 8. Auxiliary line; 9. Connecting plate; 10. Flat plate; 11. Front plate; 12. Third adjusting screw; 13. Second adjusting screw; 14. First adjusting screw; 15. Connecting hole; 16. Grid line; 17. Pin; 18. Circular washer; 19. Steel ball; 20. V-shaped washer; 21. Receiving groove. Detailed Implementation

[0018] 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. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] The purpose of this invention is to provide a clamping and fixing device for optical delay line reflectors, which allows for angle adjustment while ensuring stable clamping of reflectors of different sizes.

[0020] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0021] refer to Figures 1-4The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device disclosed in this embodiment of the invention includes at least a reflector clamping device for clamping a reflector 6. The bottom of the reflector clamping device is provided with an angle adjusting device for adjusting the angle of the reflector clamping device, and thus the angle of the reflector 6. The reflector clamping device includes a top plate 7, which includes at least a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first and second sidewalls are perpendicular to each other to abut the reflector 6 against the first and second sidewalls, making the two reflectors 6 orthogonal. A clamping plate 5 is provided on one side of each of the first and second sidewalls, and the clamping plate 5 is driven by a driving member. To allow the clamping plate 5 to move closer to or further away from the first and second side walls, thereby clamping the reflector 6, the angle adjustment device includes a front plate 11 located at the bottom of the top plate 7. A rear plate 2 is located on the side of the front plate 11 away from the top plate 7. At least two adjusting screws pass through the rear plate 2 and are threadedly connected to the rear plate 2. After passing through the rear plate 2, the adjusting screws are rotatably connected to the front plate 11. By setting up the reflector clamping device, it is possible to clamp reflectors 6 of different sizes. After the reflector 6 is stably clamped, by rotating the at least two adjusting screws to different heights through the angle adjustment device, different angles of the reflector 6 can be adjusted.

[0022] refer to Figures 1-3 In one embodiment, a connecting plate 9 is provided below the top plate 7, and an L-shaped groove for accommodating the reflector 6 is formed between the connecting plate 9 and the top plate 7. That is, the connecting plate 9 protrudes from the first side wall and the second side wall to form an L-shaped groove, so that the bottom of the reflector 6 abuts against the connecting plate 9 and the side wall of the reflector 6 abuts against the top plate 7, ensuring the firmness of the reflector 6.

[0023] refer to Figures 1-3 In one embodiment, the driving component includes a screw that passes through the clamping plate 5 and is threadedly connected to it. After passing through the clamping plate 5, the screw is rotatably connected to the connecting plate 9. A first knob 3 is provided at the end of the screw away from the connecting plate 9. A compression spring is sleeved on the screw, passing through the clamping plate 5. One end of the compression spring abuts against the first knob 3, and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the connecting plate 9. When the clamping plate 5 contacts the reflector 6 and begins to apply force, the screw continues to rotate. Even if the operator excessively rotates the first knob 3, the clamping force applied to the reflector 6 will not increase indefinitely, but will be limited by the compression stroke of the spring, forming a mechanical overload protection to prevent damage to the reflector 6. Moreover, the clamping plate 5 can adaptively conform to the side of the reflector 6 in a floating manner. Even if there is a slight non-parallelism between the side of the reflector 6 and the plane of the clamping plate 5, the compression force of the spring can ensure that the clamping force is pure pressure.

[0024] refer to Figure 1As a preferred method, the front plate 11 and the connecting plate 9 are connected by a flat plate 10, and the top surface of the flat plate 10 abuts against the bottom surface of the clamping plate 5. The top surface of the flat plate 10 serves as a precision-ground guide plane and slides in contact with the bottom surface of the clamping plate 5 throughout its travel. This ensures that no matter where the clamping plate 5 is in its travel, its posture is strictly parallel to the top surface of the flat plate 10, that is, parallel to the reference plane of the device. This ensures that the front of the clamping plate 5 can be perfectly vertically aligned with and press against the side of the reflector, achieving ideal surface contact.

[0025] refer to Figures 1-3 As a preferred method, a flexible strip 4 is provided on the mating surface of the clamping plate 5 and the reflector 6. The flexible strip 4 will elastically deform under pressure, adaptively filling all the micro-unevennesses between the clamping plate 5 and the side of the reflector 6, so that the clamping pressure is evenly distributed in the form of a gradient on a wide contact band. This completely eliminates the stress peaks caused by the rigid contact between the clamping plate 5 and the reflector 6, and avoids damage to the reflector 6.

[0026] It should be noted that the clamping plate 5 has a slot for accommodating the flexible strip 4. The flexible strip 4 protrudes from the slot, and there are two slots. One slot corresponds to the reflector 6, and the other slot corresponds to the side wall of the connecting plate 9. Under long-term pressure and vibration, the material of the flexible strip 4 may creep. The mechanical constraint of the slot effectively restricts its lateral flow and overall deformation, maintaining its original shape and functional position. Furthermore, the slots corresponding to the side wall of the connecting plate 9 can achieve force balance on the clamping plate 5. That is, through the bidirectional elastic balance design, flexible contact interfaces are set on both sides of the clamping plate 5, so that the reaction force of the reflector 6 and the supporting force of the connecting plate 9 automatically form a force couple balance, fundamentally eliminating the overturning moment of unilateral clamping and achieving stress-free, all-dimensional stable clamping of the reflector 6.

[0027] Flexible strip 4 is one of polyurethane strip, rubber strip or silicone strip.

[0028] refer to Figures 1-4 As one implementation method, three adjusting screws are set. The first adjusting screw 14 corresponds to the orthogonal position of the two reflectors 6, and the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12 are located away from the orthogonal position of the reflectors 6. The first adjusting screw 14, the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12 are arranged in a triangle. Adjusting the three adjusting screws at the same time can realize the height adjustment of the reflector 6. Through the coordinated work of the second adjusting screw and the third adjusting screw 12, the yaw angle of the reflector 6 is controlled. When the yaw needs to be adjusted, these two screws are adjusted synchronously and by the same amount, so that the reflector 6 can rotate around the axis approximately determined by the first adjusting screw 14, realizing pure yaw motion, which hardly introduces any additional pitch change.

[0029] refer to Figure 4 As one implementation method, the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12 are provided with a second knob 1 at the end away from the front plate 11. The second knob 1 facilitates the adjustment of the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12. The first adjusting screw 14 is not provided with a knob to avoid interference when the entire device is installed on the optical platform.

[0030] It should be noted that since there is no knob on the first adjusting screw 14, a cross hole is provided at the end of the first adjusting screw 14, which can be adjusted by a screwdriver.

[0031] refer to Figure 4 In one implementation, the mating ends of the first adjusting screw 14, the second adjusting screw 13, and the third adjusting screw 12 with the front plate 11 are all provided with steel balls 19 that can be rotatably connected to the front plate 11. The mating end of the front plate 11 with the first adjusting screw 14 is provided with a receiving groove 21 for accommodating the steel balls 19. A circular shim 18 is provided between the second adjusting screw 13 and the front plate 11, and a V-shaped shim 20 is provided between the third adjusting screw 12 and the front plate 11. A spacer is provided between the front plate 11 and the rear plate 2 for... The tension spring connecting the front plate 11 and the rear plate 2, by setting steel balls 19, changes the contact between the adjusting screw and the front plate 11 from surface friction to point contact rolling friction, resulting in minimal and constant frictional resistance. By setting a receiving groove 21, the axial movement of the steel balls 19 and the first adjusting screw 14 is restricted without significantly increasing rotational friction, making the first adjusting screw 14 an axial reference point. When adjusting the pitch, the ends of the second and third screws need to make a slight arc movement; the planar contact of the circular shim 18 facilitates this movement. It provides the necessary in-plane degrees of freedom, avoiding internal stress caused by excessive constraints. When adjusting the yaw, the V-shaped opening on the V-shaped shim 20 can provide precise linear guidance for the steel ball 19 in the direction perpendicular to the V-shaped opening, while allowing sliding along the V-shaped opening. Of the three contact points, one is the ball socket (constraining three translational motions), one is the plane (constraining one translational motion), and the V-shaped shim 20 perfectly constrains the remaining horizontal rotational degree of freedom (i.e., rotation about the vertical axis). The combination of the three constitutes a statically determinate constraint system, which determines the motion of the rear plate 2 relative to the front plate 11 (leaving only the required two tilting degrees of freedom). There are no redundant constraints, so there will be no assembly stress or fretting friction, ensuring the accuracy of adjustment. By setting a tension spring, the threaded pair of the adjusting screw, the contact surface of the steel ball 19 and the shim are always pressed together, completely eliminating the small gaps in all kinematic chains, keeping the system in a state of tension at all times, making the response to the adjustment input more direct and faster, and stronger in the ability to resist external interference (vibration).

[0032] It should be noted that a copper sleeve is provided on the mating surface of the rear plate 2 with the first adjusting screw 14, the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12. The copper sleeve is threadedly connected to the first adjusting screw 14, the second adjusting screw 13 and the third adjusting screw 12. The tension spring passes through the front plate 11 and the rear plate 2. The end of the tension spring near the bottom surface of the rear plate 2 is connected to the rear plate 2 through a pin 17, and the end of the tension spring near the top surface of the front plate 11 is connected to the front plate 11 through a pin 17.

[0033] refer to Figures 1-3 As one implementation method, at least two connection holes 15 for connecting the optical platform are provided on the side wall of the rear plate 2 and the end face away from the front plate 11. Specifically, the rear plate 2 has two M4 countersunk holes on the side and two M4 screw holes on the bottom, which are used to fix the device from different directions to realize diversified installation and construction experiments.

[0034] refer to Figures 1-3 As one implementation method, grid lines 16 with markings are set on the mating surfaces of the top plate 7 and the reflector 6. Auxiliary lines 8 are set on the top surface of the top plate 7 along the optical path direction. The operator does not need to calculate, but only needs to align the incident light spot with a specific coordinate on the grid line 16 to directly and accurately set the required delay amount (or clearly know the current delay amount), which greatly improves the setting speed and accuracy. It is especially suitable for multi-channel experiments or experiments that require rapid switching of delay amounts. In parallel optical paths or multi-beam interference systems, it is very difficult to accurately set the distance between two parallel beams (such as for differential measurement or spatial coding), which requires complex optical debugging and measurement. By setting auxiliary lines 8, it is only necessary to align the two beams with the two adjacent auxiliary lines 8 respectively. This eliminates the dependence on external measuring tools, realizes the standardized setting of beam spacing, and ensures the absolute accuracy and repeatability of the relative position between multiple optical paths.

[0035] It should be noted that the spacing between adjacent auxiliary lines 8 is 12.5 mm.

[0036] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clamping and fixing device for an optical delay line reflector, characterized in that, Includes a mirror clamping device and an angle adjustment device disposed at the bottom of the mirror clamping device; The mirror clamping device includes a top plate (7) that abuts against the sidewalls of the mutually orthogonal mirrors (6), a clamping plate (5) disposed on one side of the top plate (7) for clamping the mirrors (6), and a driving member for driving the clamping plate (5) to clamp the mirrors (6). The angle adjustment device includes a front plate (11) disposed at the bottom of the top plate (7), a rear plate (2) disposed at the bottom of the front plate (11), and at least two adjusting screws passing through the rear plate (2) and rotatably connected to the front plate (11), wherein the adjusting screws are threadedly connected to the rear plate (2).

2. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A connecting plate (9) is provided below the top plate (7), and an L-shaped groove for accommodating the reflector (6) is formed between the connecting plate (9) and the top plate (7).

3. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component includes a screw that passes through the clamping plate (5) and is rotatably connected to the connecting plate (9), a compression spring sleeved on the screw, and a first knob (3) disposed at the end of the screw away from the connecting plate (9). The screw is threadedly connected to the clamping plate (5), one end of the compression spring abuts against the first knob (3), and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the connecting plate (9).

4. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front plate (11) and the connecting plate (9) are connected by a flat plate (10), and the top surface of the flat plate (10) abuts against the bottom surface of the clamping plate (5).

5. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Flexible strips (4) are provided on the mating surfaces of the clamping plate (5) and the reflector (6).

6. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment screws are configured as three, with the first adjustment screw (14) located at the orthogonal position of the reflector (6), and the second adjustment screw (13) and the third adjustment screw (12) located away from the orthogonal position of the reflector (6). The first adjustment screw (14), the second adjustment screw (13) and the third adjustment screw (12) are arranged in a triangle.

7. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second adjusting screw (13) and the third adjusting screw (12) are provided with a second knob (1) at the end away from the front plate (11).

8. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first adjusting screw (14), the second adjusting screw (13), and the third adjusting screw (12) are all provided with steel balls (19) that can be rotatably connected to the front plate (11) at their mating ends with the front plate (11). The front plate (11) is provided with a receiving groove (21) for accommodating the steel balls (19) at its mating end with the first adjusting screw (14). A circular washer (18) is provided between the second adjusting screw (13) and the front plate (11). A V-shaped washer (20) is provided between the third adjusting screw (12) and the front plate (11). A tension spring is provided between the front plate (11) and the rear plate (2) for connecting the front plate (11) and the rear plate (2).

9. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least two connection holes (15) for connecting the optical platform are provided on the side wall of the rear plate (2) and on the end face away from the front plate (11).

10. The optical delay line reflector clamping and fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mating surfaces of the top plate (7) and the reflector (6) are provided with grid lines (16) marked with scales, and the top surface of the top plate (7) is provided with auxiliary lines (8) along the light path direction.

Images