Rotary multi-optical-wedge module and laser communication equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of space laser communication, and discloses a rotary multi-optical-wedge module and laser communication equipment, the rotary multi-optical-wedge module comprises at least two optical wedge units whose optical axes coincide, and each optical wedge unit comprises an optical wedge, a hollow ultrasonic motor and a hollow encoder, the axis of the hollow ultrasonic motor and the axis of the hollow encoder coincide with the optical axis of the optical wedge. The optical wedge is located in a hollow cavity of the hollow ultrasonic motor and fixedly connected with a rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor, and the hollow encoder is fixed to one end of the hollow ultrasonic motor. Every two adjacent optical wedge units are fixedly connected, and the working faces, close to each other, of every two adjacent optical wedges are parallel to each other. According to the rotary multi-optical-wedge module and the laser communication equipment, the problems that a rotary double-optical-wedge system is large in size, heavy in mass, complex in structure and large in assembly difficulty are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space laser communication technology, and in particular to a rotating multi-beam wedge module and laser communication equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Optical wedges are components that deflect light of different wavelengths to varying degrees, and are widely used in fields requiring laser scanning, such as space laser communication and lidar. Pairs of optical wedges are often referred to as double optical wedges. When a laser beam is incident on a double optical wedge, scanning can be achieved by independently rotating the two wedges without changing the propagation direction of the incident laser. However, in existing technologies, rotating double optical wedge systems are bulky, heavy, structurally complex, and difficult to assemble. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a rotating multi-beam wedge module and laser communication equipment to improve the problems of large size, heavy weight, complex structure and difficult assembly of rotating dual-beam wedge systems.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A rotating multi-optical wedge module includes at least two optical wedge units with coincident optical axes. Each optical wedge unit includes an optical wedge, a hollow ultrasonic motor, and a hollow encoder. The axis of the hollow ultrasonic motor and the axis of the hollow encoder are both coincident with the optical axis of the optical wedge. The optical wedge is located in the hollow cavity of the hollow ultrasonic motor and is fixedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor. The hollow encoder is fixed to one end of the hollow ultrasonic motor.

[0006] The two adjacent optical wedge units are fixedly connected, and the working surfaces of the two adjacent optical wedges that are close to each other are parallel to each other.

[0007] Optionally, the optical wedge unit further includes a hollow support, in which the optical wedge is fixed and connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor via the support.

[0008] Optionally, the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor is provided with internal threads, the bracket is provided with external threads, and the bracket is threadedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor.

[0009] Optionally, the optical wedge is bonded to the bracket.

[0010] Optionally, the support is a cylindrical tube extending along its own axis, including a first tube segment and a second tube segment arranged and fixedly connected along its own axis. The inner diameter of the first tube segment is larger than the inner diameter of the second tube segment, and a stepped surface is formed at the junction of the first tube segment and the second tube segment. The optical wedge is disposed in the first tube segment and abuts against the stepped surface.

[0011] Optionally, the sidewall of the first pipe segment is provided with at least one set of glue-filling holes, each set of glue-filling holes including at least one glue-filling hole, the glue-filling hole penetrating the sidewall of the first pipe segment; adhesive fills each of the glue-filling holes and is bonded to the optical wedge.

[0012] Optionally, each of the glue-filling hole groups is arranged along the axial direction of the first pipe segment; each of the glue-filling hole groups includes a plurality of glue-filling holes distributed circumferentially along the first pipe segment, and the inner wall of the first pipe segment is provided with annular grooves corresponding to the glue-filling hole groups one by one, and the annular grooves are connected to each of the corresponding glue-filling holes, so as to bond the optical wedge and the bracket by glue filling.

[0013] Optionally, the rotating multi-wedge module includes a connecting plate, with each pair of adjacent wedge units corresponding to at least one connecting plate. The connecting plate is provided with two sets of through holes for connecting to the two wedge units. Each of the two wedge units is provided with a set of threaded holes corresponding to the respective sets of through holes. The connecting plate is connected to the corresponding two wedge units by screws.

[0014] Optionally, all of the optical wedges have the same structure.

[0015] The present invention also provides a laser communication device, including any of the rotating multi-beam wedge modules provided in the above technical solutions.

[0016] In this solution, the rotating multi-wedge module uses a hollow ultrasonic motor to drive the optical wedge rotation, eliminating the need for complex mechanical transmission structures. This results in a simpler overall structure, smaller size, lighter weight, and significantly reduced assembly difficulty. Furthermore, each optical wedge unit in this solution functions as a module, allowing for modular integration into corresponding optical systems. This facilitates disassembly, maintainability, and offers good portability and versatility. Combining two optical wedge units into a rotating dual-wedge module enables laser scanning. The hollow ultrasonic motor features a power-off self-locking characteristic, maintaining torque and achieving self-locking without requiring continuous power, thus reducing the overall power consumption of the rotating multi-wedge module. Since the laser communication equipment includes the aforementioned rotating multi-wedge module, it can at least achieve the technical effects achievable by this module. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rotating multi-beam wedge module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A simplified view of the cross-sectional view of the rotating multi-beam wedge module shown;

[0019] Figure 3An exploded view of an optical wedge unit in a rotating multi-optical wedge module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the support and optical wedge in a rotating multi-optical wedge module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A.

[0022] Icons: 1-Optical wedge unit; 11-Optical wedge; 12-Hollow ultrasonic motor; 13-Hollow encoder; 14-Bracket; 141-First pipe section; 1411-Wrench groove; 142-Second pipe section; 15-Glue hole; 16-Annular groove; 17-Connecting plate. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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.

[0024] A classic ultrasonic motor mainly consists of a stator, rotor, piezoelectric ceramic ring, friction material layer, bearings, and shaft. The piezoelectric ceramic ring is bonded to the bottom of the stator; the friction material layer is bonded to the bottom of the rotor and contacts the stator teeth through axial preload. A hollow ultrasonic motor, however, is a type of ultrasonic motor with a special structure. Specifically, a hollow ultrasonic motor is based on the above-mentioned ultrasonic motor, but uses a hollow sleeve-type output shaft instead of a solid output shaft, or integrates the rotor and solid output shaft into a single hollow sleeve-type unit, thus creating a large hollow structure at the center of rotation of the motor.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rotating multi-beam wedge module provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A simplified view of the cross-sectional view of the rotating multi-beam wedge module shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the embodiment of this application, a rotating multi-optical wedge module includes at least two optical wedge units 1 with coincident optical axes. Each optical wedge unit 1 includes an optical wedge 11, a hollow ultrasonic motor 12, and a hollow encoder 13. The hollow encoder 13, as the name suggests, is an encoder that extends through its central axis. The axes of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 and the hollow encoder 13 are both coincident with the optical axis of the optical wedge 11. The optical wedge 11 is located in the hollow cavity of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 and is fixedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12, thus enabling it to rotate under the drive of the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. The hollow encoder 13 is fixed to one end of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. It is easy to understand that the hollow encoder 13 is used for detecting and providing feedback on the rotor angle of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12, and it can be fixed to either end of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. In specific implementation, both the hollow encoder 13 and the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 are electrically connected to a controller, which can control the operation of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 based on the feedback from the hollow encoder 13. Two adjacent optical wedge units 1 are fixedly connected, and the working surfaces of two adjacent optical wedges 11 that are close to each other are parallel. For example, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the rotating multi-wedge module includes two optical wedge units 1 with overlapping optical axes. The working surface a of one optical wedge unit 1 is parallel to the working surface b of the other optical wedge unit 1. The two optical wedge units 1 can be independently driven to rotate by their respective hollow ultrasonic motors 12. When the laser enters through the light-transmitting hole on one side, scanning of the laser can be achieved on the other side of the rotating multi-wedge module by rotating the two optical wedge units 1.

[0026] In this solution, the rotating multi-beam wedge module uses a hollow ultrasonic motor 12 to drive the beam wedge 11 to rotate, eliminating the need for a complex mechanical transmission structure. The overall structure of the rotating multi-beam wedge module is simpler, smaller, lighter, and the assembly difficulty is greatly reduced.

[0027] Furthermore, in this scheme, each optical wedge unit 1 is treated as a module, allowing it to participate in the corresponding optical system in a modular manner. This makes it easy to disassemble, highly maintainable, and possesses good portability and versatility. Combining two optical wedge units 1 into a rotating dual-optical wedge module enables laser scanning. The hollow ultrasonic motor 12 features a power-off self-locking characteristic, maintaining torque and achieving self-locking without requiring continuous power, resulting in lower overall power consumption for the rotating multi-optical wedge module.

[0028] Figure 3 An exploded view of the optical wedge unit 1 in a rotating multi-optical wedge module provided in this application embodiment is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, in one possible implementation, the optical wedge unit 1 further includes a hollow support 14, in which the optical wedge 11 is fixed and connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 via the support 14, so that the connection between the support 14 and the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 is easier to operate.

[0029] For example, the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 has an internal thread, and the bracket 14 has an external thread. The bracket 14 is threadedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. Of course, in other implementations, the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 can also be connected to the bracket 14 in other ways, such as welding or snap-fitting.

[0030] When connecting the optical wedge 11 and the bracket 14, the optical wedge 11 and the bracket 14 can be bonded together to simplify the operation and reduce the possibility of damaging the optical wedge 11 during the connection process.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a bracket 14 and a light wedge 11, as shown below. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the support 14 is a cylindrical structure extending along its own axis, comprising a first tube segment 141 and a second tube segment 142 arranged and fixedly connected along its own axis. The inner diameter of the first tube segment 141 is larger than the inner diameter of the second tube segment 142. A stepped surface T is formed at the junction of the first tube segment 141 and the second tube segment 142. The optical wedge 11 is disposed in the first tube segment 141 and abuts against the stepped surface T, thereby achieving the initial positioning of the optical wedge 11 in the support 14. The side wall of the first tube segment 141 is provided with at least one set of glue-filling holes 15. Each set of glue-filling holes 15 includes at least one glue-filling hole 15, which penetrates the side wall of the first tube segment 141. Adhesive fills each glue-filling hole 15 and bonds it to the optical wedge 11, thereby achieving the connection between the optical wedge 11 and the support 14.

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Please refer to the enlarged view at point A. Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one specific implementation, each set of grouting holes 15 is arranged along the axial direction of the first pipe section 141; each set of grouting holes 15 includes multiple grouting holes 15 distributed circumferentially along the first pipe section 141, and the inner wall of the first pipe section 141 is provided with annular grooves 16 corresponding to the grouting holes 15 one by one. The annular grooves 16 are all connected to each corresponding grouting hole 15, so as to increase the contact area between the adhesive and the bracket 14 and the optical wedge 11, and make the connection between the optical wedge 11 and the bracket 14 more reliable.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the sidewall of the first pipe segment 141 is provided with two groups of glue-filling holes 15 arranged along the axial direction of the first pipe segment 141. Each group of glue-filling holes 15 includes a plurality of glue-filling holes 15, which are evenly distributed circumferentially on the first pipe segment 141. For example, each group of glue-filling holes 15 includes four glue-filling holes 15.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the outer circumferential surface of the second pipe segment 142 has an external thread that is threadedly connected to the internal thread of the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. The end of the first pipe segment 141 opposite to the second pipe segment 142 is provided with a wrench groove 1411 to facilitate the screwing of the bracket 14 into the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. Exemplarily, four wrench grooves 1411 are provided at the end of the first pipe segment 141 opposite to the second pipe segment 142, and these four wrench grooves 1411 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the first pipe segment 141.

[0035] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 In one possible implementation, the rotating multi-wedge module includes a connecting plate 17. Each pair of adjacent wedge units 1 corresponds to at least one connecting plate 17. The connecting plate 17 has two sets of through holes for connecting to the corresponding two wedge units 1. Each wedge unit 1 has a set of threaded holes corresponding to the corresponding sets of through holes. The connecting plate 17 is connected to the corresponding two wedge units 1 by screws. This facilitates both the assembly of adjacent wedge units 1 and the detachability of adjacent wedge units 1, making maintenance of the rotating multi-wedge module easier. For example, each pair of adjacent wedge units 1 corresponds to one connecting plate 17, and the connecting plate 17 has two sets of through holes, each set including two through holes. The wedge unit 1 has a set of threaded holes corresponding to the corresponding sets of through holes, and adjacent wedge units 1 are connected to the corresponding connecting plate 17 by screws.

[0036] In practice, each optical wedge 11 has the same structure.

[0037] The following is combined Figure 3 A brief description of the assembly process of an optical wedge unit 1 is provided. First, the optical wedge 11 is installed in the bracket 14 and fixed with adhesive. The bracket 14 and the optical wedge 11 connected to the bracket 14 are then inserted into the hollow structure of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 from one side of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12 and connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12. Subsequently, the hollow encoder 13 is installed on the other side of the hollow ultrasonic motor 12.

[0038] Furthermore, align the light-transmitting holes of each optical wedge unit 1, then attach multiple identical optical wedge units 1 tightly, connecting adjacent optical wedge units 1 using connectors and screws. It should be understood that the number of optical wedge units 1 can be set according to actual needs, and can be two, three, or more.

[0039] This embodiment also provides a laser communication device, which includes the aforementioned rotating multi-wedge module. Therefore, it achieves at least the technical effects of the aforementioned rotating multi-wedge module, namely, the rotating multi-wedge module eliminates the need for complex mechanical transmission structures, resulting in a simpler overall structure, smaller size, lighter weight, and significantly reduced assembly difficulty. Each wedge unit 1 acts as a module, allowing it to participate in the corresponding optical system in a modular manner. It is easy to disassemble, highly maintainable, and possesses good portability and versatility. Combining two wedge units 1 into a rotating dual-wedge module enables laser scanning. The hollow ultrasonic motor 12 has a power-off self-locking characteristic, maintaining torque and achieving self-locking without requiring continuous power, resulting in lower overall power consumption for the rotating multi-wedge module.

[0040] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A rotating multi-beam wedge module, characterized in that, The device includes at least two optical wedge units with coincident optical axes. Each optical wedge unit includes an optical wedge, a hollow ultrasonic motor, and a hollow encoder. The axes of the hollow ultrasonic motor and the hollow encoder are both coincident with the optical axis of the optical wedge. The optical wedge is located in the hollow cavity of the hollow ultrasonic motor and is fixedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor. The hollow encoder is fixed to one end of the hollow ultrasonic motor. The two adjacent optical wedge units are fixedly connected, and the working surfaces of the two adjacent optical wedges that are close to each other are parallel to each other.

2. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical wedge unit also includes a hollow support, in which the optical wedge is fixed and connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor via the support.

3. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor has an internal thread, and the bracket has an external thread. The bracket is threadedly connected to the rotor of the hollow ultrasonic motor.

4. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The optical wedge is bonded to the bracket.

5. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support is a cylindrical tube extending along its own axis, including a first tube segment and a second tube segment arranged and fixedly connected along its own axis. The inner diameter of the first tube segment is larger than the inner diameter of the second tube segment, and a stepped surface is formed at the junction of the first tube segment and the second tube segment. The optical wedge is disposed in the first tube segment and abuts against the stepped surface.

6. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first pipe section has at least one set of glue-filling holes on its sidewall, and each set of glue-filling holes includes at least one glue-filling hole that penetrates the sidewall of the first pipe section; adhesive fills each of the glue-filling holes and is bonded to the optical wedge.

7. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the glue-filling hole groups is arranged along the axial direction of the first pipe section; each glue-filling hole group includes a plurality of glue-filling holes distributed circumferentially along the first pipe section, and the inner wall of the first pipe section is provided with annular grooves corresponding to the glue-filling hole groups one by one. The annular grooves are connected to each of the corresponding glue-filling holes so as to bond the optical wedge and the bracket by glue filling.

8. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The device includes a connecting plate, with at least one connecting plate corresponding to each pair of adjacent optical wedge units. The connecting plate is provided with two sets of through holes for connecting to the two optical wedge units. Each of the two optical wedge units is provided with a set of threaded holes corresponding to the respective sets of through holes. The connecting plate is connected to the two corresponding optical wedge units by screws.

9. The rotating multi-beam wedge module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, All of the described optical wedges have the same structure.

10. A laser communication device, characterized in that, Includes the rotating multi-beam wedge module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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