Large-aperture aluminum-based reflector supporting device
By designing a support device for a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector, using Bipod support units and microcrystalline aluminum alloy materials, the problems of low surface accuracy and material thermal mismatch in aluminum alloy reflectors were solved, achieving high precision and wide temperature range adaptability of the reflector, and meeting the requirements of calorimetric design and rapid manufacturing of optical systems.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-31
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, aluminum alloy reflectors have low surface accuracy, which limits their application in the field of infrared detection. Furthermore, traditional infrared cameras require additional temperature control technology to address the mismatch in material thermal properties.
A support device for a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector was designed, which adopts a Bipod support unit, including a support rod, a spherical bearing, an adapter flange, and a pin. By using microcrystalline aluminum alloy material and a self-lubricating radial spherical bearing, the static determinate constraint and thermal deformation center of the reflector are consistent, thus meeting the requirements of the heatless design of the optical system.
It achieves high-precision surface shape and wide temperature range adaptability of the reflector, reduces assembly stress, and meets the requirements of lightweight and rapid mass production of the reflector.
Smart Images
Figure CN121763519A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aerospace optical remote sensor technology, and particularly relates to a large-aperture aluminum-based reflector support device. Background Technology
[0002] Using aluminum as the optical mirror and combining it with an aluminum alloy optomechanical structure to form a homogeneous, integrated design for the optical camera enables a calorific design for low-temperature infrared camera lenses. This technology effectively solves the problem of low-temperature applications for space infrared cameras and eliminates the need for focusing. The aforementioned design technology involves three main aspects: calorific optical design, mirror support technology, and stress-free connection design of the optomechanical structure.
[0003] According to research, the relevant technologies reported both domestically and internationally are as follows: the diameter of aluminum mirrors in China is around 200mm, and the surface accuracy of aluminum mirrors is around 1 / 10λ; the largest diameter aluminum alloy mirror abroad is the primary mirror used by Raytheon in its laser emission lenses, with a diameter of 600mm and a surface accuracy of 0.22λ. This relatively low surface accuracy limits the application of all-aluminum lenses in the field of infrared detection.
[0004] Traditional infrared cameras use glass mirrors in their optomechanical design alongside other metal materials. However, the thermal properties of these materials are incompatible, necessitating additional temperature control techniques to ensure a suitable thermal environment for the optomechanical system. While aluminum mirrors and aluminum alloy optomechanical structures offer thermal compatibility, this requires careful consideration of the homogeneous material characteristics during the optical design phase, leveraging the shared breathability of the materials to rationally allocate tolerances between the metal mirror and the structure. Furthermore, aluminum alloy mirrors suffer from drawbacks such as low stiffness, susceptibility to deformation, and extremely strong coupling between the bare mirror and the supporting structure. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device that solves the problem of surface shape sensitivity caused by assembly stress, gravity, thermal stress, etc., while balancing the lightweight constraints of the reflector and the connection with the structure.
[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, comprising: an aluminum-based reflector and a plurality of Bipod support units; wherein, each Bipod support unit is connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector.
[0007] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, the Bipod support unit includes two support rods, three spherical bearings, three transition flanges, and three pins. One end of the first support rod is rotatably connected to the first transition flange via the first spherical bearing and the first pin. One end of the second support rod is rotatably connected to the second transition flange via the second spherical bearing and the second pin. The other ends of both the first and second support rods are rotatably connected to the third transition flange via the third spherical bearing and the third pin. Both the first and second transition flanges are connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector.
[0008] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, multiple mounting holes are opened on the back of the aluminum-based reflector. The first adapter flange is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the first adapter flange, and the second adapter flange is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the second adapter flange.
[0009] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, the Bipod support unit further includes a bearing washer, a shaft wire retainer, and a hole wire retainer; wherein, the bearing washer is sleeved on the outer surface of the pin, and the bearing washer is located between the spherical plain bearing and the transition flange; the shaft wire retainer is connected to the tail end of the pin; and the hole wire retainer is disposed at the outer end of the spherical plain bearing.
[0010] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, the aluminum-based reflector, the support rod, the adapter flange, the pin, and the bearing washer are all made of microcrystalline aluminum alloy.
[0011] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, the spherical bearing is a self-lubricating radial spherical bearing. The inner and outer rings of the bearing are made of stainless steel, and a PTFE fabric pad is pasted on the inner spherical surface of the outer ring, forming a friction pair with the outer spherical surface of the inner ring.
[0012] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, a triangular lightweight hole is provided on the back of the aluminum-based reflector.
[0013] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device, the number of Bipod support units is three; the back of the aluminum-based reflector has six mounting holes, which are evenly distributed on the pitch circle with a radius of 0.65 on the back of the reflector; one Bipod support unit corresponds to two mounting holes.
[0014] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based mirror support device, the mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units are located in the centroid plane of the aluminum-based mirror.
[0015] In the aforementioned large-diameter aluminum-based mirror support device, the coplanarity of the mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units is better than 0.005 mm.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) The present invention ensures the consistency of the statically determinate constraint and the geometric center of the thermal deformation center of the reflector through the Bipod support unit, thereby achieving zero assembly stress, wide temperature range adaptability and high precision surface shape of the aluminum-based reflector; (2) The present invention can simultaneously meet the installation requirements of the entire research and development chain of mirror processing, testing and assembly, and realize low-cost and rapid mass production of aluminum-based mirrors. Attached Figure Description
[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the Bipod support unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the Bipod support unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the Bipod support unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the Bipod support unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention. For example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device includes: an aluminum-based reflector 1 and multiple Bipod support units; wherein each Bipod support unit is connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector 1.
[0020] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the Bipod support unit includes two support rods 2, three spherical bearings 3, three transition flanges 4, and three pins 5. One end of the first support rod 2 is rotatably connected to the first transition flange 4 via the first spherical bearing 3 and the first pin 5. One end of the second support rod 2 is rotatably connected to the second transition flange 4 via the second spherical bearing 3 and the second pin 5. The other ends of both the first and second support rods 2 are rotatably connected to the third transition flange 4 via the third spherical bearing 3 and the third pin 5. Both the first and second transition flanges 4 are connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector 1.
[0021] Multiple mounting holes are provided on the back of the aluminum-based reflector 1. The first adapter flange 4 is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the first adapter flange 4, and the second adapter flange 4 is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the second adapter flange 4.
[0022] The Bipod support unit also includes a bearing washer 6, a shaft wire retainer 7, and a hole wire retainer 8; wherein, the bearing washer 6 is sleeved on the outer surface of the pin 5 and is located between the spherical plain bearing 3 and the transition flange 4; the shaft wire retainer 7 is connected to the tail end of the pin 5; and the hole wire retainer 8 is located at the outer end of the spherical plain bearing.
[0023] A set of Bipod support units consists of three spherical bearings (3), two Bipod support rods (2), three transition flanges (4), three pins (5), six bearing washers (6), three wire retaining rings for the shaft (7), and six wire retaining rings for the bore (8). Each support unit achieves constraint on two degrees of freedom through spherical bearings. The three Bipod support units are installed with the aluminum-based reflector using screws, achieving statically determinate constraints on the reflector's six degrees of freedom and ensuring zero assembly stress.
[0024] The aluminum-based reflector, support rod, adapter flange, pin, and bearing gaskets are all made of microcrystalline aluminum alloy. The use of the same aluminum alloy material achieves thermal matching and structural integration. The adapter flange 4 provides the external interface for the reflector assembly.
[0025] The spherical plain bearing is a self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearing. The inner and outer rings of the bearing are made of stainless steel. The inner spherical surface of the outer ring is bonded with a PTFE fabric gasket, which forms a friction pair with the outer spherical surface of the inner ring.
[0026] The back of the aluminum-based reflector 1 has a triangular lightweight hole.
[0027] The aluminum-based mirror 1 has three Bipod support units. Six mounting holes are evenly distributed on the back of the mirror, within a 0.65 radius pitch circle. Each Bipod support unit corresponds to two mounting holes. The mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units are located in the centroidal plane of the aluminum-based mirror. The coplanarity of the mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units is better than 0.005 mm. The aluminum-based mirror 1 adopts a lightweight, open-back triangular design with six sets of mounting holes evenly distributed on the 0.65 radius pitch circle on the back of the mirror for mounting the three Bipod support units. The six mounting surfaces are located in the centroidal plane of the mirror, with a coplanarity better than 0.005 mm, ensuring that the thermal deformation center and geometric center are aligned, thus meeting the requirements of a heatless optical system design.
[0028] The reflector 1, Bipod support rod 2, adapter flange 4, pin 5, and bearing washer 6 are all made of microcrystalline aluminum alloy to ensure thermal compatibility. The microcrystalline aluminum alloy can be selected from Alcoa 6061, Dutch aluminum RSA-6061, RSA-905, or domestic aluminum alloy 6061 T6, depending on the surface roughness requirements.
[0029] Spherical plain bearing 3 is a self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearing. The inner and outer rings are made of stainless steel, and a PTFE fabric gasket is bonded to the inner spherical surface of the outer ring, forming a friction pair with the outer spherical surface of the inner ring. The diameters of the inner and outer rings of the bearing are determined according to the mechanical load-bearing conditions of the reflector assembly.
[0030] The wire retaining ring for the shaft is selected according to the outer diameter of the pin, referring to the standard QJ-3245.4-2005. The wire retaining ring for the bore is selected according to the outer diameter of the spherical plain bearing, referring to the standard GB / T 895.1-1986.
[0031] The reflector 1 adopts a lightweight triangular open-back design. The side length and wall thickness of the triangular lightweight hole are optimized according to the outer diameter, height and thickness of the reflector and the reflective panel. This ensures high rigidity while maintaining a high lightweight ratio. A semi-open lightweight design can also be adopted if necessary.
[0032] Six sets of mounting holes are evenly distributed on the back of the reflector for mounting three Bipod support units. The Bipod mounting surfaces are located on the centroid plane of the reflector, and the six mounting surfaces must meet certain coplanarity requirements.
[0033] Each Bipod support unit consists of three spherical bearings 3, two support rods 2, three adapter flanges 4, and three pins 5. Each Bipod support unit achieves two degrees of freedom constraint through the spherical bearings. The three Bipod support units are mounted to the aluminum-based reflector with screws, achieving six degrees of freedom statically determinate constraint of the reflector.
[0034] The angle between the plane containing the two support rods of the Bipod support unit and the mirror surface is adjustable. The length and outer diameter of the Bipod support rods are also adjustable.
[0035] The angle of the support rod in the Bipod support unit can be adjusted within the range of 0~180°; The height of the adapter flange and the installation interface are designed according to the interface of the connected component.
[0036] The inner and outer diameters and thickness of the bearing gasket are determined based on the type of spherical plain bearing, the width of the inner cavity of the transition flange, and the range of rotation angles. The greater the thickness, the greater the range of rotation angles.
[0037] Specifically, the reflector, Bipod support rod, adapter flange, pin, and bearing gasket are all made of domestically produced microcrystalline aluminum alloy 6061 T6 material to ensure thermal compatibility.
[0038] The spherical plain bearing is a self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearing. The inner and outer rings are made of stainless steel, with a PTFE fabric gasket bonded to the inner spherical surface of the outer ring, forming a friction pair with the outer spherical surface of the inner ring. The outer ring diameter is 21mm, and the inner ring diameter is 8mm.
[0039] The wire retaining ring for the shaft is selected according to specification 8 of QJ-3245.4-2005 standard. The wire retaining ring for the bore is selected according to specification 20 of GB / T 895.1-1986 standard based on the outer diameter of the spherical plain bearing.
[0040] The reflector adopts a lightweight, open-back triangular design, achieving high rigidity while maintaining a low weight ratio. The reflector has an outer diameter of 500mm, a central opening diameter of 100mm, a total thickness of 80mm, a reflective panel thickness of 6mm, and a triangular lightweight aperture with a side length of 25mm and a wall thickness of 3mm.
[0041] Six sets of mounting holes are evenly distributed on the pitch circle with a radius of 0.65 on the back of the reflector for mounting three Bipod support units. The Bipod mounting surface is located on the centroid plane of the reflector, and the coplanarity of the six mounting surfaces is better than 0.005 mm.
[0042] Each Bipod support unit consists of three spherical bearings, two support rods, three adapter flanges, and three pins. Each Bipod support unit achieves two degrees of freedom constraint through the spherical bearings. The three Bipod support units are mounted to the aluminum-based reflector with screws, achieving six degrees of freedom statically determinate constraint of the reflector.
[0043] The plane containing the two support rods of the Bipod support unit forms a 90° angle with the mirror surface. The Bipod support rod is 102mm long and has an outer diameter of 14mm.
[0044] The included angle of the support rods in the Bipod support unit is 96.65°.
[0045] The adapter flange is 37mm high, and the reflector mounting interface is 40mm high. There are three evenly distributed φ4 through holes on the circle.
[0046] The bearing washer has an inner and outer diameter of 8mm and 11mm respectively, and a thickness of 2.5mm.
[0047] This embodiment uses the Bipod support unit to ensure the consistency of the statically determinate constraint and the geometric center of the thermal deformation center of the mirror, achieving zero assembly stress, wide temperature range adaptability, and high-precision surface shape for the aluminum-based mirror. This embodiment can simultaneously meet the installation requirements of the entire manufacturing chain of mirror processing, testing, and assembly, enabling low-cost, rapid, and mass production of aluminum-based mirrors.
[0048] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention by utilizing the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.
Claims
1. A support device for a large-diameter aluminum-based reflector, characterized in that... include: An aluminum-based reflector and multiple Bipod support units; among which, Each Bipod support unit is connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector.
2. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Bipod support unit includes two support rods, three spherical bearings, three transition flanges, and three pins; wherein... One end of the first support rod is rotatably connected to the first transition flange via the first spherical bearing and the first pin. One end of the second support rod is rotatably connected to the second transition flange via the second spherical bearing and the second pin. The other ends of the first and second support rods are rotatably connected to the third transition flange via the third spherical bearing and the third pin. Both the first and second adapter flanges are connected to the back of the aluminum-based reflector.
3. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The aluminum-based reflector has multiple mounting holes on its back. The first adapter flange is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the first adapter flange, and the second adapter flange is installed in the mounting hole corresponding to the second adapter flange.
4. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The Bipod support unit also includes bearing washers, shaft wire retaining rings, and bore wire retaining rings; wherein... The bearing washer is sleeved on the outer surface of the pin, and the bearing washer is located between the spherical plain bearing and the transition flange; The shaft is connected to the tail end of the pin using a steel wire retaining ring; The wire retaining ring for the hole is set at the outer end of the spherical bearing.
5. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The aluminum-based reflector, the support rod, the adapter flange, the pin, and the bearing washer are all made of microcrystalline aluminum alloy.
6. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The spherical plain bearing is a self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearing. The inner and outer rings of the bearing are made of stainless steel. The inner spherical surface of the outer ring is bonded with a PTFE fabric gasket, which forms a friction pair with the outer spherical surface of the inner ring.
7. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aluminum-based reflector has a triangular lightweight hole on its back.
8. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of Bipod support units is three; The aluminum-based reflector has six mounting holes on its back, which are evenly distributed on a pitch circle with a radius of 0.65 on the back of the reflector. Each Bipod support unit has two mounting holes.
9. The large-diameter aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units are located in the centroid plane of the aluminum-based mirror.
10. The large-aperture aluminum-based reflector support device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The coplanarity of the mounting surfaces of the three Bipod support units is better than 0.005 mm.