Component packaging for a centrally hidden optical system.

Abstract

The optical system includes a convex capture mirror located inwardly relative to the concave primary mirror and forming an optical path for the field of view. A conical volume is formed relative to the concave primary mirror and the convex capture mirror, the optical path being unobstructed by the conical volume. The component is within the conical volume.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to optical systems, and more particularly to seeker heads that include optical systems with components packaged therein. [Background technology]

[0002] Centrally obscured optical systems are common in both military and commercial applications. Increasing constraints on size, weight, and power have led to the development of multi-bounce, centrally obscured optical systems, which offer the advantages of vertical packaging. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An optical system according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes an optical path for a field of view, a conical volume formed within an inner boundary of the optical path, and a component that fits within the conical volume.

[0004] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes comprising a plurality of components, wherein the components fit within a conical volume.

[0005] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the component comprising a printed circuit board.

[0006] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the component comprising a plurality of printed circuit boards, each of which is circular.

[0007] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the component comprising a spherical coolant vessel.

[0008] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes wherein the component comprises a conical coolant vessel.

[0009] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes a convex capture mirror positioned inwardly relative to the concave primary mirror to at least partially form the optical path.

[0010] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the optical path terminating in a detector sensitive within at least one of the optical spectral range, the infrared spectral range, and the thermal imaging spectral range.

[0011] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the optical path terminating in a detector that provides an input to a control system that generates steering signals to navigate the vehicle.

[0012] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes a coolant enclosure surrounding the detector, the coolant enclosure operable to receive a cryogenic coolant to cool the detector.

[0013] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes an optical joint behind the conical volume relative to the dome onto which the field of view is oriented.

[0014] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the field of view being articulatable by an optical joint.

[0015] A seeker head according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes a concave primary mirror, a convex capture mirror located inwardly relative to the concave primary mirror and forming an optical path for the field of view, a conical volume formed relative to the concave primary mirror and the convex capture mirror, the optical path being unobstructed by the conical volume, a control system comprising a plurality of printed circuit boards located within the conical volume, and a detector forming an end of the optical path, the detector path providing an input to the control system which generates steering signals to navigate the vehicle.

[0016] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes each of the plurality of printed circuit boards being circular.

[0017] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes an optical joint behind the conical volume relative to the dome onto which the field of view is oriented.

[0018] Further embodiments of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure include a coolant enclosure surrounding the detector, the coolant enclosure operable to receive cryogenic coolant from the coolant vessel to cool the detector.

[0019] A seeker head for a vehicle according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes a concave primary mirror, a convex capture mirror located inwardly relative to the concave primary mirror and forming an optical path for a field of view, a conical volume formed relative to the concave primary mirror and the convex capture mirror, the optical path being unobstructed by the conical volume, a coolant container located within the conical volume, a detector forming an end of the optical path, the detector path providing an input to a control system that generates steering signals to navigate the vehicle, and a coolant enclosure surrounding the detector, the coolant enclosure operable to receive low temperature coolant from the coolant container to cool the detector.

[0020] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the coolant vessel core being spherical.

[0021] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes the coolant vessel core being conical.

[0022] A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes an optical joint behind the conical volume relative to the dome onto which the field of view is oriented.

[0023] The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various non-exclusive combinations unless otherwise specified. These features and elements, and their operation, will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and are not intended to be limiting.

[0024] Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the disclosed non-limiting embodiments. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the seeker head of the vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conical volume in an optical path according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment including multiple printed circuit boards. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a conical volume in the optical path according to another non-limiting disclosed embodiment including a spherical coolant bottle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a conical volume in the optical path according to another disclosed non-limiting embodiment, including a conical coolant bottle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] 1, a vehicle 10 is shown schematically. The vehicle 10 may include a seeker head 12, an active component 14, and, in some embodiments, a motor 16. The vehicle 10 may be, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a spacecraft, a satellite, a rocket, a missile, a shell, or other system. The seeker head 12 may include an optical system 20 and a control system 22 that utilizes optical information from the optical system 20 and a detector 24 to generate steering signals for driving a control surface 26 to navigate the vehicle 10.

[0027] The optical system 20 is illustrated in the disclosed embodiment as a centrally hidden optical system, such as a catadioptric optical system, a Cassegrain optical system, or other such optical system. The optical system 20 may include input optics 30 having a concave primary mirror 32 and a convex capture mirror 34. The input optics 30 is optically connected to the detector optics 38 via an optical joint 36. The detector optics 38 provides an objective through which the object scene T is imaged onto the detector 24.

[0028] The optical joint 36 may be formed from two prism blocks 40, 42 designed to be movable relative to one another. The first prism block 40 is rotatable relative to the second prism block 42 about a pitch axis P, and both prism blocks 40, 42 are rotatable about a roll axis R that coincides with the longitudinal axis A of the vehicle 10. The first prism block 40 is fixedly connected to the input optics 30 so as to be rotatable about the pitch axis P and the roll axis R. The detector optics 38 is fixedly connected to the second prism block 42, which is also rotatable about the roll axis R.

[0029] The detector 24 is rigidly coupled to the outer housing 50 of the seeker 12. A coolant enclosure 60 is operable to receive a cryogenic coolant, such as nitrogen, or other fluid to cool the detector 24, which may be sensitive, for example, in optical, infrared, thermal imaging, or other such spectral ranges. Alignment of a field of view 80 (FIG. 1) through a dome 72 transparent to the spectral range directs the optical path of the object scene to the input optics 30, which is articulatable by an optical joint 36, and then to the subsequent lens system and structurally fixed matrix detector 24 of the detector optics 38. The detector 24 then provides input to the control system 22 for generating steering signals to navigate the vehicle 10.

[0030] The arrangement of concave primary mirror 32, convex capturing mirror 34, and optical joint 36 forms a conical volume 100 within the inner boundary of optical path 90. Conical volume 100 does not obstruct optical path 90, thereby providing a volume for packaging components that would otherwise conventionally be located aft of seeker 12.

[0031] 3, in one embodiment, a set of printed circuit boards 110 of the control system 22 may be disposed within the conical volume 100. In this embodiment, the printed circuit boards 110 may be circular and may decrease in diameter toward the optical joint 36 to fit closely within the conical volume 100.

[0032] 4, in another embodiment, coolant vessel 120 contains coolant for communication with coolant enclosure 60. Coolant vessel 120 may be spherical, conical (FIG. 5), or another shape that fits within conical volume 100.

[0033] Using the conical volume 100 frees up volume elsewhere in the vehicle 10. This approach allows the seeker to be packaged in a smaller volume, for example, to accommodate a longer rocket motor, additional electronics, and / or an overall shorter vehicle.

[0034] The foregoing description is illustrative rather than defining by limitation. While various non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations in light of the above teachings fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason, the appended claims should be studied to determine true scope and content.

Claims

1. 1. An optical system comprising: a concave primary mirror; an optical path for the field of view; a convex capture mirror disposed internally relative to the concave primary mirror to at least partially define the optical path; a conical volume formed within an inner boundary of the optical path; a coolant vessel disposed within the conical volume. Optical system.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the coolant vessel is spherical.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the coolant vessel is conical.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the optical path terminates in a detector sensitive within at least one of an optical spectral range, an infrared spectral range, and a thermal imaging spectral range.

5. 5. The optical system of claim 4, wherein the optical path terminates in a detector that provides an input to a control system that generates a steering signal for navigating a vehicle.

6. The optical system of claim 5 , further comprising a coolant enclosure surrounding the detector, the coolant enclosure operable to receive a cryogenic coolant for cooling the detector.

7. An optical system as described in claim 6, further comprising a dome and an optical joint, the conical volume being positioned between the dome and the optical joint, and the field of view being directed through the dome.

8. The optical system of claim 7 , wherein the field of view is variable by the optical joint being rotatable about a roll axis that coincides with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a pitch axis that is orthogonal to the roll axis.

9. 1. A seeker head for a vehicle, comprising: a concave primary mirror; a convex capture mirror positioned inward relative to the concave primary mirror and forming an optical path for a field of view; a conical volume formed within an inner boundary of the optical path relative to the concave primary mirror and the convex capture mirror, the optical path being unobstructed by the conical volume; and a coolant vessel disposed within the conical volume; a detector forming the terminus of the optical path, the detector providing an input to a control system that generates steering signals for navigating the vehicle; a coolant enclosure around the detector, the coolant enclosure operable to receive low temperature coolant from the coolant vessel to cool the detector. Seeker Head.

10. 10. The seeker head of claim 9, wherein the coolant vessel is spherical.

11. 10. The seeker head of claim 9, wherein the coolant vessel is conical.

12. A seeker head as described in claim 9, further comprising a dome and an optical joint, the conical volume being positioned between the dome and the optical joint, and the field of view being directed through the dome.

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