Joint Guidance of Movable Optical Elements With Fixed Planar Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical systems face challenges in achieving high guidance accuracy for movable optical elements, particularly for large travels, while requiring minimal installation space, being robust against jolts and vibrations, and avoiding complex and costly adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A guide component with separate planar sliding guide surfaces, arranged with fixed spatial alignment, facilitates the joint guidance of optical elements, ensuring high accuracy and robustness, and reduces the need for additional adjustment elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional adjustment elements (e.g., adjustment screws) are used to guide optical elements, then adjustment capability is provided, but device complexity and installation space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional adjustment elements (screws, nuts, and associated mechanisms) from the optical system and replaces them with a guide component that provides guidance through its structural design alone, eliminating the need for separate adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The guide component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides guidance for optical elements, maintains their positional accuracy, and eliminates the need for separate adjustment elements, thereby reducing overall system complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional adjustment elements are used, then guidance accuracy can be achieved, but installation space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the guidance function and the structural support function into a single integrated guide component, eliminating the need for separate adjustment elements and reducing the overall space required in the optical system
3Manufacturing precision
If coupled adjustment points are used to adjust guide path and position, then guidance accuracy is improved, but ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide component is designed with separate functional zones: a guide path definition portion that establishes the intended trajectory and a guidance portion that provides actual guidance, allowing independent optimization of each function without requiring complex coupled adjustments
4Ease of operation
If adjustment elements remain in the optical system, then adjustment capability is maintained, but reliability decreases due to settling phenomena
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes adjustable elements that can settle or loosen over time and replaces them with a fixed guide component that provides stable, long-term guidance without the reliability issues associated with mechanical adjustment elements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise guidance of optical elements with accuracies below 10 μm, even for large travels, while minimizing installation space and reducing sensitivity to vibrations, thus enhancing the stability and reliability of optical systems.
Implementation Method 1
at least two separate planar sliding guide surfaces arranged with a fixed spatial alignment relative to one another; the at least two separate planar sliding guide surfaces including a first sliding guide surface defining a first surface normal and configured to rest against and slidingly guide the first optical element
Data Source
AI summary
A guide component for joint guidance of at least two optical elements that are movable in relation to one another is described. The guide component comprises at least two separate planar sliding guide surfaces arranged with a fixed spatial alignment relative to one another, a first sliding guide surface comprising a first surface normal and being configured to rest against and slidingly guide a first optical element in relation to a second optical element, and a second sliding guide surface comprising a second surface normal and being configured to rest against and slidingly guide the second optical element in relation to the first optical element, the first surface normal and the second surface normal running parallel to one another in opposite directions.