Optical Mount Flexure Hinge Joints Thermal Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical mounts face challenges in balancing strain on optical devices, rigidity, and thermal expansion compensation, often requiring trade-offs that affect alignment and performance.
Innovation Solution
The optical mount features a closed geometry with inward extending contacting features and recessed portions that create a system of opposing hinge joints, allowing for flexure to accommodate dimensional changes while minimizing strain, using materials like PEEK that emulate rubber's durometric properties without the sticky issues of elastomers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compliant materials such as rubber or silicone are used to mount the optical device, then the mount can withstand shipping and handling shocks, but the material wets and sticks to the optical material surface, preventing thermal expansion in shear directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible mount body made from materials like PEEK that emulate rubber's durometric properties without the wetting and sticking problems of elastomers. The mount body is designed with flexure features including hinge joints, notches, and gaps that allow controlled flexibility for thermal expansion while maintaining structural integrity for shock resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from elastomeric rubber/silicone to PEEK or other rigid polymers that match the durometric properties of rubber but lack the wetting and sticking characteristics. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing both shock resistance and thermal expansion compatibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional springs and spring-loaded flats are used to retain the optical material, then wetting and sticking problems are avoided, but there is trouble balancing the force to retain the material without impairing performance, and they do not cope well with shipping and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of spring retention and shock resistance into a single integrated mount body structure. The flexure features (hinge joints, notches, gaps) provide both the retention force and the shock-absorbing capability that separate spring mechanisms and rigid mounts could not achieve simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the mount body dynamically flexible through hinge joints and gaps that allow controlled movement and flexure. This dynamic structure adapts to thermal expansion while maintaining retention force and shock resistance, unlike static spring mechanisms.
3Reliability
If elastomeric adhesives are used as a pottant for mounting optical devices, then the approach is robust and can largely address strain and alignment issues, but the expansion properties must be perfectly matched to the optical material and requires long assembly time for curing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive layer from the mounting system, eliminating the need for curing time and material matching. The flexible mount body directly contacts and retains the optical device through mechanical flexure features, removing the time-consuming adhesive curing process while maintaining strain minimization and alignment.
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
This design effectively maintains optical device alignment and minimizes strain during thermal expansion, ensuring stable performance and reduced assembly time, leading to higher quality and cost-effective optical products.
Implementation Method 1
the device capture provided by the optical mount needs to be compliant enough to allow the optical material some room for expansion or contraction in order to account for thermal effects
Implementation Method 2
the expansion properties of the elastomeric adhesive needs to essentially be perfectly matched to that of the optical material or the difference in the respective thermal expansion coefficients will impart strain to the optical material
Data Source
Figure 1A
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Figure 1C
AI summary
An optical mount includes a mount material in a closed geometry with an outer surface sized for matching internal dimensions of an outer housing, and an inner surface including spaced apart inward extending contacting features providing contact points that collectively define an inner opening sized for securing an optical device including a crystal within. At least one feature gap or a recessed portion is between the inward extending contacting features. Edge holders are adapted for receiving comers of the optical device can be the protrusion pair or inner notches. The outer surface includes at least one outer notch between the inward extending contacting features. The edge holders and outer notch(es) are for each acting as hinge points opening or pinching depending on a direction of force on the optical mount for responding with flexure when there is a dimensional change in the crystal, mount material, or the housing.