MOUNTING OF AN OPTICAL ELEMENT IN A BARREL USING A FLEXIBLE RING

摘要

An optical assembly is provided where an optical element is mounted in the cavity of a barrel. A flexible ring is in contact with one of the surfaces of the optical element. The flexible ring has ring threads engaging barrel threads within the cavity. The flexible ring has a biased state in which the ring threads press against the barrel threads, and is resiliently deformable to a compressed state allowing screwing of the flexible ring within the cavity. In one variant, multiple subassemblies each having an optical element and a flexible ring are provided in the cavity of a barrel. The optical elements of subassemblies subsequent to the first one are supported by the flexible ring of the previous subassembly. Advantageously, the pressing of the ring threads against the barrel threads prevents a lateral shift of the flexible ring within the cavity, eliminating the decentering observed with conventional retaining rings.