NON-CONTACTING ELECTRO-MAGNETIC SPHERICAL PLANAR MOTOR PROVIDING 3-AXIS CONTROL OF A BALL JOINT GIMBAL MOUNTED ELECTRO-OPTIC SYSTEM

摘要

A ball gimbal electro-optic system comprises a ball gimbal mounted on a platform. The gimbal includes a socket mounted on the platform and an inner ball captured within the socket and free to rotate about combinations of three orthogonal axes to point a pointing axis. A directional electro-optic element is mounted within the inner ball to transmit or receive an optical beam along the pointing axis. A spherical planar motor comprises a plurality of two-dimensional drive elements configured to apply non-contacting electro-magnetic forces in planes tangential to the inner ball at at least two control points on different diameters of the inner ball in commanded two-dimensional directions within the tangential planes to rotate the inner ball within the socket to point the pointing axis. In different embodiments, the spherical planar motor may be configured as a spherical planar DC motor or a spherical planar induction motor. Other systems such as power, ball position readout and data I/O may also be configured as “non-contacting” systems to maintain the inertial stabilization of the inner ball.

主权项

1. A ball gimbal electro-optic system, comprising:
a platform; a ball gimbal mounted on the platform, said ball gimbal including a socket fixedly mounted on the platform and an inner ball captured within the socket and free to rotate about combinations of three orthogonal axes to point a pointing axis; a directional electro-optic element mounted within the inner ball to transmit or receive an optical beam along the pointing axis; and a spherical planar motor comprising a plurality of two-dimensional drive elements configured to apply non-contacting electro-magnetic forces in planes tangential to the inner ball at at least two control points on different diameters of the inner ball in commanded two-dimensional directions to rotate the inner ball within the socket to point the pointing axis.