Ring laser gyroscope dither motor structure

摘要

Disclosed is a dither spring structure and method of dither spring manufacture. The dither spring structure includes a central hub, an outer toroidal rim, a plurality of flexible reeds and a plurality of lobes. The reeds extend between the hub and the rim, and one of the lobes is positioned between each pair of adjacent reeds. The rim is defined by a plurality of spaced arcuate segments with one of the segments at a radial outward end of each of the reeds. Each arcuate segment has first and second wing elements extending transversely to each side of its respective reed, and a free end of the first wing element of one reed is spaced from a free end of the second wing element of an adjacent reed to produce thermal stress relief. The dither spring structure can be manufactured via electro-discharge machining (EDM) using a single continuous pass of an EDM cutting element.