| 摘要 |
An optical alignment device comprised of two "H" shaped structures may be used to precisely position an optical element in two orthogonal directions. Each "H" shaped web structure includes two flanges extending from opposite ends of a center web having a centroidal flexure axis. The "H" shaped structures also each include an aperture extending through the flanges and the web. The center webs may be resiliently flexed, allowing the angle between the flanges of each "H" shaped structure to be adjusted by rotating screws fitted through one flange and threaded to the other. The "H" shaped structures are mounted together so that their flexure axes are orthogonally oriented with respect to each other and so that the apertures of each structure are aligned to form an optical path cavity. In an unflexed state, the flanges of each web structure are nonparallel, so that as the screws are rotated to bring the flanges towards a parallel relation, tension induced in the screws minimizes backlash between the screws and the corresponding web structure to securely hold the optical alignment device in the adjusted position. Alternatively, an equivalent state is obtained when the flanges are parallel in an unstressed state and the mounting surface for the optical device is machined non-parallel to the "H" shaped structures. The "H" shaped structures may be easily manufactured using standard molding or machining techniques, or by being extruded. In another aspect of the invention, the optical alignment device may be used in conjunction with a resonant optical cavity such as a Raman gas analysis system,
|
