Apparatus for changing the direction of a light beam passing through an articulated joint

摘要

An articulated joint of changing the direction of a light beam passing through the joint has an inlet for the incoming light beam, an outlet for the outgoing light beam, two turning mirrors and three precision bearing units associated with the turning mirrors for permitting rotation of the mirrors with a minimum amount of error of angular displacement of the redirected beam. An apparatus providing movement of at least a portion of a beam delivery system and directing an outlet beam to a desired location includes the articulated joint, a motion delivery device operatively associated with the joint and connecting means disposed between the joint and the motion delivery device. The connecting means are adapted to provide relative motion between an attachment of the connecting means to the joint and an attachment of the connecting means to the motion delivery device. The precision bearings are associated with the turning mirrors and the outlet so as to decouple the articulated joint from the axis of the actuator mechanism, such as, for example, a robot arm. The precision bearing units incorporate two tapered roller bearings opposed to each other. Each tapered roller bearing has an inner race and an outer race. A preload arrangement preloads the bearings by exerting a force on the inner races which tends to squeeze the inner races together and by exerting a force on the outer races which tends to push the inner races apart.