| 摘要 |
A thermal compensator assembly employed in an optical system to adjust the relative location of lens elements to maintain a preset focus as the ambient temperature changes. A serpentine channel, having several elongated channel portions parallel to the optic axis, contains a plurality of spherical elements throughout most of its length. The serpentine channel is formed on the surface of a first lens barrel, having a relatively high linear coefficient of expansion, and changes in length as the first lens barrel changes in response to ambient temperature change. The spherical elements are made of a material such as Kovar or Invar, having a relatively low linear coefficient of expansion, and therefore occupy a substantially fixed length with respect to the responsively changing length of the serpentine channel. A second lens barrel is bias mounted for movement with respect to the first lens barrel so as to abut the spherical elements within the serpentine channel.
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