Raytheon Company

Daniel W Brunton

Jim Hicks

David James Knapp

David R Smith

Wayne Lee Sunne

Scott W Sparrold

David G Garrett

James P Mills

Nicholas Bert Saccketti

Michael P Schaub

Paul M Lyons

James R Myers

David G Anthony

Daniel C Harrison

Stephen M Jensen

Emmet R Anderson

Frank E Smith, Iii

Ronald L Roncone

Jon E Leigh

Nicholas D Trail

Justin C Jenia

Lawrence A Westhoven, Jr

Gregory P Hanauska

Richard C Juergens

Brian S Scott

Bret J Ashby

Barry A Rovner

Lawrence A Westhoven

Jim R Hicks

Lewis P Lane

Michael A Sandford

John L Polowchak

Frank E Iii Smith

An apparatus includes a chamber, a first heat exchanger, an adapter, and a second heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger includes a cold finger positioned within the chamber. The second heat exchanger is positioned around an adapter and within the chamber. The second heat exchanger is a counter flow heat exchanger to precool refrigerant entering a Joule-Thomson valve. The adapter is positioned between the cold finger and the second heat exchanger. The adapter transfers heat from a thermal load to both the cold finger and the refrigerant emitted from the Joule-Thomson valve.

Joule Thomson aided Stirling cycle cooler

A dual-mode active and passive gimbaled optical system including a mechanism for coupling an optical signal from an off-gimbal active-mode source into the on-gimbal passive-mode optical path. One example of the system includes a passive off-gimbal detector assembly configured to image emissive electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene, and a receiver-path optical assembly, including on-gimbal objective optics, that directs the electromagnetic radiation to the off-gimbal detector assembly. The system further includes an off-gimbal active source that generates an optical signal, a gimbal bearing assembly that supports rotation of the gimbal and includes a centrally-located output ferrule mated to an optical fiber that transports the optical signal from the active source to the output ferrule, and an on-gimbal optical coupling element that receives the optical signal from the output ferrule and couples the optical signal into the receiver optical path to direct the optical signal toward the on-gimbal objective optics.

Optical waveguide coude path for gimbaled systems having an optical coupling element

A Dewar apparatus includes a focal plane array (FPA) component coupled to an FPA carrier, and a cold bridge coupled to the FPA carrier. A cold shield is aligned with the optical axis and coupled to the cold bridge (e.g., via a direct-metal bond), and at least one cryostat enclosure is similarly coupled to the cold bridge such that it has an axis that is noncollinear with the optical axis.

Methods and apparatus for Dewar and cold shield assemblies

A pointing device is provided for directing electromagnetic radiation along a line of sight within a flight vehicle. The pointing device includes a beam deviation structure; a rotation assembly configured to support the beam deviation structure such that the beam deviation structure is pivotable about the rotation axis; and a nod gimbal configured to support the rotation assembly and the beam deviation structure such that the rotation assembly and the beam deviation structure are pivotable about a nod axis.

Flight vehicles with improved pointing devices for optical systems

An off-axis reflective transmit telescope for a DIRCM system is mounted on the gimbal along a transmit-axis offset laterally from the optical axis of the receive telescope but nominally aligned with the line-of-sight of the receive telescope to transmit a laser beam. The telescope comprises an optical port optically coupled to a laser to receive and direct the laser beam away from the dome and a reflective optical assembly that reflects the laser beam through the dome. The reflective optical assembly comprises an off-axis mirror segment and a second optical element that together precompensate the laser beam for dome aberrations induced by the lateral offset of the transmit telescope's transmit axis from the optical axis. The off-axis mirror segment comprises a segment of a parent mirror having an aspheric curvature (e.g. parabolic, elliptical or higher-order asphere) about an axis of symmetry. The segment is offset so that it is not centered on the axis of symmetry of the parent mirror. The use of the off-axis mirror segment allows the optical port and any folding mirror to be positioned so that they do not obscure the reflected laser beam. The second optical element may be a segment of a dome corrector parent lens, a prism or a refractive lens formed on the front surface of the off-axis minor segment.

Off-axis reflective transmit telescope for a directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system

A control mechanism pins an optical fiber assembly on and off gimbal and between gimbals to route the assembly from an off-gimbal optical source across the gimbal axis/axes to an on-gimbal optical element so that the fiber assembly moves with the rotation of the gimbals. To accommodate a relatively large range of motion, the control mechanism is suitably configured to route the fiber assembly in a 'U-shaped' loop with one end pinned off-gimbal in a stationary guide track and the other end pinned on-gimbal point in a rotating guide track so that the loose fiber assembly is constrained in the concentric tracks on and off gimbal. As the gimbal rotates, the loop seats onto one guiding track and peels off of the other guiding track while always maintaining its U shape. To accommodate a relatively small range of motion in other gimbal configurations, the control mechanism is suitably configured to pin one end of the fiber assembly off-gimbal and pass the fiber assembly directly over the gimbal where it is pinned on the other side of the gimbal. In a multi-gimbal pointer, the fiber assembly preferably exhibits different mechanical stresses as it crosses the different gimbals.

Optical fiber assembly wrapped across roll-nod gimbal axes in a DIRCM system

Optical fiber assembly wrapped across gimbal axes

A blur film is made of a polymeric film material transmissive to infrared energy of a selected waveband, which is affixed to a surface of a substrate transmissive to energy of the same selected infrared waveband. The blur film has a texture or a plurality of lenslets thereon, where the surface of each lenslet is a surface of revolution. In a spatial-filter wheel application, the blur film and substrate are affixed to a support, which in turn is rotatably mounted on a drive. The support is structured such that a portion of its circumference is covered by the blur film and a portion of its circumference is not covered by the blur film. The spatial-filter wheel is rotated in front of a detector to produce alternating blurred and direct images on the detector.

Method of fabricating a blur film assembly

Blur film assembly for infrared optical applications

Actuation apparatus for linearly engage and disengage pins respectively disposed along two predetermined (orthogonal) axes using a single actuator. The actuation apparatus comprises a housing and the actuator, which may comprise a DC torquer motor disposed in the housing. The actuator or motor has a threaded rotary shaft. A common plunger is coupled to the threaded rotary shaft that has an elevation ramp formed therein. Azimuth and elevation actuation pins are disposed along the predetermined axes within the housing that are moveable and extend outside the housing and retract into the housing when selectively actuated. Azimuth and elevation springs are disposed around the azimuth and elevation actuation pin. In a preferred embodiment, the pins are extendable into and removable from slots disposed in a moveable gimbal of a missile seeker, and locks an antenna disposed on the gimbal.

Two axis linear actuation mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Daniel W Brunton