Raytheon Company

Raytheon Canada Limited

Edward Benneyworth

Conrad Stenton

Peter Rozitis

John William Bowron

Alexandre Lifchits

Mikael Grans

A system for retaining an optical member about a vehicle is disclosed. The system can comprise a mount, an optical member having a first end and a second end, and a primary retention system operable to secure the second end of the optical member of the mount. The system can further comprise a secondary retention system. The secondary retention system can comprise a retaining clip coupled to one of the optical member and the mount, adjacent the second end of the mount. The retaining clip can comprise at least one aperture therethrough. The secondary retention system can further comprise a pin coupled to the other of the optical member and the mount. The pin can extend through the aperture of the retaining clip. The secondary retention system can activate to cause the pin to engage the retaining clip upon movement of the optical member relative to the mount and at least partial failure of the primary retention system.

Secondary retention of optical members

An air-gap optical structure is fabricated by depositing a metallic spacer structure on a first transmissive optical element, and then contacting a second transmissive optical element to the spacer structure so that the spacer structure lies between the first transmissive optical element and the second transmissive optical element and defines an air gap therebetween. A first layer of the spacer structure contacts the first transmissive optical element, and a second layer of the spacer structure contacts the first layer. The first layer is preferably deposited by vapor deposition and is relatively thin, and the second layer is preferably electroless deposited and is relatively thick. The total thickness of the spacer structure is typically from about 5 to about 15 micrometers.

Air-gap optical structure having the air gap defined by a layered spacer structure

Growing community of inventors

Midland, Canada

Edward Benneyworth