Institut National D'optique

Centre De Recherche Industrielle Du Quebec

Frédéric Lamontagne

Nichola Desnoyers

Denis Hotte

Marc Lévesque

Paul Grenier

Martin Grenier

Yann Le Bihan

Marc-André Boucher

Marc Daigle

Maxime Savard

Mathieu Legros

The building of systems on breadboards such as optomechanical systems using reference stop assemblies is presented. Each reference stop assembly has a threaded base engageable with the breadboard to removably mount the reference stop assembly thereto, a support shaft connected to the threaded base and a reference ball. The reference ball is captively mounted to the support shaft and has a translational play in a plane perpendicular to the support shaft. The reference stop assembly also includes a clamping member mounted to the support shaft over the reference ball. The reference stop assembly is configured such that, when the reference stop assembly is mounted to said breadboard, the support shaft projects normally to the mounting surface of the breadboard and the clamping member cooperates with the breadboard so as to apply a clamping force to clamp the reference ball against a circular seat of a mounting hole on the breadboard.

Building of optomechanical systems using self-aligned reference balls

Optical assemblies having a barrel and one or more optical elements mounted therein are provided. The optical assembly includes a resilient spacer positioned between two consecutive ones of the components mounted in the barrel. In typical implementations, the contacting surface of either one of the components adjacent to the resilient spacer is precisely centered relative to the center axis of the cavity of the barrel. Furthermore, an outwardly-directed resulting force is applied to the resilient spacer by its engagements with the adjacent components.

Mounting of optical elements in a barrel using a resilient spacer

Assemblies and kits providing the repeatable positioning of a removable component with respect to a reference component are provided. Precision positioning members including a threaded positioning shaft associated with the reference component, a positioning sleeve associated with the removable component and an alignment nut screwed in the positioning shaft and abutting the positioning sleeve are provided. The spatial profile abutments on the positioning sleeve or positioning nut and the thread angle of the positioning shaft threads are selected to provide an automatic alignment of the positioning shaft within the positioning sleeve. A clocking angle lock for locking the relative orientation of the reference component and removable component is also provide, preferably in the shape of precision clocking members. Assemblies including three sets of precision members with slotted sleeves are also provided.

Repeatable precision mounting of mechanical parts

Optical assemblies are provided in which an optical element is centered in the cavity of a barrel. The optical element is secured between a seat in the cavity and a retaining ring. The retaining ring has ring threads complementary to the barrel threads. The retaining ring has an abutment surface engaging a peripheral mounting edge of the optical element along a circular edge contact line. In some embodiments, the abutment surface has a frustro-spherical profile having a radius of curvature selected in view of the thread angle to maintain a centering of the optical element even when the retaining ring is decentered in the cavity. In other variants, the abutment surface has a frustro-conical profile having an inclination angle with respect to the center axis of the cavity selected in view of the thread angle to maintain said centering.

Centering of an optical element using edge contact mounting

The auto-centering of an optical element within a barrel is provided. The optical element is mounted in a cavity of the barrel. A first surface of the optical element engages a seat provided in the cavity. A retaining ring is threaded on the barrel, through complementary barrel and ring threads. The retaining ring engages a peripheral region of a second surface of the optical element, thereby securing the optical element between the seat and the retaining ring. The profile of the barrel threads and the spatial profile of the peripheral region of the second surface are selected in view of an auto-centering condition whereby any decentering of the retaining ring and a corresponding tilt of the retaining ring have counterbalancing effects on the centering of the optical element. Optical assemblies and a mounting method are provided.

Auto-centering of an optical element within a barrel

An optical assembly has an optical element mounted in the cavity of a barrel. A flexible ring is in contact with one of the surfaces of the optical element. The flexible ring has ring threads engaging barrel threads within the cavity. The flexible ring has a biased state in which the ring threads press against the barrel threads, and is resiliently deformable to a compressed state allowing screwing of the flexible ring within the cavity. In one variant, multiple subassemblies each having an optical element and a flexible ring are provided in the cavity of a barrel. The optical elements of subassemblies subsequent to the first one are supported by the flexible ring of the previous subassembly. The pressing of the ring threads against the barrel threads prevents a lateral shift of the flexible ring within the cavity, eliminating the decentering observed with conventional retaining rings.

Mounting of an optical element in a barrel using a flexible ring

Optical assemblies include a barrel defining a cavity having a center axis, a sleeve inserted in the cavity, one or more optical elements mounted within the sleeve and a retaining ring inserted into the cavity and securing the sleeve. The sleeve engages the barrel inner wall through a thread engagement allowing a longitudinal displacement of the sleeve within the cavity. The retaining ring is also threadably engaged within the barrel, and the profile of the corresponding threads, as well as the spatial profile of a peripheral transversal surface of the sleeve engaging the retaining ring, are selected to provide centering of the sleeve with respect to the center axis of the cavity throughout the longitudinal displacement of the sleeve.

Optical assembly with translatable centered sleeve

A sun-tracking light distributor for a photosynthetic culture in an aqueous liquid, comprising: two light distribution walls made of a transparent material, creating an elongated V-shaped channel adapted to receive the sunlight and to be partly immersed in the aqueous liquid, the sun-tracking light distributor has a center of buoyancy, a vertical passing through the center of buoyancy defines an axis of flotation, and a pivot axis of the sun-tracking light distributor is offset relative to the axis of flotation. Owing to the offset pivot axis, the orientation of the light distributor is changed by varying the level of aqueous liquid, thus allowing a tracking of the sun's altitude.

V-shaped light distributor system

Optical assemblies have one or more optical elements mounted in the cavity of a barrel. The optical element has a curved abutment surface engaging a seat provided in the cavity. The barrel has an inner wall provided with a set of internal threads. External threads are provided on a peripheral wall of the optical element or on a perimeter wall of a retaining ring securing the optical element within the cavity. The internal and external threads have a thread profile including a load-bearing thread face perpendicular to the center axis of the cavity. The thread profile may define a Buttress thread profile or a square thread profile.

Optical assemblies with tilt-controlled mounting of an optical element in a barrel

Auto-centering is for an optical element mounted in a cavity of the barrel. A first surface of the optical element engages a seat provided in the cavity. A retaining ring is threaded on the barrel, through complementary barrel and ring threads. The retaining ring engages a peripheral region of a second surface of the optical element, thereby securing the optical element between the seat and the retaining ring. The profile of the barrel threads and the spatial profile of the peripheral region of the second surface are selected in view of an auto-centering condition whereby any decentering of the retaining ring and a corresponding tilt of the retaining ring have counterbalancing effects on the centering of the optical element. Optical assemblies and a mounting method are used with the optical element.

Growing community of inventors

Québec, Canada

Frédéric Lamontagne