Raytheon Company

John A Thomas

Gary H Johnson

Ronald L Roncone

John Andrew Winkler

Douglas M Beard

Rene D Perez

Thomas H Lind

Optical systems configured to withstand operation in high acceleration and varying temperature environments, and methods of assembling the same. In one example, an imaging optical apparatus includes a primary minor made of an unreinforced polymer, a secondary mirror made of the unreinforced polymer and optically coupled to the primary minor, a field lens optically coupled to the secondary minor, and a strut having a plurality of cross-struts and mounting features configured to mount the primary minor, the secondary mirror and the field lens. In some examples, the imaging optical apparatus further includes an outer retainer disposed behind the primary minor and coupled to the strut, and an inner retainer disposed behind the field lens and coupled to the strut, the outer and inner retainers configured to structurally support the primary minor and the field lens and to accommodate deflections of the primary minor.

Bi-polymer infrared optics for high-G applications

An optical element mounting includes a frame, and a shuttle that is translatable relative to the frame. The shuttle includes inner and outer portions that are mechanically coupled together by a plurality of flexures that effectively bending and twisting of the shuttle from being transmitted to an optical element, such as an optical window, that is mounted on the inner portion of the shuttle. The flexures may be thin linking strips of material between the outer and inner portions. The flexures may have a thickness that is greater in an expected load direction, than in a direction perpendicular to the load direction. The optical mounting may include a locking mechanism, for example including a shape memory alloy wire, to lock the shuttle in a predetermined location relative to the frame.

Optical mounting for high-g environment

An optical element mount is effective in high G environments to protect brittle optical elements in which tensile stresses are generated on surface Swithout degrading optical performance. A flexible spacer formed of a relatively low-stiffness material supports an optical element having a tapered outer periphery in an optical seat having a complementary tapered surface. When the optical assembly is exposed to the high G environment, the inertial loading drives the optical element in the aft direction into the flexible spacer and seat. This puts the optical element into a plate bending condition thereby inducing tensile stress on Swhich is at least partially offset by a compressive stress caused by the reaction force normal to the tapered interface. The stresses, both compressive and tensile, placed on the optical element in the high G environment can be very large. In the absence of the tapered mount and flexible spacer, the tensile stress placed on Swould likely fracture or shatter the brittle optical element. When the inertial loading is removed, the optical element returns to its initial unstressed position.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

John A Thomas