Thermal energy receiver

Claim 2

An infrared receiver comprising: a. an infrared detector in a scanning path of infrared energy emanating from a source thereof for producing electrical signals representative of impinging infrared energy; b. a detector-vacuum module including an elongated vacuum chamber one end wall of which forms a first cold finger having integral therewith a seat portion rigidly supporting the infrared detector thereon, and an electrical conductor means coupled to the detector for collecting the electrical signals produced by the detector; c. a refrigerator means having a motor driven compressor, a cooling member including a second elongated cold finger, means for selectively coupling the second cold finger of the cooling member in sealing engagement within and in conductive contact with said end of the first cold finger of the detector-vacuum module for cooling the detector to an operative temperature for producing the electrical signals, said detector-vacuum module removably attached to said cooling member; and d. an electro-optical system coupled to the electrical conductor means of the detector-vacuum module for processing video signals from the electrical signals produced by the infrared detector.

Claim 3

An infrared receiver according to claim 1 wherein said infrared detector is a mercury cadmium telluride detector array.

Claim 4

An infrared receiver comprising: a. an optical scanner for scanning a scene; b. an infrared detector in the scanning path of infrared energy emanating from the scene scanned by the optical scanner for producing electrical signals representative of impinging infrared energy; c. a detector-vacuum module having a first tubular member having an open end with an outwardly extending flange, a detector seat to which the infrared detector is attached, said detector seat closing the end of the first tubular member opposite to the open end; a second tubular member surrounding the first tubular member to form a vacuum chamber therebetween and electrical conductors having terminals mounted on the detector seat connecting the infrared detector and terminals exteriorly of the second tubular member; d. a refrigerator means having a motor driven compressor, a cooling member, and an outwardly extending flange corresponding to the outwardly extending flange of the detector-vacuum module, the cooling member in contact with the detector seat of the detector-vacuum module for cooling the detector to an operative temperature for producing electrical signals representative of the scanned scene, said outwardly extending flange member at the open end of the detector-vacuum module being attached for rotation on the corresponding flange of the refrigerator for positionally adjusting the detector as to the optical scanner; and e. an electro-optical system coupled to the electrical conductor means of the detector-vacuum module for processing video signals from the electrical signals produced by the infrared detector.

Claim 5

An infrared receiver comprising: a. an optical scanner for scanning a scene; b. an infrared detector in the scanning path of infrared energy emanating from the scene scanned by the optical scanner for producing electrical signals representative of impinging infrared energy; c. a detector-vacuum module having a first tubular member having an open end with an outwardly extending flange, a detector seat to which the infrared detector is attached, said detector seat closing the end of the first tubular member opposite to the open end; a second tubular member surrounding the first tubular member to form a vacuum chamber therebetween and electrical conductors having terminals mounted on the detector seat connecting the infrared detector and terminals exteriorly of the second tubular member; d. a refrigerator means having a motor driven compressor, a cooling member, and an outwardly extending flange corresponding to the outwardly extending flange of the detector-vacuum module, the cooling member in contact with the detector seat of the detector-vacuum module for cooling the detector to an operative temperature for producing electrical signals representative of the scanned scene, said outwardly extending flange member at the open end of the detector-vacuum module being attached for rotation on the corresponding flange of the refrigerator for positionally adjusting the detector as to the optical scanner; and e. an electro-optical system coupled to the electrical conductor means of the detector-vacuum module for processing video signals from the electrical signals produced by the infrared detector.

Claim 6

An infrared receivEr according to claim 3 wherein the refrigerator cooling member is a cryostat and the detector-vacuum module further includes a guide member in sealing engagement with the first tubular member of the detector-vacuum module, said guide member operative to retain the flow of gas from the cryostat adjacent the cryostat.

Claim 7

An infrared receiver according to claim 3 wherein portions of the detector''s electrical conductors are leads metalized on the first tubular member.

Claim 8

An infrared receiver according to claim 5 wherein portions of the detector''s leads include an ''''H'''' film pattern of electrical leads interconnecting the plurality of electrical conductor posts of the insulator disk to the output terminals of the detector-vacuum module.

Claim 9

An infrared receiver according to claim 3 wherein the refrigerator cooling member includes a cold finger.

Claim 10

An infrared receiver according to claim 7 wherein the cold finger of said refrigerator means includes a spring biased heat transfer mechanism.

Claim 11

An infrared receiver according to claim 7 wherein the cold finger of said refrigerator means comprises a tubular member correspondingly shaped to fit within the vacuum chamber of the detector-vacuum module, said tubular member having an open end in communication with the refrigerator and a closed end with a recess forming a wall therein, a spring biased plate member mounted in said well, the spring of said spring biased plate member operative to maintain the plate member in contact with the detector-vacuum module seat for the infrared detector.

Claim 12

An infrared receiver according to claim 9 wherein said spring biased plate member further includes an expandable heat conducting ribbon for conducting heat from the infrared detector seat to the cold finger.

Claim 13

An infrared receiver according to claim 10 wherein the spring biased plate member further includes a base plate member attached to the end of the spring biased plate member opposite the plate and wherein said expandable heat conducting ribbon is positioned between the plates with end portions attached thereto.

Claim 14

An infrared receiver according to claim 3 further including an electrical feedthrough comprising an insulator disk extending beyond the second tubular member and having an aperture through which the first tubular member is positioned, said insulator disk including a plurality of electrical conductor posts mounted in the insulator disk exteriorly of the second tubular member and a lead pattern of electrical conductors metalized on the insulator disk, the leads connected to the electrical conductor posts and extending inwardly toward the inner periphery of the insulator disk, the insulator disk, lead pattern and posts forming a feedthrough through the second tubular member for the detector''s electrical conductors.

Claim 15

An infrared receiver according to claim 12 further including a plurality of resistor biasing packs connected to the insulator disk, the packs including a plurality of resistor circuits selectively coupled to the electrical conductor posts of the insulator disk for electrically biasing the detector outputs.

Claim 16

An infrared receiver according to claim 13 wherein the detector is a mercury cadmium telluride detector and portions of the detector''s lead include an ''''H'''' film pattern of electrical leads interconnecting the plurality of electrical conductor posts of the insulator disk to the output terminals of the detector-vacuum module and input of biasing power.

Claim 17

An infrared receiver according to claim 3 further including a getter means in communication with the vacuum chamber and operatively responsive to electrical signals for maintaining a vacuum in said vacuum chamber.

Claim 18

An infrared receiver according to claim 15 further including a radiation shield for protecting the cooling member from radiation.