Laser mirror mount and window protection assembly

Claim 2

In a laser which includes an an elongated envelope enclosing a lasable medium and having a window at an end thereof for the passage therethrough of optical energy along an optical axis, an optical reflector positioned transversely of said optical axis exteriorly of said envelope to intercept optical radiation emanating from said window, mounting structure for said optical reflector which allows the angular orientation of the same to be accurately adjusted relative to said optical axis, and a tubular cover enclosing the path for optical energy along said optical axis between said envelope and said reflector, said cover having opposite ends respectively secured to said envelope about said window and to said mounting structure and including a tubular ball joint along its length permitting changes in the angular orientation of said mounting structure with respect to said envelope and, hence, said optical axis, said tubular cover including a pair of coaxial tubes joining one another at adjacent ends and having their opposite ends respectively secured to said envelope about said window and to said mounting structure, one of said joining ends of one of said tubes being received within the end of the other end of said tubes thereat, and said ball joint including a rigid ball surface on one of said joining ends mating with a deformable elastic portion on the other of said joining ends, said deformable elastic portion of said other joining end extending axially of said tube beyond said rigid ball surface whereby axial movement of said ball in said other end is accommodated.

Claim 3

The laser of claim 1 wherein said one of said tubes which is secured to said envelope about said window is selectively releasable therefrom, and said tube is telescopically slidable with respect to the other one of said tubes to enable retraction thereof from said window to facilitate access to the latter.

Claim 4

a leaf spring having opposite ends respectively secured to said reference member and said mount and being in tension therebetween to resiliently urge said reference member and said mount toward one another at the location of said first connection by maintaining a compressive force on said separator, said leaf spring being characterized by including an expansion and contraction joint under tension between said opposite ends enabling said spring to lengthen and shorten to compensate for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount while maintaining a compressive force on said separator; D. said expansion and contraction joint being free of said second connection for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at the location of said first connection independently of distance changes therebetween at the location of said second connection; whereby selective variation of the length of said separator of said first connection along said path changes the angular orientation between said reference member and said mount whenever said second connection maintains the distance therebetween constant at its location.

Claim 5

a leaf spring having opposite ends respectively secured to said reference member and said mount and being in tension therebetween to resiliently urge said reference member and said mount toward one another at the location of said first connection by maintaining a compressive force on said separator, said leaf spring being characterized by including an expansion and contraction joint under tension between said opposite ends enabling said spring to lengthen and shorten to compensate for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount while maintaining a compressive force on said separator; D. said expansion and contraction joint being free of said second connection for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at the location of said first connection independently of distance changes therebetween at the location of said second connection; whereby selective variation of the length of said separator of said first connection along said path changes the angular orientation between said reference member and said mount whenever said second connection maintains the distance therebetween constant at its location.

Claim 6

In a laser which includes an elongated envelope enclosing a lasable medium and having a window at an end thereof for the passage therethrough of optical energy along an optical axis; an optical reflector positioned transversely of said optical axis exteriorly of said envelope to intercept optical energy emanating from said window; and mounting structure for said optical reflector enabling adjustment of the angular orientation thereof with respect to said optical axis, which mounting structure includes a reference member positioned at a predetermined location relative to said optical axis, a mount for said reflector, and means connecting said mount to said reference member for adjustment of the angular orientation of said mount with respect to said reference member, said connecting means including: A. a first connection between said reference member and said mount spaced from said optical axis; B. a second connection between said mount and said reference member at a second location spaced from the location of said first connection; C. said first connection having:

Claim 7

In a laser which includes an elongated envelope enclosing a lasable medium and having a window at an end thereof for the passage therethrough of optical energy along an optical axis; an optical reflector positioned transversely of said optical axis exteriorly of said envelope to intercept optical energy emanating from said window; and mounting structure for said optical reflector enabling adjustment of the angular orientation thereof with respect to said optical axis, which mounting structure includes a reference member positioned at a predetermined location relative to said optical axis, a mount for said reflector, and means connecting said mount to said reference member for adjustment of the angular orientation of said mount with respect to said reference member, said connecting means including: A. a first connection between said reference member and said mount spaced from said optical axis; B. a second connection between said mount and said reference member at a second location spaced from the location of said first connection; C. said first connection having:

Claim 8

The laser of claim 3 wherein said expansion and contraction joint of said leaf spring includes a reentrant portion of said spring which extends transversely with respect to the path along which the length of said separator is selectively variable.

Claim 9

The laser of claim 4 wherein said reentrant portion of said leaf spring is formed by a pair of leaf portions, each of which has a first end respectively secured to an associated one of said reference member and said mount and extends from said first end transversely with respect to the path along which the length of said separator is selectively variable to a second end rigidly secured to the second end of the other one of said leaf portions.

Claim 10

The laser of claim 3 wherein said connecting means includes a third connection between said reference member and said mount spaced from the locations of said first and second connections and positioned at a third location at which straight lines drawn thereto from each of the locations of said first and second connections will intersect one another generally at a right angle, and wherein said second connection includes a second separator extending between said reference member and said mount for maintaining the same spaced apart at said second location, the length of said second separator along a path extending directly between said reference member and said mount at said second location being selectively variable, and a second leaf spring at said second location having opposite ends respectively secured to said reference member and said mount and being in tension therebetween to resiliently urge said reference member and said mount toward one another at said second location by maintaining a compressive force on said second separator, said second leaf spring including an expansion and contraction joint under tension between said opposite ends enabling said second leaf spring to lengthen and shorten to compensate for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at the location of said second connection while maintaining a compressive force on said second separator, said expansion and contraction joint of said second leaf spring being free of both of said first and third connections for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at the location of said second connection independently of distance changes therebetween at the locations of said first and third locations, whereby selective variation of the length of said second separator along said path changes the angular orientation between said reference member and said mount whenever said first and third connections maintain the distance therebetween constant at their respective locations.

Claim 11

The laser of claim 6 wherein said third connection includes a third separator extending between said reference member and said mount at said third location for maintaining the same spaced apart thereat, the length of said third separator along a path extending directly between said reference member and said mount at said third location being selectively variable, and a third leaf spring at said third location having opposite ends respectively secured to said reference member and said mount and being in tension therebetween to resiliently urge said reference member and said mount toward one another at said third location by maintaining a compressive force on said third separator, said third leaf spring including an expansion and contraction joint under tension between said opposite ends enabling said third leaf spring to lengthen and shorten to compensate for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at said third location while maintaining a compressive force on said third separator, said expansion and contraction joint of said third leaf spring being free of both said first and second connections for changes in the distance between said reference member and said mount at the location of said third connection independently of distance changes therebetween at the locations of said first and second locations, whereby selective variation of the length of said separator of said third connection along said path changes the angular orientation between said reference member and said mount whenever both said first and seCond connections maintain the distance therebetween constant at their respective locations.

Claim 12

The laser of claim 3 wherein said separator is a tuning bolt which extends threadably through one of said reference member and said mount and terminates in an end abutting against the other one of said reference member and said mount, the length of said bolt extending directly between said reference member and said mount being selectively variable by rotating the same with respect to the one thereof through which it extends to thereby advance or retract the same.

Claim 13

The laser of claim 8 wherein means are included for adjusting the lateral compressive pressure to which said bolt is subjected by said one of said reference member and said mount through which it extends.

Claim 14

The laser of claim 9 wherein said means for adjusting the pressure to which said bolt is subjected by said one of said reference member and mount through which it extends includes a slot extending transversely to and communicating with the bore through which said bolt extends, and an adjustment screw threadably connecting opposite sides of said slot for drawing said opposite sides toward one another to increase said pressure.

Claim 15

The laser of claim 3 further including a tubular cover enclosing the path for optical energy along said optical axis between said envelope and said reflector, said cover having opposite ends respectively secured to said envelope about said window and to said mounting structure and including a tubular ball joint along its length allowing said angular orientation of said mounting structure with respect to said envelope and, hence, said optical axis.