Lens positioner with five degrees of freedom

Claim 1

A lens positioner for positioning lenses precisely with five degrees of freedom of motion consisting of three translations and two angular rotations in combination with a vacuum chamber and means for supporting same in said vacuum chamber, whereby said lens positioner can be remotely controlled, said lens positioner comprising: a base assembly, an X-stage assembly movably mounted with respect to said base assembly, a Y-stage assembly movably mounted with respect to said X-stage assembly, actuator means for individually moving said X-stage and Y-stage assemblies, three torsion assemblies operatively supported by said Y-stage assembly, actuator means for individually moving said torsion assemblies, and means movably connected to said torsion assemblies for retaining at least one lens, whereby selective activation of said actuator means, produces translations in X, Y, and Z axis motions and angular rotations α and β of the lens retaining means; said supporting means comprising a support and feed-through spool operatively mounted in an opening in said vacuum chamber, said support and feed-through spool having flanged end sections, one of said flanged end sections being secured to said base assembly of said lens positioner, the other of said flanged end sections being adapted to be connected to apparatus for directing a light beam through said lens positioner into said vacuum chamber, said support and feed-through spool being additionally provided with means for sealably securing therein an electrical feed-through assembly, said electrical feed-through assembly being operatively connected to said actuators of said lens positioner and to a remotely located actuator controller.