Gyroslabilized optical radiation deflection device providing a stabilized radiation sensitivity lobe

Claim 1

A gyro stabilized optical radiation deflection device for mounting in an envelope which includes a transmitter and/or receiver of radiation outgoing from or incoming to such envelope, said device being in the radiation path from/to such transmitter or receiver and providing a directed sensitivity lobe for said radiation, said envelope being subject to motions relative to fixed spatial reference directions; said deflection device comprising: a rotatable deflection body having a spherical outer contour and which is seated in a spherical recess in a support which is fixedly connected to said envelope, so that said body is movable in three rotational degrees of freedom in said recess; and means for imparting rapid rotation to said body about a spin axis which substantially coincides with the direction of said radiation sensitivity lobe, so that said body serves as a gyro rotor; characterized in that: a central portion of said rotor and a central portion of said recess are prisms transparent to said radiation, and together form an adjustable diffraction prism for deflecting said radiation sensitivity lobe; said prism portions of said recess and said gyro motor each have a wall serving as an input/output surface for said radiation; and said prism portions of said recess and said gyro rotor are of materials having refractive indices such that an angular change in the direction of said envelope relative to the spin axis of said gyro rotor causes said diffraction prism to produce a corresponding angular change in direction of outgoing and/or incoming radiation thereto, whereby a corresponding angular change in direction of said radiation sensitivity lobe is produced relative to said envelope.