Kinematic mount

Claim 2

A coupling between a support and an element having a center and lying generally in a plane within the support for relieving any stresses between the element and the support and any distortions on the element, comprising: first means having both a sliding engagement with the support for movement in the element plane towards and away from the element center, and a spherical surface centered within a plane which is normal to the element plane; and second means coupled to the element and provided with a spherical surface in engagement with said first means spherical surface, said spherical surfaces being so arranged that one of said surfaces resides within the other of said surfaces.

Claim 3

A coupling according to claim 1 in which said first means comprises three seats spaced 120° apart, each having a surface comprising a segment of a sphere to form collectively said spherical surface in surrounding engagement with said second means spherical surface.

Claim 4

A coupling between a support and an element having a center and lying generally in a plane within the support for relieving any stresses between the element and the support and any distortions on the element, comprising: first means comprising three seats spaced 120° apart, each having a surface comprising a segment of a sphere to form collectively a spherical surface and having a sliding engagement with the support for movement in the element plane towards and away from the element center, said spherical surface being centered within a plane which is normal to the element plane; and second means coupled to the element and provided with a spherical surface in engagement with said first means spherical surface, said seats being in surrounding engagement with said second means spherical surface, the support including three concave surfaces configured as portions of circular cylinders and spaced 120° apart and each of said seats being shaped generally as a half of a solid right circular cylinder having a first surface along its diameter configured as said spherical segment and a second surface along its half circular periphery having a cylindrical configuration, with each of said second surfaces being respectively placed in each of said support concave surfaces to form said first means slidable engagement.

Claim 5

A coupling between a support and an element having a center and lying generally in a plane within the support for relieving any stresses between the element and the support and any distortions on the element, comprising: first means comprising three seats spaced 120° apart, each having a surface comprising a segment of a sphere to form collectively a spherical surface and having a sliding engagement with the support for movement in the element plane towards and away from the element center, said spherical surface being centered within a plane which is normal to the element plane; and second means coupled to the element and provided with a spherical surface in engagement with said first means spherical surface, said seats being in surrounding engagement with said second means spherical surface, the support including three concave surfaces configured as portions of circular cylinders and spaced 120° apart and each of said seats being shaped generally as a half of a solid right circular cylinder having a first surface along its diameter configured as said spherical segment and a second surface along its half circular periphery having a cylindrical configuration, with each of said second surfaces being respectively placed in each of said support concave surfaces to form said first means slidable engagement.

Claim 6

A coupling according to claim 3 further including means coupled respectively between said support and two of said seats for enabling movement of a first of said two seats towards and away from said support and movement of a second of said two seats in a direction away from and towards said support opposite from that of the movement of said first of said two seats, with the third of said seats acting as a pivot for said first and second seats, for adjusting the element center within the support.

Claim 7

A coupling according to claim 4 in which said support-to-seats coupling means comprises mechanisms between said support and each of said two seats for urging respective separation and closure movements therebetween.

Claim 8

A coupling according to claim 5 in which said mechanisms comprise resilient and cam elements between said support and respective ones of said two seats.

Claim 9

Apparatus including a mounting and aligning device comprising: an element lying generally in a plane; a support surrounding said element; and a plurality of disc members and seats therefor positioned in the plane of and supporting said element and respectively coupled to said support, each said disc member having a center and a spherically curved outer surface and each said seat having a spherically curved surface conforming to and engageable with said disc member outer surface to provide three degrees of freedom of rotatable engagement therebetween and each of said seats having a cylindrical fit with said support for linear movement therein perpendicular to the plane of said element.

Claim 10

Apparatus including a mounting and aligning device comprising: an element lying generally in a plane; a support surrounding said element; and a plurality of disc members and seats therefor positioned in the plane of and supporting said element and respectively coupled to said support, each said disc member having a center and a spherically curved outer surface and each said seat having a spherically curved surface conforming to and engageable with said disc member outer surface to provide three degrees of freedom of rotatable engagement therebetween and each of said seats having a cylindrical fit with said support for linear movement therein perpendicular to the plane of said element.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a spring engaging at least one of said seats to compensate for any machining tolerance between said outer surface respectively of said disc member and seats and said support.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein said spaced opening means include separate and spaced upstanding housings secured to said support and incorporating the openings, said pads are each received by said housings within the openings, and at least one of said pads is spring loaded in its housing to minimize any machining tolerances of said spherical outer surfaces of said disc members and said pad surfaces with respect to said housings.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said housings, pads and disc members are arranged in three groupings and said groupings are mounted in said support 120° apart from one another, and said disc members each engage said optical element on an outer cylindrical surface thereof, and further including means for orienting said optical element in said support by movement of one or more of said disc members and said pads.

Claim 18

The device of claim 12 further including a preloaded spring exerting a spring force against said seating means.