OPTICAL TABLES

Abstract

An optical table comprising an upper skin tapped with holes for mounting equipment, a lower skin with a plurality of through holes which is coaxial with the tapped holes on the upper skin in a one to one arrangement, a honeycomb core, a connecting side wall, and a number of tubes. The tubes are positioned between the interior of the upper and lower skins so as to connect the holes on both skins so that contaminants and residue will be unable to enter into the interior of the honeycomb core, and so that the optical table can be rapidly and thoroughly cleaned.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent and better understood as the following detailed description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vibration-isolating table with a honeycomb tabletop;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the tabletop of an exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the tabletop with parts removed in a section to disclose the internal structure according to an embodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 4A is an alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 2 with small cups disposed on the through holes;

FIG. 4B is another alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 2 with small cups at the end of tubes;

FIG. 4C is another alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of one of the small cups illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5B is an alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is another alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of alternative embodiment of FIG. 4A with big cups on support legs; and

FIG. 6B is an alternative embodiment to that depicted in FIG. 6A.

Claims

1. An optical table comprising a tabletop comprising an upper skin tapped with a plurality of holes for mounting equipment and a lower skin having a plurality of through holes; a honeycomb core; and a side wall connecting said upper and lower skins; and a plurality of tubes disposed between said upper and said lower skins, said tubes connecting said tapped holes and said through holes.

2. The optical table of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of small cups, wherein said small cups cover said through holes or cover the end of said tubes.

3. The optical table of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of big cups and a supporting vibration-isolating system having a plurality of legs, wherein said big caps are inserted into said legs.

4. The optical table of claim 1 comprising a plurality of passages within said honeycomb core, said passages comprising said tubes, said tapped holes and said through holes.

5. The optical table of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said through holes is equal or not equal to the diameter of said tapped holes.

6. The optical table of claim 1 wherein said tubes are made of metal or high polymer synthetic material having anti-corrosive properties.

7. The optical table of claim 1 wherein the shape of said tubes is coniform, pyramidal, or columnar;the inner diameter of one tube end which is near said upper skin is not smaller than the diameter of said tapped holes, and the outer diameter of another tube end which near the said lower skin is not smaller than the diameter of said through holes; andwhen the outer diameter of said tube end which near the said lower skin equals the diameter of said through holes, said tubes extend into said through holes.

8. The optical table of claim 1 wherein said tubes are glued onto the interior of both skins or onto the interior of said upper skin and said through holes.

9. The optical table of claim 2 wherein the length of said small cups is equal to or shorter than the depth of said through holes, or wherein said small cups extend into the said tubes, or into the interior of said upper skin.

10. The optical table of claim 2 wherein said small cups are made from chemically-resistant nylon.

11. The optical table of claim 2 wherein said small cups are assembled on said straight holes or the said tubes with a magnitude of interference.

12. The optical table of claim 3 wherein the internal surfaces of said big cups have a cladding material to prevent corrosion.

13. The optical table of claim 3 wherein said big cups are placed on or bolted onto the support legs and reinforced on said lower skin with bolts, and match with the dimension of the support legs.

14. The optical table of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said lower skin is adjusted so as to maintain the rigidity of the optical table as determined by using finite element analysis.