Patent Application
20250035949
The field of the invention is tools for use with optical equipment.
The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided in this application is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Optical equipment, such as microscopes, laser prototyping boards, cameras, telescopes, and spectrometers, often require the use of lenses and mirrors to manipulate light and create images. Lenses and mirrors are delicate and often expensive components that need to be handled with care and precision. But conventional methods of picking up and manipulating lenses and mirrors often involves touching them with fingers, tweezers, or other tools that can damage their sensitive optical surfaces or introduce dirt, oil, or static electricity. These factors can compromise the quality and performance of the optical equipment and increase maintenance and replacement costs.
In the context of laser prototyping, especially, lenses and mirrors are constantly being moved and manipulated to change a laser setup's configuration or make fine adjustments to how light is reflected between components. Lenses and mirrors need to be placed into and taken out of various housings, and those tasks must be accomplished without compromising optical quality.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool that makes it easier to pick up and manipulate lenses and mirrors without allowing skin oil to touch them and without risking damage or other contamination. Such a tool would enable optical technicians and engineers to work more efficiently and safely with lenses, mirrors, and other similar optical components and improve the reliability and durability of optical equipment.
The present invention provides apparatuses, systems, and methods directed to grabbers that can be used to pick up, handle, and manipulate optics components such as lenses and mirrors. In a first aspect of the inventive subject matter, an optics grabbing device comprises: a first arm having a first arm grabbing end and a first arm connecting end; a second arm having a second arm grabbing end and a second arm connecting end, where the first arm connecting end and the second arm connecting end are coupled to form a cantilevered connection between the first arm and the second arm, where the first arm grabbing end comprises a first arm grabbing member having a first set of teeth disposed on a first curved, flat surface, and where the second arm grabbing end comprises a second arm grabbing member having a second set of teeth disposed on a second curved, flat surface.
In some embodiments, the optics grabbing device further comprises a bridge connecting the first arm to the second arm. The first arm grabbing end can be aligned with the first arm, and the second arm grabbing end can be aligned with the second arm. In some embodiments, the first arm grabbing end is disposed orthogonally to the first arm and the second arm grabbing end is disposed orthogonally to the second arm.
In some embodiments, the first set of teeth includes two teeth, and the two teeth can be identical. In some embodiments, a space between the two teeth is greater than a width of one of the two teeth.
In another aspect of the inventive subject matter, an optics grabbing device comprises: a first arm coupled with a second arm, where the first arm comprises a first arm grabbing member having a first set of teeth disposed on a flat, curved surface, and where the second arm comprises a second arm grabbing member having a second set of teeth disposed on a second flat, curved surface.
In some embodiments, the first arm and the second arm are coupled via cantilevered connection. The first arm grabbing member can aligned with the first arm, and the second arm grabbing member can aligned with the second arm. In some embodiments, the first arm grabbing member is disposed orthogonally to the first arm and the second arm grabbing member is disposed orthogonally to the second arm.
In some embodiments, the first set of teeth has two teeth, and the two teeth are identical. A space between the two teeth can be greater than a width of one of the two teeth.
One should appreciate that the disclosed subject matter provides many advantageous technical effects including the ability to manipulate and pick up optics components without damaging them or contaminating them.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
The following discussion provides example embodiments of the inventive subject
matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
As used in the description in this application and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description in this application, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Also, as used in this application, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously.
Embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to an optics grabbing device. Optics grabbing devices, or grabbers as described in this application, are tools that can pick up and manipulate optical components such as lenses and mirrors without damaging or contaminating their surfaces.
Using grabbers of the inventive subject matter allows people to pick up and manipulate optical components such as lenses and mirrors without touching those components with fingers, tweezers, or other tools, can compromise the quality and performance of the optical equipment by introducing dirt, oil, static electricity, or scratches. These factors can affect performance of the optical components being manipulated, including by impacting image quality.
Grabbers of the inventive subject matter have two arms connected to each other at one end. The arms each have grabbing members at the other end, where the grabbing members each have curved teeth that match the curvature of optical components, and, optionally, a stand that allows the grabber to remain upright when set down on the stand. Grabbing members are oriented such that the normal line from the broad surface of an optical component being picked up runs in the z-direction. Teeth have an interior surface that is perpendicular to the flat surface of the grabbing member, an angled top surface that acts as a guide for the optical component, and an exterior surface that is angled away to reinforce the teeth. Grabbers of the inventive subject matter enables optical technicians and engineers to work more efficiently and safely with lenses, mirrors, and other similar optical components and improve the reliability and durability of optical equipment.
Grabber 100 features a grabbing end 108 on an end of grabber 100 opposite stand 106. Grabbing end 108 comprises two grabbing members 110, where each grabbing member 110 is coupled to an end of a grabbing arm 102. Grabbing members 110 are formed as curved components having small teeth 112 protruding therefrom. Grabbing members 110 are configured to pick up optical components such as mirrors or lenses, where the optical component being picked up has a circular outer edge that roughly matches the curvature of the grabbing members 110. Grabbing members 110 are oriented such that an optical component that is picked up using grabber 100 has a normal line from its broad surface that runs in the z-direction. For ease of description, this configuration is considered to have the grabbing members aligned with the arms. Because some optical components do not have flat surfaces, this should be interpreted as a line that is normal to a plane in which the optical component primarily exists. For example, lenses and mirrors are largely flat with concave and convex surfaces. If a lens or mirror is lying in an x-y plane, then a line normal to that lens or mirror, despite surface curvatures, would run along the z-direction.
As mentioned, above, grabbing members 110 comprise teeth 112.
Top surface 118 is angled relative to interior surface 116, such that the top surface 118 leads to top edge 122 that has a radius of curvature that is larger than the radius of curvature of the interior surface 116. By angling top surface 118 away from interior surface 116, top surface 118 acts as a guide for optical component 200 by making it so a user needs only to get the top edges 122 of all the teeth 112 of grabber 100 to fit around the edges of optical component 200 for the grabber to slide down onto the optical component to grab it.
Exterior surfaces 120 of teeth 112 are angled away from top edges 122 and extend down to flat surface 114. By having exterior surfaces 120 angle away, teeth 112 are reinforced so that they do not easily bend when grabbing optical components. If teeth 112 bend, they would not work as well, and optical components could slip out of a grabber while it is in use, risking damage. Teeth 112 are set back from an edge of flat surface 114 so that an optics component being grabbed by grabber 100 will interact with both flat surface 114 and teeth 112. Flat surface 114 thus prevents an optics component from passing completely through grabber 100, ensuring teeth 112 can be effectively used to apply pressure to the sides of the optics component to grab it. All embodiments described in this application feature a similar flat surface with offset teeth for the same purpose.
As with the optics grabber shown and described in
As with other embodiments described in this application, the teeth of optics grabber 700 are spaced apart and offset from a flat surface from which they protrude. The offset exists for the same reasons described above: to ensure even pressure on an optics component when using the grabber.
Thus, specific devices designed to facilitate manipulation of optical components have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts in this application. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure. Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to the elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps can be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63528729 | Jul 2023 | US |
