Claims
- 1. A two-axis light beam steering assembly, for panning a light beam about a pan axis and tilting the light beam about a tilt axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the pan axis, the assembly comprising:
- (a) an assembly housing;
- (b) a light source producing a controllable light beam in a direction generally along a pan axis;
- (c) a first body mounted for rotation about the pan axis and having a mirror mounted within it in the path of the light beam to reflect the beam out of said first body through an opening therein;
- (d) a second body mounted in said first opening for rotation about a tilt axis that is panned upon rotation of said first body, said second body having a second mirror mounted within it in the path of the light beam reflected from said first mirror to reflect the beam out of said second body at a desired tilt angle;
- (e) a first drive pulley connected to said first body;
- (f) a second drive pulley connected to said second body;
- (g) a pan-axis drive motor mounted on the assembly housing and having a pan-axis drive pulley;
- (h) a tilt-axis drive motor mounted on said assembly housing and having a tilt-axis drive pulley;
- (i) first and second interconnected drive pulleys mounted for rotation about said pan axis independently of said first body;
- (j) a pan-axis drive belt coupling said pan-axis drive pulley to said first drive pulley to effect rotation of said first body about the pan axis;
- (i) a first tilt-axis drive belt coupling said tilt-axis drive pulley to one of said first and second connected drive pulleys;
- (j) a second tilt-axis drive belt coupling said other of said first and second connected drive pulleys to said second drive pulley.
- 2. A two axis light beam steering assembly as defined in claim 1 further including control means coupled to said pan-axis and tilt-axis motors, including means for providing a compensating control signal to said tilt-axis drive motor, to maintain a desired angular position with respect to the tilt axis during angular movements about the pan axis.
- 3. A two axis light beam steering assembly as defined in claim 1 further including a pair of idler pulleys rotatably mounted on said first body, said idler pulleys being employed to effect a substantially ninety-degree change in orientation of said second tilt axis drive belt as it passes from said connected drive pulley to said second drive pulley.
- 4. A two axis light beam steering assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second bodies are generally cylindrical in shape.
- 5. A two axis light beam steering assembly as defined in claim 4 in which said opening in said first body is generally cylindrical in shape.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 201,486 filed 06/01/88, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,387.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Dept. of the Navy Letter Dated 8/8/89 & Specificaton for "F/A-18 WTT 2E7 Target Projector System". |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
201486 |
Jun 1988 |
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