Mount for an optical structure having a flanged protruding member and method of mounting an optical structure using such mount
An improved mount for, and method of mounting an, optical structure is provided. The mount has an optical structure comprising at least one mirror panel, the mirror panel comprising a reflective surface and a back surface substantially opposite the reflective surface, a protruding member extending from the back surface of the optical structure, the protruding member having a shape and the shape having an outside surface there-around, a base comprising a mounting element and an upper element extending from the mounting element, the upper element having a cavity for secured receipt therein of at least a portion of the protruding member, wherein the receiving cavity of the upper element has a shape identical to that of the shape of the protruding member, but where the shape of the protruding member is ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch smaller than the shape of the receiving cavity so that the outside surface of the protruding member is ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch away from the corresponding parts of the receiving cavity when the protruding member is secured within the cavity.
1. A mount assembly for an optical structure, comprising:
an optical structure comprising at least one mirror panel, the mirror panel comprising a reflective surface and a back surface substantially opposite the reflective surface;
a protruding member extending from the back surface of the optical structure, comprising two substantially circular portions, a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, wherein the first portion is located between the second portion and the back surface of the optical structure and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter;
a base, comprising a mounting element and an upper element extending from the mounting element, the upper element having a cavity for receipt therein of at least a portion of the second portion of the protruding member;
wherein the receiving cavity of the upper element has a diameter ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch larger than the diameter of the second portion of the protruding member, so that an outside surface of the second portion of the protruding member is ten thousandths of an inch away from a corresponding inner surface of the receiving cavity when the portion of the second portion of the protruding member is secured within the cavity.
2. The mount assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical structure is a hollow retroreflector.
3. The mount assembly of claim 2 , further comprising means for mounting the assembly to another structure.
4. The mount assembly of claim 3 , the mounting means comprising:
a mounting protrusion extending from a bottom surface of the mounting element of the base;
an opening extending all the way through the mounting element and the mounting protrusion for receipt therethrough of means for securing the mount assembly to another structure;
wherein a center line running through the opening also corresponds in position with and runs through an imaginary apex of the hollow retroreflector.
5. The mount assembly of claim 3 , the mounting means comprising:
three openings through the mounting element for receipt through each opening of means for securing the mount assembly to another structure, each of the three openings having an imaginary center line running therethrough;
wherein an imaginary apex of the retroreflector is kinematically centered between the three imaginary center lines of the openings.
6. The mount assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of bonding material applied to the outside surface of the second portion of the protruding member in a thickness of ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch to precisely match and fit within the ten thousandths of an inch space between the outside surface of the second portion of the protruding member and the corresponding inner surface of the receiving cavity.
7. The mount assembly of claim 6 , further comprising an opening through a bottom surface of the cavity of the upper element to allow escape of air from the cavity when the protruding member having the bonding material is inserted into the cavity.
8. The mount assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second opening through the upper element into the cavity through which a bonding material is injected into the cavity after the at least a portion of the second portion of the protruding member is in the cavity, wherein the bonding material fills the ten thousandths of an inch space between the outside surface of the second portion of the protruding member and the corresponding inner surface of the receiving cavity.
9. The mount assembly of claim 8 , further comprising third and fourth openings through the upper element into the cavity and a mounting pin adhered within and through each of the third and fourth openings, the mounting pins in contact with and which center the second portion of the protruding member in the cavity.
10. A method of mounting an optical structure, comprising the steps of:
adhering a protruding member having a shape and an outside surface around the shape, to a back surface of the optical structure;
applying a ten thousandths of an inch thick layer of bonding material over the outside surface of the shape of the protruding member; and
inserting at least a portion of the protruding member into a cavity located within a base of a mounting assembly.
11. For a retroreflector comprising first, second and third mirror panels, each panel having a reflective surface and an oppositely facing back surface, wherein the panels are adhered together such that each reflective surface is perpendicular to each of the other reflective surfaces, creating an imaginary apex for the retroreflector, a method of mounting the retroreflector, comprising the steps of:
adhering a protruding member having a shape and an outside surface around the shape, to the back surface of one of the mirror panels;
applying a ten thousandths of an inch thick layer of bonding material over the outside surface of the shape of the protruding member;
precisely and exactly adhering at least a portion of the protruding member into a cavity located within a base of a mounting assembly such that the apex of the retroreflector is exactly centered over an opening in the base of the mounting assembly, which opening is used to secure the mounting assembly to another structure.
12. For a retroreflector comprising first, second and third mirror panels, each panel having a reflective surface and an oppositely facing back surface, wherein the panels are adhered together such that each reflective surface is perpendicular to each of the other reflective surfaces, creating an imaginary apex for the retroreflector, a method of mounting the retroreflector, comprising the steps of:
adhering a protruding member having a shape and an outside surface around the shape, to the back surface of one of the mirror panels;
applying a ten thousandths of an inch thick layer of bonding material over the outside surface of the shape of the protruding member;
precisely and exactly adhering at least a portion of the protruding member into a cavity located within a base of a mounting assembly such that the apex of the retroreflector is exactly kinematically centered over and between three openings in the base of the mounting assembly, which openings are used to secure the mounting assembly to another structure.