초록 ▼

A device for detecting attacking guided missiles with optical seeker head and for generating a laser beam directed to such guided missile has an all-around seeker with a detector responding to thermal radiation from the guided missile, and a laser which points to the guided missile detected by the a

A device for detecting attacking guided missiles with optical seeker head and for generating a laser beam directed to such guided missile has an all-around seeker with a detector responding to thermal radiation from the guided missile, and a laser which points to the guided missile detected by the all-around seeker. A roll and pitch gimbal system is provided. A roll gimbal is rotatable relative to the structure about a roll axis. A pitch gimbal is rotatable relative to the roll gimbal about a pitch axis orthogonal to the roll axis. The detector is structure-fixed. An imaging optical system is mounted on the roll and pitch gimbal system. The optical system with its optical axis can point to an object scenario. With each position of the gimbal system, an image of this object scenario is generated on the detector. The laser is also structure-fixed. A laser reflecting surface system is provided on the gimbal system, by means of which the laser beam is kept parallel to the optical axis of the imaging optical system, with each position of the gimbal system. Both the path of rays of the imaging optical system and the laser beam comprise a respective section extending along the pitch axis and a section extending along the roll axis.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An optical assembly in an airborne body structure, comprising:a detector fixed to said structure defining a detector plane,a roll-pitch gimbal system having a roll gimbal rotatable about a roll axis relative to said structure, and a pitch gimbal rotatable relative to said roll gimbal about a pitc

1. An optical assembly in an airborne body structure, comprising:a detector fixed to said structure defining a detector plane,a roll-pitch gimbal system having a roll gimbal rotatable about a roll axis relative to said structure, and a pitch gimbal rotatable relative to said roll gimbal about a pitch axis orthogonal to said roll axis,an imaging optical system mounted on said roll-pitch gimbal system including a detector and defining a detector beam from a detected object to the detector and an optical axis extending from the detected object, and comprising optical means for directing radiation incident along said optical axis onto said detector in each position of said roll-pitch gimbal system,laser means for generating a laser beam, said laser means comprising a laser fixed to said structure, andlaser reflecting means mounted on said roll-pitch gimbal system for directing said laser beam in a direction parallel to said optical axis in each position of said roll-pitch gimbal system. 2. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said imagining optical system comprises imagining optical means mounted on said pitch gimbal in alignment with said optical axis, said pitch gimbal being rotatable about said pitch axis through an angle of substantially 180°, said roll gimbal being rotatable about said roll axis through an angle of 360°, whereby said optical axis can be caused to scan substantially a hemispheric solid angle, said detector being sensitive to thermal radiation from an object within said solid angle. 3. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detector beam comprises a first section extending along said pitch axis and a second section extending along said roll axis, and said laser beam comprises a first section extending along said pitch axis and a second extending along said roll axis. 4. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid imaging optical system comprises pitch gimbal-fixed beam deflecting means for deflecting said radiation incident along said optical axis into a direction parallel to or coincident with said pitch axis, andsaid imaging optical system further comprises roll gimbal-fixed second beam deflecting means for receiving said deflected radiation along said pitch axis and deflecting it into a direction parallel to or coincident with said roll axis. 5. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 4, whereinsaid first beam deflecting means comprise a first reflecting surface passing through an intersection of said roll and pitch axes and forming angles of 45° with said pitch axis and said optical axis,said second beam deflecting means comprising:a second reflecting surface traversed by said pitch axis, at a right angle to a plane containing said roll and pitch axes and forming an angle of 45° with said pitch axisa third reflecting surface which is arranged in said detector beam after deflection thereof by said second reflecting surface and at a right angle to said second reflecting surface, anda fourth reflecting surface which is arranged in said detector beam after deflection thereof by said third reflecting surface and parallel to said third reflecting surface, said fourth reflecting surface being traversed by said roll axis. 6. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein a fifth reflecting surface, which is fixed to said structure, is arranged at an angle of 45° to said roll axis, said fifth reflecting surface being arranged to deflect said detector beam of said imaging optical system onto said detector, which is arranged lateral of said roll axis. 7. An optical system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said imaging optical system comprises a lens system provided on said roll gimbal between said fourth and fifth reflecting surfaces. 8. An optical system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a further lens of said imaging optical system is provided between said roll fifth reflecting surface and said detector. 9. An optical system as claimed in claim 1, whe reinsaid imaging optical system comprises a pitch gimbal-fixed primary objective defining said optical axis, andsaid laser reflecting means are arranged to direct said laser beam laterally past said primary objective. 10. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 9, and further comprisingbeam-reversing means extending into part of said laser beam for direction a partial beam of said laser beam anti-parallel onto said primary objective, said partial beam generating, through said imaging optical system, a light spot in said detector plane, andadjusting means in said laser reflecting means controlled by deflection of said light spot from a nominal position to adjust said laser beam parallel to said optical axis. 11. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said beam reversing means comprise two mutually perpendicular reflecting surfaces, a first one of which extends into said laser beam and the second one of which extends on a side facing to said object into said detector beam of said imaging optical system, whereby part of said laser beam reflected by said first reflecting surface is reflected into said detector beam of said imaging optical system anti-parallel to said laser beam. 12. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said adjusting means comprise a mirror which is angularly adjustable with two degrees of freedom and piezo actuator means for adjusting said mirror, said laser beam being directed on and reflected by said mirror. 13. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said laser reflecting means comprise:a carrier rotatable with said roll gimbal,a first laser reflecting surface traversed by said roll axis and mounted on said carrier at an angle of 45° with respect to said roll axis,a second laser reflecting surface mounted on said carrier at a right angle to said first laser reflecting surface radially spaced from said roll axis,said laser beam impinging on said first laser reflecting surface along said roll axis, whereby it is deflected by said first laser reflecting surface by 90°, extends radially to said second laser reflecting surface and is deflected thereby again by 90° to extend parallel to said roll axis at a distance therefrom,a third laser reflecting surface mounted on said roll gimbal in the path of said laser beam, after said laser beam has been deflected by said second laser reflecting surface being perpendicular to a plane containing said roll and pitch axes and at an angle of 45° to said deflected path of said laser beam and being traversed by said pitch axis, whereby said laser beam is further deflected radially outwards along said pitch axis,a fourth laser reflecting surface mounted on said pitch gimbal in the path of said further deflected laser beam, said fourth laser reflecting surface being perpendicular to a plane containing said pitch axis and said optical axis and at an angle of 45° relative to said pitch axis, whereby it deflects said laser beam into a direction parallel to said optical axis. 14. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 13, whereinsaid structure-fixed laser is arranged at a lateral distance from said roll axis with the axis of said laser beam extending substantially parallel to said roll axis,said laser reflecting means further comprises a fifth, structure-fixed laser reflecting surface, which extends substantially perpendicular to a plane containing said axis of said laser beam and said roll axis and at 45° relative to said axis of said laser beam, whereby it deflects said laser beam towards said roll axis,said laser reflecting means still further comprises a sixth structure-fixed laser reflecting surface, which extends substantially perpendicular to a plane containing said axis of said laser beam and said roll axis and at an angle of 45° to said deflected laser beam, said sixth laser reflecting surface being hit by said deflected laser beam substantially on said roll axis, whereby the laser beam is further refle cted thereby by 90° towards said first laser reflecting surface. 15. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 14, whereinsaid first beam deflecting means comprise a first reflecting surface passing through an intersection of said roll and pitch axes and forming angles of 45° with said pitch axis and said optical axis,said second beam deflecting means comprising:a second reflecting surface traversed by said pitch axis, at a right angle to a plane containing said roll and pitch axes and forming an angle of 45° with said pitch axis,a third reflecting surface which is arranged in said detector beam after deflection thereof by said second reflecting surface and at a right angle to said second reflecting surface, anda fourth reflecting surface which is arranged in said detector beam after deflection thereof by said third reflecting surface and parallel to said third reflecting surface, said fourth reflecting surface being traversed by said roll axis, andsaid fifth reflecting surface of said second beam deflecting means and said sixth laser reflecting surface lie substantially in one common plane. 16. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 13, and further comprising separate follow-up means for rotating said carrier in synchronism with said roll gimbal. 17. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a structure-fixed, spherical dome centered to the intersection of said pitch and roll axis. 18. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 17, and further comprising an off-axis correction lens located in the path of said laser beam between said fourth laser reflecting surface and said dome for correcting for the aberration caused by said dome.