Adjusting device for adjusting the position of an optical or opto-electronic component in two directions of adjustment which are perpendicular to each other

The position of an optical or opto-electronic component, such as a lens or a plate provided with a number of light-sensitive semiconductor diodes, can be adjusted in two directions of adjustment which are perpendicular to each other with the aid of an appropriate adjusting device. The adjusting device comprises two bending hinges consisting of portions of a leaf spring, which bending hinges are perpendicular to each other, the one hinge being bent relative to a stationary frame to which the adjusting device is secured and the other bending spring being bent relative to the first bending spring. The two bending springs may consist of portions of a single unit manufactured from a suitable spring material.

The invention relates to an adjusting device for adjusting the position of 
an optical or opto-electronic component, such as a lens or a plate 
provided with a plurality of light-sensitive semiconductor diodes, 
relative to a frame in two directions of adjustment which are 
perpendicular to each other, the component being connected to a mounting 
element such as a lens mount or a mounting plate. 
Such adjusting devices are for example necessary in certain types of 
optical displayers, for example video disc players, in which a plurality 
of optical and opto-electronic components on a frame should be adjusted 
relative to each other and relative to a light source, some of them in two 
directions which are perpendicular to each other. In this respect it is of 
importance that adjustment is easy, that once the adjustment is correct it 
is not easily disturbed, that the adjustment is not subject to play, that 
hysteresis during the adjusting activities is minimal, and that the 
interaction between the two adjustments is minimal, i.e. that an 
adjustment in one direction of adjustment has no or at least little 
influence on the position of the component in the other direction. 
Furthermore, it is desirable that the adjusting device is simple and 
inexpansive and the adjustments can be carried out with the aid of simple 
tools. 
It is the object of the invention to provide an adjusting device of the 
type mentioned in the preamble, which meets these requirements, and the 
invention is characterized in that the device comprises: a first leaf 
spring, comprising a first flat portion for fixation of the device to a 
frame, and parallel to the first portion a second flat portion having a 
free end, as well as a third portion which makes a 45.degree. angle with 
and also constitutes a connection between the said first and second 
portions; a second leaf spring; connected to the first spring, and 
comprising a first portion for fixation of the mounting element to the 
device and having a free end, as well as a second portion which makes a 
45.degree. angle with and also constitutes a connection with the second 
portion of the first leaf spring and makes a 90.degree. angle with the 
third portion of the first leaf spring; first fixing means for fixation of 
the first portion of the first leaf spring to a frame; second fixing means 
for fixation of the mounting element to the first position of the second 
leaf spring; a first set screw near the free end of the second portion of 
the first leaf spring for moving the second portion of the first leaf 
spring relative to a frame by bending of the third portion of the first 
leaf spring and thus moving the component in a first direction of 
adjustment, and a second set screw near the free end of the first portion 
of the second leaf spring and cooperating with the second portion of the 
first leaf spring for moving the free end of the first portion of the 
second leaf spring relative to the second portion of the first leaf spring 
by bending of the second portion of the second leaf spring and thus moving 
the component in a second direction of adjustment. The advantages of the 
invention evolve from the fact that the moving parts of the adjusting 
devices are not constituted by separate components, but are rigidly 
connected to other parts and cannot exhibit any play. 
Preferably, an embodiment is used which is characterized in that the first 
and second leaf springs form an integral unit with each other. This 
integral unit can simply be manufactured from a suitable leaf spring 
material by a stamping operation. As it is of importance that the first 
and second portions of the first leaf spring have a higher rigidity than 
the bendable third portion, a further embodiment of the invention is of 
interest, which is characterized in that the first portion and the second 
portion of the first leaf spring are provided with stiffening ribs 
consisting of bent edges situated on both sides of the leaf spring. In 
order to facilitate the adjusting activities as far as possible, a further 
embodiment is of interest which is characterized in that the first and 
second set screws are parallel to each other.

For the sake of simplicity the lens, whose position is to be adjusted in 
two directions which are perpendicular to each other, is not shown. A 
mount 1, in which the lens can be fitted is shown. The position of the 
lens, and thus of the mount 1, should be adjustable in two directions 
which are perpendicular to each other, coinciding with two coordinate axes 
X and Y, which are perpendicular to each other. For this purpose an 
adjusting device 3 is mounted on the frame 2, to which device a mount 1 is 
secured. This adjusting device comprises the first flat portion 5 for the 
fixation to the frame 2 and a second flat portion 6 parallel to the first 
portion 5 and having a free end 7, as well as a third portion 8 which 
makes an angle of 45.degree. with and is also the connection between said 
first and said second portions 5 and 6. A second leaf spring 9 is 
connected to the first leaf spring 4 and comprises a first portion 10 for 
the fixation of the mount 1, as well as a second portion 11 which makes an 
angle of 45.degree. with and also constitutes a connection with a second 
portion 6 of the first leaf spring 4 and makes an angle of 90.degree. with 
the third portion 8 of the first leaf spring 4. 
A first fixing means for the fixation of the first portion 5 of the first 
leaf spring 4 to the frame 2 consists of a screw 12. The mount 1 is 
secured to the first portion 10 of the second leaf spring 9 by means, not 
shown. The portion 10 of the leaf spring is slid into a slot 13 and may 
for example be secured with the aid of a suitable type of glue or with the 
aid of a screw (not shown). 
Adjustment of the mount 1 in the X and the Y direction is respectively 
effected with a first set screw 14 and a second set screw 15. The screw 14 
is located near the free end 7 of the second portion 6 of the leaf spring 
4 and moves said end relative to the frame in a direction which is 
symbolically indicated in FIG. 1 by an arrow x. This movement results in 
bending of the third portion 8 of the leaf spring 4. The coordinate axes 
shown in the FIG. 1 are respectively situated in line with the connectiong 
portion 8 of the first leaf spring and the connecting portion 11 of the 
second leaf spring. Moving the end 7 of the first leaf spring in the 
direction x by bending the connecting portion 8, thus results in a pivotal 
movement of the lens mount 1 in a pivoting direction which in FIG. 1 is 
indicated by the reference numeral 16, which pivotal movement, if small, 
may be regarded as a translation in accordance with the X-axis. A second 
set screw 15 near the free end 17 of the first portion 10 of the second 
leaf spring 9 is adapted to move the lens mount 1 in a direction y. This 
screw is passed through an aperture 18 of the leaf spring 4 and cooperates 
with screwthread in the mount 1. When the screw is tightened the first 
portion 10 of the second leaf spring 9 is moved relative to the second 
portion 6 of the first leaf spring 4 by bending of the second portion 11 
of the second leaf spring 9. As a result of this, the lens mount is 
pivoted in a direction 19, which pivotal movement, if small, may be 
regarded as a translation in the direction of the Y-axis. 
As is clearly shown in FIG. 3, in particular the first leaf spring 4 and 
the second leaf spring 9 are combined to one unit. This unit can readily 
be manufactured form a suitable material by means of a stamping operation. 
A suitable material is for example phosphor-bronze. The first portion 5 
and the second portion 6 of the first leaf spring 4 are respectively 
provided with stiffening ribs 20 and 21 on both sides, which ribs consist 
of bent edges on both sides. Thus it is ensured that when the end 7 of the 
first leaf spring 4 is moved in the x direction virtually only the 
connecting portion 8 of the leaf spring is bent. 
For an easy and quick adjustment of the position of the lens mount and the 
lens which is mounted therein, the two set screws 14 and 15 are arranged 
parallel to each other. The fixing screw 12 is also disposed in the same 
direction, so that fixation is also possible from the same direction.