Patent ID: 8567968

Claim:
A mount for an optical structure, comprising: a protruding member extending from a surface of said optical structure; a base element having a mounting structure for mounting said mount to another structure; an upper element extending from said base element having a first opening extending therethrough for receipt therein of at least a portion of said protruding member, said first opening defining first and second arms, each of said arms comprising a head portion and each of said head portions ending at an end; a second opening in said upper element extending through one of said head portions and said end of said one of said head portions in a direction toward said other head portion; and a third opening in said upper element through said end of said other head portion wherein said third opening is substantially opposite said second opening so that a tightening mechanism received through said second opening can be received into said third opening; wherein: tightening of said tightening mechanism into said third opening causes said ends of said head portions of said first and second arms of said upper element to draw toward each other so that said first opening of said upper element tightens around said at least a portion of said protruding member such that at least one of one or more contracting forces and one or more distortional forces affecting said surface of said optical structure and an optical flatness of said surface are at least one of reduced and eliminated, thereby maintaining the optical flatness of said surface; and said protruding member is disposed between said optical structure and said upper element such that at least one portion of said optical structure is at least one of disposed directly on and in direct connection with at least one portion of a first surface of said protruding member, or said at least one portion of said optical structure is at least one of bonded directly, fused directly and adhered directly to the at least one portion of said first surface of said protruding member such that only a bonding, fusing or adhering material or element is located between the at least one portion of said optical structure and the at least one portion of said first surface of said protruding member, and said upper element is disposed at least one of substantially on, in connection with and around at least one of at least one portion of a second surface and at least one portion of a third surface of said protruding member.