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US 5,204,931 AGranted
Flexible waveguide
AssigneeDeutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
InventorsErwin Gehringer, Hans Opower
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AssigneeDeutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
InventorsErwin Gehringer, Hans Opower
Estimating the term…
In order to further develop an optical waveguide comprising first and second optically reflecting wall surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction and having a constant width transversely to the longitudinal direction, both wall surfaces facing one another and extending at a constant spacing from one another and enclosing a space in which radiation is guided by reflection in the longitudinal direction, such that it is flexible and hence permits guidance of the radiation in different directions, it is proposed that a first region of the waveguide be movable in a flexible manner relative to a second region thereof, and that each wall surface be carried for this purpose by a strip which on account of its inherent rigidity is bendable in a non-buckling manner perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the wall surfaces of the strips be held at a constant spacing from one another by a supporting structure comprising supporting surfaces which are arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction and against which the strips rest by the application of force for sliding displacement in the longitudinal direction.
Optical slab- or strip-shaped waveguide comprising first and second optically reflecting wall surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction and having a constant width transversely to said longitudinal direction, both wall surfaces facing one another and extending at a constant spacing from one another and enclosing a space in which radiation is guided by reflection in said longitudinal direction, said waveguide having a first region movable in a flexible manner relative to a second region thereof, and for this purpose each wall surface being carried by a strip which on account of its inherent rigidity is bendable in a non-buckling manner perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, said wall surfaces of said strips being held by a supporting structure at a substantially constant spacing from one another, said supporting structure comprising supporting surfaces which are arranged one after the other in said longitudinal direction and against which said strips rest by the application of force and for sliding displacement in said longitudinal direction.
Laser system comprising a stationary laser head, and a waveguide being connected to said stationary laser head, said waveguide comprising first and second optically reflecting wall surfaces extending in a longitudinal direction and having a constant width transversely to said longitudinal direction, both wall surfaces facing one another and extending at a constant spacing from one another and enclosing a space in which radiation is guided by reflection in said longitudinal direction, a first region of said waveguide being movable in a flexible manner relative to a second region thereof, and each wall surface being carried for this purpose by a strip which on account of its inherent rigidity is bendable in a non-buckling manner perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, said wall surfaces of said strips being held by a supporting structure at a substantially constant spacing from one another, said supporting structure comprising supporting surfaces which are arranged one after the other in said longitudinal direction and against which said strips rest by the application of force and for sliding displacement in said longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.