Laser flashlight

A laser flashlight for emitting a light dispersion pattern into an ambient environment comprising:

• a housing having a light emitting end;
• a laser emitter disposed within the housing, the laser emitter emitting a coherent light toward the light emitting end of the housing along an optical axis upon the application of electricity;
• a power supply for selectively applying electricity to the laser emitter;
• an optical system disposed within the housing, along the optical axis, intermediate the laser emitter and the light emitting end of the housing, the optical system including a laser element pumped by the laser emitter, a converter, and a resonator, the laser element receiving the coherent light emitted by the laser emitter and emitting a first laser beam having a first wavelength, the resonator shifting the first laser beam to an intermediate laser beam having an intermediate wave length, the converter receiving the intermediate laser beam and converting the intermediate laser beam to a second laser beam having a second wavelength and emitting the second laser beam along the optical axis, the optical system further comprising an optically transmissive mirror element axially disposed intermediate the laser element and the converter, the mirror element being highly-transmissive at the intermediate wavelength and highly-reflective at the second wavelength;
• and
• a light transmissive beam expander disposed at the light emitting end of the housing and along the optical axis, the beam expander receiving and dispersing the second laser beam, wherein the second laser beam has an intensity not greater than 26 mW/cm.sup.2.

A hand-held laser flashlight for emitting an eyesafe light dispersion pattern into an ambient environment comprising:

• a housing having first and second ends;
• a first laser emitter disposed within the housing for emitting a first coherent light beam toward the first end of the housing along an optical axis;
• a second laser emitter emitting a second coherent light beam along a light path;
• a power controller powered by at least one battery for selectively applying an electrical input to the first and second laser emitter;
• an optical system including a polarizer disposed within the housing in the light path and along the optical axis intermediate the first laser emitter and the first end of the housing and responsive to the first and second coherent light beams for generating a laser beam for projection along the optical axis;
• and
• a light transmissive beam expander disposed at the first end of the housing along the optical axis, the beam expander having oppositely disposed input and output optical surfaces, the laser beam impinging the input surface at a first beam diameter and exiting the exit surface at a second beam diameter, the laser beam exiting the exit surface having an intensity which may not be greater than 26 mW/cm.sup.2.