Optical apparatus and method for increasing intensity of multimode laser beams and a printer for printing lenticular images utilizing such laser beams

A method for printing images with a printer that has a scanner and said printer utilizes a plurality of polarized multimode laser beams, each of which beams is provided by an emitting aperture of one of a plurality of multimode lasers, said method comprising the steps of:

• modulating each of said multimode laser beams;
• changing polarization of a portion of a cross section of each of said plurality of multimode laser beams, so that each of said plurality of multimode laser beams comprises a first cross section portion with one polarization and a second cross section portion with a polarization that is different from said one polarization;
• directing said plurality of multimode laser beams toward a single beam deflector, such that said plurality of multimode laser beams are at least partially overlapping at said single beam deflector;
• at least partially superimposing said first cross section portion onto said second cross section portion, for each of said plurality of multimode laser beams, thereby forming a plurality of superimposed laser beams;
• deflecting said plurality of superimposed laser beams across a recording material so that a scan direction corresponds to a long dimension of the emitting apertures;
• and
• translating the recording material in a cross scan direction that is perpendicular to said scan direction.

A method of printing an image on a lenticular sheet having lenticulas characterized by their length, with a printer that has a scanner and that utilizes a polarized multimode laser beam provided by an emitting aperture of a multimode laser, said method comprising the steps of:

• changing polarization of a portion of said multimode laser beam, so that said multimode laser beam comprises a first portion with one polarization and a second portion with a different polarization;
• at least partially superimposing said first portion of said multimode laser beam onto said second portion of said multimode laser beam, thereby forming a superimposed laser beam;
• forming a printing spot with said superimposed laser beam;
• deflecting said superimposed laser beam along a scan line across a lenticular sheet so that a scan direction corresponds to a long dimension of the emitting aperture and is along the length of the lenticulas;
• and
• translating the lenticular sheet in a direction perpendicular to the length of the lenticulas by positioning the lenticular sheet on a stage and translating the stage in the direction perpendicular to the length of the lenticulas.

An optical apparatus comprising:

• a multimode laser adapted to provide a multimode laser beam along a path;
• at least one polarization changing component partially intercepting said path to change polarization of laser light intercepted by said component, so that a multimode laser beam provided along said path has a cross section with two portions of differing polarization;
• a polarization combiner overlapping said two portions of said multimode laser beam, thereby forming a concentrated laser beam;
• and
• a scanner operable to deflect said concentrated laser beam, said scanner being proximate to said polarization combiner.

An optical apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of individually modulated multimode lasers, each of said multimode lasers having an elongated emitting aperture capable of providing a multimode at least one polarization changing component laser beam along a path;
• at least one polarization changing component partially intercepting each of said paths to change polarization of laser light intercepted by said component, so that each of said multimode laser beams provided along said path has two portions of differing polarization;
• a scanner operable to deflect incident laser beams;
• imaging optics forming an image of said emitting apertures at said scanner, in at least one cross section;
• a polarization combiner located proximate to said scanner, said polarization combiner overlapping said two portions of each of said multimode laser beams, thereby forming a plurality of concentrated laser beam.

A method for modifying the shape and reducing the size of printing spots of a multimode laser printer that produces at least one polarized multimode laser beam, said method comprising:

• changing polarization of a portion of a cross section of said multimode laser beam so that said multimode laser beam comprises a first portion cross section portion with one polarization and a second cross section portion with a different polarization;
• at least partially superimposing said first cross section portion of said multimode laser beam onto said second cross section portion of said multimode laser beam, thereby forming a superimposed laser beam;
• forming a print spot with said superimposed laser beam;
• and
• deflecting said superimposed laser beam a cross a recording material.

An optical apparatus for a multimode laser printer having a concentrated laser beam with increased power density, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one multimode laser operable to provide a multimode laser beam along a path;
• at least one polarization changing component positioned at least partially along said path operable to change polarization of said multimode laser beam such that said multimode laser beam h as two portions of differing polarization;
• a polarization combiner positioned at least partially along said path operable to overlap said two portions of said multimode laser beam;
• and
• a deflector positioned proximate to said polarization combiner operable to deflect said concentrated laser beam.