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US 6,856,470 B2Granted
Rod lens and laser marking apparatus
AssigneeHitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
InventorTakashi Nishimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser beam incident on a rod lens has a greater cross-sectional diameter than that of a rod lens main body, and mirrors are provided near the rod lens main body to reflect incident light toward the same. Since light of a strong beam intensity reflected onto the rod lens main body by the mirrors produces a greater angle than light of weak beam intensity, this configuration has an effect of increasing the light intensity on the ends of a resulting line beam and, thus, expands the spreading angle of visible light in the line beam.
Claims59
A rod lens comprising:
- a reflecting portion generating a reflected light by reflecting at least a portion of an incident light;
- and
- a rod lens main body of substantially a cylindrical shape generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a remaining portion of the incident light, the rod lens main body having an axis and a circumferential side surface extending along the axis, the circumferential side surface being substantially cylindrical in shape and encircling the axis in a circumferential direction, the reflecting portion and the rod lens main body cooperating to generate a line beam made from both of the reflected light and the transmitted light.
A line-beam generating optical system, comprising:
- a light source emitting a light beam along an optical axis;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the light source into a collimated light;
- and
- a rod lens including:
- a reflecting portion generating a reflected light by reflecting at least a portion of the collimated light that falls incident on the rod lens along the optical axis;
- and
- a rod lens main body of substantially a cylindrical shape generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a remaining portion of the incident collimated light, the rod lens main body having an axis that extends substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis and a circumferential side surface extending along the axis, the circumferential side surface being substantially cylindrical in shape and encircling the axis in a circumferential direction, the reflecting portion and the rod lens main body cooperating to generate a line beam made from both of the reflected light and the transmitted light.
4 more elements
A line-beam generating optical system, comprising:
- a light source emitting a light beam;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the light source into a collimated light;
- a first half mirror separating the collimated light into a first reflected collimated light and a first transmitted collimated light;
- a first rod lens disposed on an optical path of the first reflected collimated light;
- a second half mirror disposed on an optical path of the first transmitted collimated light and separating the first transmitted collimated light into a second reflected collimated light and a second transmitted collimated light;
- a second rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second reflected collimated light;
- and
- a third rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second transmitted collimated light;
- wherein each of the first rod lens, second rod lens, and third rod lens includes a rod lens main body substantially cylindrical in shape with a circumferential side surface extending along a corresponding axis and generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a portion of the corresponding collimated light, and
- wherein a light separating portion is formed on a portion of the circumferential side surface of at least one of the first, second, and third rod lenses, the light separating portion separating the corresponding collimated light into a transmitted light and a reflected light, thereby generating a line beam made from the transmitted light and the reflected light.
7 more elements
A line-beam generating optical system, comprising:
- a light source emitting a light beam;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the light source into a collimated light;
- a first half mirror separating the collimated light into a first reflected collimated light and a first transmitted collimated light;
- a first rod lens disposed on an optical path of the first reflected collimated light;
- a second half mirror disposed on an optical path of the first transmitted collimated light and separating the first transmitted collimated light into a second reflected collimated light and a second transmitted collimated light;
- a second rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second reflected collimated light;
- and
- a third rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second transmitted collimated light,
- wherein each of the first rod lens, second rod lens, and third rod lens includes a rod lens main body substantially cylindrical in shape with a circumferential side surface extending along a corresponding axis and generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a portion of the corresponding collimated light, and
- wherein a light reflecting region is formed over a part of the circumferential side surface of at least one of the first, second, and third rod lenses along the circumferential direction and receives and reflects a portion of the incident collimated light, the corresponding rod lens main body including a transmitting region which receives and transmits the remaining portion of the incident light.
7 more elements
A laser marking apparatus comprising:
- a laser emitting a light beam along an optical axis;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the laser into a collimated light;
- a rod lens including:
- a reflecting portion generating a reflected light by reflecting at least a portion of the collimated light that falls incident on the rod lens along the optical axis;
- and
- a rod lens main body of substantially a cylindrical shape generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a remaining portion of the incident collimated light, the rod lens main body having an axis that extends substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis and a circumferential side surface extending along the axis, the circumferential side surface being substantially cylindrical in shape and encircling the axis in a circumferential direction, the reflecting portion and the rod lens main body cooperating to generate a line beam made from both of the reflected light and the transmitted light;
- and
- a support portion supporting the laser, the collimating lens, and the rod lens.
5 more elements
A laser marking apparatus, comprising:
- a laser emitting a light beam;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the laser into a collimated light;
- a first half mirror separating the collimated light into a first reflected collimated light and a first transmitted collimated light;
- a first rod lens disposed on an optical path of the first reflected collimated light;
- a second half mirror disposed on an optical path of the first transmitted collimated light and separating the first transmitted collimated light into a second reflected collimated light and a second transmitted collimated light;
- a second rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second reflected collimated light;
- a third rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second transmitted collimated light;
- and
- a support portion supporting the laser, the collimating lens, the first and second half mirrors, and the first, second, and third rod lenses,
- wherein each of the first rod lens, second rod lens, and third rod lens includes a rod lens main body substantially cylindrical in shape with a circumferential side surface extending along a corresponding axis and generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a portion of the corresponding collimated light, and
- wherein a light separating portion is formed on a portion of the circumferential side surface of at least one of the first, second, and third rod lenses, the light separating portion separating the corresponding collimated light into a transmitted light and a reflected light, thereby generating a line beam made from the transmitted light and the reflected light.
8 more elements
A laser marking apparatus, comprising:
- a laser emitting a light beam;
- a collimating lens converting the light beam emitted from the laser into a collimated light;
- a first half mirror separating the collimated light into a first reflected collimated light and a first transmitted collimated light;
- a first rod lens disposed on an optical path of the first reflected collimated light;
- a second half mirror disposed on an optical path of the first transmitted collimated light and separating the first transmitted collimated light into a second reflected collimated light and a second transmitted collimated light;
- a second rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second reflected collimated light;
- a third rod lens disposed on an optical path of the second transmitted collimated light;
- and
- a support portion supporting the laser, the collimating lens, the first and second half mirrors, and the first, second, and third rod lenses,
- wherein each of the first rod lens, second rod lens, and third rod lens includes a rod lens main body substantially cylindrical in shape with a circumferential side surface extending along a corresponding axis and generating a transmitted light by transmitting at least a portion of the corresponding collimated light, and
- wherein a light reflecting region is formed over a part of the circumferential side surface of at least one of the first, second, and third rod lenses along the circumferential direction and receives and reflects a portion of the incident collimated light, the corresponding rod lens main body including a transmitting region which receives and transmits the remaining portion of the incident light.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.