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US 7,355,800 B2Granted
Apparatus for projecting a line of light from a diode-laser array
AssigneeCoherent, Inc.
InventorSerguei G. Anikitchev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A line-of-light projecting module is illuminated by a diode-laser bar and includes light-pipe for homogenizing light from the diode-laser bar in the slow-axis. A shaping optics assembly directs the light emitted by the diode-laser bar into the entrance end of the light-pipe as a diverging beam in the slow-axis and as a collimated beam in the fast-axis. The light propagates through the light-pipe unguided in the fast axis. The light is guided by the light-pipe in the slow-axis, and homogenized in the slow-axis by making multiple reflections from walls of the light-pipe. An anamorphic projection optics assembly projects the light from the exit end of the light-pipe and focuses the light to form the line-of-light.
Claims27
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- a light-pipe;
- at least one diode-laser bar including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission, with the fast-axis having a fast axis divergence and the slow-axis having a slow-axis divergence wherein said diode-laser bar has a length in the slow-axis and said light-pipe has a slow-axis width less than the length of said diode-laser bar;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis said first optical arrangement includes a first cylindrical lens followed by a second cylindrical lens, said first cylindrical lens being arranged to collimate light emitted by said diode-laser bar in the fast-axis and said second cylindrical lens being arranged to focus said light in the slow-axis into said light-pipe said second cylindrical lens has a slow-axis optical power selected such that the light entering the light-pipe has a slow-axis divergence greater than the slow-axis divergence of light emitted from said diode-laser bar;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- at least one diode-laser bar having a length and including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters spaced apart in the length direction, for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission, wherein the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar is emitted as a diverging beam having a fast-axis divergence and a slow-axis divergence;
- a light-pipe, said light having a width in said slow-axis less than the length of said diode-laser bar;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis, wherein said first optical arrangement is further arranged such that light entering said light-pipe has a slow-axis divergence greater than the slow-axis divergence of light emitted by said emitters of said diode-laser bar and wherein said first optical arrangement is a telecentric arrangement;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line-of-light.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- at least one diode-laser bar having a length and including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters spaced apart in the length direction, for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted as a diverging beam in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission;
- a light-pipe;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis, and said first optical arrangement being also arranged such that light entering said light-pipe has a slow-axis divergence greater than the slow-axis divergence of light emitted by said emitters;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- at least one diode-laser bar for emitting light the light from said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission, said diode-laser bar having a length in the slow-axis;
- a light-pipe having a slow-axis width less than the length of said diode-laser bar;
- a first optical arrangement including a slow-axis telecentric relay for directing the light emitted by said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being configured and arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis;
- and
- a second optical arrangement including an inverse telephoto lens arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- a light-pipe;
- at least one diode-laser bar including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission, wherein the light emitted by said diode-laser bar has a fast-axis divergence and a slow-axis divergence;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis and said first optical arrangement includes first, second, and third cylindrical lenses, said first cylindrical lens being arranged to collimate light emitted by said diode-laser bar in the fast-axis and said second and third cylindrical lenses being arranged to focus said fast-axis collimated light in the slow-axis into said light-pipe;
- and a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light.
1 more element
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- a light-pipe;
- at least one diode-laser bar including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission, wherein the light emitted by said diode-laser bar has a fast-axis divergence and a slow-axis divergence;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis, said first optical arrangement includes a first cylindrical lens, a lens array including a plurality of second cylindrical lenses, and third and fourth cylindrical lenses, said first cylindrical lens being arranged to collimate light emitted by said diode-laser bar in the fast-axis, each of said second cylindrical lenses being arranged to reduce the divergence of said fast-axis collimated light of a corresponding emitter of said diode-laser bar in the slow-axis and said second and third cylindrical lenses being arranged to focus said fast-axis collimated, slow-axis-divergence-reduced light in the slow-axis into said light-pipe;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- a light-pipe;
- at least one diode-laser bar including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light and wherein said second optical arrangement is in the form of an inverse telephoto lens in the slow-axis.
2 more elements
Apparatus for projecting a line of light, comprising:
- a light-pipe;
- at least one diode-laser bar including a plurality of spaced-apart emitters for emitting light, the light from said emitters of said diode-laser bar being emitted in a fast-axis and a slow-axis perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the general direction of emission;
- a first optical arrangement for directing the light emitted by the emitters of said diode-laser bar into said light-pipe, said first optical arrangement and said light-pipe being arranged such that the light propagates through said light-pipe substantially unguided thereby in the fast-axis and guided by said light-pipe in the slow-axis;
- and
- a second optical arrangement arranged to receive light exiting said light-pipe and focus said light to form the line of light and wherein said light-pipe has first and second ends said second end having first and second faces at an angle to each other, and wherein said light entering said light-pipe at said first end thereof, propagates through said light-pipe to said second end thereof, is reflected through 180 degrees by successive reflections from said first and second faces, and exits said light-pipe at said first end thereof.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.