Digital heat injection by way of surface emitting semi-conductor devices
AssigneePressco IP LLC
InventorsDon W. Cochran, Benjamin D. Johnson, Jonathan M. Katz, Mark W. Moore, Noel E. Morgan, Jr., Denwood F. Ross, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for digitally injecting heat into a wide range of products by way of incorporation of a special class of semi-conductor lasers, e.g. surface emitting devices. This technique relates to a more specific, economical, and advantageous way of practicing the art of directly injecting narrowband radiant energy that desirously matches the absorption specification of a particular material at a specified wavelength.
Claims32
A system for non-contact injection of radiant energy into a target in an irradiation zone, the system comprising;
- an array of semi-conductor based narrowband radiation emitting device elements, the array being operative to emit radiation at a narrow wavelength band of radiant heat output which matches a desired absorptive characteristic of the target;
- the narrowband radiation emitting devices being mounted surface emitting laser diode devices;
- the array being mounted to a mounting entity comprising at least one of a circuit board and a cooling substrate such that the central axis of an irradiation pattern from the at least one narrowband radiation emitting devices is directed generally orthogonally relative to the largest plane of the mounting entity;
- the mounting arrangement configured to position the array such that irradiation therefrom is directed to the target in the irradiation zone and such that relative geometrical locations of the surface emitting laser diode devices are determined with consideration of the irradiation output pattern of the combination of the devices to provide irradiation of the target;
- and
- a system operative to supply electrical current to the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device.
A system for non-contact injection of radiant energy into a target, the system comprising:
- at least one semi-conductor based narrowband radiation emitting device element, the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device being operative to emit radiation at a narrow wavelength band of radiant heat output which matches a desired absorptive characteristic of the target;
- the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device being a mounted surface emitting laser diode device;
- the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device being mounted to a mounting entity comprising at least one of a circuit board and a cooling substrate such that the central axis of an irradiation pattern from the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device is directed generally orthogonally relative to the largest plane of the mounting entity;
- the mounting arrangement configured to position the at least one narrowband radiation emitting diode device such that irradiation therefrom is directed to a target in the irradiation zone;
- and
- a system operative to supply electrical current to the at least one narrowband radiation emitting device.
An irradiation array for the production of radiant energy associated with a target comprising:
- semi-conductor irradiation array wherein the devices are not mounted flush with any edges of a board upon which the array is mounted;
- wherein the mounting board is configured as a high heat conduction substrate which has at least one layer to conduct heat and one layer to conduct electrical supply current;
- wherein the array is comprised of surface emitting, semi-conductor laser devices;
- wherein the axis of the optical photonic output of the array of devices is substantially perpendicular to the large plane of the mounting substrate;
- and,
- wherein the mounting board is configured to thermally couple to at least one of a water jacket cooling system, a heat radiation fin arrangement, a state change cooler, a compressed media cooler and a thermo-electric cooler.
A method for irradiating target items, the method comprising:
- introducing a target item into an irradiation zone;
- emitting radiation at a narrow wavelength band of radiant heat output which matches a desired absorption characteristic of the target item using an array of mounted surface emitting laser diode devices, wherein the array of mounted surface emitting laser diode devices is mounted to a mounting entity comprising at least one of a circuit board and a cooling substrate such that a central axis of an irradiation pattern from the device is directed generally orthogonally relative to the largest plane of the mounting entity;
- and
- irradiating the target item based on the irradiation device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.