IP Library Granted Patent US 9,746,677
Granted Patent B2
US 9,746,677 · App. 14/890,145 · Granted Aug 29, 2017

Device for applying laser radiation to the outside of a rotationally symmetric component

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,746,677
App. No.
14/890,145
Granted
Aug 29, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a device for applying laser radiation ( 13 ) to the outside of a rotationally symmetric component ( 11 ), comprising a plurality of lenses ( 10 ), which are designed and/or arranged in such a way that the axis of symmetry ( 12 ) of the component ( 11 ) lies at the focal point of each of the lenses ( 10 ).

Claims (35)

1. A device for applying laser radiation ( 13 ) to an outside surface of a rotationally symmetrical component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″), comprising a plurality of lenses ( 10 ), through which the laser radiation ( 13 ) passes and which are designed and/or are arranged in such a way that an axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) is located at a focal point of each of the lenses ( 10 ).

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises homogenizers ( 14 , 18 , 21 ), one homogenizer associated with each of the lenses ( 10 ), homogenizing the laser radiation ( 13 ) before passing through each of the lenses ( 10 ).

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein when a number of the lenses ( 10 ) is less than eight, the homogenizers ( 14 , 18 , 21 ) are designed such that the laser radiation ( 13 ) has a top-hat intensity distribution wherein intensity decreases toward edges according to cos 2 (φ), and wherein, when a number of the lenses ( 10 ) is greater than or equal to eight, the homogenizers ( 14 , 18 , 21 ) are designed such that the laser radiation ( 13 ) has a linear top-hat intensity distribution.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the homogenizers ( 14 , 18 ) comprise at least one lens array ( 15 , 16 ) or a light guide ( 19 ).

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the homogenizers ( 14 , 18 ) comprise two lens arrays ( 15 , 16 ).

6. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the homogenizer ( 21 ) comprises a waveguide ( 23 ) having at least partially cuboidal light-guiding region ( 26 ).

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein a first extent (D 1 ) of the light-guiding region ( 26 ) that extends between an entrance face and an exit face of the light-guiding region ( 26 ) is greater than a second (D 2 ) and/or a third extent (D 3 ) that is perpendicular to the first extent (D 1 ) of the light-guiding region ( 26 ).

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein first extent (D 1 ) of the light-guiding region ( 26 ) that extends between an entrance face and an exit face of the light-guiding region ( 26 ) is greater than a second and/or third extent (D 2 , D 3 ) that is perpendicular to the first extent (D 1 ) of the light-guiding region ( 260 ), by a factor of at least 3.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the factor is between at least 7 and at most 100.

10. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the device comprises an optical arrangement to expose at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) to laser radiation ( 13 ).

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the optical arrangement and/or the homogenizer ( 14 , 18 , 21 ) are designed such that an entrance face of each of the lenses ( 10 ) is exposed to a homogeneous spatial distribution or to a homogeneous spatial intensity distribution of the laser radiation ( 13 ).

12. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the optical arrangement and/or the homogenizer ( 14 , 18 , 21 ) are designed such that an entrance face of each of the lenses ( 10 ) is exposed to a homogeneous spatial distribution or to a homogeneous spatial intensity distribution of the laser radiation ( 13 ) matching a design of the lens ( 10 ).

13. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the homogenizers ( 14 , 18 , 21 ) are encompassed by the optical arrangement.

14. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the optical arrangement comprises a collimator.

15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the collimator comprises at least one lens for collimation, which is designed and arranged in the device such that the laser radiation is incident on the lenses ( 10 ) with no divergence or with the smallest possible divergence, or is at least substantially collimated.

16. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the lenses ( 10 ) are arranged in the circumferential direction next to one another.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the lenses ( 10 ) adjoin one another, with respect to the axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″).

18. The device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) are arranged so that the direction in which the laser radiation ( 13 ) propagates after passing through the at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) has with respect to the axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) both a radial and an axial component.

19. The device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the lenses ( 10 ) is arranged lenses ( 10 ) has with respect to the axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) both a radial and an axial component.

20. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the lenses ( 10 ) has for the laser radiation ( 13 ) an enhance face facing away from the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) and an exit face facing the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″).

21. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least two the lenses ( 10 ) have an identical focal length (f).

22. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) are cylindrical lenses having cylinder axes that are parallel to the axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″).

23. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) have a rotationally-symmetrical curvature.

24. The device according to claim 23 , wherein at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) have a rotationally-symmetrical curvature.

25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein at least one of the lenses ( 10 ) are spherical lenses ( 10 ).

26. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the lenses ( 10 ) are spherical lenses ( 10 ).

27. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the lenses ( 10 ) has an identical focal length (f).

28. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises an optical arrangement to expose each of the lenses ( 10 ) to laser radiation ( 13 ).

29. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lenses ( 10 ) are cylindrical lenses having cylinder axes that are parallel to the axis of symmetry ( 12 , 12 ′, 12 ″) of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″).

30. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the lenses ( 10 ) has a rotationally-symmetrical curvature.

31. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the plural lenses ( 10 ) are three or more lenses arranged in a closed geometric configuration with the plural lenses ( 10 ) adjoining at corners of the closed geometric configuration with the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) enclosed by the geometric configuration.

32. The device according to claim 1 , wherein none of the laser radiation bypasses the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″).

33. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an entire angular space of a circumference of the component ( 11 , 11 ′, 11 ″) is illuminated, and wherein a numerical aperture of the plural lenses ( 10 ) is determined as follows:

NA=sin(α/2)

with α=360°/number of lenses.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2020
From: LIMO GMBH
To: FOCUSLIGHT TECHNOLOGIES INC
Reel/Frame 053117/0848 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 16, 2018
From: LIMO PATENTVERWALTUNG GMBH & CO KG; LIMO VERWALTUNG GMBH
To: LIMO GMBH
Reel/Frame 046556/0161 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2015
From: MITRA, THOMAS, DR.
To: LIMO PATENTVERWALTUNG GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 037224/0742 →