公开(公告)号：US20200117016A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-16

申请号：US16709414

申请日：2019-12-10

Applicant: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated

Inventor： Patrick Y. MAEDA ,  David K. BIEGELSEN

IPC: G02B27/09 ,  G02B3/00 ,  B41M7/00 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G02B6/02

Abstract: An illuminator optical system combines, homogenizes, and shapes light spatially and angularly from one or more high power fiber coupled lasers. It may include a multichannel fiber cable, collimation and beam shaping optics, a multiple lens array (e.g., fly's eye lens array), and an objective lens. The multichannel fiber collects the light from the high power fiber coupled lasers and produces an aligned array of one or more optical fibers at the output of the cable. The light output from the cable is collimated and relayed to a multiple lens array that spatially divides and shapes the light into an array of beams. The objective lens homogenizes the light by collimating and overlapping the beams into a uniform top hat irradiance distribution in at least one dimension, resulting in the illumination pattern having the required spatial size and desired angular distribution at the illumination plane.

公开(公告)号：US20190113762A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-18

申请号：US15784812

申请日：2017-10-16

Applicant: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated

Inventor： Patrick Y. MAEDA ,  David K. BIEGELSEN

IPC: G02B27/09 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G02B3/00 ,  B41M7/00

Abstract: An illuminator optical system combines, homogenizes, and shapes light spatially and angularly from one or more high power fiber coupled lasers. It may include a multichannel fiber cable, collimation and beam shaping optics, a multiple lens array (e.g., fly's eye lens array), and an objective lens. The multichannel fiber collects the light from the high power fiber coupled lasers and produces an aligned array of one or more optical fibers at the output of the cable. The light output from the cable is collimated and relayed to a multiple lens array that spatially divides and shapes the light into an array of beams. The objective lens homogenizes the light by collimating and overlapping the beams into a uniform top hat irradiance distribution in at least one dimension, resulting in the illumination pattern having the required spatial size and desired angular distribution at the illumination plane.

公开(公告)号：US20180307013A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-25

申请号：US16020250

申请日：2018-06-27

Applicant: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated

Inventor： Patrick Y. MAEDA ,  Timothy D. STOWE

IPC: G02B17/00 ,  G03G15/04 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G02B27/30 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/14

Abstract: High resolution printing systems that utilize high power laser diode bars and digital mirror devices (DMD) require side-by-side stacking of illumination modules to stitching of the image from each module to form a longer total image width. An inline illumination optical system having a refractive prism and Total Internal Reflection (TIR) prism pair with an air gap along with a light guide transporting light beams at a compound angle to the prism pair eliminates the need for any axial rotation of the laser and light guide, and enables side-by-side module stacking. The illumination optical system includes an illumination module having a light source, the light guide, a DMD array and a Refractive TIR (RTIR) prism. The system also includes a DMD housing containing the DMD array and having a width within which the illumination module is confined to allow side-by-side stacking.

公开(公告)号：US20180196242A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-12

申请号：US15400848

申请日：2017-01-06

Applicant: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED

Inventor： Patrick Y. MAEDA ,  Timothy D. STOWE

IPC: G02B17/00 ,  G02B27/30 ,  G02B27/14 ,  G02B27/10 ,  F21V8/00 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G03G15/04

CPC classification number: G02B17/00 ,  G02B6/0001 ,  G02B26/0833 ,  G02B27/108 ,  G02B27/14 ,  G02B27/30 ,  G03G15/04036 ,  G03G15/04072

Abstract: High resolution printing systems that utilize high power laser diode bars and digital mirror devices (DMD) require side-by-side stacking of illumination modules to stitching of the image from each module to form a longer total image width. An inline illumination optical system having a refractive prism and Total Internal Reflection (TIR) prism pair with an air gap along with a light guide transporting light beams at a compound angle to the prism pair eliminates the need for any axial rotation of the laser and light guide, and enables side-by-side module stacking. The illumination optical system includes an illumination module having a light source, the light guide, a DMD array and a Refractive TIR (RTIR) prism. The system also includes a DMD housing containing the DMD array and having a width within which the illumination module is confined to allow side-by-side stacking.