Shaped fiber elements for scanning fiber displays

• US 10,254,483 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: Schowengerdt, Brian T., Watson, Mathew D., Melville, Charles David
• Primary Examiner(s): Blevins, Jerry M
• Application Number:
  US15/851,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20180180812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 385 43
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/68 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/0098 for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/103 having movable or deformable optical fibres, light guides or waveguides as scanning elements light guides per se G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/241 Light guide terminations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/245 Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/255 Splicing of light guides, e.g. by fusion or bonding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements

Abstract

A fiber optic element of a fiber scanning system includes a motion actuator having longitudinal side members, an internal orifice, a first support region, a central region, and a second support region. The fiber optic element also includes a first fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice and having a first fiber joint as well as a second fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice. The second fiber optic cable has a second fiber joint disposed in the central region and spliced to the first fiber joint, a second coupling region, a light delivery region, and a light emission tip. The light delivery region is characterized by a first diameter and the light emission tip is characterized by a second diameter less than the first diameter.

Claims

1. A fiber optic element of a fiber scanning system, the fiber optic element comprising:

a motion actuator having;

longitudinal side members;

an internal orifice disposed between the longitudinal side members;

a first support region disposed at one end of the motion actuator;

a central region; and

a second support region disposed at an opposing end of the motion actuator; and

a first fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice, the first fiber optic cable having a first coupling region disposed between the longitudinal side members and a first fiber joint disposed in the central region;

a second fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice, the second fiber optic cable having;

a second fiber joint disposed in the central region and spliced to the first fiber joint;

a second coupling region disposed between the longitudinal side members and in mechanical contact with the second support region;

a light delivery region extending away from the second support region of the motion actuator; and

a light emission tip, wherein the light delivery region is characterized by a first diameter and the light emission tip is characterized by a second diameter less than the first diameter.

2. The fiber optic element of claim 1 further comprising a mechanical fixture retaining the first coupling region of the first fiber optic cable with respect to the first support region.

3. The fiber optic element of claim 1 wherein the first coupling region of the first fiber optic cable is in mechanical contact with first support region.

4. The fiber optic element of claim 1 wherein the first fiber joint and the second fiber joint are separated from the longitudinal side members by a flexure distance.

5. The fiber optic element of claim 1 wherein:

the motion actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator; and

the longitudinal side members comprises a first piezoelectric element operable to contract/expand and a second piezoelectric element operable to expand/contract in opposition to the first piezoelectric element.

6. The fiber optic element of claim 1 wherein the internal orifice of the motion actuator is characterized by a cylindrical profile defined by an internal diameter and the second coupling region is characterized by an outside diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter.

7. A fiber optic element of a fiber scanning system, the fiber optic element comprising:

a motion actuator having;

longitudinal side members;

an internal orifice disposed between the longitudinal side members;

a first support region disposed at one end of the motion actuator;

a central region; and

a second support region disposed at an opposing end of the motion actuator;

a retaining element disposed in the first support region;

a first optical waveguide passing through the retaining element and the internal orifice, the first optical waveguide having a first mating joint disposed in the retaining element;

a second optical waveguide passing through the internal orifice, the second optical waveguide having;

a second mating joint disposed in the retaining element and joined to the first mating joint and a second coupling region disposed between the longitudinal side members and in mechanical contact with the second support region;

a light delivery region extending away from the second support region of the motion actuator; and

a light emission tip, wherein the light delivery region is characterized by a first diameter and the light emission tip is characterized by a second diameter less than the first diameter.

8. The fiber optic element of claim 7 wherein the first optical waveguide comprises a first fiber optic cable.

9. The fiber optic element of claim 7 wherein the second optical waveguide comprises a second fiber optic cable.

10. The fiber optic element of claim 7 wherein the retaining element is operable to retain the first mating joint with respect to the first support region.

11. The fiber optic element of claim 7 wherein the second optical waveguide comprises a flexure region disposed between the second mating joint and the second coupling region, wherein the flexure region is separated from the longitudinal side members by a flexure distance.

12. The fiber optic element of claim 7 wherein the motion actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator.

13. The fiber optic element of claim 12 wherein the piezoelectric actuator is positioned in a plane including the first support region, the first mating joint, and the second mating joint.