Optical System for Shaping a Laser Beam and Laser System Having Such an Optical System

• US 20120188645A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Original Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Inventors: Dang, Lieu-Kim, Barth, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/558
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0047 for use with a light source G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence; details of lighting devices in general F21V; non-semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S3/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0071 adapted to illuminate a complete hemisphere or a plane extending 360 degrees around the source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0927 Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0944 Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/095 Refractive optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0977 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces

Abstract

An optical system for shaping a laser beam is disclosed. The optical system includes an optical element with a base member having a lower base, an upper base, and a lateral surface. The lateral surface includes a transmitting surface for the laser beam, and the base member includes a first cutout portion having a lower base arranged in the upper base of the base member, and a lateral surface that has a first reflecting surface for the laser beam and generates an at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam. The base member includes a second cutout portion having a lower base arranged in the lower base of the base member, an upper base that includes a transmitting surface for the laser beam, and a lateral surface abutting the lower and upper base. The lateral surface includes a second reflecting surface for the at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam.

Claims

1. An optical system for shaping a laser beam, comprising:

an optical element, including;

a base member with a lower base, an upper base, and a lateral surface abutting the lower base and the upper base, wherein the lateral surface includes a transmitting surface for the laser beam;

wherein the base member includes a first cutout portion with a lower base arranged in the upper base of the base member and a lateral surface, wherein the lateral surface of the first cutout portion includes a first reflecting surface for the laser beam and wherein an at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam is generatable by the lateral surface of the first cutout portion;

wherein the base member includes a second cutout portion with a lower base arranged in the lower base of the base member, an upper base, wherein the upper base of the second cutout portion includes a transmitting surface for the laser beam, and a lateral surface abutting the lower base and the upper base of the second cutout portion, wherein the lateral surface includes a second reflecting surface for the at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a second optical element integrated into the lateral surface of the base member, the lateral surface of the first cutout portion, the upper base of the second cutout portion, and/or the lateral surface of the second cutout portion.

3. The optical system according to claim 2, wherein the second optical element is a diffractive optical element.

4. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a second optical element, wherein the second optical element directly abuts the lateral surface of the base member, the lateral surface of the first cutout portion, the upper base of the second cutout portion, and/or the lateral surface of the second cutout portion.

5. The optical system according to claim 2, wherein the second optical element is a beam-shaping optical element, wherein the laser beam is shapeable in a plane perpendicular to a propagation direction of the laser beam by the beam-shaping optical element.

6. The optical system according to claim 4, wherein the second optical element is a beam-shaping optical element, wherein the laser beam is shapeable in a plane perpendicular to a propagation direction of the laser beam by the beam-shaping optical element.

7. The optical system according to claim 2, wherein the second optical element is a beam-shaping optical element, wherein the at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam is shapeable in a plane perpendicular to a propagation plane of the at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam by the beam-shaping optical element.

8. The optical system according to claim 2, wherein the second optical element is a beam-shaping optical element, wherein the at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam is shapeable in a plane parallel to a propagation plane of the least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam by the beam-shaping optical element.

9. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the first cutout portion include an upper base parallel to the lower base of the first cutout portion and wherein the upper base includes a transmitting surface for the laser beam.

10. A laser system, comprising:

a beam source, wherein a laser beam is generatable by the beam source; and

an optical system in accordance with claim 1.

11. The laser system according to claim 10, further comprising an adjustment device, wherein a position of the beam source relative to the optical system and/or a position of the optical system relative to the beam source is adjustable in a propagation direction of the laser beam and/or in a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction of the laser beam by the adjustment device.

12. The laser system according to claim 10, wherein a first at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam is generatable by the optical system, and further comprising a second optical system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a second at least segmentally ring-shaped laser beam is generatable by the second optical system.