FIBER LASER PACKAGING

• US 20180175577A1
• Filed: 12/14/2017
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nlight Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nlight Inc.
• Inventors: Hodges, Aaron Ludwig, Reynolds, Mitchell Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 10,574,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0405 Conductive cooling, e.g. by heat sinks or thermo-electric elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0407 Liquid cooling, e.g. by water
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06704 Housings; Packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06708 Constructional details of the fibre, e.g. compositions, cross-section, shape or tapering optical fibres as passive waveguides G02B6/02

Abstract

A packaged fiber laser may include a wound fiber laser spiral including a metal ribbon having ends, surfaces, and edges; a fiber laser on a first one of the surfaces of the metal ribbon; and a metal sheet coupled to a first one of the edges of the metal ribbon or a second one of the surfaces of the metal ribbon. Packaging for a fiber laser may include a cooling plate coupled to a second one of the edges of the metal ribbon or the second surface of the metal ribbon, the cooling plate including: a casing including a cover, a bottom, and an outer sidewall; flow channels formed inside the casing, the flow channels defined by inner sidewalls of the cooling plate, wherein the cover is coupled to a top of the inner sidewalls to enclose the flow channel; and an inlet to deliver coolant to the flow channels.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a wound fiber laser spiral, including;

a metal ribbon having ends, surfaces, and edges;

a fiber laser on a first one of the surfaces of the metal ribbon; and

a metal sheet coupled to a first one of the edges of the metal ribbon or a second one of the surfaces of the metal ribbon; and

a cooling plate coupled to a second one of the edges of the metal ribbon or the second surface of the metal ribbon, the cooling plate including;

a cover to enclose flow channels formed inside the cooling plate, wherein the cover is coupled to a top of sidewalls of the flow channels; and

an inlet to deliver coolant to the flow channels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a potting compound between the fiber laser and the first surface of the metal ribbon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a same thermal conductivity as the metal ribbon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the metal ribbon are planar.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the metal ribbon are curved.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the metal ribbon defines an enclosure for the fiber laser.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the edges of the metal ribbon are in direct contact with the second surface of the metal ribbon.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first surface of the metal ribbon is in direct contact with the second surface of the metal ribbon.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling plate further comprises an outlet for coolant discharge.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the flow channels are formed from a same metal sheet as a bottom of the flow channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the flow channels are formed on a metal sheet that defines a bottom of the flow channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are non-continuous adjacent to the inlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a thermal conductivity of the cover is the same as a thermal conductivity of the metal ribbon.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling plate coupled to the metal sheet.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cooling plate coupled to the metal sheet includes flow channels enclosed by the metal sheet or a cover that is coupled to the metal sheet.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a flat wire having ends, surfaces, and edges;

a fiber laser in direct contact with a first one of the surfaces of the flat wire; and

a metal sheet coupled to a first one of the edges of the wire or a second one of the surfaces of the flat wire.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the metal sheet is less than 0.2 inches thick.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a conductivity of the metal sheet is the same as a conductivity of the flat wire.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a cooling plate including;

a casing including a cover, a bottom, and an outer sidewall;

flow channels formed inside the casing, the flow channels defined by inner sidewalls of the cooling plate, wherein the cover is coupled with a top of the inner sidewalls to enclose the flow channel; and

an inlet to deliver coolant to the flow channels.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the inlet extends from the outer sidewall.