Device for producing a moving light beam
First Claim
1. A device for receiving a light beam and retransmitting specific portions of the light beam in a reemitted beam which can be moved in space, said device comprising a light waveguide having an inlet surface at one end and an outlet surface at the opposite end, means for coupling a beam of light into the inlet surface, means for uncoupling the reemitted beam emerging from the outlet surface and means for moving the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface to change the direction of the reemitted light beam, said means for moving including a guide element being connected to the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface, and means enabling the guide element to be moved back and forth in at least one direction including a pair of parallel extending flexible arms having one end mounted on a member and the other ends connected to the guide element so that the guide element moves in the manner of a parallelogram.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device has a waveguide, such as monomode fiber, for receiving a light beam and retransmitting specific portions of the light in a reemitted beam, which reemitted beam can be moved in space. To move the reemitted beam, the device has an arrangement for moving an end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface to change the direction of the reemitted beam. The waveguide, such as the cladded optical fiber, can be either provided with a mode stripper or is of a sufficient length so that cladding modes will be eliminated before reaching the outlet surface. To move the end of the waveguide, various arrangements, which can utilize either an electro-magnet, a piezoelectric device or other suitable movement devices, are utilized. The device usually includes outlet optics for the reemitted beam and these optics can either be a gradient lens secured on the outlet surface of the waveguide or a lens which is spaced a distance from the outlet surface.
57 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A device for receiving a light beam and retransmitting specific portions of the light beam in a reemitted beam which can be moved in space, said device comprising a light waveguide having an inlet surface at one end and an outlet surface at the opposite end, means for coupling a beam of light into the inlet surface, means for uncoupling the reemitted beam emerging from the outlet surface and means for moving the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface to change the direction of the reemitted light beam, said means for moving including a guide element being connected to the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface, and means enabling the guide element to be moved back and forth in at least one direction including a pair of parallel extending flexible arms having one end mounted on a member and the other ends connected to the guide element so that the guide element moves in the manner of a parallelogram.
- 15. A device for receiving a light beam and retransmitting specific portions of the light beam in a reemitted beam which can be moved in space, said device comprising a light waveguide having an inlet surface at one end and an outlet surface at the opposite end, means for coupling a beam of light into the inlet surface, means for uncoupling the re-emitted beam emerging from the outlet surface and means for moving the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface to change the direction of the re-emitted light beam, said means for uncoupliing being a gradient lens, said gradient lens being permanently connected to the outlet surface of the light waveguide so that the gradient lens moves with the end portion of the light waveguide.
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21. A device for receiving a light beam and retransmitting specific portions of the light beam in a reemitted beam which can be moved in space, said device comprising a light waveguide having an inlet surface at one end and an outlet surface at the opposite end, means for coupling a beam of light into the inlet surface, means for uncoupling the reemitted beam emerging from the outlet surface and means for moving the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent the outlet surface to change the direction of the reemitted light beam, said means for moving including a guide element being connected to the end portion of the light waveguide adjacent said outlet surface, and means enabling the guide element to be moved back and forth in at least one direction including a torsion oscillator supporting said guide element.
Specification