Two-dimensional laser beam scanner using PVDF bimorph
First Claim
1. A two-dimensional laser beam scanning device comprising:
- a support base;
a piezoelectric bimorph structure comprising four consecutively bonded piezoelectric layers disposed in said support base, each layer having a length in a longitudinal direction of said support base, a width in a direction perpendicular to said support base, and a thickness in a width direction of said support base, two outer layers of said bimorph structure having a shorter length than two inner layers and being bonded to the inner two layers such that the bonded inner and outer layers form a four-layer bimorph portion and the inner two layers extend lengthwise in one direction past the ends of the outer two layers to form a two-layer bimorph portion having a free end, the four-layer portion being affixed along a first lengthwise edge thereof to the support base, a second lengthwise edge of the four-layer portion defining a free edge thereof, and the free end of the two-layer portion being bent substantially ninety-degrees such that the free end of the two-layer portion extends in the width direction of said support base;
a mirror attached to the free end of the two-layer bimorph portion for reflecting light incident thereon; and
electrode means connected to the four piezoelectric layers for applying an electrical signal to said bimorph structure to produce vibration of the free edge of the four-layer portion in said width direction of said support base and to produce vibration of the free end of the bent two-layer portion in a direction orthogonal to the direction of vibration of the free edge of said four-layer portion, the orthogonal vibrations of the free edge of the four-layer portion and the free end of the two-layer portion being mechanically transmitted to the mirror, whereby light incident upon the mirror is simultaneously scanned in two orthogonal directions.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A two-dimensional laser beam scanning device having a support base and a piezoelectric bimorph structure comprising four consecutively bonded piezoelectric layers disposed in the support base. The two outer layers of the bimorph structure have a shorter length than the two inner layers, and the inner two layers extend lengthwise in one direction past the ends of the outer two layers to form a two-layer bimorph portion having a free end. The four-layer portion is affixed along a first lengthwise edge thereof to the support base. The other lengthwise edge defines a free edge. The free end of the two-layer portion is bent ninety-degrees. The two-layer portion has a different resonant frequency than the four-layer portion. The scanning device further comprises a mirror attached to the free end of the two-layer bimorph portion and electrode means for applying an electrical signal to the bimorph structure to cause the free edge of the four-layer portion and the free end of the two-layer portion to vibrate in orthogonal directions whereby light incident upon the mirror is simultaneously scanned in two orthogonal directions. The applied electrical signal has a first frequency component substantially equal to the resonant frequency of the four-layer portion and a second frequency component substantially equal to the frequency of the two-layer portion. Alternatively, the two dimensional scanning device comprises a piezoelectric bimorph having first and second free end regions disposed in orthogonal planes. First and second mirrors are attached to the first and second free end regions, respectively.
58 Citations
5 Claims
-
1. A two-dimensional laser beam scanning device comprising:
-
a support base; a piezoelectric bimorph structure comprising four consecutively bonded piezoelectric layers disposed in said support base, each layer having a length in a longitudinal direction of said support base, a width in a direction perpendicular to said support base, and a thickness in a width direction of said support base, two outer layers of said bimorph structure having a shorter length than two inner layers and being bonded to the inner two layers such that the bonded inner and outer layers form a four-layer bimorph portion and the inner two layers extend lengthwise in one direction past the ends of the outer two layers to form a two-layer bimorph portion having a free end, the four-layer portion being affixed along a first lengthwise edge thereof to the support base, a second lengthwise edge of the four-layer portion defining a free edge thereof, and the free end of the two-layer portion being bent substantially ninety-degrees such that the free end of the two-layer portion extends in the width direction of said support base; a mirror attached to the free end of the two-layer bimorph portion for reflecting light incident thereon; and electrode means connected to the four piezoelectric layers for applying an electrical signal to said bimorph structure to produce vibration of the free edge of the four-layer portion in said width direction of said support base and to produce vibration of the free end of the bent two-layer portion in a direction orthogonal to the direction of vibration of the free edge of said four-layer portion, the orthogonal vibrations of the free edge of the four-layer portion and the free end of the two-layer portion being mechanically transmitted to the mirror, whereby light incident upon the mirror is simultaneously scanned in two orthogonal directions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
Specification