Optical component for beam shaping

• US 7,443,589 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMS GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Pesch, Alexander, Erdmann, Lars, Deparnay, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US11/412,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 359 66-628
• US Class Current: 359/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/02 made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00

Abstract

The invention includes an optics array for beam shaping, which uses a micro lens combination, whose polygonal micro lenses are arranged in a level, whereby the geometric arrangement of the individual lenses and their diameters follow a distribution pattern.

It is characterized by the fact that the number of corners as well as the length of the lens rims of each of the individual lenses of the micro lens combination is defined by a point distribution (P) of Voronoi points (2), which define a Voronoi Region (VR(p)) which can be described by the following equations for a Voronoi lens (1).

$z\left(r\right)=\frac{c·r^2}{1+\sqrt{1-\left(1+k\right)·c^2·r^2}}+a_4·r^4+a_6·r^6+\dots$

Claims

1. Optics for beam shaping, comprising:

a micro lens array in which a plurality of polygonal micro lenses are disposed in a surface, each polygonal microlens having corners and a lens rim having a length,

whereby geometric arrangement of individual polygonal micro lenses and individual polygonal micro lens diameters follow a distribution pattern, wherein a number of the comers and the length of the lens rims of each of the polygonal micro lenses correspond to a Point distribution (P) and each of the individual polygonal micro lenses have a point which is a Voronoi Point, that defines a Voronoi Region (VR(p)), which is defined by the following equation for a Voronoi Lens;

2. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein each radius of curvature (R) of each Voronoi Lens is about 10 to about 200 times larger than a maximum distance (dmax), which is the greatest distance from one of the corners to the vertex of the Voronoi Lens.

3. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the vertex and the Voronoi Point results in distance (A), which is the separation from Voronoi lens in one level, which is greater than zero and less than the radius of curvature (R) of the Voronoi lens, and the position of the vertex is selected such that substantially maximum radiation in an illumination zone of an optical configuration of the radiation points is obtained.

4. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 3, wherein distance (A) of each polygonal micro lens is greater than zero and less than the radius of curvature (R) of each Voronoi Lens.

5. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens rims have at least three comers and no more than twelve comers.

6. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lens rims have no more than six corners.

7. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein each Voronoi Lens has a different radius of curvature(R).

8. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 7, wherein the Voronoi Lenses in the array have substantially the same radius of curvature(R).

9. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polygonal micro lenses are arranged in a regular pattern.

10. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polygonal micro lenses are arranged in an irregular pattern.

11. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Voronoi Lenses are aspheric or cylindrical in form, a combination of aspheric and cylindrical in form or a non-refractive from that can be described by the z(r) polynomial.

12. Optics for beam shaping as claimed in claim 1, further comprising additional concave or convex lenses, which are surrounded by concave or convex toroidally shaped forms.