Drying light source

• US 9,440,429 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volpi AG
• Original Assignee: Volpi AG
• Inventors: Jenny, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/796,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,289 Days
• Field of Search: 362/268, 362/294
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 23/0409 Ultraviolet dryers
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 23/0443 after printing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/008 Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/28 by radiation, e.g. from the sun

Abstract

A drying light source (1), in which the light of a number of single light sources (3) is applied heterodyned and bundled to an object level (5) with the help of optical elements (6, 4, 7, 8).

Claims

1. Drying light source (1) for illuminating an object with plural high power LEDs, the drying light source comprising:

at least one first individual illumination source (3) comprising at least one high power LED requiring substantial heat dissipation and a second individual light source (3′

) comprising at least one high power LED requiring substantial heat dissipation, whereby their emitted light respectively has a dominant wave length (λ

₁, and/or λ

₂), and providing a converged beam light beam bundle; and

a collector (8),

characterized by, optic means (6, 6′

, 4, 4′

) providing heterodyning of the emitted light and providing homogenization of the converged light beam bundle, the homogenization of the converged light beam bundle realized with a micro lens array comprising a spherical lens or an aspherical lens,

the high power LEDs having a spacing to allow separation of the LEDs to reduce a tendency of interference, thereby avoiding overheating.

7. Drying light source (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the optical means comprise cylindrical and/or spherical optical elements.

8. Drying light source (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that at least one of the light sources (3, 3′

, 3″

) comprises an illumination arrangement (25) with an LED array (14, 15, 16, 17) of n×

n or m×

n LEDs.

9. Drying light source (1) according to claim 8, characterized by, that the LED array (14, 15, 16, 17) has a number of similar or different LEDs (20, 21, 22).

10. Drying light source (1) according to claim 8, characterized by, that the illumination unit (25) has several LED arrays (14, 15, 16, 17).

14. Drying light source (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the optic means comprise at least one reflector (18), whereby the reflector (18) is mounted and designed in such a way that at least the emitted light (λ

₁) of the first individual light source (3) is reflected and strikes heterodyned with the emitted light (λ

₂) of the second individual light source (3′

) onto the object field (5) that is to be illuminated.

15. Drying light source (1) according to claim 14, characterized by, that the individual illumination sources (LS1, LS2, LS3) are LEDs that have large aperture emission, halogen radiators or gas discharge lamps.

16. Drying light source (1) according to claim 15, characterized by, that the individual illumination sources (LS1, LS2, LS3) are provided with an optical condenser (CO1, CO2, CO3).

17. Drying light source (1) according to claim 15, characterized by, that a collector (8) is provided between the beam splitters (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated.

18. Drying light source (1) according to claim 15, characterized by, that between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated, an optical means (7) is provided for the homogenization of the heterodyned irradiation.

2. Drying light source (1) for illuminating an object with plural high power LEDs, the drying light source comprising:

at least one first individual illumination source (3) comprising at least one high power LED requiring substantial heat dissipation and a second individual light source (3′

) comprising at least one high power LED requiring substantial heat dissipation, whereby their emitted light respectively has a dominant wave length (λ

₁, and/or λ

₂), and providing a converged beam light beam bundle;

a collector (8);

optic means (6, 6′

, 4, 4′

) providing heterodyning of the emitted light and providing homogenization of the converged light beam bundle realized with a micro lens array; and

the high power LEDs having a spacing to allow separation of the LEDs to reduce a tendency of interference, thereby avoiding overheating,

wherein the optic means comprise at least one beam divider (4), whereby the beam divider is mounted and designed in such a way that the emitted light (λ

₁) of the first light source (3) is reflected onto the object field (5) that is to be illuminated and the emitted light (λ

₂) of the second individual light source (3′

) can pass unhindered in order to heterodyne itself with the emitted light (λ

₁) of the first light source (3).

3. Drying light source (1) according to claim 2, characterized by, that the individual illumination sources (LS1, LS2, LS3) are LEDs that have large aperture emission, halogen radiators or gas discharge lamps.

4. Drying light source (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that the individual illumination sources (LS1, LS2, LS3) are provided with an optical condenser (CO1, CO2, CO3).

5. Drying light source (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that a collector (8) is provided between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated.

6. Drying light source (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated, an optical means (7) is provided for the homogenization of the heterodyned irradiation.

11. Drying light source (1) according to claim 4, characterized by, that a collector (8) is provided between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated.

12. Drying light source (1) according to claim 4, characterized by, that between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated, an optical means (7) is provided for the homogenization of the heterodyned irradiation.

13. Drying light source (1) according to claim 5, characterized by, that between the beam dividers (4, 4′

) and the object field (5) that is to be illuminated, an optical means (7) is provided for the homogenization of the heterodyned irradiation.