Patent · US Expired

Beam protecting device

US5991102A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
12References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 27, 1995
Grant dateNov 23, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B27/0972
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A beam projecting apparatus which includes a light source emitting a laser beam; and a beam projecting device which includes a beam projecting portion from which the laser beam is projected outwardly so that the laser beam has a beam waist position at a predetermined position apart from the beam projecting apparatus. The beam projecting apparatus further includes a beam waist position adjusting optical system which is disposed along a light path from the light source to the beam projecting portion, at least one lens element of the beam waist position adjusting optical system being movable along an optical axis thereof; a temperature detecting device for detecting a temperature in the beam projecting apparatus; and a controller for controlling a movement of the at least one lens element in association with the temperature detected by the temperature detecting device so that a deviation of the beam waist position from the predetermined position due to a temperature change is minimized.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.