EP0171888A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Anamorphic prism for beam shaping
Assignee: Melles Griot Irvine Co
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Filing: 1985-06-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-06-13
Abstract
Abstract A device for shaping a beam of light comprising a single anamorphic prism (10) having an input face (26) for receiving a beam of light, and an output face (30) for outputting the beam of light. A reflecting face (28) reflects light from the input face (26) to the output face (30). The faces (26, 30) are oriented to cause the beam exiting the output face (30) to be substantially parallel to the beam entering the input face (26). The prism (10) is sized to provide colinearity of the input and output light.
Inventors
- 👤 John F. Forkner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:58
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B13/00; G02B13/08; G02B13/10; G02B19/00; G02B19/0004; G02B19/0028; G02B19/0033; G02B19/0047; G02B19/0052; G02B27/00; G02B27/09; G02B27/0938; G02B27/095; G02B27/0972; G02B5/00; G02B5/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
1 . A device for shaping a beam of light, characterized by: a single, unitary anamorphic prism (10) having an input face (26) for receiving said beam of light and an output face (30) for outputting said beam of light, said faces (26, 30) oriented to cause anamorphic magnification of said beam of light and further oriented to cause said beam at said output face (30) to be substantially parallel to said beam at said input face (26).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
1 . A device for shaping a beam of light, characterized by: a single, unitary anamorphic prism (10) having an input face (26) for receiving said beam of light and an output face (30) for outputting said beam of light, said faces (26, 30) oriented to cause anamorphic magnification of said beam of light and further oriented to cause said beam at said output face (30) to be substantially parallel to said beam at said input face (26).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by Claim 1, further characterized in that said prism (10) is sized to cause said beam at said output face (30) to be substantially colinear with said beam at said input face. (26).
Claim 4
Independent Claim
47 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by any of Claims 1-2, further characterized in that said faces (26, 30) are oriented to cause expansive magnification at one of said faces (26, '30) and compressive magnification at the other of said faces (26, 30).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
48 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by any of Claims 1-3, further characterized in that-said beam of light has two orthogonal cross-sectional . dimensions (d x , dy), and wherein said .. prism (10) preferentially magnifies one of said dimensions without magnifying the other.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
39 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by any of Claims 1-4, additionally characterized by a collimator (51), said collimator (51) comprising a flat plate (52), a meniscus lens (53), and a positive lens element (54).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
30 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined in any of Claims 1-5, further characterized in that said single anamorphic prism (10) additionally comprises a reflecting face (28).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
32 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by of Claims 1-6, further characterized in that said beam is refracted twice and reflected once during passage through said prism (10).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
30 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by Claims 6 or 7, further characterized in that said input, output, and reflecting faces (26, 30, 28) are uncoated.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
61 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by any of Claims 6-8, further characterized in that said input face (26) is oriented to receive said light beam and transmit said light beam to said reflecting face (28), and said reflecting face (28) is oriented to reflect said light beam to said output face (30), said faces (26, 28,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
131 words
30) lying in said first, second, and third mutually- intersecting planes (40, 44, 42), said first and second planes (40, 44), intersecting at an obtuse angle y, said first and third planes (40, 42) intersecting at an acute angle α, said second and third planes (44, 42) intersecting at an acute angle β, said angles a, β, and y related by: where I 1 is the angle of incidence of said light beam at said input face (26); R 2 is the angle of .refraction of said light beam at said output face (30); and U is the acute angle between the axis of propagation (72) of the light beam received by said input face (26) and the light beam reflected from said reflecting face (28) to said output face (30).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
131 words
30) lying in said first, second, and third mutually- intersecting planes (40, 44, 42), said first and second planes (40, 44), intersecting at an obtuse angle y, said first and third planes (40, 42) intersecting at an acute angle α, said second and third planes (44, 42) intersecting at an acute angle β, said angles a, β, and y related by: where I 1 is the angle of incidence of said light beam at said input face (26); R 2 is the angle of .refraction of said light beam at said output face (30); and U is the acute angle between the axis of propagation (72) of the light beam received by said input face (26) and the light beam reflected from said reflecting face (28) to said output face (30).
Claim 13
Independent Claim
58 words
A device for shaping a beam of light, as defined by any of Claims 1-9, further characterized in that at least one of said input and output faces (26, 30) is oriented such that the angle of incidence (I 1 , I 2 ) of said light beam thereon is substantially equal to or less than Brewster's angle.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
138 words
A method of transforming an input light beam (56) having an elliptical cross section to an output light beam having a circular cross section (57), said method characterized by: passing said input light beam (56) through an anamorphic prism (10) to cause preferential magnification of said input light beam (56) along the major or minor axes (x, y) of said elliptical cross section to provide said output light beam (57) of circular cross section; orienting the active faces (26, 28, 30) of said prism relative to said input light beam (56) to cause said input and output beams (56, 57) to be parallel; and positioning the active faces (26, 28, 30) of said prism (10) relative to each other and to said input light beam (56) to cause said input and output beams (56, 57) to be colinear.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
138 words
A method of transforming an input light beam (56) having an elliptical cross section to an output light beam having a circular cross section (57), said method characterized by: passing said input light beam (56) through an anamorphic prism (10) to cause preferential magnification of said input light beam (56) along the major or minor axes (x, y) of said elliptical cross section to provide said output light beam (57) of circular cross section; orienting the active faces (26, 28, 30) of said prism relative to said input light beam (56) to cause said input and output beams (56, 57) to be parallel; and positioning the active faces (26, 28, 30) of said prism (10) relative to each other and to said input light beam (56) to cause said input and output beams (56, 57) to be colinear.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of transforming a light beam, as defined by Claim 11, additionally characterized by the step of polarizing said input light beam (56) in a direction parallel to the plane of incidence of the active faces (26, 28, 30) of said prism.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of manufacturing an anamorphic prism, characterized by: forming first, second, and third surfaces (26, 30, 28) on a single, unitary piece of transparent material (10) to provide an input face (26) for receiving an input beam of light, a reflecting face (28) for reflecting a beam of light, and an output face (30) for receiving a beam of light from the reflecting face (28) and for outputting a beam of light, said surfaces (26, 30, 28) lying in respective, mutually intersecting planes (40, 44, 42); and forming the angles between said surfaces (26, 30, 28) for anamorphic magnification of the input beam of light.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of manufacturing an anamorphic prism, characterized by: forming first, second, and third surfaces (26, 30, 28) on a single, unitary piece of transparent material (10) to provide an input face (26) for receiving an input beam of light, a reflecting face (28) for reflecting a beam of light, and an output face (30) for receiving a beam of light from the reflecting face (28) and for outputting a beam of light, said surfaces (26, 30, 28) lying in respective, mutually intersecting planes (40, 44, 42); and forming the angles between said surfaces (26, 30, 28) for anamorphic magnification of the input beam of light.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
127 words
A method of manufacturing an anamorphic prism, as defined by Claim 13, characterized in that two of said surfaces (26, 30, 28) are formed to have an angle a therebetween and two of said surfaces (26, 30, 28) are formed to have an angle β therebetween, said angles a and β defined by: where I 1 is the angle of incidence of a light beam received by one of the first and second surfaces (26, 30), R 2 is the angle of refraction of a light beam received at the other of the first and second surfaces (26, 30), and U is an angle between the axis of propagation (72) of the input beam of light and the beam of light reflected from the reflecting face (28).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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