| Go
to patent search site 4981343
: Focusing mirror lens
| INVENTORS: |
Folsom;
Mark, Hollister, CA
|
| ASSIGNEES: |
Whittaker Ordnance,
Inc., Hollister, CA |
| ISSUED: |
Jan. 1 , 1991 |
FILED: |
Feb. 6 , 1989 |
| SERIAL
NUMBER: |
306119 |
FEE STATUS: |
|
| INTL.
CLASS (Ed. 5): |
G02B 17/00; |
| U.S.
CLASS: |
350-444; 350-443; |
| FIELD
OF SEARCH: |
350-442,443,444,445,446 ; |
| AGENTS: |
Nist; Donald E.; |
ABSTRACT:
The improved focusing mirror lens reduces the
ellipticity of the output beam of a laser diode
or the like light source and corrects astigmatism
of the beam so that beam light can be focused to
a fine point. The lens has a monolithic,
transparent, preferably cylindrical lens body of
glass or the like, upon the opposite entrance and
exit ends of which are coated focusing mirrors.
At least one of the mirrors, and preferably both,
has the configuration of a segment of a circular
cylinder. The other mirror may have the
configuration of a segment of a circular cylinder
or of a sphere. The axes of the mirrors, when
both are segments of a cylinder, are
perpendicular to each other. Each of the mirrors
has a light-transmitting unmirrored pupil aligned
along the longitudinal axis of the lens body.
When light passes through the entrance pupil, it
passes through the lens body, is focused in a
given orientation by the exit mirror and
reflected back to the entrance mirror where it is
again focused in an orientation perpendicular to
the first orientation and is reflected toward and
out the exit pupil. The lens allows efficient
coupling of laser diodes to optical fibers and
has other applications.
U.S.
REFERENCES:
| Patent No. |
Patentee |
Issue Date |
| 4439020 |
Maruko |
Mar. 1 , 1984 |
|
| Show the 2 patents that
reference this one |
|
10
CLAIMS: First Claim Shown (Show all claims)
What is claimed is:
- 1. An improved focusing mirror lens, said
lens comprising a transparent monolithic
lens body having a light entrance end and
an opposite light exit end, a first
focusing mirror on said entrance end and
a second focusing mirror on said exit
end, one of said focusing mirrors having
the configuration of a segment of a
circular cylinder while the other said
mirror has the configuration of a segment
of either a circular cylinder or a
sphere, said mirrors being reflective
coatings on said lens body at said
entrance end and said exit end, said
mirrors defining uncoated
light-transmitting pupils aligned along
the longitudinal axis of said lens body.
RELATED
U.S. APPLICATIONS: none
FOREIGN
REFERENCES: none
OTHER
REFERENCES: none
PRIMARY/ASSISTANT
EXAMINERS: Sugarman; Scott J.;
|