Patent Description:
The present invention relates to a beam director, and in particular to a beam director for a 3D printer including a first rotating reflector and a second rotating conical reflector.

A beam director for use in 3D printers, such as the one disclosed in <CIT>, comprises a first mirror rotating about its longitudinal axis, with a reflective surface at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, a beam transmitted along the longitudinal axis may be redirected onto a second mirror, and then to a work surface, which is typically perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

The second mirror may take the form of a rotating flat mirror or a stationary arcuate mirror, which is used to reflect the beam along straight or arcuate paths on the work surface.

Lower case x,y and z denotes local beam coordinates:
In this application we define a lower case x,y and z coordinates system that is cartesian coordinates that are local to the beam. Lower case z denotes the direction of the beam while x and y denotes the beam size. Therefore, any reference to lower case x,y or z axis will be referring to local coordinates of the beam.

Upper case X,Y and Z denotes global system coordinates shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>.

With reference to <FIG>, an embodiment of the aforementioned beam director includes a first reflector 106E, +which is rotatable by an actuator <NUM> and which reflects the beam 107A onto a second conical reflector <NUM>, which is based on a typical cone shaped segment. The reflective surface <NUM> of the second conical reflector <NUM> re-directs the beam 107A by about <NUM>° onto a work surface. After the beam 107A hits the conical reflector surface <NUM>, the beam property will change as follows considering a collimated beam source 107A:
The beam will keep moving in the Z direction (<NUM>° shift); caused by the <NUM>° cone.

When the source beam <NUM> is collimated, the beam x component 3B will no longer be parallel to the Z direction, as the cone curve will bring into focus the x component because of the rule of deflection as shown in <FIG>.

The cone curve along the radius of <NUM> will add an optical diversion in the x axis that is proportional to the radius of the conical reflector <NUM>. As an example, this will add a focal point proximate to the work surface in the x axis only, thus causing the departing beam 107A from the conical reflector <NUM> to have different focal point for x and for y. This is an undesired result: the desired result is either a collimated beam or a focusing beam in both x and y axis. To clarify; see <FIG>, if beam <NUM> is a circular collimated beam with diameter D that is initially sent from a light source, the resulting beam output after the conical reflector <NUM> will have a distorted elliptic shape: Dx, the beam size in the x axis will be smaller than Dy, the beam size in the y axis, (<NUM>) before reaching the focal point and after reaching the focal point the x dimension of the beam 3B will be expending as the beam 3B continues to travel. The beam size components <NUM> are shown in <FIG> where the x component size is described by Dx and the y component by Dy respectfully.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to address the optical components for handling the beam of the prior art by providing corrective elements whereby the beam has the same dimension in the first and second directions when incident on the work surface or when the beam keeps the proportion between the first and second directions when incident on the work surface.

The present invention relates to a beam director with improved optics comprising:.

With reference to <FIG>,<FIG> and <FIG>, a collimated beam <NUM> is launched from a light source, e.g. laser, (x0, y0) with a round beam structure denotes by two orthogonal lines <FIG>, directed towards rotating mirror <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>. The rotating mirror <NUM> is rotated about a longitudinal axis by an actuator <NUM>. The beam <NUM> is launched by the light source along the longitudinal axis, and the beam <NUM> will be redirected by a reflective surface disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis, e.g. <NUM>°, of the rotating mirror <NUM> to a conical reflector <NUM>. The conical reflector <NUM> redirects the beam <NUM> again towards a work area <NUM>. The conical reflector <NUM> need only be a portion of a full <NUM>° cone, e.g. less than <NUM>°, less than <NUM>°, between <NUM>° and <NUM>°. The second conical reflector <NUM> may be mounted relative to and rotated with the first reflector <NUM> using any one of the embodiments illustrated in <CIT> or any other suitable manner. Similarly, the beam director of the present invention may be installed in any 3D printer positioning system, including the one disclosed in <CIT>.

For the standard conical reflector <NUM>, the beam <NUM> leaving the conical reflector <NUM> will get distorted because of the differences in focal lengths between the x and y axes. As a result the round beam launched from the light source <NUM> will become a distorted elliptical shape denotes by (xfinal, yfinal) as it hits the work area <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>,<FIG>.

This distortion is a result of the curved surface of the conical reflector <NUM> in the x axis shown in <FIG>. A curvature of a surface is defined by <NUM>/R where R is the radius of curvature of the conical reflector <NUM>. In fact, the conical reflector <NUM> is a focusing mirror with focal length of R. Which means that, if the work area <NUM> is at a distance of R from the conical reflector <NUM>, the y properties of the beam <NUM> will be kept collimated while the x properties will come to focus resulting in an about elliptical beam 3B. <FIG> shows the shape of beam 3B as it coming to focus where the x dimension of the beam shrank, while the beam remains collimated in the y dimension. Please note: positioning the work area <NUM> at exactly the distance of R from the conical reflector <NUM> will result in seeing a narrow line with high intensity at the center. Illustrates a beam tracing simulation in which the second reflector is a mirror with a cone structure. <FIG> illustrates a beam source <NUM>, which is round and symmetrical, while <FIG> illustrates the distorted results measured at the work surface. In short, the original collimated beam <NUM> in x dimension is not collimated 3B following deflection the second reflector <NUM>.

Adding a cylindrical lens <NUM> between the light source and the work surface <NUM>, preferably between the light source and the first reflector <NUM> to correct the beam <NUM> in the y direction so it will match the x component at the work area <NUM>. Shown in <FIG>. The lens location and focal point should be calculated so it will correct, i.e. bring beam <NUM> y component into focus at the work area <NUM>. As an example:.

We should choose a cylindrical lens with focal lens of more than <NUM>. We can choose cylindrical mirror with f=<NUM> and marked it as fy. Now, positioning the cylindrical lens in a distance of <NUM> from the rotating mirror <NUM> will provide a sound solution where the fx and fy will land at the working area.

In this method the x dimension will diverge prior to hitting the second reflector. When the expanded beam 3B will hit the second reflector it will be corrected back to a collimated beam.

Adding a diverging cylindrical lens <NUM> between the light source and the work surface <NUM>, preferably between the light source and the first reflector <NUM>, to diverge the x dimension of the beam <NUM> to produce a diverging 3A beam on the x dimension. After reflecting from first reflector <NUM>, 3B will continue to diverge when hitting the second reflector <NUM>. The second reflector <NUM> will converge the diverging beam. The convergence rate is dictated by the focal point of the second reflector (R) while the initial divergence rate is dictated by the cylindrical lens. Similarly to method I, the divergence rate can be calculated to achieve a symmetrical beam on the work surface.

Conic sections are mathematical curves (parabolas, hyperbolas, circles etc.) that satisfy quadratic algebraic expressions (See <NPL>). Geometrically they are equivalent to the intersection of a cone with a plane, hence the name. When a conic section is rotated about an axis, it sweeps out a surface in three dimensions (paraboloid, hyperboloid, sphere or ellipsoid). Surfaces of this type are very useful in optics and defined by the following equation in the Vertex origin Cartesian coords: <MAT> Where: <MAT> where:.

By using the conic section equation In this method to modify the reflective surface of the conical reflector <NUM> in the x direction by providing the y surface with matching curvature to the x curvature. Enforcing a deflection of <NUM>° by choosing the surface slope/derivative to be <NUM>° or <NUM>°.

For convenience we enforced <NUM>°, the invention allows a wider range of deflection engles.

Selecting work distance between rotating reflector <NUM> to second reflector <NUM>.

Selecting C=<NUM>/R will resolve to Asph = - <NUM> which is a paraboloid. According to the invention, the conical reflector is a paraboloid.

The above specifications will deliver a sound solution to correct beam <NUM> as it reaches the work surface 3C.

As the beam is circulating the Conic Section it will satisfy the requirement for reflector <NUM> to deflect the beam when beam 3A is circling. The deflection of deflection of <NUM>° is achieved by choosing the surface slope/derivative to be <NUM>° or <NUM>° (derivative to be <NUM> or -<NUM>).

As an example let's use R=<NUM> → Curvature = <NUM> while Asph=-<NUM> <FIG>. A curvature is defined as <NUM>/Radius. In <FIG> R is parallel to XY plane. In this instance we position it perpendicular to the ZY plane as it make make it easier for cartesian coordinates calculations.

The results are clearly demonstrated where the beam <NUM> on the surface <NUM> represented by xfinal and yfinal and showing a nice round beam <FIG> compares to the results in <FIG>,<FIG>.

Implementing same matching curvature is one option. However, selecting other values for y curvature can be used when the source beam <NUM> is elliptical as it is the case with many laser diodes.

The scanning system is further improved as:.

Similarly, Z(r) the curve function can alternatively be represented by polynomial coefficients to fulfill the imposed conditions.

Additionally or alternatively, we can use only polynomials for the complete definition of the surface while imposing the required specifications, as long as the reflector remains a paraboloid as defined in the appended set of claims.

Polynomial terms are useful on their own, without curvature or asphericity, in polynomial optics such as Schmidt correctors. More often they are combined with curvature and asphericity to provide small high-order corrections to a surface. Usually, only the first few even coefficients are sufficient as A2, A4, and A6 since most optical surfaces will be very nearly approximated by the conic aspheric profile.

A surface of the paraboloid reflector <NUM> that fulfills the required conditions for any size beam and working radius. This surface can be formed as a composition of multiple sliced surfaces. Where each slice "i" has its own "Ri", this way we use the aspherical equation for each slice with its own parameter. C will now be C(Ri) as C depends on R. with a Z(r) function where C is the curvature will be defined as C(R(r)). C is a variable that is dependent on r which depends on work distance from the origin z.

One way to define this surface is by setting multiple R points into a spreadsheet and calculating the C results by using the paraboloid curve surface equation to create the slice.

The aspherical equation now is simplified by setting Asph = -<NUM> and setting C=<NUM>/ri where ri is the work distance (the place the beam will be deflected): <MAT> Setting <MAT> <MAT> <MAT> Now for each ri we calculate the the slice surface z for it.

Claim 1:
A beam director with improved optics comprising
a rotatable first reflector (<NUM>) rotatable about a longitudinal axis for receiving a beam (<NUM>) from a beam source along the longitudinal axis, the first reflector including a reflective surface at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis for reflecting the beam;
an actuator (<NUM>) for rotating the first reflector about the longitudinal axis, whereby the first reflector rotates and reflects the beam at a constant angle to the longitudinal axis;
a second annular reflector (<NUM>) around the longitudinal axis of first reflector as first reflector rotates, configured to reflect the beam towards a work surface (<NUM>) at a constant angle thereto, the second annular reflector (<NUM>) being formed as a paraboloid such that the beam has the same dimension in the first and second directions when incident on the work surface;
a beam corrector for the correction of x and y components of the beam, the beam corrector comprising the second annular reflector (<NUM>), whereby
when the beam is activated and the actuator rotates the first reflector, the beam strikes the rotating first reflector rotating the beam and reflecting the beam to the second reflector, which reflects the beam to the work surface.