Patent ID: 8456744

Claim:
A beam combiner for combining a first ray beam with a second ray beam that does not run parallel to the first ray beam to form a common ray beam, the beam combiner comprising: a body that is transparent for the first ray beam and which has a superimposition area which the first ray beam strikes when passing through the body and wherein the superimposition area is divided into a first section and a second section, wherein only the first section, which is formed of a plurality of reflective and/or refractive deflecting elements spaced apart from each other, brings about a deflection of the second ray beam by reflection and/or refraction such that after leaving the body the first ray beam, combined with the deflected second ray beam, forms the common ray beam; and a coupling-in area via which the second ray beam is coupled into the beam combiner and then guided in the beam combiner to the superimposition area, wherein the coupling-in area is formed as a Fresnel surface which brings about a folding of the beam path.