Conical Mirror Laser Marking with 360° Sharp Line Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser systems in laser class 2 or 2M are limited by low power, resulting in poorly visible and unsharp linear laser markings on projection surfaces, especially when the markings are wide, and are unable to generate a closed linear laser marking with an opening angle of 360°.
Innovation Solution
A laser system with a rotatable offset device coaxially aligned with a conical mirror, allowing the laser beam to bypass the cone vertex and generate a 360° sharply delimited and highly visible linear marking, using a combination of collimation and focusing optical units to enhance power density and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If laser power is limited to less than 1 mW to prevent eye damage, then safety is improved, but visibility of the linear laser marking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the limited laser power into a narrow, focused line marking rather than distributing it over a wide area. The beam shaping optical unit creates a narrow marking width, which increases power density and visibility while maintaining safety compliance with less than 1 mW total power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through the rotatable offset device that rotates about the cone axis, periodically sweeping the laser beam across the projection surface to generate a closed 360° circular marking. This periodic sweeping action enhances visibility by creating a continuous closed loop marking.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If laser power is limited to less than 1 mW to prevent eye damage, then safety is improved, but sharpness of the linear laser marking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves sharpness through local quality by focusing the limited laser power into a narrow line width. The beam shaping optical unit and offset device configuration concentrate energy locally along the marking path, producing a sharp, well-defined line despite the low total power constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic rotation of the offset device creates a closed circular marking with consistent sharpness throughout. The periodic sweeping action ensures uniform power distribution along the entire 360° path, maintaining sharpness at all locations.
3Device complexity
If the laser beam impinges on the cone vertex of the conical mirror, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to diffraction effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the rotatable offset device - that mediates between the laser beam source and the conical mirror. This offset device periodically displaces the laser beam from the cone vertex, preventing diffraction effects while maintaining system simplicity through rotational motion rather than complex realignment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the offset device rotatable, transforming a static alignment problem into a dynamic solution. The rotation about the cone axis periodically varies the beam position, preventing consistent impingement on the cone vertex and eliminating diffraction-related sharpness degradation.
4Manufacturing precision
If a conventional laser system with parallel offset is used, then diffraction effects are reduced, but the opening angle is limited to less than 180°
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics - specifically rotation of the offset device about the cone axis - to overcome the 180° limitation. The periodic rotation enables the laser beam to sweep through a full 360° range, creating a closed circular marking while maintaining the benefits of offset alignment that reduce diffraction effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic rotation of the offset device enables the system to generate a closed 360° marking. Each rotation cycle sweeps the beam through the full circular path, creating a complete closed loop marking that enhances adaptability while maintaining marking quality through the periodic offset mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a highly visible, sharply delimited linear laser marking with a 360° opening angle, improving visibility and accuracy of markings even at low power levels, and allows for compact design and adjustable marking width.
Implementation Method 1
a beam shaping optical unit, which is embodied as a collimation optical unit and reshapes the divergent laser beam into a collimated laser beam
Implementation Method 2
a conical mirror embodied as a right cone having a cone axis and a reflective lateral surface, wherein the conical mirror is arranged in the beam path of the laser beam
Implementation Method 3
The occurrence of a plurality of lines is caused by the fact that the laser beam source generates a laser beam having a plurality of orders of diffraction which are diffracted differently at the cone vertex of the conical mirror
Data Source
AI summary
A laser system (10) for generating a linear laser marking (38) on a projection surface (37), including: a laser beam source (11), which generates a laser beam (28) and emits it along a propagation direction (29), an offset device (16) having a first interface (21), at which a first deflection of the laser beam is effected, and a conical mirror (14), which is embodied as a right cone having a cone axis (15) and a reflective lateral surface (26), wherein the conical mirror (14) is arranged in the beam path of the laser beam downstream of the offset device (16). The offset device (16) is embodied as rotatable about an axis of rotation (17), wherein the axis of rotation is arranged coaxially with respect to the cone axis (15).