Frameless MEMS Scanning Platform for Compact Laser Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current scanning laser devices are limited by the size of their scanning mirror assemblies, which are often larger than necessary, making it difficult to implement large scanning mirrors in compact devices.
Innovation Solution
A 'frameless' scanning platform with a stationary mount and a movable portion surrounding it, using flexures and electromagnetic interactions to facilitate the motion of a large scanning mirror, allowing for a compact design without an outer frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a traditional scanning mirror assembly with outer frame is used, then the assembly provides structural support and stability, but the overall size of the assembly becomes large relative to the scanning mirror itself
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the outer frame from the scanning mirror assembly, extracting only the essential functional components (scanning mirror, stationary mount, movable portion, and flexures). This extraction eliminates unnecessary structural elements that contributed to size while maintaining the required structural stability through the optimized remaining components.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning platform is segmented into distinct functional portions: a stationary mount portion for rigid support, a movable portion for mirror attachment and motion, and flexures for controlled movement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall assembly size while maintaining stability where needed.
2Manufacturing precision
If a large scanning mirror is used to improve scanning performance, then the scanning quality and coverage are enhanced, but the overall device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical support structures with flexures that provide both structural support and controlled motion capabilities. This substitution allows the system to accommodate large scanning mirrors without requiring proportionally large mechanical support structures, thereby maintaining compact device size while enabling high scanning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning platform incorporates a movable portion that can dynamically adjust its position relative to the stationary mount, allowing the system to optimize the mirror's position for maximum scanning performance while maintaining a compact overall footprint. The dynamic capability enables precise control of the mirror's angular position without requiring a large physical envelope.
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
Enables the use of relatively large scanning mirrors in compact scanning laser devices, suitable for applications like scanning laser projectors and LIDAR systems, while maintaining a small overall device size.
Implementation Method 1
permit movement of the movable portion with respect to the stationary mount portion in response to electromagnetic interactions between the coil trace of the movable portion and an applied electromagnetic field
Implementation Method 2
at least one flexure flexibly coupling the stationary mount portion to the movable portion to thereby permit movement of the movable portion with respect to the stationary mount portion
Data Source
AI summary
Scanning platforms for use in scanning laser devices are described herein. These scanning platforms are particularly applicable to scanning laser devices that use microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structures to facilitate mirror motion. The scanning platforms include a centrally located stationary mount portion and a movable portion that surrounds the stationary portion. The movable portion is configured to be coupled to a mirror and to facilitate motion of that mirror. Such a scanning platform can facilitate reduced size in scanning mirror assembly, and thus can facilitate a more compact scanning laser device.