Lateral Laser Diode Deflection via One-Piece Optical Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light-emitting devices with laser diodes require complex deflection optics to direct laser beams perpendicular to the mounting plane, which complicates beam properties maintenance, especially for applications like LIDAR and TOF procedures.
Innovation Solution
A light-emitting device with a semiconductor laser diode mounted to emit laser light laterally, utilizing a one-piece optical element with inclined surfaces for reflection and coupling, allowing for efficient beam deflection and polarization maintenance without additional components, thus simplifying manufacturing and reducing beam distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional laser diodes are mounted parallel to the mounting plane, then the laser beam is emitted parallel to the mounting plane, but complex deflection optics are required to deflect the beam in the vertical direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional mounting approach by mounting the laser diode chip perpendicular to the mounting plane instead of parallel. This inversion allows the laser beam to be emitted directly in the vertical direction without requiring additional deflection optics, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining beam direction control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the deflection optics from the optical system by changing the mounting orientation of the laser diode chip. By removing these unnecessary components, the system achieves vertical beam emission with reduced complexity and fewer optical elements
2Device complexity
If multiple deflection steps are used to maintain beam properties, then polarization can be maintained, but the optical system becomes more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the mounting orientation of the laser diode chip to be perpendicular to the mounting plane, the patent achieves direct vertical beam emission without requiring multiple deflection steps. This single-step configuration maintains polarization reliability while minimizing the number of optical components
3Ease of manufacture
If a semiconductor laser diode is mounted perpendicular to the mounting plane, then laser light can be emitted vertically without deflection optics, but the mounting structure becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mounting structure with the housing by integrating a recess directly into the housing that accommodates the perpendicularly mounted laser diode chip. This integration eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets or complex support structures, simplifying both manufacturing and the overall device design
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 solution enables efficient, cost-effective beam deflection and polarization maintenance, reducing the complexity of optical elements and manufacturing efforts while maintaining high beam quality, suitable for applications like LIDAR and TOF procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The optical element has a light-incoupling surface, exactly one reflector surface and a light-outcoupling surface... the laser light is reflected at the reflector surface... in the direction of the light-outcoupling surface
Data Source
AI summary
A light-emitting device (100) is specified, which has a housing (1) with a mounting surface (12) and a housing recess (13), a semiconductor laser diode (2) being arranged in the housing recess, which is intended and embodied to emit laser light (20) in a direction parallel to the mounting surface (12) during operation, an optical element (4) being arranged downstream of the semiconductor laser diode in the beam path of the laser light, the semiconductor laser diode being mounted in the housing in such a way that the laser light has a maximum divergence in a plane parallel to the mounting surface, the optical element having a light-incoupling surface (41), exactly one reflector surface (42) and a light-outcoupling surface (43), the optical element being a one-piece housing cover which completely covers the housing recess in which the semiconductor laser diode is arranged, and the light-outcoupling surface being part of an outer surface of the optical element opposite the mounting surface.