Laser Scanner Deflection Mirror Seal for Stray Light Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In laser scanner series production, production tolerances can lead to gaps between the deflection mirror and the separating wall, allowing contaminants and stray light to interfere, causing malfunctions and distortion of the light beam.
Innovation Solution
An elastically deformable seal element, such as a lip seal made of elastomer, is used along the inner edge of the separating wall to close the gap between the separating wall and the deflection mirror, compensating for production-related dimension differences and ensuring a tight seal without distorting the mirror.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid separating wall is used to separate transmitting and receiving mirror regions, then optical separation is achieved, but gaps form due to production tolerances allowing stray light and contaminants to enter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sealing element (such as a lip seal or elastomeric seal) between the rigid separating wall and the deflection mirror. This flexible seal compensates for production tolerances and gap formations while maintaining effective optical separation. The flexible material deforms to fill gaps that would otherwise allow stray light and contaminants to enter the receiving mirror region.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating means combines rigid and flexible materials to create a composite structure. The rigid separating wall provides structural support and primary optical separation, while the flexible sealing element (made of elastomers, rubber, or other compliant materials) fills gaps and maintains sealing effectiveness despite manufacturing variations. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between rigidity for separation and flexibility for tolerance compensation.
2Reliability
If the separating means is fastened with high contact-pressure forces to ensure tight sealing, then gap closure is achieved, but the deflection mirror becomes distorted and light beam diversion is corrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing element is designed to be compliant and deformable, allowing it to accommodate gaps and maintain sealing under lower contact pressures. This compliance prevents the transmission of high fastening forces to the deflection mirror, thereby avoiding mirror distortion while still achieving effective gap closure and optical separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the sealing system by introducing a flexible material with appropriate elasticity and durometer. This allows the seal to maintain contact and sealing effectiveness through elastic deformation rather than requiring high mechanical contact pressure, thus protecting the deflection mirror from distortion while ensuring reliable sealing.
3Productivity
If production tolerances are applied to facilitate series production, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but gaps form between components allowing contaminants and stray light to interfere
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing element acts as a tolerance-compensating feature that maintains optical system integrity despite variations in component dimensions resulting from production tolerances. This allows series production to proceed efficiently without requiring tight tolerances, as the flexible seal adapts to dimensional variations while preventing contaminant and stray light ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sealing element serves as an intermediary component between the rigid separating wall and the deflection mirror. It mediates the effects of production tolerances by absorbing dimensional variations and maintaining the sealing function, thus bridging the gap between manufacturing efficiency and optical system reliability.
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 seal element effectively prevents stray light and contaminants from entering, ensuring fault-free series production and maintaining the integrity of the light beam during operation, while allowing for cost-effective and distortion-free assembly.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable seal element is arranged along the inner edge section, that is to say the edge section which faces the deflection mirror, of the separating wall. The seal element closes off a gap between the edge of the separating wall and the surface of the deflection mirror in a sealing manner, irrespective of the production tolerances of the joined components.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an optical separating means 21 for a deflection mirror arrangement 1 of a laser scanner 2. The invention also relates to a deflection mirror arrangement comprising a separating means of this kind, and also to a laser scanner comprising a deflection mirror arrangement of this kind comprising optical separating means.The optical separating means 21 comprises a substantially rigid separating wall 17 for separating a receiving mirror region 19 of a deflection mirror 15, 16 from a transmitting mirror region 18, wherein the separating wall 17 has a rectilinear edge section. The separating means 21 has fastening webs 23, which are arranged on both sides of the rectilinear edge section 22 of the separating wall 17, for fastening to a mirror support 14. In order to enable fault-free assembly of a deflection mirror arrangement for a laser scanner, an elastically deformable seal element 25 is arranged along the rectilinear edge section 22 of the separating wall according to the invention.