JP2019204939A - Laser apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a laser apparatus capable of efficiently performing heat exhaustion from a plurality of light sources whose angles are individually adjusted.SOLUTION: The laser apparatus includes: a plurality of light sources 1a to 1c; and a heat sink 7 three-dimensionally shaped according to angles of heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of respective light sources 1a to 1c, for exhausting heat generated from each light source of the plurality of light sources 1a to 1c. The heat sink 7 is formed directly by irradiating a copper powder with a blue laser beam to melt and solidify the copper powder. The heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of respective light sources 1a to 1c are in contact with heat absorption surfaces 17a to 17c of the heat sink 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser device that combines light from a plurality of light sources and outputs the combined light to an optical fiber.

  In order to increase the output of a laser, a light emitting device is known in which light obtained by combining light from a plurality of light sources is incident on a light receiving device such as an optical fiber (Patent Document 1).

  This light emitting device employs a method in which a light emitting diode (LED), a semiconductor laser, or the like is used as a light source, and light from each light source is coupled to an optical fiber using an optical system such as a lens or a prism.

Japanese Patent No. 3228098

  However, when the light from multiple light sources is combined to increase the output and the light collection is improved to increase the brightness, the adjustment accuracy of the beam diameter and emission direction of the collimated light generated from each light source is increased. There is a need. For this reason, the lens must be adjusted for each light source.

  In this case, when the position of the optical fiber that enters the light and the lens that condenses the light to the core of the optical fiber is fixed first, and the light incident state on the lens is finely adjusted for each light source, They are not on the same plane. For this reason, it has been difficult to exhaust heat by bringing the exhaust heat surface of each light source into contact with one large heat sink.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional laser device. FIG. 9 is a detailed view of a light source mounting portion of a conventional laser device. Each of the light sources 1a to 1c is adjusted to a different angle so that the coupling efficiency to the optical fiber 6 is optimal. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the mounting angle θ1 of the light source 1c is adjusted to be larger than the mounting angles θ3 and θ2 of the light sources 1a and 1b.

  In this state, when the heat sink 8 is attached so that the clearance t1 between the heat exhaust surface 11c of the light source 1c and the heat absorption surface of the heat sink 8 becomes 0, the clearance t2 between the light source 1b and the heat sink 8, the light source 1a, and the heat sink 8 Since the gap t3 is larger than 0, it is necessary to fill the gap with grease or a heat conductive sheet.

  In addition, regarding the light sources 1a to 1c, it is difficult to make the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c and the heat absorption surface of the heat sink 8 parallel to each other, so that the gaps must be filled with grease or the like. The thermal conductivity of the grease or sheet is about 1/100 of that of copper or aluminum used as the material of the heat sink 8, and the increase in the gap causes the heat dissipation characteristics of the light source to be remarkably deteriorated.

  Further, the assembly work of each light source becomes complicated, and outgas generated from the light source may become a problem.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a laser apparatus that can efficiently exhaust heat from a plurality of light sources whose angles are individually adjusted.

  According to a first aspect of the laser apparatus of the present invention, in order to solve the above problem, heat generated from each of the light sources and the light sources of the plurality of light sources is exhausted, and the angle of the heat exhaust surface of each of the light sources is set. And a heat sink which is three-dimensionally shaped.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the heat sink is formed directly by irradiating the copper powder with a blue laser to melt and solidify the copper powder.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the heat sink is three-dimensionally formed based on the three-dimensional data of the shape obtained by measuring the shape of the heat removal surface of each light source.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of collimating lenses provided corresponding to the plurality of light sources, collimating each light emitted from the plurality of light sources, and provided corresponding to the plurality of collimating lenses, the pair of the light sources A plurality of holders that hold the collimating lens and adjust the collimating light exit position and exit angle of the collimator lens, a housing that holds the plurality of holders, and each collimator with the exit position and exit angle adjusted. And a condensing part for condensing light.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of light sources, a heat sink that exhausts heat generated from each light source of the plurality of light sources, and a plurality of light sources that adjust the emission position and emission angle of each light emitted from each light source of the plurality of light sources. The one or more first heat transfer members that are disposed between the heat exhaust surface of each light source and the heat sink surface of the heat sink, and individually contact the heat exhaust surface of each light source; A hole portion into which the first heat transfer member is inserted in surface contact is formed, and one or more second heat transfer members in surface contact with the heat absorption surface of the heat sink are provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the first heat transfer member is a cylindrical block, and the second heat transfer member is a plate.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a heat sink that matches the mounting angle of the light source by three-dimensionally shaping the heat sink according to the angle of the heat exhaust surface of the light source. Thereby, since each light source and a heat sink are joined directly, thermal resistance can be made to the minimum and a plurality of light sources can be cooled effectively. For this reason, exhaust heat of a plurality of light sources whose angles are individually adjusted can be efficiently performed.

It is a schematic block diagram of the laser apparatus of Example 1 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the laser apparatus of Example 1 which shape | molded the heat sink directly on the heat exhaust surface of the light source. It is a perspective view of the laser apparatus of Example 1 before heat sink modeling. 3 is a perspective view of a heat sink of the laser device of Example 1. FIG. It is detail drawing of the light source attachment part of the laser apparatus of Example 1 which shape | molded the heat sink directly. It is a schematic block diagram of the laser apparatus of Example 2 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the laser apparatus of the modification of Example 2 of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional laser apparatus. It is detail drawing of the light source attachment part of the conventional laser apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a laser apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The laser apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of light sources 1, a plurality of holders 2, a plurality of collimating lenses 3, a housing 4, a condenser lens 5, and an optical fiber 6.

  The plurality of light sources 1 are, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes (LDs), and the light sources 1 are arranged at substantially equal intervals. Although the number of the plurality of light sources 1 is five in the example of FIG. 1, the number of the plurality of light sources 1 may be other numbers without being limited thereto.

  The plurality of collimating lenses 3 are provided corresponding to the plurality of light sources 1, arranged at positions facing the plurality of light sources 1, and collimate each emitted light from the plurality of light sources 1.

  The plurality of holders 2 are provided corresponding to the plurality of collimating lenses 3, and each holder 2 is made of metal, resin, or the like, holds the pair of light sources 1 and the collimating lens 3, and collimated light of the collimating lens 3. And an optical axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the emission position and the emission angle.

  The housing 4 holds a plurality of holders 2 and is made of metal, resin, or the like. Inside the housing 4, a condensing lens 5 is disposed at a position corresponding to the plurality of collimating lenses 3.

  The condenser lens 5 condenses the outgoing light from each collimating lens 3 whose outgoing position and outgoing angle are adjusted, and couples it to the optical fiber 6. The optical fiber 6 transmits the light collected by the condenser lens 5.

  FIG. 2 shows the laser device of Example 1 in which the heat sink 7 is directly formed on the heat exhaust surface of the light source 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the laser apparatus according to the first embodiment before forming the heat sink. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heat sink 7 of the laser apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, for example, eight light sources 1a to 1j are provided as light sources, and eight holders 2a to 2j are provided corresponding to the eight light sources 1a to 1j. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the heat sink 7 is provided with eight sink portions 7a to 7j corresponding to the eight light sources 1a to 1j.

  In FIG. 2, holders 2 a to 2 e (only the upper stage is shown) protrudes from the tip of the housing 4, and a heat sink 7 having sink portions 7 a to 7 e (only the upper stage is shown) is directly attached to the tips of the holders 2 a to 2 e. It is shaped. A fan 9 is attached to the heat sink 7.

  The heat sink 7 exhausts heat generated from the light sources 1a to 1j, and is directly shaped in three dimensions according to the angle of the heat exhaust surfaces of the light sources 1a to 1j. The heat sink 7 is made of copper, and is directly three-dimensionally formed by irradiating a copper laser having high thermal conductivity with a blue laser to melt and solidify the copper powder.

  The fan 9 cools the heat sink 7. Note that the heat sink 7 may be cooled using a water cooling system instead of the fan 9.

  FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the light source mounting portion of the laser apparatus of Example 1 in which the heat sink 7 is directly shaped. Also in FIG. 5, as in the conventional laser device shown in FIG. 7, the light sources 1a to 1c are adjusted to different angles. Although only the light sources 1a to 1c are shown in FIG. 5, ten light sources 1a to 1j are arranged as the light sources. Each of the ten light sources 1a to 1j is configured similarly to the light sources 1a to 1c shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 5, grooves 12a and 12b are formed between sink portions 7a to 7c of the heat sink 7, and the sink portions 7a to 7c have holes 10a to 10c for receiving three terminals of the light sources 1a to 1c. Is formed. The heat removal surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c and the heat absorption surfaces 17a to 17c of the heat sink 7 are in contact with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 5, since the heat sink 7 is directly shaped with the heat absorbing surfaces 17a to 17c in accordance with the angles of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c, the heat exhaust surfaces 11a of the light sources 1a to 1c. The gaps t11 to t13 between ˜11c and the heat absorbing surfaces 17a to 17c of the heat sink 7 are all zero.

  For this reason, it is not necessary to use grease or a sheet having a lower thermal conductivity than copper or aluminum. In addition, wiring holes and grooves for driving the light sources 1a to 1c are also formed in the heat sink 7 as necessary.

  Thus, according to the laser apparatus of Example 1, according to the angle of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a-11c of each light source 1a-1c, according to the attachment angle of the light sources 1a-1c by three-dimensionally modeling the heat sink 7. A heat sink 7 can be formed.

  Thereby, since the heat removal surfaces 11a-11c of each light source 1a-1c and the heat absorption surfaces 17a-17c of the heat sink 7 are joined directly, the heat removal surfaces 11a-11c of each light source 1a-1c and the heat absorption surface of the heat sink 7. There is no gap between 17a-17c.

  For this reason, heat conduction efficiency improves from the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c to the heat absorption surfaces 17a to 17c, and exhaust heat of the light sources 1a to 1c whose angles are individually adjusted can be efficiently performed.

  Moreover, it may be difficult to form the heat sink 7 directly on the heat removal surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c. In this case, the shapes of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c are measured with a three-dimensional measuring device, the shapes of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c are transferred to the heat sink 7, and the light sources 1a to 1c The heat sink 7 may be three-dimensionally shaped so that the gap between the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c and the heat absorption surface of the heat sink 7 is minimized. That is, the heat sink 7 that is three-dimensionally shaped based on the three-dimensional data of the shape obtained by measuring the shapes of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c with a three-dimensional measuring device may be used.

(Example 2)
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The laser device according to the second embodiment is characterized in that cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and plates 23a to 23c are arranged between the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c and the heat absorption surface 17 of the heat sink 7. To do. In the laser device of Example 2, each light source is adjusted to a different angle.

  The cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c correspond to one or more first heat transfer members of the present invention, and are disposed between the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c and the heat absorption surface 17 of the heat sink 7, and each light source The heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of 1a to 1c are individually contacted. The cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c are made of metal, for example, copper having high thermal conductivity.

  The plates 23a to 23c correspond to one or more second heat transfer members of the present invention, and are formed with holes 22a to 22c into which the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c are inserted in surface contact with the heat absorbing surface 17 of the heat sink 7. Surface contact. The plates 23a to 23c are made of metal, for example, copper having high thermal conductivity.

  The holes 22a to 22c formed in the plates 23a to 23c and the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c are fitted and in contact with each other. That is, the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c and the heat absorption surface 17 of the heat sink 7 are thermally connected by the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the plates 23a to 23c.

  The cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the plates 23a to 23c are fixed by fastening with screws, bonding with an adhesive having high thermal conductivity, brazing, welding, or the like.

  According to the laser device of the second embodiment configured as described above, the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the plates 23a to 23c are in contact with each other, and therefore, between the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the light sources 1a to 1c. Compared to the above, the thermal resistance can be sufficiently reduced. For this reason, the thermal resistance from the light sources 1a to 1c to the heat sink 7 depends on the size of the gap between the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the light sources 1a to 1c.

  The gaps t1 to t3 between the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the light sources 1a to 1c are all zero as shown in FIG. For this reason, what is necessary is just to fill only the space which arises with the angle difference of the heat sink surfaces 11a-11c of the light sources 1a-1c and the heat absorption surfaces of the cylindrical blocks 21a-21c with grease.

  Further, since the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c and the plates 23a to 23c are fitted and in contact with each other, the gap between the two parts is sufficiently smaller than the gap generated between the conventional light source heat dissipation surface and the heat sink heat absorption surface. .

  In addition, the angles of the heat exhaust surfaces 11a to 11c of the light sources 1a to 1c vary depending on the optical axis adjustment and are not uniform, but the cylindrical blocks 21a to 21c are arranged at angles of other light sources for each of the light sources 1a to 1c. Since it can be attached so as to minimize the gap without depending on it, it is possible to efficiently exhaust heat from a plurality of light sources as compared with the related art.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser apparatus according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the laser apparatus according to the modification of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, screw portions 24 a made of male screws are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical blocks 21 a to 21 c, and screw portions 25 a made of female screws are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the plates 23 a to 23 c. The screw portion 24a and the screw portion 25a are screwed together.

  The effect similar to that of the laser device of the second embodiment can be obtained by the laser device of the modification of the second embodiment.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the laser apparatus of Example 1,2. In the laser devices of the first and second embodiments, the cylindrical block is used. However, for example, a polygonal block may be used instead.

  The present invention is applicable to laser devices used for analysis, measurement, medical care, optical information processing, laser discs, and the like.

1, 1a to 1j Light source 11a to 11c Heat exhaust surface 2, 2a to 2j Holder 3 Collimating lens 4 Housing 5 Condensing lens 6 Optical fiber 7, 8 Heat sink 7a to 7j Sink part 9 Fan 10a to 10j Hole part 11a to 11c Exhaust part Hot surfaces 12a to 12c Groove portions 17a to 17c Endothermic surfaces 21a to 21c Cylindrical blocks 22a to 22c Hole portions 23a to 23c Plates 24a to 24c, 25a to 25c Screw portions

Claims (6)

Multiple light sources;
A heat sink that exhausts heat generated from each light source of the plurality of light sources, and is three-dimensionally shaped according to the angle of the heat exhaust surface of each light source;
A laser device comprising:   2. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is formed directly by irradiating the copper powder with a blue laser to melt and solidify the copper powder.   2. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is three-dimensionally shaped based on three-dimensional data of the shape obtained by measuring the shape of the heat exhaust surface of each light source. A plurality of collimating lenses that are provided corresponding to the plurality of light sources and collimate each light emitted from the plurality of light sources;
A plurality of holders that are provided corresponding to the plurality of collimating lenses, hold a pair of the light sources and the collimating lenses, and adjust a collimating light emitting position and an emitting angle of the collimating lenses;
A housing holding the plurality of holders;
A condensing unit that condenses each collimated light whose exit position and exit angle are adjusted;
The laser device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: Multiple light sources;
A heat sink for exhausting heat generated from each light source of the plurality of light sources;
A plurality of holders for adjusting an emission position and an emission angle of each emitted light from each light source of the plurality of light sources;
One or more first heat transfer members disposed between the heat exhaust surface of each light source and the heat absorption surface of the heat sink and individually contacting the heat exhaust surface of each light source;
One or more second heat transfer members that are in contact with the heat-absorbing surface of the heat sink by forming a hole into which the one or more first heat transfer members are inserted in surface contact;
A laser device comprising: The first heat transfer member comprises a cylindrical block,
The laser device according to claim 5, wherein the second heat transfer member is a plate.

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