LASER TRANSMITTER AND METHOD FOR ALIGNING LASER LIGHT OF
THE LASER TRANSMITTER
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a laser transmitter and a method for aligning laser beam of the laser transmitter, and more particularly, to a laser transmitter and a method of precisely aligning laser beam transmitted from each of two laser transmitters for laser communication.
BACKGROUND ART
Normally, laser or laser beam is widely used in various fields. Laser industry is actively employing the laser beam in the recent communication network field because of no radio interference of the laser beam as ultrahigh frequency wave, good speech quality, and low cost of equipment and expenses, etc. The laser communication is operated in a manner that signals are stored in laser beam by one laser transmitter, and then, transmitted to and received by another laser transmitter by which voice, images, or data can be mutually transmitted and received.
In the communication as above, an exact alignment of the laser beam between two laser transmitters is very important for exact good communication. The alignment as above of laser transmitters is made by various ways.
However, the conventional aligning method of the laser transmitter has disadvantages of difficulties in handling, and in fixing again when the alignment is deviated after the first alignment is completed because the transmitting device of the laser transmitter is integrally fixed to the bedplate. The laser transmitter according to the Korean Patent Laid Open No.
10-2002-0039162 has an advantage of automatically controlling the alignment of the laser beam by its automatic alignment structure, but the production cost and its price
are very high, so that the alignment method cannot be actually employed in the laser transmitter.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to provide a laser transmitter for precisely and easily aligning the laser beam between the laser transmitters that substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
One object of the present invention is to provide a laser transmitter for controlling the alignment of the laser beam three-dimensionally between the laser transmitters.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser transmitter for easily and rapidly aligning the laser beam even with the body of the laser transmitter fixed on the supporting stand. Further object of the present invention is to provide a method of easily and rapidly aligning the laser beam from the laser transmitters.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description with follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, there is provided a laser transmitter with at least two laser transmitters installed to face each other for laser communication, the laser transmitter comprising: a laser beam generator; a body in which the laser beam generator is installed, and which is formed of a base having a supporting frame therein, a front member placed on the front of the base, and a
cover covering the interior parts of the base; a laser beam transmitting device having a transmitting hole controllably installed on the supporting frame and the front member of the body in order to transmit the laser beam generated from the laser beam generator to the other laser transmitter; a receiving device installed in the body for receiving the laser beam transmitted from the other laser transmitter; and a controlling device for aligning the laser beam generated from the transmitting device with the receiving device of the other laser transmitter.
Additionally, there is provided a method for aligning laser beam of laser transmitters, each comprising a laser beam generator; a body in which the laser beam generator is installed, and which is formed of a base having a supporting frame therein, a front member placed on the front of the base, and a cover covering the interior parts of the base; a laser beam transmitting device having a transmitting hole controllably installed on the supporting frame and the front member of the body in order to transmit the laser beam generated from the laser beam generator to the other laser transmitter; a receiving device installed in the body for receiving the laser beam transmitted from the other laser transmitter; and a controlling device for aligning the laser beam generated from the transmitting device with the receiving device of the other laser transmitter, the method comprises the steps of: fixing the laser transmitters to face each other; controlling the transmitting hole of the transmitting device of one of the laser transmitters such that the laser beam transmitted from the one transmitter is directed to the receiving device of another laser transmitter; and controlling the transmitting hole of the transmitting device of the other laser transmitter such that the laser beam transmitted from the other transmitter is directed to the receiving device of the one laser transmitter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a whole figure of the laser transmitter
of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line of TJ - II of Fig. 1 ;
Fig.3 is a sectional view taken along the line of HI -HI of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view partially showing the laser transmitter of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the supporting device of the laser transmitter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line of "VI-VI of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line of VII- of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a sectional view partially showing the laser transmitter fixed on the supporting plate by the supporting device according to the present invention; and
Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the alignment method of two corresponding laser transmitters according to the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a laser transmitter and a method for laser alignment of the laser transmitter, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, there are described preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to Figs, 1, 2 and 3, the laser transmitter of the present invention comprises a body 10 being formed of a base 12 having various shapes, a front member 14 placed on the front of the base 12, and a cover 16 removably placed for covering the interior parts of the base 12. The base 12 of the body 10 has a supporting frame 18 installed thereon, and meanwhile, a transmitting device 20 is placed on one side of the front member 14. The transmitting device 20 comprises
two laser transmitting parts, that is, a first transmitting hole 22, and a second transmitting hole 24. Each transmitting hole has emission lenses 26, 28 exposed to the outside, and is figured as a cylindrical shape.
A receiving device 30 is fixably installed on the center of the body 10. The receiving device 30 is figured as a cylindrical shape, and a receiving lens 32 is formed on the front, and exposed to the outside, the size of which is comparably bigger than the emission lenses 26, 28.
A laser beam generator G is installed inside the body 10, which is represented by a dotted line of Fig. 2. Additionally, there are a stand 34 for mounting a typical controller or interface(not shown) thereon to control the transmitting device and the receiving device, and to treat the received signal. There are a plurality of reinforcing frames 36 for reinforcing the body, etc. The above elements are widely known and detailed reference to those will not be made herein after. There are a plurality of fixing holes 38 on appropriate locations of the base
12 for fixing the cover 16 to the base 12 by using bolts or nuts.
Selectably, openings 12a, 16a are made on the locations of the base 12 and the cover 16 to easily and externally control the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle of each transmitting hole 22, 24 of the transmitting device from the outside so that a tool such as a driver passes. Preferably, caps 12b, 16b are removably installed on the opening 12a, 16a, respectively for proof- water and proof-dust.
The front end of the case of the transmitting hole 22, 24 is round-processed for the control of a three-dimensional angle of each transmitting hole, and according thereto, the opening of the front member 14, which the front end is inserted into, is preferably figured to have the same curvature of a groove.
Particularly, a controlling device is installed with connected to each transmitting hole of the transmitting device 20 installed on the body 10 of the laser
transmitter of the present invention, that is, the first transmitting hole 22 and the second receiving hole 24, in order to control the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle thereof.
For example, a first controlling device 40 is installed with connected to the first transmitting hole 22, and a second controlling device 42 is installed with connected to the second transmitting hole 24 in order to three-dimensionally control each transmitting hole.
As shown in Fig. 4 in detail, the first controlling device 40 has a supporting plate 44 movably and controllably fixed to the supporting frame 18 up and down or right and left. The supporting plate 44 is preferably figured as square or regular square. A through hole 46 is formed on the center of the supporting plate 44 so that the rear part of the first transmitting hole 22 is movably inserted. It is preferable to make the through hole 46 with a round-shape for easy movement of the first transmitting hole 22. In addition, a nut or a control bolt 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d is provided on each corner of the supporting plate 44, and is fixed removably to the supporting frame 18.
In addition, a longitudinal groove 48 is respectively provided between the control bolts 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d placed on each corner of the supporting plate 44, and an elastic member 50 is provided on each longitudinal groove 48 to control the right-and-left and up-and-down location of the supporting plate 44. The elastic member 50 is preferably formed of tension spring. One end of each elastic member 50 is fixed to the fixing piece 18a formed on the fixing frame 18, and the other end is preferably fixed to the supporting piece 48a provided on one side end of the longitudinal groove 48. Particularly, the elastic member 50 is preferably installed such that the elastic force of each of the elastic members 50 is directed to one corner selected among the corners of the supporting plate 44. For instance in the embodiment of the present invention, each elastic member 50 is installed such that
tensile force is applied as the arrow and thus, focused or directed toward one of the control bolts 46a placed on each corner of the supporting plate 44.
In addition, a controlling member 52 is installed on the supporting frame 18 on the upper side of and beside each supporting plate 44 to control the location of the supporting plate 44. The controlling member 52 comprises a fixing piece 54 fixed on the supporting frame 18, and a controlling bolt 56 threadly engaged with the fixing piece 54 and the end of the controlling bolt 56 contacts the upper side of the supporting plate 44. As constructed as above, up-and-down and right-and-left location of the supporting plate 44 can be controlled by tightening the controlling bolt 70 for forward movement, or by untightening the controlling bolt 70 for backward movement.
The second controlling device 42 for controlling the vertical angle and the azimuthal angle of the second transmitting hole 24 has a figure similar to the above first controlling device 40. That is, the second controlling device 42 has a supporting plate 58 movably and controllably fixed on the supporting frame 18 up and down and right and left. The supporting plate 58 is preferably shaped as a square or a regular square. A through hole 60 is formed on the center of the supporting plate 58 so that the rear end of the second transmitting hole 24 is movably inserted thereto. The through hole 60 is preferably round-processed for easy movement of the second transmitting hole 24. In addition, fixing nuts or control bolts 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d are provided on each corner of the supporting plate 58 and removably fixed to the supporting plate 18.
In addition, a longitudinal groove 62 is respectively provided between the control bolts 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d placed on each corner of the supporting plate 58, and an elastic member 64 is provided on each longitudinal groove 62 to control the right-and-left and up-and-down location of the supporting plate 58. The elastic member 64 is preferably formed of tension spring. One end of each elastic member
64 is fixed to the fixing piece 18a formed on the fixing frame 18, and the other end is preferably fixed to the supporting piece 62a provided on one side end of the longitudinal groove 62. Particularly, the elastic member 64 is preferably installed such that the elastic force of each of the elastic members 64 is directed to one corner selected among the corners of the supporting plate 58. For instance, in the embodiment of the present invention, each elastic member 64 is installed such that tensile force is applied as the arrow and thus, focused or directed toward one of the control bolts 60a placed on each corner of the supporting plate 58.
In addition, a controlling member 66 is installed on the supporting frame 18 on the upper side of and beside each supporting plate 58 to control the location of the supporting plate 58. The controlling member 66 comprises a fixing piece 68 fixed on the supporting frame 18, and a controlling bolt 70 threadly engaged with the fixing piece 68 and the end of the controlling bolt 70 contacts the upper side of the supporting plate 58. As constructed as above, up-and-down and right-and-left location of the supporting plate 58 can be controlled by tightening the controlling bolt 70 for forward movement, or by untightening the controlling bolt 70 for backward movement.
Meanwhile, as shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the laser transmitter of the present invention further comprises a supporting device 72 for controlling the vertical angle and the azimuthal angle of the body and the receiving lens of the laser transmitter. The supporting device 72 comprises a fixing plate 74 on which the bottom side of the body 10 of the laser transmitter is fixably installed. Preferably, the fixing plate 74 is figured as a circle, and a plurality of fixing pieces 74a, which the body 10 is virtually and fixably installed on, are figured to protrude upward. However, other shapes are also possible only if the body 10 is stably fixed.
An elevation controlling device 76 is provided on the bottom side of the fixing plate 74 for controlling the high-and-low of the whole body 10 or the
receiving lens 32 of the receiving device 30. The elevation controlling device 76 comprises a upper member 78 being movable up and down fixed on the lower side of the fixing plate 74, and a lower member 80 supporting such that the upper member 78 can move. For instance, it is preferable to form the lower side 78a of the upper member 78 as a convex shape, and according thereto, is preferable to form the upper side 80a of the lower member 80 as a concave shape such that the lower side of the upper member is slidably driven.
A receiving groove 82 is formed back-and- forth on the center of the upper member 78. According thereto, a guide 84 is fixed on the center of the upper side 82a of the lower member 80 by a bolt 86 to guide front-and-back movement of the upper member 78 on the receiving groove 82 resulting in guiding front-and-back swing movement of the upper member 78.
In addition, a plurality of coupling devices 88 are provided from the upper member 78 to the lower member 80 in order to fix the upper member 78 to the lower member 80 after controlling the high-and-low of the upper member 78 to the lower member 80. The openings 90 are provided on both ends of the upper member 78 so that a tool easily passes therethrough for coupling or removing the coupling devices 88. The coupling device 88 comprises a bolt 88a being put into and fixed to the lower member 80, a washer 88b contacting the bottom of the opening 90, and a nut 88c coupled with the bolt 88a. A receiving hole 92 is formed on the upper member 78 being connected to the opening 90 for easy movement of the bolt 88a.
Selectably, and preferably, on the lower side of the lower member 80 is provided an installation member 94 rotatably fixed to an installation plate M which can be fixed to the supporting stand or stand P. Particularly, it is preferable to provide a shaft 94 on the center of the installation member 94 in order to rotate the installation member on the central axis of the installation plate M. Illustrated as follows, the fixing member 98 actually comprises a bolt and a nut to fix the
installation member 94 to the installation plate M after determining an azimuthal angle by rotating the installation member. It is preferable to provide a fixing hole 94a and a coupling hole Ma on the installation member 94 and the installation plate M facing each other for easy control of the fixing member 98. Now herein after, the installation and usage of the laser transmitter and its alignment method are illustrated.
First, two or more laser transmitters are placed on the points for mutual communication. The laser transmitter of the present invention is typically known to have 4~5 km of effective transmission distance by experiment results. Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, a supporting stand P is installed on a first point
0P1 and a second point 0P2 respectively as an appropriate location such as a building or the top of the mountain, etc. Then, an installation plate M is fixed on each supporting stand P, and the laser transmitter is installed on the installation plate M. In more detail, the installation member 94, which is provided on the lower side of the lower member 80 of the supporting device 72 installed on the body 10 of the laser transmitter, fixes the installation plate M to the supporting stand P, and the installation plate M is fixed to rotate the shaft 96 provided on the center of the installation member 94 as a central axis. Then, the laser transmitters installed on each point are directed to face each other by rotating the whole supporting device 72 or the installation member 94 to control the azimuthal angle, and the installation member 94 is fixed on the installation plate M by using the installation member 94 comprising a bolt and a nut. Even the above first fixing, the azimuthal angle of the whole laser transmitter can be controlled again by removing or tightening the installation member by the way of putting and getting a tool close to the fixing hole 94a and the coupling hole Ma formed on the installation member 94 and the installation plate M.
As above, after completing the installation of the laser transmitters on each
supporting stand P to face each other, the up-and-down or the vertical angle of the body 10 can be controlled by using the supporting device 72 again. That is, the vertical angle of the laser transmitter, itself or the body 10 can be controlled by controlling the upper member 78 according to the lower member 80 of the supporting device 72 by swing or sliding way. At this time, the upper member can be easily driven for sliding by the fitting of the convex lower surface 78a of the upper member 78 and the concave upper surface 80a of the lower member 80, and also, the vertical angle of the body 10 can be exactly and easily controlled so the receiving groove 82 formed on the center of the upper member 78 is sliding- guided easily and exactly by the guide 84 formed on the center of the upper surface 82a of the lower member 80.
Then, after the vertical angle of the body 10 is controlled, the body 10 is fixed by inserting a tool through the opening 90 formed on the both ends of the upper member 78 and coupling the nut 88c of the coupling device 88 with the bolt 88a provided on the lower member 80. The vertical angle of the body 10 can be controlled by removing and coupling the coupling device 88 when necessary. When the laser transmitters are installed to face each other at the points As such, the laser transmitters are installed at the remote points to face each other, and then, the transmitting/receiving devices of the laser transmitters are controlled to align the laser beam transmitted therefrom for actually transmitting or receiving laser beam there between. That is, the vertical angle and the right-and-left angle of each transmitting device are controlled so that the laser generated from the transmitting device of one laser transmitter exactly reaches the receiving device of the corresponding laser transmitter with the body of each laser transmitter settled on its body.
In detail, first, the alignment of the first transmitting hole 22 is controlled by using the first controlling device 40 connected to the first transmitting hole 22 of the
transmitting device 20 of the laser transmitter. That is, the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle are controlled by tightening or removing the controlling bolt 56 of the controlling member 52 installed on the upper side and the lateral side of the supporting plate 44 supporting the first transmitting device 22. At this time, the first transmitting device 22 is moved up and down or right and left according to the supporting frame 18 dependant upon the high-and-up or right-and-left movement of the supporting plate 44 so that the alignment of the lens of the first transmitting hole 22 is controlled.
The control of the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle just by the control of the upper side and the lateral side of the supporting plate 44 is naturally achieved by the elasticity of the elastic member 50 and the supporting force of the controlling bolt 54. Additionally, the reason to make the above control possible is the installation structure of the supporting plate 44 that the tensile force thereof is applied on only one of the corners by each elastic member 50. The tightening and untightening of the controlling bolt 56 as above can be easily made by inserting a tool such as a driver into the through hole 16 formed on the cover 16, or with the cover 16 removed, the controlling bolt 56 is also controlled by the above method.
After aligning the first transmitting hole 22 with the receiving lens of the receiving device of the corresponding laser transmitter, the second transmitting device 24 is aligned with the receiving device of the corresponding laser transmitter by the same way. That is, the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle are controlled by tightening or removing the controlling bolt 70 of the controlling member 66 installed on the upper side and the lateral side of the supporting plate 58 supporting the second transmitting hole 24 by inserting a driver into the through hole 12a of the base 12. At this time, the second transmitting hole 24 is moved up and down or right and left for the supporting frame 18 corresponding to the control of the up-and-down or right-and-left movement of the supporting plate 58 so that the lens
of the second transmitting hole 22 is set to be aligned with the receiving lens of the receiving device of the corresponding laser transmitter.
The control of the azimuthal angle and the vertical angle just by the control of the upper side and the lateral side of the supporting plate 58 is naturally achieved by the elasticity of the elastic member 64 and the supporting force of the controlling bolt 70. Additionally, the reason to make the above control possible is the installation structure of the supporting plate 58 that the tensile force thereof is applied on only one of the corners by each elastic member 64.
As for the other corresponding laser transmitter, the transmitting hole of the transmitting device can be set to be aligned with the receiving device of the first laser transmitter by the same way explained as above, and herein further detailed explanation is omitted to avoid duplication.
After the setting as above, a typically-conducted method for laser communication is used, and that is, the laser beam from the transmitting part of the transmitting device of one laser transmitter is transmitted to the receiving lens of the receiving device of another corresponding laser transmitter, and contrariwise, the receiving of the laser beam transmitted from the corresponding laser transmitter is possible.
As illustrated in Fig. 9, the laser beam transmitted from each of the transmitting lens 26 A, 28A of one laser transmitter installed at a first point OPl is focused on the receiving lens 32B of another laser transmitter installed at a second point 0P2. Also, the laser beam transmitted from each of the transmitting lens 26B, 28B of the other laser transmitter installed at the second point 0P2 is focused on the receiving lens 32A of the one laser transmitter installed at the first point OPl. Therefore, the alignment of the transmitting part of the transmitting device of one laser transmitter, and the receiving part of the receiving device of the other laser transmitter can be easily and exactly made for mutual communication.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
According to the present invention of a laser transmitter and an alignment method thereof, the productivity and manipulation are greatly improved because each of the transmitting holes of the transmitting device of one laser transmitter can be exactly and easily aligned with the receiving device of another laser transmitter to provide the exact communication between the two laser transmitters.
Additionally, the laser transmitter of the present invention can be manufactured as small size to allow convenience and easiness in carrying along, and can be also manufactured as water-proof and dust-proof to greatly increase productivity and maintenance.
While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.