Patent US4159543A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3848104A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3848104A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for heat treating a surface
Assignee: Combustion Engineering Inc
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Filing: 1973-04-09
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Granted: 1974-11-12
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Expires: 1993-04-09
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus using a high power laser beam for heat treating a surface, such as a metal surface to harden the surface scans the metal surface which has been coated with radiation absorbing material such as carbon, so that the scanned areas of the metal surface are rapidly heated to above the critical temperature of the metal. Since the heating is very shallow, the heated surface cools very rapidly and so the surface is hardened. The intensity profile of a typical high power laser beam is not flat and so as the beam scans the metal surface, heating of the surface across the width of the beam is not uniform. A flat beam intensity profile is obtained in the present invention by dithering (spacially oscillating) the beam continuously as it sweeps the metal surface. The cross-section area of the dithered beam is substantially greater than the cross-section area of the initial beam from the high power laser and the intensity profile across the dithered beam can be tailored and is dependent upon the initial beam intensity profile and the configuration of the dither. The intensity profile across the dithered beam can be further tailored by blocking portions of the dithered beam.
Inventors
- 👤 E Locke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 21:51
CPC Classifications
C; C21; C21D; C21D1/00; C21D1/06; C21D1/09; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/073; B23K26/08; B23K26/083; B23K26/0838; B23K26/0846
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
In a laser system, means for changing the intensity profile across an output laser beam to a different controlled intensity profile comprising: a. reflective means for receiving and reflecting an output laser beam having a given intensity profile; b. means for spacially oscillating said reflective means over a given reflector spacial path at a predetermined rate whereby an output laser beam reflected by said reflecting means is spacially oscillated over a laser beam path; and c. means having a blocking aperture for blocking at least a portion of said spacially oscillated laser beam whereby the average radiation intensity at points along the unblocked portion of said laser beam path of said spacially oscillated laser beam exiting from said aperture define said controlled intensity profile.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
In a laser system, means for changing the intensity profile across an output laser beam to a different controlled intensity profile comprising: a. reflective means for receiving and reflecting an output laser beam having a given intensity profile; b. means for spacially oscillating said reflective means over a given reflector spacial path at a predetermined rate whereby an output laser beam reflected by said reflecting means is spacially oscillated over a laser beam path; and c. means having a blocking aperture for blocking at least a portion of said spacially oscillated laser beam whereby the average radiation intensity at points along the unblocked portion of said laser beam path of said spacially oscillated laser beam exiting from said aperture define said controlled intensity profile.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
In a laser system as in claim 1 wherein, said laser beam path is an arc of given angle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
In a laser system as in claim 2 wherein, the spacial oscillation is from one end to the other of said arc and from the said other to the one end thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
In a laser system as in claim 1 and further including, means for spacially sweeping said spacially oscillated laser beam, whereby, said spacially oscillating laser beam sweeps along a target path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
In a laser system as in claim 4 wherein, the directions of spacial oscillation and spacial sweep are orthogonal to each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
In a laser system as in claim 5 wherein, the amplitude of said spacial sweep is substantially greater than the amplitude of said spacial oscillation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein, the means for spacially oscillating includes means for spacially oscillating the beam in each of two substantially orthogonal directions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein, the spacial oscillations in the two directions are at different frequencies, whereby a controlled intensity profile across the spacially oscillated beam is produced in both said directions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein, the spacial oscillations in the two directions are at the same frequencies and in phase quadrature, whereby the spacially oscillated beam is annular in cross-section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein, the means for spacially oscillating the beam includes a mirror mounted to the inner gimbal of a double gimbal and drive means at the gimbal axes for spacially oscillating the mirror in each of two orthogonal directions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for uniformly heating an area of a surface comprising: a. means for producing an intense laser beam having a given intensity profile, b. means along the optical path of said laser beam for spacially oscillating in a controlled manner the laser beam over a given spacial path, and c. means having a blocking aperture for blocking a portion of said spacially oscillated laser beam whereby the average radiation intensity at points along the unblocked portion of said spacial path of said spacially oscillated beam exiting from said aperture define a controlled intensity profile different from said given intensity profile and having sharply dropping edges.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for uniformly heating an area of a surface comprising: a. means for producing an intense laser beam having a given intensity profile, b. means along the optical path of said laser beam for spacially oscillating in a controlled manner the laser beam over a given spacial path, and c. means having a blocking aperture for blocking a portion of said spacially oscillated laser beam whereby the average radiation intensity at points along the unblocked portion of said spacial path of said spacially oscillated beam exiting from said aperture define a controlled intensity profile different from said given intensity profile and having sharply dropping edges.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as in claim 11 and further including, means for spacially sweeping said spacially oscillated laser beam, whereby said spacially oscillating laser beam sweeps along a target path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3364497A
Cited
US3743777A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-11 | 1978-05-13 | 1978-11-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-11 | 1982-05-13 | 1982-11-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-11 | 1986-05-13 | 1986-11-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |