Patents by Inventor Christoph Tillkorn

Christoph Tillkorn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11796720
    Abstract: An apparatus for combining a plurality of coherent laser beams includes at least N?1 phase setting devices configured to set a respective phase (??n) of a respective one of the plurality of coherent laser beams, and a beam combination device configured to combine the plurality of coherent laser beams to form at least one combined laser beam. The beam combination device includes a microlens arrangement having at least two microlens arrays configured to form the at least one combined laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Daniel Flamm, Florian Jansen, Torsten Beck, Hans-Juergen Otto, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Maike Prossotowicz
  • Patent number: 11791605
    Abstract: A diode laser arrangement for the cooling of and supply of electrical current to diode laser devices, having at least two stacks, each having a diode laser device which is configured to emit a laser beam, an upper cooling device, and a lower cooling device. The diode laser device is arranged on the upper cooling device and on the lower cooling device such that the diode laser device is arranged between the upper cooling device and the lower cooling device. The upper and lower cooling devices are in each case electrically connected to the diode laser device arranged therebetween. The upper cooling device and/or the lower cooling device of a stack are in each case formed as a microchannel cooler. The upper cooling device and/or the lower cooling device of a stack in each case have substantially no electrical insulation with respect to the diode laser device arranged therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TRUMPF Photonics, Inc
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Stephan Strohmaier, Steffen Ried
  • Patent number: 11759886
    Abstract: A laser system is configured for providing a laser line in a working plane for line illumination of an object. The laser line extends in a first direction over a significant length and in a second direction over a small extent. The laser system comprises a laser source for providing a laser beam as basis for an elongated input laser beam propagating along a propagation direction, and a homogenization and focussing unit for homogenizing the elongated laser beam to form the laser line. The laser system is in particular suitable for providing a laser line that can be stitched to another laser line of a respective further laser system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Huonker, Christoph Tillkorn, Stefan Dorer
  • Publication number: 20230288714
    Abstract: A device includes a laser light source configured to generate a raw laser beam, and an optical arrangement configured to shape the raw laser beam into an illumination beam. The optical arrangement includes a beam transformer with an exit aperture, a first group of optical elements and a second group of optical elements for beam shaping. The beam transformer is configured to expand the raw laser beam in the direction of a long axis. The first group of optical elements comprises a homogenizer configured to homogenize the expanded raw laser beam. The second group of optical elements comprises at least one lens configured to image the exit aperture of the beam transformer. The first group of optical elements generates an intermediate image. The device further includes an imaging optical unit configured to image the intermediate image into the work plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Andreas Heimes
  • Publication number: 20230027190
    Abstract: An optical arrangement converts a laser beam into a line-type beam having a line-type beam cross-section that extends along a line direction with a non-vanishing intensity. The arrangement has: reshaping optics having: an input aperture through which the laser beam is radiated in; and an elongate output aperture, the reshaping optics being configured such that the laser beam radiated in is converted into a beam packet with beam segments that emerge through the output aperture; homogenization optics, which contribute to the conversion of the beam packet into the line-type output beam, and by which different beam segments are mixed and superposed along the line direction; and redirection optics configured to redirect the laser beam such that an incidence position/direction of laser beam on the input aperture is changed in dependence on time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Zeller, Christoph Tillkorn, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Christian Lingel, Christoph Irion, Michael Jenne
  • Publication number: 20230012534
    Abstract: An optical arrangement is provided for converting an input laser beam into a linear output beam propagating along a propagation direction and having in a working plane and a linear beam cross section extending along a line direction and having a non-vanishing intensity. The optical arrangement includes a reshaping optical unit having an input aperture for receiving the input laser beam and an output aperture, and is configured to convert the input laser bean into a beam packet having a multiplicity of beam segments that emerges through the output aperture. In addition, a homogenization optical unit is included having a first lens array and a second lens array arranged downstream of the first lens array in the beam path, the homogenization optical unit configured to mix different beam segments of the beam packet along the line direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Zeller, Christoph Tillkorn, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Christian Lingel, Christoph Irion
  • Patent number: 11536979
    Abstract: An optical arrangement converts an input laser beam into a line-like output beam, which propagates along a propagation direction and which has, in a working plane, a line-like beam cross section extending along a line direction. The optical system includes: a reshaping optical unit having an input aperture, through which the input laser beam is radiated, and an elongate output aperture, elongatedly extending along an aperture longitudinal direction, the reshaping optical unit converting the input laser beam radiated through the input aperture into a beam packet exiting through the output aperture; and a homogenization optical unit which converts the beam packet into the line-like output beam, different beam segments of the beam packet being intermixed and superimposed along the line direction. The aperture longitudinal direction extends in a manner rotated about the propagation direction by a non-vanishing angle of rotation with respect to the line direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER- UND SYSTEMTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Torsten Beck, Daniel Flamm, Andreas Heimes, Julian Hellstern, Christian Lingel, Felix Marschall, Silke Thierfelder, Christoph Tillkorn
  • Publication number: 20220390713
    Abstract: An optical arrangement for a laser beam includes an f-theta lens. The f-theta lens is disposed in a divergent beam path of the optical arrangement in order to focus the laser beam into a focus plane. The focus plane is located at a distance from a focal plane of the f-theta lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Reiner Bruestle, Tobias Marte, Stefan Dorer, Dominik Keller
  • Publication number: 20220297232
    Abstract: A laser system is configured for providing a laser line in a working plane for line illumination of an object. The laser line extends in a first direction over a significant length and in a second direction over a small extent. The laser system comprises a laser source for providing a laser beam as basis for an elongated input laser beam propagating along a propagation direction, and a homogenization and focussing unit for homogenizing the elongated laser beam to form the laser line. The laser system is in particular suitable for providing a laser line that can be stitched to another laser line of a respective further laser system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Martin Huonker, Christoph Tillkorn, Stefan Dorer
  • Patent number: 11407062
    Abstract: A laser system is configured for providing a laser line (L) in a working plane (WP) for line illumination of an object. The laser line (L) extends in a first direction (x) over a significant length and in a second direction (y) over a small extent. The laser system includes a laser source for providing a laser beam as basis for an elongated input laser beam propagating along a propagation direction (z), and a homogenization and focusing unit for homogenizing the elongated laser beam to form the laser line (L). The laser system is, for example, suitable for providing a laser line (L) that can be stitched to another laser line (L?) of another laser system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Huonker, Christoph Tillkorn, Stefan Dorer
  • Publication number: 20220048134
    Abstract: A processing head for guiding a laser beam for processing a workpiece includes a housing main body configured to accommodate a beam guiding element. The housing main body has a first main surface section and a second main surface section. The processing head further includes a functional module configured to connect to the housing main body or to be inserted into the housing main body. The first main surface section and the second main surface section of the housing main body are aligned with one another, at least partly surround a free internal volume of the housing main body, and are configured differently from one another for receiving and/or for inserting the functional module and/or a functional component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Bernhard, Reiner Bruestle, Tobias Marte, Thomas Notheis, Christoph Tillkorn
  • Patent number: 11169387
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a beam path, passing, in succession, through multiple microlens arrays and a Fourier lens assembly. The microlens arrays have a uniform aperture of their microlenses, and the entirety of the microlens arrays has an effective focal length. The optical assembly further includes an adjustment mechanism, configured to adjust a mutual optical distance of at least some of the microlens arrays in the beam path, thereby setting the effective focal length of the entirety of the microlens arrays. The adjustment mechanism has multiple adjustment positions i=1, . . . , M wherein M is a natural number ?2, i is an adjustment position index, at which the term a 2 ? · f ML , i in each case essentially smoothly results in a natural number Ni. ? is a center wavelength, fML,i is an effective focal length fML of the entirety of the microlens arrays set by the adjustment position i.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Daniel Flamm, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Li-Wen Chang, Maike Prossotowicz
  • Publication number: 20210255466
    Abstract: An optical arrangement converts an input laser beam into a line-like output beam, which propagates along a propagation direction and which has, in a working plane, a line-like beam cross section extending along a line direction. The optical system includes: a reshaping optical unit having an input aperture, through which the input laser beam is radiated, and an elongate output aperture, elongatedly extending along an aperture longitudinal direction, the reshaping optical unit converting the input laser beam radiated through the input aperture into a beam packet exiting through the output aperture; and a homogenization optical unit which converts the beam packet into the line-like output beam, different beam segments of the beam packet being intermixed and superimposed along the line direction. The aperture longitudinal direction extends in a manner rotated about the propagation direction by a non-vanishing angle of rotation with respect to the line direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Torsten Beck, Daniel Flamm, Andreas Heimes, Julian Hellstern, Christian Lingel, Felix Marschall, Silke Thierfelder, Christoph Tillkorn
  • Publication number: 20210165234
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a beam path, passing, in succession, through multiple microlens arrays and a Fourier lens assembly. The microlens arrays have a uniform aperture of their microlenses, and the entirety of the microlens arrays has an effective focal length. The optical assembly further includes an adjustment mechanism, configured to adjust a mutual optical distance of at least some of the microlens arrays in the beam path, thereby setting the effective focal length of the entirety of the microlens arrays. The adjustment mechanism has multiple adjustment positions i=1, . . . , M wherein M is a natural number ?2, i is an adjustment position index, at which the term a 2 ? · f ML , i in each case essentially smoothly results in a natural number Ni. ? is a center wavelength, fML,i is an effective focal length fML of the entirety of the microlens arrays set by the adjustment position i.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Daniel Flamm, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Li-Wen Chang, Maike Prossotowicz
  • Publication number: 20210165135
    Abstract: An apparatus for combining a plurality of coherent laser beams includes at least N?1 phase setting devices configured to set a respective phase (??n) of a respective one of the plurality of coherent laser beams, and a beam combination device configured to combine the plurality of coherent laser beams to form at least one combined laser beam. The beam combination device includes a microlens arrangement having at least two microlens arrays configured to form the at least one combined laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Daniel Flamm, Florian Jansen, Torsten Beck, Hans-Juergen Otto, Julian Hellstern, Andreas Heimes, Maike Prossotowicz
  • Publication number: 20210126426
    Abstract: A diode laser arrangement for the cooling of and supply of electrical current to diode laser devices, having at least two stacks, each having a diode laser device which is configured to emit a laser beam, an upper cooling device, and a lower cooling device. The diode laser device is arranged on the upper cooling device and on the lower cooling device such that the diode laser device is arranged between the upper cooling device and the lower cooling device. The upper and lower cooling devices are in each case electrically connected to the diode laser device arranged therebetween. The upper cooling device and/or the lower cooling device of a stack are in each case formed as a microchannel cooler. The upper cooling device and/or the lower cooling device of a stack in each case have substantially no electrical insulation with respect to the diode laser device arranged therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Christoph Tillkorn, Stephan Strohmaier, Steffen Ried
  • Publication number: 20210103156
    Abstract: An optical arrangement converts laser beams from at least two laser light sources into a combination beam, which has a beam waist. The optical arrangement has: an optical beam guidance system having at least two separate optical channels for the laser beams, each of the optical channels having an optical terminator for exiting a respective channel output beam of the relevant one of the optical channels; and a deflecting body, which is associated with only one of the optical channels. The deflecting body is configured such that only the respective channel output beam of the associated one of the optical channels is captured and the captured channel output beam is deflected in a direction of a focus region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Torsten Beck, Daniel Flamm, Andreas Heimes, Julian Hellstern, Christian Lingel, Felix Marschall, Silke Thierfelder, Christoph Tillkorn
  • Publication number: 20190151987
    Abstract: A laser system is configured for providing a laser line (L) in a working plane (WP) for line illumination of an object. The laser line (L) extends in a first direction (x) over a significant length and in a second direction (y) over a small extent. The laser system includes a laser source for providing a laser beam as basis for an elongated input laser beam propagating along a propagation direction (z), and a homogenization and focusing unit for homogenizing the elongated laser beam to form the laser line (L). The laser system is, for example, suitable for providing a laser line (L) that can be stitched to another laser line (L?) of another laser system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Martin Huonker, Christoph Tillkorn, Stefan Dorer
  • Publication number: 20180205197
    Abstract: A variety of dense wavelength beam combining (DWBC) apparatuses are described herein that combine a plurality of individual input beams into a single output beam. DWBC apparatuses contemplated herein are open-loop configurations, i.e. configurations where the wavelength selective optics of a feedback generation system are decoupled from abeam combining system that combines a plurality of input beams each having a wavelength selected from a range of different wavelengths. Specifically, each constituent beam of the combined output beam produced by the beam combining system traverses an optical path that does not include the wavelength-selective optics of the feedback generation system. DWBC apparatuses contemplated herein further provide for matching the wavelength-dependent angular dispersion functions of optics of the feedback generation system with the wavelength-dependent angular dispersion functions of optics of the beam combining system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Christoph Tillkorn, Steffen Ried
  • Patent number: 9905993
    Abstract: Wavelength-selective external resonators can be used to greatly increase the output brightness of dense wavelength beam combining (DWBC) system beams by stabilizing the wavelengths of the beams emitted by the individual emitters of the DWBC laser source. The present invention pertains to external resonant cavities that utilize thin-film filtering elements as wavelength-selective elements in external resonators. The present invention further pertains to particular embodiments that utilize thin-film filtering elements in DWBC systems as both output beam coupling elements and wavelength selective elements. The present invention provides advantages over the prior art that include decreased cost, increased fidelity of wavelength selection, and increased wall plug efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBH
    Inventors: Rudolf Huber, Hagen Zimer, Alexander Killi, Christoph Tillkorn, Steffen Ried