Patents by Inventor Rainer Flaig
Rainer Flaig 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).
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Patent number: 11955761Abstract: A beam shutter is for a laser beam. The beam shutter includes: a reflecting optical unit configured to deflect the laser beam; a holding arm, which is capable of being brought into a release position and a shut-off position and on which the reflecting optical unit is held; a sensor circuit with at least one sensor component arranged between the reflecting optical unit and the holding arm; and an evaluation device, which is configured to interact with the sensor circuit, at least in the shut-off position of the holding arm.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Andreas Enzmann, Florian Jansen
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Patent number: 11942752Abstract: A method for generating output laser pulses from input laser pulses includes causing the input laser pulses to temporally successively pass through an optical component with temperature-dependent power efficiency. The optical component is heated by the passing of the input laser pulses. The input laser pulses emerge from the optical component as output laser pulses. The method further includes calculating a current temperature or a current temperature difference of the optical component, or a temperature-dependent current parameter based on all preceding input laser pulses or output laser pulses that have contributed to the heating of the optical component, and setting a power of a current input laser pulse based on the calculated current temperature, or the calculated current temperature difference, or the calculated current parameter, so that an associated output laser pulse has a pulse energy that deviates from a predefined pulse energy by less than 5%.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2023Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Jonathan Brons, Rainer Flaig, Dirk Sutter, Ivo Zawischa
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Publication number: 20230387640Abstract: A method for generating output laser pulses from input laser pulses includes causing the input laser pulses to temporally successively pass through an optical component with temperature-dependent power efficiency. The optical component is heated by the passing of the input laser pulses. The input laser pulses emerge from the optical component as output laser pulses. The method further includes calculating a current temperature or a current temperature difference of the optical component, or a temperature-dependent current parameter based on all preceding input laser pulses or output laser pulses that have contributed to the heating of the optical component, and setting a power of a current input laser pulse based on the calculated current temperature, or the calculated current temperature difference, or the calculated current parameter, so that an associated output laser pulse has a pulse energy that deviates from a predefined pulse energy by less than 5%.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2023Publication date: November 30, 2023Inventors: Jonathan Brons, Rainer Flaig, Dirk Sutter, Ivo Zawischa
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Patent number: 11735884Abstract: Methods and laser systems are disclosed for generating amplified output laser pulses with individually specified pulse energies and/or pulse shapes at individually specified time points at an output by providing a first pulse sequence of input laser pulses with a same pulse energy and a same temporal pulse distance smaller than a temporal pulse distance between adjacent output laser pulses, selecting input laser pulses arriving at the output at or close to the specified time points to form a second pulse sequence of input laser pulses, coupling at least one sacrificial laser pulse (energy balance or temporal balance) into the second pulse sequence, amplifying the second pulse sequence of input laser pulses with the sacrificial laser pulse, and coupling out the amplified sacrificial laser pulse from the amplified second pulse sequence upstream of the output to obtain the amplified output laser pulses.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Stefan Rapp, Fred Stier
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Patent number: 11444426Abstract: In methods and devices for generating a laser pulse of an excitation laser that is actuated by a driver in response to a triggering time of a trigger signal, the driver actuation signal is generated taking into account the time interval between the triggering time and a preceding triggering time.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2019Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Oliver Rapp, Aleksander Budnicki, Florian Jansen, Daniel Glunk
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Publication number: 20220149578Abstract: A beam shutter is for a laser beam. The beam shutter includes: a reflecting optical unit configured to deflect the laser beam; a holding arm, which is capable of being brought into a release position and a shut-off position and on which the reflecting optical unit is held; a sensor circuit with at least one sensor component arranged between the reflecting optical unit and the holding arm; and an evaluation device, which is configured to interact with the sensor circuit, at least in the shut-off position of the holding arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2021Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Andreas Enzmann, Florian Jansen
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Patent number: 11247299Abstract: This disclosure relates to protective glass, for installation in laser tools of laser processing machines, comprising a transponder in which data relating to the protective glass are stored in a contactlessly readable fashion and/or can be contactlessly stored. A grip carrying the transponder is fastened as an installation aid directly on circumferential surface of the protective glass.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Jochen Hutt, Rainer Flaig, Gerhard Broghammer, Michael Harteker, Marius Hezel, Matthias Fichter, Bernhard Kaiser
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Publication number: 20220029374Abstract: A method generates laser pulses by varying a Q-factor in a resonator. The method includes generating the laser pulses by controlling an optical modulator with a control signal for switching over between a first operating state of the optical modulator for generating a first Q-factor in the resonator and a second operating state of the optical modulator for generating a second Q-factor in the resonator. The second Q-factor is different than the first Q-factor. In order to generate a sequence of the laser pulses in which first laser pulses alternate with second laser pulses different than the first laser pulses, the optical modulator is controlled differently in each case alternately with the control signal for generating a respective first laser pulse, of the first laser pulses, and a respective second laser pulse, of the second laser pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Oliver Rapp, Christian Stolzenburg, Montasser Bouzid
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Patent number: 11165214Abstract: Method and systems are disclosed for generating amplified output laser pulses with individually predefined pulse energies at individually predefined times at an output by providing a pulse sequence of input laser pulses having the same pulse energy and the same temporal pulse interval smaller than the temporal pulse interval between two adjacent output laser pulses, selecting the input laser pulses that arrive at the output at or about the predefined times, amplifying the selected input laser pulses with an optical amplifier, wherein at least one sacrificial laser pulse is inserted into the pulse sequence of the selected input laser pulses before the subsequent one of the two successive input laser pulses to be amplified, and reducing the pulse energies of the amplified input laser pulses to predefined pulse energies by time-controlled partial decoupling depending on their pulse intervals from the corresponding immediately preceding amplified input or sacrificial laser pulse.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Stefan Rapp, Fred Stier
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Patent number: 11146036Abstract: A laser clock signal generator for controlling a laser beam generator to generate pulse laser radiation is provided. The laser clock signal generator includes a clock signal specification input arranged to receive an external clock specification signal, a basic clock signal generator configured to generate a basic clock signal based on the external clock specification signal and output the basic lock signal at a clock signal output to the laser beam generator, and a controller configured to control the basic clock generator, for example, to be synchronized with the external clock specification signal. The laser clock signal generator also includes an overclocking protector arranged between the basic clock generator and the clock signal output.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Christian Stolzenburg, Fred Stier, Daniel Moosmann
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Patent number: 11025035Abstract: A laser pulse generator includes a pulse shape generation device and a clock unit. The generation device includes a pulse shape repository, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a first terminal for connecting a start signal line, a second terminal for connecting a clock signal line, and a third terminal for connecting a pulse line. The first and second terminals are connected to the pulse shape repository and the DAC such that when a predefined start signal is present, data is transferred from the pulse shape repository to the DAC and converted by the DAC into an output pulse, for example, at a rate of a clock signal. The output pulse is supplied at the third terminal for actuating a driver of a laser diode. The clock unit is connected to the second terminal via the clock signal line and includes a reset terminal connected to the start signal line.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: TRUMPF LASER GMBHInventors: Rainer Flaig, Oliver Rapp, Daniel Glunk
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Publication number: 20200350739Abstract: Methods and laser systems are disclosed for generating amplified output laser pulses with individually specified pulse energies and/or pulse shapes at individually specified time points at an output by providing a first pulse sequence of input laser pulses with a same pulse energy and a same temporal pulse distance smaller than a temporal pulse distance between adjacent output laser pulses, selecting input laser pulses arriving at the output at or close to the specified time points to form a second pulse sequence of input laser pulses, coupling at least one sacrificial laser pulse (energy balance or temporal balance) into the second pulse sequence, amplifying the second pulse sequence of input laser pulses with the sacrificial laser pulse, and coupling out the amplified sacrificial laser pulse from the amplified second pulse sequence upstream of the output to obtain the amplified output laser pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Stefan Rapp, Fred Stier
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Publication number: 20200127434Abstract: Method and systems are disclosed for generating amplified output laser pulses with individually predefined pulse energies at individually predefined times at an output by providing a pulse sequence of input laser pulses having the same pulse energy and the same temporal pulse interval smaller than the temporal pulse interval between two adjacent output laser pulses, selecting the input laser pulses that arrive at the output at or about the predefined times, amplifying the selected input laser pulses with an optical amplifier, wherein at least one sacrificial laser pulse is inserted into the pulse sequence of the selected input laser pulses before the subsequent one of the two successive input laser pulses to be amplified, and reducing the pulse energies of the amplified input laser pulses to predefined pulse energies by time-controlled partial decoupling depending on their pulse intervals from the corresponding immediately preceding amplified input or sacrificial laser pulse.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Stefan Rapp, Fred Stier
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Publication number: 20190148910Abstract: A laser pulse generator includes a pulse shape generation device and a clock unit. The generation device includes a pulse shape repository, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a first terminal for connecting a start signal line, a second terminal for connecting a clock signal line, and a third terminal for connecting a pulse line. The first and second terminals are connected to the pulse shape repository and the DAC such that when a predefined start signal is present, data is transferred from the pulse shape repository to the DAC and converted by the DAC into an output pulse, for example, at a rate of a clock signal. The output pulse is supplied at the third terminal for actuating a driver of a laser diode. The clock unit is connected to the second terminal via the clock signal line and includes a reset terminal connected to the start signal line.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2019Publication date: May 16, 2019Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Oliver Rapp, Daniel Glunk
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Publication number: 20190148906Abstract: In methods and devices for generating a laser pulse of an excitation laser that is actuated by a driver in response to a triggering time of a trigger signal, the driver actuation signal is generated taking into account the time interval between the triggering time and a preceding triggering time.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2019Publication date: May 16, 2019Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Oliver Rapp, Aleksander Budnicki, Florian Jansen, Daniel Glunk
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Publication number: 20190148907Abstract: A laser clock signal generator for controlling a laser beam generator to generate pulse laser radiation is provided. The laser clock signal generator includes a clock signal specification input arranged to receive an external clock specification signal, a basic clock signal generator configured to generate a basic clock signal based on the external clock specification signal and output the basic lock signal at a clock signal output to the laser beam generator, and a controller configured to control the basic clock generator, for example, to be synchronized with the external clock specification signal. The laser clock signal generator also includes an overclocking protector arranged between the basic clock generator and the clock signal output.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2019Publication date: May 16, 2019Inventors: Rainer Flaig, Christian Stolzenburg, Fred Stier, Daniel Moosmann
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Publication number: 20180354079Abstract: This disclosure relates to protective glass, for installation in laser tools of laser processing machines, comprising a transponder in which data relating to the protective glass are stored in a contactlessly readable fashion and/or can be contactlessly stored. A grip carrying the transponder is fastened as an installation aid directly on circumferential surface of the protective glass.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2018Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventors: Jochen Hutt, Rainer Flaig, Gerhard Broghammer, Michael Harteker, Marius Hezel, Matthias Fichter, Bernhard Kaiser
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Patent number: 8831053Abstract: A method for monitoring a laser system including a plurality of laser modules connected in series, there being connected in parallel to each laser module a bypass arrangement for bridging the corresponding laser module, includes determining a first laser power of the laser system with a plurality of laser modules operational; activating the bypass arrangement of at least one laser module so that at least one of the plurality of laser modules is bypassed; determining a second laser power of the laser system with the at least one of the plurality of laser modules bypassed; and monitoring the laser system based on a difference between the first and second laser power.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2011Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Trumpf Laser GmbH + Co. KGInventors: Rainer Flaig, Alexander Killi, Martin Liermann, Thomas Notheis
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Publication number: 20120020382Abstract: A method for monitoring a laser system including a plurality of laser modules connected in series, there being connected in parallel to each laser module a bypass arrangement for bridging the corresponding laser module, includes determining a first laser power of the laser system with a plurality of laser modules operational; activating the bypass arrangement of at least one laser module so that at least one of the plurality of laser modules is bypassed; determining a second laser power of the laser system with the at least one of the plurality of laser modules bypassed; and monitoring the laser system based on a difference between the first and second laser power.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2011Publication date: January 26, 2012Applicant: TRUMPF LASER GMBH + CO. KGInventors: Rainer Flaig, Alexander Killi, Martin Liermann, Thomas Notheis
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Patent number: 7649667Abstract: A controllable Pockels cell system has a switching unit that can apply voltage to the Pockels cell. The Pockels cell system also features a delay unit that enables setting of a precise time when voltage is applied or removed from the Pockels cell. This allows displacing in time the voltage pulse applied to the Pockels cell, in this manner also displacing in time the transmission pulse of the Pockels cell with an analyzer located behind the Pockels cell. Thus it is possible to individually control the amplitude of selected laser pulses. The switching unit can either be a simple push-pull circuit or a bridge circuit made from two push-pull circuits.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2006Date of Patent: January 19, 2010Assignees: Trumpf Laser GmbH + Co., KG, BME Messgeraete Entwicklung KGInventors: Thorald Bergmann, Rainer Flaig, Dirk Sutter