US 7,609,449 B2
System for producing orthogonal, intersecting light beams
Kent W. Kahle, Tipp City, Ohio (US)
Assigned to Trimble Navigation Limited, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US)
Filed on May 09, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/125,256.
Prior Publication US 2006/0250924 A1, Nov. 09, 2006
Int. Cl. G02B 27/10 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 359—618  [359/641] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for producing three light beams on orthogonal, intersecting lines, comprising:
a diode laser source providing a laser beam,
a lens for collimating the beam, the collimated laser beam being generally oval in share in cross-section, and having varying power over the beam cross-section, and
a pair of reflective surfaces positioned obliquely in the path of the collimated beam to reflect first and second portions of the collimated beam, said first and second portions of the collimated beam each being reflected only once by an associated one of said pair of reflective surfaces in directions which are orthogonal to said collimated laser beam and to each other, thereby producing first and second substantially orthogonal output beams, while permitting a third portion of the collimated beam to pass unreflected as a third output beam that is substantially orthogonal to said first and second output beams, said first, second and third output beams being projected along beam paths that intersect at a common point, and wherein said pair of reflective surfaces are positioned with regard to said collimated beam such that the power of each of said first, second and third beam portions is substantially equal.