Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Jens Pollmann-Retsch

Holger Joachim Moench

Pavel Pekarski

Ulrich Weichmann

Wouter Jozef Maes

Carsten Deppe

Holger Mönch

Mark Carpaij

Uwe Mackens

John-john Pieter Jan Van Den Bergh

Martin Stroesser

Edmond Mariette Emile Verstraeten

Stephan Groenenborn

Johan Wijntjens

Edmond Mariette E Verstraeten

The invention describes a cooling device () for cooling a laser arrangement and a laser system comprising at least two of such cooling devices (). The invention further describes a method of manufacturing the cooling device () and the laser system. The cooling device () comprises a mounting area for the laser arrangement, a cooling volume () comprising cooling channels being arranged to cool the mounting area (), a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet () being connected to the cooling channels of the cooling volume (), a first coolant supply through hole () being connected to the coolant inlet (), a second coolant supply through hole () being connected to the coolant outlet (). The cooling device () further comprises at least one coupling element () enabling a detachable interconnection to a second cooling device () such that upon interconnecting the cooling device () to the second cooling device (), the first coolant supply through hole () of the cooling device () being connected to a first coolant supply through hole of the second cooling device () and the second coolant supply through hole () of the cooling device () being connected to a second coolant supply through hole of the second cooling device (), wherein the cooling device () being arranged in a way that a coolant can be supplied to the cooling volume via the first coolant supply through hole () and the second coolant supply through hole (). The cooling device () enables a cost effective and scalable laser system.

Cooling device for cooling a laser arrangement and laser system comprising cooling devices

The invention describes a mounting layer () for mounting at least two light emitting semiconductor devices. The mounting layer () comprises corner protrusion () and edge protrusion () for aligning the mounting layer () to the cooling structure (). The mounting layer () further comprises aligning holes () defining mounting areas () for mounting the light emitting semiconductor devices. The mounting layer () enables, for example, manufacturing of a &#x3bc;-channel cooler with mounting areas () by means of one direct bonding process. Tolerances may thus be reduced. The invention further describes a cooling structure () like a &#x3bc;-channel cooler comprising such a mounting layer () and a light emitting structure comprising such a cooling structure (). Furthermore, methods of manufacturing such a mounting layer (), cooling structure () and light emitting structure are described.

Mounting layer for cooling structure

A solid-state light source includes laser diodes that emit a laser beam with a first wavelength, a rotatable support that is arranged in a beam path of the laser beam and a reflector that is arranged between the laser diodes and the rotatable support. The rotatable support is formed of a ring or of an optically transparent disc. Further, the rotatable support is mounted to be rotatable around a rotation axis such that the laser beam impinges on a ring-shaped area of the rotatable support during rotation. Segments of the ring-shaped area include wavelength converting material that emits radiation of a second wavelength upon impingement of the laser beam. The rotatable support is mounted in a bearing that is arranged distant from the rotation axis to allow unhindered passage of the radiation directed by the reflector to the emission direction.

High luminance solid state light source

The invention describes a heating system () for heating a body () of a preform having a material thickness bounded by a first surface () and a second surface (). The heating system () comprises at least a light source arrangement () which is arranged to emit a number of directed light beams () and a coupling arrangement () realized to deliberately couple light from the light source arrangement () in a specific direction into the body () during at least a certain minimum period such that the light is essentially guided along a longer path () between the first () and second surface (). Furthermore, the invention concerns a method of heating a body () of a preform.

Heating system and method of heating a body of a preform

The present invention relates to a laser module comprising several sub-modules () arranged side by side along a first axis () on a common carrier. Each of said sub-modules () comprises a laser area () formed of one or several arrays of semiconductor lasers arranged on a surface of the sub-module (). Laser radiation emitted by each of said semiconductor lasers () forms an intensity distribution in a working plane facing said surface of the sub-modules (). The sub-modules () and laser areas () are designed and arranged such that the laser areas () of adjacent sub-modules () partly overlap in a direction perpendicular to said first axis (). With such a laser module a thin laser line focus can be generated having a homogeneous intensity distribution along the length of the laser line independent on the distance between the module and the working plane. The individual semiconductor lasers () may be VCSEL with a rectangularly shaped emission.

Laser module for homogeneous line-shaped intensity profiles

The invention describes a method of heating a preform () characterized by a radius (R), a material thickness (t), and a material absorption spectrum, which method comprises the steps of selecting, depending on a desired temperature profile, a desired effective absorption coefficient for the preform () on the basis of the preform radius (R) and material thickness (t); generating a laser radiation beam (L) comprising radiation with a wavelength spectrum compiled on the basis of absorption coefficients of the absorption spectrum to satisfy the effective absorption coefficient and directing the laser radiation beam (L) at the preform () to heat the preform (). The invention further describes a driving arrangement () for controlling a laser radiation generating unit () of a preform heating system (), a preform heating system (), and a computer program.

Method of heating a preform, a driving arrangement, a preform heating system and a computer program

The invention describes a method of driving a gas-discharge lamp () wherein, at any one time, the lamp () is driven according to one of a plurality of different driving schemes (DS, DS) and the lamp power is controlled according to one of a plurality of different power control strategies (PCS, PCf, and wherein the lamp () is driven according to a first driving scheme (DS) prior to a trigger event (tsw) and, upon occurrence of the trigger event (tsw), a driving scheme switchover is effected so that the lamp () is subsequently driven according to a second driving scheme (DS), and wherein, in temporal dependence on the trigger event (tsw), a power controls strategy switch over is effected from a first power control strategy (PCs) to a second power control strategy (PCf) such that the lamp power is subsequently controlled according to the second power control strategy(PCf) for a time interval (tm, tf).

Method of driving a gas-discharge lamp

In this method an arc-length control value, indicating the current length of a discharge arc of the gas-discharge lamp (), is monitored and the lamp () is driven in a first operation mode (OMP) with a first current wave-shape when the arc-length control value indicates that the arc-length is higher than a switching threshold, which first current wave-shape is selected to result in a tip () growing on an electrode () of the lamp (), and the lamp () is driven in a second operation mode (OMn) with a second current wave-shape when the arc-length control value indicates that the arc-length is lower than a switching threshold, which second current wave-shape is selected such that the tip () on the electrode () is at least partly melted back. In this method an operating frequency of the lamp is switched from a first frequency value (fi) to a second frequency value (f), which second frequency &#x2022; (f) value is higher than the first frequency value (fi)', if a first time criterion pertaining to a duration of driving of the lamp () in the second operation mode (OMn) is fulfilled and the operating frequency is switched from the second frequency value (f) to the first frequency value (fi), if a second time criterion pertaining to a duration of driving of the lamp () in the first operation mode (OMP) is fulfilled.

Method and driving unit for driving a gas-discharge lamp

A lighting assembly, a driver circuit, and a method of operating a discharge lamp are described. A discharge lamp () comprises a discharge vessel () with at least two electrodes () arranged at a distance d for generating an arc between the electrode (). Driver electronics () operate the lamp () with electrical power. In order to reduce electrode burn-back, the driver electronics operate the lamp according to a switch-off sequence, which includes a power ramp interval () where the lamp () is operated with increasing electrical power over time, and subsequently the lamp () is switched-off. Also, the driver electronics () operate the lamp according to a turn-on sequence upon turning on the lamp () with a first turn-on interval (), where the lamp is operated with electrical power increasing up to an initial maximum power value, and a power ramp interval () during which the lamp is operated with electrical power increasing over time from the initial maximum power value to nominal power P. The initial maximum power value is less than the nominal power value of the lamp.

Lighting assembly and method of operating a discharge lamp

A method and a circuit arrangement operate a discharge lamp, such as a high-intensity discharge lamp (HID) or ultra high performance lamps (UHP). The discharge lamp has first and second operating phases with a higher first or a lower second frequency of the lamp's alternating current (AC). The operating phases are activated alternatively at defined intervals and for defined periods of time, in order to achieve a stable arc discharge and only a low burnout or rise in burning voltage of the lamp during its life by configuring certain forms of electrode tips.

Method and circuit arrangement for operating a discharge lamp

A lighting unit is described which has a discharge lamp (), in particular a high pressure or high intensity discharge (HID) lamp or an ultra high performance (UHP) lamp, a lamp driver () and a cooling device (). To reduce mechanical stresses caused by temperature variations in the lamp (), one or more operating parameters of the lamp () are detected. In addition, a control unit is provided for controlling the lamp driver () and/or the cooling device () at least during switching on and/or off of the lighting unit in such a way that there is no excursion from a predetermined range of the at least one operating parameter. By selecting the parameter range suitably, the service life of the lamp may be extended considerably or the power of the lamp may be increased while the service life remains the same.

Lighting unit

A discharge lamp, and particularly a high-pressure gas-discharge lamp (an HID (high-intensity discharge) lamp or UHP (ultra-high performance) lamp), having a reflector and a cooling means is described. The cooling means comprises at least one nozzle () by which a flow of gas can be directed onto the discharge lamp, the at least one nozzle () being so arranged that it does not extend, at least to any substantial degree, into a beam path produced by the lamp () and the reflector (). In this way, the cooling means does not produce any obstacles on the beam path for the light. With preferred embodiments, it is possible to produce a turbulent flow that surrounds particularly the discharge vessel () of the lamp and that considerably increases the effectiveness of the cooling means. Further embodiments also allow the discharge lamp to be operated in a plurality of different positions without individual regions of the lamp being too little or too severely cooled.

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Aachen, Germany

Jens Pollmann-Retsch