What is claimed is:
1. A method for printing an image on a printing substrate comprising the steps of:
producing a plurality of portions of fluid printing ink on a printing-ink carrier by inputting energy using a plurality of image spots of an array of individually controllable VCSEL light sources; and
transferring the fluid printing ink to a printing substrate.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the producing step includes melting solid printing ink on the printing-ink carrier on a dot-by-dot basis.
3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the printing ink exhibits delayed solidification.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the producing step includes suctioning fluid printing ink into depressions on a dot-by-dot basis upon cooling of volumes of depressions heated by the input energy.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of portions of fluid printing ink are produced by detachment from a printing-ink layer; and wherein the transferring step occurs due to the input energy in a contact-free manner.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of portions of fluid printing ink are produced by expelling the fluid printing ink from depressions in the printing-ink carrier.
7. A device for inputting energy to a printing-ink carrier comprising:
a plurality of individually controllable laser light sources having a modular design including subarrays disposed in an array, the subarrays being VCSEL bars; and
a printing-ink carrier having an axis of rotation and a surface for receiving a plurality of image spots of the laser light sources, rows of the image spots being inclined with respect to the axis of rotation when the VCSEL bars are triggered simultaneously.
8. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein the laser light sources on the VCSEL bars are arranged on intersection points of a regular Cartesian, two-dimensional grid.
9. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein an inclination angle between an unfolding direction of the row of image spots of the VCSEL bars and the axis of rotation is selected such that projected spots of the image spots on a line parallel to the axis of rotation have even spaces between neighboring spots.
10. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein the printing-ink carrier has an underside and the printing ink carrier is imaged by the laser light sources from the underside.
11. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein the VCSEL bars are staggered in at least two substantially parallel rows.
12. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein at least one VCSEL bar of the plurality of VSEL bars emits laser radiation used for inputting energy through a semiconductor substrate.
13. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein at least one VCSEL bar of the VCSEL bars includes at least one drive electronics, the drive electronic being at least partly accommodated on the substrate of the VCSEL bar andor at least partly accommodated on a common heat sink together with the VCSEL bar andor having a common cooling circuit with the VCSEL bar.
14. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein at least one VCSEL bar of the VCSEL bars and a part of a drive electronics for the VCSEL bar are made from one substrate.
15. The device as recited in claim 7 further comprising a surface, at least one VCSEL bar of the VCSEL bars being accommodated on the surface, the surface containing diamond andor aluminum nitride.
16. The device as recited in claim 7 further comprising conductor tracks, at least one VCSEL bar of the VCSEL bars being contacted by the conductor tracks from two sides.
17. The device as recited claim 7 further comprising a surface, at least one VCSEL bar of the VCSEL bars being deposited on the surface, the surface having conductor tracks for
controlling the individual light sources.
18. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein the array of VCSEL bars is page-wide; and
projected spots of the image spots on a line parallel to the axis of rotation are dense.
19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the input energy is produced by a device including the array, the array including subarrays of VCSEL bars, the printing-ink carrier having an axis of rotation and a surface for receiving the plurality of image spots of the laser light sources, rows of the image spots being inclined with respect to the axis of rotation when the VCSEL bars are triggered simultaneously.
20. A printing press for printing an image on a printing substrate comprising:
a plurality of individually controllable laser light sources having a modular design including subarrays disposed in an array, the subarrays being VCSEL bars; and
a printing-ink carrier having an axis of rotation and a surface for receiving a plurality of image spots of the laser light sources, rows of the image spots being inclined with respect to the axis of rotation when the VCSEL bars are triggered simultaneously, the light sources producing a plurality of portions of fluid printing ink on the printing-ink carrier by inputting energy using the plurality of image spots, the printing-ink carrier transferring the fluid printing ink to a printing substrate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:
1. An optical fiber coupling assembly, comprising:
an optical fiber receiving structure;
an optical filter; and
an optical spacer interposed between the fiber receiving structure and the optical filter;
wherein light incident upon a region of the optical filter that is outside the passband for that region is recirculated within the optical spacer so that the light is repeatedly incident upon the optical filter.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical spacer comprises a monolithic block of transparent material.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical spacer comprises a plurality of reflective walls that define an optical cavity.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fiber receiving structure comprises a fiber receiving block with a fiber ferrule therein.
5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the fiber ferrule extends partially through the fiber receiving block, the assembly further comprising a microchannel that is radially centered and linearly arranged with the fiber ferrule such that the fiber ferrule and the microchannel together form a conduit through the fiber receiving block.
6. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising a fiber connector surrounding a portion of the fiber ferrule.
7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical filter comprises a linear variable filter.
8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical filter comprises a linearly variable thin film coating applied on the surface of a substrate.
9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a blocking filter coating over the linearly variable thin film coating.
10. An optical fiber coupling assembly for an optical detecting device, the assembly comprising:
an optical fiber receiving structure;
an optical spacer including a plurality of walls that define an optical cavity;
a reflective surface on one side of the optical cavity; and
an optical filter defining a surface of the optical cavity opposite from the reflective surface;
wherein light incident upon a region of the optical filter that is outside the passband for that region is recirculated within the optical spacer so that the light is repeatedly incident upon the optical filter.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the fiber receiving structure comprises a fiber receiving block with a fiber ferrule therein.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the fiber ferrule extends partially through the fiber receiving block, the assembly further comprising a microchannel that is radially centered and linearly arranged with the fiber ferrule such that the fiber ferrule and the microchannel together form a conduit through the fiber receiving block.
13. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fiber connector surrounding a portion of the fiber ferrule.
14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical filter comprises a linear variable filter.
15. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical filter comprises a linearly variable thin film coating applied on the surface of a substrate.
16. The assembly of claim 15, further comprising a blocking filter coating over the linearly variable thin film coating.
17. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical cavity is defined by a surface of the optical filter, the reflective surface, and four lateral surfaces.
18. An optical fiber coupling assembly for an optical detecting device, the assembly comprising:
a fiber receiving block having a fiber ferrule configured to receive an optical fiber;
a monolithic optical spacer;
a reflective surface adjacent to the optical spacer; and
an optical filter for selectively transmitting light in a predetermined range of wavelengths along a length thereof, the optical filter adjacent to the optical spacer and opposite from the reflective surface;
wherein light incident upon a region of the optical filter that is outside the passband for that region is recirculated within the optical spacer so that the light is repeatedly incident upon the optical filter.
19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the reflective surface comprises a polished surface of the fiber receiving block.
20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the reflective surface comprises a reflective coating applied to the fiber receiving block or the optical spacer.
21. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the optical spacer is composed of glass.
22. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the fiber ferrule extends partially through the fiber receiving block, the assembly further comprising a microchannel that is radially centered and linearly arranged with the fiber ferrule such that the fiber ferrule and the microchannel together form a conduit through the fiber receiving block.
23. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising a fiber connector surrounding a portion of the fiber ferrule.
24. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the optical filter comprises a linearly variable thin film coating applied on the surface of a substrate.
25. The assembly of claim 24, further comprising a blocking filter coating over the linearly variable thin film coating.
26. An optical fiber coupling assembly for an optical detecting device, the assembly comprising:
an optical spacer having a first side and an opposing second side, the first side having a reflective coating thereon and the second side having an optical fiber coupling portion; and
an optical filter facing the second side of the optical spacer, the optical filter including a linear variable filter coating adjacent to the second side of the optical spacer;
wherein light incident upon a region of the optical filter that is outside the passband for that region is recirculated within the optical spacer so that the light is repeatedly incident upon the optical filter.
27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the optical spacer comprises a plurality of reflective walls that define an optical cavity.
28. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the optical spacer comprises a monolithic transparent material.
29. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the linearly variable thin film coating is on the surface of a substrate.
30. The assembly of claim 29, further comprising a blocking filter coating over the linearly variable thin film coating.
31. A color measuring sensor assembly for a spectrometer device, the assembly comprising:
a fiber coupling means for securely receiving an optical fiber;
a filter means for selectively transmitting light received from the fiber coupling means in a linearly variable manner along a length thereof;
a light circulating means for repeatedly reflecting light received from the optical fiber onto the filter means;
a detector means for measuring the spectral characteristics of the light transmitted through the filter means, the detector means having a photosensitive surface positioned directly opposite from the filter means a predetermined distance; and
a light propagating means for transmitting light from the filter means to the detector means and projecting an upright, noninverted image of the filter means onto the photosensitive surface of the detector means.
32. The assembly of claim 31, wherein the light propagating means comprises a plurality of gradient index lenses.
33. The assembly of claim 31, wherein the light propagating means comprises a plurality of microlenses.
34. The assembly of claim 31, wherein the light propagating means comprises a coherent fiber plate.
35. A color measuring sensor assembly for a spectrometer device, the assembly comprising:
a fiber receiving block having a fiber ferrule configured to receive an optical fiber;
an optical spacer;
a reflective coating adjacent to the optical spacer;
a linear variable filter for selectively transmitting light in a predetermined range of wavelengths along a length thereof;
a linear detector array having a photosensitive surface positioned directly opposite from the linear variable filter a predetermined distance; and
a light beam propagating means for transmitting light from the filter to the detector array and projecting an upright, noninverted image of the filter onto the photosensitive surface of the detector array.
36. The assembly of claim 35, wherein the optical spacer comprises a plurality of reflective surfaces that define an optical cavity.
37. The assembly of claim 35, wherein the optical spacer comprises a block that is optically transparent over a predetermined wavelength range.
38. The assembly of claim 35, wherein the optical spacer comprises a monolithic transparent material.
39. A method of fully illuminating a linear variable filter, comprising:
directing a beam of light into an optical spacer, the optical spacer having a first side and a second side, the first side having a reflective coating adjacent thereto and the second side adjacent to a linear variable filter;
repeatedly reflecting light that is incident upon a portion of the linear variable filter that is not in a preselected passband for that portion of the linear variable filter; and
repeatedly reflecting light that is incident upon the reflective coating towards the linear variable filter.