US 11,874,514 B2
Optical system with safety component
Eduard Armbruster, Berlin (DE); and Frank Schulze, Berlin (DE)
Assigned to II-VI DELAWARE, INC., Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by HIGHYAG LASERTECHNOLOGIE GMBH, Kleinmachnow (DE)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/656,298.
Application 17/656,298 is a continuation of application No. 16/274,897, filed on Feb. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,314,027.
Claims priority of application No. 100706 (LU), filed on Feb. 15, 2018; and application No. 100973 (LU), filed on Oct. 22, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0214510 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 10/032 (2013.01); G02B 6/44 (2006.01); G02B 6/42 (2006.01); G01R 31/08 (2020.01); G02B 6/293 (2006.01); H04B 10/25 (2013.01); G02B 6/28 (2006.01); G02B 6/38 (2006.01); G08C 23/06 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/4296 (2013.01) [G01R 31/083 (2013.01); G02B 6/28 (2013.01); G02B 6/29391 (2013.01); G02B 6/38 (2013.01); G02B 6/4292 (2013.01); G02B 6/4415 (2013.01); G08C 23/06 (2013.01); H04B 10/032 (2013.01); H04B 10/25891 (2020.05); G02B 2006/12147 (2013.01); G02B 2006/4297 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus to communicate laser power for a laser processing operation, the apparatus comprising:
a cable having first and second ends;
a power fiber disposed inside the cable and being configured to transport the laser power between the first and second ends of the cable;
an electrical line disposed inside the cable and being configured to conduct an electrical monitoring signal between the first and second ends of the cable;
an optical fiber disposed inside the cable and being configured to conduct an optical monitoring signal between the first and second ends of the cable; and
an evaluation unit disposed in electrical communication with the electrical line and disposed in optical communication with the optical fiber, the evaluation unit being configured to redundantly evaluate interruption in the transport of the laser power for the power fiber based on the electrical and optical monitoring signals.