Apparatus for laser beam forming and guiding - with an arrangement of laser diode arrays and their associated optical elements in such a way that the radiation from these arrays is deflected in the same direction.

Abstract
The apparatus forms and guides the radiation from at least n straight-line laser diode arrays with radiation outlet openings in an x-z plane. The radiation is directed onto optical elements (1, 3, 6). There are m such elements stacked above one another in planes in the y direction to form a unit. The apparatus is characterised by the following: (a) there are at least m = (n-1) optical elements (n at least 3 and l is the integer part of the quotient n/k) whose deflection surfaces are oriented at an angle (8) to one another when projected onto a common x-z plane; (b) at least three laser diode arrays (9.1, 9.2, 9.3) stacked at successive levels in the y direction are joined into a unit of k laser diode arrays; and (c) the laser diode arrays, up to and including the (k-1)th array, are provided with their own optical elements which deflect the radiation from these arrays into the common direction (13). The deflection surfaces are formed by the edges of the prism plates (1, 3). The prism pl ates take the form of a right-angled triangle in the x-z plane. The surfaces deflecting radiation take the form of reflective surfaces. The radiation from the k-th laser diode array passes through a rectangular plate (2). The optical elements are produced as a single block which is produced with cutouts for free spaces. Alternatively, they consist of one or more blocks. In such a case the radiation from the k-th laser diode array passes through a transmitting region without deflection. The deflection surfaces are oriented towards one another at an angle of about 90 deg. . USE - In high-powered laser units. ADVANTAGE - Highly compact arrays of laser diodes can be used without detracting from the cooling effect available for such arrays.