JP2008246559A - Laser marking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser marking device capable of easily performing the work of converting the data format of the printing data into X, Y coordinates capable of performing the printing work, and reducing the equipment cost. <P>SOLUTION: The data format of the printing data taken in by a take-in means 21 of a laser marking device 13 is identified by an identification means 25. When the printing data is not the X, Y coordinate data Dxy of the data format capable of performing the printing work, the printing data is converted into the X, Y coordinate data Dxy by a data format conversion circuit 27. Actuators 17a, 17b are controlled based on the converted X, Y coordinate data Dxy, and the graphic data preset on a surface of a product 12 is stamped by scanning laser beams oscillated from a laser beam oscillator 14 in X, Y directions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser marking device for printing on the surface of various products with a laser beam.

On the surface of various products produced by the production line and conveyed by the conveyor, for example, a product name, characters and symbols indicating the date of manufacture, or a logo of the manufacturer are printed. Moreover, the label which printed them may be stuck. Since there is a possibility that the mark disappears in the method of printing or sticking the label, a laser marking device is used which directly irradiates the surface of the product with a laser beam and imprints characters, symbols, logo marks or the like. In this laser marking device, when a logo mark is formed on the surface of a product, for example, a logo mark is first created based on a pre-prepared block using a CAD (Computer Aided Design) system equipped with CAD software. To do. Next, the created logo mark graphic data is stored as a data file in a DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) data format on a storage medium such as a flexible disk. The saved DXF format data file is read by another data format conversion personal computer equipped with format conversion software, and the DXF format graphic data is read using the format conversion software. Is converted into controllable X, Y coordinate data. After that, the X and Y coordinate data is taken into the laser marking device from the data format conversion personal computer, and the laser beam is scanned in the X and Y directions based on the X and Y coordinate data by the optical scanning means, and a logo mark or the like is applied to the product. The figure was engraved. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which CAD data created by a CAD server is converted into graphic data by a data conversion personal computer, and drawing is performed on a drawing object by a laser marker based on the converted graphic data. ing.
JP 2002-292914 A

  However, the graphic data such as a logo mark using a laser beam on the surface of the conventional product is formed by using a personal computer for format conversion in addition to the CAD system to change the data format of the graphic data from the DXF format to X, Y. Since it has to be converted into coordinate data, there is a problem that the conversion work of the data format is very troublesome. Also, there is a problem that a dedicated data format conversion personal computer is required and the equipment cost cannot be reduced.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and can easily perform the work of converting the data format of the print data into X, Y coordinate data that can be printed, and reduce the equipment cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser marking device that can be used.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a laser oscillator that oscillates a laser beam, and scans the laser beam from the laser oscillator based on X and Y coordinate data to form a print target. In a laser marking apparatus comprising: an optical scanning unit that performs printing by scanning the laser beam; and a control unit that controls the laser oscillator and the optical scanning unit; A data format identifying means for identifying the data format of the print data fetched by the fetching means, and a data format of the print data fetched by the fetching means is the optical scanning means by the data format identifying means. Is determined to be different from the controllable X, Y coordinate data, the print data format is converted to the X, Y coordinate data and the control is performed. Data format conversion means for outputting to the means, print data in a data format that is taken in by the take-in means and different from the X and Y coordinate data, and the data format is converted to X and Y coordinate data outside the laser marking device. The gist is provided with storage means for storing at least one kind of print data of the converted print data and print data converted into X, Y coordinate data inside the laser marking device.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the storage means stores the print data taken in by the take-in means without converting the data format.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the data format conversion unit converts the data format into the X, Y when the captured print data is a data format created by a CAD system. The gist is that it is configured to convert into coordinate data.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the data format conversion time by the data format conversion means is that the print data is taken in by the take-in means, and the print data is The time when the data format identifying means determines that the data is not the X, Y coordinate data, the time when the laser marking device is activated while the storage means stores print data that is not the X, Y coordinate data, The gist of the present invention is that any one of a plurality of files storing print data is performed at any time selected by a print control signal of the control means.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the data format conversion means sets the data format of print data of a file designated in advance among a plurality of types of files storing the print data as X, Y coordinate data. The gist is that it is configured to convert to

(Function)
According to the present invention, when it is determined that the data format of the print data taken in by the take-in means is different from the X and Y coordinate data capable of controlling the optical scanning means by the data format identifying means, the data format conversion means prints the data. The data format of the data can be easily converted into X and Y coordinate data that can be printed.

  According to the present invention, the work of converting the data format of the print data into X, Y coordinate data that can be printed can be easily performed, and a dedicated data format conversion personal computer is not required, so that the equipment cost is reduced. Can be reduced.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a laser marking device embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, a product 12 as a printed object produced is supported intermittently by a transport mechanism (not shown) on a transport line 11 of a production system that produces various products. It is like that. A laser marking device 13 is mounted at a predetermined position corresponding to the transport line 11. The laser marking device 13 includes a laser oscillator 14, and includes two galvanometer mirrors 15 and a condenser lens 16 that deflect a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 14. Both galvanometer mirrors 15 can be deflected by actuators 17a and 17b, respectively. The actuators 17a and 17b are driven by X, Y coordinate data Dxy such as characters, symbols or figures (for example, logo marks) input from a control circuit 18 serving as control means, and laser beams emitted from the laser oscillator 14 are driven. Are scanned in the X and Y directions, and characters, symbols, figures, or the like are imprinted on the surface of the product 12. In this embodiment, the optical scanning means M is comprised by the said galvanometer mirror 15, the condensing lens 16, actuator 17a, 17b, the control circuit 18, etc. FIG.

  The laser marking device 13 is provided with capturing means 21 for capturing print data of various data formats from the outside. The capturing means 21 is configured to capture data stored in a file that is created as print data Ddxf having a data format of DXF by the first CAD system 22 based on a previously prepared block. Further, the capturing means 21 is configured to be able to capture the data that has been created by the second CAD system 23 and then converted to the X, Y coordinate data Dxy by the data format conversion personal computer 24. . Further, the capturing means 21 prints various data formats other than the DXF format and the X and Y coordinate data Dxy, for example, various data formats such as DWG, JPG, BMP, PNG, TIF, PCX, TGA, and XML. It is configured to be able to capture data.

  Identification means 25 is connected to the capturing means 21 so that the identification means 25 can identify whether the data format of the print data is X, Y coordinate data Dxy usable by the laser marking device 13 or not. ing. A storage means 26 is connected to the identification means 25 for storing the captured print data. A data format conversion circuit 27 as a data format conversion means is connected to the storage means 26, and the optical scanning means M of the print data stored in the storage means 26 cannot be controlled by the data format conversion circuit 27. For example, print data in DXF format can be converted into print data of controllable X, Y coordinate data Dxy.

  The storage means 26 and the data format conversion circuit 27 are connected to the control circuit 18 so that print data of X and Y coordinate data Dxy is input from the data format conversion circuit 27 to the control circuit 18. An input means 29 such as a keyboard and a liquid crystal display panel 30 are connected to the control circuit 18 via an input / output circuit 28. The data format conversion time by the data format conversion circuit 27 is such that the print data is taken in by the take-in means 21 and the print data can control the optical scanning means by the identification means 25. It is set at a time when it is determined that it is not Dxy.

Next, the operation of the laser marking device 13 configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 1 shows that the conversion time of the data format by the conversion time switching means 31 of the laser marking device 13 is that the print data is taken in by the take-in means 21 and that the print data is not the X and Y coordinate data Dxy by the identification means 25. It is in a state set at the determined time. In this state, the printing data in the DXF format output from the first CAD system 22 or the X and Y coordinate data Dxy output from the data format conversion personal computer 24 is acquired by the capturing means 21 as shown in step S1 of FIG. Captured as print data. If the fetched print data is in the DXF format, the data format is identified by the identification means 25 as shown in step S2, and it is determined that the identification data is not X, Y coordinate data Dxy by the identification means 25 in step S2. Is done. In step S3, the print data Ddxf is converted by the data format conversion circuit 27 into X and Y coordinate data Dxy that can control the optical scanning means M. The converted X, Y coordinate data Dxy is stored by the storage means 26 in step S4.

On the other hand, if it is determined YES in step S2, that is, if the print data is X, Y coordinate data Dxy, the process proceeds to step S4 described above.
Thereafter, the X and Y coordinate data Dxy stored in the storage means 26 is output from the control circuit 18 to the actuators 17a and 17b in response to a print trigger signal designated by the input means 29 and stored in advance in the storage medium of the control circuit 18. The Then, the laser beam oscillated from the laser oscillator 14 is scanned in the X and Y directions based on the X and Y coordinate data Dxy, and the print data such as characters, symbols or figures is imprinted on the surface of the product 12.

According to the laser marking device of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the above embodiment, the data format conversion circuit 27 is provided in the laser marking device 13, and the data format of the print data can be controlled by the data format conversion circuit 27 from a data format in which the optical scanning means M cannot be controlled. The data is converted to X, Y coordinate data Dxy. For this reason, the conversion process of the data format of the print data can be easily performed inside the laser marking device 13 and the equipment cost can be reduced because it is not necessary to provide a dedicated data format conversion personal computer. .

  (2) In the above embodiment, it is determined whether or not the data format of the print data fetched by the data format identification means 25 is an X, Y coordinate data format that can control the optical scanning means M. Only in this case, the data format can be converted into X, Y coordinate data Dxy, and wasteful work can be omitted as compared with the case where all conversion processing is performed.

  (3) In the above embodiment, when the data format of the print data is converted into the X, Y coordinate data Dxy that can control the optical scanning means M, the print data is taken in by the take-in means 21 and the identification means 25 is set to a time when it is determined not to be the X, Y coordinate data Dxy. For this reason, the efficiency of the marking operation can be improved as compared with the case where the conversion is performed immediately before the start of marking by the laser.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, the identification means 25 of the laser marking device 13 is omitted, and the second CAD system 23 and the data format conversion personal computer 24 are omitted in the embodiment described above.

  In this embodiment, the print data Ddxf of, for example, DXF format transmitted from the CAD system 22 to the laser marking device 13 is stored in the storage unit 26, and then X, X, which can control the optical scanning unit M by the data format conversion circuit 27. It is automatically converted into print data of Y coordinate data Dxy.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
The data format conversion time by the data format conversion circuit 27 is set to the time when the laser marking device is activated while the storage means 26 stores print data other than the X, Y coordinate data Dxy. Also good. Further, any one of a plurality of print data files stored by the storage means 26 may be set at a time selected by a print trigger signal as a print control signal of the control circuit 18. Further, it may be set at a time when a shutter opening instruction signal capable of blocking the optical path of the laser beam oscillated from the laser oscillator 14 is output from the control circuit 18 to the shutter driving mechanism.

  -The data format of the print data of a file designated in advance among the plurality of types of files storing the print data is sent to the data format conversion circuit 27 at any one of the above three times. A function of converting to may be added. When a file having a high use frequency among a plurality of types of files storing print data is designated to the data format conversion circuit 27 by the operator's operation of the input means 29, the newly used use frequency is high. A function for converting the data format of the print data of the file having the same content as the file into the X and Y coordinate data at any one of the three periods described above may be added. Further, the control circuit 18 counts the number of times the used file is used, and when it is determined that the use frequency exceeds the set value, the X and Y coordinates are automatically set at any one of the above three times. A function of converting to data may be added.

  Print data Ddxf in DXF format captured by the capture means 21; print data whose data format is converted to X, Y coordinate data Dxy outside the laser marking device 13; and X, Y inside the laser marking device 13 The storage unit 26 may store at least one type of print data converted into the coordinate data Dxy.

The block circuit diagram which shows one Embodiment which actualized the laser marking apparatus of this invention. The flowchart explaining the operation | movement which forms a character, a symbol, or a figure on a product using a laser marking device. The block circuit diagram of the laser marking apparatus which shows another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  M: Optical scanning means, Dxy: X, Y coordinate data, Ddxf: DXF format print data, 13: Laser marking device, 14 ... Laser oscillator, 18 ... Control circuit as control means, 21 ... Capture means, 22 ... CAD system, 25... Data format identification means, 26... Storage means, 27... Data format conversion circuit as data format conversion means, 29.

Claims (5)

A laser oscillator that oscillates laser light, an optical scanning unit that performs printing by scanning the laser light from the laser oscillator based on X and Y coordinate data, and scanning the laser light on a print target; and the laser In a laser marking device comprising an oscillator and a control means for controlling the optical scanning means,
A capture means that can capture print data from outside;
Data format identification means for identifying the data format of the print data captured by the capture means;
When it is determined that the data format of the print data captured by the capture unit is different from the X and Y coordinate data capable of controlling the optical scanning unit by the data format identification unit, the data format of the print data is changed. Data format conversion means for converting the data into the X and Y coordinate data and outputting the data to the control means;
Print data captured by the capture means and having a data format different from the X and Y coordinate data, print data converted into X and Y coordinate data outside the laser marking device, and inside the laser marking device A laser marking device comprising: storage means for storing at least one kind of print data converted into X, Y coordinate data. 2. The laser marking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores the print data captured by the capture unit without converting the data format. 3. The data format conversion means according to claim 1, wherein the data format conversion means is configured to convert the data format to the X, Y coordinate data when the captured print data is a data format created by a CAD system. A laser marking device characterized by that. 4. The data format conversion time according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein print data is taken in by the take-in means, and the print data is converted into the X, When it is determined that the data is not Y-coordinate data, when the storage means stores print data that is not the X- and Y-coordinate data, when the laser marking device is activated, and when a plurality of files storing print data are stored A laser marking device characterized in that any one of the files is performed at any time selected by a print control signal of the control means. 5. The data format conversion means according to claim 4, wherein the data format conversion means converts the data format of print data of a file designated in advance among a plurality of types of files storing the print data into X, Y coordinate data. A laser marking device characterized by that.

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