JP2013039594A - Laser machining head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser machining head which enables an angled piece of glass, which makes an optical path of laser beams eccentrically refract, to be easily moved into and out of the optical path.SOLUTION: In this machining head, a refraction-unit storage part 35 is provided between the output end of an optical fiber 9 and a focusing lens 15, a glass holder 21 holding an angled piece of glass 19, which can refract and transmit laser beams LB, is provided rotatably to the tip of a revolving arm 77 which is rotatably provided in the refraction-unit storage part 35, the glass holder 21 is provided so as to move into and out of the optical path of laser beams, protrusions 61 protruding radially outwards are provided to one of a ring-shaped driving rotating body 57 provided so as to be capable of driving and rotating in accordance with the optical path and a following rotator body provided to the glass holder 21, abutting members 83 that abut to the protrusions 61 and rotate together therewith are provided to the other side of the glass holder 21 or the driving rotating body 57, the driving rotating body 57 has the protrusions 61 at equal intervals on the outer circumferential surface thereof, and the following rotator body is provided with the abutting members 83 so as to be able to fit between each of the protrusions 61 and engage therewith.

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser processing head capable of performing laser cutting and laser welding, and more particularly, refracts the optical axis of a laser beam in order to expand the beam width of the laser beam when performing laser welding. The present invention relates to a laser processing head provided with an inclined glass for eccentricity so as to be rotatable.

  When laser welding is performed using a laser processing head that can perform laser cutting, tilted glass for refracting the optical axis of the laser beam can be rotated in order to expand the beam width of the laser beam applied to the workpiece. It is provided and rotating this inclination glass is performed (for example, refer patent document 1).

JP 2002-137083 A

  The laser processing head described in Patent Document 1 has the configuration shown in FIG. That is, the laser processing head 1 is attached to the tip of a robot arm 3 in an industrial robot (not shown) via a bracket 5 having an appropriate configuration. The laser processing head 1 includes a cylindrical processing head main body 7 attached to the bracket 5. An optical fiber 9 having one end connected to a laser oscillator (not shown) is connected to the upper portion of the processing head main body 7. An optical fiber holder 11 holding the other end is attached.

  The processing head body 7 is provided with a collimating lens 13 for converting the laser beam LB emitted from the other end side (emission end) of the optical fiber 9 into parallel rays. A condensing lens 15 that condenses the laser beam LB and irradiates the workpiece W is provided at a position below the collimating lens 13, and a laser nozzle 17 that ejects assist gas to the laser processing position of the workpiece. It has been.

  Between the exit end of the optical fiber 9 and the collimating lens 13, a cylindrical glass holder 21 having an inclined glass 19 inclined with respect to the optical axis LA of the laser beam LB is rotatable in the gear holder case 23. In addition, a reciprocating motion is provided in an arc-shaped long hole 23H (see FIG. 6) formed in the gear holder case 23. The inclined glass 19 functions to refract and decenter the optical axis LA of the laser beam LB. Accordingly, by rotating the glass holder 21, the optical axis (optical path) LA of the laser beam LB can be eccentrically rotated, and the beam width when performing laser welding can be expanded.

  In order to rotate the glass holder 21, a gear 21G is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the glass holder 21, and a driving gear 27 rotated by a motor 25 attached to the gear holder case 23 is provided on the gear 21G. Meshed. That is, the glass holder 21 and the motor 25 are always linked and connected. The glass holder 21 is provided so as to freely enter and exit the optical path of the laser beam LB, that is, the optical axis LA, by reciprocating in the long hole 23H (see FIG. 6).

  In order to reciprocate the glass holder 21 in the long hole 23H, the gear holder case 23 is provided with a central portion of an arcuate swinging gear 29 that can be meshed with and disengaged from the gear 21G via a hinge pin 31. It is swingably supported. In order to oscillate the oscillating gear 29, a reciprocating actuator 33 such as a fluid pressure cylinder is attached to the gear holder case 23, and a piston provided in the reciprocating actuator 33 so as to freely reciprocate. The tip of a reciprocating rod 33R such as a rod is pivotally connected via a pin. That is, when the glass holder 21 is positioned in the optical path of the laser light (when positioned on one end side of the long hole 23H as shown in FIG. 6A), the swinging from the gear 21G is performed. The free end side of the moving gear 29 is configured to be detachable.

  In the above configuration, when the rocking gear 29 and the gear 21G of the glass holder 21 are in mesh with each other, the motor 25 rotates the drive gear 27 in the forward and reverse directions so that the glass holder 21 is It reciprocates in the long hole 23H along the rocking gear 29. Therefore, the glass holder 21 can be moved and positioned in the optical path of the laser beam LB as shown in FIG. 6A or out of the optical path of the laser beam LB as shown in FIG. 6C. it can.

  When the glass holder 21 is positioned in the optical path of the laser beam LB, the reciprocating actuator 33 is operated to disengage the swinging gear 29 from the gear 21G of the glass holder 21, and thereafter By rotating the drive gear 27, the glass holder 21 can be rotated in the optical path of the laser beam LB. Therefore, the optical axis LA of the laser beam LB can be rotated in a state where it is refracted and the beam width of the laser beam LB can be expanded.

  As already understood, in the conventional configuration, the swinging gear 29 is swung to engage and disengage the gear 21G of the glass holder 21, so that the configuration is relatively complicated, When the rocking gear 29 is meshed with the gear 21G, further improvements are desired, such as sometimes the gear crests and the crests fail to engage smoothly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and is a laser processing head provided with a condensing lens for condensing the laser beam emitted from the emission end of the optical fiber and irradiating the workpiece. A refraction unit storage portion is provided between the output end of the optical fiber and the condensing lens, and the laser light is refracted to the distal end side of a rotation arm provided rotatably in the refraction unit storage portion. A ring-shaped drive provided rotatably with a glass holder provided with a transmissive inclined glass, and provided with the glass holder so as to be able to enter and exit the optical path of the laser beam, and capable of being driven and rotated corresponding to the optical path. One of the rotating body or the driven rotating body provided in the glass holder is provided with a projecting portion projecting radially outward, and the other of the glass holder or the driving rotating body is in contact with the projecting portion and rotates integrally. And it is characterized in that it comprises a contact member to be.

  Further, in the laser processing head, the drive rotator includes a plurality of protrusions on an outer peripheral surface at equal intervals, and the driven rotator includes the abutting member that is freely engageable between the protrusions. It is characterized by that.

  Further, in the laser processing head, a peripheral surface of the refraction unit storage portion is hermetically sealed.

  According to the present invention, when the glass holder is positioned at a position corresponding to the optical path of the laser beam, the glass holder is always interlocked and connected to the ring-shaped drive rotating body. The holder can be easily and quickly rotated.

It is a section explanatory view showing the composition of the main part of the laser processing head concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is plane action explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the principal part in a laser processing head same as the above. It is plane action explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the principal part in a laser processing head same as the above. It is plane action explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the principal part in a laser processing head same as the above. It is sectional explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the conventional laser processing head. It is plane sectional explanatory drawing which shows the action state of the principal part of the conventional laser processing head.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to components having the same functions as those of the above-described conventional configuration, and redundant description will be omitted. The laser processing head according to the embodiment of the present invention is obtained by improving a portion corresponding to the gear holder case 23 in the conventional laser processing head 1 described above.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the refraction unit storage portion 35 corresponding to the gear holder case 23 includes a box body 39 having a peripheral wall 37, and is sealed by attaching an upper plate 41 to the upper portion of the peripheral wall 37. The storage chamber 43 is formed. The optical fiber holder 11 holding the optical fiber 9 is provided on the upper plate 41. A support plate 47 is supported below the bottom 39B of the box body 39 via a plurality of support columns 45.

  A hollow driven pulley 49 is rotatably supported by the bottom 39B and the support plate 47 via a plurality of bearings. Note that the axis of the driven pulley 49 coincides with the axis of the optical fiber holder 11. The driven pulley 49 is linked to a motor 51 provided outside the box body 39. That is, a timing belt 55 that is wound around a driving pulley 53 that is rotated by the motor 51 is wound around the driven pulley 49.

  An upper end portion of the driven pulley 49 protrudes into the storage chamber 43, and a ring-shaped drive rotating body 57 (see FIG. 3) is fixed to the upper end surface of the driven pulley 49 by a fixture 59 such as a plurality of bolts. It is attached integrally. The drive rotator 57 includes a plurality of protrusions 61 protruding outward in the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In other words, the drive rotator 57 includes a plurality of concave portions 63 having a shape in which the radial outward direction gradually increases between the projecting portions 61 at equal intervals.

  A rotation support shaft 65 parallel to the axis of the drive rotator 57 is rotatably provided in the storage chamber 43 at a position away from the drive rotator 57. More specifically, the lower part of the rotation support shaft 65 is rotatably supported by a bearing 67 provided on the bottom 39B of the box body 39, and the upper part of the rotation support shaft 65 is provided on the bearing provided on the upper plate 41. 69 is rotatably supported. The upper end portion of the rotation support shaft 65 is interlocked with a rotation shaft 73 of a rotary actuator 71 such as a motor mounted on the upper plate 41 via a coupling 75.

  The rotation support shaft 65 is integrally fixed with a base end portion side of a rotation arm 77, and a glass holder 21 having an inclined glass 19 is rotatable on the distal end side of the rotation arm 77. Is provided. That is, the cylindrical rotating body 79 holding the glass holder 21 is rotatably supported by the rotating arm 77 via the bearing 81. An abutting member 83 is provided below the rotating body 79 so as to be able to abut on the protrusion 61 provided on the driving rotating body 57. The abutting member 83 abuts on the protruding portion 61 and can freely engage with the concave portion 63, and is also a kind of engaging member.

  As already understood, by driving the rotary actuator 71 and reciprocatingly rotating the rotation arm 77, the inclined glass 19 is positioned at a position corresponding to the optical path of the laser beam LB, as shown in FIG. And as shown in FIG. 3, it can position to the retreat position away from the optical path of the laser beam LB. A stopper 85 is provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 37 of the box main body 39 to abut against the rotating arm 77 and reduce the impact when the rotating arm 77 is rotated to the retracted position.

  In the configuration as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, when the inclined glass 19 is at a position out of the optical path of the laser beam LB, the laser beam LB emitted from the emission end of the optical fiber 9 goes straight to the collimating lens 13. Directly incident, laser cutting or the like is performed. When the turning arm 77 is turned clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 3, the inclined glass 19 enters the optical path of the laser beam LB. At this time, the abutting member 83 provided at the lower portion of the rotating body 79 holding the glass holder 21 of the inclined glass 19 abuts on the projecting portion 61 provided on the rotation driving body 57, and a recess between the projecting members 61. It will enter into 63 and will be positioned.

  Therefore, when the rotating arm 77 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 3 and the inclined glass 19 is positioned in the optical path of the laser beam LB as shown in FIG. The axis and the axis of the rotating body 79 coincide with each other. Therefore, when the driven pulley 49 provided with the driving rotating body 57 is rotated by the motor 51, the rotating body 79 is rotated via the contact member 83, and the inclined glass 19 is rotated. Therefore, the axis of the laser beam LB refracted by the inclined glass 19 is eccentrically rotated, and the beam width of the laser beam LB can be expanded.

  As can be understood from the above description, when the rotating arm 77 is rotated to align the axis of the rotating body 79 holding the glass holder 21 with the axis of the driving rotating body 57, the rotating body 79 is aligned. Are interlocked and connected to the drive rotating body 57 via the contact member 83. Then, when the pivot arm 77 is pivoted in the opposite direction and the axis of the rotating body 79 is largely separated from the axis of the driving rotating body 57, the interlocking connection between the rotating body 79 and the driving rotating body 57 is released. Is. Accordingly, it is possible to easily connect and release the rotating body 79 and the driving rotating body 57 and to simplify the structure, and to solve the conventional problems as described above. is there.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser processing head 7 Processing head main body 9 Optical fiber 11 Optical fiber holder 13 Collimating lens 15 Condensing lens 19 Inclined glass 21 Glass holder 21G Gear 25 Motor 27 Drive gear 35 Refraction unit storage part 39 Box main body 39B Bottom part 43 Storage chamber 49 Driven pulley 51 Motor 57 Rotating drive body 61 Protruding part 63 Concave part 65 Rotating support shaft 71 Rotary actuator 77 Rotating arm 79 Rotating body 83 Contact member 85 Stopper

Claims (3)

  A laser processing head having a condensing lens for condensing laser light emitted from an output end of an optical fiber and irradiating the workpiece, and refracting between the output end of the optical fiber and the condensing lens A unit holder is provided, and a glass holder provided with an inclined glass that is refracted and transmissive of laser light is rotatably provided on the distal end side of a rotary arm that is rotatably provided in the refracting unit storage. The glass holder can be freely inserted into and removed from the optical path of the laser light, and the ring-shaped driving rotary body provided in a freely rotating manner corresponding to the optical path or the driven rotary body provided in the glass holder has a radial outward direction. And a contact member that rotates integrally with the protrusion on the other side of the glass holder or the drive rotator. De.   2. The laser processing head according to claim 1, wherein the drive rotator includes a plurality of protrusions on an outer peripheral surface at equal intervals, and the driven rotator is engageable between the protrusions. A laser processing head comprising a member.   3. The laser processing head according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral surface of the refraction unit storage portion is sealed.