JP2019192669A - Cabinet for laser apparatus and laser apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve high space efficiency in laying a laser apparatus and a laser beam machine.SOLUTION: A cabinet 8 for laser apparatus houses a laser module 2 for oscillating laser; a power supply module 4 for supplying electric power to the laser module 2 and a laser controller 6 for controlling driving of the laser module 2. Regarding dimensions in a first direction A, a second direction B and a third direction C, the dimension in the first direction A orthogonal to each other is at most 1/3 of the dimension in the second direction B or the third direction C whichever is smaller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser device cabinet and a laser device including the laser device cabinet.

  Laser processing machines are widely used as industrial processing tools. Generally, a laser machine for generating a laser is externally attached to the laser processing machine. As for such a laser device, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a laser device having a structure in which various units constituting the laser device are stacked in a vertical direction in a housing.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-155283

  The present inventors diligently studied the laser apparatus and obtained the following recognition. That is, in the conventional laser apparatus, it is common to accommodate various units in a 19-inch standard cabinet (rack). Various units are housed in a cabinet so that they can be inserted and removed, and each unit is pulled out of the cabinet for maintenance. As a matter of course, the outer wall of the cabinet is designed to be slightly larger than the overall size of the various units accommodated. For this reason, the conventional laser device has to have a large installation area. As an example, the installation area of the conventional laser device is about 600 mm × 1000 mm.

  In addition, when a laser apparatus having a large installation area is provided along with a laser processing machine, there is a case where it becomes an obstacle to the flow line of the worker around the laser processing machine. For this reason, the laser apparatus has been installed at a predetermined distance from the laser processing machine in order to ensure the flow of the operator around the laser processing machine. Therefore, the conventional laser apparatus is not only the size of the installation area of itself, but also is a factor that lowers the space efficiency when laying the laser apparatus and the laser processing machine due to the arrangement away from the laser processing machine. It was.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a condition, The objective is to provide the technique which improves the space efficiency at the time of laying a laser apparatus and a laser processing machine.

  In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention is a cabinet for a laser device. The cabinet is a laser device cabinet for housing a laser module that oscillates a laser, a power supply module that supplies power to the laser module, and a laser control unit that controls the driving of the laser module. Regarding the dimensions in the direction, the second direction, and the third direction, the dimension in the first direction is 1/3 or less of the smaller dimension of the dimension in the second direction and the dimension in the third direction.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is a laser device. The laser apparatus includes a laser module that oscillates a laser, a power supply module that supplies power to the laser module, a laser control unit that controls driving of the laser module, and the laser module, the power supply module, and the laser control unit. And a laser device cabinet.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the space efficiency at the time of laying a laser apparatus and a laser processing machine can be improved.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a laser apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a see-through | perspective perspective view which shows typically the area | region containing the manifold of a laser apparatus. FIG. 3A is a front view of the laser device. FIG. 3B is a side view of the laser device. FIG. 3C is a rear view of the laser device. FIG. 3D is a plan view of the laser device. FIG. 4A is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which a conventional laser device is connected to a laser processing machine. FIG. 4B is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the laser apparatus according to the embodiment is connected to the laser processing machine.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments do not limit the invention but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience in order to facilitate the explanation, and are not limitedly interpreted unless otherwise specified. In addition, when terms such as “first” and “second” are used in the present specification or claims, these terms do not represent any order or importance unless otherwise specified, and a certain configuration It is for distinguishing from other configurations.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a laser apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a region including the manifold of the laser device. FIG. 3A is a front view of the laser device. FIG. 3B is a side view of the laser device. FIG. 3C is a rear view of the laser device. FIG. 3D is a plan view of the laser device.

  The laser device 1 includes a laser module 2, a power supply module 4, a laser control unit 6, and a laser device cabinet 8 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a cabinet 8) as main components. The laser module 2, the power supply module 4, and the laser control unit 6 are not housed in one package, but are housed separately in the cabinet 8. In addition, the laser device 1 includes a safety circuit unit 10, a control computer 12, a manifold 14, an optical fiber 16, an operation unit 18, a monitor 20, a main body side operation switch 22, and a main body side display unit 24. The connector 26 is provided.

  The laser module 2 is a unit that oscillates a laser. The laser module 2 is composed of, for example, a fiber laser oscillator. The power supply module 4 is a unit (component) that supplies power to the laser module 2. The laser control unit 6 is a unit that controls driving of the laser module 2. The safety circuit unit 10 is a unit that performs power supply control of the entire laser apparatus 1 and data input / output with a laser processing machine. The control computer 12 is a unit that executes rewriting of control parameters of the laser controller 6. For example, the control computer 12 is composed of a general-purpose computer such as a PC (Personal Computer).

  The manifold 14 is a flow path block constituting a flow path for supplying a coolant such as cooling water from the outside of the cabinet 8 to the laser module 2 and a flow path for discharging the coolant from the laser module 2 to the outside of the cabinet 8. The manifold 14 has an upstream supply port 14a and a downstream supply port 14b. The upstream supply port 14 a is connected to a refrigerant supply pipe (not shown) laid outside the cabinet 8. The upstream supply port 14 a and the refrigerant supply pipe are connected via a pipe connection opening 8 a of the cabinet 8. The downstream supply port 14 b is connected to the laser module 2. A supply channel (not shown) is provided in the manifold 14. The supply flow path has one end connected to the upstream supply port 14a and the other end connected to the downstream supply port 14b.

  The manifold 14 has an upstream discharge port 14c and a downstream discharge port 14d. The upstream discharge port 14 c is connected to the laser module 2. The downstream discharge port 14 d is connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe (not shown) laid outside the cabinet 8. The downstream discharge port 14 d and the refrigerant discharge pipe are connected via a pipe connection opening 8 b of the cabinet 8. A discharge channel (not shown) is provided in the manifold 14. The discharge channel has one end connected to the upstream discharge port 14c and the other end connected to the downstream discharge port 14d.

  The refrigerant is supplied to the laser module 2 via the upstream supply port 14a, the supply channel and the downstream supply port 14b, and the cabinet 8 via the upstream discharge port 14c, the discharge channel and the downstream discharge port 14d. Is discharged outside. Thereby, the laser module 2 is cooled. Therefore, the manifold 14 constitutes a water cooling mechanism for cooling the laser module 2.

  The optical fiber 16 is a member for transmitting the laser light generated by the laser module 2 to the laser processing machine. One end of the optical fiber 16 is connected to the laser module 2, and the other end extends outside the cabinet 8 and is connected to the laser processing machine. The operation unit 18 is a member for inputting an instruction to the control computer 12. The monitor 20 is a member that displays various types of information such as instructions to the control computer 12. The operation unit 18 and the monitor 20 are connected to the control computer 12 by wire or wireless. The user can use the operation unit 18 and the monitor 20 to instruct a change in the driving state of the laser device 1.

  The main body side operation switch 22 includes, for example, a main power switch for switching driving / stopping of the laser device 1. The main body side display unit 24 displays, for example, the state of driving / stopping of the laser device 1 by turning on / off the light source. Various external devices are connected to the connector 26.

  The cabinet 8 is a housing for accommodating the plurality of units described above. The operation unit 18 and the monitor 20 are disposed outside the cabinet 8. The cabinet 8 constitutes the outline of the laser device 1. The cabinet 8 has a dimension in the first direction A, the second direction B, and the third direction C that are orthogonal to each other, and the dimension in the first direction A is the smaller of the dimension in the second direction B and the dimension in the third direction C. 1/3 or less, preferably 1/4 or less, more preferably 1/5 or less. In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the lateral direction (width direction) in the front view of the laser device 1 is defined as a first direction A, and the lateral direction (depth direction) in the side view of the laser device 1 is defined as a second direction B. The vertical direction (height direction) is defined as the third direction C in the front view and the side view of the device 1.

  Moreover, the cabinet 8 of this Embodiment has the caster 8c in the bottom part. By providing the caster 8c, the laser device 1 can be easily moved. The dimension of the cabinet 8 in the third direction C is a dimension including the caster 8c. The posture of the laser device 1 is not particularly limited, and can be used in an arbitrary posture. Further, the caster 8c can be omitted.

  For example, the dimension in the first direction A is 150 mm to 250 mm, the dimension in the second direction B is 750 mm to 1200 mm, and the dimension in the third direction C is 1000 mm to 1400 mm.

  Since the cabinet 8 has the dimensions in the first direction A to the third direction C described above, the outer shape is a flat shape and has a pair of main surfaces 8d facing each other. The cabinet 8 of the present embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the first direction A. The inside of the cabinet 8 has a four-layer structure. A manifold 14 is accommodated in the lowermost first layer L1. Piping connection openings 8 a and 8 b are arranged in a region corresponding to the first layer L <b> 1 on the back surface of the cabinet 8.

  The laser module 2 and the power supply module 4 are accommodated in the second layer L2 immediately above the first layer L1. The laser module 2 and the power supply module 4 are arranged in the first direction A. The laser module 2 has a flat shape and has a pair of main surfaces 2a facing each other. The laser module 2 is arranged such that its main surface 2 a extends parallel to the main surface 8 d of the cabinet 8. In other words, the laser module 2 is arranged such that the main surface 2a extends in the second direction B and the third direction C.

  That is, the cabinet 8 and the laser module 2 are arranged so that the surfaces including the shortest sides face the same direction. In this Embodiment, it arrange | positions so that the surface containing the shortest edge may face downward. Similarly, the power supply module 4 has a flat shape and is arranged so that the surface including the shortest side faces downward.

  The laser control unit 6 and the control computer 12 are accommodated in the third layer L3 immediately above the second layer L2. The laser module 2 and the laser control unit 6 are arranged so as to be shifted in the second direction B and / or the third direction C. In other words, the laser control unit 6 is arranged in the in-plane direction of the main surface 2a when viewed from the out-of-plane direction (perpendicular direction) of the main surface 2a of the laser module 2. That is, the laser control unit 6 is arranged along the main surface 8 d of the cabinet 8 so as to be aligned with the laser module 2.

  Further, the laser module 2 and the laser control unit 6 are arranged so that at least a part thereof overlaps when viewed from the second direction B and / or the third direction C. In the present embodiment, the laser control unit 6 and the laser module 2 are arranged so as to be shifted in the third direction C and overlap when viewed from the third direction C. Note that the power supply module 4 may be accommodated in the third layer L3 and may have the above positional relationship with the laser module 2.

  In the region corresponding to the third layer L3 on the back surface of the cabinet 8, a part of the connectors 26 is arranged. Further, the optical fiber 16 extends outside the cabinet 8 in the region. A bush for dustproofing and waterproofing is provided at the periphery of the through hole through which the optical fiber 16 is inserted.

  The safety circuit unit 10 is accommodated in the fourth layer L4 immediately above the third layer L3. In the area corresponding to the fourth layer L4 on the front surface of the cabinet 8, the main body side operation switch 22 and the main body side display unit 24 are arranged. In the area corresponding to the fourth layer L4 on the back surface of the cabinet 8, the remaining connectors 26 are arranged. Within the cabinet 8, each unit is electrically connected. The laser controller 6 controls the drive of the laser module 2 based on a signal from the control computer 12 or a signal from an external device connected to the connector 26.

  A first door portion D1 that can be opened and closed is provided in an area corresponding to the laser module 2 on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The laser module 2 can be inserted into and removed from the cabinet 8 with the first door portion D1 opened. A second door portion D2 that can be opened and closed is provided in an area corresponding to the power supply module 4 on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The power supply module 4 can be inserted into and removed from the cabinet 8 with the second door portion D2 opened. Further, a third door portion D3 that can be opened and closed is provided in an area corresponding to the laser control portion 6 on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The laser controller 6 can be inserted into and removed from the cabinet 8 with the third door D3 open.

  A fourth door portion D4 that can be opened and closed is provided in an area corresponding to the control computer 12 on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The control computer 12 can be inserted into and removed from the cabinet 8 with the fourth door portion D4 opened. A fifth door portion D5 that can be opened and closed is provided in a region corresponding to the safety circuit portion 10 on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The safety circuit portion 10 can be inserted into and removed from the cabinet 8 with the fifth door portion D5 opened. A seal member for dustproofing and waterproofing is provided on the periphery of the first door part D1 to the fifth door part D5.

  A front cover 36 that covers the first door portion D1 to the fifth door portion D5 is provided on the front surface of the cabinet 8. The front cover 36 has a slit 38 in a region corresponding to an air inlet 28 described later. A back cover 40 is provided on the back of the cabinet 8. The back cover 40 has a slit 42 in a region corresponding to an exhaust port 30 described later.

  Further, the interior of the cabinet 8 is partitioned into a first space R1 and a second space R2. The cabinet 8 has a partition wall 8e inside, and the first space R1 and the second space R2 are partitioned by the partition wall 8e. The first space R1 accommodates the laser module 2, the laser control unit 6, the safety circuit unit 10, and the control computer 12. The power supply module 4 is accommodated in the second space R2. The first space R1 has a dustproof and waterproof performance in accordance with the IP54 protection class. Air flow between the first space R1 and the second space R2 is prevented by the partition wall 8e.

  The cabinet 8 has an intake port 28 for taking outside air into the second space R2 and an exhaust port 30 for exhausting the air from the second space R2 to the outside. A filter 32 that collects particulates in the air is fitted into the intake port 28. An exhaust fan 34 is fitted in the exhaust port 30. By driving the exhaust fan 34, the air outside the cabinet 8 is drawn into the second space R2 via the slit 38 and the filter 32. The air drawn into the second space R <b> 2 exchanges heat with the power supply module 4, and then is discharged out of the cabinet 8 through the exhaust fan 34 and the slit 42. Thereby, the power supply module 4 is cooled. Therefore, the intake port 28, the exhaust port 30, the filter 32, the exhaust fan 34, and the slits 38 and 42 constitute an air cooling mechanism for cooling the power supply module 4. In addition, it is preferable that the power supply module 4 has a dustproof waterproof performance according to IP54 protection grade.

  FIG. 4A is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which a conventional laser device is connected to a laser processing machine. FIG. 4B is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the laser apparatus according to the embodiment is connected to the laser processing machine. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the conventional laser apparatus 100, various units are housed in a 19-inch standard cabinet. For this reason, the installation area of the laser apparatus 100 was relatively large. Further, when the laser apparatus 100 having a large installation area is provided in the laser processing machine 200, it may become an obstacle to the flow lines of workers around the laser processing machine 200. For this reason, the laser apparatus 100 is installed at a predetermined distance from the laser processing machine 200 so that an operator can pass between the laser apparatus 100 and the laser processing machine 200.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the laser device 1 according to the embodiment has a thinner shape than the conventional laser device 100. For this reason, an installation area can be made smaller than the conventional laser apparatus 100. FIG. Further, even when the laser apparatus 1 is placed vertically so that the main surface 8d of the cabinet 8 is in contact with or close to the laser processing machine 200, the laser processing can be performed even when the laser apparatus 1 is provided in the laser processing machine 200. An operator's flow line around the machine 200 can be secured. In other words, the laser apparatus 1 according to the embodiment has a small installation area and can be installed so as to be in contact with or close to the laser processing machine 200. Therefore, when the laser apparatus 1 and the laser processing machine 200 are installed, The space efficiency can be improved. For example, when the laser processing machine 200 has a dead space, the laser apparatus 1 can be accommodated in this space. At this time, the laser device 1 can also be placed horizontally so that the main surface 8d of the cabinet 8 faces in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the cabinet 8 for a laser apparatus according to the present embodiment is such that the dimension in the first direction A is the dimension in the second direction B with respect to the dimensions in the first direction A to the third direction C orthogonal to each other. And it is 1/3 or less of the dimension of the smaller one among the dimensions of the 3rd direction C. Therefore, the cabinet 8 has a flat main shape and a pair of main surfaces 8d facing each other. Thus, the installation space of the laser apparatus 1 can be reduced by making the cabinet 8 thin in the first direction A. Moreover, the degree of freedom of installation of the laser device 1 can be increased by reducing the installation space of the laser device 1. As a result, space efficiency when laying the laser device 1 and the laser beam machine 200 can be improved. In particular, in the actual usage situation of the laser apparatus 1, the space efficiency is reduced by setting the smallest dimension in the first direction A to be １ ／ or less of the dimension in the second smallest second direction B or the third direction C. It can improve more reliably.

  The laser module 2 is a flat shape and has a pair of main surfaces 2a facing each other. The laser module 2 is arranged such that its main surface 2 a extends in parallel to the main surface 8 d of the cabinet 8. Further, the laser module 2 and at least one of the power supply module 4 and the laser control unit 6 are arranged so as to be shifted in the second direction B and / or the third direction C. Thus, the cabinet 8 and thus the laser device 1 can be easily thinned. Moreover, the laser module 2, the power supply module 4, and the laser control part 6 are separately housed, that is, housed in the cabinet 8 in a state where they are not housed in one package. This also makes it easy to make the cabinet 8 and thus the laser device 1 thinner.

  The laser device 1 also includes a water cooling mechanism for cooling the laser module 2 and an air cooling mechanism for cooling the power supply module 4. In the conventional laser apparatus, there are cases where the entire unit is blown to cool each unit in a lump. In addition, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of each unit, a panel cooler is provided in the cabinet to circulate cold air in the cabinet. However, in order to cool the entire inside of the cabinet, a relatively large and expensive cooler is required. For this reason, it can be an obstacle to miniaturization of the laser device. In addition, the cost of the laser device can be increased.

  As a method for cooling each unit without using a cooler, it is conceivable to provide a heat exchanger in the cabinet and to cool each unit with cooling water supplied from the outside. However, when the laser module 2 and the power supply module 4 which are main heating elements in the laser apparatus 1 are cooled by a common water cooling mechanism, an expensive heat exchanger or the like is required, which may increase the cost of the laser apparatus. .

  On the other hand, in the laser apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the laser module 2 is cooled by a water cooling mechanism including a manifold 14 and the power supply module 4 is cooled by an air cooling mechanism including an exhaust fan 34 and the like. Thus, about the laser module 2 and the power supply module 4 which are main heat generating bodies, one can be water-cooled and the other can be air-cooled, so that the cooler can be omitted or reduced in size, and an expensive heat exchanger can be used. Can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both reduction in size and cost of the laser device 1. Further, unlike the case where the entire cabinet 8 is air-cooled, it is not necessary to arrange the units in consideration of the air flow, so that the degree of freedom of arrangement of the units in the cabinet 8 can be increased.

  In the present embodiment, a water cooling mechanism having higher cooling efficiency than the air cooling mechanism is applied to the laser module 2 that is required to have higher temperature stability than the power supply module 4. Thereby, the stability of the laser output in the laser apparatus 1 can be improved.

  The cabinet 8 is partitioned into a first space R1 in which the laser module 2 and the like are accommodated, and a second space R2 in which the power supply module 4 is accommodated. Of the units accommodated in the first space R1, the laser module 2 as the main heating element is cooled by the water cooling mechanism. Thereby, the temperature rise of the other unit in 1st space R1 is suppressed. In addition, all the units accommodated in the first space R1 may be water-cooled. Further, the cabinet 8 is provided with an intake port 28 for taking outside air into the second space R2 and an exhaust port 30 for exhausting the air from the second space R2 to the outside. Thereby, the power supply module 4 accommodated in 2nd space R2 is air-cooled. An exhaust fan 34 is provided at the exhaust port 30. Thereby, the cooling efficiency of the power supply module 4 can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Embodiments to which such modifications are added Are also included within the scope of the present invention. A new embodiment in which a modification is added to the above-described embodiment has the effects of the combined embodiment and the modification.

  In the embodiment described above, the arrangement of the units can be changed as appropriate within a range in which the cabinet 8 can be thinned. Further, when the cabinet 8 does not need to have a dustproof and waterproof structure, the bush and the seal member can be omitted.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a representation of the present invention converted between methods, apparatuses, systems, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser apparatus, 2 Laser module, 2a Main surface, 4 Power supply module, 6 Laser control part, 8 Laser apparatus cabinet, 8d Main surface, 28 Inlet, 30 Exhaust, R1 1st space, R2 2nd space.

Claims (5)

A laser module cabinet for housing a laser module that oscillates a laser, a power supply module that supplies power to the laser module, and a laser control unit that controls driving of the laser module,
Regarding the dimensions in the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction orthogonal to each other, the dimension in the first direction is 以下 or less of the smaller dimension of the dimension in the second direction and the dimension in the third direction. A cabinet for a laser device, characterized in that   2. The laser device cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the laser device cabinet is a flat shape and has a pair of opposing main surfaces. A laser module that oscillates a laser;
A power supply module for supplying power to the laser module;
A laser control unit for controlling driving of the laser module;
The laser module cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, which accommodates the laser module, the power supply module, and the laser controller.
A laser device comprising: The laser device cabinet and the laser module are each flat and have a pair of main surfaces facing each other,
The laser device according to claim 3, wherein the laser module is arranged such that its main surface extends in parallel to the main surface of the laser device cabinet.   The laser apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the laser module and at least one of the power supply module and the laser control unit are arranged to be shifted in the second direction and / or the third direction.

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