JP2023074160A - Laser processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To make an installation space in an irradiating direction compact, while maintaining efficiency of heat radiation.SOLUTION: A laser processing device L comprises: a light guiding optical system 3; a solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates laser light on the basis of excitation light guided by the light guiding optical system 3; a first scanner 51 that drives a first mirror 51a that deflects laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41; a first control substrate 53 that controls the first scanner 51; and a housing 10 having an emission window 6 formed therein. The housing 10 has: a mirror housing part H11 that houses the first mirror 51a; a crystal housing part H12, partitioned by first base plates 15 having a partition surface 15g expanding along an irradiating direction from the emission window 6 toward an irradiation area R1 and arranged at an opposite side of the mirror housing part H11 with respect to the partitioning surface 15g, which houses the solid-state laser crystal 41; and a substrate housing part H13, arranged at an opposite side of the crystal housing part H12 with respect to the mirror housing part H11, which houses the first control substrate 53.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to a laser processing apparatus.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of a laser processing apparatus. Specifically, the laser processing apparatus according to Patent Document 1 includes a laser light output unit that generates and outputs laser light, a laser light scanning unit that deflects the laser light output from the laser light output unit, and the laser It includes an emission window for transmitting the laser light deflected by the optical scanning section, and a housing containing the laser light output section and the laser light scanning section and having the emission window.

According to the above Patent Document 1, along the irradiation direction of the laser light, which is the direction that substantially coincides with the height direction of the housing, a part of the members (wavelength conversion section) constituting the laser light output section, the laser light scanning are arranged in the order of the part and the exit window part.

Furthermore, the laser beam scanning unit according to Patent Document 1 has a circuit board for controlling the laser beam scanning unit. The circuit board is arranged so as to be adjacent to the housing of the wavelength conversion section in the irradiation direction.

JP 2019-104047 A

Generally, in order to install a laser processing apparatus in a manufacturing line or the like, at least an installation space larger than the size of the housing is required. Specifically, as the dimension of the installation space in the irradiation direction described above, a length that takes into consideration the distance from the output window to the upper end of the housing in addition to the distance between the workpiece and the output window is required.

However, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the wavelength conversion section, the laser beam scanning section, and the emission window section are laid out so as to be aligned in the irradiation direction, the dimensions of the housing that accommodates them are limited by the irradiation direction. can be expanded to This is inconvenient because it leads to enlargement of the installation space in the irradiation direction.

Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to make the housing compact in the height direction by arranging the circuit board and the housing vertically adjacent to each other. However, considering the heat generated from the housing and the circuit board, such a configuration is inconvenient from the viewpoint of heat radiation efficiency.

The technology disclosed herein has been made in view of this point, and its purpose is to realize a compact installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining the heat radiation efficiency.

A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a laser processing apparatus that processes a workpiece by irradiating a laser beam toward an irradiation area. This laser processing apparatus includes a light guiding optical system for guiding excitation light, a solid laser crystal for generating laser light based on the excitation light guided by the light guiding optical system, and a laser beam generated by the solid laser crystal. a first scanner that drives a first mirror that deflects the laser light so that the laser light is directed toward the irradiation area; a first control board that controls the first scanner; a housing containing the optical system, the solid-state laser crystal, the first scanner, and the first control board, and having an exit window through which the laser beam deflected by the first mirror is transmitted; Prepare.

Further, according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the housing includes a mirror housing portion that houses the first mirror, and a support that has a partition surface that spreads along the irradiation direction from the exit window toward the irradiation area. a crystal accommodating portion partitioned by a plate and arranged on the opposite side of the partition surface to the mirror accommodating portion to accommodate the solid-state laser crystal; and a side of the mirror accommodating portion opposite to the crystal accommodating portion. and a substrate housing portion disposed in the housing for housing the first control substrate.

According to the first aspect, the mirror accommodating portion is arranged on one side of the partition surface, while the crystal accommodating portion is arranged on the opposite side thereof. Considering that the partition surface spreads along the irradiation direction, the mirror housing portion and the crystal housing portion are arranged along a direction (for example, horizontal direction) substantially orthogonal to the irradiation direction.

Furthermore, considering the relative positions of the substrate housing portion with respect to the mirror housing portion and the crystal housing portion, the crystal housing portion, the mirror housing portion, and the substrate housing portion are arranged in this order along the direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction. will be placed. In this way, by arranging the three types of storage units in a direction substantially orthogonal to the irradiation direction, it is possible to configure the housing compact in the irradiation direction. As a result, it is possible to reduce the installation space of the housing.

Further, among the three housing portions, the mirror housing portion is arranged between the crystal housing portion and the substrate housing portion, which are housing portions where heat dissipation is a concern. A layout in which the crystal accommodating portion and the substrate accommodating portion are separated from each other contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation efficiency compared to a layout in which they are adjacent to each other.

As described above, according to the first aspect, it is possible to reduce the installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining the heat radiation efficiency.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the first mirror may be arranged to face the irradiation area with the exit window interposed therebetween.

According to the second aspect, the laser beam reflected by the first mirror can be directly guided to the exit window without providing a large mirror or the like between the first mirror and the exit window. This is advantageous in reducing the number of parts in the housing and realizing compactness in the dimensions of the housing and, by extension, in the installation space.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus reflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal, thereby causing the first direction, which is the deflection direction by the first mirror, and the irradiation direction. a second scanner for driving a second mirror that deflects laser light in a second direction orthogonal to both the direction and the first mirror; an intermediate mirror that reflects toward the first scanner, the first scanner rotating the first mirror about a first axis of rotation, and the second scanner about a second axis of rotation orthogonal to the first axis of rotation; and the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis both extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction.

In general, when laser light is deflected by two scanners such as a two-axis galvanometer scanner, one of the two scanners rotates a mirror around a rotation axis extending along the irradiation direction. However, considering the layout of the motors that drive the mirrors, etc., such a configuration leads to an increase in the size of the housing in the direction of the rotation axis of the mirrors, that is, in the irradiation direction. inconvenient above.

In contrast, according to the third aspect, an intermediate mirror is arranged between the first mirror and the second mirror. By arranging the intermediate mirror, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the first and second mirrors (in particular, the layout of the rotation axis of each mirror). As a result, it is advantageous to reduce the size of the housing and thus to reduce the installation space.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the first scanner rotates the first mirror about a first rotation axis, and the second scanner rotates the second mirror perpendicular to the first rotation axis. The second mirror may be rotated around an axis, the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis both extending in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction.

According to the fourth aspect, by making both the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis orthogonal to the irradiation direction, it is possible to reduce the size of the housing in the irradiation direction, and thus to reduce the installation space. be advantageous.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror, and diffuses the laser light in an outward direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction. may be provided.

According to the fifth aspect, by providing an optical element capable of diffusing laser light, it is possible to set the irradiation area as wide as possible while bringing the first mirror and the irradiation area close to each other in the irradiation direction. become. As a result, the installation space can be made compact without reducing the irradiation area.

Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus includes an excitation light source that generates excitation light guided by the light guide optical system, and the excitation light source is accommodated in the substrate accommodation section. may be.

According to the sixth aspect, by accommodating the excitation light source in the substrate accommodation portion, the excitation light source can be separated from the crystal accommodation portion by the amount of the mirror accommodation portion interposed between the crystal accommodation portion and the substrate accommodation portion. can. This configuration contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation performance.

Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the light guide optical system is configured by a fiber cable that optically couples the excitation light source and the solid-state laser crystal, and the housing includes the fiber cable A fiber guide configured to wind the fiber cable with a bend radius greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius may be accommodated.

A typical fiber cable has a minimum bend radius. Therefore, if the excitation light source and the solid-state laser crystal are connected by a fiber cable, the bending of the fiber cable is restricted, which may limit the relative position of the excitation light source with respect to the solid-state laser crystal. This can be inconvenient in achieving both housing of the solid-state laser crystal and the excitation light source in the housing and compactness of the housing.

On the other hand, according to the seventh aspect, by accommodating the fiber guide configured according to the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable in the housing, the length of the fiber cable can be adjusted more flexibly. Become. As a result, the solid-state laser crystal and the pumping light source can be laid out compactly while being connected by a fiber cable, and both the housing of the solid-state laser crystal and the pumping light source and the compactness of the housing can be achieved. will be advantageous.

Further, according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the exit window is configured by a cover glass that transmits the laser light, the irradiation area is configured as a rectangular region, and the cover glass is configured to cover the irradiation It may be formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the area.

According to the eighth aspect, the cover glass through which the laser beam is transmitted is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area, instead of the generally known circular shape. It is possible to form the cover glass more compactly than when it is formed in a circular shape. This is effective in reducing the size of the housing and thus the installation space.

Further, according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus includes a nonlinear optical crystal that receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal and converts the wavelength of the laser light to a shorter wavelength side. , the nonlinear optical crystal may be housed in the crystal housing portion.

According to the ninth aspect, by accommodating the nonlinear optical crystal in the crystal accommodating portion, the nonlinear optical crystal is separated from the substrate accommodating portion by the amount of the mirror accommodating portion interposed between the crystal accommodating portion and the substrate accommodating portion. be able to. This configuration contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation performance.

Further, according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the crystal accommodation part may accommodate the nonlinear optical crystal in a sealed state.

Further, according to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus includes a Q switch that is housed in the crystal housing unit and causes pulse oscillation of a fundamental wave, and the internal space of the crystal housing unit includes the Q switch and a space containing the nonlinear optical crystal.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining the heat radiation efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a laser processing system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the laser processing apparatus. FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the marker head. FIG. 3B is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the marker head. FIG. 4 is a side view of the marker head. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover member is removed from the marker head. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the marker head. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an electric cable connection structure in the marker head. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an accommodation structure for the marker head. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an accommodation structure for the marker head. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head. FIG. 12 is a side view schematically exemplifying the main part inside the board accommodating portion. FIG. 13 is a side view schematically exemplifying the essential parts inside the crystal accommodating portion. FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically exemplifying the main part inside the mirror housing. FIG. 15 is a perspective view for explaining deflection of laser light by a laser light scanning unit. FIG. 16 is a perspective view for explaining deflection of laser light by a laser light scanning unit. FIG. 17A is a schematic diagram for explaining replacement of the printer and the marker head. FIG. 17B is a perspective view for explaining attachment of the marker head to the support member; FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining various dimensions of the marker head and support member. FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating the basic control process of the laser processing apparatus. FIG. 20 is a block diagram for explaining the circuit structure related to the power supply unit. FIG. 21 is a flow chart showing a specific example of a control process related to the power supply unit. FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a modification of the mounting surface and attachment. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a further modification of the mounting surface.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. Note that the following description is an example.

That is, in this specification, a laser marker will be described as an example of a laser processing apparatus, but the technology disclosed herein can be applied to general laser application equipment regardless of the names of laser processing apparatus and laser marker.

In this specification, printing processing will be described as a representative example of processing, but the present invention is not limited to printing processing, and can be used in any processing processing using laser light, such as image marking.

<Overall composition>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a laser processing system S, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a laser processing device L in the laser processing system S. As shown in FIG. 17A is a schematic diagram for explaining replacement of the printer 1001 and the marker head 1, and FIG. 17B is a perspective diagram for explaining attachment of the marker head 1 to the support member 501. FIG.

A laser processing system S illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a laser processing device L and an external device 400 connected thereto. Among them, the laser processing apparatus L exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2 irradiates a laser beam toward a predetermined irradiation area R1, thereby performing processing corresponding to a predetermined processing pattern Pp on the work W. is configured as

The irradiation area R1 here is an area set on the surface of the work W, and the relative positional relationship between the laser processing device L and the work W, the specifications of the laser processing device L, and the movement of the work W. It can take various forms depending on the route and the like. The irradiation area R1 according to this embodiment is configured as a rectangular area as shown in FIG.

In particular, the laser processing apparatus L according to this embodiment can emit a laser beam having a wavelength of around 350 nm as a laser beam for processing the workpiece W. This wavelength corresponds to the wavelength range of ultraviolet rays. Therefore, in the following description, the laser beam for processing the workpiece W may be referred to as "UV laser beam" to distinguish it from other laser beams such as near-infrared rays. Laser light other than ultraviolet light, such as infrared light, may be used for processing the workpiece W.

A case will be described below in which a workpiece W composed of a sheet-like film is the object to be processed, and the film contains a UV reaction layer that chemically reacts with UV laser light.

However, in the laser processing apparatus L according to the present disclosure, the workpiece W that can be used as the processing target is not limited to the film containing the UV reaction layer. A film that chemically reacts with laser light having a wavelength other than ultraviolet rays may be used, and a workpiece W made of various materials such as paper and synthetic resin may be processed.

Further, the laser processing apparatus L according to the present embodiment is configured to perform so-called two-dimensional printing by two-dimensionally scanning a laser beam. is designed to be deep, it is possible to perform so-called three-dimensional printing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, which will be described later, this laser processing apparatus L can process even a work W conveyed along a three-dimensional movement path.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the laser processing apparatus L according to this embodiment includes a marker head 1, a marker controller 100, an electric cable 200, and an operating terminal 300. As shown in FIG.

Among them, the marker controller 100 is configured as a controller for receiving settings related to a machining pattern, supplying electric power to the outside, and controlling the marker head 1 .

On the other hand, the marker head 1 can be controlled by the marker controller 100 to emit laser light toward the irradiation area R1.

The marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 are separated from each other in this embodiment and are connected by an electric cable 200 . The electrical cable 200 includes at least electrical wiring for transmitting power from the inside of the marker controller 100 (specifically, the power supply unit 104 described later) to the outside. Specifically, the electric cable 200 according to the present embodiment is configured by bundling electric wiring for transmitting electric power and signal wiring for transmitting and receiving analog signals, digital signals, and the like.

The marker head 1 according to this embodiment is installed on a processing facility 500 for processing a work W made of a sheet-like film. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the processing equipment 500 includes a support member 501 that supports the marker head 1, and transport rollers 502 around which the work W is wound.

17B and 18, etc., the processing equipment 500 further includes two rail members 503l and 503r that slidably support the marker head 1 via a support member 501, and two rail members 503l. , 503r, and a first driven roller 504l and a second driven roller 504r driven when the workpiece W is conveyed by the driving of the conveying roller 502. As shown in FIG. At this time, in the transport roller 502, the length of contact between the transport roller 502 and the work W is longer than the length of contact between the first driven roller 504l and the work W, and the distance between the second driven roller 504r and the work W is It is preferable that the workpiece W is wound so as to be longer than the contact length. According to this, when the conveying roller 502 conveys the work W, the work W is less likely to slip on the conveying roller 502 . The term "contact length" used herein refers to the length of each of the conveying roller 502, the first driven roller 504l, and the second driven roller 504r when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis.

As described above, the work W according to the present embodiment can be a work that is transported while being wrapped around the transport rollers 502. The transport rollers 502 used at that time are, for example, the As shown in the lower figure and FIG. 18, it may be arranged so as to overlap the irradiation area R1 in the vertical direction (the Z direction, which will be described later).

As shown in FIG. 17A, the support member 501 can attach the housing 10 of the laser processing apparatus L, particularly the marker head 1, to a predetermined attachment position. 1, 17A and 17B exemplify a support member 501 configured to suspend the housing 10 from above. may support.

On the other hand, the conveying roller 502 is configured in a cylindrical shape having a central axis extending in the short direction of the work W (the front-rear direction, which will be described later). In this case, the work W is conveyed in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction, which will be described later) along a predetermined movement path by the rotation of the conveying rollers 502 .

Here, as shown in the upper and lower diagrams of FIG. 17A, the processing equipment 500 according to the present embodiment includes the marker head 1 according to the present embodiment, a printer 1001 that prints using a method other than laser light, is shared between

That is, the marker head 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to be attached instead of the printing device 1001 to the support member 501 of the processing facility 500 configured to attach the printing device 1001 .

A printer 1001 that can replace the marker head 1 is, for example, a thermal transfer overprinter (TTO) for industrial use, but it can also be replaced with another printer 1001 .

The printing device 1001 that can replace the marker head 1 includes, for example, a printing surface 1010d that exposes a printing unit 1006 that contacts the printing area on the workpiece W, and a printing surface 1010d that is different from the printing surface 1010d and connected to the support member 501. The housing 1010 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a possible connection surface 1010u may be provided.

In this case, as shown in the upper and lower diagrams of FIG. 17A, the marker head 1 is supported by the support member 501 connectable to the connection surface 1010u in the same manner as the printer 1001. FIG. The marker head 1 thus supported irradiates the workpiece W with laser light toward the irradiation area R1 set corresponding to the printing area (the area in contact with the printing unit 1006 in the printing apparatus 1001). It will be processed.

On the other hand, the operation terminal 300 has, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and memory, and is connected to the marker controller 100 by wire or wirelessly so that electrical signals can be transmitted and received.

The operation terminal 300 functions as a terminal for setting various processing conditions (also referred to as printing conditions) such as print settings, and for showing information related to processing of the workpiece W to the user. This operation terminal 300 includes a display unit 301 for displaying information to the user, an operation unit 302 for receiving operation input by the user, and a storage device 303 for storing various information.

For example, the display unit 301 can be configured with a liquid crystal display or an organic EL panel. The operation unit 302 can be configured with a keyboard and a pointing device. Pointing devices include mice, joysticks, and the like. Instead of such a pointing device, the operation unit 302 may be configured by, for example, a touch panel type console directly connected to the marker controller 100 .

The operation terminal 300 configured as described above can set the processing conditions for laser processing based on the operation input by the user. The processing conditions include the content of the character string and figure to be printed on the workpiece W (processing pattern Pp), the target output of the laser beam (laser power), and the scanning speed of the laser beam on the workpiece W (scan speed ) and one or more of:

The processing conditions set by the operation terminal 300 are output to the marker controller 100 and stored in the storage section 102 of the marker controller 100 . If necessary, the storage device 303 in the operation terminal 300 may store the processing conditions.

Note that the operation terminal 300 can also be integrated into the marker controller 100, for example.

The external device 400 is connected to the marker controller 100 as required. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as the external device 400, a conveying speed sensor 401 and a programmable logic controller (PLC) 402 are provided.

The conveying speed sensor 401 is composed of, for example, a rotary encoder, and can detect the conveying speed of the work W. As shown in FIG. The transport speed sensor 401 outputs a signal (detection signal) indicating the detection result to the marker controller 100 . The marker controller 100 controls two-dimensional scanning of laser light and the like based on the detection signal input from the conveying speed sensor 401 .

The PLC 402 is configured by a microprocessor, for example, and can input control signals to the marker controller 100 . PLC 402 is used to control laser processing system S according to a predetermined sequence.

In addition to the devices and devices described above, the laser processing apparatus L can be connected wirelessly or by wire to a device for operating and controlling, a computer for performing various other processes, a storage device, peripheral devices, and the like. can.

The hardware configurations of the marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 will be described in detail below, and then the outline of the control of the marker head 1 by the marker controller 100 will be described.

<Marker controller 100>
As shown in FIG. 2, the marker controller 100 includes a receiving unit 101 that receives settings (processing settings) relating to processing conditions including a processing pattern, a storage unit 102 that stores the processing conditions, and a marker marker based on the processing conditions. A control unit 103 that controls the head 1 and a power supply unit 104 as a power supply unit that supplies power to the marker head 1 are provided.

(Reception unit 101)
The accepting unit 101 is configured to accept processing conditions input via the operation terminal 300 and to output the accepted processing conditions to the storage unit 102 and/or the control unit 103 .

Specifically, the reception unit 101 according to the present embodiment is electrically connected to the operation terminal 300, and the setting for setting each processing condition is displayed on the display unit 301 of the operation terminal 300. A screen (not shown) can be displayed. The reception unit 101 can reflect the contents input through the setting screen in each processing condition and output the processing condition after reflection to the storage unit 102 and/or the control unit 103 .

(storage unit 102)
The storage unit 102 temporarily or continuously stores the processing conditions received by the receiving unit 101, and outputs the stored processing conditions to the control unit 103, the display unit 301, etc., as necessary. It is configured.

Specifically, the storage unit 102 according to the present embodiment is configured using a nonvolatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). Data indicative of the condition can be stored temporarily or continuously.

(control unit 103)
The control unit 103 controls the power supply unit 104, the laser light output unit 4, the laser light scanning unit 5, and the like based on the processing conditions, thereby processing the workpiece W according to the processing conditions. It is

Specifically, the control unit 103 according to this embodiment includes a processor, a volatile memory, an input/output bus, and the like. The control unit 103 generates a control signal based on the processing conditions read from the storage unit 102 or directly input from the reception unit 101, and sends the generated control signal to each unit of the laser processing apparatus L. The machining of the workpiece W is controlled by outputting .

For example, when starting machining of the workpiece W, the control unit 103 reads a target output that forms one of the machining conditions from the storage unit 102 and inputs a control signal generated with respect to the target output to the power supply unit 104 or the like. This controls the generation of laser excitation light.

(Power supply unit 104)
The power supply unit 104 supplies drive current to the excitation light generation unit 2 based on the control signal output from the control unit 103 . Although details are omitted, the power supply unit 104 determines the drive current based on the target output input from the control unit 103 and supplies the determined drive current to the excitation light generation unit 2 . The power supply unit 104 supplies power to the excitation light generation unit 2, and can be configured by a DC power supply 104a or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 20 described later. Details of the power supply unit 104 will be described later.

Note that, in this embodiment, the excitation light generator 2 configured by an excitation light source such as a laser diode is built in the marker head 1 instead of the marker controller 100 . The power supplied from the power supply unit 104 is supplied to the excitation light generation unit 2 through the electric cable 200 described above.

<Marker head 1>
3A and 3B are perspective views illustrating the appearance of the marker head 1. FIG. 4 is a side view of the marker head 1, FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover member 13 is removed from the marker head 1, and FIG. 6 is a rear view of the marker head 1. FIG.

7 is a diagram illustrating a connection structure of the electric cable 200 in the marker head 1, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating an accommodation structure of the marker head 1. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head 1, and FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head 1. As shown in FIG. The cross section of FIG. 10 substantially coincides with the AA section of FIG.

11 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head 1, FIG. 12 is a side view schematically illustrating the main part inside the substrate accommodating portion H13, and FIG. 3 is a side view schematically illustrating a main part in the crystal accommodating portion H12. FIG.

Also, FIG. 14 is a perspective view schematically exemplifying the main part in the mirror housing portion H11, and FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views for explaining the deflection of the laser beam by the laser beam scanning portion. .

(Schematic configuration of marker head 1)
As shown in FIG. 2, the marker head 1 includes, as main components, an excitation light generation section 2, an excitation light guide section 3 as a light guide optical system, a laser light output section 4, and a laser light deflection section. A laser beam scanning unit 5 is provided.

Although details will be described later, the excitation light generator 2 generates excitation light for exciting laser light based on power supplied via the electric cable 200 . The excitation light guide section 3 guides the excitation light generated by the excitation light generation section 2 and inputs it to the laser light output section 4 . The laser light output section 4 has a solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates laser light based on the excitation light guided by the excitation light guide section 3 .

The laser beam scanning unit 5 also includes a first scanner 51 that drives a first mirror 51a so that the laser beam generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 is directed toward a desired position in the irradiation area R1, and a first scanner 51 that drives the first mirror 51a. and a first control board 53 for controlling the No. 1 scanner 51 .

More specifically, the laser beam scanning unit 5 according to the present embodiment is configured using a so-called two-axis (X-axis and Y-axis) galvanometer scanner, and in addition to the first scanner 51 as a Y scanner, Furthermore, it has a second scanner 52 as an X scanner and a second control board 54 for controlling this second scanner 52 .

The laser beam scanning unit 5 controls the first scanner 51 via the first control board 53 and controls the second scanner 52 via the second control board 54 , thereby controlling the first mirror of the first scanner 51 . 51a and the second mirror 52a of the second scanner 52 are driven.

At this time, the laser beam scanning unit 5 as the laser beam deflecting unit drives the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a according to predetermined processing settings (settings related to the processing pattern Pp), so that the irradiation area R1 is The laser light generated by the laser light output unit 4 is deflected so that it is irradiated toward a desired position.

The marker head 1 also includes a housing 10 that accommodates the above-described components, that is, the excitation light generation section 2, the excitation light guide section 3, the laser light output section 4, and the laser light scanning section 5. there is In this housing 10, there is an emission light that transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a of the laser light scanning unit 5 (that is, the laser light irradiated toward the irradiation area R1 via the laser light scanning unit 5). A window 6 is formed.

Hereinafter, the configuration related to the appearance of the marker head 1 (specifically, the configuration of the six surfaces of the housing 10) and the internal structure of the marker head 1 will be described in order.

(Outer surface of housing 10)
As exemplified in FIG. 3A, the housing 10 of the marker head 1 extends in the left-right direction (in FIG. 3A, from the left and front sides of the housing 10 when viewed from the front, and from the right side when viewed from the front of the housing 10). and the direction toward the depth side), the dimension in the front-rear direction (the direction toward the left and depth side from the right and front side in FIG. 3A) is longer. In this specification, the terms “right and left” correspond to left and right as seen from the user facing the housing 10 .

Hereinafter, the front-back direction of the housing 10 is defined as the X direction, the left-right direction is defined as the Y direction, and the height direction is defined as the Z direction. Specifically, the depth side of the paper surface of FIG. 3A in the X direction is regarded as the +X direction, and the front side of the paper surface of the figure is regarded as the -X direction. Similarly, the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 3A in the Y direction is regarded as the +Y direction, and the depth side of the paper surface of the same figure is regarded as the -Y direction. Similarly, the upper side of the paper surface of FIG. 3A in the Z direction is regarded as the -Z direction, and the lower side of the paper surface of the figure is regarded as the +Z direction.

For the sake of convenience, the definition based on the outer shape of the housing 10 is exemplified here. It is also possible to use the definition of

For example, the first direction that is the deflection direction by the first mirror 51a can be the Y direction, and the second direction that is the deflection direction by the second mirror 52a can be the X direction. In this embodiment, the direction of deflection by a driven mirror included in the laser beam scanning unit 5 indicates the direction in which the irradiation position is scanned within the irradiation area R1 by driving the mirror. That is, by driving and rotating the first mirror 51a, the irradiation position in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the Y direction. Further, the irradiation position in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the X direction by driving and rotating the second mirror 52a. Similarly, the direction from the marker head 1 toward the irradiation area R1, more specifically, the irradiation direction from the exit window 6 toward the irradiation area R1 can be regarded as the Z direction. The irradiation direction may be the direction from the first mirror 51a toward the irradiation area R1. In the present embodiment, "the direction from a certain member toward the irradiation area R1" refers to one of the axial directions in which the certain member and the irradiation area R1 face each other. "The direction from a certain member toward the irradiation area R1" is not the traveling direction of light from a certain member toward the irradiation area R1. Therefore, the rotation of the first mirror 51a and the rotation of the second mirror 52a change the irradiation position in the irradiation area R1, that is, the traveling direction of the light toward the irradiation area R1. It does not change with the change in the traveling direction of the light.

In the following description, it is assumed that the definition based on the outer shape of the housing 10 and the definition based on the deflection direction and irradiation direction of the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a are the same.

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 7, the housing 10 has a bottom surface 10d formed with the exit window 6 and a top surface 10u facing the bottom surface 10d and the exit window 6. As shown in FIGS. For example, the bottom surface 10d faces the +Z direction, while the top surface 10u faces the -Z direction, and both are composed of one or more plate members having thickness in the Z direction. Here, "opposed" refers to conceptually opposed when the housing 10 is regarded as a conceptual rectangular parallelepiped.

The housing 10 further includes a bottom surface 10d and a top surface 10u, as well as a front surface 10f, a rear surface 10b, a left side surface 10l and a It has a right side 10r.

The front surface 10f, the rear surface 10b, the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r all face a direction orthogonal to the top surface 10u and the bottom surface 10d (that is, the direction along the XY plane). For example, the front surface 10f faces the -X direction, while the back surface 10b faces the +X direction, and both are composed of one or more plate members having thickness in the X direction. Similarly, for example, the left side 10l faces the +Y direction, while the right side 10r faces the -Y direction, both of which are composed of one or more plate members having thickness in the Y direction.

The six surfaces of the housing 10 will be described in order below. Note that the term “surface” in the bottom surface 10d, top surface 10u, front surface 10f, rear surface 10b, left side surface 10l, and right side surface 10r also includes a plate-like member having a predetermined thickness. Also, these six faces are merely classified for convenience and need not be separate from each other. For example, at least one of the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r and at least a portion of the bottom surface 10d (in particular, a non-offset portion 18 described later) may be integrally formed.

-Top surface 10u-
As shown in FIG. 3A, the top surface 10u of the six surfaces forming the housing 10 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that extends along the XY directions and has a longer dimension in the X direction than in the Y direction. there is The top surface 10u according to this embodiment is configured as an attachment surface that is connected to the support member and attached to the attachment position. In this case, the thickness of the top surface 10u is greater than the thickness of the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r.

An attachment 7 that can be attached to the attachment position is provided on the top surface 10u as the attachment surface. The attachment 7 is configured as a plate-like member that extends in a direction (XY direction) substantially parallel to the top surface 10u and has a thickness in a direction (Z direction) orthogonal to the top surface 10u. The attachment 7 is placed on the top surface 10u, and is fastened to the top surface 10u with fasteners 7b such as bolts, as shown in FIG. 10, for example. As described above, the thickness of the top surface 10u is greater than the thickness of the left side surface 10l, the right side surface 10r, and the like. Enlarging the plate thickness of the top surface 10u is advantageous in securing an insertion margin for the fastener 7b.

The upper surface of the attachment 7 is provided with a fastening hole 7a corresponding to the support member 501 arranged at the attachment position. The support member 501 can be attached to the attachment 7 by fastening fasteners such as bolts to the fastening holes 7 a while the support member 501 is placed on the attachment 7 . As a result, the top surface 10u is attached to the attachment position via the attachment 7, and the housing 10 is suspended from the support member 501 at the same time.

-Bottom 10d-
As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom surface 10d of the six surfaces is arranged on the opposite side of the top surface 10u with the laser beam scanning unit 5 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface 10d extends in the X direction and is formed in a curved shape with the central portion in the Y direction recessed toward the -Z side.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the bottom surface 10d according to the present embodiment includes an offset portion 16a located in the center in the Y direction and offset toward the -Z side, and both ends in the Y direction. and a non-offset portion 18 which is positioned at and protrudes to the +Z side as compared with the offset portion 16a. Both the offset portion 16a and the non-offset portion 18 are formed to extend flat along the X direction.

Specifically, the bottom surface 10d according to the present embodiment is formed with a trapezoidal groove whose upper base is the offset portion 16a and whose diameter increases toward the +Z side. The exit window 6 is provided in an offset portion 16a as an upper base. The bottom surface 10d according to this embodiment is configured as an exit surface in which an exit window 6 is formed. Details of the exit window 6 will be described later.

On the other hand, the non-offset portion 18 constitutes a portion of the bottom surface 10d from the portion corresponding to the oblique side of the trapezoid to the +Z side end portion. The non-offset portion 18 according to the present embodiment is composed of a first plate member 18l located on the +Y side of the offset portion 16a and a second plate member 18r located on the -Y side of the offset portion 16a. It is

The first plate member 18l is formed in a thin plate shape as shown in FIG. 10, and has an inverted L shape when viewed from the -X side. Here, the “inverted L-shape” refers to a shape obtained by inverting the L-shape with respect to the axis of symmetry extending in the Z direction. The first plate member 18l is arranged on the opposite side of the second plate member 18r across the offset portion 16a. The inverted L-shaped vertical side of the first plate-shaped member 18l constitutes the +Y-side oblique side of the trapezoid, and the inverted L-shaped horizontal side constitutes the +Y-side +Z-side end.

The second plate member 18r is formed in a thin plate shape as shown in FIG. 10, and has an L shape when viewed from the -X side. The second plate member 18r is arranged on the opposite side of the first plate member 18l across the offset portion 16a. The L-shaped vertical side of the second plate member 18r constitutes the -Y side oblique side of the trapezoid, and the L-shaped horizontal side constitutes the +Z side end of the -Y side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the first plate-like member 18l hides the exit window 6 from the +Y side together with the lower half of the left side surface 10l. On the other hand, the second plate member 18r hides the exit window 6 from the -Y side together with the lower half of the right side surface 10r. Thus, the first plate-like member 18l and the second plate-like member 18r form a skirt-like cover (skirt portion) together with the lower half of the left side 10l and the right side 10r. ing.

-Front 10f-
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5, the front face 10f of the six faces extends along the YZ direction and is provided with an indicator 11, two vents 12, 12 and a notch 10c. It is formed like a plate.

As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5, the indicator 11 is provided on the upper side and near the right end of the front surface 10f, and consists of three lamps 11a, 11b, and 11c arranged along the Y direction (see FIG. 5). only shown). The three lamps 11 a , 11 b , 11 c are each composed of a light emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to the marker controller 100 . The three lamps 11a, 11b, and 11c are hereinafter referred to as a first lamp 11a, a second lamp 11b, and a third lamp 11c in order from the +Y side.

The first lamp 11a is composed of, for example, a blue LED, and is interlocked with a key switch (not shown) provided in the laser processing device L to light up in blue. The "key switch" referred to here is a switch that is switched by a key managed by a safety manager or the like. By inserting a key into the laser processing apparatus L and turning the key in a predetermined direction, an "OFF" state corresponding to the state in which the power is not turned on, and a state corresponding to the state in which the power is turned on and not permitting the emission of the laser beam. and a "LASER ON" state corresponding to a power-on state in which laser light emission is permitted.

On the other hand, the second lamp 11b is configured to be able to switch its emission color between green and orange. Further, the third lamp 11c is configured to be able to switch its emission color among green, orange and red, and in addition to the state of the key switch, the emission color is switched according to various states. .

The first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b, and the third lamp 11c are each electrically connected to the marker controller 100, and configured to receive a control signal input from the control section 103 and turn on. . Details of the control of the indicator 11 will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5, one of the two vents 12, 12 is provided below and near the left end of the front surface 10f, and the other of the two vents 12, 12 is It is provided on the lower side of the front surface 10f and near the right end. Both of the two vents 12, 12 pass through the front surface 10f in the thickness direction, and communicate with a second housing portion H2, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5, the notch 10c is formed by notching a portion including the lower end of the front surface 10f, and is connected to the front end (-X direction end) of the offset portion 16a. The notch 10c is arranged between the two vents 12, 12 in the Y direction.

Specifically, the notch 10c is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape tapered in the +Z direction so as to have a cross section that substantially coincides with the cross section of the trapezoid whose upper base is the offset portion 16a. ing. The front surface 10f according to the present embodiment is provided with a cutout 10c in the lower half thereof, thereby providing a user access surface (open surface) that is at least partially opened so as to communicate with the exit window 6 via the offset portion 16a. is configured as

-Details of front 10f (about dust collector and camera)-
The notch 10c according to the present embodiment can be used for various purposes in addition to maintenance of the exit window 6 (for example, cleaning performed by inserting a cleaning tool through the notch 10c).

In general, when a workpiece W such as a film is irradiated with a UV laser, smoke is generated. Therefore, a dust collector that is separate from the marker head 1 may be connected to the front face 10f and smoke may be sucked through the notch 10c. Note that the marker head 1 may incorporate a dust collector instead of externally attaching the dust collector to the front face 10f or the like.

A camera may be built in or externally attached to the marker head 1 for the purpose of inspecting the contents of the print after the work W such as film is irradiated with a UV laser for printing. Such a camera may, for example, be attached to the notch 10c or to the offset portion 16a. In the former case, a reflecting mirror may be provided around the exit window 6 so that the irradiation area R1 can be imaged from directly above (-Z side) as much as possible. Illumination may also be provided around the camera or exit window 6 to obtain the brightest possible image.

-Details 2 of Front 10f (Regarding Cover Member 13 and Opening/Closing Sensor)-
A cover member 13 capable of opening and closing the front surface 10f is attached to the front surface 10f as an open surface. The cover member 13 includes a first cover portion 13a fixed to the upper half of the front surface 10f and a second cover portion capable of swinging so as to open and close the lower half of the front surface 10f, especially the open portion formed by the notch 10ca. 13b and a hinge mechanism 13c connecting the first cover portion 13a and the second cover portion 13b (see FIGS. 3A and 3B).

The first cover portion 13a is formed in a rectangular plate shape covering the upper half of the front surface 10f, and has a through hole (reference numeral omitted) formed at substantially the same position as the indicator 11. As shown in FIG. The first cover portion 13a is fixed to the upper half of the front surface 10f by fasteners such as screws.

The second cover portion 13b is formed in a rectangular plate shape capable of covering the lower half of the front surface 10f, especially the notch 10c, and has a through hole ( symbol omitted). The second cover portion 13b is directed to the first cover portion 13a via a hinge mechanism 13c.

The hinge mechanism 13c is positioned at the center of the front surface 10f in the Z direction, and swingably connects the upper edge of the second cover 13b to the lower edge of the first cover 13a.

The hinge mechanism 13c can swing the second cover portion 13b around a rotation axis extending in the Y direction while the first cover portion 13a is fixed to the front surface 10f (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). . By swinging the second cover portion 13b in the opening direction, the notch 10c of the front surface 10f can be exposed. By exposing the notch 10c, various maintenance such as cleaning of the emission window 6 can be performed through the offset portion 16a connected to the notch 10c.

Note that the cover member 13 is not essential. The front surface 10f may be exposed without providing the cover member 13. FIG.

Although not shown, the cover member 13 can be opened and closed at least one of the cover member 13 (particularly the second cover portion 13b) and the front surface 10f (particularly the peripheral portion of the notch 10c in the front surface 10f). An open/close sensor for detection may be provided.

As such an open/close sensor, for example, a magnetic system comprising a magnet provided on one of the second cover portion 13b and the front surface 10f and a magnetic sensor (for example, a Hall element) provided on the other of the second cover portion 13b and the front surface 10f. Sensors can be used. Note that the magnetic sensor is merely an example, and an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, or the like may be used.

This magnet sensor is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and/or the circuit board in the marker head 1, and outputs a detection signal indicating the open/closed state of the cover member 13, especially the second cover portion 13b, to the marker controller. 100 and/or the circuit board.

By providing such an opening/closing sensor, it is possible to detect the opening/closing state of the cover member 13 and perform various controls based on the opening/closing state. As an example, the marker controller 100 according to the present embodiment urgently stops the emission of the laser light when the cover member 13 is opened during the emission of the laser light. After that, by closing the cover member 13 and performing an operation to cancel the emergency stop via the operation unit 302, the laser light emission can be restarted.

When the cover member 13 is regarded as one outer surface of the housing 10, the cover member 13 is visually recognized by the user when the marker head 1 is attached. In this case, for example, the second cover portion 13b of the cover member 13 may be provided with a first mark M1 as a mark, as shown in FIG. 3A.

The first mark M1 includes a first center line M11 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection where the diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1 intersect), a +Y edge M12 indicating the edge on the +Y side in the irradiation area R1, and a − mark in the irradiation area R1. and a -Y edge M13 indicating the center of the Y side.

Note that the cover member 13 is not essential. When the front surface 10f is regarded as the outer surface of the housing 10 without providing the cover member 13, the first mark M1 can be attached to the front surface 10f.

-Back 10b-
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5, the rear surface 10b of the six surfaces is arranged on the opposite side of the front surface 10f across the laser beam scanning unit 5, and is formed in a plate shape extending along the YZ direction. ing. The back surface 10b according to the present embodiment can be regarded as one outer surface of the housing 10 (an outer surface different from the cover member 13), and forms a connection surface to which an electric cable 200 that supplies power to the inside of the housing 10 is connected. . The back surface 10b as a connection surface surrounds the laser beam scanning unit 5 as a laser beam deflection unit together with the front surface 10f as an open surface, the top surface 10u as a mounting surface, and the bottom surface 10d as an emission surface.

As shown in FIG. 7, a connection cover 14 is provided on the rear surface 10b serving as a connection surface to cover a connection portion between the rear surface 10b and the electric cable 200. As shown in FIG. The connection cover 14 extends in the in-plane direction (YZ direction) of the back surface 10b, more specifically, in the in-plane direction (YZ direction), in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the irradiation direction (Z direction). The extension direction Ae of the electric cable 200 is regulated so that .

In other words, the connection cover 14 is configured to let out the electric cable 200 along a direction (Y direction or Z direction) orthogonal to the X direction, which is the direction connecting the front face 10f and the back face 10b.

Specifically, the connection cover 14 according to the present embodiment includes an enclosing portion 14a that encloses the connection terminal with the electric cable 200 in the marker head 1, a lid portion 14b that closes the enclosing portion 14a, and the enclosing portion 14a and the lid portion. 14b, and a wire diameter conversion connector 14d for adjusting the wire diameter of the electric cable 200.

Of these, the enclosing portion 14a is formed so as to enclose the connector opened in the back surface 10b from the side (in the YZ direction). Specifically, the enclosing part a according to the present embodiment is formed in a rectangular thin box shape that is open in the +X direction.

Two openings (reference numerals omitted) leading to different connection terminals are formed in the bottom surface 14e when the enclosure 14a is regarded as a thin box. Among the plurality of side walls forming the enclosing portion 14a, the left side wall portion 14f facing the +Y side is provided with a first through hole 14g passing through the left side wall portion 14f along the Y direction as the extension direction Ae. ing. The extension direction Ae of the electric cable 200 is restricted by being inserted through the first through hole 14g.

The wire diameter conversion connector 14d is arranged inside the enclosing portion 14a and accommodated in an accommodating space defined by the enclosing portion 14a and the lid portion 14b. Here, the electric cable 200 according to the present embodiment includes a first cable portion 201 extending from the marker controller 100 and connected to the wire diameter conversion connector 14d, and an electric cable portion 201 extending from the wire diameter conversion connector 14d and connected to the connection terminal of the marker head 1. and a second cable portion 202 that is configured by The wire diameter of the second cable portion 202 is set smaller than the wire diameter of the first cable portion 201 so as to fit the connection terminals of the marker head 1 .

That is, in the present embodiment, the electric cable 200 is connected to the marker head 1 with the wire diameter converted by the wire diameter conversion connector 14d.

Generally, there is a need to change the cable length of the electric cable 200 according to the installation environment of the marker head 1 . Here, if an attempt is made to use an electric cable 200 that is longer than usual, there is concern about a voltage drop compared to a relatively short electric cable, so as a countermeasure, an electric cable 200 having a larger wire diameter is used. can be considered.

Thus, since the wire diameter of the electric cable 200 can be changed according to the installation environment of the marker head 1, it is conceivable to use the wire diameter conversion connector 14d as described above. Then, there is a concern that the connecting portion between the first cable portion 201 and the wire diameter conversion connector 14d and the connecting portion between the second cable portion 202 and the wire diameter conversion connector 14d will be exposed to water.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, by housing the wire diameter conversion connector 14d in the connection cover 14, it is possible to suppress the above-described connection portions from being exposed to water. This makes it possible to adapt the marker head 1 to a wider range of installation environments.

- left side 10l -
As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 10, the left side surface 10l of the six surfaces is arranged on the +Y side with respect to the laser beam scanning unit 5, and is formed in a plate shape extending along the ZX direction. It is

When the left side 10l is regarded as one outer surface of the housing 10, the left side 10l is visually recognized by the user when the marker head 1 is attached. As shown in FIG. 3A, the left side surface 10l may be provided with a second mark M2 as a mark.

The second mark M2 includes a second center line M21 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection where diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1 intersect), a +X edge M22 indicating the edge on the +X side in the irradiation area R1, and a − mark in the irradiation area R1. and -X edge M23 indicating an edge on the X side.

-Right side 10r-
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 10, the right side surface 10r of the six surfaces is arranged on the -Y side with respect to the laser beam scanning unit 5, and is shaped like a plate extending along the ZX direction. formed. The right side surface 10r is arranged on the opposite side of the left side surface 10l with the laser beam scanning unit 5 interposed therebetween.

When the right side surface 10r is regarded as one outer surface of the housing 10, a third mark M3 configured similarly to the second mark M2 can be attached to the right side surface 10r.

The third mark M3 includes a third center line M31 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection where the diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1 intersect), a +X edge M32 indicating the edge on the +X side in the irradiation area R1, and a − mark in the irradiation area R1. and -X edge M33 indicating an edge on the X side.

It should be noted that the configuration having both the second mark M2 and the third mark M3 is not essential, and it may be configured to have either the second mark M2 or the third mark M3.

(Internal space of housing 10)
The housing 10 defines an internal space surrounded by six surfaces including a bottom surface 10d, a top surface 10u, a front surface 10f, a rear surface 10b, a left side surface 10l, and a right side surface 10r. This internal space is partitioned into a plurality of storage units by plate-like members arranged inside the housing 10 .

As such plate members, the marker head 1 according to the present embodiment has a first base plate 15, a second base plate 16, and a third base plate 17. As shown in FIG. The first base plate 15, the second base plate 16 and the third base plate 17 are separated from each other in this embodiment. Among these plate members, the first base plate 15 is configured as a support plate capable of supporting the solid-state laser crystal 41 .

Hereinafter, the configuration of each plate-like member will be described in order.

-First base plate 15-
As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the first base plate 15 is configured as a metal plate member extending in the X direction, and is accommodated in the housing 10 (in other words, the housing 10 surrounded by six sides of the ). The thickness of the first base plate 15 is set to be greater than the thickness of at least the left side 10l and the right side 10r among the six sides of the housing 10. As shown in FIG.

In particular, the first base plate 15 according to this embodiment has an inverted L shape when viewed from the -X side. Here, the “inverted L-shape” refers to a shape obtained by inverting the L-shape with respect to the axis of symmetry extending in the Z direction. Hereinafter, the portion of the first base plate 15 corresponding to the vertical side of the inverted L-shape may be referred to as a vertical side portion 15a, and the portion corresponding to the horizontal side of the inverted L-shape may be referred to as a horizontal side portion 15b.

The first base plate 15 is arranged between the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r in the Y direction, and is arranged on the +Y side of the second base plate 16. As shown in FIG. The first base plate 15 is arranged on the +Y side of the third base plate 17 with the second base plate 16 interposed therebetween.

Here, the gap between the first base plate 15 and the left side 10l of the housing 10 is liquid-tightly sealed between the left end (+Y side end) of the horizontal side portion 15b and the left side 10l of the housing 10. A seal member (not shown) is provided.

The first base plate 15 is arranged below the top surface 10u in the Z direction.

Here, as shown in the enclosing portion C1 of FIG. 10, the upper end portion (the end portion on the -Z side) of the vertical side portion 15a faces the top surface 10u with a predetermined gap therebetween. As a result, the first base plate 15 becomes non-integrated with the top surface 10u of the housing 10 (a state in which relative displacement of the first base plate 15 with respect to the top surface 10u is allowed).

In addition, when the outer surface other than the top surface 10u among the six surfaces of the housing 10 is used as the mounting surface, instead of providing a gap between the top surface 10u and the vertical side portion 15a, the outer surface used as the mounting surface and the second 1 base plate 15 may be provided with a gap. For example, when the left side surface 10l of the housing 10 is used as the mounting surface, a gap can be provided between the left end portion of the horizontal side portion 15b and the left side surface 10l.

The first base plate 15 is arranged between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 11, the first base plate 15 is fixed to the front surface 10f by front fasteners 15c and to the rear surface 10b by rear fasteners 15d.

That is, the first base plate 15 as a support plate is attached to the housing 10 via the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b while being in a non-integrated state with the top surface 10u as the mounting surface. .

Next, the vertical side portion 15a will be described in detail. The vertical side portion 15a according to the present embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape extending along the Z direction and the X direction as irradiation directions. As shown in FIG. 11, at least two through holes 15e and 15f are formed in the vertical side portion 15a.

Of the two through holes 15 e and 15 f , the second through hole 15 e located on the +X side is used for optically coupling the excitation light guide section 3 and the laser light output section 4 . The second through hole 15 e constitutes a first incident window 91 through which excitation light is incident from the excitation light guide section 3 to the laser light output section 4 .

Of the two through-holes 15e and 15f, the third through-hole 15f located on the -X side is used for optically coupling the laser beam output section 4 and the laser beam scanning section 5. FIG. An optical member 15h such as glass that transmits laser light is fitted into the third through hole 15f. The third through-hole 15f and the optical member 15h constitute a second entrance window 92 through which the laser beam from the laser beam output unit 4 enters the laser beam scanning unit 5 together with a fifth through-hole 50b described later.

Of the left and right side surfaces of the vertical side portion 15a, the left side surface facing the +Y side forms a partition surface 15g that partitions a crystal containing portion H12, which will be described later. Various optical components including the solid-state laser crystal 41 are fastened to the partition surface 15g.

Of the left and right side surfaces of the vertical side portion 15a, the right side surface facing the -Y side supports, from the left side, a first casing 50 that defines a later-described mirror housing portion H11. Instead of supporting the first casing 50 by the right side surface of the vertical side portion 15a, the right side surface may define part of the mirror housing portion H11.

Next, the horizontal side portion 15b will be described in detail. The horizontal side portion 15b according to the present embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape extending along the X direction and the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 10, a first heat sink 81 as a heat sink according to this embodiment is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal side portion 15b.

The first heat sink 81 is composed of a plurality of fins projecting in the +Z direction. These fins are aligned in the Y direction. Each fin is formed to extend in the X direction. The first heat sink 81 is thermally coupled to the components (for example, the solid laser crystal 41) of the laser light output section 4 via the first base plate 15. As shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the horizontal side portion 15b and the first heat sink 81 are integrally formed. may

-Second base plate 16-
As shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the second base plate 16 is configured as a metal plate-like member extending in the X direction, and extends on one of the six surfaces of the housing 10, especially the bottom surface 10d. partitions the offset portion 16a.

In particular, the second base plate 16 according to this embodiment is formed in a Z shape when viewed from the -Y side. The upper side of the second base plate 16 assuming a Z shape corresponds to the offset portion 16a in this embodiment. In the X direction, the length of the offset portion 16a as the upper side is set to be longer than the length of the bottom side when the second base plate 16 is assumed to be Z-shaped.

The second base plate 16 is arranged between the left side 10l and the right side 10r, more specifically, between the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 in the Y direction. The second base plate 16 is supported by the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 via fasteners (not shown) such as screws.

The second base plate 16 is arranged below the top surface 10u in the Z direction. The second base plate 16 is arranged on the −Z side of the horizontal side portion 15 b of the first base plate 15 . Specifically, in the second base plate 16, the offset portion 16a as the upper side of the Z shape is substantially the same as the +Z side portion (lower portion) when the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15 is bisected in the Z direction. located in the Z position. In the second base plate 16, the portion corresponding to the bottom side of the Z shape is arranged at substantially the same Z position as the +Z-side ends (lower ends) of the left side 10l and right side 10r.

Here, between the +Y side end (left end) of the offset portion 16a of the second base plate 16 and the right side surface of the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15, there is a gap between the offset portion 16a and the right side surface. A sealing member (not shown) is provided for liquid-tightly sealing the .

Similarly, between the −Y side end (right end) of the offset portion 16a and the left side surface of the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17, the gap between the offset portion 16a and the left side surface is liquid-tight. A sealing member (not shown) is provided to seal the inside.

The second base plate 16 is arranged between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. The second base plate 16 is fixed to the front surface 10 f and the rear surface 10 b via the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 . The second base plate 16, the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b may be directly fastened.

Next, the offset portion 16a will be described in detail. The offset portion 16a according to the present embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape that spreads along the X direction and the Y direction. The exit window 6 according to the present embodiment is formed on the +X side portion (the rear portion in the front-rear direction) when the offset portion 16a is divided into two in the X direction.

The exit window 6 includes an exit hole 61 penetrating the +X side portion of the offset portion 16a, a cover glass 62 fitted in the exit hole 61, and a sealing member liquid-tightly sealing the gap between the exit hole 61 and the cover glass 62. (not shown) and (see FIG. 10). The cover glass 62 is configured as an optical member that transmits laser light that is deflected by the laser light scanning unit 5 and directed toward the irradiation area R1. The cover glass 62 can be formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area R1, for example, in a rectangular shape that is substantially similar to the irradiation area R1 and smaller in size than the irradiation area R1.

8, 9 and 10, of the upper and lower surfaces of the offset portion 16a, the upper surface facing the -Z side supports the first casing 50 from below. More specifically, the first casing 50 can be fastened to the upper surface of the offset portion 16a, and the first casing 50 can be fixed to the second base plate 16 by this fastening. Instead of supporting the first casing 50 by the upper surface of the offset portion 16a, the upper surface may define a portion of the mirror housing portion H11.

-Third base plate 17-
As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the third base plate 17 is configured as a metal plate member extending in the X direction, and is accommodated in the housing 10 (in other words, the housing 10 surrounded by six sides of the ). The plate thickness of the third base plate 17 is set to be larger than the plate thickness of at least the left side 10l and the right side 10r among the six sides of the housing 10. As shown in FIG.

In particular, the third base plate 17 according to this embodiment has an L shape when viewed from the -X side. Hereinafter, the portion corresponding to the L-shaped vertical side of the third base plate 17 may be referred to as a vertical side portion 17a, and the portion corresponding to the L-shaped horizontal side may be referred to as a horizontal side portion 17b.

The third base plate 17 is arranged between the left side 10l and the right side 10r in the Y direction, and is arranged on the -Y side of the second base plate 16. As shown in FIG. The third base plate 17 is arranged on the -Y side of the first base plate 15 with the second base plate 16 interposed therebetween.

Here, between the right end (+Y side end) of the horizontal side portion 17b of the third base plate 17 and the right side surface 10r of the housing 10, the gap between the third base plate 17 and the right side surface 10r is liquid-tight. A sealing member (not shown) is provided for sealing the shape.

The third base plate 17 is arranged below the top surface 10u in the Z direction.

The third base plate 17 is arranged between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. The third base plate 17 is fixed to the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b by fasteners (not shown).

Next, the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 will be described in detail. ing. The dimension of the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 is shorter than the dimension of the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15 in the Z direction. The vertical side portion 17a supports the second base plate 16 from the -Y side.

Next, the horizontal side portion 17b of the third base plate 17 will be described in detail. The horizontal side portion 17b according to the present embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape extending along the X direction and the Y direction. Various parts can be attached to the horizontal side portion 17b. Components attached to the horizontal side portion 17 b include the first control board 53 of the laser beam scanning section 5 . Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a second heat sink 82 as a heat sink according to the present embodiment is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal side portion 15b facing the -Z side.

The second heat sink 82 is composed of a plurality of fins projecting in the +Z direction. These fins are aligned in the Y direction. Each fin is formed to extend in the X direction. This second heat sink 82 is thermally coupled to the components (for example, the excitation light source 21 ) of the excitation light generator 2 via the third base plate 17 .

That is, in this embodiment, the first heat sink 81 for cooling the laser light output section 4 is configured separately from the second heat sink 82 for cooling the excitation light generating section 2 .

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the horizontal side portion 17b and the second heat sink 82 are integrally formed. may

Further, when the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 are separated as in this embodiment, the first heat sink 81 provided on the first base plate 15 and the second heat sink 82 provided on the third base plate 17 are become separate from each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first heat sink 81 and the second heat sink 82 can also be configured integrally.

(Outline of first housing portion H1 and second housing portion H2)
As described above, the internal space of the housing 10 is partitioned into a plurality of housing portions by the first base plate 15, the second base plate 16 and the third base plate 17. As shown in FIG.

As such housing portions, the housing 10 according to the present embodiment includes a first housing portion H1 provided with a cover glass 62 as an optical member, and A second accommodating portion H2 that protrudes toward the irradiation area R1 is formed (see broken line Sl in FIG. 10).

The first accommodation portion H1 and the second accommodation portion H2 are arranged along the irradiation direction (−Z direction), and the first accommodation portion H1 is arranged on one side (−Z side) of the irradiation direction. A second housing portion H2 is arranged on the other side (+Z side) of the irradiation direction. A boundary between the first accommodation portion H1 and the second accommodation portion H2 is defined by the first base plate 15 , the second base plate 16 and the third base plate 17 .

The first housing portion H1 houses optical components related to generation of excitation light, generation of laser light, and deflection of laser light. Specifically, the first accommodation section H1 according to the present embodiment accommodates the excitation light generation section 2, the excitation light guide section 3, the laser light output section 4, and the laser light scanning section 5. FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the first housing portion H1 includes a top surface 10u, an upper portion of the front surface 10f, a lower portion of the rear surface 10b, an upper portion of the left side surface 10l, an upper portion of the right side surface 10r, It is configured as a space surrounded by a portion of the bottom surface 10 d that is configured by the second base plate 16 , the first base plate 15 , and the third base plate 17 .

On the other hand, the second accommodating portion H2 accommodates cooling components related to cooling of the optical components accommodated in the first accommodating portion H1. Specifically, the second housing portion H2 according to the present embodiment includes a first heat sink 81 and a second heat sink 82 thermally coupled to the optical components housed in the first housing portion H1, and the first heat sink 81. A first blower fan 83 as a blower for blowing air and a second blower fan 84 as a blower for blowing air to the second heat sink 82 are accommodated.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the second housing portion H2 includes a lower portion of the front surface 10f, a lower portion of the rear surface 10b, a lower portion of the left side surface 10l, a lower portion of the right side surface 10r, and a bottom surface 10d. It is configured as a space surrounded by a portion configured by the non-offset portion 18 excluding the offset portion 16 a, the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 .

In addition, at least the first accommodating portion H1 of the first accommodating portion H1 and the second accommodating portion H2 is configured to satisfy the IP standard defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). . As a result, the marker head 1 can be washed with water without the optical parts such as the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the first mirror 51a being exposed to water. This contributes to improvement in ease of cleaning the marker head 1 .

Further, the housing 10 forming the first housing portion H1 and the second housing portion H2 may have an external shape that makes it difficult for water to accumulate during washing. Such an external shape can be realized, for example, by inclining the top surface 10d with respect to the XY plane. Such an external shape contributes to improving the sanitary property of the marker head 1 .

In this case, the cover member 13 is configured to open and close the front face 10f as described above, which facilitates wiping (especially wiping near the emission window 6) after washing with water. This contributes to improvement in maintainability of the marker head 1 .

(Details of the first housing portion H1)
Here, of the first accommodating portion H1 and the second accommodating portion H2 described above, the first accommodating portion H1 further includes three accommodating portions arranged in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction (XY direction), for example, along the Y direction. divided into Specifically, the housing 10 according to this embodiment has a mirror housing portion H11, a crystal housing portion H12, and a substrate housing portion H13.

The mirror accommodating portion H11 accommodates the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a in the laser beam scanning portion 5 . The mirror housing portion H11 according to this embodiment is partitioned by a first casing 50 that can hermetically seal the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a. As described above, the first casing 50 may be partitioned using the offset portion 16a. When partitioning the first casing 50 using the offset portion 16a, it is preferable to provide a cushioning material between the offset portion 16a and the first casing 50 . Since the offset portion 16a is a part of the bottom surface 10d, it is easily affected by distortion, vibration, etc., and the cushioning material reduces the influence of the external influence on the first casing and the members accommodated in the first casing. can do. Alternatively, the crystal accommodating portion H12 may be partitioned using the first base plate 15, similarly to the crystal accommodating portion H12, which will be described later.

Here, the first casing 50 is formed in the shape of a bottomed box that opens toward the -Z side. The first casing 50 is held by the first base plate 15 .

The dimension of the first casing 50 in the X direction substantially matches the dimension of the offset portion 16a in the X direction. Similarly, the dimension of the first casing 50 in the Y direction substantially matches the dimension of the offset portion 16a in the Y direction.

The -Z side opening of the first casing 50 can be closed with a lid 59 shown in FIG. 10, for example. Instead of sealing the opening with the lid portion 59, for example, the opening of the first casing 50 may be sealed with the top surface 10u. When sealing the opening of the first casing 50 with the top surface 10u, it is preferable to provide a cushioning material between the top surface 10u and the first casing 50. FIG. As a result, it is possible to reduce the effects of strain, vibration, etc., on the top surface 10u from affecting the first casing 50 and the members housed in the first casing.

At least four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d are formed in the first casing 50. As shown in FIG. Of the four through-holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the fourth through-hole 50a formed in the left side wall portion of the first casing 50 is aligned with the third through-hole 15f of the first base plate 15 by assembling the marker head 1. It communicates with the third through-hole 15f and the optical member 15h fitted in the third through-hole 15f to form a second incident window 92. As shown in FIG.

On the other hand, among the four through-holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the fifth through-hole 50b formed in the bottom portion of the first casing 50 is the first casing 50 and the offset portion 16a divided in two in the X direction. It is placed on the +X side. A defocus lens 57 as an optical element is provided in the fifth through hole 50b. This defocus lens 57 will be described later.

Further, among the four through-holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the sixth through-hole 50c formed in the right side wall portion (the wall portion located on the -Y side) of the first casing 50 is It is arranged on the +X side when the offset portion 16a is divided into two in the X direction. A second motor 52b constituting the second scanner 52 can be inserted and fixed in the sixth through hole 50c.

Further, among the four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the seventh through hole 50d formed in the rear wall portion (the wall portion located on the +X side) of the first casing 50 is the offset It is arranged on the +X side when the portion 16a is divided into two in the X direction. In the Z direction, the seventh through-hole 50d is arranged on the +Z side of the sixth through-hole 50c. Also, in the Y direction, the center of the seventh through hole 50d (the center of a circle when the seventh through hole 50d is assumed to have a circular cross section) is arranged at substantially the same position as the optical axis of the cover glass 62 . A first motor 51b constituting the first scanner 51 can be inserted and fixed in the seventh through hole 50d.

The crystal accommodating portion H12 is partitioned by a support plate (first base plate 15) having a partition surface 15g extending along the irradiation direction, and the opposite side of the partition surface 15g to the mirror accommodating portion H11 (+Y side) to accommodate the solid-state laser crystal 41 . The crystal accommodating portion H12 accommodates optical components that constitute the laser light output portion 4, such as the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the like. The crystal housing portion H12 is defined by a second casing 40 capable of hermetically sealing such optical components. The crystal accommodating portion H12 according to this embodiment can accommodate the nonlinear optical crystal 45 in a sealed state.

Here, the second casing 40 is formed in the shape of a bottomed box that opens toward the -Y side. The second casing 40 is attached to the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15 and supported from the -Y side by the partition surface 15g of the vertical side portion 15a. The −Y side opening of the second casing 40 can be closed by the partition surface 15g.

Also, the internal space of the crystal accommodating portion H12 can be divided into two parts, the Q-switch accommodating portion H121 and the wavelength converting portion H122, which are arranged in the X direction. The Q switch housing portion H121 is a space that houses the Q switch 43 . The wavelength conversion part H122 is a space that accommodates the nonlinear optical crystal 35 .

Here, the Q-switch housing portion H121 and the wavelength conversion portion H122 are arranged along the X direction, and both are configured as a space surrounded by the second casing 40 and the partition surface 15g. More specifically, the second casing 40 is composed of a box-shaped body corresponding to the Q switch housing portion H121 and a box-shaped body corresponding to the wavelength conversion portion H122, and is surrounded by the respective box-shaped bodies and the partition surface 15g. The enclosed space is the Q switch accommodating portion H121 and the wavelength converting portion H122. The Q switch housing portion H121 and the wavelength conversion portion H122 are optically coupled by an optical member (not shown). Since the Q switch accommodating portion H121 and the wavelength conversion portion H122 are configured as separate spaces in this manner, impurities generated in the Q switch 43 described later adhere to the wavelength conversion element 45 described later, and the laser beam is emitted. This reduces the possibility that the output will decrease.

The substrate accommodating portion H13 is arranged on the side opposite to the crystal accommodating portion H12 with respect to the mirror accommodating portion H11, and accommodates the first control substrate 53 therein. The substrate accommodating portion H13 according to the present embodiment is defined as a space excluding the mirror accommodating portion H11 and the crystal accommodating portion H12 from the inner space of the first accommodating portion H1.

That is, in the present embodiment, the phrase "predetermined member is housed in the mirror housing portion H11" indicates that the member is surrounded on six sides by the first casing 50, and "predetermined member is housed in the crystal housing portion H11". The words "housed in portion H12" indicate that the member is surrounded on all sides by the second casing 40 and the partition surface 15g.

On the other hand, the phrase "a predetermined member is housed in the substrate housing portion H13" means that the member is arranged in a space within the housing 10 except for the mirror housing portion H11 and the crystal housing portion H12. It just shows that. Of course, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and a casing dedicated to the substrate accommodating portion H13 (a so-called third casing) may be provided like the first casing 50 and the second casing 40 .

(Details of the second housing portion H2)
On the other hand, the second housing portion H2 is partitioned into +Z side portions within the housing 10 by a first plate-like member 18l and a second plate-like member 18r as plate-like members. The second accommodation portion H2 is formed by two spaces spaced apart in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction, for example, the direction in which the mirror accommodation portion H11, the crystal accommodation portion H12, and the substrate accommodation portion H13 are arranged (Y direction). have.

As such two spaces, the second accommodation portion H2 according to the present embodiment has a crystal side accommodation portion H21 and a light source side accommodation portion H22. Here, since the crystal side housing portion H21 and the light source side housing portion H22 are arranged apart from each other in the Y direction, there is a portion belonging to the second housing portion H2 between the crystal side housing portion H21 and the light source side housing portion H22. empty space will be partitioned off.

The first plate-shaped member 18l and the second plate-shaped member 18r according to the present embodiment connect the first mirror 51a as a scanner mirror and the irradiation area R1 in addition to the second housing portion H2 as a space for housing the members. It is configured to partition a space including an optical path near the irradiation area R1 (optical path on the +Z side) in the optical path of the laser light. Hereinafter, this space will be referred to as an "optical path partition" and denoted by H3. The optical path partitioning portion H3 according to the present embodiment is configured as a space surrounded by the first plate-shaped member 18l, the second plate-shaped member 18r, and the cover glass 62 on the +Y side, the −Y side, and the −Z side. It is

In the illustrated example, the optical path partitioning portion H3 is configured as a space in which the lower end portion on the +Z side is open, but is not limited to such a configuration. The +Z side end portion of the optical path partitioning portion H3 may be covered with an optical member such as glass. The optical member that covers the +Z side end of the optical path partitioning portion H3 may be provided alternatively to the cover glass 62 or may be used together with the cover glass 62 .

Further, of the two spaces forming the second accommodation portion H2, the crystal side accommodation portion H21 accommodates the first heat sink 81 and the first blower fan 83. As shown in FIG. The first heat sink 81 and the first blower fan 83 are arranged side by side in the X direction.

Here, although overlapping with the above description, the first heat sink 81 according to the present embodiment is thermally coupled to at least the optical components attached to the first base plate 15 among the optical components constituting the laser light output unit 4. .

On the other hand, the first blower fan 83 is arranged on the +X side of the first heat sink 81 as shown in FIG. The first blower fan 83 is a so-called axial fan, and generates an airflow passing through the first heat sink 81 according to a control signal received from the marker controller 100 . The first blower fan 83 may be arranged on the −X side of the first heat sink 81 . In the present embodiment, power and signals for driving the first blower fan are supplied via the electric cable 200 whose connection portion is covered with the connection cover 14 provided on the +X side. is provided on the +X side of the first heat sink 81 , the space required for wiring is reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturization of the marker head 1 .

As indicated by an arrow Al1 in FIG. 13, the airflow generated by the first blower fan 83 flows into the crystal-side housing portion H21 through the vent 12 provided on the front face 10f of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. The inflowing airflow passes through the first heat sink 81 and the first blower fan 83 by flowing from the −X side to the +X side along the X direction. The airflow that has passed through the first blower fan 83 flows out from the exhaust port provided on the rear surface 10b of the housing 10, as indicated by an arrow Al2 in FIG.

Here, a first straightening plate 85 is attached to the rear surface 10b of the housing 10 to adjust the flow direction of the airflow (see also FIG. 6). The first rectifying plate 85 guides the flow direction of the airflow flowing out from the rear surface 10b to the side opposite to the direction toward the workpiece W from the housing 10 (-Z side), as indicated by the arrow Al3 in FIG. This is advantageous in suppressing the collision between the exhaust gas and the work W and thus stabilizing the posture of the work W.

The light source side housing portion H22 houses the second heat sink 82 and the second blower fan 84 . The second heat sink 82 and the second blower fan 84 are arranged side by side in the X direction.

The second heat sink 82 according to the present embodiment is thermally coupled with at least the excitation light source 21 attached to the third base plate 17 among the optical components housed in the substrate housing portion H13.

On the other hand, the second blower fan 84 is arranged on the +X side of the second heat sink 82 as shown in FIG. The second blower fan 84 is composed of an axial fan similarly to the first blower fan 83 , and generates an airflow passing through the second heat sink 82 according to a control signal received from the marker controller 100 . The second blower fan 84 may be arranged on the −X side of the second heat sink 82 . In the present embodiment, power and signals for driving the first blower fan are supplied via the electric cable 200 whose connection portion is covered with the connection cover 14 provided on the +X side. is provided on the +X side of the second heat sink 82 , the space required for wiring is reduced, which is advantageous for downsizing the marker head 1 .

As indicated by an arrow Ar1 in FIG. 12, the airflow generated by the second blower fan 84 flows into the light source side housing portion H22 through the air vent 12 provided on the front surface 10f of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. The inflowing airflow passes through the second heat sink 82 and the second blower fan 84 by flowing from the −X side toward the +X side along the X direction. The airflow that has passed through the second blower fan 84 flows out from the exhaust port provided on the rear surface 10b of the housing 10, as indicated by an arrow Ar2 in FIG.

Here, a second rectifying plate 86 is attached to the rear surface 10b of the housing 10 to adjust the flow direction of the airflow (see also FIG. 6). The second rectifying plate 86 changes the flow direction of the airflow flowing out from the rear surface 10b to the opposite side (-Z side) of the direction toward the workpiece W from the housing 10, as indicated by an arrow Ar3 in FIG. This is advantageous in suppressing the collision between the exhaust gas and the work W and thus stabilizing the posture of the work W.

Hereinafter, among the first accommodation portion H1 and the second accommodation portion H2, the excitation light generation portion 2, the excitation light guide portion 3, the laser light output portion 4, the laser light scanning portion 5, etc. provided in the first accommodation portion H1 will be described. The configuration will be described in detail while referring to relative positional relationships within the housing 10 .

(Excitation light generator 2)
The excitation light generation unit 2 includes an excitation light source 21 that generates laser excitation light (excitation light) based on power (driving current) supplied from the power supply unit 104, a metal plate 22 that supports the excitation light source 21, and an excitation light source. It has a temperature control unit 23 that adjusts the temperature of the light source 21 and a light source control board 24 that supports the excitation light source 21 based on a control signal input from the marker controller 100 .

The excitation light source 21, the metal plate 22, the temperature control section 23, and the light source control board 24, which constitute the excitation light generation section 2, are all housed in the board housing section H13. As a result, the pumping light generating section 2, particularly the pumping light source 21, is arranged on the opposite side of the laser light output section 4 with the mirror housing section H11 interposed therebetween. As a result, the excitation light generator 2 and the laser light output unit 4 can be spaced apart as much as possible.

-Metal plate 22-
The metal plate 22 is configured as a thin plate-like member made of metal. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the metal plate 22 is placed on the −X side portion when the third base plate 17 is divided into three parts in the X direction, namely the +X side portion, the central portion, and the −X side portion. It is The metal plate 22 is fastened to the upper surface of the third base plate 17 (more specifically, the upper surface of the horizontal side portion 17b of the third base plate 17), and is thermally connected to the second heat sink 82 via the third base plate 17. coupled to

Further, while the excitation light source 21 is mounted on the upper surface of the metal plate 22 , a plate-like temperature control section 23 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the metal plate 22 and the third base plate 17 .

-Excitation light source 21-
The excitation light source 21 is configured to be supplied with power from the power supply unit 104 via the electric cable 200 and to generate excitation light according to the power. The output of excitation light generated by the excitation light source 21 increases as the drive current increases.

The excitation light source 21 according to the present embodiment is composed of a laser diode (LD). Laser light emitted from the excitation light source 21 is condensed by a focusing lens (not shown) or the like, and output as laser excitation light (excitation light). The excitation light source 21 is optically coupled to a fiber cable 31 forming the excitation light guide section 3 . Laser excitation light output from the excitation light source 21 is guided to the excitation light guide section 3 via the fiber cable 31 .

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the excitation light source 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular thin plate, and is fixed to the upper surface of the metal plate 22 with its thickness direction along the Z direction. Like the metal plate 22, the excitation light source 21 is arranged on the -X side when the third base plate 17 is divided into three in the X direction. By arranging in this way, the excitation light source 21 according to the present embodiment is located closer to the downstream end of the airflow generated by the second blower fan 84 (the +X side end adjacent to the second blower fan 84). , is arranged at the upstream end of the airflow (the −X side end away from the second blower fan 84).

In addition, one side surface of the excitation light source 21 faces obliquely toward the +X side and the +Y side, and the upstream end of the fiber cable 31 is connected to the obliquely facing side surface. .

-Temperature control part 23-
The temperature controller 23 is configured to adjust the temperature of the excitation light source 21 so that the temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range. Here, the temperature range realized by the temperature control unit 23 (predetermined temperature range) is set based on the guaranteed environment of the marker head 1, and is preferably set to be higher than the guaranteed environment of the marker head 1. and more preferably 40° C. or higher and 60° C. or lower.

Specifically, the temperature control unit 23 according to the present embodiment is configured by a substantially thin plate-shaped Peltier element, and includes the upper surface of the third base plate 17 (more specifically, the upper surface of the horizontal side portion 17b) and the metal plate. 22 and the lower surface thereof. The temperature control part 23 exhausts the heat of the metal plate 22 . A harness (not shown) for supplying current to the temperature control section 23 is connected to a side portion of the temperature control section 23 . The temperature control unit 23 absorbs heat on the surface on the metal plate 22 side and generates heat on the surface on the third base plate 17 side by the electric current supplied through the harness.

-Light source control board 24-
The light source control board 24 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and controls power supplied from the power supply section 104 to the excitation light source 21 .

The light source control board 24 according to this embodiment is configured by a substantially rectangular thin plate-shaped circuit board. The light source control board 24 is arranged with its front and back surfaces along the ZX direction, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side (the fastening structure is not known). shown).

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the light source control board 24 is arranged on the −Z side of the excitation light source 21 in the Z direction, and is electrically connected to the excitation light source 21 by wires (not shown). .

(Excitation light guide part 3)
The excitation light guide section 3 as a light guide optical system includes a fiber cable 31 that optically couples the excitation light source 21 and the solid-state laser crystal 41 in the laser light output section 4, and the fiber cable 31 is wound with a predetermined bending radius. a fiber guide 32 configured to rotate. Both the fiber cable 31 and the fiber guide 32 are housed in the board housing portion H13 inside the housing 10 .

- Fiber cable 31 -
The fiber cable 31 is composed of a so-called optical fiber, and one end thereof (one end viewed in the light propagation direction) is connected to the excitation light source 21, while the other end (in the light propagation direction The end opposite to the one end) is connected to the first entrance window 91 .

The other end of the fiber cable 31 is optically coupled to the solid-state laser crystal 41 via a first entrance window 91 and a first deflection mirror 42 which will be described later. At least a portion of the midway portion connecting one end and the other end of the fiber cable 31 is wound around the fiber guide 32 .

The fiber cable 31 can guide the excitation light generated by the excitation light source 21 and guide it to the solid-state laser crystal 41 .

-Fiber guide 32-
The fiber guide 32 is configured to wind the fiber cable 31 with a predetermined bend radius. The bending radius of the fiber guide 32 is set to be greater than or equal to the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable 31 .

Specifically, the fiber guide 32 according to this embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical reel shape on which the fiber cable 31 can be wound many times. The fiber guide 32 is arranged with the central axis of the cylindrical shape along the Y direction, and is attached to the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side.

12, the fiber guide 32 is arranged in the range from the front end of the light source control board 24 to the rear end of the second control board 54 in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 11, the fiber guide 32 is arranged on the +Y side of the light source control board 24 and the second control board 54 and on the -Y side of the right side wall of the first casing 50 in the Y direction. be.

(Laser light output unit 4)
The laser light output unit 4 is based on control signals input from the first deflection mirror 42 that bends the optical path of the excitation light, the solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates a fundamental wave based on the excitation light, and the marker controller 100 . It has a Q switch 43 for pulse-oscillating the fundamental wave and a first reflecting mirror 44 for reflecting the fundamental wave. These optical components are airtightly housed in a Q-switch housing portion H121 obtained by dividing the crystal housing portion H12 into two parts. Of these optical components, at least the solid-state laser crystal 41 can be accommodated in the wavelength conversion section H122.

The laser light output unit 4 also receives the laser light (fundamental wave) generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 and resonates with the nonlinear optical crystal 45 for wavelength-converting the laser light to the short wavelength side and the first reflecting mirror 44 . A second reflecting mirror 46 forming an optical path, a laser beam separating portion 47 for separating the laser beam wavelength-converted to the short wavelength side from the resonant optical path, and an optical path of the laser beam separated by the laser beam separating portion 47. and a folding second deflection mirror 48 . These optical components are airtightly accommodated in the wavelength converting portion H122 obtained by dividing the crystal accommodating portion H12 into two parts.

In particular, the laser light output unit 4 according to this embodiment is configured as a so-called intra-cavity laser oscillator. That is, on the way from the first reflecting mirror 44 to the second reflecting mirror 46, there are the Q switch 43, the first deflecting mirror 42, the solid laser crystal 41, and the first separator 47a constituting the laser beam separating section 47. , the second wavelength conversion element 45b as the nonlinear optical crystal 45 and the first wavelength conversion element 45a as the nonlinear optical crystal 45 are arranged in this order. In other words, the first reflecting mirror 44, the second reflecting mirror 46, and the members between the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46 constitute a resonance unit, and the first wavelength conversion element 45a and the second wavelength conversion element 45a constitute a resonance unit. A two-wavelength conversion element 45b is arranged inside the resonance unit. In the present embodiment, the laser light output unit 4 is configured as an intra-cavity laser oscillator. may be a laser oscillator.

Here, the first deflection mirror 42 is the optical axis of the excitation light that is guided by the excitation light guide section 3 and passes through the first incident window 91 (extending along the Y direction as indicated by symbol A1 in FIG. 11). optical axis) and the optical axis of the resonant optical path (optical axis extending along the X direction, as indicated by symbol A2 in FIGS. 11 and 12) are arranged to merge.

The first separator 47a is arranged to separate the laser beam containing the third harmonic, for example, from the resonant optical path connecting the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46. As shown in FIG. That is, the laser light output unit 4 amplifies the laser light composed of photons stimulatedly emitted from the solid-state laser crystal 41 by multiple reflection between the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46, and outputs a short wavelength laser light. wavelength conversion to the side. The laser light thus amplified is separated by the laser light separation section 47 and output from the laser light output section 4 .

In addition, the laser light output section 4 has a Q switch driver 49 for driving the Q switch 43 as a component arranged outside the crystal accommodating section H12. As shown in FIG. 13, the Q switch driver 49 is attached to the +X side portion when the top surface 10u is divided into two in the X direction. The Q switch driver 49 is also arranged on the +Y side of the vertical side portion 15 a of the first base plate 15 .

It should be noted that the Q switch driver 49 may be attached to the left side surface 101, the rear surface 10b, or the like of the housing 10. FIG. The Q switch driver 49 can be attached to a plate-like member forming the outer surface of the housing 10 .

-First reflecting mirror 44-
The first reflecting mirror 44 is housed in the Q switch housing portion H121 and is configured to reflect at least the fundamental wave. The first reflecting mirror 44 constitutes a resonator together with the second reflecting mirror 46 . The first reflecting mirror 44 according to this embodiment is configured as a total reflecting mirror that reflects the fundamental wave.

Also, the first reflecting mirror 44 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g that partitions the crystal accommodating portion H12, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. As shown in FIG.

-Second reflecting mirror 46-
The second reflecting mirror 46 is accommodated in the wavelength converting portion H122 and configured to reflect at least the fundamental wave. The second reflecting mirror 46 constitutes a resonator together with the first reflecting mirror 44 . In addition to the fundamental wave, the second reflecting mirror 46 according to the present embodiment has a second harmonic wave having a higher wavelength than the fundamental wave and a third harmonic wave having a higher wavelength than the second harmonic wave. It is configured as a total reflection mirror that reflects the

Also, the second reflecting mirror 46 according to the present embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 through the first base plate 15. . In this way, in order to form a highly accurate resonant optical path, it is preferable that the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46 at both ends of the resonant optical path are positioned by the same first base plate 15 .

-Q switch 43-
The Q switch 43 is housed in the Q switch housing portion H121 and is configured to cause the fundamental wave generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 to undergo pulse oscillation. Specifically, the Q switch 43 is positioned on the optical axis of the resonant optical path (optical path of the resonator) and is interposed between the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the first reflecting mirror 44 .

The Q switch 43 according to this embodiment is a so-called active Q switch that operates based on the RF signal applied from the Q switch driver 49 . That is, if the Q switch 43 is temporarily turned on, the laser light incident on the Q switch 43 is deflected and separated from the resonant optical path. In this case, as a result of restricting the multiple reflection of laser light, generation of population inversion in the solid-state laser crystal 41 is promoted.

When the Q switch 43 is turned on for a predetermined period of time and then turned off, the laser light undergoes multiple reflections without being separated by the Q switch 43, and is amplified by the multiple reflections. In this case, high-output laser light is pulse-oscillated.

In addition, the Q switch 43 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. As shown in FIG.

-Q switch driver 49-
The Q switch driver 49 is housed inside the housing 10 and outside the crystal housing portion H12, and generates an RF signal to be applied to the Q switch 43 based on a control signal input from the marker controller 100. FIG.

The Q switch driver 49 is attached to the top surface 10u via a metal support plate, and is thermally coupled to the housing 10 via the support plate and the top surface 10u.

-First deflection mirror 42-
The first deflection mirror 42 is housed in the Q switch housing portion H121 and arranged between the Q switch 43 and the solid-state laser crystal 41 in the X direction. The first deflection mirror 42 according to this embodiment is configured by a so-called beam splitter. The first deflection mirror 42 totally reflects the excitation light entering from the first entrance window 91 toward the +Y side so that the excitation light propagates along the X direction. On the other hand, the first deflection mirror 42 transmits the fundamental wave propagating along the X direction without reflecting it. The fundamental wave passing through the first deflecting mirror 42 reaches the first reflecting mirror 44 via the Q switch 43 .

Also, the first deflecting mirror 42 according to the present embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. there is

-Solid laser crystal 41-
The solid-state laser crystal 41 is housed in the Q-switch housing portion H121 and is composed of a laser medium capable of forming population inversion. The solid-state laser crystal 41 is configured to perform stimulated emission corresponding to the incident laser excitation light when the laser excitation light is incident on the facet thereof. Although the wavelength of photons emitted by stimulated emission (so-called fundamental wavelength) varies depending on the specific configuration of the solid-state laser crystal 41, it is in the infrared region of about 1 μm in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, a rod-shaped Nd:YVO ₄ (yttrium vanadate) is used as a laser medium that constitutes the solid-state laser crystal 41 . Laser excitation light is incident from one end face of the rod-shaped solid-state laser crystal 41, and laser light having a fundamental wavelength (so-called fundamental wave) is emitted from the other end face (one direction by so-called end-pumping). excitation scheme). In this example, the fundamental wavelength is set to 1064 nm. On the other hand, the wavelength of the laser excitation light is set near the central wavelength of the absorption spectrum of Nd:YVO ₄ in order to promote stimulated emission. However, it is not limited to this example, and other laser media such as YAG, YLF, and GdVO ₄ doped with rare earth elements can also be used. Various solid-state laser media can be used according to the application of the laser processing apparatus L.

Also, the solid-state laser crystal 41 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. .

-Nonlinear optical crystal 45-
The nonlinear optical crystal 45 receives the fundamental wave generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 and generates a second harmonic wave having a wavelength higher than that of the fundamental wave. and a second wavelength conversion element 45b that generates a third harmonic wave having a wavelength higher than that of the harmonic wave. Both the first wavelength conversion element 45a and the second wavelength conversion element 45b are housed in the wavelength conversion section H122.

The first wavelength conversion element 45a is a nonlinear optical crystal capable of generating a second harmonic, and when a fundamental wave is incident, it doubles the frequency of the fundamental wave and outputs it as a second harmonic ( Second Harmonic Generation: SHG). That is, the wavelength of the laser light generated when the fundamental wave is made incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a is in the visible light region around 500 nm. Especially in this embodiment, the wavelength of the second harmonic is set to 532 nm.

Moreover, generally, the conversion efficiency by the first wavelength conversion element 45a is less than 100%. Therefore, when the fundamental wave is incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a, a laser beam in which the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are mixed is emitted.

In this embodiment, LBO (LiB ₃ O ₃ ) is used as the first wavelength conversion element 45a. However, without being limited to this example, various organic nonlinear optical materials, inorganic nonlinear optical materials, and the like can be used as the first wavelength conversion element 45a.

The second wavelength conversion element 45b is a nonlinear optical crystal capable of generating the third harmonic, and when the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are incident (in particular, the propagation directions of the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are When the fundamental wave is equal), the fundamental wave is converted into a third harmonic wave having a frequency three times that of the fundamental wave and emitted (Third Harmonic Generation: THG). That is, the wavelength of the laser light generated when the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are incident on the second wavelength conversion element 45b is around 350 nm in the ultraviolet region (specifically, the visible light region and the ultraviolet region). border). Especially in this embodiment, the wavelength of the third harmonic is set to 355 nm.

Moreover, generally, the conversion efficiency by the second wavelength conversion element 45b is less than 100%. Therefore, when the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a, a laser beam in which the fundamental wave, the second harmonic, and the third harmonic are mixed is emitted.

In this embodiment, LBO (LiB ₃ O ₃ ) is used as the second wavelength conversion element 45b. However, without being limited to this example, various organic nonlinear optical materials, inorganic nonlinear optical materials, and the like can be used as the second wavelength conversion element 45b.

Also, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 through the first base plate 15. .

-Laser light separation unit 47-
The laser beam separation unit 47 is housed in the wavelength conversion unit H122, and is configured to separate the third harmonic from the resonant optical path of the laser beam and generate UV laser beam for laser processing.

The laser beam separation section 47 is composed of a plurality of optical components. Specifically, the laser beam separation unit 47 according to the present embodiment consists of a first separator 47a for extracting the second harmonic and the third harmonic from the laser beam, and the second harmonic and the third harmonic. It has a concave lens 47b for adjusting the beam diameter of the laser light and a second separator 47c for extracting the third harmonic from the laser light.

The first separator 47a is a so-called beam splitter, and is configured to transmit the fundamental wave while reflecting the second and third harmonic waves. The first separator 47a is arranged so as to intersect the optical axis of the resonant optical path connecting the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46, and is tilted by approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis. It is The laser light reflected by the first separator 47a propagates toward the -Z side.

The concave lens 47b is configured to transmit the laser light reflected by the first separator 47a, that is, the laser light separated from the resonance optical path, thereby enlarging the beam diameter of the transmitted laser light. Although the concave lens 47b is interposed between the first separator 47a and the second separator 47c in this embodiment, the arrangement is not limited to such.

The second separator 47c is a beamsplitter similar to the first separator 47a and is configured to transmit the second harmonic while reflecting the third harmonic. The second separator 47c is arranged so as to intersect the optical axis of the laser beam that has passed through the concave lens 47b, and is inclined approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis. The laser light reflected by the second separator 47c propagates toward the -X side.

Each optical component constituting the laser beam separation section 47 is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. (see also Figure 10).

In this way, in order to generate a laser beam along a highly accurate optical path, the first reflecting mirror 44, the second reflecting mirror 46, the Q switch 43, the first deflection mirror 42, the solid laser crystal 41, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 and the laser It is preferable that all of the light separating portions 47 are positioned by the same first base plate 15 .

-Second deflection mirror 48-
The second deflecting mirror 48 is accommodated in the wavelength converting portion H122 and is arranged on the -X side of the other optical members accommodated in the crystal accommodating portion H12. The second deflection mirror 48 according to this embodiment is configured by a so-called beam splitter. The second deflection mirror 48 reflects the laser light that passes through the second separator 47c and propagates toward the -X side. The laser light reflected by the second deflection mirror 48 is deflected to propagate toward the -Y side.

Also, the second deflection mirror 48 according to the present embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflection mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. there is In this way, in order to improve the accuracy of the output position of the generated laser light, the second deflection mirror 48 for outputting the laser light from the laser light output unit 4 to the outside is similar to the first reflection mirror 44 and the like. It is preferably positioned by the first base plate 15 .

Finally, the laser light deflected by the second deflecting mirror 48 passes through the second entrance window 92 and enters the first casing 50 from the laser light output section 4 . As shown in FIG. 11 , the laser light entering the first casing 50 propagates toward the −Y side and reaches the third deflecting mirror 56 of the laser light scanning section 5 .

(Laser beam scanning unit 5)
In addition to the above-described first scanner 51, second scanner 52, first control board 53, and second control board 54, the laser beam scanning unit 5 includes an intermediate deflection unit 55, a third deflection mirror 56, and an optical element. and a first casing 50 housing at least the first mirror 51 a of the first scanner 51 and the second mirror 52 a of the second scanner 52 .

These constituent elements will be described below in the order in which laser light reaches them during laser oscillation.

-Third deflection mirror 56-
As shown in FIG. 11, the third deflecting mirror 56 is housed within the first casing 50 and arranged in line with the second deflecting mirror 48 and the second entrance window 92 along the Y direction, It is located on the -Y side of these members. The third deflection mirror 56 is positioned between the second entrance window 92 and the light source control board 24 in the Y direction (in other words, the -Y side of the second entrance window 92 and the +Y side of the light source control board 24). are placed.

The third deflection mirror 56 is composed of, for example, a total reflection mirror, receives the laser beam entering the first casing 50 and propagating toward the -Y side, and reflects it toward the +X side. The laser light reflected by the third deflecting mirror 56 reaches the second mirror 52a of the second scanner 52 . The third deflection mirror 56 may be configured by a mirror that partially transmits the laser light instead of the total reflection mirror. In that case, the output of the laser light entering the first casing 50 from the laser light output unit 4 may be detected using the partially transmitted laser light.

-Second scanner 52-
As shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, the second scanner 52 includes a second mirror 52a for scanning the laser light in a predetermined second direction, and a second mirror 52a which rotatably supports the second mirror 52a. 2 motors 52b. Among them, the second mirror 52a is housed in the mirror housing portion H11, and most of the second motor 52b is housed in the substrate housing portion H13.

The second mirror 52a is configured as a so-called galvanomirror. The second mirror 52a receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 via the third deflection mirror 56 shown in FIG. 11 and the like. The second mirror 52a reflects the received laser light to the +Z side, thereby deflecting the laser light. By rotating the second mirror 52a, the irradiation position of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the second direction.

Here, the second direction, which is the deflection direction by the second mirror 52a, is orthogonal to both the first direction, which is the deflection direction by the first mirror 51a of the first scanner 51, and the −Z direction as the irradiation direction. direction, which is set to match the X direction in this embodiment.

Specifically, the second mirror 52a is a substantially rectangular plate-like total reflection mirror, and is housed in the mirror housing portion H11 while being supported at the tip of the rotating shaft of the second motor 52b. The second mirror 52a rotates integrally with the shaft of a second motor 52b, and is configured to be rotated around a predetermined second rotation axis Ac2 by the second motor 52b. The amount of deflection by the second mirror 52a and, in turn, the irradiation position of the laser beam in the second direction are determined based on the rotation angle of the second mirror 52a around the second rotation axis Ac2.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the second rotation axis Ac2, which is the rotation center of the second mirror 52a, corresponds to the first rotation axis Ac1, which is the rotation center of the first mirror 51a, and the Z axis as the irradiation direction. , and in this embodiment, it is set to extend along the Y direction.

The second mirror 52a is also arranged so as to line up with the third deflection mirror 56 along the X direction, and is located on the +X side of the third deflection mirror 56. As shown in FIG. The second mirror 52a is further positioned on the -Y side of the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 in the Y direction, and on the -Z side of the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 in the Z direction. positioned.

The second motor 52b is a galvanometer motor configured by a DC motor or the like, and is formed in a substantially columnar shape with the second rotation axis Ac2 as the central axis. A tip portion (+Y side end portion) of the second motor 52 b in the direction of the second rotation axis Ac 2 (Y direction) is inserted into the sixth through hole 50 c of the first casing 50 . On the other hand, the other end portion (−Y side end portion of the second motor 52b) located on the opposite side of the tip portion in the direction of the second rotation axis Ac2 protrudes from the sixth through hole 50c and is exposed in the substrate accommodating portion H13. are doing.

The second scanner 52 reflects the laser light through the second mirror 52a. The laser beam reflected by the second mirror 52 a passes through the intermediate deflector 55 , the first mirror 51 a and the defocus lens 57 and exits from the exit window 6 . At that time, the second scanner 52 can scan the laser light in the second direction (X direction) within the irradiation area R1 by adjusting the reflection angle of the laser light with the second motor 52b.

-Intermediate deflection unit 55-
As shown in FIGS. 14, 15, and 16, the intermediate deflector 55 includes an intermediate mirror 55a that relays laser light between the second mirror 52a and the first mirror 51a, and a pedestal that supports the intermediate mirror 55a. 55b and . Both the intermediate mirror 55a and the pedestal portion 55b are housed in the mirror housing portion H11.

The intermediate mirror 55a is composed of, for example, a total reflection mirror. The intermediate mirror 55a receives the laser beam reflected by the second mirror 52a and reflects the laser beam toward the first mirror 51a.

The intermediate mirror 55a is also arranged so as to be aligned with the second mirror 52a along the Z direction, and is located on the +Z side of the second mirror 52a. The intermediate mirror 55a is further arranged so as to be aligned with the first mirror 51a along the Y direction, and positioned on the -Y side of the first mirror 51a.

The intermediate mirror 55a receives the laser beam reflected by the second mirror 52a and propagating toward the +Z side, and reflects it toward the +Y side. The laser beam reflected by the intermediate mirror 55 a reaches the first mirror 51 a of the first scanner 51 .

The pedestal portion 55b is arranged on the bottom portion of the first casing 50 and supports the intermediate mirror 55a from the +Z side. The pedestal portion 55b according to the present embodiment supports the intermediate mirror 55a so that the mirror surface faces the +Y side and the -Z side.

-First scanner 51-
As shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, the first scanner 51 includes a first mirror 51a for scanning laser light in a predetermined first direction, and a first mirror 51a for rotatably supporting the first mirror 51a. 1 motor 51b. Among them, the first mirror 51a is accommodated in the mirror accommodating portion H11, and the majority of the first motor 51b is accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion H13.

The first mirror 51a is configured as a so-called galvanomirror. The first mirror 51a receives the laser beam reflected by the intermediate mirror 55a. The first mirror 51a reflects the received laser light to the +Z side, thereby deflecting the laser light. By rotating the first mirror 51a, the irradiation position of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the first direction.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the first direction, which is the direction of deflection by the first mirror 51a, is a direction orthogonal to both the second direction described above and the Z direction as the irradiation direction. , in this embodiment, are set to coincide with the Y direction.

Note that the first direction and the second direction are not limited to the settings in this embodiment. The first direction may be aligned with the X direction and the second direction may be aligned with the Y direction, or the first direction and the second direction may be inclined with respect to the X direction and the Y direction, respectively.

Specifically, the first mirror 51a is a substantially rectangular plate-like total reflection mirror, and is housed in the mirror housing portion H11 while being supported at the tip of the rotating shaft of the first motor 51b. The first mirror 51a rotates integrally with the shaft of the first motor 51b, and is configured to rotate around a predetermined first rotation axis Ac1 by the first motor 51b. The amount of deflection by the first mirror 51a and, in turn, the irradiation position of the laser beam in the first direction are determined based on the rotation angle of the first mirror 51a about the second rotation axis Ac2.

Here, the first rotation axis Ac1, which is the rotation center of the first mirror 51a, is orthogonal to both the second rotation axis Ac2, which is the rotation center of the second mirror 52a, and the -Z direction as the irradiation direction. , and is set to extend along the X direction in this embodiment.

By setting in this way, both the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction, for example, in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction (XY directions). It should be noted that the configuration in which the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 are orthogonal to the irradiation direction is not essential, and they may have an inclination angle of, for example, 20 degrees or less with respect to the XY directions.

In this embodiment, the first rotation axis Ac1 is offset to the +Z side with respect to the second rotation axis Ac2. can also be arranged on the same plane.

The first mirror 51a is also arranged in line with the intermediate mirror 55a along the Y direction, and is located on the +Y side of the intermediate mirror 55a. The first mirror 51a is further arranged along the Z direction so as to be aligned with the cover glass 62 and the defocus lens 57, and is located on the -Z side of the defocus lens 57. As shown in FIG. As a result of this configuration, the first mirror 51a according to the present embodiment is arranged so as to face the work W, and thus the irradiation area R1, with the exit window 6 interposed therebetween. The first mirror 51a is positioned directly above the exit window 6, and no other reflecting mirror is interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the first mirror 51a is defined as not having a reflecting mirror interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6, but the presence of any reflecting mirror therebetween is excluded. not something to do. When a reflecting mirror is interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6, the mirror that scans the irradiation position in the irradiation area R1 immediately before reaching the irradiation area R1 is regarded as the first mirror 51a. Between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6, the rotation of the second mirror 52a and the rotation of the first mirror 51a widen the area through which the laser beam passes. is large enough to cover the area through which the Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the marker head 1, it is preferable that no reflection mirror be interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6. FIG.

The first motor 51b is a galvanometer motor configured by a DC motor or the like, and is formed in a substantially columnar shape with the first rotation axis Ac1 as the center axis. A tip portion (-X side end portion) of the first motor 51b in the direction of the first rotation axis Ac1 (X direction) is inserted into the seventh through hole 50d of the first casing 50. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the other end portion (the +Y side end portion of the first motor 51b) located on the opposite side of the tip portion in the direction of the first rotation axis Ac1 protrudes from the seventh through hole 50d and is exposed in the substrate housing portion H13. ing.

The first scanner 51 reflects the laser light through the first mirror 51a. The laser light reflected by the first mirror 51 a passes through the defocus lens 57 and is emitted from the emission window 6 . At this time, the first scanner 51 can scan the laser light in the first direction (Y direction) within the irradiation area R1 by adjusting the reflection angle of the laser light with the first motor 51b.

-Defocus lens 57-
The defocus lens 57 is configured to transmit the laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a and diffuse the laser light outward perpendicular to the irradiation direction. As in this embodiment, when the Z direction is the irradiation direction, the outward direction as the diffusion direction is the direction along the XY plane.

Specifically, the defocus lens 57 can be composed of, for example, one biconcave lens. In this case, the defocus lens 57 is fitted into the fifth through hole 50b with its central axis along the Z direction.

The defocus lens 57 is also arranged in a straight line connecting the first mirror 51 a and the central portion of the cover glass 62 in the exit window 6 . The defocus lens 57 is arranged between the first mirror 51a and the cover glass 62 in the Z direction (in other words, on the +Z side of the first mirror 51a and on the -Z side of the cover glass 62).

The defocus lens 57 is further arranged such that the optical axis of the defocus lens 57 is coaxial with the optical axis of the cover glass 62 . Hereinafter, the optical axis of the defocus lens 57 and the cover glass 62 will be collectively referred to as a "laser emission axis" and denoted by Al (see also FIG. 4). The laser emission axis Al extends along the Z direction and is offset to the +Y side with respect to the second mirror 52a and the intermediate mirror 55a, while intersecting the mirror surface of the first mirror 51a. .

Note that the configuration of the defocus lens 57 as an optical element is not limited to one using a single biconcave lens. An optical element may be configured using a plurality of lenses, or an optical element may be configured using a lens other than a biconcave lens. Moreover, the laser beam scanning unit 5 may be configured without using the defocus lens 57 in the first place.

-Second control board 54-
The second control board 54 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and the second scanner 52 and configured to control the second scanner 52 . More specifically, the second control board 54 can control the rotation angle of the second mirror 52a by driving the second motor 52b according to the control signal input from the marker controller 100. FIG.

The second control board 54 according to the present embodiment is configured by a substantially rectangular thin plate-shaped circuit board. The second control board 54 is housed in the board housing portion H13 with its front and back surfaces aligned in the Z direction and the X direction, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side. It is

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the second control board 54 is arranged on the +X side of the light source control board 24 in the X direction, and -Y side of the first casing 50 and the light source control board 24 in the Y direction. placed on the side. The second control board 54 is also electrically connected to the second motor 52b by wiring (not shown).

-First control board 53-
The first control board 53 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and the first scanner 51 and configured to control the first scanner 51 . More specifically, the first control board 53 can control the rotation angle of the first mirror 51a by driving the first motor 51b according to the control signal input from the marker controller 100. FIG.

The first control board 53 according to the present embodiment is configured by a substantially rectangular thin plate-shaped circuit board. The first control board 53 is housed in the board housing portion H13 with its front and back surfaces aligned in the Z direction and the X direction, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side. It is

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the first control board 53 is arranged side by side with the second control board 54 along the X direction, and is located on the +X side of the light source control board 24 and the second control board 54. ing. The first control board 53 is also electrically connected to the first motor 51b by wiring (not shown).

<Regarding the main operations and main processes of the laser processing device S>
19 is a flow chart illustrating a basic control process of the laser processing apparatus L. FIG. Main operations and main processes of the laser processing apparatus L will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 19, an input of a processing pattern Pp to be printed is accepted on the setting plane R2 displayed on the display unit 303. FIG. This input is received by the receiving unit 103 and read by the control unit 103 . The control unit 103 generates print data based on the input processing pattern Pp. This print data consists of the trajectory (so-called scanning line) of the laser beam on the workpiece W, etc., which are set corresponding to the processing pattern Pp.

In subsequent step S<b>2 , the control unit 103 sets the voltage (supply voltage) to be supplied to the excitation light source 21 . The details of this setting will be described later with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. FIG.

In subsequent step S<b>3 , power is supplied to the excitation light source 21 by the control unit 103 inputting a control signal to the light source control board 24 and the like. As a result, pumping light is generated in the pumping light generator 2 and the pumping light is input to the laser light output unit 4 .

In subsequent step S4, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the Q switch driver 49 or the like, so that the Q switch 43 is ON/OFF controlled and the UV laser light is pulse-oscillated. This laser light is output from the laser light output unit 4 and input to the laser light scanning unit 5 .

In the subsequent step S5, the control unit 103 inputs control signals to the first control board 53, the second control board 54, and the like, thereby two-dimensionally scanning the UV laser light. The two-dimensional scanning referred to here means moving the irradiation position of the laser beam in two-dimensional directions, that is, in the direction along the XY plane in this embodiment. The shape of the workpiece W irradiated with the laser beam is not limited to a two-dimensional shape along the XY plane, but a three-dimensional shape having different positions in the Z direction (a shape in which the height in the Z direction changes). good too.

At this time, in the laser beam scanning unit 5, the UV laser beam deflected by the second mirror 52a is reflected by the intermediate mirror 55a and then deflected again by the first mirror 51a. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 18, the UV laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a passes through the defocus lens 57 and the cover glass 62 in sequence, and then passes through the optical path partitioning portion H3, thereby passing through the housing. It is emitted outside the body 10 . The UV laser light emitted to the outside of the housing 10 is irradiated onto an irradiation area R1 set on the work W. As shown in FIG. The UV laser light irradiated onto the work W is two-dimensionally scanned within the irradiation area R1 so as to trace scanning lines according to the print data.

<Countermeasures against heat generation in excitation light source 21>
FIG. 20 is a block diagram for explaining a circuit structure related to the power supply unit 104, and FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a control process related to the power supply unit 104. As shown in FIG. As described above, the excitation light source 21 is configured to be supplied with power from the power supply section 104 as a power supply section.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, the power supply unit 104 according to the present embodiment includes a DC power supply 104a that converts AC power supplied from the outside into DC power and outputs the power, and the power output from the DC power supply 104a. and a DC/DC converter 104b that DC/DC converts the . The power (particularly DC power) converted by the DC/DC converter 104b is input to the excitation light source 21 composed of an LD.

A relay 25 is interposed between the DC/DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21 here. This relay 25 opens and closes an electrical contact between the DC/DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21 .

The relay 25 can be configured by, for example, a field effect transistor (FET). The relay 25 according to this embodiment is composed of this FET, and opens and closes the electrical contact based on a control signal input from the PLC 902, the control unit 103, etc. via the light source control board 24.

Conventionally, the output voltage input from the DC/DC converter 104b to the excitation light source 21 via a relay has been a fixed value. The variation in the forward voltage (so-called Vf) in the excitation light source 21 causes the relay 25 to generate heat. Note that the cause of the variation in Vf is, for example, the presence of variation in the quality of the excitation light source 21 itself, and the required Vf differs for a given laser light output. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a margin to the output of the DC/DC converter 104b (in other words, to set the output voltage of the DC/DC converter 104b to a large extent) in order to ensure the minimum output of laser light even in the worst case. be.

However, when such a conventional configuration is used, the amount of heat generated by the relay 25 tends to increase. This leads to an increase in the size of the heat-generating structure such as a heat sink, so that there is a possibility that problems will occur when the excitation light source 21 is built into the marker head 1 .

Therefore, the control unit 103 according to the present embodiment controls the output voltage that is output from the power supply unit 104 as a power supply unit and input to the excitation light source 21 . Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The output (the output voltage) from the converter 104b is regulated.

Furthermore, the control unit 103 according to this embodiment detects a voltage drop that occurs in the relay 25, and controls the output voltage based on the voltage drop thus detected. Specifically, the control unit 103 controls the output voltage so that the detected voltage drop becomes a predetermined value. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, a first monitor circuit 26 that monitors the voltage on the upstream side of the relay 25 and a second monitor circuit 27 that monitors the voltage on the downstream side of the relay 25 are provided. is provided. By calculating the difference between the voltage monitored by the first monitor circuit 26 and the voltage monitored by the second monitor circuit 27 , the control unit 103 can estimate the voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 .

Further, the "predetermined value", which is the criterion for determining the voltage drop, can be set to 2.5 V when 1 ampere is applied to the excitation light source 21, for example. The setting of the predetermined value is stored in advance in the storage unit 102, and is configured to be read by the control unit 103 as necessary.

As described above, when the predetermined value is set to 2.5V, the controller 103 adjusts the output voltage of the DC/DC converter 104b so that the voltage drop in the relay 25 is 2.5V. With this configuration, the output voltage of DC/DC converter 104b does not need to have a margin.

FIG. 21 is a flow chart illustrating a control process for power supply 104 . This control process can be executed, for example, at step S2 in the control process of FIG.

First, in step S101 of FIG. 21, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the relay 25 via the light source control board 24 to electrically connect the DC/DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21. FIG. The control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the power supply unit 104 and supplies the output voltage of the DC/DC converter 104 b to the excitation light source 21 via the relay 25 .

In subsequent step S<b>102 , control unit 103 detects a voltage drop occurring at relay 25 based on detection signals from first monitor circuit 26 and second monitor circuit 27 .

In subsequent step S103, the control unit 103 determines whether or not the voltage drop detected in step S102 matches the predetermined value set as described above. If the determination is NO, the control unit 103 advances the control process to step S105, adjusts the output voltage from the DC/DC converter 104, and returns to step S101. That is, the control unit 103 is configured to repeat the processes of steps S101 to S103 and step S105 until the voltage drop matches the predetermined value. Note that in the present embodiment, the control unit 103 determines whether or not the voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 matches a predetermined value (step S103 in FIG. 21), but the present disclosure is limited to this. do not have. For example, it may be determined whether or not the voltage drop falls within a certain range above and below a predetermined value. In short, the control section 103 may control the output voltage based on the detected voltage drop.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S103 is YES, control unit 103 advances the control process to step S104 and ends the output adjustment of DC/DC converter 104 (output determination). In this case, the control unit 103 terminates the processing shown in FIG. 21 and advances the control process from step S2 to step S3 in FIG. Subsequent processing is as described above.

<Lighting Control of Indicator 11>
As described above, the first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c that constitute the indicator 11 are lit according to the control signal input from the marker controller 100. FIG. For example, the first lamp 11a emits light when the marker head 1 is powered on. On the other hand, the second lamp 11b is turned on according to the standard requirements of the UV laser beam, and the third lamp 11c is used to monitor the state of the laser processing apparatus L, such as the irradiation state of the UV laser light and whether or not an error has occurred in the marker head 1. lights accordingly. Details of the lighting state are as shown in Table 1.

Specifically, when the key switch is in the "OFF" state (KSW: OFF), the marker controller 100 turns off the first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c.

When the key switch is in the "POWER ON" state (KSW: POWER ON), the marker controller 100 causes only the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, and extinguishes both the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c.

When the key switch is in the "LASER ON" state (KSW: LASER ON), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light and the second lamp 11b to emit green light. Retain the off state.

When the marker head 1 is ready to emit UV laser light (ready state), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, and both the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c to emit green light. to emit light.

While the marker head 1 is emitting UV laser light (during laser irradiation), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit yellow light, and the third lamp 11c to emit light. emit green light.

When a warning to be notified to the user occurs in the laser processing apparatus L (warning error occurs), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit green light, and the third lamp to emit light. 11c to emit orange light.

The marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit green light, and the third lamp 11c to emit red light when an abnormality occurs in the laser processing apparatus L (occurrence of an abnormal error). light up.

When the laser processing apparatus L is in the interlock state (for example, when the safety terminal block is in the OFF state), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, turns off the second lamp 11b, and turns off the second lamp 11b. 3 The lamp 11c is made to emit red light.

By controlling the lighting state of the indicator 11 provided on the front face 10f of the housing 10 in this way, the user can intuitively see the state of the laser processing apparatus L.

<Setting of processing equipment 500 and marker head 1>
18A and 18B are diagrams for explaining various dimensions of the marker head 1 and the support member 501. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the marker head 1 is attached to the support member 501 of the processing equipment 500 by replacing it with a printing device 1001 such as a TTO. The marker head 1 attached to the support member 501 irradiates a work W composed of a sheet-like film with a UV laser beam to cause a chemical reaction in the UV reaction layer contained in the work W. , the print processing for the workpiece W is executed.

The processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1 according to this embodiment are set to be suitable for such usage. Hereinafter, the settings regarding the processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1 and the relative positional relationship between the processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1 will be described in order.

First, the processing equipment 500 according to the present embodiment includes, in addition to the transport roller 502 that is driven to transport the work W, a first driven roller 500 that is arranged on the +Y side of the transport roller 502 and around which the work W is wound from the +Z side. It has a roller 504l and a second driven roller 504r arranged on the -Y side of the conveying roller 502 and around which the workpiece W is wound from the -Z side.

The transport roller 504 as a drive roller transports the work W at a speed of 1500 mm/s or more and 2000 mm/s or less along the Y direction as the transport direction At. The work W conveyed by the conveying roller 504 moves along a moving path defined by the conveying roller 502, the first driven roller 504l and the second driven roller 504r.

Here, of the movement paths of the workpiece W, the path corresponding to the irradiation area R1 includes portions with different distances from the exit window 6. As shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 18, the moving path of the workpiece W is configured to have different heights within the range of the irradiation area R1.

In addition, in the movement path of the work W, a first driven roller 504l as a roller directly above the conveying roller 502, which is closest to the conveying roller 502 among the rollers that contact the work W upstream of the conveying roller 502, The second driven roller 504r, which is the roller immediately below the conveying roller 502 and which is closest to the rollers in contact, is a driven roller that rotates as the work W is conveyed. The rollers directly above and below the conveying roller 502 are not limited to driven rollers, but should be rollers that allow the work W to slip with respect to the conveying roller 502 even when driven by a separately provided drive source. is preferred. For example, if the material has a large frictional force with respect to the work W, the amount of slippage is small. Moreover, when the material of the surface of each roller is the same, the larger the amount of contact with the work W, the smaller the amount of slippage. If the roller directly above and the roller directly below are driven rollers or rollers having a large amount of slippage with respect to the transport roller 502, the amount of movement of the work W relative to the rotation of the transport roller 502 is unlikely to have an error. Therefore, by performing print control based on the rotation of the transport roller W, print quality can be improved. In particular, since the marker head 1 of the present embodiment prints on the workpiece W in a non-contact manner compared to the TTO, when the conveying roller 502 slips, the position of printing tends to shift. Therefore, it is preferable that the marker head 1 is arranged in the irradiation area R1 such that the conveying roller having a smaller amount of slippage than the rollers immediately before and after is positioned.

Here, in the movement path of the workpiece W, the region irradiated with the UV laser light corresponding to the irradiation area R1 is the end portion of the second housing portion H2 in the projection direction of the second housing portion H2. It is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the cover glass 62 as an optical member.

Here, the projecting direction of the second housing portion H2 corresponds to the irradiation direction of the UV laser light (that is, the +Z direction) in this embodiment. Also, the end of the second accommodation portion H2 in the projecting direction corresponds to the +Z side end of the housing 10 in this embodiment.

That is, the area irradiated with the UV laser light in the moving path of the workpiece W is arranged on the +Z side of the +Z side end of the housing 10 . In other words, the region irradiated with the UV laser light in the moving path of the workpiece W is arranged so as not to enter the optical path partitioning portion H3 (arranged on the +Z side of the optical path partitioning portion H3). .). According to this configuration, the workpiece W can be easily inserted into the movement path from the front of the movement path of the work W. Therefore, it becomes easy to set the work W on the movement path.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the top portion 502a on the cover glass 62 side (−Z side) of the conveying roller 502 is substantially in the Y direction with respect to the center line (laser emission axis Al) passing through the central portion of the cover glass 62. It is offset to the upstream side (+Y side) or the downstream side (-Y side) of the coinciding transport direction At (offset to the +Y side in the illustrated example).

That is, the center line Ar passing through the rotation axis of the conveying roller 502 and extending in the Z direction is offset upstream or downstream with respect to the laser emission axis Al. In other words, the laser emission axis Al extending in the Z direction and the rotation axis of the transport roller 502 extending in the X direction are laid out so as not to cross each other.

Further, in other words, the laser emission axis Al is offset to the upstream side (+Y side) or the downstream side (−Y side) in the conveying direction At with respect to the top portion 502a (Fig. In the example, offset to the -Y side). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, of the work W on the upstream side and the work W on the downstream side with respect to the top portion 502a, the latter work W is a plane perpendicular to the laser emission axis Al (XY plane ) is smaller. That is, the work W on the downstream side of the top portion 502a is inclined more gently than the work W on the upstream side. The laser emission axis Al according to the present embodiment is arranged such that, of the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction At, the inclination of the work W with respect to the plane orthogonal to the laser emission axis Al is smaller, like the work W on the downstream side. offset.

The size of the irradiation area R1 is set to be larger than the printable area (printing area) of the printing apparatus 1001 before replacement configured as TTO. The TTO prints on the work W by bringing the print portion 1006 extending in the short direction of the work W into contact with the work W. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the print area on the work W has a certain length in the longitudinal direction of the work W, the printable range of the printing unit 1006 covers the print area on the work W in the short direction of the work W. If the positional relationship is such that the work W is passed through the printing unit 1006, printing can be performed on the entire print area on the work W. FIG. On the other hand, the portion of the marker head 1 that is irradiated with the laser light at a given moment has a certain area, but is in the form of a dot. Therefore, when the print area on the work W is an area having a constant length in the longitudinal direction of the work W, the irradiation area R1 irradiated with the laser light is constant in the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the work W. It preferably has a length (dimension) of Specifically, the dimension of the irradiation area R1 in the transport direction At (see symbol L5 in FIG. 17A) is set to be 120 mm or more when the workpiece W is parallel to the XY plane. It should be noted that the irradiation area R1 in the present embodiment refers to a region on the surface of the workpiece W that can be irradiated with laser light by the first scanner 51 and the second scanner 52 .

The size of the irradiation area R1 when the work W is parallel to the XY plane is set so that the irradiation area R1 is covered with the bottom surface 10d of the housing 10 when placed on the XY plane. That is, when viewed in the Z direction orthogonal to the XY plane, the entire irradiation area R1 overlaps the bottom surface 10d, the dimension L5 of the irradiation area R1 in the Y direction is smaller than the dimension in the Y direction of the bottom surface 10d of the housing 10, and in the X direction The dimension L6 of the irradiation area R1 is smaller than the dimension of the housing 10d in the X direction. According to this configuration, the laser beam irradiated to the workpiece W is less likely to leak to the surroundings. In particular, when the distance from the +Z side end of the housing 10 to the workpiece W (see distance L2 in FIG. 18) is set to 0 mm or more and 20 mm or less, laser light leakage is reduced. Further, when the work W is a sheet-like work W that is wrapped around and conveyed by a plurality of conveying rollers, the user can easily move the work W onto the work W by inserting the work W from the front of the conveying rollers. It can be set in the movement path. Therefore, since the front side of the movement path of the work W is open, the work of setting the work W on the movement path is facilitated. Therefore, according to the configuration in which the entire length of the irradiation area R1 in the X direction is within the bottom surface 10d, it is possible to reduce leakage of laser light while maintaining workability for setting the workpiece W with the front of the moving path open. In the case where a member covering the front side of the work W is used to reduce the leakage of the laser light, the work W may come into contact with the member when the work W is skewed, and the work W may be damaged. Therefore, according to the configuration in which the front side of the work W is open, the fear of the work W being soiled is reduced.

These settings are particularly effective when printing 8 characters on the workpiece W by irradiating UV laser light for 10 ms per character on a 3 mm×2 mm square. Here, the parameter related to the UV laser light is a line width of 0.2 to 0.35 mm (corresponding to a target line width of 100 to 150 μm per scanning line) by thick line printing with three scanning lines. It is suitable for the case of realizing

By setting the irradiation area R1 to be larger than the printable area in the TTO, printing can be performed within the irradiation area R1 while the irradiation position of the UV laser light follows the conveyance of the workpiece W. Become. As a result, a printable area similar to TTO can be secured.

On the other hand, the output of the laser light generated in the marker head 1 and passing through the emission window 6 is set to 1 W or more and 2 W or less. This setting was determined in order to reduce the size of the marker head 1 . The color development of the print when the laser light is irradiated for a certain period of time changes depending on the power density of the irradiated laser light. When the output of the laser light is 1 W or more and 2 W or less, the spot diameter of the laser light is preferably 160 μm or less so as to obtain sufficient color development.

More preferably, the spot diameter of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is set to 60 μm or more and 80 μm or less. This spot diameter consists of a portion of the irradiation area R1 where the optical path length of the laser light is the longest (the edge of the irradiation area R1) and a portion of the irradiation area R1 where the optical path length is the shortest (the central portion of the irradiation area R1). ) and the depth of focus of the laser beam can be set to correspond to .

For example, the lower limit of the spot diameter is a setting corresponding to the number of scanning lines and the line width described above. This setting is performed when the distance from the +Z side end of the housing 10 to the work W (see distance L2 in FIG. 18) is set to 0 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and the dimension of the irradiation area R1 is set to 120 mm or more. In addition, it is effective in suppressing the influence of the optical path length difference between the central portion and the end portions of the irradiation area R1 without adjusting the focus along the Z direction.

On the other hand, the upper limit of the spot diameter is effective when printing a thick line with a thickness of 200 μm (0.2 mm) or more, such as the line width of 0.2 to 0.35 mm described above. In this case, there is concern that the processing time required for thick line processing will be relatively long. time can be lengthened.

The upper limit of the spot diameter (=80 μm) is the optimum value when the UV laser beam is irradiated parallel to the irradiation direction and the distance L2 is set to 10 mm. When the distance L2 is changed within the range of 0 mm or more and 20 mm or less, the upper limit of the spot diameter is 120 μm.

If there is concern about the difference in optical path length within the irradiation area R1, the depth of focus can be increased by providing the defocus lens 57 described above. Increasing the depth of focus is effective in suppressing the influence of the optical path length difference.

Among the relative positions of the workpiece W with respect to the housing 10, the relative position where printing is possible with respect to the workpiece W is the distance from the first mirror 51a to the surface of the workpiece W (in particular, when viewed along the irradiation direction). distance, which corresponds to the sum of the distance L2 and the distance L3 in FIG. 19) is set to 150 mm or less.

In this embodiment, in addition to the above, the distance from the top surface 10u of the housing 10 to the workpiece W is set to 195 mm or less. The TTO as the printing apparatus 1001 before replacement is often used in an environment where the distance from the top surface to the work W is about 200 mm, and can be used in the same environment as the printing apparatus 1001 before replacement. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance L1 from the top surface 10u of the housing 10 to the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d is set to 165 mm. A distance L2 from the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d to the workpiece W is preferably set to 30 mm or less, more preferably 20 mm or less.

Here, by setting the distance L2 to 30 mm or less, the specularly reflected light from the workpiece W of the laser light irradiated to the irradiation area R1 is projected to the region between the first plate member 18l and the second plate member 18r. , that is, can be guided to the optical path partitioning portion H3. This is effective in suppressing leakage of specularly reflected light to the outside of the housing 10 .

In this embodiment, the distance L3 from the first mirror 51a to the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d is set to 123 mm. A distance L4 from the lower surface of the defocus lens 57 to the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d is set to 100 mm. Considering that the thickness of the defocus lens 57 is 2 mm, the distance (not shown) from the top surface of the defocus lens 57 to the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d is set to 102 mm.

Here, the distance (=L1-L3) from the top surface 10u to the first mirror 51a is 42 mm, and the distance (=L1-L4) from the top surface 10u to the defocus lens 57 is 65 mm. On the other hand, the central portion of the housing 10 in the Z direction corresponds to a portion of approximately 82 mm (=L1/2) when viewed from the top surface 10u. Therefore, both the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 according to the present embodiment are located on the -Z side of the central portion of the housing 10 in the Z direction.

<Regarding compact installation space>
As described above, according to this embodiment, the mirror accommodating portion H11 is arranged on the -Y side of the partition surface 15g, while the crystal accommodating portion H12 is arranged on the +Y side of the partition surface 15g. (See FIG. 10). Considering that the partition surface 15g spreads along the irradiation direction (+Z direction), the mirror housing portion H11 and the crystal housing portion H12 extend along a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction (the Y direction in this embodiment). You will have to line up.

Considering the relative positions of the substrate housing portion H13 with respect to the mirror housing portion H11 and the crystal housing portion H12, the crystal housing portion H12 and the mirror housing portion H12 and the mirror housing portion H12 and the mirror housing portion H12 are arranged in the housing 10 along a direction substantially orthogonal to the irradiation direction. The H11 and the substrate accommodating portion H13 are arranged in this order. In this way, by arranging the three types of storage units in a direction substantially orthogonal to the irradiation direction, it is possible to configure the housing 10 compactly in the irradiation direction. Thereby, the installation space of the housing 10 can be made compact.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, among the three housing portions, the mirror housing portion H12 is arranged between the crystal housing portion H12 and the substrate housing portion H13, which are housing portions where heat dissipation is a concern. ing. The layout in which the crystal accommodating portion H12 and the substrate accommodating portion H13 are separated from each other contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation efficiency compared to the layout in which they are adjacent to each other.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the installation space of the housing 10 in the irradiation direction while maintaining the heat radiation efficiency.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 18, by arranging the first mirror 51a so as to face the irradiation area R1 with the exit window 6 therebetween, it is possible to eliminate the need to provide a large mirror or the like between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6. , the laser beam reflected by the first mirror 51a can be guided directly to the exit window 6. As shown in FIG. As a result, the number of parts in the housing 10 can be reduced, which is advantageous in realizing compactness in the dimensions of the housing 10 and, by extension, in the installation space.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the intermediate mirror 55a is arranged between the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a, so that the layout of the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a (particularly, the The degree of freedom of the layout of the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 can be increased. This is advantageous in realizing the miniaturization of the housing 10 and thus the compactness of the installation space.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, both the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 are orthogonal to the irradiation direction (+Z direction), thereby reducing the size of the housing 10 in the irradiation direction and, in turn, This is advantageous in realizing compactness of the installation space.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18 and the like, by providing a defocus lens 57 capable of diffusing the laser light, the first mirror 51a and the irradiation area R1 are brought close to each other in the irradiation direction, and the irradiation area R1 is made possible. It can be set as wide as possible. As a result, the installation space can be made compact without reducing the irradiation area R1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10 and the like, by housing the excitation light source 21 in the substrate housing portion H13, the excitation light source 21 can be displaced by the mirror housing portion H11 interposed between the crystal housing portion H12 and the substrate housing portion H13. It can be spaced apart from the crystal accommodating portion H12. This configuration contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation performance.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8, 11, and 12, by housing the fiber guide 32 configured according to the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable 31 in the housing 10, the length of the fiber cable 31 can be adjusted. be able to be more flexible. As a result, the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the pumping light source 21 can be laid out compactly while being connected by the fiber cable 31, the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the pumping light source 21 can be housed in the housing 10, and the housing 10 can be made compact. It is advantageous in achieving compatibility between

Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the cover glass 62 through which the laser beam is transmitted is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area R1 instead of the generally known circular shape. It is possible to form the cover glass 62 more compactly than when it is formed in a circular shape. This is effective in reducing the size of the housing 10 and thus the installation space.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, by housing the nonlinear optical crystal 45 in the crystal housing portion H12, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 can be displaced by the mirror housing portion H11 interposed between the crystal housing portion H12 and the substrate housing portion H13. can be separated from the substrate accommodating portion H13. This configuration contributes to maintenance of heat dissipation performance.

<<Other embodiments>>
In the above-described embodiment, the second accommodation portion H2 is configured inside the housing 10, but the second accommodation portion H2 is not essential. The first heat sink 81 and the second heat sink 82 may be housed in, for example, the first housing portion H1. Also, the optical path partitioning portion H3 can be omitted as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the excitation light source 21 is housed inside the housing 10 of the marker head 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the excitation light source 21 may be provided within the marker controller 100 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, one surface (the top surface 10u in the above-described embodiment) other than the bottom surface 10d on which the exit window 6 is formed, of the six surfaces of the housing 10 is set as the mounting surface. , is not limited to such settings. Any one of the six surfaces may be regarded as the mounting surface. When the bottom surface 10d is regarded as a mounting surface, the support member 501 of the processing equipment 500 supports the bottom surface 10d from below, for example.

Moreover, two or more of the six surfaces of the housing 10 can be regarded as mounting surfaces. For example, when the left side surface 10l and the top surface 10u are used as the attachment surfaces, the attachment 7 may be attached to one of the left side surface 10l and the top surface 10u. It may be attached to both the surface 10l and the top surface 10u.

For example, the attachment 2007 shown in FIG. 22 has a first portion 2007a attached to the top surface 10u and a second portion 2007b attached to the left side surface 10l. 2007 has been adapted. In this manner, the attachment surface can be set according to the form of the support member 501', and the attachment 2007 corresponding to the setting can be used.

Moreover, the attachment 7 is not essential in the first place. As in the housing 10'' of the marker head 1'' shown in FIG. 23, the support member 501 can be mounted directly on the mounting surface (top surface 10u'' in the figure) without the attachment 7. In this case, A partial area of the mounting surface may be regarded as an attachment, or a portion of the mounting surface may be projected in the direction opposite to the emission window 6 and the projected portion may be used as the attachment.

S Laser processing system L Laser processing device 1 Marker head 2 Excitation light generator 21 Excitation light source 23 Temperature control unit 25 Relay 3 Excitation light guide unit (light guide optical system)
31 fiber cable 32 fiber guide 4 laser light output section 41 solid state laser crystal 43 Q switch 45 nonlinear optical crystal 49 Q switch driver 5 laser light scanning section (laser light deflection section)
51 First scanner 51a First mirror 52 Second scanner 52a Second mirror 53 First control board 55 Intermediate deflection unit 55a Intermediate mirror 57 Defocus lens (optical element)
6 exit window 62 cover glass (optical member)
7 Attachment 81 First heat sink (heat sink)
82 second heat sink (heat sink)
83 1st blower fan (blower)
84 Second blower fan (blower)
10 housing 10u top surface (mounting surface)
10d bottom surface 10f front surface (open surface)
10b back (connection surface)
13 cover member 14 connection cover 15 first base plate (support plate)
15g Partition surface 18l First plate member (plate member)
18r Second plate member (plate member)
100 marker controller 101 reception unit 103 control unit 104 power supply unit (power supply unit)
200 Electric cable 500 Processing facility 501 Supporting member 502 Conveying roller 502a Top of conveying roller Ac1 First rotation axis Ac2 Second rotation axis Ae Extension direction At Conveying direction H1 First container H11 Mirror container H12 Crystal container H13 Substrate container H2 Second housing portion H21 Crystal side housing portion H22 Light source side housing portion H3 Optical path dividing portion M1 First mark (mark)
M2 second mark (mark)
M3 third mark (mark)
Pp Machining pattern R1 Irradiation area W Work

Claims (11)

A laser processing device that processes a workpiece by irradiating a laser beam toward an irradiation area,
a light guide optical system that guides excitation light;
a solid-state laser crystal that generates laser light based on the excitation light guided by the light guiding optical system;
a first scanner that drives a first mirror that deflects the laser light so that the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal is irradiated toward the irradiation area;
a first control board that controls the first scanner;
A housing containing the light guide optical system, the solid-state laser crystal, the first scanner, and the first control board, and having an exit window through which the laser beam deflected by the first mirror is transmitted. having a body and
The housing is
a mirror accommodating portion that accommodates the first mirror;
It is partitioned by a support plate having a partition surface extending along the irradiation direction from the emission window toward the irradiation area, and is arranged on the opposite side of the partition surface from the mirror accommodating portion to accommodate the solid-state laser crystal. a crystal container;
A laser processing apparatus, further comprising: a substrate accommodation portion disposed on the side opposite to the crystal accommodation portion with respect to the mirror accommodation portion and accommodating the first control substrate. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The laser processing apparatus, wherein the first mirror is arranged to face the irradiation area with the emission window interposed therebetween. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A second mirror that reflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal, thereby deflecting the laser light in a second direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction that is the deflection direction of the first mirror and the irradiation direction. a second scanner that drives a
an intermediate mirror that receives the laser light reflected by the second mirror and reflects the laser light toward the first mirror;
The first scanner rotates the first mirror around a first rotation axis,
The second scanner rotates the second mirror around a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis,
A laser processing apparatus, wherein both the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 3,
The first scanner rotates the first mirror around a first rotation axis,
The second scanner rotates the second mirror around a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis,
A laser processing apparatus, wherein both the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extend in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction. In the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A laser processing apparatus comprising an optical element that transmits the laser beam deflected by the first mirror and diffuses the laser beam in an outward direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction. In the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An excitation light source that generates excitation light guided by the light guide optical system,
The laser processing apparatus, wherein the excitation light source is accommodated in the substrate accommodation section. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 6,
the light guiding optical system is composed of a fiber cable that optically couples the excitation light source and the solid-state laser crystal;
The laser processing apparatus, wherein the housing accommodates a fiber guide configured to wind the fiber cable with a bending radius equal to or larger than the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable. In the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
the exit window is composed of a cover glass that transmits the laser beam,
The irradiation area is configured as a rectangular region,
The laser processing apparatus, wherein the cover glass is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area. In the laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
comprising a nonlinear optical crystal that receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal and converts the wavelength of the laser light to a shorter wavelength side;
A laser processing apparatus, wherein the nonlinear optical crystal is accommodated in the crystal accommodating portion. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 9,
A laser processing apparatus, wherein the crystal accommodating portion accommodates the nonlinear optical crystal in a sealed state. In the laser processing apparatus according to claim 10,
A Q switch accommodated in the crystal accommodation unit and configured to pulse-oscillate a fundamental wave,
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the crystal accommodating portion is separated into a space accommodating the Q switch and a space accommodating the nonlinear optical crystal.

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