JP7468177B2 - Laser Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a laser processing device.

A laser marker is one type of laser processing device that uses laser light to process a workpiece. A laser marker uses laser light to mark (hereinafter referred to as "printing" or "processing") characters, figures, etc. on the surface of the workpiece. Since laser light can damage the eyes, it is necessary to ensure the safety of users in the field of laser processing devices such as laser markers. Conventional laser markers ensure the safety of users by incorporating the marking head into a device with a shielding effect and performing laser processing within the device. However, there are cases where the marking head is exposed when used. When using such laser markers, users are required to wear protective glasses, but they may forget to wear protective glasses and damage their eyes, so it is necessary to ensure the safety of users.

JP 59-19093 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a laser processing device that prevents leakage of laser light by providing a light shielding plate around the outer periphery of the lens holder.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-19093

Even if the marking head is an exposed laser processing device, the technology described in JP 59-19093 A makes it possible to block the laser light if the shielding plate (light shielding plate) is properly attached. However, if the shielding plate is not properly attached, the laser light cannot be blocked, exposing the user to danger.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a laser processing device that can ensure the safety of the user.

The laser processing device according to this disclosure is a laser processing device that processes an object to be processed by irradiating it with laser light. The laser processing device includes a marking head that irradiates the object with laser light, a first shielding plate that is attached to the marking head and surrounds the processing location of the object to be processed between the marking head and the object to be processed to form a shielded space and prevent the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking out of the shielded space, and a controller that controls the operation of the marking head. When the controller receives an instruction to start processing, it determines the light-shielding state of the first shielding plate, and starts processing the object to be processed when it determines that the light-shielding state of the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition.

The above disclosure helps ensure the safety of users.

In the above disclosure, the controller determines the light blocking state of the first shielding plate during processing, and stops processing of the workpiece if it determines that the light blocking state of the first shielding plate does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

The above disclosure helps ensure the safety of users.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes a notification unit. The notification unit is provided in the marking head and notifies the user that the light blocking state of the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition and processing can begin.

According to the above disclosure, the user can know when processing can begin.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes a detection unit that detects contact between the first shielding plate and the workpiece. When the detection unit detects contact between the first shielding plate and the workpiece, the controller determines that the light blocking state by the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition.

According to the above disclosure, safety can be confirmed based on contact between the first shielding plate and the workpiece.

In the above disclosure, the laser light emitted by the marking head is invisible light, and at least a portion of the first shielding plate is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light.

According to the above disclosure, it is possible to observe the workpiece being processed.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes an illumination unit that illuminates the inside of the shielded space, and an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the inside of the shielded space. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the object to be processed in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination unit during processing.

According to the above disclosure, it is possible to observe the workpiece being processed.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device determines the light blocking state of the first shielding plate based on the external light entering the shielded space.

According to the disclosure above, safety can be confirmed based on the external light entering the shielded space surrounded by the first shielding plate, the workpiece, and the marking head.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes a detection unit that detects light within the shielded space. If the detection unit cannot detect external light entering the shielded space, the controller determines that the light shielding state by the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition.

According to the above disclosure, safety can be confirmed based on the detection results of a detection unit that detects light within a shielded space.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the inside of the shielded space. If the image acquisition unit cannot acquire an image of the object to be processed in the shielded space, the controller determines that the light shielding state by the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition.

According to the above disclosure, safety confirmation can be performed based on images of the inside of a shielded space acquired by an image acquisition unit.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes an illumination unit that illuminates the inside of the shielded space. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the object to be processed in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination unit during processing.

According to the above disclosure, it is possible to observe the workpiece being processed.

In the above disclosure, the first shielding plate has an elastic member on the side that contacts the workpiece.

According to the above disclosure, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the first shielding plate and the workpiece, so that it is possible to prevent the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside. In addition, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being damaged due to contact with the first shielding plate.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes a receiving unit. The receiving unit is provided in the marking head and receives an instruction to start processing.

According to the above disclosure, the user can give the command to start processing at their fingertips.

In the above disclosure, the marking head includes a gripping portion that is held by a user. The laser processing device is a handheld type laser processing device in which the user processes the workpiece while holding the gripping portion.

The above disclosure makes it possible to ensure the safety of users of handheld laser processing devices.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device further includes a second shielding plate. The second shielding plate can be attached to the surface of the first shielding plate that contacts the workpiece, has an opening corresponding to the size of the workpiece, and prevents the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside through a gap that occurs between the first shielding plate and the workpiece.

According to the above disclosure, even if a gap occurs between the first shielding plate and the workpiece, it is possible to prevent the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside through the gap.

In the above disclosure, the laser processing device is a laser processing device that can be attached to a stationary type laser processing device with the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate removed.

According to the above disclosure, users can choose between the handheld type and the stationary type depending on the situation.

This disclosure provides a laser processing device that can ensure the safety of the user.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser marker in a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a controller. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing hardware included in a control board. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a user interface displayed on a display device by a controller. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a marking head and a shielding plate. 10 is a flowchart showing processing start/stop processing by a controller. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser marker in a second embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a marking head and a shielding plate in the second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a lighting device and a camera unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser marker in embodiment 3. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser marker in embodiment 4.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings will be given the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

[Application example]
First, an example of a scene to which the present invention is applied will be described. The scene to which the present invention is applied is a scene in which laser processing is performed with a laser marker with an exposed marking head. More specifically, the present invention is applied to a handy type laser marker 1 as shown in FIG. 1, which is held and used by a user. When performing laser processing with such a laser marker with an exposed marking head, the user needs to wear protective glasses to protect the eyes from the laser light W (see FIG. 2), but the user may forget to wear them when starting laser processing, which may result in eye damage. However, the laser marker 1 of the present invention can attach a shielding plate 300 (see FIG. 1) between the marking head 26 (see FIG. 1) and the workpiece 8 (see FIG. 1) at a position surrounding the processing location of the workpiece 8. In addition, the laser marker 1 of the present invention requires that the light shielding state by the shielding plate 300 satisfies a predetermined condition in order to start laser processing. The predetermined condition is that the shielding plate can shield the laser light irradiated from the marking head to an extent that ensures the safety of the user. Whether or not the light blocking state by the shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition is determined based on, for example, whether or not the shielding plate and the workpiece are in contact with each other, or whether or not external light is entering the space surrounded by the shielding plate, the workpiece, and the marking head. This makes it possible to prevent the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

Below, more specific application examples of this embodiment will be described. Below, a laser marker will be described as an example of a laser processing device, but the laser processing device may be a device that performs processing other than marking, such as drilling, peeling, and cutting, using laser light. Furthermore, the laser marker according to this embodiment may have a function of performing processing other than marking, such as drilling, peeling, and cutting, in addition to the function of marking letters and symbols.

[First embodiment]
<A. Schematic configuration of laser marker 1>
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a laser marker 1 in embodiment 1. Referring to Fig. 1, the laser marker 1 is a handy type laser marker that is held and used by a user. The laser marker 1 processes an object 8 by irradiating it with laser light W (see Fig. 2). The laser marker 1 has a controller 21, a marking head 26, and a removable shielding plate 300.

The controller 21 controls the operation of the marking head 26. Details of the controller 21 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, but the controller 21 has a laser oscillator that emits laser light W.

The marking head 26 has a gripping portion 261 that is held by the user and a marking head body 262. With the gripping portion 261 held by the user, the marking head 26 irradiates the workpiece 8 with laser light W under the control of the controller 21 to process the workpiece 8. The laser light W irradiated by the marking head 26 is invisible light. For example, when a YVO4 laser or a YAG laser is used as the laser oscillator, the wavelength of the laser light W is, for example, about 1.06 micrometers. The marking head 26 is connected to the oscillator in the controller 21 by an optical fiber 28. Furthermore, the marking head 26 is connected to the controller 21 by a communication cable 29. In more detail, the marking head 26 is connected to a control board in the controller 21 by the communication cable 29. The detailed configuration of the marking head 26 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

The shielding plate 300 can be detached from the marking head 26. The shielding plate 300 is attached to the marking head 26, and forms a shielded space between the marking head body 262 and the workpiece 8 by surrounding the processing location of the workpiece 8, thereby preventing the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 from leaking to the outside. The shielding plate 300 has an elastic member 305 on the surface side that contacts the workpiece 8. This makes it difficult for a gap to be generated between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8 when the shielding plate 300 is attached to the marking head 26, so that the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 can be prevented from leaking to the outside. In addition, the shielding plate 300 has an elastic member 305 on the surface side that contacts the workpiece 8, which can prevent the workpiece 8 from being damaged by contact with the shielding plate 300.

At least a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light (window 301 in the figure). The transparent material that transmits visible light is a material that does not transmit invisible light. Since the laser light W irradiated by the marking head 26 is invisible light, even if a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light, the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 does not leak to the outside. Therefore, the user can safely check the state of the inside covered by the shielding plate 300 (the state of the workpiece 8) during processing. Note that it is sufficient that at least a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light, and the entire surface of the shielding plate 300 may be made of a transparent material that transmits visible light.

<B. Detailed configuration of the controller 21>
The configuration of the controller 21 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the controller 21. The controller 21 includes a laser oscillator 240, a control board 210, a driver 220, and a driver power supply 230. A display device 6 and an input device 7 can be connected to the controller 21. The display device 6 and the input device 7 are used in situations where the user changes the settings in the controller 21.

The laser oscillator 240 includes an optical fiber 241, semiconductor lasers 242, 243, 249A to 249D, isolators 244 and 246, couplers 245 and 248, and a bandpass filter 247.

The semiconductor laser 242 is a seed light source that emits seed light. The semiconductor laser 242 is driven by the driver 220 to emit pulsed seed light.

The isolator 244 transmits only light in one direction and blocks light entering in the opposite direction. Specifically, the isolator 244 passes the seed light emitted from the semiconductor laser 242 and blocks the return light from the optical fiber 241. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the semiconductor laser 242.

The semiconductor laser 243 is an excitation light source that emits excitation light to excite the rare earth element added to the core of the optical fiber 241.

The coupler 245 combines the seed light from the semiconductor laser 242 and the excitation light from the semiconductor laser 243 and inputs the combined light into the optical fiber 241.

The excitation light incident on the optical fiber 241 from the semiconductor laser 243 via the coupler 245 is absorbed by the rare earth element contained in the core of the optical fiber 241. This excites the rare earth element, resulting in a population inversion state. In this state, when the seed light from the semiconductor laser 242 is incident on the core of the optical fiber 241, stimulated emission occurs. This stimulated emission amplifies the seed light (pulsed light). In other words, the seed light is amplified by the seed light and excitation light being incident on the fiber amplifier formed by the optical fiber 241.

The isolator 246 allows the pulsed light output from the optical fiber 241 to pass and blocks the light returning to the optical fiber 241.

The bandpass filter 247 is configured to pass light in a predetermined wavelength band. Specifically, the "predetermined wavelength band" is a wavelength band that includes the peak wavelength of the pulsed light output from the optical fiber 241. When spontaneous emission light is emitted from the optical fiber 241, the spontaneous emission light is removed by the bandpass filter 247.

The laser light that passes through the bandpass filter 247 is incident on the optical fiber 28 provided for transmitting the laser light via the coupler 248. The semiconductor lasers 249A to 249D emit pumping light to amplify the laser light that passes through the bandpass filter 247 in the optical fiber 28. In other words, the optical fiber 28 constitutes a fiber amplifier by combining the coupler 248 with the isolator 264 (see FIG. 5) described below, in the same way as the fiber amplifier constituted by the coupler 245, the optical fiber 241, and the isolator 246.

The coupler 248 combines the pulsed light that has passed through the bandpass filter 247 with the light from the semiconductor lasers 249A to 249D and inputs the combined light into the optical fiber 28.

The configuration of the laser oscillator 240 shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example and is not limited to this. For example, the laser oscillator 240 does not need to include a bandpass filter 247 as long as it can obtain laser light in a specified wavelength band.

The control board 210 includes a control unit 211, a pulse generating unit 212, a memory unit 213, and communication processing units 214, 216, and 217.

The control unit 211 controls the overall operation of the controller 21 by controlling the pulse generating unit 212 and the driver 220. In more detail, the control unit 211 controls the overall operation of the controller 21 by executing an operating system and application programs stored in the memory unit 213. As a result, the laser light W is irradiated from the marking head 26 to the workpiece 8.

The pulse generating unit 212 generates an electrical signal having a predetermined repetition frequency and a predetermined pulse width. The pulse generating unit 212 outputs an electrical signal or stops outputting the electrical signal under the control of the control unit 211. The electrical signal from the pulse generating unit 212 is supplied to the semiconductor laser 242.

The memory unit 213 stores various types of data in addition to the operating system and application programs.

The communication processing unit 214 is an interface for communicating with the marking head 26. The control unit 211 transmits a control signal to the marking head 26 via the communication processing unit 214 and the communication cable 29. The control unit 211 also receives a control signal (such as a control signal from the reception unit 272 described below that instructs the start of processing) from the marking head 26 via the communication processing unit 214 and the communication cable 29.

The communication processing unit 216 receives input from the input device 7. The input device 7 is a variety of pointing devices (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, etc.) and a keyboard. The communication processing unit 216 notifies the control unit 211 of the received input.

The communication processing unit 217 transmits the image data generated by the control unit 211 to the display device 6. In this case, the display device 6 displays an image (user interface) based on the image data. An example of the user interface displayed on the display device 6 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

The driver power supply 230 supplies power to the driver 220. This causes the driver 220 to supply drive current to the semiconductor lasers 242, 243, and 249A to 249D. Each of the semiconductor lasers 242, 243, and 249A to 249D oscillates when the drive current is supplied to it. The drive current supplied to the semiconductor laser 242 is modulated by an electrical signal from the pulse generating unit 212. This causes the semiconductor laser 242 to oscillate in a pulsed manner, and outputs pulsed light having a predetermined repetition frequency and a predetermined pulse width as seed light. Meanwhile, a continuous drive current is supplied to each of the semiconductor lasers 243, 249A to 249D by the driver 220. This causes each of the semiconductor lasers 243, 249A to 249D to oscillate continuously, and output continuous light as excitation light.

Figure 3 is a configuration diagram showing the hardware included in the control board 210. Referring to Figure 3, the control board 210 includes a processor 110, a memory 120, a communication interface 130, and a pulse generating circuit 140.

The memory 120 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 121, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 122, and a flash memory 123. The flash memory 123 stores the above-mentioned operating system, application programs, and various data. The memory 120 corresponds to the storage unit 213 shown in FIG. 2.

The processor 110 controls the overall operation of the controller 21. The control unit 211 shown in FIG. 2 is realized by the processor 110 executing the operating system and application programs stored in the memory 120. When the application programs are executed, various data stored in the memory 120 is referenced.

The communication interface 130 is for communicating with external devices (e.g., the marking head 26, the display device 6, and the input device 7). The communication interface 130 corresponds to the communication processing units 214, 216, and 217 in FIG. 2.

The pulse generating circuit 140 corresponds to the pulse generating unit 212 in FIG. 2. That is, the pulse generating circuit 140 generates an electrical signal having a predetermined repetition frequency and a predetermined pulse width based on a command from the processor 110.

Note that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3 is an example and is not limited to this.

<C. Pre-registration>
4 is a diagram showing a user interface 700 displayed on the display device 6 (see FIG. 2) by the controller 21 (see FIG. 2). The user interface 700 is realized by the control unit 211 (see FIG. 2) executing an application program stored in the storage unit 213 (see FIG. 2). An input operation by the user on the input device 7 performed on the user interface 700 is accepted by the communication processing unit 216, and the accepted input is notified to the control unit 211.

The control unit 211 can switch the screen mode in accordance with the user's operation. FIG. 4 shows an edit mode screen used for creating and editing marking data. When the control unit 211 receives a user operation of clicking button 703, it switches the screen from the edit mode screen to an operation mode screen used when actually performing marking (processing). Note that the control unit 211 switches the operation mode screen to the edit mode screen by receiving a user operation of clicking a button displayed on the operation mode screen.

When the control unit 211 receives a user operation of clicking the button 702, it causes the display device 6 to display a test marking screen. This allows the user to check the created and edited marking data on the display device 6.

The control unit 211 accepts input of the pattern to be marked (processing pattern), such as characters, figures, and symbols to be marked. The processing pattern is drawn by the user using the drawing area 701. A coordinate system consisting of an X axis and a Y axis is set in the drawing area 701. The control unit 211 identifies the processing pattern input by the user in the coordinate system. In other words, the control unit 211 accepts the processing pattern input by the user as position information.

When the laser/scanning tab 710 is selected, the control unit 211 accepts the setting of the irradiation conditions of the laser light W (see FIG. 2). The laser/scanning tab 710 includes fields for inputting the output power of the laser light W, the frequency of the laser light W, and the processing speed. When numerical values are input into the "power", "frequency", and "processing speed" fields, the control unit 211 sets the input numerical values as the output power of the laser light W, the frequency of the laser light W, and the processing speed.

When the control unit 211 receives a user operation of clicking button 750, it saves the content (setting content) input by the user as a default value. When the control unit 211 receives a user operation of clicking button 760, it returns the content (setting content) input by the user to the default value.

The control unit 211 can also write the contents (setting contents) input by the user in a file format, for example, to an external memory or transmit it to an external device. This makes it possible to transfer these setting contents to a laser marker other than the laser marker 1.

The controller 21 irradiates the laser light W based on the processing pattern and the irradiation conditions of the laser light W input by the user, on the condition that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 (see FIG. 1) satisfies a predetermined condition, and starts processing the workpiece 8 (see FIG. 1). Even after starting processing, the controller 21 judges the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300, and if the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 no longer satisfies the predetermined condition, it suspends processing until the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 satisfies the predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is that the shielding plate 300 can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 (see FIG. 1) to an extent that ensures the safety of the user. In the laser marker 1 (see FIG. 1) in the first embodiment, the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 is judged by the contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8. The start/stop control of processing in the laser marker 1 will be described below.

<D. Machining Start/Stop Control>
The start/stop control of processing in the laser marker 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the marking head 26 and the shielding plate 300. The marking head 26 has a gripping portion 261 that is gripped by the user, and a marking head main body 262.

The gripping unit 261 has a notification unit 271 that notifies the user that processing can be started. The laser marker 1 judges the light-shielding state by the shielding plate 300 before starting processing as a safety check, and starts processing when the light-shielding state by the shielding plate 300 meets a predetermined condition. The notification unit 271 notifies the user that the safety check before starting processing has been completed and processing can be started. This allows the user to know that the safety check before starting processing has been completed and processing can be started. The notification unit 271 also notifies the user that processing is in progress during processing. This allows the user to know that processing is in progress. The notification unit 271 can be a liquid crystal display, an LED (light emitting diode) lamp, and/or a speaker, etc. When the notification unit 271 is a liquid crystal display, the notification unit 271 notifies the user that processing can be started or that processing is in progress using characters, icons, and/or colors. If the notification unit 271 is an LED lamp, the notification unit 271 notifies that processing can be started or is in progress by turning on the lamp. Note that if the notification unit 271 is an LED lamp, the notification unit 271 may notify that processing can be started or is in progress by changing the color of the lamp. If the notification unit 271 is a speaker, the notification unit 271 notifies by voice that processing can be started or is in progress.

The gripping unit 261 further has a receiving unit 272 that receives an instruction to start processing. The receiving unit 272 can be a touch panel or a physical button. The user can instruct the laser marker 1 to start processing by operating the receiving unit 272. When the receiving unit 272 receives a user's operation, it transmits a control signal to the controller 21 to instruct the start of processing. Note that the notification unit 271 and the receiving unit 272 may be integrated.

The marking head body 262 has a guide light source 263, an isolator 264, a galvanometer scanner 266, a focusing lens 267, and a laser emission unit 268.

The guide light source 263 generates visible light (guide light G) that displays the processing position by the laser light W on the processing object 8. The guide light source 263 is composed of a light emitting element such as a laser diode. The guide light source 263 is arranged so that the optical axis of the guide light G output from the guide light source 263 and the optical axis of the laser light W output from the controller 21 are perpendicular to each other.

The isolator 264 passes the pulsed light output from the optical fiber 28 and blocks the light returning to the optical fiber 28. The pulsed light that passes through the isolator 264 is incident on the dichroic mirror 265.

The galvano scanner 266 includes a dichroic mirror 265 and a galvano mirror 266a. The dichroic mirror 265 is disposed on the optical axis of the laser light W emitted from the controller 21 and on the optical axis of the guide light G emitted from the guide light source 263. The dichroic mirror 265 has the property of reflecting light of a specific wavelength and transmitting light of other wavelengths. Due to this property, the dichroic mirror 265 reflects the guide light G emitted from the guide light source 263 and transmits the laser light W emitted from the controller 21 to the galvano mirror 266a.

The galvanometer mirror 266a has an X-axis galvanometer mirror and a Y-axis galvanometer mirror. The X-axis galvanometer mirror and the Y-axis galvanometer mirror scan the laser light W and the guide light G in the X and Y directions relative to the workpiece 8. That is, the laser light W transmitted through the dichroic mirror 265 and the guide light G reflected by the dichroic mirror 265 are scanned in the X and Y directions relative to the workpiece 8 by the X-axis galvanometer mirror and the Y-axis galvanometer mirror.

The focusing lens 267 focuses the laser light W and guide light G deflected by the galvano scanner 266 onto the surface of the workpiece 8 for scanning. The laser light W and guide light G focused by the focusing lens 267 are emitted from the laser emission unit 268 toward the workpiece 8.

Furthermore, the marking head body 262 has an attachment portion 280 for the shielding plate 300. The shielding plate 300 has an elastic member 305 on the surface side that contacts the workpiece 8. The shielding plate 300 has a contact sensor 310 (contact sensors 310a, 310b) that detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8. The detection result by the contact sensor 310 is used in a process to determine whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 satisfies a specified condition, which will be described later. Therefore, the shielding plate 300 is provided with a sufficient number of contact sensors 310 (which may be one or more) to determine whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 satisfies a specified condition.

When the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8, the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26 becomes a shielded space in which the laser light W does not leak to the outside. The laser marker 1 emits the laser light W to process the workpiece 8 only when the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8.

The laser marker 1 can be attached to a stationary type laser processing device with the shielding plate 300 removed.

The processing start/stop process in the laser marker 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing start/stop process by the controller 21 (see FIG. 2). The process shown in FIG. 6 is realized by the control unit 211 (see FIG. 2) executing an application program stored in the memory unit 213 (see FIG. 2). The process shown in FIG. 6 is started when the power supply of the laser marker 1 is turned ON, and is repeated until the power supply of the laser marker 1 is turned OFF.

First, the control unit 211 determines whether the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 (see FIG. 5) satisfies a predetermined condition (step S605). Specifically, when the contact sensor 310 (see FIG. 5) detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8 (see FIG. 5), the control unit 211 determines that the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 satisfies the predetermined condition. When the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 satisfies the predetermined condition (YES in step S605), the control unit 211 transitions the process to step S610.

In step S610, the control unit 211 notifies the user that processing can be started. Specifically, the control unit 211 transmits a control signal to the marking head 26 (see FIG. 2) to notify the user that processing can be started. As a result, the safety check before processing starts is completed, and the notification unit 271 (see FIG. 5) notifies the user that processing can be started. Note that, when processing is resumed after processing is interrupted (processing of step S635) described below, the control unit 211 transmits a control signal to the marking head 26 to notify the user that processing can be resumed. As a result, the safety check before processing starts is completed, and the notification unit 271 notifies the user that processing can be resumed.

Next, the control unit 211 determines whether or not an instruction to start processing has been received (step S612). The instruction to start processing is received by the reception unit 272 (see FIG. 5). If an instruction to start processing has been received (YES in step S612), the control unit 211 transitions to step S615.

In step S615, the control unit 211 starts processing and notifies the user that processing is in progress. Specifically, the control unit 211 processes the workpiece 8 by irradiating the laser light W based on the processing pattern and the irradiation conditions of the laser light W (see FIG. 2) input by the user using the user interface 700 (see FIG. 4). The control unit 211 also transmits a control signal to the marking head 26 to notify the user that processing is in progress. As a result, processing is started, and the notification unit 271 notifies the user that processing is in progress. For example, if the notification unit 271 is an LED lamp, the notification unit 271 lights up in a color different from that during processing when not processing. Note that, when processing is resumed after interruption of processing (processing of step S635) described later, the control unit 211 resumes processing and transmits a control signal to the marking head 26 to notify the user that processing is in progress. As a result, processing is resumed, and the notification unit 271 notifies the user that processing is in progress.

Next, the control unit 211 determines whether the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 satisfies a predetermined condition (step S620). Specifically, when the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8, the control unit 211 determines that the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 satisfies the predetermined condition. If the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 satisfies the predetermined condition (YES in step S620), the control unit 211 transitions the process to step S625. On the other hand, if the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (NO in step S620), the control unit 211 interrupts the processing and interrupts the notification indicating that processing is in progress (for example, the illumination of the LED lamp) (step S635), and returns the process to step S605.

In step S625, the control unit 211 determines whether or not the processing is complete. The control unit 211 determines that the processing is complete when all of the processing patterns input by the user using the user interface 700 have been processed. If the processing is complete (YES in step S625), the control unit 211 stops the processing and ends the notification that the processing is in progress (step S630). Specifically, the control unit 211 stops the processing and sends a control signal to the marking head 26 instructing it to end the notification that the processing is in progress. This stops the processing and ends the notification that the processing is in progress (for example, the illumination of the LED lamp). After step S630, the control unit 211 returns the process to step S605.

In this way, the laser marker 1 in embodiment 1 determines whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300 satisfies a predetermined condition (whether the shielding plate 300 can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 to an extent that ensures the safety of the user) by the contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8. The laser marker 1 in embodiment 1 irradiates the laser light W and starts processing the workpiece 8, on the condition that the contact sensor 310 detects the contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8. If the contact sensor 310 is no longer able to detect the contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8 even after processing has started, the laser marker 1 suspends processing until the contact sensor 310 can detect the contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8. Therefore, in the laser marker 1 of embodiment 1, the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300 and the workpiece 8, that is, the shielding plate 300 is able to block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 to an extent that ensures the safety of the user, which is a condition for starting processing, and therefore ensures the safety of the user.

At least a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light. The transparent material that transmits visible light is a material that does not transmit invisible light. Since the laser light W irradiated by the marking head 26 is invisible light, even if a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light, the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 does not leak to the outside. Therefore, the user can safely check the state of the inside covered by the shielding plate 300 (the state of the workpiece 8) during processing. Note that, if it is not necessary to be able to check the state of the workpiece 8 during processing, the entire surface of the shielding plate 300 may be made of a material that does not transmit visible light.

[Embodiment 2]
In the laser marker 1 in embodiment 1, at least a part of the shielding plate 300 is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light. In contrast, in the laser marker in embodiment 2, the entire surface of the shielding plate is made of a material that does not transmit visible light. Below, differences from the laser marker 1 in embodiment 1 will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in embodiment 1, and description thereof will not be repeated.

The configurations different from the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the laser marker 1A in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the marking head 26A and the shielding plate 300A in the second embodiment. There are two configurations different from the first embodiment.

The first point is that the shielding plate 300A is made of a material that does not transmit visible light. As shown in FIG. 7, the shielding plate 300A does not have the window 301 (see FIG. 1) that the shielding plate 300 in embodiment 1 has, which allows visible light to pass through. Therefore, unlike the laser marker 1 in embodiment 1, it is not possible to check the state of the workpiece 8 in the space surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A through the window 301 during processing.

The second point is that, as shown in FIG. 8, the marking head main body 262A has an illumination device 269 and a camera unit 270. The camera unit 270 is positioned so that it can capture an image of the workpiece 8 in the shielded space surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A. When the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300A and the workpiece 8, the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A becomes a shielded space in which the laser light W does not leak to the outside. The illumination device 269 illuminates the shielded space. The camera unit 270 captures the inside of the shielded space illuminated by the illumination device 269 during processing, and acquires an image of the inside of the shielded space during processing. The image acquired by the camera unit 270 is transmitted to the controller 21 and displayed on the display device 6 (see FIG. 2). The image acquired by the camera unit 270 may be displayed on a display device other than the display device 6, such as a mobile terminal or a personal computer. Since the shielding plate 300A is made of a material that does not transmit visible light, when the shielding plate 300A is attached to the marking head body 262A, the user cannot look into the space S and cannot check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed. However, in the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the marking head body 262A has an illumination device 269 and a camera unit 270, so that the workpiece 8 in the shielded space during processing can be photographed, and the user can check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed.

The laser marker 1A can be attached to a stationary type laser processing device with the shielding plate 300A, the lighting device 269, and the camera unit 270 removed.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the lighting device 269 and the camera unit 270. Figure 9 shows the lighting device 269 and the camera unit 270 as viewed from the side of the workpiece 8. With reference to Figures 8 and 9, the camera unit 270 is arranged next to the condenser lens 267, and can capture an image of the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A. The lighting devices 269 (lighting devices 269a to 269h) are arranged to surround the camera window 270a and the laser emission section 268 of the camera unit 270, and can illuminate the entire space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A.

The lighting device 269 may be provided on the shielding plate 300A as long as it is positioned so as to illuminate the space S enclosed by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A. One or more lighting devices 269 may be provided so as to illuminate the space S enclosed by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A.

As described above, in the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the shielding plate 300A is made of a material that does not transmit visible light, so it is not possible to look into the shielded space. However, in the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the lighting device 269 can illuminate the inside of the shielded space during processing, and the camera unit 270 can take an image of the workpiece 8 in the shielded space, so that the user can check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed. Note that in cases where it is not necessary to check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed, the laser marker 1A does not need to be equipped with the lighting device 269 and the camera unit 270.

The start/stop process of processing in embodiment 2 is the same as the start/stop process of processing in embodiment 1. That is, in the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the condition for starting processing is that the contact sensor 310 detects contact between the shielding plate 300A and the workpiece 8, that is, that the shielding plate 300A can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26A to an extent that ensures the safety of the user, and therefore the safety of the user can be ensured.

When the shielding plate 300A does not have a contact sensor 310, the laser marker 1A may determine the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300A based on the external light entering the shielded space surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A. Specifically, the laser marker 1A photographs the inside of the space S with the camera unit 270, and determines the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300A based on the photographed image. Since the entire surface of the shielding plate 300A is made of a material that does not transmit visible light, when the shielding plate 300A is properly attached to the marking head main body 262A, the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A becomes a shielded space that does not allow external light to enter. Therefore, when the lighting device 269 is turned off and the inside of the shielded space is photographed with the camera unit 270, an image of the workpiece 8 cannot be obtained.

Therefore, the controller 21 turns off the lighting device 269, photographs the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300A, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26A with the camera unit 270, and if an image of the workpiece 8 cannot be obtained, it determines that the light-shielding state by the shielding plate 300A satisfies a predetermined condition, that is, that the shielding plate 300A can shield the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26A to a degree that ensures the safety of the user, and starts processing the workpiece 8. Also, even during processing, the controller 21 turns off the lighting device 269, photographs the inside of the space S with the camera unit 270, and if an image of the workpiece 8 can be obtained, it determines that the light-shielding state by the shielding plate 300A no longer satisfies the predetermined condition, and stops processing. The processing start/stop process is the same as the processing start/stop process shown in FIG. 6, except for the method of determination in the determination process (steps S605 and S620 shown in FIG. 6). Specifically, in the judgment process of steps S605 and S620, if an image of the workpiece 8 cannot be acquired, the control unit 211 judges that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300A satisfies the predetermined condition, and if an image of the workpiece 8 can be acquired, the control unit 211 judges that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300A does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

The laser marker 1A irradiates the laser light W and starts processing the object 8 on the condition that an image of the object 8 cannot be obtained when the illumination device 269 is turned off and an image of the space S is taken. If an image of the object 8 can be obtained even after processing has started, the laser marker 1A suspends processing until an image of the object 8 can no longer be obtained. Therefore, the laser marker 1A can ensure the safety of the user because the condition for starting processing is that an image of the object 8 cannot be obtained when the illumination device 269 is turned off and an image of the space S is taken, that is, that the shielding plate 300A can shield the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26A to an extent that ensures the safety of the user.

[Embodiment 3]
In the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the light blocking state caused by the shielding plate 300A is determined based on contact between the shielding plate 300A and the workpiece 8, or on the inability to obtain an image of the workpiece 8 when the lighting device 269 is turned off and an image is taken of the space S. In contrast, the laser marker in embodiment 3 uses an optical sensor to determine the light blocking state caused by the shielding plate. The following describes the differences from the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as in embodiment 2, and description thereof will not be repeated.

With reference to FIG. 10, a configuration different from that of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the laser marker 1B in the third embodiment. There are two configurations different from the second embodiment. The first is that the shielding plate 300B does not have a contact sensor 310 (see FIG. 8), and the second is that the marking head body 262B has an optical sensor 320. The shielding plate 300B is made of a material that does not transmit visible light on the entire surface, similar to the shielding plate 300A (see FIG. 7) in the second embodiment. The optical sensor 320 detects light in the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300B, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26B. The position at which the optical sensor 320 is provided may be any position at which the light in the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300B, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26B can be detected, and the optical sensor 320 may be provided on the shielding plate 300B. Since the entire surface of the shielding plate 300B is made of a material that does not transmit visible light, when the shielding plate 300B is properly attached to the marking head body 262B, the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300B, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26B becomes a shielded space that does not allow external light to enter, so the optical sensor 320 does not detect light.

Therefore, when the optical sensor 320 cannot detect external light entering the space S, the controller 21 determines that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300B satisfies a predetermined condition, that is, the shielding plate 300B can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26B to an extent that ensures the safety of the user, and starts processing the workpiece 8. Also, when the optical sensor 320 detects external light entering the space S during processing, the controller 21 determines that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300B no longer satisfies the predetermined condition, and stops processing. The processing start/stop process in the third embodiment is the same as the processing start/stop process shown in FIG. 6, except for the method of determination in the determination process (steps S605 and S620 shown in FIG. 6). Specifically, in the determination process of steps S605 and S620 in the third embodiment, if the optical sensor 320 cannot detect external light entering the shielded space, the control unit 211 determines that the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300B satisfies the predetermined condition, and if the optical sensor 320 can detect external light entering the shielded space, the control unit 211 determines that the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300B does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

The laser marker 1B can be attached to a stationary type laser processing device with the shielding plate 300B, the lighting device 269, the camera unit 270, and the optical sensor 320 removed.

In this way, the laser marker 1B in embodiment 3 determines whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300B satisfies a predetermined condition (whether the shielding plate 300B can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26B to an extent that ensures the safety of the user) based on the external light entering the shielded space surrounded by the shielding plate 300B, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26B. The laser marker 1B in embodiment 3 irradiates the laser light W and starts processing the workpiece 8, on the condition that the optical sensor 320 cannot detect external light entering the shielded space. If the optical sensor 320 detects external light entering the space S even after processing has started, the laser marker 1B suspends processing until the optical sensor 320 can no longer detect external light entering the space S. Therefore, in the laser marker 1B of embodiment 3, the condition for starting processing is that the optical sensor 320 cannot detect external light entering the shielded space, that is, the shielding plate 300B can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26B to an extent that ensures the safety of the user, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

In addition, in the laser marker 1B in embodiment 3, the shielding plate 300B is made of a material that does not transmit visible light, so it is not possible to look into the shielded space. However, in the laser marker 1B in embodiment 3, the lighting device 269 can illuminate the inside of the shielded space during processing, and the camera unit 270 can take an image of the workpiece 8 in the shielded space, so the user can check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed. Note that if it is not necessary to check the state of the workpiece 8 being processed, the laser marker 1B does not need to be equipped with the lighting device 269 and the camera unit 270.

[Fourth embodiment]
In the laser marker 1 in the first embodiment, the only shielding plate that prevents the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26 from leaking to the outside is the shielding plate 300 (first shielding plate) that can be attached to a position that surrounds the workpiece 8 between the marking head main body 262 and the workpiece 8. In contrast, the laser marker in the fourth embodiment further includes a second shielding plate that prevents the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside through a gap that occurs between the first shielding plate and the workpiece. The following describes the differences from the laser marker 1 in the first embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used for configurations that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

The configuration different from that of embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of laser marker 1C in embodiment 4. The configuration different from embodiment 1 is that laser marker 1C has two types of shielding plates (first shielding plate and second shielding plate).

The shielding plate 300C (first shielding plate) is removable from the marking head 26C and is attached to a position surrounding the workpiece 8 between the marking head body 262C and the workpiece 8 to prevent the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C from leaking to the outside. At least a portion of the shielding plate 300C is made of a material that transmits visible light. The shielding plate 300C also has a contact sensor 311 (contact sensors 311a, 311b) that detects contact between the shielding plate 300C and a shielding plate 350 described below. The detection result by the contact sensor 311 is used in a process of determining whether the light shielding state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 satisfies a predetermined condition. Therefore, a sufficient number of contact sensors 311 (which may be one or more) are provided on the shielding plate 300C to determine whether the light blocking state of the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 satisfies a predetermined condition.

The shielding plate 350 (second shielding plate) prevents the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C from leaking to the outside through a gap between the shielding plate 300C and the workpiece 8. The shielding plate 350 is made of a material that does not transmit visible light. The shielding plate 350 can be attached to the surface side of the shielding plate 300C that contacts the workpiece 8, and has an opening 355 corresponding to the size of the workpiece 8. As shown in FIG. 11, if the surface of the workpiece 8 is not flat, a gap will be generated between the shielding plate 300C and the workpiece 8, and the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C may leak to the outside through the gap. In the laser marker 1C in the fourth embodiment, even if a gap is generated between the shielding plate 300C and the workpiece 8, the shielding plate 350 can prevent the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C from leaking to the outside through the gap.

The shielding plate 350 also has elastic members 315 (members 315a, 315b) on the side that contacts the workpiece 8. This makes it difficult for gaps to form between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8, preventing the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C from leaking to the outside. In addition, the shielding plate 350 has elastic members 315 on the side that contacts the workpiece 8, preventing the workpiece 8 from being damaged by contact with the shielding plate 350.

The shielding plate 350 also has a contact sensor 312 (contact sensors 312a, 312b) that detects contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8. The detection result by the contact sensor 312 is used in a process of determining whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 satisfies a predetermined condition. Therefore, the shielding plate 350 is provided with a sufficient number of contact sensors 312 (which may be one or more) to determine whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 satisfies a predetermined condition.

When the contact sensor 311 detects contact between the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350, and the contact sensor 312 detects contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8, the space S surrounded by the shielding plate 300C, the shielding plate 350, the workpiece 8, and the marking head 26C becomes a shielded space in which the laser light W does not leak to the outside. In the laser marker 1C, the laser light W is emitted to process the workpiece 8 only when the contact sensor 311 detects contact between the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350, and the contact sensor 312 detects contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8.

The processing start/stop process in the fourth embodiment is the same as the processing start/stop process shown in FIG. 6 except for the judgment method in the judgment process (steps S605 and S620 shown in FIG. 6). Specifically, in the judgment process in the fourth embodiment, when the contact sensor 311 detects contact between the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 and the contact sensor 312 detects contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8, the control unit 211 judges that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 meets the predetermined condition, and when the contact sensor 311 does not detect contact between the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 or the contact sensor 312 does not detect contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8, the control unit 211 judges that the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 does not meet the predetermined condition.

The laser marker 1C can be attached to a stationary type laser processing device with the shielding plate 300C and shielding plate 350 removed.

In this way, even if a gap occurs between the shielding plate 300C and the workpiece 8, the laser marker 1C in embodiment 4 can prevent the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C from leaking to the outside through the gap by using the shielding plate 350, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

In addition, the laser marker 1C in the fourth embodiment determines whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 satisfies a predetermined condition (whether the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 can block the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C to an extent that ensures the safety of the user) based on the contact between the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 and the contact between the shielding plate 350 and the workpiece 8. The laser marker 1C in the fourth embodiment irradiates the laser light W and starts processing the workpiece 8, provided that the contact sensors 311 and 312 detect contact. If the contact sensors 311 and 312 are unable to detect contact even after processing has started, the laser marker 1C suspends processing until the contact sensors 311 and 312 are able to detect contact. Therefore, in the laser marker 1C of embodiment 4, the condition for starting processing is that contact is detected by contact sensor 311 and contact sensor 312, that is, that shielding plate 300C and shielding plate 350 can block the laser light W irradiated from marking head 26C to an extent that ensures the safety of the user, thereby ensuring the safety of the user.

At least a part of the shielding plate 300C is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light. The transparent material that transmits visible light is a material that does not transmit invisible light. Since the laser light W irradiated by the marking head 26C is invisible light, even if a part of the shielding plate 300C is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light, the laser light W irradiated from the marking head 26C does not leak to the outside. Therefore, the user can safely check the state of the inside covered by the shielding plate 300C and the shielding plate 350 (the state of the workpiece 8) during processing. Note that, if it is not necessary to be able to check the state of the workpiece 8 during processing, the entire surface of the shielding plate 300C may be made of a material that does not transmit visible light.

The configuration in which the laser marker is equipped with two types of shielding plates (first and second shielding plates) can also be applied to the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2 or the laser marker 1B in embodiment 3. When the configuration in which two types of shielding plates are equipped is applied to the laser marker 1A in embodiment 2, the processing start/stop process is the same as that in embodiment 4. Note that, as a method for determining the light blocking state caused by the shielding plates, the method described in embodiment 2 in which the inside of the space S is photographed with the camera unit 270 and the light blocking state caused by the shielding plates is determined based on the photographed image may be adopted. When the configuration in which two types of shielding plates are equipped is applied to the laser marker 1B in embodiment 3, the processing start/stop process is the same as that in embodiment 3.

[Summary]
The above describes the laser markers in each embodiment. In any of the laser markers in the embodiment, the laser marker irradiates the laser light and starts processing the object to be processed on the condition that the light blocking state by the shielding plate (shielding plate 300, shielding plate 300A, shielding plate 300B, shielding plate 300C, shielding plate 350) satisfies a predetermined condition (the shielding plate can block the laser light irradiated from the marking head to an extent that the safety of the user can be ensured). Even after starting processing, the laser marker determines whether the light blocking state by the shielding plate satisfies the predetermined condition, and if the light blocking state by the shielding plate no longer satisfies the predetermined condition, the laser marker suspends processing until the light blocking state by the shielding plate satisfies the predetermined condition. Therefore, in any of the laser markers in the embodiment, the condition for starting processing is that the light blocking state by the shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition, that is, that the shielding plate can block the laser light irradiated from the marking head to an extent that the safety of the user can be ensured, so that the safety of the user can be ensured.

[Additional Notes]
The above-described embodiment includes the following technical concept.

[Configuration 1]
A laser processing apparatus (1, 1A, 1B, 1C) for processing an object (8) by irradiating a laser beam (W),
a marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) that irradiates the laser light (W) onto the workpiece (8);
a first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) attached to the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C), surrounding a processing location of the workpiece (8) between the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) and the workpiece (8) to form a shielded space and prevent the laser light (W) irradiated from the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) from leaking to the outside from the shielded space;
A controller (21) for controlling the operation of the marking heads (26, 26A, 26B, 26C),
The controller (21)
When an instruction to start processing is received, a light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) is determined;
The laser processing device starts processing the object (8) when it is determined that the light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) satisfies a predetermined condition.

[Configuration 2]
The controller (21)
During processing, a light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) is determined;
The laser processing apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein processing of the object to be processed (8) is stopped when it is determined that the light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) does not satisfy the specified condition.

[Configuration 3]
The laser processing apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, further comprising an alarm unit (271) provided on the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) for notifying that the light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) satisfies the specified condition and processing can be started.

[Configuration 4]
a detection unit (310, 310a, 310b) that detects contact between the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) and the workpiece (8),
The laser processing apparatus of any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the controller (21) determines that the light-blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) satisfies the specified condition when the detection unit (310, 310a, 310b) detects contact between the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) and the workpiece (8).

[Configuration 5]
The laser light (W) emitted by the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) is invisible light,
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light.

[Configuration 6]
A lighting unit (269) for illuminating the inside of the shielded space;
Further comprising an image acquisition unit (270) for acquiring an image of the inside of the shielded space,
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the image acquisition unit (270) acquires an image of the object to be processed (8) in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination unit (269) during processing.

[Configuration 7]
The laser processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein a light blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) is determined based on external light entering the shielded space.

[Configuration 8]
Further comprising a detection unit (320) for detecting light in the shielded space,
The laser processing apparatus of configuration 7, wherein the controller (21) determines that the light-blocking state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) satisfies the specified condition when the detection unit (320) cannot detect external light entering the shielded space.

[Configuration 9]
Further comprising an image acquisition unit (270) for acquiring an image of the inside of the shielded space,
The laser processing apparatus of configuration 7, wherein the controller (21) determines that the light-shielding state by the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) satisfies the specified condition when the image acquisition unit (270) cannot acquire an image of the object to be processed (8) in the shielded space.

[Configuration 10]
Further comprising a lighting unit (269) for illuminating the inside of the shielded space,
The laser processing apparatus of configuration 9, wherein the image acquisition unit (270) acquires an image of the object to be processed (8) in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination unit (269) during processing.

[Configuration 11]
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) has an elastic member on the surface side that contacts the workpiece (8).

[Configuration 12]
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, further comprising a receiving unit (272) provided in the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) for receiving an instruction to start processing.

[Configuration 13]
The marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) includes a grip portion (261) that is gripped by a user,
The laser processing device (1, 1A, 1B, 1C) is a handy type laser processing device in which the user processes the workpiece (8) while holding the gripping portion (261). The laser processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 12.

[Configuration 14]
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, further comprising a second shielding plate (350) that can be attached to the surface side of the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) that contacts the workpiece (8), has an opening (355) corresponding to the size of the workpiece (8), and prevents the laser light (W) irradiated from the marking head (26, 26A, 26B, 26C) from leaking to the outside through a gap between the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) and the workpiece (8).

[Configuration 15]
The laser processing apparatus (1, 1A, 1B, 1C) is a laser processing apparatus that can be attached to a stationary type laser processing apparatus with the first shielding plate (300, 300A, 300B, 300C) and the second shielding plate (350) removed.The laser processing apparatus of configuration 14.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1, 1A, 1B, 1C laser marker, 6 display device, 7 input device, 8 workpiece, 21 controller, 26, 26A, 26B, 26C marking head, 28, 241 optical fiber, 29 communication cable, 110 processor, 120 memory, 121 ROM, 122 RAM, 123 flash memory, 130 communication interface, 140 pulse generating circuit, 210 control board, 211 control unit, 212 pulse generating unit, 213 storage unit, 214, 216, 217 communication processing unit, 220 driver, 230 driver power supply, 240 laser oscillator, 242, 243, 249A, 249B, 249C, 249D semiconductor laser, 244, 246, 264 isolator, 245, 248 coupler, 247 Bandpass filter, 261 gripping portion, 262, 262A, 262B, 262C marking head body, 263 guide light source, 265 dichroic mirror, 266 galvanometer scanner, 266a galvanometer mirror, 267 condensing lens, 268 laser emission portion, 269 lighting device, 270 camera unit, 270a camera window, 271 notification portion, 272 reception portion, 280 mounting portion, 300, 300A, 300B, 300C, 350 shielding plate, 301 window, 305, 315, 315a, 315b member, 310, 310a, 310b, 311, 311a, 311b, 312, 312a, 312b contact sensor, 320 optical sensor, 355 opening, 700 User interface, 701 drawing area, 702, 703, 750, 760 buttons, 710 laser/scanning tab, G guide light, W laser light.

Claims (14)

A laser processing apparatus that processes an object to be processed by irradiating a laser beam,
a marking head that irradiates the laser light onto the object to be processed;
a first shielding plate attached to the marking head, surrounding a processing location of the workpiece between the marking head and the workpiece to form a shielded space and preventing the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside from the shielded space;
A controller for controlling the operation of the marking head;
a notification unit provided in the marking head for notifying that a light blocking state by the first shielding plate satisfies a predetermined condition and processing can be started;
the predetermined condition being that the first shielding plate can shield the laser light irradiated from the marking head to an extent that the safety of a user can be ensured,
The controller:
determining whether or not a light blocking state by the first shielding plate satisfies the predetermined condition before starting processing of the object to be processed;
causing the notification unit to give a notification when the light blocking state by the first blocking plate satisfies the predetermined condition;
The laser processing device starts processing the object when an instruction to start processing is received after the notification by the notification unit . The controller:
determining a light blocking state by the first blocking plate during processing;
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein processing of the workpiece is stopped when it is determined that the light blocking state by the first blocking plate does not satisfy the predetermined condition. a detection unit that detects contact between the first shielding plate and the workpiece,
The laser processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the controller determines that the light-shielding state of the first shielding plate satisfies the specified condition when the detection unit detects contact between the first shielding plate and the workpiece . the laser light emitted by the marking head is invisible light,
4. The laser processing device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the first shielding plate is made of a transparent material that transmits visible light. An illumination unit that illuminates the inside of the shielded space;
An image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the inside of the shielded space is further provided,
4. The laser processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the image acquisition section acquires an image of the object to be processed in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination section during processing. 3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a light shielding state of said first shielding plate being determined based on external light entering said shielded space. A detector that detects light in the shielded space is further provided.
7. The laser processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller determines that the light blocking state by the first shielding plate satisfies the predetermined condition when the detection unit cannot detect external light entering the shielded space. An image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the inside of the shielded space is further provided,
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller determines that the light-shielding state by the first shielding plate satisfies the specified condition when the image acquisition unit cannot acquire an image of the object to be processed in the shielded space. Further comprising a lighting unit that illuminates the inside of the shielded space,
The laser processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the object in the shielded space illuminated by the illumination unit during processing. The laser processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the first shielding plate has an elastic member on a surface side that contacts the workpiece. The laser processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , further comprising a receiving unit provided in the marking head for receiving an instruction to start processing. The marking head includes a grip portion that is gripped by the user,
The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the laser processing apparatus is a handy type laser processing apparatus in which the user processes the object to be processed while holding the gripping portion. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a second shielding plate that can be attached to the side of the first shielding plate that contacts the workpiece, has an opening corresponding to the size of the workpiece, and prevents the laser light irradiated from the marking head from leaking to the outside through a gap between the first shielding plate and the workpiece. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the laser processing apparatus is a laser processing apparatus that can be attached to a stationary type laser processing apparatus in a state in which the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate are removed.

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