JPH0127836B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a laser processing device, and particularly includes a mechanism for precisely and quickly adjusting the focal point position by numerical control in accordance with the thickness of the workpiece, and furthermore, facilitates nozzle replacement. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a laser processing device equipped with a mechanism that improves operability and safety by making improvements such as separating it from the optical system and making it detachable.

With conventional laser processing machines, it takes a lot of time to replace the condensing lens, and it is also quite troublesome to adjust the convergence point position and adjust the nozzle to accommodate changes in the thickness of the workpiece. It was hot.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has made significant improvements in terms of operability and safety.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing only the perpendicular irradiation part of a laser processing device to a workpiece as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof. It is a front view.

In the figure, number 1 is the front plate of the laser oscillation device that forms the base, and the back side of the paper in Figure 1, the left side of this front plate in Figure 2, and the right side in Figure 3 are the laser oscillation device It forms a frame that forms the main body. Reference numeral 3 denotes a mirror case installed at the front upper part. A laser beam generated by an oscillation device and containing energy is guided horizontally into this case and directed vertically by a reflecting mirror (not shown). The light then passes through the bellows 5 and heads for the condensing lens, which will be described later. Note that 7 is a hollow body bracket that supports the case 3 and guides the laser beam.

As mentioned above, the position where the laser beam irradiates the workpiece and processes it is separated by the front plate of the oscillator, so all the equipment and equipment described below must be supported in a cantilevered manner from the front plate. . This device has two systems of support mechanisms, and the first bracket 9 has an overhang of approximately the same size as the hollow body bracket, and has two support mechanisms, which will be described later, located at the center of the left and right sides when viewed from the front.
There are vertical guide bars 1 on the left and right sides that fix the chamber cylinder and guide the upper unit board up and down, which will be described later.
1 and 11, and air buffer devices 13 and 13 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 are fixed to the left and right sides thereof. The second brackets 15, 15 are divided into two left and right parts, and as shown in FIG. Cylinders 17, 17 for storing energy are attached.

The first bracket 9 includes a two-chamber cylinder 19 that is perpendicular to the rear side of the vertical laser optical axis when viewed from the front.
is fixed as shown in Figure 3. This cylinder has an upper unit board which will be described later.
It constitutes a vertical movement device that allows the cylinder to be positioned in at least three lower positions, and the cylinder chamber is composed of two parts: a large-diameter cylinder chamber 21 and a small-diameter cylinder chamber 23, and the large-diameter cylinder chamber slides within the large-diameter cylinder chamber. The piston rod 27 of the piston 25 has the same diameter as the outer diameter of the small-diameter piston 29 in the small-diameter cylinder chamber, and the piston rod of the small-diameter piston extends downward for a long time so that the piston 33 inside the second cylinder 31
is formed. The bottom of the second cylinder has a screw cap 3
5, and an upper unit support plate 37, which is horizontally and integrally provided at the lower part of the upper unit board, is sandwiched between the second cylinder and the screw cap.

The laser cylinder 39 whose upper end is connected to a bellows has a threaded part 41, and a worm foil 43 screwed into the threaded part is attached to the outside of the laser cylinder 39, and a bearing 4 is attached to the top and bottom of the laser cylinder 39.
The worm wheel meshes with a worm gear 47, and the worm gear is supported by bearings 49, 49 and is rotatable. A bevel gear 51 is fixed to one end of the worm gear, and this bevel gear meshes with another bevel gear 53 fixed to the shaft of a DC servo motor 55.

From these worm gears and worm wheels
As is clear from FIG. 6, the drive mechanism up to the DC servo motor is fixed by a bracket 57 to an upper unit board 59 that can be moved up and down by the cylinder 19, and the upper end of the laser cylinder. A bracket 63 for fixing the dial gauge 61 is fixed to the bracket 63, and the rear end of this bracket is rotated while being slidable only in the vertical direction by a guide block 65 having vertical grooves provided between the bracket and the upper unit board. for preventing movement,
The laser cylinder itself moves up and down without rotating at all. Note that 67 is the abutment of the tip of the dial gauge, and since it is integrated with the upper unit board 59, the vertical movement of the laser cylinder is instructed by the dial gauge.

In this embodiment, the so-called optical system up to the condensing lens 69 is used as an upper unit, and the nozzle 71 and the assist gas chamber 7 disposed below the upper unit.
3. The part including the plate pressing roller device 75 is collectively referred to as the lower unit 77, and its major feature is that the lower unit is detachable.

First, the lower unit shown in FIG. 3 is detachable from the locking hole of the upper unit support plate 37.
More specifically, three clamp nails 79 protrude from the upper part of the lower unit, and a disc 83 provided on the upper surface of the upper unit support plate 37 protrudes from the upper part of the lower unit.
It engages with a tapered attachment/detachment opening 81 provided in the.
The attachment/detachment opening is an arc-shaped elongated hole, with a hole large enough to allow the head of the clamp nail to be inserted, and a small diameter hole large enough for the neck of the clamp nail to pass through, at both ends. It is curved, and the overhanging part becomes a board that goes up toward the smaller diameter.

Therefore, insert the clamp nail into the large diameter hole of the attachment/detachment port, and then press the lever 85 (first, second,
3) counterclockwise when viewed from above, the lower unit will be tightly fixed to the upper unit. In Fig. 4B, the limit switch 87 for confirming that the upper and lower units are connected is connected to the disk 83.
This figure shows the state in which it is in contact with a dog 89 provided in a part of the body. Incidentally, in FIG. 3, a spring-like spring 91 is inserted between the upper unit and the lower unit. Further, a plate pressing roller device 75 is provided at the lower end of the lower unit, and a roller 93 that comes into direct contact with the plate material is pivotally supported by a bracket 95, which is rotatable by a bearing 97 provided in the lower unit. ing.

Inside the lower unit is the nozzle 71 described above, and a threaded portion 99 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle.
A rotary nozzle adjustment ring 101 is provided with an internal thread that engages with the thread. The hollow part inside the nozzle is the above-mentioned assist gas chamber 73, and the pressure of this can be measured and monitored using the pressure gauge 103.

Reference numeral 105 is an emergency stop sensor that extends from the lower end of the first bracket 9 to both sides of the lower unit, and detects when a carriage or the like that transports the workpiece approaches the lower unit abnormally during work. This is to perform an emergency stop of the material feeding device.

Also, as seen in Figures 1, 3, and 5,
When viewed from the front, a knob 107 is located at the lower back of the right end, extends along the lower edge of the first bracket 9 to almost directly below the second cylinder 31, and rotates the bevel gears 109 and 111 here.
3 and one internally threaded cylinder 113 is rotated. The shaft rod 115, which has a threaded portion that engages with the internal thread of this cylinder and also serves as the shaft of the bevel gear 111, can be moved up and down by rotating a knob, and the second cylinder 3
The function is to determine the lowest position of the screw cap 35 of No. 1. Reference numeral 117 in FIG. 5 is a locking knob that is locked after adjusting the lowermost position of the screw cap.

As described above, the present invention is divided into an upper unit and a lower unit, and the lower unit is extremely easy to attach and detach from the upper unit, the condenser lens can be replaced safely, and the thickness of the workpiece can be changed easily. In addition to numerically controlling the focal position using a DC motor, the height of the nozzle from the workpiece can also be adjusted externally, making it easier to safely check the attachment of the lower unit. Equipment is also available.

In addition, a two-chamber cylinder is provided, and by the action of a plurality of dogs on the left and right sides of the upper unit board and a limit switch installed on the front plate of the main unit, the upper and lower units can be positioned at least at the machining position closest to the workpiece. It is also possible to take up any two higher positions instantly, and because it is equipped with an air dampener, the movement is not likely to be explosive.

In addition, a pair of left and right plate holding cylinders are installed at positions aligned with the laser optical axis, and rollers are installed around the nozzle to hold down the workpiece, allowing it to withstand sudden changes in the thickness of the workpiece. It is configured so that it can be followed.

As can be understood from the above description of the embodiments, the gist of the present invention is as described in the claims.As is clear from the description, the present invention includes a condenser lens. The lower unit, which is equipped with a laser cylinder and a nozzle, is supported by an upper unit board that is vertically movable, and the lower unit is detachably attached. The upper unit board can be moved up and down in at least three stages, upper, middle, and lower, by a vertical operating device mounted on the base.

Therefore, for example, when the condensing lens or the like needs to be replaced due to deterioration, the upper unit board can be moved to the upper position, the lower unit can be attached or detached from that position, and the condensing lens can be replaced. be. That is, since the lower unit can be attached and detached and the condensing lens can be replaced while a large space is provided between the lower unit and the plate material to be laser processed, attachment and detachment and replacement can be easily performed. In addition, after replacing the condenser lens, the upper unit board is moved to the lower position to perform laser processing, but in order to perform laser processing at multiple distant locations on the board, it is necessary to move the board relatively. When performing this, by moving the upper unit board to the middle position, for example, even if a protrusion is formed on the board, the lower unit can be moved quickly without coming into contact with the protrusion. In addition, since it is only necessary to lower the laser beam from the middle position when starting laser processing, idle time can be reduced and work efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the upper unit substrate is vertically movable within a predetermined range with respect to the vertical operating device, and a plurality of rotating bodies are arranged around the nozzle in the lower unit to contact the upper surface of the plate material to be laser processed. For example, if the plate material has some undulations, the nozzles, etc. will move up and down directly following the undulations, causing the condensing lens, nozzle, etc. and the plate material to move up and down. Laser processing is performed while keeping the interval constant. Therefore, even if the plate material has warps or undulations, the machining conditions will not change and highly accurate machining can be performed.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be implemented in other embodiments by making appropriate changes.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a perpendicular irradiation part of a laser processing device to a workpiece as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view of the same, and FIG. 3 is a right side view of the same. , FIG. 4A is a view taken in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1, showing a portion where the lower unit is attached to and removed from the upper unit. Figure 4B is B- in Figure 4A.
It is a cross-sectional view of B. Figure 5 shows - of Figure 3.
A cross-sectional view showing the processing position (height) fine adjustment mechanism of the irradiation device. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - arrow direction in FIG. 1, and shows a focus adjustment mechanism based on numerical control. FIG. 7 is a view in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1, showing the area around the air shock absorber cylinder. Explanation of symbols representing main parts of the drawing, 9...first bracket, 11...guide, bar, 13...
Air shock absorber, 15...Second bracket, 17...
...Plate holding cylinder, 19...Two-chamber cylinder, 3
1... Second cylinder, 37... Upper unit support plate, 59... Upper unit board, 69... Condensing lens, 71... Nozzle, 75... Plate holding cylinder, 77... Lower unit, 79... Clamp nail, 81... Attachment/removal port, 101... Rotating nozzle adjustment ring, 105... Emergency stop sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A condensing lens 69 is attached to the laser cylinder 39 on the upper unit board 59 which is vertically movably supported on the base.
The upper unit support plate 37 is provided at the lower part of the upper unit board 59, and the lower unit 77, which is provided with a nozzle 71 at the lower part, is removably installed. A vertical actuating device is mounted on the base to support the upper unit board 59 so that it can move up and down within a range of The nozzle 71 in the lower unit 77
A laser processing apparatus characterized in that a plurality of rotating bodies are disposed around the periphery of the plate material, the rotating bodies being in contact with the upper surface of a plate material to be laser processed.