JPH0331514Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] "Field of industrial application" This invention relates to a laser processing machine that uses laser light to drill a large number of holes in a hoop or the like.

"Prior Art" It is well known that pores can be drilled in thin plates of metal, plastic, rubber, etc. using laser light. This technique has been applied to make a large number of perforations in a long thin tape of a constant width (hereinafter, a tape with a large number of perforations or a material is referred to as a hoop).

Conventionally, hoop holes are drilled using a processing head that projects laser light in a direction perpendicular to the hoop plate surface, and feeding is performed by continuously feeding the hoop in the width direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the hoop. This is done by intermittently projecting a laser beam across the entire width of the hoop, and once a row of holes has been drilled across the entire width of the hoop, the hoop is sent in the longitudinal direction one pitch between the holes to be drilled, and the processing head is moved back and forth. The holes are sequentially perforated by feeding in the width direction over the entire width of the hoop.
A large number of pores are formed in the hoop by repeating the reciprocating movement of the processing head in the width direction of the hoop and the feeding of the hoop in the longitudinal direction.

In other drilling directions, the hoop is continuously fed in the longitudinal direction, and the laser beam is projected onto the hoop only during the forward movement of the processing head, and not during the backward movement to form a hoop with a similar number of pores. Ru.

``Problem that the invention aims to solve'' However, in the conventional hoop processing method, the processing head moves back and forth, so acceleration and deceleration are repeated to change the direction of the reciprocating movement of the processing head. In order to make it smaller, the acceleration must be made smaller, which requires wasted time. In addition, since inertial force acts, the rigidity of the device is greatly affected and the device tends to be large.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks in processing hoops and the like, and to provide a laser processing machine that can operate smoothly, reduce wasted time, and can be miniaturized.

[Structure of the idea]

``Means to solve the problem'' This idea is for a laser processing machine that uses a laser beam to process a large number of pores that must be arranged at a constant pitch on a workpiece. A spiral reflecting surface having a lead in the axial direction of the cylinder centered on the axial center of the cylinder is formed on the cylinder, and the reflecting surface is emitted from a direction parallel to the axial center of the cylinder. The laser beam intersects with the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder so that it is reflected in a certain direction, and a workpiece is placed at a position to receive the laser beam reflected by the reflecting surface, and the laser beam generating means and the cylinder are rotated. The apparatus includes a moving means for a condensing lens that moves in the axial direction of the cylinder in synchronization with the rotation of the cylinder disposed in front of the workpiece, and a control device between the laser beam generating means and the cylinder rotation drive device. It is a laser processing machine.

"Function" It operates by associating the cylinder with the laser beam generating means. That is, the cylinder is rotated intermittently and the laser beam generating means is driven while the cylinder is stopped, or the cylinder is continuously rotated and the laser beam generating means is driven at regular intervals. The former is suitable when the workpiece cannot be perforated unless the laser beam is projected for a relatively long period of time, and the latter is suitable when the workpiece is thin and made of an easily perforated material and can be perforated by simply projecting the laser beam for a very short period of time. .

The laser beam emitted from the laser beam generating means is reflected at one reflection point on the reflective surface of the spiral, and is imaged on the workpiece through the condenser lens moved by the condenser lens moving means. perforate.
When the cylinder rotates by one pitch between the pores, the reflection point moves one pitch in the axial direction of the cylinder, and the condenser lens also moves one pitch in the same direction, where the laser beam is emitted and the workpiece is illuminated in the same direction. Adjacent pores are drilled in pitch. When this process is repeated, pores are arranged in the workpiece within a width range limited to the lead of the reflective surface of the spiral. After the end holes are drilled, the workpiece is sent and drilled in the same manner.

"Example" Hereinafter, an example of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view. A cylinder 2 is fixed to the shaft end of a fixed motor 1. The axial center of this cylinder 2 and the axial center of the motor shaft of the motor 1 coincide. The end surface of the cylinder 2 opposite to the motor 1 has the axis of the cylinder 2 as the center line, and is aligned in the axial direction of the cylinder 2.
The spiral reflecting surface 3 has a lead with respect to a cylindrical rotation angle of 180 degrees. The following end face is 180
Regarding the rotation angle in degrees, the shape is such that the surface does not reflect the laser beam or the reflected laser beam does not face the workpiece 6. This reflecting surface 3 is an end face reflecting mirror and is finished through the same process as a normal reflecting mirror. A laser beam 5 is applied to this reflective surface 3 from a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder 2.
A pulse laser oscillator 4 is provided so that The workpiece 6 is arranged in a direction in which the plate surface intersects the reflected light from the reflection point 3-i of the reflection surface 3 of the laser beam 5, and when the workpiece 6 is a hoop, it is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. (feeding device not shown).

A signal from an encoder 7 coaxial with the motor 1 is sent to a counting circuit 8, and the counting circuit 8 sends a signal to a laser drive circuit 9 in a timely manner, and the laser drive circuit 9 drives a pulsed laser oscillator 4 to emit a laser beam 5. It has become a control device that allows

Here, the reflective surface 3 has a lead angle of 45 degrees, and when drilling a hole perpendicular to the plate surface of the workpiece 6, the cylinder 2
The axis of the workpiece 6 and the workpiece 6 are parallel to each other. If the lead angle of the reflective surface 3 is other than 45°, the workpiece 6 must be tilted with respect to the axis of the cylinder 2 if the laser beam 5 is to be perpendicular to the plate surface of the workpiece 6.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of FIG. 1, showing a means for moving the condenser lens that moves in the axial direction of the cylinder 2 in synchronization with the rotation of the cylinder 2. FIG. A cam groove 11 is continuously provided between 180 degrees of the outer circumference of the cylinder 2 with the same lead as the reflecting surface 3, and then in the opposite direction with the same lead. The reflective surface 3 and the cam groove 11 are connected to the reflection point 3-i of the laser beam on the reflective surface 3 and the cam follower 1 inserted in the cam groove 11.
5 is shifted in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 2 by an angle of 90 degrees. Guide bars 12, 12 whose both ends (not shown) are fixed to immovable parts parallel to the cylinder 2.
A lens carriage 13 is movably engaged with. The lens carriage 13 includes a condensing lens 14,
A cam follower 15 that engages with the cylindrical cam groove 11 is provided.

Next, I will explain the effect. When the workpiece 6 is a thin plate and is made of a material that is easily perforated, the motor 1 rotates continuously. In this case, since the emitting time of the laser beam 5 is about 0.0005 seconds for an extremely small hole, if the motor 1 is rotated at a sufficiently slow speed compared to this, a substantially circular hole will be drilled. The rotation of motor 1 is determined by encoder 7.
The pulse signal is captured by a counting circuit 8 and counted by a counting circuit 8. At the position shown in the figure, the laser drive circuit 9 is driven by the signal from the counting circuit 8, the pulse laser oscillator 4 emits laser light 5, and the reflection surface 3-
i (i=4), the laser beam 5 is projected onto the workpiece 6 toward the perforation point 6-i (i=2), and is focused on the workpiece 6 by the condenser lens 14,
The workpiece 6 is perforated. This perforation is done by laser beam 5
It ends up being emitted for a very short time as a pulse. Subsequently, since the motor 1 is rotating, the encoder 7 emits a pulse signal, and the counting circuit 8, which was sent out because the signal for the previous laser beam emission was sent to the laser drive circuit 9, is again output from the encoder 7. Count pulse signals.

As the cylinder 2 rotates, the spiral reflecting surface 3 rotates around the axis of the cylinder 2, so the reflection point is 3-
Move from i in the axial direction of the cylinder. At the same time, cam groove 1
1 sends the cam follower 15 and the lens carriage 13 along the guide bar 12, so that the condenser lens 14 follows the reflection point directly below. When the next reflection point 3-(i+1) rotates onto the optical path of the laser beam 5, from the reflection point 3-i of the cylinder 2 to 3-(i
The rotation angle in the circumferential direction of +1) is sent as a pulse signal by the encoder 7 to the counting circuit 8.
The counting circuit 8 sends a signal to the drive circuit 9 based on the number of the total signals, and the drive circuit 9 causes the pulse laser oscillator 4 to emit the laser beam 5. Reflection point 3-(i+
1) is coming, the laser beam 5 is reflected at the reflection point 3-(i
+1) to reflect. Therefore, the laser beam 5 is refracted by 90 degrees and projected onto the perforation point 6-(i+1), which is a pitch P away from the perforation point 6-i, through the condensing lens 14, which moves with the movement of the reflection point. Processed. The pitch P between the first perforation point 6-i and the second perforation point 6-(i+1) is the distance between the laser beams 5 which are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the workpiece 6 as shown. Thereafter, pore groups are arranged in parallel in the perforation point 6-i row in the same manner. When drilling a row of holes in the workpiece 6, this is the end of the machining.

In the case where the workpiece 6 has pores in a grid pattern, the reflective surface 3 reflects the laser beam to the workpiece 6 side for only 180 degrees of rotation of the cylinder 2, so the 180 degrees of the cylinder 2 rotates only 180 degrees. For example, when drilling nine pores in the workpiece 6, the reflective surface 3 between 8P is used, and the reflection point 3-i of the laser beam 5 on the reflective surface 3 moves in the axial direction of the cylinder 2. When the cylinder 2 is rotated by the angle of rotation corresponding to the amount 8P, then Fig. 3A
While the cylinder 2 rotates in the same direction from point B to point B, the workpiece 6 is fed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing by one pitch perpendicular to the pitch P in the drawing. Since the cylinder 2 is rotating in the same direction, it is not reflected to the workpiece 6 from point A in Figure 3, where the reflective surface of the spiral ends, but it is reflected again from point B due to the subsequent 180 degree rotation of the cylinder 2. The surface 3 comes to a position where it can receive the laser beam 5, and the reflected light of the laser beam 5 punches the perforation point 7-i shown in FIG. ) are machined, and similarly, holes are drilled in the row of punching points 7-i in the same direction as the row of punching points 6-i. Thus, drilling point 7-
With the continued rotation of the cylinder 2 corresponding to n, the workpiece 6 is advanced and the next row of holes is drilled.

In this way, the motor 1 rotates continuously or intermittently in one direction, so that even if the device is small, it has vibration and rigidity, shortens machining time, and improves efficiency.

In the embodiment, the reflecting surface 3 is set at a central angle of 180 degrees from the end surface of the cylinder 2.
Although the center angle is set within the range of 360 degrees, it is also possible to set the center angle at 360 degrees as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Although FIG. 6 shows only the cylinder, the overall structure is the same as that of the previous embodiment. In FIG. 6, the reflective surface 3 is formed on the end face of the cylinder 2 corresponding to one lead L of the spiral. Therefore, the limit position C of the reflection surface 3 on the reflection point 3-1 side and the limit position D of the reflection surface 3 on the reflection point 3-n side match in FIG. 4, which is a front view of the cylinder 2 viewed from the axial direction.
The limit positions of these reflective surfaces 3 are located at positions that differ by the lead L in the axial direction. Cam groove 11 is on reflective surface 3
One lead L is provided with a 90 degree phase difference, and one lead L is connected and twisted in the opposite direction. In this case, the cam follower 15 has a boat-shaped slider rotatably attached to a cylindrical pin fixed to the lens carriage 13, and the slider is movably fitted into the cam groove 11.

In the embodiment, the cylindrical end face is a spiral reflective surface, but the same effect can be obtained by providing a spiral protrusion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical surface as a reflective surface (see FIG. 5).
Furthermore, although the cylinder 2 is supported on one side, it can also be supported on both sides.

In the embodiment, the cylinder is continuously rotated, but in the case of intermittent rotation, the cylinder is intermittently rotated at a rotation angle corresponding to the pore spacing 1P.

In the embodiment, a cam device was provided as a means for moving the condensing lens to move the lens carriage, but a nut was fixed to the lens carriage, supported by a bearing fixed to the nut, and arranged parallel to the guide bar. The feed screw and the cylinder may be connected by, for example, a winding transmission device or a synchronous motor. Alternatively, a direct-acting hydraulic cylinder may be used to index and move the lens carriage at intervals of the pitch P of the projected light.

This idea was developed for a laser processing machine that uses laser light to process a large number of pores arranged at a constant pitch on a workpiece. A spiral reflecting surface with a lead in the axial direction of the cylinder is formed around the axis of the cylinder, and the reflecting surface reflects laser light emitted from a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder in a fixed direction. A workpiece is arranged on a plate that intersects with the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder and receives the laser beam reflected by the reflective surface, and the means for generating the laser beam, the cylinder rotation drive device, and the workpiece are arranged in front of the workpiece. Since the laser processing machine is equipped with a means for moving a condensing lens that moves in the axial direction of the cylinder in synchronization with the rotation of the cylinder, and a control device between the means for generating laser light and the rotary drive device for the cylinder, the apparatus is simple. Since the motion is smooth and vibrations do not occur even if the device rigidity is small, the device can be made smaller. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the processing speed and achieve high efficiency. In the embodiment, since the movement of the condensing lens is driven by a cam device, the movement direction can be smoothly changed at the movement limit position.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cylinder with a reflective surface, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the workpiece. , FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a side view of essential parts of another embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6. 1... Motor, 2... Cylinder, 3... Reflective surface, 4
...Pulse laser oscillator, 5...Laser light, 6...
... Workpiece, 7 ... Encoder, 8 ... Counting circuit, 9 ... Laser drive circuit, 11 ... Cam groove, 1
2... Guide bar, 13... Lens carriage, 1
4... Condensing lens, 15... Cam follower.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A laser processing machine uses laser light to process a large number of pores arranged at a constant pitch on a workpiece, and is equipped with a cylinder that is supported to rotate around its axis. A spiral reflecting surface with a lead in the axial direction of the cylinder is formed with the center as the center, and the reflecting surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder so that the laser beam emitted from the direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder is reflected in a certain direction. A workpiece is placed at a position to receive the laser beam reflected by the reflecting surface, and a means for generating the laser beam, a cylindrical rotation drive device, and a cylinder placed in front of the workpiece are connected to the workpiece. A laser processing machine equipped with a means for moving a condensing lens that moves in the axial direction of a cylinder in synchronization with rotation, a control device between a means for generating laser light, and a rotational drive device for the cylinder.