JPH04134287U - Laser emission unit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] In a laser emission unit equipped with a nozzle at the tip of the unit, when the nozzle is removed for reasons such as replacing the protective lens and then reattached, the positioning of the nozzle hole with respect to the optical axis can be adjusted. Make it unnecessary. [Structure] The receptacle 12, the first and second lens holding parts 16, 26, the adjustment ring 42, and the lock ring 44 constitute a unit main body. A joint part 46 having an L-shaped cross section is loosely fitted to the outside of the middle part of the second lens holding part 26, and this joint part 46 is connected to the first lens holding part 16 by four bolts 48 at 90 degree intervals, for example. is fixed to. An intermediate ring 54 is fixed to the joint portion 46 by three bolts 52, for example, at intervals of 120 degrees. This intermediate ring 54 has, for example, three
A nozzle 58 is fixed by two bolts 56. When attaching and fixing the intermediate ring 54 to the joint portion 46, loosen the bolt 52 and use the X-direction alignment adjustment screw 60 and the X-direction alignment adjustment screw (not shown) to align the nozzle hole 58b of the nozzle 58 with the optical axis. Adjustments are made to align the top.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Conventional technology]

This invention is a laser that emits laser light received from an optical fiber toward a workpiece, etc. Regarding the extraction unit.

0002

[Conventional technology]

The laser emission unit is used to perform laser processing at a location away from the laser oscillator. The unit basically consists of a connector part for attaching one end of the optical fiber, A collimator that converts laser light that is radially incident from the end face of an optical fiber into parallel light. Consisting of a laser beam and a condensing lens to condense the collimated laser beam. be done. Furthermore, gas (assist gas) to promote laser processing is added to the laser beam. When feeding the workpiece together with The gas is injected at the same time as the laser is emitted from the hole.

0003 FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a typical conventional example of this type of laser emitting unit. In this diagram In this case, the unit mounting plate 100 is a unit supporting means (not shown) such as a robot. It is attached and fixed to. An optical fiber (not shown) is provided on the outer surface of this unit mounting plate 100. A receptacle 102 is secured for receiving one end of the (not shown). unit installation A support tube 108 is attached to the inner surface of the plate 100 via a support plate 106 with bolts 104. is fixed. The base end of the cylindrical lens holding portion 110 is loosely fitted into this support tube 108. A collimator lens 112 and a condensing lens are installed inside the tip of this lens holder 110. 114 are provided. 111 and 113 fix both lenses 112 and 114 This is a stopper ring for.

0004 A screw 110a is cut on the outer circumferential surface of the proximal end of the lens holding portion 110, and this screw 110a A focus ring 116 and a lock ring 118 are screwed onto 10a. centre The base end of the focus ring 116 engages with the recess 108a of the support cylinder 108 and is rotatable. However, it cannot be moved in the direction of the optical axis. This allows you to When the lens holder 116 is turned, the lens holder 110 moves in the optical axis direction, and Therefore, both lenses 112 and 114 move in the same direction.

[0005] The tip of the lens holding portion 110 extends outward in an L-shape to form a large diameter portion 110b. However, the base end portion of the nozzle 120 fits loosely inside this large diameter portion 110b. And this For example, insert the tips of four nozzle axis adjustment screws 122 into the V groove 120a at the base end of the nozzle. The ends are pressed together from all sides. As a result, between these four nozzle axis adjustment screws 122, By adjusting the tightness, the nozzle 120 can be aligned in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Then, the nozzle hole 120b is positioned on the optical axis, and the nozzle 120 is attached to the lens holding part 11. 0 can be installed and fixed. A protective glass 124 is provided inside the nozzle 120. It is held between an O-ring 126 and a stopper ring 128.

[0006] In this laser emitting unit, an optical filter is attached and fixed to the receptacle 102. Laser light LB enters radially from the end face of a fiber (not shown) and is directed to a collimator beam. The light is made into parallel light by the lens 112, then condensed by the condenser lens 124, and then 128 and is emitted from the nozzle hole 120b.

[0007] Further, a gas inlet 120c is bored in the side of the nozzle 120, and this gas inlet A fitting 122 for receiving a gas pipe (not shown) is removably attached to the port 120c. I get kicked. into the nozzle 120 through this joint 122 and the gas introduction port 120c. The supplied assist gas is injected from the nozzle hole 120b. Irradiation of laser light By spraying assist gas at the position (processing point), the workpiece is oxidized and melted. This facilitates laser processing such as cutting. In this way, the nozzle of the nozzle 120 The nozzle hole 120b serves as a laser exit port for emitting the laser beam LB and an assist gas. It also serves as a gas injection port for injecting gas.

[0008]

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

By the way, as mentioned above, assist gas promotes oxidation and melting of the workpiece. When the workpiece is sprayed, a correspondingly large amount of splash will be generated from the workpiece, and some of it will reach the nozzle. It may enter the hole 120b and adhere to the protective glass 124 at the back.

[0009] Therefore, the protective glass 124 must be replaced or cleaned from time to time. do not have. In that case, loosen each nozzle axis adjustment screw 122 and adjust the lens holder 110. After removing the nozzle 120 and replacing or cleaning the protective glass 124, Attach the nozzle 120 to the lens holding part 110 again, and make sure that the position of the nozzle hole 120b is Appropriately tighten each nozzle axis adjustment screw 122 so that the nozzle 12 aligns with the optical axis. Fix 0.

0010 In this way, in the conventional laser emitting unit, it is necessary to replace the protective glass 124. Or, the nozzle 120 must be aligned after cleaning, which is troublesome. Met.

[0011] The present invention was developed in view of these problems, and is intended for use in replacing protective glass, etc. If you remove the nozzle and then reinstall it, the position of the nozzle hole relative to the optical axis may vary. An object of the present invention is to provide a laser emitting unit that does not require alignment adjustment.

0012

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above purpose, the laser emission unit of the present invention has a One end of the optical fiber is attached and fixed, and the laser beam incident from the end face of the optical fiber is collected. In a laser emission unit that emits light from a nozzle hole of a nozzle, A ring-shaped intermediate member is attached to the unit body so that it can be aligned in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. A configuration in which a nozzle is removably attached to a certain position with respect to this intermediate member. And so.

[0013]

[Effect]

In the laser emitting unit of the present invention, the nozzle part is attached to the intermediate member. In this state, align the intermediate member so that the nozzle hole is aligned with the optical axis. Once the adjustment is completed, fix the intermediate member to the unit body. From then on, the protective glass When removing the nozzle for replacing the nozzle, etc., remove it from the intermediate member and finish using it. If it is, reattach it to the intermediate member. Intermediate parts remain aligned Since it is attached to the unit body, the nozzle is in a fixed position relative to this intermediate member. By reattaching it, the position of the nozzle hole will be aligned on the optical axis.

[0014]

【Example】

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. Figure 1 shows this example. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the laser emitting unit according to Figure 3 is a side view showing the overall appearance of the laser emitting unit. FIG. 4 is a rear view of this laser emitting unit viewed from the base end side.

[0015] In these figures, the unit mounting plate 10 is a unit support means such as a robot. (not shown). An optical fiber is provided on the outer surface of this unit mounting plate 10. A receptacle 12 for receiving one end of a fiber (not shown) is inserted through a support tube 13. It will be fixed. A cylindrical groove is provided on the inner surface of the unit mounting plate 10 via the support plate 14. 1 lens holding part 16 is fixed by three bolts 18 at 120 degree intervals, for example. determined. A collimator lens is provided inside the tip of the first lens holder 16. 20 is held between the protrusion 22 and the stopper ring 24.

[0016] A cylindrical second lens holder 26 is loosely fitted to the outside of the first lens holder 16. It will be done. A condenser lens 28 is mounted inside the tip of the second lens holding portion 26. It is held between the upper ring 30 and the protrusion 32, and the protective glass 34 is It is attached so that it is sandwiched between the ring 36 and the glass holding lid 38. Ga The lath retaining lid 38 has a screw formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the second lens holding part 26. It is screwed onto the bolt 26a. As a result, by removing the glass retaining lid 38, you can The protective glass 34 can be replaced at any time.

[0017] A screw 26a is cut on the outer peripheral surface of the base end of the second lens holding portion 26, and this screw An adjustment ring 42 and a lock ring 44 are screwed onto 26a. Adjustment ring 4 The base end of the lens holder 2 engages with the recess 16a of the first lens holder 16 and is rotatable. However, it cannot be moved in the optical axis direction. As a result, the adjustment ring 42 When you turn , the second lens holder 26 is aligned with the first lens holder 16 in the optical axis direction. This causes the collimator lens 20 to remain fixed while the condensing lens 28 move in the same direction (forward or backward).

[0018] In this laser emitting unit, the above-mentioned unit mounting plate 10 and receptacle 12, first and second lens holding parts 16, 26, adjustment ring 42, lock ring The group 44 constitutes the unit main body.

[0019] A joint portion 46 having an L-shaped cross section is provided on the outside of the intermediate portion of the second lens holding portion 26. is loosely fitted. This joint part 46 is spaced, for example, at 90 degree intervals in its horizontal part. It is fixed to the middle part of the first lens holding part 16 by four bolts 48. An opening 2 for passing these bolts 48 is provided in the middle part of the second lens holding part 26. 6a is formed. 50 is for specifying the tightening condition of each bolt 48. It is in color.

[0020] The joint portion 46 is provided with three bolts 52 at intervals of 120 degrees, for example. Ring 54 is secured. Then, for example, apply a 120 degree angle to this intermediate ring 54. A nozzle 58 is fixed by three bolts 56 at intervals. For the joint part 46 When installing and fixing the intermediate ring 54, loosen the bolts 52 and move it in the X direction. The alignment adjustment screw 60 and the Y-direction alignment adjustment provided at right angles thereto. Align the nozzle hole 58b of the nozzle 58 on the optical axis with a setting screw (not shown). Adjustments will be made to The joint part 46 has a bolt 52 that can be moved. A large bolt through hole 46a is formed for this purpose.

[0021] In this way, in this laser emitting unit, once the nozzle hole 58b is aligned with the optical axis, The intermediate ring 54 is attached and fixed to the joint part 46 after alignment to ensure that the If so, no matter how many times you attach and detach the nozzle 58 for reasons such as replacing the protective glass 34, it will always work. Since the nozzle 58 is fixed at the same mounting position with respect to the intermediate ring 54, the position There is no need to perform alignment.

[0022] The inner peripheral surface of the intermediate ring 54 has a groove for drawing assist gas in the circumferential direction. 54a is formed. The assist gas is supplied from this groove 54a to the second lens holding The liquid passes through the gap 62 between the part 26 and the nozzle 58 and is sprayed from the nozzle hole 58b. In addition In FIGS. 3 and 4, 64 is a gas introduction joint connected to the intermediate ring 54. It is.

[0023] In this laser emission unit, from the end face of the proximal optical fiber (not shown) The radially incident laser beam LB is transmitted to the collimator held by the first lens holding part 16. The light enters the data lens 20, becomes parallel light there, and then enters the second lens holder 26. The light enters the held condensing lens 28, is condensed by this lens 28, and enters the nozzle hole. The light is emitted from 58b. To change the beam diameter of this emitted laser beam LB, Turn the adjustment ring 42 to align the second lens holder 26 and condensing lens 28 with the optical axis. move in a direction (forward or backward). In Fig. 2, 66 is a condenser lens position adjuster. It is a scale for regular maintenance.

[0024] In the embodiment described above, the cylindrical first lens holder 16 has an L-shaped cross section. Fix the joint part 46 and attach the intermediate ring 54 to this joint part 46. However, the joint portion 46 is formed integrally with the first lens holding portion 16. or by extending the proximal end of the nozzle 58 to the proximal end of the unit, It is also possible to attach the tag 54 to the unit mounting plate 10 or the like.

[0025] In addition, in the above-described unit, the laser beam LB is assisted from the nozzle hole 58b. It now emits togas. However, the laser beam is emitted without injecting assist gas. Even if the laser emitting unit is only used for A nozzle is installed at the tip of the unit as a cover to protect the lath as much as possible. This invention is also applicable to such units.

[0026]

[Effect of the idea]

By having the above-mentioned configuration, the present invention has the following effects. Ru. A ring-shaped intermediate member is attached to the unit body so that it can be aligned in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. At the same time, the nozzle part is removably attached to this intermediate member at a certain position. By attaching it, you can remove and install the nozzle many times to replace the protective glass, etc. Even if the nozzle is always located on the optical axis, Since it can be reattached to the main unit, there is no need to repeatedly make troublesome alignment adjustments. This saves time and reduces the burden on the workers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a laser emitting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall appearance of the laser emitting unit of the example.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the laser emitting unit of the embodiment as seen from the tip side.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the laser emitting unit of the embodiment viewed from the base end side.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional laser emitting unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Unit mounting plate 12 Receptacle 16 First lens holding part 18 volts 20 Collimator lens 26 Second lens holding part 28 Condensing lens 42 Adjustment ring 46 Joint part 52 volts 54 Intermediate ring 56 volts 58 Nozzle 58b nozzle hole

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A laser emitting unit in which one end of an optical fiber is attached and fixed to the base end of the unit, and laser light incident from the end face of the optical fiber is focused and emitted from a nozzle hole of a nozzle. A laser emitting unit characterized in that a ring-shaped intermediate member is attached to a main body so as to be aligned in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, and the nozzle is detachably attached at a fixed position with respect to the intermediate member.