JPH06155052A - Laser marker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly and easily execute marking for hatching excellent in quality. CONSTITUTION:Hatching pattern generating devices 7, 8 consist of a respectively common hatching line (hereinafter refered to as line) setting means 9 and each- line connecting means 10, 11. The coordinate data at both ends of each segment of a line when a parallel straight-line group for hatching is divided with profile of a hatching region are determined by the setting means 9. Respective adjacent lines are connected at the ends of alternate sides by the hatching means 10. The respective adjacent lines are connected at the ends of alternate sides with a vertical line by the hatching connecting means 11. The hatching pattern as a continuous line is inputted to a control part 6 from the respective hatching connecting means 10, 11 and deflection angle commands are sent to actuators 5u, 5v with which deflecting mirrors 2u, 2v for marking are driven.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser marker for marking a hatching pattern by continuously irradiating a laser beam on the surface of a work, and particularly, a hatching pattern generator is used to quickly and easily perform a high quality marking. The laser marker used in

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The configuration of a conventional example will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a configuration diagram common to an embodiment according to the invention described later. In the configuration of the conventional example, the hatching pattern generation devices 7 and 8 in FIG. 1 are excluded. The laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 1 for the YAG laser is oscillated by the deflection mirrors 2u and 2v at right angles to each other, passes through the fθ lens 3 and is applied to the surface of the work 4. In other words, the laser light irradiation location is the deflection mirror 2
The surface of the work 4 is scanned by u and 2v, and the portion of this scanning locus is shallowly engraved and marked by the thermal action of the laser light. The fθ lens 3 is a special condensing lens, which displaces the laser light, which is deflected by the deflection mirrors 2u and 2v and enters at a relatively large incident angle, to a position corresponding to the incident angle and focuses it.

The deflection mirrors 2u and 2v are directly connected to the corresponding actuators 5u and 5v. This each actuator
The positions (rotation angles) of 5u and 5v are controlled by the control unit 6. The rotation axis of the deflection mirror 2u is an axis that passes through the central portion and is perpendicular to the paper surface. The rotation axis of the deflection mirror 2v is a central axis included in the mirror surface and parallel to the paper surface. Therefore,
The laser light is swung in the X-axis direction on the surface of the work 4 by the rotation of the deflection mirror 2u, and the Y-axis (perpendicular to the paper surface) on the surface of the work 4 by the rotation of the deflection mirror 2v.
Will be shaken in the direction.

By the way, in the conventional example, marking corresponding to hatching, that is, marking in which a predetermined region of the contour U is entirely crushed by parallel lines is performed by the following laser beam swing. FIG. 6 is an illustrative view thereof, in which X and Y axes which are perpendicular to each other are set on the surface of the work. First, the laser light is put into an emitting state, goes straight in the positive direction from point F to X, marks to point G, then stops the laser light, and returns obliquely along the broken line from point G to point H. Next, the laser beam is turned on again, and X
And goes straight to the point I, and similarly, the movement between the contour lines shown by the left and right dashed lines is repeated. At the time of marking, since the swing is parallel to the X-axis, only the deflection mirror 2u in FIG. 3 need be moved, but at the time of returning by the broken line, the respective deflection mirrors 2u, 2v maintain a predetermined rotational speed relationship. It will be rotated at the same time.

[0005]

The conventional marking has the following drawbacks. First, the swing of the laser beam in the positive direction in the X direction is effective as marking, but the swing in the negative direction of the folded back in the approximately X direction is not marked. It is only marked. Secondly, when the swing direction in the X direction is reversed at the turning point, it is necessary to take a slight pause period of the scanner, which wastes time.
Therefore, the marking time increases for both the first and the second. Thirdly, since the laser beam repeats each state of emitting and stopping, the power of the laser beam increases a little at each emitting moment, and the marking corresponding to the starting point becomes a dot with a slightly increased diameter and depth. Will reduce the quality of marking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art and to provide a laser marker capable of quickly and easily performing good quality marking for hatching.

[0007]

A laser marker according to a first aspect of the present invention is a marking for hatching, which is performed by continuously irradiating a laser beam on a surface of a work on the basis of data on a hatching pattern generated by a hatching pattern generating device. And a hatching pattern generation device, wherein the hatching pattern generation device defines hatching line setting means for defining coordinate data relating to both ends of each line segment when a group of parallel hatching straight lines is divided by the contour of a region to be hatched; By connecting each adjacent line segment defined by the hatching line setting means in a form of connecting the ends on the same side, and alternately taking this connection side in the order of each adjacent line segment, one continuous line is formed. Hatching line connecting means for defining a hatching pattern as a line;
Equipped with.

A laser marker according to a second aspect is a laser marker for marking a hatching pattern by continuously irradiating a laser beam on a surface of a work on the basis of data on a hatching pattern generated by a hatching pattern generation device. The hatching pattern generation device includes a hatching line setting means that determines coordinate data relating to both ends of each line segment when a parallel hatching straight line group is divided by the contour of a region to be hatched; Connect each adjacent line segment from the end on either side of one line segment by a perpendicular line drawn on the other line segment or its extension, and connect the connecting point on the other line segment side. By taking the updated end of the other line segment and alternately taking the connecting side in the order of each adjacent line segment Comprises; a hatched line connection means defining a hatching pattern as one continuous line.

A laser marker according to claim 3 is the laser marker according to claim 1.
Alternatively, in the laser marker described in Item 2, the hatching straight line groups have the same straight line interval. A laser marker according to a fourth aspect is the laser marker according to the first or second aspect, in which each linear interval of the hatching linear group changes.

[0010]

In the laser marker according to claim 1, 3 or 4, both ends of each line segment when the parallel hatching straight line group is divided by the contour of the area to be hatched by the hatching line setting means of the hatching pattern generation device. The coordinate data relating to is determined. Next, by the hatching line connecting means, each adjacent line segment determined by the hatching line setting means is connected in a form connecting the ends on the same side, and the connecting side is alternately arranged in the order of each adjacent line segment. As a result, the hatching pattern as one continuous line is defined.

In the laser marker according to any one of claims 2 to 4, when the hatching line setting means of the hatching pattern generation device divides the parallel hatching straight line groups by the contours of the regions to be hatched, each line. Coordinate data relating to both ends of the minute is determined. Next, by the hatching line connecting means, each adjacent line segment defined by the hatching line setting means is a perpendicular line drawn from an end on either side of one line segment to the other line segment or an extension thereof. Are connected to each other so that the connection point on the other line segment side becomes the updated end of the other line segment, and the connection side is alternately taken in the order of each adjacent line segment, thereby forming one continuous line. A hatching pattern is defined.

[0012]

Embodiments of the laser marker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram common to the first and second embodiments and the conventional example, as already described in the conventional example. The unit added to the conventional example is the hatching pattern generation device 7 corresponding to the first embodiment or the hatching pattern generation device 8 corresponding to the second embodiment, and the other units are the first and second embodiments. It is common to the example and the conventional example. The hatching pattern generation device 7 of the first embodiment has a hatching line setting means 9
And a hatching line connecting means 10, and the second
The hatching pattern generation device 7 of the embodiment includes a hatching line setting means 9 and a hatching line connecting means 11. From each hatching pattern generator 7,8,
A hatching pattern as a continuous line is output, and this is input to the control unit 6, and the deflection angle command is issued to each actuator 5u, 5v for the marking for hatching based on this, as described below. The marking of the work 4 with the laser light is performed by the unit and members.

Hatching pattern generation apparatus of the first embodiment
Figure 7 of the flowchart and the first
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of hatching pattern generation in the embodiment.
It will be explained with reference to and. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that there is a region of the contour U to be hatched on the X, Y coordinate plane, and this region is hatched by a group of straight lines parallel to the X axis. Adjacent hatching lines Li, Li + 1, Li + 2, ... Are sequentially drawn as straight lines Pi.Qi, straight lines Pi + 1.Qi + 1, and straight lines Pi + 2.
・ Qi + 2, ... Here, in the hatching lines Li and Li + 1 adjacent to each other, the right ends thereof, the points Qi and Q,
i + 1 and i + 1 are connected by a straight line Ri, and on the next adjacent hatching lines Li + 1 and Li + 2, a point Pi + 1 and a point Pi + 2 are connected to each other by a straight line. Connect by connecting with Ri + 1. Hereinafter, similarly, the connecting side is taken alternately in the order of adjacent hatching lines in the left and right directions to define a hatching pattern as one continuous line.

In FIG. 2, in step S1, a counter i for the number of the hatching line Li is initialized, and in step S2, each intersection point Pi, Qi of the hatching line Li and the contour U is obtained. In step S3, i is incremented, and in step S4, the process of step S2 is repeated until i exceeds the total number N of hatching lines. The above steps S1 to S4 are
The operation of the hatching line setting means 9 in FIG. 1 is shown.

The following steps represent the operation of the hatched coupling means 10 of FIG. In step S5, the counter i is initialized, and in step S6, the points Qi and Qi + 1 at the right end of each hatching line are connected to form a connecting line Ri. At step S7, each point Pi + 1, at the left end of each hatching line,
Pi + 2 is connected to form a connecting line Ri + 1. Next, step S
At step S9, i is incremented and at steps S6 and S until i exceeds the total number N of hatching lines.
The process of 7 is repeated. Finally, step S
At 10, each point Pi, Qi, Qi + 1, Pi + 1, Pi + 2, Qi + 2, Qi + 3, P
i + 3, ... Are connected in order to form a hatching pattern as one continuous line. As described above, in the first embodiment, since each line segment as an adjacent hatching line is connected by a line close to the outline of the hatching region, the shape of the hatching marking becomes accurate.

A hatching pattern generation device according to the second embodiment.
Figure 8 of the flowchart and the second
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of hatching pattern generation in the embodiment.
It will be explained with reference to and. In FIG. 5, it is assumed that there is a region of the contour U to be hatched on the X, Y coordinate plane, and this region is hatched by a group of straight lines parallel to the X axis. Adjacent hatching lines Li, Li + 1, Li + 2, ... Are sequentially drawn as straight lines Pi.Qi, straight lines Pi + 1.Qi + 1, and straight lines Pi + 2.
・ Qi + 2, ... The process up to this point is the same as in the first embodiment, but the way of the next connection is different. Now, in each of the adjacent hatching lines Li and Li + 1, a perpendicular line is drawn from the right end of the one hatching line Li to the extension of the other hatching line Li + 1, and the point Mi + 1 where this perpendicular line is drawn is This is the updated right end of the hatching line Li + 1. Therefore, the connecting line is a straight line connecting the points Qi and Mi + 1. Next adjacent hatching lines Li + 1
, Li + 2, a vertical line was drawn from the left end of the hatching line Li + 1 to a point Mi + 2 on the extension of the hatching line Li + 2, and this point Mi + 2 was updated to the hatching line Li + 2. It is the left edge. Therefore, the connecting line is the point Pi +
It is a straight line connecting 1 and the point Mi + 2. Hereinafter, similarly, the connecting side is taken alternately in the order of adjacent hatching lines in the left and right directions to define a hatching pattern as one continuous line.

The operation of the hatching line setting means 9 is the first
Since this is the same as the embodiment, step S1 in FIG.
From step S5 to step S5 is the same as in FIG. The difference from the first embodiment is that the operation of the hatching line setting means 11 is represented by steps S16 to S16.
Twenty. In step S16, a perpendicular line Ti is drawn from the point Qi on the right end of the hatching line Li to the hatching line Li + 1 (an extension thereof) to obtain an intersection Mi + 1. In step S17, the point Pi + 1 at the right end of the hatching line Li + 1
To the hatching line Li + 2 (on the extension line), the perpendicular line Ti +
Grab 1 and find the intersection Mi + 2. In the next step S18,
i is incremented, and in step S19, until the i exceeds the total number N of hatching lines, steps S16, S
The process of 17 is repeated. Finally, in step S20, each point Pi, Qi, Mi + 1, Pi + 1, Mi + 2, Qi + 2, Mi + 3, ... Is connected in order to form a hatching pattern as one continuous line. It As described above, in the second embodiment, since each line segment as an adjacent hatching line is connected by a line perpendicular to the line, the path length related to this connection line becomes the shortest distance than any other connection line. . It should be noted that the hatching line located above the center of the contour U in FIG. 5 has a connecting line on its extension, and the hatching line also located on the lower side has a connecting line on it, as illustrated. Since the marking path length is shortened as compared with that in the first embodiment, the marking time can be shortened.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the hatching lines Li, Li + 1, Li + 1, ... Have the same line spacing and may be changed. When the hatching lines are arranged at equal intervals, the appearance density of the marking for hatching becomes uniform, and generally there is a sense of stability, which is preferable in terms of design. In addition, when the hatching lines are arranged at different intervals, the external density of the hatching markings is partially changed, which generally gives a rhythmic feeling, which is preferable in terms of design. Therefore, the intervals can be made equal or can be changed according to the target work for hatching marking and the purpose of use.

[0019]

In the laser marker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the hatching pattern formed as a continuous line is automatically and quickly obtained easily by using the hatching power generation device. Since the marking is performed by the laser based on this hatching pattern, unlike the conventional example, the swing of the deflection mirror in the positive direction and the swing of the deflection mirror in the opposite direction to the return are both effective in marking. Contribution is made, and a connected swing whose direction is changed at the turning point is inserted. Therefore, it is not necessary to take a rest period for the movement of each of the forward and reverse deflection mirrors, time is saved, and the laser light is continuously emitted. Since it is emitted, the laser oscillation is smoothed and the quality deterioration of the marking start point at each emission is prevented. Good hatching for marking quality can be obtained quickly and easily, there is the effect that.

Particularly, in the laser marker according to claim 1,
Since each line segment as an adjacent hatching line is connected by a line close to the outline of the hatching area, the shape of the hatching marking becomes accurate. Particularly, in the laser marker according to the second aspect, since each line segment as an adjacent hatching line is connected by a line perpendicular to the line, the path length related to this connection line becomes the shortest distance from any other connection line, and By accumulating the shortened distance, the marking time can be shortened.

Particularly, in the laser marker according to claim 3,
The appearance density of the hatching marking becomes uniform,
Generally, it has a sense of stability and is preferable in terms of design. Particularly, in the laser marker according to the fourth aspect, the external density of the hatching marking is partially changed, and a rhythm feeling is generally obtained, which is preferable in terms of design.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram common to first and second embodiments of the present invention and a conventional example.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the hatching pattern generation device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the hatching pattern generation device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of hatching pattern generation in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of hatching pattern generation in the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of marking in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser Oscillator 2u, 2v Deflection Mirror 3 fθ Lens 4 Work 5u, 5v Actuator 6 Control Unit 7, 8 Hatching Pattern Generator 9 Hatching Line Setting Means 10, 11 Hatching Line Connecting Means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A laser marker for marking a hatching pattern by continuously irradiating a laser beam on a surface of a work on the basis of data on a hatching pattern generated by the hatching pattern generation apparatus, wherein the hatching pattern generation apparatus comprises: A hatching line setting means that determines coordinate data relating to both ends of each line segment when a parallel hatching straight line group is divided by the contour of a region to be hatched; and each adjacent line defined by the hatching line setting means By connecting the minutes in a form of connecting the ends on the same side, and by alternately taking this connection side in the order of each adjacent line segment, a hatching line connecting means for defining a hatching pattern as one continuous line. And a laser marker. 2. A laser marker for marking a hatching pattern by continuously irradiating a laser beam on a surface of a work on the basis of data on a hatching pattern generated by the hatching pattern generation apparatus, the hatching pattern generation apparatus comprising: A hatching line setting means that determines coordinate data relating to both ends of each line segment when a parallel hatching straight line group is divided by the contour of a region to be hatched; and each adjacent line defined by the hatching line setting means Connect the minutes from the end on either side of one line segment by a perpendicular line drawn on the other line segment or its extension, and update the connecting point on the other line segment side to the other line segment Hatched as one continuous line by alternately taking the connected end in the order of adjacent line segments. Laser marker, characterized in that it comprises: a hatch lines connecting means defining a pattern. 3. The laser marker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hatching straight line groups have the same straight line intervals. 4. The laser marker according to claim 1, wherein the hatching straight line group has a change in each straight line interval.