JPH09234578A - Laser beam machining head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily position a laser beam to a small diameter emitting port at the tip of a nozzle in the laser beam machining head to condense a laser beam by a lens and to irradiate a work. SOLUTION: The peripheral face 12 for supporting of a nozzle 17 is inclined at 45-80 deg. for the direction of an adjusting screw 15. By this arrangement, when turning the adjusting screw 15, part of a pushing force of adjusting screw 15 produces a component to push down the nozzle 17 to a torch 2, the nozzle 17 is precisely position-adjusted without floating. Further, when the tip of adjusting screw 15 is made to a partial sphere 16a, it turned to point contact, adjustment is stably executed and the peripheral face 12 for supporting is not damaged.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser processing head for focusing laser light by a lens and irradiating a workpiece to perform laser processing, and more particularly to a position adjusting mechanism for a nozzle of the laser processing head.

2. Description of the Related Art A laser processing head is a tip portion for irradiating a workpiece with a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator, and blows out an assist gas for assisting the processing and protecting an internal lens. Those with nozzles are common. FIG. 9 shows a cross section of a processing head used conventionally. Inside the processing head main body 1, a lens 3 for condensing a laser beam and a protective glass 4 for protecting the lens 3 from dusts from the object to be processed and melted scattered objects are arranged. The nozzle 7 provided at the tip of the processing head is
The end surface 14 of the support portion 11 is pressed and fixed to the processing head body 1 by the torch 2 via the resin sheet 6. The tip of the nozzle 7 has a diameter 2 for emitting laser light.
The exit 8 of ˜3 mm is open. In order to protect the lens 3 from scattering of dust or melt generated when processing the workpiece, the assist gas is blown from the emission port 8 coaxially with or around the laser light. When the incident position of the laser light on the lens 3 moves left and right,
The position passing through the nozzle 7 also moves. But lens 3
Is fixed in the processing head main body 1, and therefore the nozzle 7 having the laser light emission port 8 must also have a mechanism capable of freely moving in the vertical direction with respect to the laser light. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the torch 2 to which the nozzle 7 is attached as seen from the head body side. The position of the nozzle 7 is adjusted by the adjusting screws 5 attached to the torch 2 from four directions. First, after loosening the adjusting screw 5 in the desired direction, the adjusting screw 5 in the opposite direction is rotated and the nozzle 7 is pushed and moved. In addition to the role of sealing the assist gas described above, the resin sheet 6 plays a role of smoothing the nozzle 7 in order to smoothly move the nozzle 7. The nozzle 7 is fixed by being sandwiched by the processing head body 1 and the torch 2 so as not to move in the vertical direction. Therefore, the nozzle 7 does not move well when adjusting the position. Then, turn the torch 2 to move the machining head body 1 and the torch 2 together.
Loosen the fixed state of the nozzle 7 by, adjust the position, and then tighten the torch 2 again to fix.

According to the above structure, since the nozzle 7 does not move smoothly when adjusting the position of the nozzle 7, it is necessary to loosen the torch 2 to make the nozzle 7 easier to move. When the torch 2 is tightened again after that, the nozzle 7
However, the adjustment was not easily performed because the output port 8 whose position was adjusted also rotated due to rotation. Further, since the contact portion between the adjusting screw 5 and the nozzle 7 is in surface contact, the position adjustment is not stable, and it is difficult to make a delicate adjustment. Furthermore, since the contact surface with the nozzle 7 is damaged, there is a problem in that it is caught during adjustment or cannot be pressed straight. In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a laser processing head capable of easily performing precise position adjustment of a nozzle.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is directed to a laser beam focusing lens, a laser beam irradiation nozzle, a torch, and an adjusting screw for adjusting the position of the exit port of the nozzle. In a laser processing head having
It is assumed that the peripheral surface of the support portion of the nozzle with which the adjusting screw comes into contact is inclined with respect to the direction of the adjusting screw. In particular, the inclination angle between the peripheral surface of the support portion of the nozzle and the direction of the adjusting screw is 45 to 80.
It should be in the range of degrees. The adjustment screws may be arranged at an equal angle, and the support portion of the nozzle may have a truncated pyramid shape. When the diameter of the circle connecting the contact surface of the support portion of the nozzle and the adjusting screw is D, and the adjusting distance in the diameter direction of the nozzle is σ, the adjusting screw is arranged at equal angles from the four directions. , The nozzle movement rate (σ / D) is 0.
5 or less, in a nozzle in which the adjusting screws are arranged at equal angles from the three directions, the nozzle movement rate (σ / D) is 1
/ (2√3) or less. Further, it is preferable that the tip of the adjusting screw has a partially spherical shape. With the above configuration, the position can be adjusted by pressing the nozzle with the adjusting screw in a state where the nozzle is pressed so as not to float. In particular, when the inclination angle is in the range of 45 to 80 degrees, the balance of the component force between the force in the moving direction for position adjustment and the force pressing against the torch is good. If the support portion of the nozzle is not a truncated cone shape but a truncated pyramid shape, the surface on which the adjustment screw contacts is not a curved surface but a flat surface. In the nozzle in which the adjusting screws are arranged at equal angles from the four directions, the nozzle movement rate (σ / D) exceeds 0.5, and when the nozzles are arranged at equal angles in the three directions, 1 / ( In the range exceeding 2√3), adjustment with the adjusting screw cannot be performed geometrically. If the tip of the adjusting screw has a partially spherical shape, it can be pressed by point contact, and the contact surface with the nozzle is less likely to be damaged.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a laser processing head according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A processing lens 3 and a protective glass 4 are arranged in the processing head body 1. Processing head body 1
The nozzle 17 is attached to the tip of the torch 2 by the torch 2 and the position is adjusted by the adjusting screw 15, as in FIG. 9, but in the present embodiment, the peripheral surface 12 of the support portion 11 of the nozzle 17 is adjusted. However, it is different in that it is inclined with respect to the direction of the adjusting screw 15. Reference numeral 6 is a resin sheet for smoothing the position adjustment of the nozzle 17. The processing head body 1, the torch 2, and the nozzle 17 are processed using an aluminum alloy, and the resin sheet 6 is tetrafluoroethylene resin. The position adjustment and fixing of the nozzle 17 are performed as follows. The torch 2 is attached to the processing head main body 1 with the resin sheet 6 sandwiched under the nozzle 17. Next, the adjusting screw 15 is turned, the nozzle 17 is pressed by the adjusting screw 15 to determine the position, and when the position is determined, all the adjusting screws 15 are turned to fix the nozzle 17. Nozzle 17 support surface 1
2 is processed diagonally, and the nozzle 17 is
A part of the force of pressing acts on the nozzle 17 in the direction to press it against the torch 2, and the nozzle 17 is firmly fixed. FIG.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the adjusting screw 15. Adjusting screw 1 as shown
The tip of 5 is processed into a partial sphere 16a. In this way, the peripheral surface 1 of the support portion of the nozzle 17 that contacts the adjusting screw 15
When 2 is inclined with respect to the direction of the laser beam 10, the position of the nozzle 17 can be adjusted by turning the adjusting screw 15 while being pressed against the torch 2 so that the nozzle 17 does not float up. Therefore, when adjusting the position of the nozzle 17, the torch 2
Since it is not necessary to loosen the nozzle, and the emission port 8 is not displaced, it is possible to easily perform precise position adjustment of the nozzle 17. The inclination angle θ of the support portion peripheral surface 12 with respect to the direction of the adjusting screw 15 is preferably in the range of 45 to 80 degrees. When the inclination angle θ is 45 degrees or less, the adjustment screw 15 when the adjustment screw 15 is turned
Of the pushing force of the nozzle 17
The force that pushes 7 onto the torch 2 becomes larger. Further, when the inclination angle θ is 80 degrees or more, the nozzle 17
The force that pushes against the torch 2 becomes too weak. Furthermore, if the tip of the adjusting screw 15 is formed into a curved surface having the shape of a partial sphere 16a, the contact between the adjusting screw 15 and the nozzle 17 becomes point contact, and the position adjustment of the nozzle 17 is stabilized. Furthermore, the nozzle 1
It also has a structure in which the peripheral surface 12 of the support portion 7 of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of another adjusting screw 15. In this way, an adjusting screw in which the ball 16b is welded to the tip of the adjusting screw 15 may be used. FIG. 2 is a plan view seen from the head body side with the nozzle 17 fixed in the torch 2. It can be seen that the nozzle 17 is fixed by the adjusting screws 15 that are evenly mounted in the four directions of the torch 2. Adjusting screw 15 is nozzle 1
Let D be the diameter of the circle connecting the points hitting the peripheral surface 12 of the support portion 7. If the torch 2 is sufficiently large, the movement amount (σ) in the diameter direction of the nozzle 17 will not exceed 0.5D.
(Moving ratio σ / D = 0.5) Because one adjustment screw 1
This is because, when pressing the nozzle 17 with 5a, if σ / D exceeds 0.5, the adjustment screws 15b and 15d on the side will come off. Further, even when the nozzle 17 is pressed by the two adjusting screws 15a and 15b, if the adjusting distance σ / D exceeds 0.5, the adjusting screws 15a and 15b come into contact with each other and cannot be pressed any more. [Embodiment 2] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the laser processing head according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the head body side with the nozzle 17 fixed in the torch 2. It can be seen that the nozzle 17 is fixed by the adjusting screws 15 that are evenly mounted in the three directions of the torch 2. In the case of this embodiment, when the diameter of the circle connecting the points where the adjusting screw 15 hits the support portion peripheral surface 12 of the nozzle 17 is D, the movement amount (σ) in the diameter direction of the nozzle 17 is the movement rate ( σ / D) never exceeds 1 / (2√3). Because two adjusting screws 15d and 15
This is because when the nozzle 17 is pushed by e, if it exceeds 1 / (2√3), the adjusting screws 15d and 15e come into contact with each other, and it cannot be pushed any more. [Embodiment 3] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a laser processing head according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The peripheral surface 12 of the support portion of the nozzle 17 is
The point of inclination with respect to the direction of the laser beam 10 is the same as in Example 1 of FIG. 1, but the direction of the inclination angle is opposite to that of Example 1 of FIG. It is pressed against 1. Therefore, in this case, the resin sheet 6
Is preferably sandwiched between the nozzle 17 and the head body 1. Also in this case, the inclination angle of the support portion peripheral surface 12 of the nozzle 17 is
The range of 45 to 80 degrees with respect to the direction of the adjusting screw 15 is preferable. [Embodiment 4] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a machining head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the head body side in a state in which a nozzle 17 is fixed in the torch 2. The adjusting screw 15 is the torch 2
Are arranged at equal angles from the outer circumference of the four directions. The support portion 11 of the nozzle 17 may have a truncated pyramid shape as in this example, instead of the truncated cone shape. With this configuration, the surface of the adjusting screw 15 to be hit is not a curved surface but a flat surface, so that the fixing by the adjusting screw 15 is more reliably performed. In addition, FIG.
It is sectional drawing of the processing head of FIG. The supporting portion of the nozzle 17 may be processed into a truncated pyramid shape, but in the present embodiment, a method in which the nozzle 17 having a small circular supporting portion 11a is fitted into a rectangular supporting plate 18 having an inclined periphery is used. Indicated.
In this case, a step 19 is provided between the nozzle 17 and the support plate 18 so that the nozzle 17 can be fixed to the support plate 18 without fixing with a screw or the like.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the laser processing head for adjusting the nozzle position by the adjusting screw, the peripheral surface of the nozzle supporting portion which is in contact with the adjusting screw is 45 to 45 degrees in the direction of the adjusting screw. By setting the range to 80 degrees, the following effects were obtained. Since the adjusting screw pushes the peripheral surface of the supporting portion of the nozzle that is inclined, the position adjustment is performed while the nozzle is being pressed, so that lifting of the nozzle is suppressed and precise position adjustment can be performed. Also,
Since the nozzle is not sandwiched between the processing head body and the torch and is not fixed, it is not necessary to loosen the torch to adjust the position of the nozzle, and the nozzle can be easily and quickly adjusted. Further, if an adjusting screw having a partially spherical tip is used, the position adjustment of the nozzle is stable and the peripheral surface of the supporting portion of the nozzle is not damaged.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a laser processing head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a nozzle adjusting portion of the laser processing head shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a nozzle adjusting portion of a laser processing head according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an adjusting screw of the laser processing head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another adjusting screw.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a laser processing head according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a nozzle adjusting portion of a laser processing head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a sectional view of the laser processing head of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a nozzle adjustment unit of a conventional laser processing head.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional laser processing head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Processing head main body 2 Torch 3 Lens 4 Protective glass 5, 15 Adjustment screw 6 Resin sheet 7, 17 Nozzle 8 Outlet port 11, 11a Support part 12 Support part peripheral surface 14 Support part end face 16a Partial sphere 16b Sphere 18 Support plate 19 Step

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A processing head body including a lens for condensing a laser beam, a laser beam irradiation nozzle, a torch for attaching the nozzle to the processing head body, and a position adjustment of an emission port of the nozzle attached to the torch. A laser processing head having an adjusting screw for performing, wherein the peripheral surface of the support portion of the nozzle with which the adjusting screw comes into contact is inclined with respect to the direction of the adjusting screw. 2. The laser processing head according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle between the peripheral surface of the support portion of the nozzle and the direction of the adjusting screw is in the range of 45 to 80 degrees. 3. In a nozzle in which the adjusting screws are arranged at substantially even angles, the shape of the contact portion with the adjusting screws is
The laser processing head according to claim 1, wherein the laser processing head has a truncated pyramid shape. 4. When the diameter of a circle connecting the contact surface of the support portion of the nozzle and the adjusting screw is D and the adjusting distance in the diameter direction of the nozzle is σ, the adjusting screw is equidistant from the four directions. Nozzle movement rate (σ / D)
Is 0.5 or less, the laser processing head according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. When the diameter of a circle connecting the contact surface of the supporting portion of the nozzle and the adjusting screw is D and the adjusting distance in the diameter direction of the nozzle is σ, the adjusting screw is equidistant from three directions. In the nozzles arranged in, the moving rate of the nozzle (σ /
The laser processing head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein D) is 1 / (2√3) or less. 6. The laser processing head according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the adjusting screw is partially spherical.