Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Patent
1989-04-21
1990-03-20
Albritton, C. L.
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
21912178, 350633, 350486, B23K 2606
Patent
active
049103784
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a beam bender for changing the direction of a laser beam in a laser-beam machining apparatus, and more particularly to a beam bender which can vary the inclination of a bender mirror without moving the center of the bender mirror.
BACKGROUND ART
In laser-beam machining, a laser beam produced by a laser oscillator is deflected by a beam bender and then focused onto a workpiece by a lens. The angle of the beam bender is adjusted by angularly adjusting the mirror holder with three or four micrometers.
The angular adjustment of the mirror holder requires a lot of skilled work. Even if the angle of the mirror holder is adjusted, the bender mirror may be positionally displaced, thus displacing a spot which is irradiated by a laser beam defected by the bender mirror. It has been very difficult to adjust both the angle and position of the bender mirror with accuracy.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beam bender which will solve the above problems and can vary the inclination of a bender mirror without moving the center of the bender mirror.
To solve the above problems, there is provided in accordance with the present invention a beam bender for changing the direction of a laser beam in a laser-beam machining apparatus, comprising:
light-guide member for passing a laser beam therethrough;
a mirror holder fixed to said light-guide member and having fine adjustment mechanism for adjusting the direction of a bender mirror, said mirror holder having a mirror holder member therein which holds said bender mirror;
an inner race in which said mirror holder member is fitted, said inner race having an outer spherical surface; and
an outer race coupled to said inner race directly or through balls and having an inner spherical surface, said inner race being spherically rotatable with respect to said outer race about a point on the central axis of the inner race, said point being aligned with the center of a reflecting surface of the bender mirror.
The mirror holder member holding the bender mirror is fitted in the inner race, and the inner race is confined by the outer race so as to be rotatable about the center of the reflecting surface of the bender mirror. Therefore, the center of the reflecting surface of the bender mirror remains immovable, and only the angle of inclination of the bender mirror ca be adjusted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, of a beam bender according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a view showing in detail the manner in which the angle of inclination of a bender mirror is varied.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a beam bender according to an embodiment of the present invention. The beam bender includes a base 1 having a central hole defined therein. A flange 2 is fastened to the base 1 by a screw 18 and has a side 2a against which a light-guide member (described below) is slidably held. A micrometer 4 is fixed to a member 3 mounted on an upper surface of the flange 2. A light-guide member 5 is of an inverted L shaped and has a hollow structure for allowing a laser beam 20 to pass therethrough. The light-guide member 5 has a surface held vertically slidably against the side 2a of the flange 2, and can be slid vertically by the micrometer 4.
A mirror holder 6 is fixed to the light-guide member 5 and houses a bender mirror 7 therein. The mirror holder 6 is adjustable in small angular increments with respect to the light-guide member 5 by means of micrometers 8, 9 to adjust the angle of the bender mirror 7 for adjusting the guide passage for the laser beam 20 in the light-guide member 5.
The mirror holder 6 has therein a mirror holder member 10 with the bender mirror 7 being fixed to the lower surface of the mirror holder 10 by means of an O-ring 11. The mirror holder member 10 is fitted in an inne
REFERENCES:
patent: 3424413 (1969-01-01), Applegate
patent: 3588232 (1971-06-01), Mostel
patent: 4667080 (1987-05-01), Juptner et al.
patent: 4695701 (1987-09-01), Monteith et al.
Albritton C. L.
Fanuc Ltd
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