Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Patent
1992-11-19
1994-05-03
Albritton, C. L.
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
21912174, B23K 2616
Patent
active
053089510
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a laser beam machine for machining a workpiece with a laser beam irradiated thereto, and more particularly, to a laser beam machine capable of preventing spatters and the like from entering a machining head.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, an increasing number of metal machining techniques using a laser beam machine have been proposed. FIG. 4 schematically shows the arrangement of a conventional laser beam machine which is in wide use. In this laser beam machine, a laser beam 2 emitted from a laser oscillator 1 is reflected by mirrors 3 and 4 in a light guide passage 12 and introduced into a machining head 5. The laser beam is then focused by a parabolic mirror 6 and irradiated onto a surface of a workpiece 7. An auxiliary gas 10 is supplied from a gas cylinder, not shown, to a gas supply section 9 through a gas pipe 8. The auxiliary gas 10 is ejected from the gas supply section 9 and throttled by a nozzle 11 to be supplied to the workpiece 7. The surface of the workpiece 7 is melted due to interaction between the laser beam 2 and the auxiliary gas 10, whereby a laser beam machining is carried out.
In the laser beam machine shown in FIG. 4, however, a large amount of contaminants 13 such as spatters and oil mist (contaminative gas) is scattered from the workpiece 7 and enters the machining head 5. Such contaminants 13 stain the parabolic mirror 6 and even the light guide passage 12 and the mirrors 3 and 4. A problem therefore arises in that these parts must be frequently cleaned, making the maintenance difficult. Further, in the case of a three-dimensional machining operation using a laser beam machine so designed, the machining head 5 is oriented in every direction, sideways or upward, and thus can be even more contaminated by spatters and the like. Consequently, the application of three-dimensional laser beam machining is severely restricted.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This invention was contrived in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a laser beam machine capable of preventing contaminants from entering a machining head.
Another object of this invention is to provide a laser beam machine permitting a wide application of three-dimensional machining.
To achieve the above objects, this invention provides a laser beam machine for machining a workpiece with a laser beam irradiated thereto, comprising an optical part constituting a light guide passage for the laser beam, and an impeller arranged between the optical part and the workpiece and rotated at a high speed.
The impeller is arranged between the optical part constituting the light guide passage for the laser beam and a workpiece to be machined with the laser beam, and is rotated at a high speed. Accordingly, even if contaminants such as spatters and oil mist produced during a laser beam machining are scattered toward the machining head, they are repulsed by the impeller, and contamination of, e.g., the optical part forming the light guide passage for the laser beam is prevented. The laser beam is also somewhat intercepted by the impeller, but since the speed of the laser beam is equivalent to that of light, such interception is negligible and the laser beam machining operation is not adversely affected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a laser beam machine according to an embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a view of an impeller as viewed from a direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of this invention; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a conventional laser beam machine.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the arrangement of a laser beam machine according to one embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 1, like reference numerals are used to represent like elements appearing in FIG. 4. A laser beam 2 is reflected by a mirror 4 in
REFERENCES:
patent: 4303824 (1981-12-01), Morgan et al.
patent: 4315133 (1982-02-01), Morgan et al.
patent: 4347785 (1982-09-01), Chase et al.
patent: 4892992 (1990-01-01), Akeel et al.
Albritton C. L.
Fanuc Ltd.
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