Composite welding head capable of being rapidly switched and switching mechanism of composite welding head

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of laser welding, in particular to a composite welding head capable of being quickly switched and a switching mechanism thereof, which comprises a bearing block, an optical fiber laser, a semiconductor laser, a light beam transmission tube and a focusing component, a through hole is formed in the bearing block, and travel grooves communicated with the through hole are formed in two adjacent side surfaces of the bearing block; the bottom of the optical fiber laser and the bottom of the semiconductor laser are both provided with light beam transmission pipes, the light beam transmission pipes are movably arranged in the stroke grooves, and in the two side faces, provided with the stroke grooves, of the bearing block, two air cylinders A are fixedly arranged on one side face, and two air cylinders B are fixedly arranged on the other side face. A focusing assembly is arranged at the bottom of the bearing block. The optical fiber laser and the semiconductor laser are arranged on the same bearing block, the air cylinder and the telescopic shaft are arranged for independent driving, interaction work of different lasers on the same welding head can be achieved, and then hybrid welding of the same workpiece is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of laser welding, in particular to a rapidly switchable composite welding head and a switching mechanism thereof. Background Art

[0002] Laser welding is a high-energy-density welding method that achieves the desired effect by focusing a high-energy laser beam on the weld joint, causing it to heat up and melt. The laser welding head structure, as its primary component, determines the quality and effectiveness of laser welding. The laser welding head structure primarily consists of a laser source, a beam transmission system, and a focusing optical system. The laser source is the core component of laser welding, generating a high-energy-density laser beam. Common laser sources include solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and fiber lasers.

[0003] Semiconductor lasers and fiber lasers are more commonly used as new laser devices, and the laser beams they produce have their own advantages. Therefore, semiconductor laser welding and fiber laser welding are used interchangeably when welding workpieces. Existing semiconductor lasers and fiber lasers are both carried by two independent welding heads, so the workpiece needs to move back and forth between the two welding heads to achieve composite welding. Moreover, when continuous welding is performed, the constant back and forth movement of the workpiece will affect the welding quality and efficiency. Therefore, a switching mechanism that can support welding heads of different types of welding methods and can quickly switch between them is needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a composite welding head that can be quickly switched and its switching mechanism, which is characterized in that it includes a carrier block, a fiber laser, a semiconductor laser, a beam transmission tube, and a focusing component. A through hole that passes through the carrier block up and down is provided on the carrier block, and a travel groove that passes through the carrier block up and down is provided on two adjacent side surfaces of the carrier block. Both travel grooves are connected to the through hole. The fiber laser and the semiconductor laser are movably arranged on the two travel grooves respectively. The bottom of the fiber laser and the bottom of the semiconductor laser are in contact with the top surface of the carrier block. The bottom of the fiber laser and the bottom of the semiconductor laser are in contact with the top surface of the carrier block. A beam transmission tube is set on each part, which is movably arranged in the stroke groove. The length of the beam transmission tube is the same as the depth of the stroke groove. On the two sides of the bearing block where the stroke groove is opened: two cylinders A are fixed on one side, and two cylinders B are fixed on the other side. Cylinder A is driven by a horizontally arranged telescopic shaft to connect to the beam transmission tube at the bottom of the semiconductor laser, and cylinder B is driven by a horizontally arranged telescopic shaft to connect to the beam transmission tube at the bottom of the fiber laser. A focusing assembly is fixedly set at the bottom of the bearing block just below the through hole. The focusing assembly is composed of a docking tube, a focusing tube, and a focusing tube connected from top to bottom.

[0005] A further preferred embodiment includes a connecting plate on the side wall of the beam transmission tube for connecting to the telescopic shaft. The connecting plate is in the shape of a vertical cuboid, and the two telescopic shafts driving the beam transmission tube are connected to the upper and lower portions of the connecting plate, respectively. The two telescopic shafts are connected to the upper and lower portions of the connecting block, thereby improving the stability of the beam transmission tube's movement.

[0006] A further preferred embodiment comprises two pairs of upper and lower slide grooves on the side walls of the carrier block located within the travel groove. The beam transmission tube is provided with two pairs of upper and lower connecting blocks on the outer walls of the connecting plate on either side of the connecting plate, corresponding to the slide grooves. A slider is fixedly connected to the connecting block near the travel groove, and both the connecting block and the slider are slidably engaged with the travel groove. The provision of the slide grooves, the arrangement of the connecting block and the slider allow the connecting block and the slider to slide along the slide grooves during movement of the beam transmission tube, providing support and limiting its path, thereby enhancing the smoothness of the beam transmission tube's reciprocating motion.

[0007] In a further preferred embodiment, the length of the slider is greater than the radius of the through hole. When the slider is longer than the through hole diameter, the slider does not completely slide out of the chute when the beam transmission tube moves into the through hole. The slider portion remaining in the chute can support the beam transmission tube, sharing the supporting force of the telescopic shaft and improving stability.

[0008] A further preferred embodiment includes a fixed stopper disposed on the top surface of the carrier block around the through hole. The stopper is partially annular, with its inner arc aligned vertically with the edge of the through hole. The main bodies of the fiber laser and the semiconductor laser are both cylindrical, with a diameter equal to the through hole diameter. The provision of a partially annular stopper, and the configuration of the main bodies of the fiber laser and the semiconductor laser as cylindrical with a diameter equal to the through hole diameter, allows the stopper to resist and offset the inertial force of the fiber laser and the semiconductor laser as they move toward the through hole.

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment, the concentrating tube is truncated cone-shaped, with the larger diameter end connected to the docking tube and the smaller diameter end connected to the focusing tube. The concentrating tube comprises a transparent silica tube. A light hole is defined therein, extending vertically through the concentrating tube. The upper aperture of the light hole has a larger diameter and the lower aperture has a smaller diameter. The transparent silica tube allows for direct visual observation of the laser beam.

[0010] A further preferred solution is that the shape of the focusing tube is similar to that of the condenser tube, and a focusing lens is provided in the lower part of the focusing tube. The focusing lens is convex and can focus the laser beam to ensure the intensity of the laser hitting the weld body.

[0011] A further preferred embodiment includes two guide grooves on the top surface of the butt joint tube, facing the two travel grooves. The groove surfaces and walls of the guide grooves are each provided with a heat-resistant layer made of silicon dioxide. The heat-resistant layer is formed on the top surface of the butt joint tube, facing the beginning of the travel grooves, to prevent damage to the butt joint tube caused by laser irradiation.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention are embodied in:

[0013] First, placing the fiber laser and the semiconductor laser on the same carrier block enables interactive operation of different types of lasers on the same welding head, thus achieving composite welding of the same workpiece.

[0014] Second, the cylinder and telescopic shaft are configured to independently drive the fiber laser and semiconductor laser, which can be quickly switched to meet the composite welding efficiency of the same workpiece. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the fiber laser, cylinder B and focusing assembly of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the semiconductor laser and cylinder A of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a focusing assembly according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the top surface structure of the butt-jointed pipe of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the butt-jointed pipe of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 7 It is an overall schematic diagram of the bearing block of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the supporting block, cylinder, beam transmission tube and their connection structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure numerals: 1. supporting block; 2. stop block; 3. fiber laser; 4. semiconductor laser; 5. cylinder A; 6. travel groove; 7. telescopic shaft; 8. focusing assembly; 9. focusing tube; 901. light hole; 10. focusing tube; 1001. focusing lens; 11. cylinder B; 12. docking tube; 13. connecting plate; 14. beam transmission tube; 15. connecting block; 16. slider; 17. guide groove; 1701. heat-resistant wall layer; 18. through hole; 19. slide groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Example 1:

[0026] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 A through hole 18 is provided on the carrier block 1, which passes through the carrier block 1 up and down. A travel groove 6 is provided on the two adjacent sides of the carrier block 1, which passes through the carrier block 1 up and down. The two travel grooves 6 are both connected to the through hole 18. The optical fiber laser 3 and the semiconductor laser 4 are respectively movably arranged on the two travel grooves 6. The bottom of the optical fiber laser 3 and the bottom of the semiconductor laser 4 are in contact with the top surface of the carrier block 1. A beam transmission tube 14 is provided on the bottom of the optical fiber laser 3 and the bottom of the semiconductor laser 4. The beam transmission tube 14 is movably arranged in the travel groove 6. The length of the beam transmission tube 14 is the same as the depth of the travel groove 6. On the two sides of the travel groove 6 of the carrier block 1: two cylinders A5 are fixed on one side and two cylinders A6 on the other side. Two cylinders B11 are fixed on the surface. Cylinder A5 drives the beam transmission tube 14 connected to the bottom of the semiconductor laser 4 through the horizontally arranged telescopic shaft 7. Cylinder B11 drives the beam transmission tube 14 connected to the bottom of the fiber laser 3 through the horizontally arranged telescopic shaft 7. The bottom of the supporting block 1 is located just below the through hole 18 and a focusing assembly 8 is fixed thereon. The focusing assembly 8 is composed of a docking tube 12, a focusing tube 9, and a focusing tube 10 connected from top to bottom. A fixed stopper 2 is provided on the top surface of the supporting block 1 around the through hole 18. The stopper 2 is partially annular and its inner arc surface is aligned with the edge of the through hole 18 up and down. The main parts of the fiber laser 3 and the semiconductor laser 4 are both cylindrical and have the same diameter as the through hole diameter.

[0027] In terms of system control, the two cylinders A5 are set to be controlled by the same controller, and the switch control of the semiconductor laser 4 is linked with the cylinder A5. When the cylinder A5 drives the telescopic shaft 7 to extend, the semiconductor laser 4 synchronously starts to emit the laser beam. When the cylinder A5 drives the telescopic shaft 7 to retract, the semiconductor laser 4 synchronously stops emitting the laser beam. The linkage effect between the cylinder B11 and the fiber laser 3 is the same as described above. Through the interactive driving of the cylinder A5 and the cylinder B11, the switching between the semiconductor laser 4 and the fiber laser 3 can be realized.

[0028] Example 2:

[0029] Reference Figure 3 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 A connecting plate 13 for connecting to the telescopic shaft 7 is provided on the side wall of the beam transmission tube 14. The connecting plate 13 is in the shape of a vertical rectangular parallelepiped. The two telescopic shafts 7 that drive the beam transmission tube 14 are respectively connected to the upper and lower parts of the connecting plate 13; two pairs of upper and lower slide grooves 19 are provided on the two side walls of the carrier block 1 located in the travel groove 6, and two pairs of upper and lower connecting blocks 15 are provided on the outer walls of the beam transmission tube 14 on both sides of the connecting plate 13 corresponding to the slide grooves 19. A slider 16 is fixedly connected to the connecting block 15 on the side near the travel groove 6. Both the connecting block 15 and the slider 16 are in sliding connection with the travel groove 6; the length of the slider 16 is greater than the hole radius of the through hole 18.

[0030] When the beam transmission tube 14 moves, the connecting block 15 and the slider 16 both slide along the slide groove 19, providing support and limiting the path, thereby improving the smoothness of the reciprocating motion of the beam transmission tube 14. The length of the slider 16 is greater than the aperture of the through hole 18. When the beam transmission tube 14 moves into the through hole 18, the slider 16 will not completely slide out of the slide groove 19. The section of the slider 16 remaining in the slide groove 19 can support the beam transmission tube 14, share the supporting force of the telescopic shaft 7, and help improve stability.

[0031] Example 3:

[0032] Reference Figure 2 、 Figure 4 The focusing tube 9 is in a truncated cone shape, with the large-diameter end connected to the docking tube 12 and the small-diameter end connected to the focusing tube 10. The focusing tube 9 is a transparent tube made of silicon dioxide. A light hole 901 is provided in the focusing tube 9, which passes through the focusing tube 9 from top to bottom. The upper aperture of the light hole 901 is large and the lower aperture is small. The shape of the focusing tube 10 is similar to that of the focusing tube 9. A focusing lens 1001 is provided in the lower part of the focusing tube 10. The focusing lens 1001 is in the shape of a convex lens.

[0033] The focusing tube 9 is a transparent tube made of silicon dioxide, and the condition of the laser beam can be directly observed by the naked eye; the convex lens 1001 can focus the laser beam to ensure the intensity of the laser hitting the weld body.

[0034] Example 4:

[0035] Reference Figure 5 、 Figure 6 Two guide grooves 17 are formed on the top surface of the butt joint tube 12, facing the two travel grooves 6. Both the groove surface and the groove wall of the guide groove 17 are provided with a heat-resistant wall layer 1701 made of silicon dioxide. The heat-resistant wall layer 1701 is formed on the top surface of the butt joint tube 12, facing the travel groove 6, and can prevent the laser from irradiating the butt joint tube 12 and causing damage to the butt joint tube 12.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "center", "top", "bottom", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. Among them, "inside" refers to an internal or enclosed area or space. "Periphery" refers to the area surrounding a specific component or specific area.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," "third," or "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connected," and "assembled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in specific circumstances.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0040] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that "-" and "~" represent a range between two values, and the range includes the endpoints. For example, "AB" represents a range greater than or equal to A and less than or equal to B. "A~B" represents a range greater than or equal to A and less than or equal to B.

[0041] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, the term "and / or" is used herein to describe a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " is generally used herein to indicate that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0042] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fast-switching composite welding head and its switching mechanism, characterized in that: The invention comprises a bearing block (1), an optical fiber laser (3), a semiconductor laser (4), a beam transmission tube (14), and a focusing assembly (8). The bearing block (1) is provided with a through hole (18) penetrating the bearing block (1) vertically. Two adjacent side surfaces of the bearing block (1) are provided with a travel groove (6) penetrating the bearing block (1) vertically. Both the travel grooves (6) are connected to the through hole (18). The optical fiber laser (3) and the semiconductor laser (4) are respectively movably arranged on the two travel grooves (6). The bottom of the optical fiber laser (3) and the bottom of the semiconductor laser (4) are in contact with the top surface of the bearing block (1). The bottom of the optical fiber laser (3) and the bottom of the semiconductor laser (4) are both provided with a beam transmission tube (14). The beam transmission tube (14) is movably arranged on the bearing block (1). In the travel groove (6), the length of the beam transmission tube (14) is the same as the depth of the travel groove (6). The bearing block (1) has two side surfaces on which the travel groove (6) is provided: two cylinders A (5) are fixedly provided on one side surface, and two cylinders B (11) are fixedly provided on the other side surface. The cylinder A (5) drives the beam transmission tube (14) connected to the bottom of the semiconductor laser (4) through a horizontally arranged telescopic shaft (7), and the cylinder B (11) drives the beam transmission tube (14) connected to the bottom of the optical fiber laser (3) through a horizontally arranged telescopic shaft (7). A focusing assembly (8) is fixedly provided at the bottom of the bearing block (1) just below the through hole (18). The focusing assembly (8) is composed of a butt joint tube (12), a focusing tube (9), and a focusing tube (10) connected from top to bottom.

2. The fast-switching composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting plate (13) for connecting to a telescopic shaft (7) is provided on the side wall of the light beam transmission tube (14); the connecting plate (13) is in the shape of a vertical rectangular parallelepiped; two telescopic shafts (7) driving the light beam transmission tube (14) are respectively connected to the upper part and the lower part of the connecting plate (13).

3. The fast-switching composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing block (1) is provided with two pairs of upper and lower sliding grooves (19) on the two side walls located in the travel groove (6); the beam transmission tube (14) is provided with two pairs of upper and lower connecting blocks (15) on the outer walls located on both sides of the connecting plate (13) corresponding to the sliding grooves (19); a sliding block (16) is fixedly connected to the connecting block (15) on the side close to the travel groove (6); and both the connecting block (15) and the sliding block (16) are slidably connected to the travel groove (6).

4. The fast-switchable composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the slider (16) is greater than the hole radius of the through hole (18).

5. The fast-switchable composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixed stopper (2) is arranged around the through hole (18) on the top surface of the carrier block (1); the stopper (2) is partially annular and its inner arc surface is vertically aligned with the edge of the through hole (18); the main bodies of the optical fiber laser (3) and the semiconductor laser (4) are both cylindrical and have the same diameter as the through hole.

6. The fast-switchable composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The focusing tube (9) is in a truncated cone shape, with a large diameter end connected to a docking tube (12) and a small diameter end connected to a focusing tube (10). The focusing tube (9) is a transparent tube body made of silicon dioxide. A light-through hole (901) is provided in the focusing tube (9) and passes through the focusing tube (9) vertically. The light-through hole (901) has a large upper aperture and a small lower aperture.

7. The fast-switchable composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the focusing tube (10) is similar to that of the focusing tube (9). A focusing lens (1001) is provided at the lower part of the focusing tube (10). The focusing lens (1001) is in the shape of a convex lens.

8. The fast-switchable composite welding head and its switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two guide grooves (17) are provided on the top surface of the butt-joint pipe (12) facing the two stroke grooves (6); the groove surface and the groove wall of the guide groove (17) are both provided with a heat-resistant wall layer (1701), and the heat-resistant wall layer (1701) is made of silicon dioxide material.

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