Self-cleaning laser processing head and laser processing device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of laser processing devices, in particular to a self-cleaning laser processing head and a laser processing device. The self-cleaning type laser machining head comprises a laser cylinder, the lower end of the laser cylinder is connected with a conical head, the conical head comprises a sleeve connected with the laser cylinder, the sleeve is rotationally connected with a light guiding piece, the light guiding piece comprises a conical shell located at the lower end, a light outlet hole is formed in the middle of the lower end of the conical shell, and a fan blade unit is arranged at the upper end of the conical shell; the side face of the sleeve is provided with an opening and connected with a connector, one end of the connector is provided with an air inlet, the middle of the connector is provided with a side outlet and connected with an air outlet pipe, and an outlet of the air outlet pipe is located on one side of the conical shell. When airflow flows through the fan blade unit, the fan blade unit drives the conical shell to rotate. The structure of the conical head is improved, airflow is divided, one part of the airflow drives the fan blade unit and the conical shell to rotate, and the other part of the airflow dissipates heat of laser and cleans the conical shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser processing equipment technology, and in particular to a self-cleaning laser processing head and a laser processing device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in small and medium-sized laser processing equipment, the laser is emitted from the conical tip of the laser processing head and projected onto the workpiece. Laser processing essentially vaporizes or burns the material on the workpiece surface, which easily generates solid particles that float in the processing space. These fixed particles easily adhere to the conical part of the laser processing head, and after prolonged use, the lower end face of the conical tip tends to accumulate fixed particles. When the accumulation reaches a certain level, it will affect the light output hole of the conical tip, thus requiring regular cleaning, which causes inconvenience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a self-cleaning laser processing head and a laser processing device.

[0004] One aspect of the present invention provides a self-cleaning laser processing head that can autonomously clean the lower end of the cone, preventing the accumulation of particulate solids that could affect processing.

[0005] Another invention provides a laser processing apparatus having the aforementioned self-cleaning laser processing head, which facilitates laser processing and avoids the need for periodic disassembly and cleaning of the cone head.

[0006] A self-cleaning laser processing head includes: a laser tube, a conical head connected to the lower end of the laser tube, the conical head including a sleeve connected to the laser tube, a light guide rotatably connected to the sleeve, the light guide including a conical shell at the lower end, a light outlet at the middle of the lower end of the conical shell, and a fan unit at the upper end of the conical shell; an opening is provided on the side of the sleeve and a connector is connected thereto, one end of the connector is provided with an air inlet, the middle of the connector is provided with a side outlet and connected with an air outlet pipe, the outlet of the air outlet pipe is located on one side of the conical shell; when the airflow passes through the fan unit, the fan unit drives the conical shell to rotate.

[0007] Furthermore, the fan blade unit includes an inner ring located in the middle and an outer ring on the outside. Several blades are connected to the inner side of the inner ring, and the outer ends of the blades are connected to the inner side of the outer ring through connecting pieces, or the inner ring is connected to the outer ring through connecting pieces. The lower end of the outer ring is connected to a conical shell. The outer ring or the conical shell is rotatably connected to a sleeve, and the outer ring can rotate relative to the sleeve.

[0008] Furthermore, the upper end of the sleeve is sleeved or threaded to the lower end of the laser tube.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer surface of the outer ring or conical shell is provided with a concave outer annular groove, and the lower end of the sleeve is provided with multiple connecting grooves. The connecting grooves are connected to the outer annular grooves. A retaining bead and a positioning post are provided in the connecting grooves. One end of the retaining bead enters the outer annular groove from the connecting groove, and the other end of the retaining bead abuts against or is adjacent to the positioning post.

[0010] Furthermore, the positioning post is provided with an external thread, and the connecting groove is provided with an internal thread that mates with it. The positioning post is threadedly connected to the sleeve in the connecting groove.

[0011] Furthermore, a spring is provided between the positioning pin and the retaining ball to adjust the friction between the retaining ball and the bottom surface of the outer annular groove, thereby adjusting the rotational speed of the impeller.

[0012] Furthermore, the connector or vent pipe is equipped with a control valve, which is used to control the proportion of airflow entering the sleeve or vent pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the connector is internally provided with an air inlet channel, a side air outlet channel, a lower air outlet channel, and a collection space. The air inlet channel, the side air outlet channel, and the lower air outlet channel are all connected to the collection space. The control valve includes a control rod. The upper end of the connector is provided with a socket that mates with the control rod. The upper end of the socket is provided with an internal thread. The middle part of the control rod is provided with an external thread. The lower end of the control rod is inserted into the collection space, and the lower end of the control rod is opposite to the lower air outlet channel. When the control rod moves downward, the side of the control rod gradually blocks the side air outlet channel. When the lower end of the control rod enters the entrance of the lower air outlet channel, the lower air outlet channel is blocked.

[0014] A laser processing apparatus includes an XY moving mechanism and an air compressor. The XY moving mechanism is connected to the laser processing head described above, and the air compressor is connected to a connector via an air pipe.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: By improving the conical structure, the present invention enables the airflow to be split. Part of the airflow drives the fan blade unit and the conical shell to rotate, while the other part of the airflow is used for laser heat dissipation and cleaning of the conical shell. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the laser processing device in this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the laser processing head in this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is an exploded structural diagram of the laser processing head in this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the cone head in this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5This is an exploded structural diagram of the cone head in this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the cone head during installation in this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the joint.

[0023] Figure label: 1—Laser tube; 2—Sleeve; 3—Conical shell; 4—Connector; 5—Outlet pipe; 6—Control valve; 7—Positioning pin; 8—Clutch bead; 9—Blade; 10—Fan blade unit; 11—Opening; 12—Light guide; 13—Connecting groove; 14—Outer annular groove; 16—Counterhead; 22—Control rod; 23—Inlet channel; 24—Lower outlet channel; 25—Collection space; 26—Side outlet channel; 27—Outer ring; 28—Inner ring. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0025] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0026] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 4 As shown.

[0029] Example 1: See Figure 1 , Figure 2 A self-cleaning laser processing head includes: a laser tube 1, a conical head connected to the lower end of the laser tube 1, the conical head including a sleeve 2 connected to the laser tube 1, a light guide 12 rotatably connected to the sleeve 2, the light guide 12 including a conical shell 3 located at the lower end, a light outlet provided in the middle of the lower end of the conical shell 3, and a fan blade unit 10 provided at the upper end of the conical shell 3; an opening 11 is provided on the side of the sleeve 2 and a connector 4 is connected thereto, an air inlet is provided at one end of the connector 4, a side outlet is provided in the middle of the connector 4 and an air outlet pipe 5 is connected thereto, the outlet of the air outlet pipe 5 is located on one side of the conical shell 3; when the airflow passes through the fan blade unit 10, the fan blade unit 10 drives the conical shell 3 to rotate.

[0030] Compared with existing technologies, this technical solution improves the cone head and the connector 4. The connector 4 has two outlets, equivalent to a three-way valve; one inlet and two outlets. One outlet is opposite the opening 11 on the side of the sleeve, and the other outlet is connected to an outlet pipe 5, with the outlet of the outlet pipe 5 facing the lower part of the conical shell 3. During operation, the connector 4 is connected to an air source, such as an air compressor, through a pipe. A portion of the airflow enters the sleeve 2. As the airflow passes through the fan unit 10, it drives the fan unit 10 to rotate slowly. The fan unit 10 drives the lower conical shell 3 to rotate, and this portion of the airflow also flows out from the light outlet at the lower end of the conical shell 3, which can also be used for heat dissipation. The airflow from the outlet pipe 5 can be directed towards the processing position for heat dissipation; simultaneously, this airflow also blows particles away from the side of the conical shell 3 directly opposite the outlet pipe 5. Because the conical shell 3 rotates during operation, the entire side of the conical shell 3 is blown out, thus preventing the adhesion and accumulation of solid particles.

[0031] See Figure 4 , Figure 5 The fan blade unit 10 includes an inner ring 28 located in the middle and an outer ring 27 located on the outside. A plurality of blades 9 are connected to the inner side of the inner ring 28. The outer ends of the blades 9 are connected to the inner side of the outer ring 27 through connecting pieces, or the inner ring 28 is connected to the outer ring 27 through connecting pieces. The lower end of the outer ring 27 is connected to the conical shell 3. The outer ring 27 or the conical shell 3 is rotatably connected to the sleeve 2, and the outer ring 27 can rotate relative to the sleeve 2.

[0032] The lower end face of the outer ring 27 is adapted to the upper end face of the conical shell 3, and can be an annular shape of the same type. It can be connected by bonding, bolting, or insertion. When using insertion, several protrusions can be provided on the upper end face of the conical shell 3, and corresponding recesses can be provided on the lower end face of the outer ring 27. The protrusions are inserted into the recesses and connected by a mating or interference fit. Secondly, it can be understood that the inner diameter of the inner ring 28 is relatively small, which can be the same as or slightly larger than the aperture of the light-emitting hole in the conical shell 3, such as 1-2 mm larger. All blades 9 occupy more than half of the internal area of ​​the outer ring 27.

[0033] Secondly, the connecting piece can be positioned between the blade 9 and the outer ring 27, or between the inner ring 28 and the outer ring 27. In this embodiment, it is positioned between the blade 9 and the outer ring 27 to reduce airflow obstruction. Furthermore, the number of blades 9 can be set as needed, such as 3, 4, 5, or 6 blades.

[0034] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 The upper end of sleeve 2 is sleeved or threaded to the lower end of laser tube 1.

[0035] Currently, the lower end of the laser tube 1 is generally equipped with an enlarged section with a large inner diameter. The upper inner side of the enlarged section has an internal thread. The condenser lens includes a lens and an annular housing. The annular housing has an external thread and is threadedly connected to the enlarged section, thus fixing the condenser lens. The upper end of the sleeve 2 can be either fitted inside or outside the laser tube 1. After fitting, the sleeve 2 and the laser tube 1 are either mated or interference-fitted, thus fixing the relative positions of the sleeve 2 and the laser tube 1. Alternatively, a threaded connection can be used, with one of the laser tube 1 and the sleeve 2 having an external thread and the other having an internal thread, then threadedly connected. Furthermore, a fastening hole can be provided externally. For example, when the sleeve 2 has an external thread, a fastening hole can be provided on the sleeve 2. The fastening hole is a threaded hole, and a screw is installed inside the fastening hole, abutting against the lower end of the laser tube 1.

[0036] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 The outer ring 27 or the conical shell 3 has a concave outer annular groove on its outer side. The lower end of the sleeve 2 has multiple connecting grooves that are connected to the outer annular groove. The connecting groove has a retaining bead 8 and a positioning post 7. One end of the retaining bead 8 enters the outer annular groove from the connecting groove, and the other end of the retaining bead 8 abuts against or is adjacent to the positioning post 7.

[0037] There are many ways to rotatably connect the outer ring 27 or conical shell 3 to the sleeve 2, such as: a bearing is set between the outer ring 27 and the sleeve 2; the outer ring 27 or conical shell 3 is provided with several hemispherical protrusions, and the inner side of the sleeve 2 is provided with an inner annular groove that matches the protrusions, with the protrusions engaging in the inner annular groove; the protrusions are very small in volume and are installed by means of thermal expansion and contraction. In this embodiment, the locking bead 8 is used in conjunction with the outer annular groove. In use, the sleeve 2 is fitted over the outer ring 27 and the conical shell 3, with the connecting groove and the outer annular groove facing each other. Then, the locking bead 8 is placed into the connecting groove, and then the positioning pin 7 is inserted. Under the pushing force of the positioning pin 7, one end of the locking bead 8 enters the outer annular groove, and the other end is located in the connecting groove. The locking bead 8 and the positioning pin 7 can abut or be adjacent; the adjacent position is not enough to make the locking bead 8 disengage from the outer annular groove. Therefore, through the locking bead 8, the sleeve 2 is engaged with the outer ring 27 or conical shell 3, and the outer ring 27 and conical shell 3 can rotate relative to the sleeve 2. The 8-bead cartridge can be made of steel balls, etc.

[0038] See Figure 5 , Figure 6 The positioning post 7 is provided with an external thread, and the connecting groove is provided with an internal thread that matches it. The positioning post 7 is threadedly connected to the sleeve 2 in the connecting groove.

[0039] In the specific installation, the connecting groove is a threaded groove with a countersunk hole 16 at the front end. The positioning post 7 is a bolt, the bolt's shank extending into the threaded groove and threadedly connected to the sleeve 2. The bolt head is located within the countersunk hole 16. The bolt can be adjusted in position within the connecting groove, thereby adjusting the contact force with the retaining ball 8. The retaining ball 8 can be a steel ball or other metal ball. The cross-section of the outer annular groove is preferably a hemispherical or spherical crown shape adapted to the retaining ball 8. One end face of the retaining ball 8 is completely or nearly completely in contact with the bottom surface of the outer annular groove. The bolt's shank end is also provided with a hemispherical or spherical crown-shaped recess adapted to the other end face of the retaining ball 8. The retaining ball 8 is clamped between the bolt and the outer ring 27 or the conical shell 3. When airflow passes through the blades 9 of the outer ring 27, the outer ring 27 rotates, and the retaining ball 8 rotates. If necessary, lubricating oil can be injected into the outer annular groove. The upper end of the sleeve 2 is fitted with the laser sleeve, and the lower end is fitted with the conical shell 3. The diameters of the upper and lower ends may be different. The end with the smaller diameter can be fitted with an inner ring.

[0040] Preferably, a spring (not shown in the figure) is provided between the positioning pin 7 and the retaining bead 8 to adjust the friction between the retaining bead 8 and the bottom surface of the outer annular groove, thereby adjusting the rotational speed of the impeller.

[0041] If the positioning pin 7 directly contacts the retaining bead 8 and abuts the retaining bead 8 against the ground of the outer annular groove, the contact between the retaining bead 8 and the positioning pin 7 is rigid. The friction between the retaining bead 8 and the bottom surface of the outer annular groove is essentially unadjustable. Consequently, the speed of the impeller cannot be adjusted when it drives the outer ring 27 and the conical shell 3 to rotate. With the spring installed, the positioning pin 7 can be repositioned to adjust the spring force and the friction between the retaining bead 8 and the bottom surface of the outer annular groove. Especially when there are a large number of retaining beads 8, such as more than three, the overall friction adjustment will be within a larger range, and the rotation speed adjustment of the outer ring 27 will also be within a larger range, allowing for the selection of a suitable range for use.

[0042] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 The connector 4 or the air outlet pipe 5 is equipped with a control valve 6, which is used to control the proportion of airflow entering the sleeve 2 and the air outlet pipe 5.

[0043] The airflow is primarily used for heat dissipation, preventing the heat from the focused laser from radiating to the surrounding area. Therefore, the airflow should mainly exit from the light outlet of the conical shell 3. However, due to the obstruction of the airflow by the fan blade unit 10 of the light guide 12, the speed of the airflow exiting the light guide 12 may be reduced, thus failing to meet the heat dissipation requirements. In this embodiment, the intake ratio is adjusted by setting a control valve 6, allowing most of the airflow to enter the exhaust pipe 5. The outlet of the exhaust pipe 5 can be tilted downwards, aligned with the laser focusing point or processing point, so that heat can be dissipated in time, preventing the laser processing point from radiating outwards. Although the airflow direction of the exhaust pipe 5 is aligned with the processing point, there is still radiation around it, which can clean the lower end of the conical shell 3. Of course, when setting the exhaust pipe 5, the outlet of the exhaust pipe 5 can be closer to the lower end of the conical shell 3 to improve the airflow radiation force.

[0044] See Figure 7 The connector 4 is internally provided with an air inlet channel 23, a side air outlet channel 26, a lower air outlet channel 24, and a collection space 25. The air inlet channel 23, the side air outlet channel 26, and the lower air outlet channel 24 are all connected to the collection space 25. The control valve 6 includes a control rod 22. The upper end of the connector 4 is provided with a socket that mates with the control rod 22. The upper end of the socket is provided with an internal thread. The middle part of the control rod 22 is provided with an external thread. The lower end of the control rod 22 is inserted into the collection space 25, and the lower end of the control rod 22 is opposite to the lower air outlet channel 24. When the control rod 22 moves downward, the side of the control rod 22 gradually blocks the side air outlet channel 26. When the lower end of the control rod 22 enters the inlet of the lower air outlet channel 24, the lower air outlet channel 24 is blocked.

[0045] The side exhaust channel 26 and the intake channel 23 inside connector 4 are aligned. If control valve 6 is fully open, the airflow entering from intake channel 23 will almost directly enter side exhaust channel 26, and the airflow exiting from lower exhaust channel 24 will be very small. When control valve 6 is rotated, control lever 22 gradually moves downward, gradually blocking side exhaust channel 26, thus causing airflow to gradually shift into lower exhaust channel 24, achieving the purpose of adjusting the airflow distribution ratio. It can be understood that the collecting space 25 can be a cylindrical space, adapted to the lower end of control lever 22. As control lever 22 moves downward, it will gradually block side exhaust channel 26 until it is completely blocked. To prevent airflow from leaking out through the gap between control lever 22 and connector 4, an annular groove can be provided at the lower side of the socket. A sealing ring is installed in the annular groove, and the sealing ring is fitted with control lever 22. Control lever 22 can move up and down, and the sealing ring seals the socket, thus preventing airflow waste. See also Figure 7 The inner diameter of the intake passage 23 is larger than the inner diameter of the exhaust passage. When the side exhaust passage 26 is completely blocked, the lower exhaust passage can still be opened. When cleaning is not required, the side exhaust passage 26 can be blocked using the control lever 22.

[0046] Example 2: See Figure 1 A laser processing device includes an XY moving mechanism and an air compressor. The XY moving mechanism is connected to the laser processing head 100 described above, and the air compressor is connected to a connector 4 via an air pipe.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning laser processing head, comprising: A laser tube has a conical head connected to its lower end. The conical head includes a sleeve connected to the laser tube, and a light guide is rotatably connected to the sleeve. The light guide includes a conical shell located at its lower end, with a light outlet at the middle of the lower end of the conical shell and a fan blade unit at the upper end of the conical shell. An opening is provided on the side of the sleeve and a connector is connected to it. One end of the connector has an air inlet, and the middle of the connector has a side outlet connected to an air outlet pipe. The outlet of the air outlet pipe is located on one side of the conical shell. When the airflow passes through the fan blade unit, the fan blade unit drives the conical shell to rotate.

2. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fan blade unit includes an inner ring in the middle and an outer ring on the outside. Several blades are connected to the inner side of the inner ring. The outer ends of the blades are connected to the inner side of the outer ring through connecting pieces, or the inner ring is connected to the outer ring through connecting pieces. The lower end of the outer ring is connected to a conical shell. The outer ring or the conical shell is rotatably connected to a sleeve, and the outer ring can rotate relative to the sleeve.

3. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the sleeve is sleeved or threaded to the lower end of the laser tube.

4. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer ring or conical shell has a concave outer annular groove on its outer side. The lower end of the sleeve has multiple connecting grooves that communicate with the outer annular groove. The connecting groove has a retaining bead and a positioning post inside it. One end of the retaining bead enters the outer annular groove from the connecting groove, and the other end of the retaining bead abuts against or is adjacent to the positioning post.

5. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning pin has an external thread, and the connecting groove has an internal thread that mates with it. The positioning pin is threadedly connected to the sleeve in the connecting groove.

6. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 5, characterized in that: A spring is provided between the positioning pin and the retaining ball to adjust the friction between the retaining ball and the bottom surface of the outer annular groove, thereby adjusting the rotational speed of the impeller.

7. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector or vent pipe is equipped with a control valve, which is used to control the proportion of airflow entering the sleeve or vent pipe.

8. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connector has an internal air inlet channel, a side air outlet channel, a lower air outlet channel, and a collection space. The air inlet channel, the side air outlet channel, and the lower air outlet channel are all connected to the collection space. The control valve includes a control rod. The upper end of the connector has a socket that mates with the control rod. The upper end of the socket has an internal thread. The middle part of the control rod has an external thread. The lower end of the control rod is inserted into the collection space, and the lower end of the control rod is opposite to the lower air outlet channel. When the control rod moves downward, the side of the control rod gradually blocks the side air outlet channel. When the lower end of the control rod enters the entrance of the lower air outlet channel, the lower air outlet channel is blocked.

9. The self-cleaning laser processing head according to claim 8, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the air intake channel is larger than the inner diameter of the air outlet channel.

10. A laser processing apparatus, characterized in that: It includes an XY moving mechanism and an air compressor. The XY moving mechanism is connected to the laser processing head according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the air compressor is connected to a connector via an air pipe.

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