Ball welding head structure for laser welding

Abstract

The invention discloses a ball welding head structure for laser welding, and belongs to the technical field of laser welding, the ball welding head structure comprises a connecting assembly and a laser welding assembly, the connecting assembly comprises a connecting plate and a buffer moving part, and the laser welding assembly comprises an assembling seat, a laser light path module, a retainer and a ball. The buffer moving part elastically moves on the connecting plate and is fixedly connected with the assembling seat, the laser light path module is fixedly arranged on the assembling seat and irradiates laser towards the direction of the ball, the holder is provided with a holding through hole, the assembling seat or the holder is communicated with a gas supply end, and gas is supplied towards the direction of the ball all the time through gas of the gas supply end. And the balls roll on the retaining through holes in a pressure-maintaining manner through gas. According to the structure, during laser welding, wiring is labor-saving and smooth, the position, to be welded, of a workpiece can be prevented from being scratched, the welding quality is guaranteed, the phenomenon of insufficient welding in the laser welding process can be reduced, the laser welding stability is improved, the design of a laser welding clamp can be simplified, and the assembling technology and the production and machining cost can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser welding technology, specifically a ball welding head structure for laser welding. Background Technology

[0002] Laser welding is a highly efficient and precise welding method that uses a high-energy-density laser beam as a heat source. It is mainly used for welding thin-walled materials and low-speed welding. The welding process is heat conduction type, that is, the laser radiation heats the surface of the workpiece, and the surface heat diffuses into the interior through heat conduction. By controlling parameters such as the width, energy, peak power and repetition frequency of the laser pulse, the workpiece is melted and thus bonded together. Examples include a laser welding device disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. CN202121562970.2, a laser welding apparatus and welding equipment disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. CN201822040056.6, a laser welding device disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. CN201821498754.4, and a laser welding worktable for power battery shells disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. CN201420470470.X, etc.

[0003] However, in existing laser welding techniques, the frictional resistance between the welding head and the workpiece increases after pressure is applied, leading to difficulties in welding traces and easily causing scratches on the surface of the workpiece, thus affecting the weld quality. Therefore, further improvements are necessary. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a ball welding head structure for laser welding to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0005] A ball welding head structure for laser welding, designed for this purpose, includes a connecting assembly and a laser welding assembly. The connecting assembly includes a connecting plate and a buffer movable component. The laser welding assembly includes a mounting base, a laser optical path module, a cage, and balls. The buffer movable component is elastically movable on the connecting plate and fixedly connected to the mounting base. The laser optical path module is fixedly mounted on the mounting base and irradiates laser light in the direction of the balls. The cage is provided with a retaining through hole. The mounting base or the cage is connected to a gas supply end, and the gas through the gas supply end is always supplied in the direction of the balls. The balls roll on the retaining through hole under gas pressure.

[0006] The assembly base includes a first assembly base and a second assembly base, which are arranged vertically and fixedly fitted together. The first assembly base or the second assembly base is fixedly connected to the buffer movable component. The first assembly base or the second assembly base is provided with an air inlet and is connected to the air supply end through the air inlet.

[0007] The first mounting base is provided with a first mounting cavity that extends vertically, and the laser optical path module is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the first mounting cavity. The second mounting base is provided with a second mounting cavity that extends vertically, and the retainer is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the second mounting cavity.

[0008] The retainer includes a first retainer and a second retainer. The first retainer is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the second mounting base and has a first retaining through hole thereon. The second retainer is fixedly disposed at the lower part of the second mounting base and / or the first retainer and has a second retaining through hole thereon. The second mounting cavity, the first retaining through hole, and the second retaining through hole are interconnected. The ball floats and rolls between the first retaining through hole and the second retaining through hole, and its outer end at least partially extends out of the second retaining through hole.

[0009] The second retaining through hole is provided with a sealing groove, and a ball seal is provided on the sealing groove. The ball rolls on the second retaining through hole under pressure and sealing by gas and the cooperation of the ball seal.

[0010] The bottom of the second mounting base is provided with a mounting ring, the first retainer is fixedly disposed inside the mounting ring, and the second retainer is located outside the first retainer and is fixedly disposed outside the mounting ring.

[0011] The first assembly cavity and the second assembly cavity are vertically connected and a protective lens is provided between them. The air inlet is provided on the second assembly seat and is connected to the second assembly cavity.

[0012] The bottom of the first mounting base or the top of the second mounting base is provided with a pressure plate mounting groove, the pressure plate mounting groove is provided with a lens mounting groove, the protective lens is disposed on the lens mounting groove, the pressure plate mounting groove is provided with a pressing plate, the pressing plate is pressed onto the protective lens, and a light-transmitting hole is provided corresponding to the protective lens.

[0013] The lens mounting slot is also provided with a lens seal, and the protective lens is sealed on the lens mounting slot by the lens seal.

[0014] A guide post is fixedly mounted on the connecting plate, an elastic element is mounted on the guide post, a connecting through hole is mounted on the buffer movable part, and a sliding element is mounted on the connecting through hole. One end of the elastic element acts elastically on the connecting plate, and the other end acts elastically on the sliding element or the buffer movable part. The buffer movable part is elastically guided to move on the guide post through the cooperation of the sliding element and the elastic element. A connecting bracket is fixedly mounted on the buffer movable part and is fixedly connected to the mounting base through the connecting bracket.

[0015] The present invention, through the improvement of the above-described structure, has the following advantages compared with the prior art: 1. The laser beam is directed towards the ball bearing by the laser beam module, and the ball bearing rolls along the workpiece to be welded. This effectively reduces the moving resistance during laser welding, making the welding process easier and smoother, ensuring welding quality, and preventing scratches caused by the ball bearing contacting the workpiece to be welded. At the same time, the ball bearing can focus the laser beam from the laser beam module, making the laser energy more concentrated, thereby further improving the welding quality.

[0016] 2. When the ball contacts the workpiece, under the interaction of forces, the buffer moving part can move elastically on the connecting plate, thereby ensuring that the ball can fit tightly with the part of the workpiece to be welded, effectively avoiding the problem of laser welding not being able to be completed due to unevenness of the part of the workpiece to be welded, and at the same time reducing the occurrence of incomplete welding during the laser welding process and improving the stability of laser welding.

[0017] 3. The gas at the gas supply end can maintain pressure on the ball bearings, further ensuring that the ball bearings and the workpiece to be welded are in close contact. In addition, when the ball bearings are squeezed, some gas is ejected through the gap between the ball bearings and the retaining through hole. This can not only cool the laser welding position of the workpiece by air jetting, but also lubricate the contact position between the ball bearings and the workpiece to be welded by using the ejected gas, so as to further achieve the purpose of making the welding line more labor-saving and smoother.

[0018] 4. It can effectively simplify the design of laser welding fixtures and reduce assembly processes and production costs to a certain extent. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure from another perspective of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly cross-sectional structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an exploded structural diagram from another perspective of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is an exploded structural diagram of the laser welding assembly and connecting bracket.

[0025] Figure 7 This is an exploded structural diagram of the laser welding assembly and connecting bracket from another perspective. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] See Figures 1-7 The ball welding head structure for laser welding includes a connecting assembly and a laser welding assembly. The connecting assembly includes a connecting plate 1 and a buffer movable part 2. The laser welding assembly includes an assembly base, a laser optical path module 3, a cage, and balls 4. The buffer movable part 2 is elastically movable on the connecting plate 1 and fixedly connected to the assembly base. The laser optical path module 3 is fixedly mounted on the assembly base and irradiates the ball 4 with laser light. The cage is provided with a holding through hole. The assembly base or the cage is connected to a gas supply end, and the gas through the gas supply end is always supplied in the direction of the ball 4. The ball 4 rolls on the holding through hole under gas pressure.

[0029] In this embodiment, the laser beam is irradiated towards the ball bearing 4 using the laser beam path module 3, and the ball bearing 4 rolls along the workpiece to be welded. This effectively reduces the moving resistance during laser welding, making the welding process easier and smoother, ensuring welding quality, and preventing scratches caused by the ball bearing 4 contacting the workpiece to be welded. At the same time, the ball bearing 4 can focus the laser beam from the laser beam path module 3, making the laser energy more concentrated, thereby further improving the welding quality. In addition, it can effectively simplify the design of the laser welding fixture and reduce assembly process and production costs to a certain extent.

[0030] When the ball 4 contacts the workpiece, under the interaction of forces, the buffer movable part 2 can move elastically on the connecting plate 1, thereby ensuring that the ball 4 can fit tightly with the part of the workpiece to be welded, effectively avoiding the problem of laser welding not being able to be completed due to unevenness of the part of the workpiece to be welded, and at the same time reducing the occurrence of incomplete welding during the laser welding process and improving the stability of laser welding.

[0031] The gas supplied to the gas supply end can maintain pressure on the ball 4, further ensuring that the ball 4 fits tightly against the workpiece to be welded. In addition, when the ball 4 is squeezed, some gas is ejected through the gap between the ball 4 and the holding through hole. This can not only cool the laser welding position of the workpiece by air jetting, but also lubricate the contact position between the ball 4 and the workpiece to be welded by the ejected gas, so as to further achieve the purpose of making the welding line more labor-saving and smoother.

[0032] The assembly base includes a first assembly base 5 and a second assembly base 6. The first assembly base 5 and the second assembly base 6 are arranged vertically and fixedly fitted together. The first assembly base 5 or the second assembly base 6 is fixedly connected to the buffer movable part 2. The first assembly base 5 or the second assembly base 6 is provided with an air inlet 7 and is connected to the air supply end through the air inlet 7.

[0033] In this embodiment, the second mounting base 6 is located below the first mounting base 5, and the two are fixed together by fasteners, resulting in a simple structure and stable assembly.

[0034] The first mounting base 5 is provided with a first mounting cavity 5.1 that runs vertically through the body. The laser optical path module 3 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the first mounting cavity 5.1. The second mounting base 6 is provided with a second mounting cavity 6.1 that runs vertically through the body. The retainer is fixedly mounted on the lower part of the second mounting cavity 6.1.

[0035] The retainer includes a first retainer 8 and a second retainer 9. The first retainer 8 is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the second mounting base 6 and has a first retaining through hole 8.1 thereon. The second retainer 9 is fixedly disposed at the lower part of the second mounting base 6 and / or the first retainer 8 and has a second retaining through hole 9.1 thereon. The second mounting cavity 6.1, the first retaining through hole 8.1 and the second retaining through hole 9.1 are interconnected. The ball 4 floats and rolls between the first retaining through hole 8.1 and the second retaining through hole 9.1, and its outer end at least partially extends out of the second retaining through hole 9.1.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the laser optical path module 3 is working, it irradiates the ball 4 from top to bottom. The ball 4 is a quartz ball, which directly acts on the force point of the workpiece to be welded, satisfying the pressure supply conditions during the laser welding process. At the same time, the ball 4 also plays the role of laser focusing, so that the laser energy is focused on the workpiece to be welded. In addition, a floating cavity is formed between the first holding through hole 8.1 and the second holding through hole 9.1. The ball 4 can float and roll in the floating cavity. That is, when the gas at the gas supply end acts on the ball 4, the ball 4 always moves outward from the second holding through hole 9.1. That is, when the downward pressure during laser welding is greater than the gas pressure at the gas supply end, the ball 4 moves in the direction of the first holding through hole 8.1.

[0037] A sealing groove is provided on the second retaining through hole 9.1, and a ball seal 10 is provided on the sealing groove. The ball 4 rolls on the second retaining through hole 9.1 under pressure by the cooperation of gas and the ball seal 10. This prevents the gas from the gas supply end from leaking out through the gap between the ball 4 and the second retaining through hole 9.1, thereby maintaining the pressure on the ball 4 so that it can roll between the first retaining through hole 8.1 and the second retaining through hole 9.1 under a certain air pressure.

[0038] The bottom of the second mounting base 6 is provided with a mounting ring 6.2. The first retainer 8 is fixedly disposed inside the mounting ring 6.2, and the second retainer 9 is located outside the first retainer 8 and fixedly disposed outside the mounting ring 6.2, thereby improving the assembly stability between the second mounting base 6, the first retainer 8, and the second retainer 9.

[0039] The first assembly cavity 5.1 and the second assembly cavity 6.1 are connected vertically, and a protective lens 11 is provided between them. The air inlet 7 is provided on the second assembly seat 6 and is connected to the second assembly cavity 6.1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the air inlet 7 is connected to the air supply end, allowing gas to enter the second assembly cavity 6.1 and the first assembly cavity 5.1.

[0041] The bottom of the first mounting base 5 or the top of the second mounting base 6 is provided with a pressure plate mounting groove 12, and the pressure plate mounting groove 12 is provided with a lens mounting groove 13. The protective lens 11 is disposed on the lens mounting groove 13. The pressure plate mounting groove 12 is provided with a pressing plate 14, which is pressed onto the protective lens 11 and has a light-transmitting hole 14.1 corresponding to the protective lens 11.

[0042] In this embodiment, the pressure plate assembly groove 12 is recessed on the top of the second assembly seat 6. During assembly, the protective lens 11 is assembled on the lens assembly groove 13, and the pressing plate 14 is subsequently assembled on the pressure plate assembly groove 12 and pressed against the protective lens 11. Then, the assembly and positioning of the pressing plate 14 and the protective lens 11 can be achieved by using the mutual fixation between the first assembly seat 5 and the second assembly seat 6. When the laser optical path module 3 is working, the laser light passes through the light transmission hole 14.1 and the protective lens 11 to irradiate the ball bearing 4.

[0043] A lens sealing element 15 is also provided on the lens assembly groove 13. The protective lens 11 is sealed on the lens assembly groove 13 through the lens sealing element 15. This prevents the gas from the gas supply end from leaking out through the gap between the protective lens 11 and the lens assembly groove 13, so that a pressure environment is formed in the second assembly cavity 6.1 where the ball 4 is located. The gas from the gas supply end can only enter the second assembly cavity 6.1. At the same time, the upper and lower positions of the second assembly cavity 6.1 are sealed, thereby effectively maintaining the pressure of the ball 4.

[0044] In this embodiment, the gas supplied is an inert gas (e.g., argon or nitrogen) to avoid reaction with reactive gases in the air when the workpiece is metal, thus ensuring the welding quality.

[0045] A guide post 16 is fixedly installed on the connecting plate 1, and an elastic element 17 is installed on the guide post 16. A connecting through hole 2.1 is installed on the buffer movable part 2, and a sliding element 18 is installed on the connecting through hole 2.1. One end of the elastic element 17 acts elastically on the connecting plate 1, and the other end acts elastically on the sliding element 18 or the buffer movable part 2. The buffer movable part 2 is elastically guided to move on the guide post 16 through the cooperation of the sliding element 18 and the elastic element 17. A connecting bracket 19 is fixedly installed on the buffer movable part 2 and is fixedly connected to the mounting base through the connecting bracket 19.

[0046] In this embodiment, mounting plates are fixedly installed at the upper and lower positions on one side of the connecting plate 1, and the buffer movable member 2 is fixedly installed on the lower mounting plate. The upper end of the guide post 16 is connected to the upper mounting plate. The elastic member 17 is a compression spring, and its two ends elastically act on the upper mounting plate and the buffer movable member 2, respectively. The connecting bracket 19 has an opening on one side, which can be opened and closed to facilitate assembly with the first mounting seat 5. After assembly, fasteners are installed at the opening of the connecting bracket 19 to hold and fix the first mounting seat 5.

[0047] The connecting plate 1 is connected to an external motion mechanism (such as a six-axis robot or a motion module with XYZ axes). Through the action of the external motion mechanism, the ball 4 is brought into close contact with the work area to be welded. When the downward pressing pressure is greater than the holding pressure of the ball 4 (i.e., the air pressure in the second assembly cavity 6.1), the ball 4 is pressed upward and rolls between the first retaining through hole 8.1 and the second retaining through hole 9.1. At this time, the elastic element 17 is also compressed, providing appropriate protection to the external motion structure while ensuring that the ball 4 will not damage the work area to be welded.

[0048] While the ball 4 is under compression, the external motion mechanism can drive the ball 4 forward along the designated welding path and simultaneously output laser energy to weld the workpiece. In addition, when the ball 4 is compressed, the ball seal 10 separates from the ball 4. At this time, some of the gas in the second assembly cavity 6.1 will be ejected from the gap between the second holding through hole 9.1 and the ball 4, which can appropriately cool the welding position of the workpiece and act as air lubrication for the contact area between the ball 4 and the workpiece to be welded.

[0049] The above describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention, illustrating and describing the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A ball welding head structure for laser welding, comprising a connecting assembly and a laser welding assembly, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a connecting plate (1) and a buffer movable part (2). The laser welding assembly includes a mounting base, a laser optical path module (3), a retainer, and a ball (4). The buffer movable part (2) is elastically movable on the connecting plate (1) and fixedly connected to the mounting base. The laser optical path module (3) is fixedly mounted on the mounting base and irradiates the ball (4) with laser light. The retainer is provided with a retaining through hole. The mounting base or the retainer is connected to a gas supply end, and the gas through the gas supply end is always supplied to the ball (4). The ball (4) rolls on the retaining through hole by gas pressure.

2. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The assembly base includes a first assembly base (5) and a second assembly base (6). The first assembly base (5) and the second assembly base (6) are arranged vertically and fixedly fitted together. The first assembly base (5) or the second assembly base (6) is fixedly connected to the buffer movable part (2). The first assembly base (5) or the second assembly base (6) is provided with an air inlet (7) and is connected to the air supply end through the air inlet (7).

3. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first mounting base (5) is provided with a first mounting cavity (5.1) that extends vertically, and the laser optical path module (3) is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the first mounting cavity (5.1). The second mounting base (6) is provided with a second mounting cavity that extends vertically. 6.1), the retainer is fixedly disposed at the lower part of the second assembly cavity (6.1).

4. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 3, characterized in that: The retainer includes a first retainer (8) and a second retainer (9). The first retainer (8) is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the second mounting base (6) and has a first retaining through hole (8.1) thereon. The second retainer (9) is fixedly disposed at the lower part of the second mounting base (6) and / or the first retainer (8) and has a second retaining through hole (9.1) thereon. The second mounting cavity (6.1), the first retaining through hole (8.1) and the second retaining through hole (9.1) are interconnected. The ball (4) floats and rolls between the first retaining through hole (8.1) and the second retaining through hole (9.1), and its outer end at least partially extends out of the second retaining through hole (9.1).

5. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 4, characterized in that: A sealing groove is provided on the second retaining through hole (9.1), and a ball seal (10) is provided on the sealing groove. The ball (4) rolls on the second retaining through hole (9.1) under pressure and sealing by the cooperation of gas and the ball seal (10).

6. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second mounting base (6) has a protruding mounting ring (6.2) at the bottom. The first retainer (8) is fixedly disposed inside the mounting ring (6.2). The second retainer (9) is located outside the first retainer (8) and is fixedly disposed outside the mounting ring (6.2).

7. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first assembly cavity (5.1) and the second assembly cavity (6.1) are connected vertically and a protective lens (11) is provided between them. The air inlet (7) is provided on the second assembly seat (6) and is connected to the second assembly cavity (6.1).

8. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the first mounting base (5) or the top of the second mounting base (6) is provided with a pressure plate mounting groove (12), and the pressure plate mounting groove (12) is provided with a lens mounting groove (13). The protective lens (11) is disposed on the lens mounting groove (13), and a pressing plate (14) is disposed on the pressure plate mounting groove (12). The pressing plate (14) is pressed onto the protective lens (11) and a light-transmitting hole (14.1) is provided corresponding to the protective lens (11).

9. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 8, characterized in that: The lens assembly slot (13) is also provided with a lens seal (15), and the protective lens (11) is sealed on the lens assembly slot (13) by the lens seal (15).

10. The ball welding head structure for laser welding according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide post (16) is fixedly provided on the connecting plate (1). An elastic element (17) is provided on the guide post (16). A connecting through hole (2.1) is provided on the buffer movable part (2). A sliding element (18) is provided on the connecting through hole (2.1). One end of the elastic element (17) acts elastically on the connecting plate (1), and the other end acts elastically on the sliding element (18) or the buffer movable part (2). The buffer movable part (2) is elastically guided to move on the guide post (16) through the cooperation of the sliding element (18) and the elastic element (17). A connecting bracket (19) is fixedly provided on the buffer movable part (2) and is fixedly connected to the mounting base through the connecting bracket (19).

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