A small volume drawer type handheld laser welding gun and a replacement method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a small-size drawer type handheld laser welding gun and a replacement method thereof, and relates to the field of laser welding equipment. The welding gun comprises a welding gun shell and a pluggable laser module. A slideable laser, a positioning step with a cooling hole and a fan-shaped dustproof door are arranged in a square protective shell of the module. A transverse movement driving unit and a connector assembly driven by the transverse movement driving unit are arranged in the gun shell, and the connector assembly is integrated with a power supply connector and a cooling pipe connector. The working process is as follows: after the module is inserted, the transverse movement unit drives the connector assembly to be inserted into the positioning step, synchronous electric connection, cooling connection and sealing are completed, the laser is pushed out, the dustproof door is pushed open to a preset working position, and precise alignment with an internal optical lens group is realized. Through the modular drawer type quick replacement and active alignment design, the application solves the problems of the heavy and difficult alignment of a multi-wavelength handheld device, realizes quick, accurate and reliable switching of laser wavelengths, and takes into account the portability, flexibility and welding quality of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of handheld laser welding gun technology, and more specifically, to a small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun and its replacement method. Background Technology

[0002] Handheld laser welding guns are widely used in precision manufacturing and maintenance due to their flexibility and suitability for complex spaces. They achieve welding by using a high-energy-density laser beam to melt materials. However, different materials have significantly different absorption characteristics for laser wavelengths, and to achieve optimal welding results, it is often necessary to match a laser with a specific wavelength.

[0003] Currently, there are two main technical approaches to address the wavelength compatibility issue in multi-material welding. One approach uses a single laser combined with tunable optical elements; however, such systems are complex, expensive, and have limited tuning range, making them unsuitable for industrial-grade handheld devices. The second approach integrates multiple fixed-wavelength lasers. For example, Chinese patent application CN119347096A discloses a handheld laser welding gun capable of welding multiple materials. It uses a rotatable laser assembly within the gun body, allowing for the switching of different laser wavelengths by rotating the assembly.

[0004] However, the aforementioned rotary switching scheme has significant drawbacks: integrating multiple lasers and rotary drive mechanisms significantly increases the size and weight of the equipment, disrupting the balance and handling of the handheld tool and leading to operator fatigue; simultaneously, the positioning accuracy and reliability of the mechanical rotating structure are difficult to guarantee under long-term use and vibration environments, potentially affecting optical path alignment accuracy and welding quality. Furthermore, this scheme does not adequately consider the reliable connection and sealing of laser cooling pipes and high-power electrical interfaces during dynamic rotary switching.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can achieve rapid and precise switching of laser wavelengths while ensuring that handheld devices are lightweight and highly reliable. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems of large size and weight, complex structure, and insufficient reliability of existing multi-wavelength handheld laser welding guns, this invention provides a small-sized drawer-type handheld laser welding gun and its replacement method. The aim is to achieve rapid and reliable replacement of different wavelength laser modules without significantly increasing the gun's size and weight, through a modular, drawer-type laser quick-change design combined with an active docking and precise positioning mechanism, while automatically completing the connection and calibration of optical, electrical, and cooling circuits.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: A small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun is constructed, including a welding gun housing and a laser module. The laser module includes a block-shaped protective shell with a transverse sliding groove inside. The laser and a reset elastic element that provides a reset force to the laser are slidably disposed within the transverse sliding groove. A frustum-shaped positioning step is provided at one end of the transverse sliding groove facing the inside of the welding gun housing. Multiple cooling water holes are distributed circumferentially at the bottom of the positioning step, including at least one inlet and at least one outlet. An annular flow channel connecting the ends of all the cooling water holes is provided inside the protective shell. A dustproof door is provided at the end of the transverse sliding groove away from the positioning step. The dustproof door is composed of multiple fan-shaped movable plates with elastic reset elements spliced ​​together. A slot for inserting the protective outer shell is provided on one side of the welding gun housing; a transverse drive unit is provided inside the welding gun housing at the end position corresponding to the slot. The movable end of the transverse drive unit is provided with a connector assembly; the connector assembly includes a waterproof power supply connector for electrical connection with the tail end of the laser, a first waterproof ring sleeved on the outside of the waterproof power supply connector, and a plurality of cooling pipe connectors arranged around the first waterproof ring, the plurality of cooling pipe connectors including a water inlet connector corresponding to the water inlet hole and a water return connector corresponding to the water outlet hole. An optical lens group is also provided inside the welding gun housing along the optical path of the laser. After the protective housing is inserted into the slot, the lateral drive unit can drive the connector assembly to move, so that the waterproof power supply connector is inserted into the positioning step and connected to the laser, and each of the cooling pipe connectors is inserted into the corresponding cooling water hole, and the first waterproof ring is sealed and fitted to the tail end of the laser; the lateral drive unit continues to drive, and can push the laser forward through the waterproof power supply connector to overcome the elastic force of the reset elastic element, until the light-emitting end of the laser pushes open the dustproof door.

[0008] Preferably, the handheld laser welding gun further includes a controller and an identification unit; an identification code is provided on the protective shell; the identification unit is disposed on the welding gun shell and electrically connected to the controller for reading the identification code; the controller is electrically connected to the transverse drive unit and is configured to: retrieve pre-stored corresponding working position data according to the identification code read by the identification unit, and control the transverse drive unit to move to the working position.

[0009] Preferably, the movable end of the transverse drive unit is provided with a mounting plate, and the inner wall of the welding gun housing is provided with a guide rail that slides with the mounting plate; the waterproof power supply connector, the first waterproof ring, and multiple cooling pipe connectors are all mounted on the mounting plate.

[0010] Preferably, the cooling pipe joint is tubular with a hemispherical front end, and a retaining spring is fitted on the cooling pipe joint. One end of the retaining spring is connected to the mounting plate, and the other end is connected to a second waterproof ring, which is fitted on the cooling pipe joint.

[0011] Preferably, the port edge of the cooling water hole is provided with an annular sealing step that cooperates with the second waterproof ring.

[0012] Preferably, the slot has a parallelogram cross-section, and the side shape of the protective shell matches the shape of the slot; the opening edge of the slot is provided with a guide bevel.

[0013] Preferably, the surface of the welding gun housing opposite to the side where the slot is provided is provided with a magnet for attracting the protective shell and an ejection hole for ejecting the protective shell.

[0014] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a method for replacing and positioning the laser module of the above-mentioned small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun, characterized in that it includes an installation and positioning step and a disassembly step. The installation and positioning steps include: S1. Insert the protective shell of the laser module into the slot of the welding gun shell until it reaches the limit, and complete the initial positioning; S2. Start the transverse drive unit to drive the connector assembly to move toward the laser module, so that the waterproof power supply connector is inserted into the positioning step and establishes an electrical connection with the laser. At the same time, each cooling pipe connector is inserted into the corresponding cooling water hole to complete the secondary positioning and connection. S3. The transverse drive unit continues to drive, pushing the laser along the transverse sliding groove through the waterproof power supply connector, compressing and resetting the elastic element, until the laser's output end pushes open the multiple fan-shaped movable plates of the dustproof door and reaches the preset working position. The disassembly steps include: S4. Control the transverse drive unit to move in the opposite direction, drive the connector assembly to move backward, so that the cooling pipe connector and the waterproof power supply connector are separated from the laser module in sequence. S5. Remove the laser module from the slot.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Achieved true compactness and modularity: The laser, its heat dissipation channels, and interfaces are integrated into a compact, block-shaped module, requiring only one drive docking mechanism inside the gun body. When changing wavelengths, only the lightweight laser module needs to be replaced, avoiding the need to integrate multiple lasers and complex rotating mechanisms inside the gun body, greatly reducing the weight and size of the handheld part and optimizing the operating feel.

[0016] 2. High-precision optical path alignment is ensured: A two-stage positioning method of "slot coarse positioning + transverse drive precision alignment" is adopted. The combination of the frustum-shaped positioning step and the waterproof power supply connector enables automatic radial alignment. The final axial position of the laser is precisely controlled by the transverse drive unit to ensure that its light-emitting end is precisely aligned with the fixed optical lens group in the gun body, thus ensuring the quality and stability of the welding optical path.

[0017] 3. Achieved rapid and reliable connection of optical, electrical, and cooling circuits: Through a single movement of the transverse drive unit, high-power electrical connection, coolant circuit connection (through the insertion of the cooling pipe connector into the cooling water hole), and determination of the laser's axial position are completed simultaneously. The clamping spring and second waterproof ring design on the cooling connector ensure the sealing and responsiveness of the cooling circuit connection, accommodating minor assembly errors.

[0018] 4. Features intelligent identification and automatic calibration: By reading the module identification code through the identification unit, the controller can automatically identify the laser model and call its pre-stored optimal working position (i.e., the best collimation position of the optical path). This achieves "plug and play," eliminating the need for manual debugging after module replacement, significantly improving the switching efficiency and consistency of work quality between different welding tasks.

[0019] 5. Excellent protection and high reliability: The dustproof door design seals the module when not in use, preventing dust from entering. The entire connection process is completed within the sealed cavity, with the first and second waterproof rings providing a double seal. The parallelogram slot and magnetic adsorption design ensure the stability and accuracy of the module insertion. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun of the present invention; Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating the replacement method of a small drawer-type handheld laser welding gun according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, a clear and complete description will be provided below in conjunction with the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun, which mainly includes a welding gun housing 1 and a pluggable laser module 2.

[0023] The laser module 2 includes a generally cubic protective housing 21 made of lightweight alloy or high-strength engineering plastic. A transverse sliding groove 22 is machined within the protective housing 21, in which the laser 23 (such as a fiber-coupled semiconductor laser module) is slidably disposed. A reset elastic element 24, such as a compression spring or tension spring, acts on the laser 23, providing a spring force that always tends to move towards the inner end of the transverse sliding groove 22. At one end of the transverse sliding groove 22 facing the interior of the gun body, a concave, frustum-shaped positioning step 25 is provided. The bottom of the positioning step 25 (i.e., the small end face of the frustum) has a plurality of cooling water holes 26 evenly distributed circumferentially, including at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole. An annular flow channel 27 is machined inside the protective housing 21, connecting the ends of all the cooling water holes 26 to form a cooling circuit. At the other end of the transverse sliding groove 22 (the light-emitting end), a dustproof door 28 is installed. It is made up of multiple (e.g., four) fan-shaped movable plates 281 that are hinged together by elastic reset components such as torsion springs. Under normal conditions, it is closed under the action of elastic force to prevent dust from entering.

[0024] A slot 11 matching the shape of the protective shell 21 is provided on one side of the welding gun housing 1. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the slot 11 is preferably a parallelogram, and the corresponding side of the protective shell 21 also has the same shape, which serves to prevent misinsertion and resist torsion. The entrance edge of the slot 11 is machined with a guide bevel 111 to facilitate insertion. On the inner wall of the other side of the housing opposite the slot 11, a magnet can be embedded to provide an attractive force after the module is inserted, enhancing the connection stability; an ejection hole connecting the inside and outside can also be provided next to it, so that a tool can be inserted to eject the module if necessary.

[0025] Inside the welding gun housing 1, at the end of the slot 11, a transverse drive unit 3 is installed, such as an electric push rod, linear motor, or cylinder. A mounting plate 31 is fixed to the movable end of the transverse drive unit 3. The mounting plate 31 is guided by a guide rail located inside the housing to ensure linear motion accuracy. A connector assembly 4 is fixed to the mounting plate 31. This assembly includes a central main waterproof power connector 41 for providing high-power power and control signals to the laser 23. A first waterproof ring 42 is fitted around the outside of the waterproof power connector 41. Around the first waterproof ring 42, multiple cooling pipe connectors 43 (corresponding to the number of cooling water holes 26) are fixed to the mounting plate 31, including inlet and outlet connectors. The cooling pipe connector 43 is preferably a tubular structure with a hemispherical front end, on which a retaining spring 44 is fitted. One end of the spring abuts against the mounting plate 31, and the other end is connected to a second waterproof ring 45 fitted onto the pipe connector. At the edge of the cooling water hole 26 port of the positioning step 25, an annular sealing step 261 is machined to mate with the second waterproof ring 45.

[0026] Inside the welding gun housing 1, behind the laser 23, an optical lens group 5, consisting of a collimating lens and a focusing lens, is installed to process the laser beam. The housing also integrates a controller 6 (such as an MCU) and an identification unit 7 (such as an RFID reader or QR code scanner). The protective housing 21 has a unique identifier (such as an RFID tag or QR code) affixed to its surface. Both the identification unit 7 and the lateral movement drive unit 3 are electrically connected to the controller 6.

[0027] The laser module replacement and positioning method of the present invention, combined with Figure 3 The flowchart and specific work process are as follows: Installation and positioning process: The operator pushes the selected laser module 2 into the welding gun housing 1 along the slot 11 until the bottom of the protective housing 21 touches the bottom or engages, completing the initial coarse positioning (step S1). At this time, the tail end of the laser 23 is directly opposite the connector assembly 4, and the cooling water hole 26 is directly opposite the cooling pipe connector 43.

[0028] The controller 6 reads the identification code on the protective housing 21 through the identification unit 7 to obtain the model information of the current laser module (step S2a). Subsequently, the controller 6 activates the transverse drive unit 3, driving the mounting plate 31 and the connector assembly 4 to move as a whole toward the laser module 2 (step S2). During the movement, the frustum-shaped positioning step 25 guides the waterproof power connector 41 to be accurately inserted and aligned, and finally tightly connected with the electrical interface at the tail end of the laser 23. At the same time, the first waterproof ring 42 is pressed against the tail end of the laser to form a seal. Under the action of the holding spring 44, the hemispherical front end of each cooling pipe connector 43 is inserted into the corresponding cooling water hole 26, and the second waterproof ring 45 is pressed against the annular sealing step 261 to form a reliable sealing connection, completing the secondary precise positioning and connection of all media (electricity, coolant) circuits.

[0029] The transverse drive unit 3 continues to advance according to the predetermined program (step S3). The waterproof power supply connector 41 pushes the laser 23 to overcome the elastic force of the reset elastic element 24 and slide in the light-emitting direction within the transverse sliding groove 22. The light-emitting end of the laser 23 gradually pushes open the multiple fan-shaped movable plates 281 of the dustproof door 28 until it reaches the "working position" that the controller 6 retrieves according to the identification code and stores in advance. This "working position" is the optimal collimation position of the optical path determined by fine-tuning through external optical path monitoring equipment during factory debugging or initial calibration, and it has been bound and stored with the laser module identification code. After reaching this position, the laser 23, the dustproof door opening, and the internal optical lens group 5 are precisely aligned, and the optical path is unobstructed.

[0030] At this time, coolant can be introduced into the water inlet connector. The coolant circulates through the water inlet hole, the annular flow channel 27, and the water outlet hole to dissipate heat from the laser 23. Simultaneously, the laser 23 can be powered through the waterproof power supply connector 41 for welding operations.

[0031] Disassembly process: When the laser needs to be replaced, first stop the laser output and coolant supply (step S4a). Controller 6 controls the transverse drive unit 3 to move in the opposite direction, pulling the connector assembly 4 backward. Cooling pipe connector 43 first separates from cooling water hole 26, and then waterproof power supply connector 41 disengages from the tail end of laser 23 (step S4). Under the action of reset elastic element 24, laser 23 retracts into transverse sliding groove 22, and dustproof door 28 automatically closes under its own torsion spring, protecting the internal optical surface. Finally, the operator can manually or with the aid of tools pull the laser module 2 out of slot 11 through ejection hole 14 to complete disassembly (step S5).

[0032] Through the above-mentioned modular design, two-level positioning, active docking and intelligent identification control, the present invention realizes the rapid, accurate and reliable replacement of lasers of different wavelengths on pistol welding equipment, while expanding the functions of the equipment and maximizing the compactness, lightweight and ease of operation of the equipment.

[0033] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun, comprising a welding gun housing (1), characterized in that, It also includes a laser module (2), which includes a block-shaped protective shell (21). A transverse sliding groove (22) is provided inside the protective shell (21). A laser (23) and a reset elastic element (24) that provides reset elastic force for the laser (23) are slidably disposed in the transverse sliding groove (22). A frustum-shaped positioning step (25) is provided at one end of the transverse sliding groove (22) facing the inside of the welding gun housing (1). A plurality of cooling water holes (26) are distributed circumferentially at the bottom of the positioning step (25). The plurality of cooling water holes (26) include at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole. An annular flow channel (27) connecting the ends of all the cooling water holes (26) is provided inside the protective shell (21). A dustproof door (28) is provided at one end of the transverse sliding groove (22) away from the positioning step (25). The dustproof door (28) consists of a plurality of... The elastic reset component is constructed by splicing together fan-shaped movable plates (281); a slot (11) for inserting the protective shell (21) is provided on one side of the welding gun housing (1); a transverse drive unit (3) is provided inside the welding gun housing (1) at the end position corresponding to the slot (11); a connector assembly (4) is provided at the moving end of the transverse drive unit (3); the connector assembly (4) includes a waterproof power supply connector (41) for electrical connection with the tail end of the laser (23), a first waterproof ring (42) sleeved on the outside of the waterproof power supply connector (41), and a plurality of cooling pipe connectors (43) arranged around the first waterproof ring (42), the plurality of cooling pipe connectors (43) including a water inlet connector corresponding to the water inlet hole and a water return connector corresponding to the water outlet hole; an optical lens group (5) is also provided inside the welding gun housing (1) along the optical path direction of the laser (23). It also includes a controller (6) and an identification unit (7); an identification code is provided on the protective shell (21); the identification unit (7) is disposed on the welding gun housing (1) and electrically connected to the controller (6) for reading the identification code; the controller (6) is electrically connected to the transverse drive unit (3) and is configured to: retrieve the pre-stored corresponding working position data according to the identification code read by the identification unit (7) and control the transverse drive unit (3) to move to the working position; the movable end of the transverse drive unit (3) is provided with a mounting plate (31), and the inner wall of the welding gun housing (1) is provided with a sliding joint that slides with the mounting plate (31). The guide rail (12) is dynamically fitted; the waterproof power supply connector (41), the first waterproof ring (42) and multiple cooling pipe connectors (43) are all installed on the mounting plate (31); the cooling pipe connector (43) is tubular and the front end is hemispherical, and a compression spring (44) is sleeved on the cooling pipe connector (43). One end of the compression spring (44) is connected to the mounting plate (31), and the other end is connected to the second waterproof ring (45). The second waterproof ring (45) is sleeved on the cooling pipe connector (43); the edge of the cooling water hole (26) is provided with an annular sealing step (261) that cooperates with the second waterproof ring (45); The installation and positioning steps include: S1. Insert the protective shell (21) of the laser module (2) into the slot (11) of the welding gun shell (1) until it reaches the limit, and complete the initial positioning; S2. Start the transverse drive unit (3) to drive the connector assembly (4) to move toward the laser module (2), so that the waterproof power supply connector (41) is inserted into the positioning step (25) and establishes an electrical connection with the laser (23), and at the same time, each of the cooling pipe connectors (43) is inserted into each of the cooling water holes (26) to complete the secondary positioning and connection. S3. The transverse drive unit (3) continues to drive, and pushes the laser (23) to slide along the transverse sliding groove (22) through the waterproof power supply connector (41), compressing the reset elastic element (24) until the light-emitting end of the laser (23) pushes open the multiple fan-shaped movable plates (281) of the dustproof door (28) and reaches the preset working position. The disassembly steps include: S4. Control the transverse drive unit (3) to move in the opposite direction, drive the connector assembly (4) to move backward, so that the cooling pipe connector (43) and the waterproof power supply connector (41) are separated from the laser module (2) in sequence; S5. Remove the laser module (2) from the slot (11).

2. The small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slot (11) has a parallelogram cross-section, and the side shape of the protective shell (21) matches the shape of the slot (11); the opening edge of the slot (11) is provided with a guide bevel (111).

3. The small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surface of the welding gun housing (1) opposite to the side where the slot (11) is provided is provided with a magnet (13) for adsorbing the protective shell (21) and an ejection hole (14) for ejecting the protective shell (21).

4. A method for replacing the laser module in a small-volume drawer-type handheld laser welding gun as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Includes installation and positioning steps as well as disassembly steps; The installation and positioning steps include: S1. Insert the protective shell (21) of the laser module (2) into the slot (11) of the welding gun shell (1) until it reaches the limit, and complete the initial positioning; S2. Start the transverse drive unit (3) to drive the connector assembly (4) to move toward the laser module (2), so that the waterproof power supply connector (41) is inserted into the positioning step (25) and establishes an electrical connection with the laser (23), and at the same time, each of the cooling pipe connectors (43) is inserted into each of the cooling water holes (26) to complete the secondary positioning and connection. S3. The transverse drive unit (3) continues to drive, and pushes the laser (23) to slide along the transverse sliding groove (22) through the waterproof power supply connector (41), compressing the reset elastic element (24) until the light-emitting end of the laser (23) pushes open the multiple fan-shaped movable plates (281) of the dustproof door (28) and reaches the preset working position. The disassembly steps include: S4. Control the transverse drive unit (3) to move in the opposite direction, drive the connector assembly (4) to move backward, so that the cooling pipe connector (43) and the waterproof power supply connector (41) are separated from the laser module (2) in sequence; S5. Remove the laser module (2) from the slot (11).

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