Multi-functional laser head with adjustable light spot and control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size and its control method. The laser head includes: a support base with a channel through which the optical path passes, and a support wheel located within the support base and driven to rotate. The support wheel has at least two mounting holes arranged circumferentially around a rotation axis for placing different mirror groups. After the support wheel is driven to rotate, the different mounting holes can sequentially switch to align with the center of the channel and are positioned by a positioning rod. This invention has a simple and compact structure, enabling the switching of different mirror groups at the workstation and achieving diverse beam size adjustments for the same laser head, overcoming the limitation of traditional laser heads that can only output fixed beam shapes. It is suitable for different processing requirements such as cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing. Furthermore, it can cool and dissipate heat from the mirror groups, effectively solving the problems of focused beam drift and energy density reduction caused by uneven temperature distribution within the mirror groups.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser processing technology, specifically to a multifunctional laser head with adjustable spot size and control method, applicable to various application scenarios such as laser shock peening and laser welding. Background Technology

[0002] Laser processing boasts advantages such as high precision and non-contact operation, leading to its increasingly widespread application in welding, cutting, and additive manufacturing. Currently, most laser processing systems on the market still employ Gaussian-distributed laser spots. The energy of these spots decays rapidly from the center to the edges, with a strong energy distribution at the center and weak energy at the edges. In practical applications, this uneven energy distribution causes several problems: for example, during laser welding, excessively high energy at the center of the spot can cause over-melting, vaporization, or even spattering of the material, resulting in defects such as dents and voids after welding; during cutting, Gaussian spots can also cause uneven heat-affected zones, leading to unsatisfactory cut surface quality. As laser processing gradually enters high-end manufacturing fields, the requirements for controlling the shape, size, and energy distribution of the laser spot are becoming increasingly stringent, making adjustable laser spot technology increasingly crucial.

[0003] To overcome the limitations of Gaussian beams, several beam control schemes have been developed in the industry. For example, vortex beams can be generated by using diffractive optical elements (DOE) or refractive optical elements to obtain ring or dot-ring composite beams, which helps to achieve a more uniform temperature field and melt depth distribution, and reduce spatter and voids. Another example is the use of integrated aspherical beam shaping lens groups to convert the Gaussian distribution into a square or circular flat-top beam with uniform energy, which is particularly suitable for additive manufacturing or wide weld seam welding with material removal.

[0004] Existing laser head beam patterns suffer from the following problems: 1. The beam adjustment modes are relatively limited. A single laser head can often only produce a fixed beam shape, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the diverse requirements of different processes such as cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing regarding beam shape and energy distribution; 2. Current designs generally lack effective lens cooling, especially when switching between different lenses to form different beam patterns. Lenses are prone to overheating under high-power laser irradiation, and the lack of dedicated cooling measures directly affects beam quality and system stability. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a multi-functional laser head with adjustable beam patterns, rich adjustment modes, fast response, controllable cost, and lens cooling capabilities, along with a corresponding control system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam pattern. It has a simple and compact structure, which not only enables the switching of different mirror groups at the work station and completes the adjustment of the beam pattern corresponding to the same laser head, but also changes the limitation of traditional laser heads that can only output fixed beam pattern. It is suitable for different processing requirements such as cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing. In addition, it can cool down the mirror group and effectively solve the problems of focused beam drift and energy density reduction caused by uneven temperature distribution of mirror group.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size includes: The supporting base has a channel through which light can pass; The switching component has a support wheel located in the support base and driven to rotate; The support wheel has at least two mounting holes arranged circumferentially around the rotation axis for placing different lens groups; The positioning component, mounted on the support base, has a positioning rod that is close to or far from the channel; When the support wheel is driven to rotate, different mounting holes can be switched sequentially to align with the center of the channel and positioned by a positioning rod.

[0007] In some examples of the present invention, the switching component further includes a support cylinder fixed in the middle of the support wheel and connected to the drive component; The support wheel is provided with a closed cooling channel for cooling the mirror assembly placed in the mounting hole. There are multiple cooling channels, which are matched with multiple mounting holes. One end of the cooling channel is connected to the water inlet on the support cylinder, and the other end is connected to the water outlet on the support cylinder. The inlet and outlet are separated from each other on the axis of the support cylinder. The coolant enters the cooling channel from the inlet and is eventually discharged from the outlet.

[0008] In some examples of the present invention, a return flow hole is provided at one end of the cooling channel; The return hole and the outlet hole are connected to each other by a return pipe.

[0009] In some examples of the present invention, the cooling channel includes a first cooling section, a second cooling section, and a third cooling section that are smoothly connected in sequence; The first cooling section is arranged radially from the support cylinder to near the mounting hole; the second cooling section is arranged at a large angle around the outer periphery of the mounting hole; the third cooling section is arranged along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole and extends to near the adjacent mounting hole. The rotation direction of the support wheel is opposite to the arrangement direction of the third cooling section relative to the second cooling section.

[0010] In some examples of the present invention, a cooling pipe is coaxially and fixedly arranged inside the support cylinder; The upper end of the cooling pipe is connected to the liquid inlet, the lower end is connected to the liquid outlet, and a partition is provided in the middle for separation. The cooling pipe axis is provided with a first hole and a second hole on both sides of the partition; When the mounting hole is switched to be aligned with the center of the channel, the first hole is sealed to the water inlet corresponding to the mounting hole, and the second hole is sealed to the water outlet corresponding to the mounting hole.

[0011] In some examples of the present invention, the first hole and the second hole are both circumferentially arranged arc-shaped holes; As the mounting hole aligns with the center of the channel and rotates to switch to the next mounting hole, the first hole is always connected to the water inlet of the mounting hole, and the second hole is always connected to the water outlet of the mounting hole.

[0012] In some examples of the present invention, it also includes: The sensor is installed on the support base or support cylinder to identify the position where the mounting hole is switched to the channel. The controller, connected to the sensor, receives the position signal of the mounting hole and controls the rotation of the support wheel and the movement of the positioning rod.

[0013] In some examples of the present invention, a shutter assembly connected to the controller for switching the optical path on and off is also included; The support wheel has an isolation strip at the end facing the optical path, along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole; When the mounting hole aligns with the center of the channel, the controller controls the shutter assembly to connect the optical path. During the rotation and switching process of the mounting hole, the controller controls the shutter assembly to cut off the optical path.

[0014] In some examples of the present invention, the support wheel is provided with a plurality of positioning holes on its periphery that match the mounting holes; The positioning hole has a tapered structure, and one end of the positioning rod matches the positioning hole and can be moved and inserted into the positioning hole.

[0015] The control method of this adjustable multi-functional laser head integrates at least two different mirror groups on a support wheel and uses the rotation drive of the wheel to align different mounting holes with the center of the channel in sequence, realizing the switching of different mirror groups at the workstation. Furthermore, by having coolant flow through the cooling channel, the mirror groups can be cooled and dissipated, effectively solving the problems of focused spot drift and energy density reduction caused by uneven temperature distribution of the mirror groups.

[0016] A method for controlling a multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam spot, specifically including the following steps: S1, according to the usage requirements, install different lens groups in the mounting holes at different positions on the support wheel in sequence; S2, when the support wheel rotates so that the mounting hole is aligned with the center of the channel and the mirror assembly is in the working position, the positioning component acts on the support wheel to perform positioning; The water inlet at the workstation corresponding to the cooling channel is connected to the first hole on the cooling pipe, and the corresponding water outlet is connected to the second hole on the cooling pipe. The coolant enters from one end of the cooling pipe, then enters the cooling channel through the first hole and the water inlet hole, cooling and dissipating heat around the mounting hole and the rotation trajectory at the workstation, and finally exits from the return hole and the second hole. As the support wheel rotates, bringing other mirror assemblies into position, the positioning component releases the support wheel. The first hole can still connect to the water inlet, and the second hole can still connect to the corresponding water outlet, until the next mounting hole is completely aligned with the center of the channel, and the mirror assembly inside is in position. S3. When the support wheel rotates, bringing the next mirror assembly into position, repeat step S2.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, this adjustable-spot multifunctional laser head has the following advantages: 1. By integrating at least two different mirror groups on the support wheel and using the rotation drive of the wheel, different mounting holes can be aligned with the center of the channel in sequence, thus realizing the switching of different mirror groups at the workstation, completing the adjustment of different light spots corresponding to the same laser head, changing the limitation of traditional laser heads that can only output fixed light spot shapes, and is suitable for different processing requirements such as cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing. 2. A closed cooling channel is set inside the support wheel, corresponding to each mounting hole. The coolant enters through the water inlet in the center of the support cylinder, flows around the mounting holes and the rotation trajectory area, and then exits through the water outlet. This can forcibly remove the heat conducted by the mirror assembly, effectively solving the problems of focused spot drift and energy density reduction caused by uneven temperature distribution of the mirror assembly. It is suitable for long-term, high-repetition-rate operation. In addition, the third cooling section in the cooling channel is used to cool the rotation trajectory where the mounting holes are located, effectively solving the problem of damage caused by laser action on the rotation trajectory during the rotation switching process of the support wheel. 3. By setting a first hole and a second hole on the fixedly arranged cooling pipe, and only when a certain mounting hole is switched to the center of the channel, the water inlet and outlet corresponding to that station are sealed and connected to the first hole and the second hole on the cooling pipe, respectively. There is no need to add an independent electrically controlled valve at each water inlet. This avoids the ineffective distribution of coolant resources between different cooling channels, greatly simplifies the complexity of the overall structure and the difficulty of control, and ensures that the mirror assembly in the working state can obtain the maximum cooling flow. In addition, the first hole and the second hole are further arranged in a circumferential arc-shaped hole structure to ensure that the mirror assembly and related parts of the support wheel are always in a cooled state during the entire switching period, avoiding local temperature rise caused by cooling interruption at the moment of switching, which is beneficial to protecting the thermal stability of the wheel rotation trajectory area when accidentally irradiated by laser.

[0018] 4. By setting up sensors, controllers, shutter components, and positioning holes around the support wheel, fully automatic lens group switching and positioning control can be achieved. In addition, the isolation strip set on the rotation trajectory line can effectively prevent the laser from directly acting on the support wheel body, thereby greatly improving the safety protection capability of the equipment when continuously switching high-power spot modes. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the switching component in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal cooling channels supporting the wheel in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the reflux pipe connection in this invention; Figure 5 This is a top view of the internal cooling channels supporting the wheel in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly between the cooling pipe, the support cylinder, and the support wheel in this invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the first hole and the second hole of the cooling pipe and the water inlet and outlet holes of the support cylinder in this invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first and second holes of the cooling pipe in this invention; Figure 9 This is a partial front view of the present invention; In the diagram: 10. Support base; 11. Channel; 12. Inner cavity; 20. Support wheel, 21. Mounting hole, 22. Cooling channel, 23. Return hole, 24. Return pipe, 25. Positioning hole, 26. Water outlet; 30. Cooling pipe; 31. First hole; 32. Second hole; 33. Baffle plate; 40. Support cylinder; 41. Water inlet hole; 50. Positioning rod; 60. Drive components. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that 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 described embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, “an” or “a” and similar terms do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0022] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, this multi-functional laser head with adjustable beam size includes: The support body 10 has a channel 11 through which the light path passes; The switching component has a support wheel 20 located inside the support base 10 and driven to rotate; The support wheel 20 has at least two mounting holes 21 arranged circumferentially around the rotation axis for placing different mirror groups; The positioning component is mounted on the support body 10 and has a positioning rod 50 that is close to or far from the channel 11; When the support wheel 20 is driven to rotate, the different mounting holes 21 can be switched in sequence to be aligned with the center of the channel 11 and positioned by the positioning rod 50. Specifically, the support base 10 may be provided with an inner cavity 12 for placing the switching component. The switching component is used to switch between different light spot shapes. The support wheel 20 is a circular wheel perpendicular to the optical path, and the periphery is provided with mounting holes 21 for positioning the lens group. When the support wheel 20 rotates, the mounting hole 21 can rotate to the channel 11 so that the corresponding lens group is located at the work position. The positioning component positions the support wheel 20 so that the axes of the mounting hole 21, the lens group, and the channel 11 are aligned. The positioning rod 50 is driven by a pulse drive circuit to ensure the positioning accuracy of different mounting holes 21 and channels 11 during switching. When using this multi-functional laser head with adjustable beam size, the lens assembly can be selected according to the usage requirements. For example, parallel flat optical glass can be used to output the original Gaussian beam, which is suitable for scenarios such as drilling that require high energy density; or an integrated aspherical beam shaping lens assembly can be used to convert the Gaussian beam into a square or circular flat-top beam with uniform energy, which is suitable for additive manufacturing that removes material or wide weld seam welding. Once the mirror assembly is determined, the support wheel 20 is driven to rotate, causing the mounting hole 21 of the mirror assembly to rotate to the channel 11. The positioning rod 50 approaches the channel 11 and acts on the periphery of the support wheel 20, aligning the mounting hole 21 with the center of the channel 11 to complete the mirror assembly positioning. After the laser is output from the light source, it is processed by external or internal collimating and beam expanding components before acting on the mirror assembly at the current workstation to generate a corresponding light spot. When switching, the positioning rod 50 moves away from the channel 11, releasing the restriction on the support wheel 20. The support wheel 20 is then driven to rotate, causing the mounting hole 21 of other mirror assemblies to be located at the channel 11. This enables the switching of different mirror assemblies at the workstation, achieving diverse light spot adjustments and meeting the needs of different processing techniques such as cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing.

[0023] In some examples of the present invention, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the switching component also includes a support cylinder 40 fixed in the middle of the support wheel 20 and connected to the drive component 60; The support wheel 20 is provided with a closed cooling channel 22 for cooling the mirror assembly placed in the mounting hole 21. There are multiple cooling channels 22, which are matched with multiple mounting holes 21. One end of the cooling channel 22 is connected to the water inlet hole 41 on the support cylinder 40, and the other end is connected to the water outlet hole 26 on the support cylinder 40. The inlet hole 41 and the outlet hole 26 are separated from each other on the axis of the support cylinder 40. The coolant enters the cooling channel 22 from the inlet hole 41 and is finally discharged from the outlet hole 26. Specifically, the support cylinder 40 is fixedly installed in the middle of the support wheel 20 as a drive shaft. The drive component 60 can be a servo motor and a transmission component. That is, the output end of the servo motor is connected to the drive wheel, and the drive wheel is connected to the driven wheel fixed on the support cylinder 40 through the transmission component. The servo motor is controlled by the controller to complete the rotation switching of the support wheel 20. Deionized water can be used as the coolant, and an online filter is installed at the water inlet 41. The cooling channel 22 is used to dissipate heat and cool the lens assembly. When the laser acts on the lens assembly, some laser energy will still be absorbed by the lens material. Under different operating conditions such as long time and high repetition rate, this absorbed energy will gradually accumulate, resulting in a significant temperature gradient and thermal stress inside the lens. This can lead to uneven temperature distribution in the lens, causing the focused spot to drift, energy density to decrease, and local hot spots that may cause coating peeling, substrate microcracks, or even lens breakage. The cooling channel indirectly and efficiently removes the heat conducted by the lens through forced convection heat transfer to the mounting hole and the surrounding support wheel 20 material. The mounting holes 21 are defined as a, b, c, and d, meaning that the support wheel 20 has 4 switching positions; the independent and corresponding cooling channels 22 are defined as A, B, C, and D. When mounting hole 21a is switched to channel 11, one end of cooling channel 22A is connected to water inlet 41 of support cylinder 40, and the other end is connected to water outlet 26 of support cylinder 40, for example... Figure 4 As shown, one end of the cooling channel 22 is provided with an axially arranged return hole 23. The return hole 23 and the outlet hole 26 are connected to each other by a return pipe 24. The return pipe 24 is led out separately so that the inlet hole 41 and the outlet hole 26 are separated from each other on the axis of the support cylinder 40 to avoid the coolant from being affected by cross-flow interference and thus affecting the cooling effect. In some examples of the present invention, such as Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the cooling channel 22 includes a first cooling section, a second cooling section, and a third cooling section that are smoothly connected in sequence; The first cooling section is arranged radially from the support cylinder 40 to near the mounting hole 21; the second cooling section is arranged at a large angle around the outer periphery of the mounting hole 21; the third cooling section is arranged along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole 21 and extends to near the adjacent mounting hole 21. The rotation direction of the support wheel 20 is opposite to the arrangement direction of the third cooling section relative to the second cooling section; Specifically, the first cooling section is used to guide the coolant from the water inlet 41 at the center to the mounting hole 21 on the periphery. The second cooling section is arranged at a large angle around the outer periphery of the mounting hole 21 to cool the periphery of the mounting hole 21. The third cooling section is used to cool the rotation trajectory where the mounting hole 21 is located. That is, when the support wheel 20 is rotating and switching, even if the laser is not turned off or the power is reduced or blocked from turning off, there is still a possibility that some laser will act on the support wheel 20, causing the support wheel 20 to deform due to heat. The third cooling section can effectively cool the rotation trajectory. like Figure 5 As shown, when the support wheel 20 rotates counterclockwise, the third cooling section is located on the clockwise side of the second cooling section. Therefore, when the rotation switches, the third cooling section can cool the pre-rotation trajectory.

[0024] As an example of providing coolant to the cooling channel 22, a first rotary joint connected to the liquid inlet and a second rotary joint connected to the liquid outlet can be provided at both ends of the axis of the support cylinder 40. The coolant can enter the support cylinder 40 through the first rotary joint and enter the cooling channel 22 through the water inlet 41. After cooling the mirror assembly, it is discharged from the water outlet 26 and the second rotary joint. While this method can provide coolant to the cooling channel 22, it has the following problems: when the coolant enters the support cylinder 40, it will enter different cooling channels 22 from multiple water inlets 41. At this time, the coolant only needs to flow into the cooling channel 22 located in the channel 11, which results in a decrease in cooling effect and uneven resource distribution. In addition, an on / off valve is added at each water inlet 41 to complete the independent opening and closing of each cooling channel 22, which requires additional electrical control support and increases the complexity of the overall structure. As another example of providing coolant to the cooling channel 22, such as Figure 3 , Figures 6 to 9 As shown, a cooling pipe 30 is coaxially and fixedly arranged inside the support cylinder 40; The upper end of the cooling pipe 30 is connected to the liquid inlet, the lower end is connected to the liquid outlet, and a partition 33 is provided in the middle for separation. The cooling pipe 30 has a first hole 31 and a second hole 32 on both sides of the partition 33 along its axis; When the mounting hole 21 is switched to be aligned with the center of the channel 11, the first hole 31 is sealed to the water inlet hole 41 corresponding to the mounting hole 21, and the second hole 32 is sealed to the water outlet hole 26 corresponding to the mounting hole 21. Specifically, the cooling pipe 30 is rotary sealed and connected to the support cylinder 40, with corresponding axial ends leading out to connect to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet sources; the first hole 31 on the cooling pipe 30 faces the channel 11 to ensure that the first hole 31 is connected to the corresponding water inlet hole 41 when switching, and the first hole 31 and the second hole 32 are rotary sealed with the inner wall of the support cylinder 40 to avoid coolant leakage. This seal can be a spring-energy-storing rotary sealing ring. When the mounting hole 21a is switched to channel 11, the water inlet hole 41 on the support cylinder 40 corresponding to the cooling channel 22A connects to the first hole 31 on the cooling pipe 30, and the corresponding water outlet hole 26 connects to the second hole 32 on the cooling pipe 30. Coolant enters the cooling channel 22A from the first hole 31 and the water inlet hole 41, and after cooling, it exits from the return hole 23, the return pipe 24, and the second hole 32. When the support cylinder 40 rotates and the mounting hole 21b is located in channel 11, the water inlet hole 41 on the support cylinder 40 corresponding to the cooling channel 22A is offset from the first hole 31, and the corresponding water outlet hole 26 connects to the second hole 32 on the cooling pipe 30. The second holes 32 are staggered, which keeps the cooling channel 22A closed. The water inlet hole 41 on the support cylinder 40, which corresponds to the cooling channel 22B, is connected to the first hole 31 on the cooling pipe 30, and the corresponding water outlet hole 26 is connected to the second hole 32 on the cooling pipe 30. The coolant enters the cooling channel 22B from the first hole 31 and the water inlet hole 41, and after cooling and heat dissipation, it is discharged from the return hole 23, the return pipe 24, and the second hole 32. Similarly, when the mounting hole 21b or 21c is located in the channel 11, the cooling channels 22B or 22C can be connected, while the other cooling channels 22 are closed. Therefore, in this example, by setting a first hole 31 and a second hole 32 on the fixedly arranged cooling pipe 30, the first hole 31 is always connected to the water inlet 41 at the working position and disconnected from the water inlet 41 at the non-working position. Simultaneously, the second hole 32 is always connected to the water outlet 26 at the working position and disconnected from the water outlet 26 at the non-working position. Therefore, the structure is simple and compact, and the connection of the cooling flow channel 22 at the working position is completed, effectively improving the cooling effect.

[0025] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 As shown, the first hole 31 and the second hole 32 are both circumferentially arranged arc-shaped holes; During the process of mounting hole 21 aligning with the center of channel 11 and rotating to switch to the next mounting hole 21, the first hole 31 is always connected to the water inlet hole 41 of the mounting hole 21, and the second hole 32 is always connected to the water outlet hole 26 of the mounting hole 21. Specifically, when the mounting hole 21a is aligned with the center of the channel 11 and rotates to switch to the next mounting hole 21, if the first hole 31 is directly offset from the corresponding water inlet hole 41 and closed, the cooling effect of the cooling channel 22A will decrease, especially the third cooling section, which will reduce the cooling effect at the rotation trajectory of the mounting hole 21. When both the first hole 31 and the second hole 32 are arc-shaped holes, when the mounting hole 21 is aligned with the center of the channel 11, the arc-shaped first hole 31 is initially connected to the corresponding water inlet hole 41, and the arc-shaped second hole 32 is initially connected to the corresponding water outlet hole 26. During the rotation and switching to the next mounting hole 21, the arc-shaped first hole 31 can still be connected to the corresponding water inlet hole 41, and the arc-shaped second hole 32 can still be connected to the corresponding water outlet hole 26, until the next mounting hole 21 is completely aligned with the center of the channel 11. Therefore, the continuous cooling of the cooling channel 22 can be guaranteed during the switching process.

[0026] In some examples of the present invention, the multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size further includes: The sensor is installed on the support base 10 or the support cylinder 40 to identify the position where the mounting hole 21 is switched to the channel 11. The controller, connected to the sensor, receives the position signal from the mounting hole 21 and controls the rotation of the support wheel 20 and the movement of the positioning rod 50. Furthermore, this adjustable beam multifunctional laser head also includes an optical shutter assembly connected to the controller for switching the optical path on and off; The support wheel 20 has an isolation strip at one end facing the optical path, along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole 21; When the mounting hole 21 is aligned with the center of the channel 11, the controller controls the shutter assembly to connect the optical path. When the mounting hole 21 is rotating and switching, the controller controls the shutter assembly to cut off the optical path. Furthermore, such as Figure 2 , Figure 9 As shown, the support wheel 20 has a plurality of positioning holes 25 on its periphery that match the mounting holes 21; The positioning hole 25 has a tapered structure, and one end of the positioning rod 50 matches the positioning hole 25 and can be movably inserted into the positioning hole 25; Specifically, the sensing element can be a photoelectric switch installed on the support base 10, which is triggered by the positioning hole 25 on the support wheel 20 or the attached light shield / reflector; or the sensing element can be an optical encoder installed on the support cylinder 40; to avoid interference, position sensing can also be achieved by an independent encoder or a sensing sheet installed on the side of the support wheel 20, and the positioning hole 25 is dedicated to precision mechanical positioning. The controller is the general term for the control system. It can control the rotation of the support wheel 20, the positioning of the positioning component, the opening and closing of the laser, and the opening and closing of the light shutter assembly. When switching to the next lens group, the controller first controls the positioning component to release the positioning, the light shutter assembly cuts off the light path, and then controls the support wheel 20 to rotate. When the lens group of another mounting hole 21 is located at the channel 11, the sensor identifies the position. Then the controller controls the positioning component to complete the positioning, and the light shutter assembly connects the light path. Thus, the automatic control of the lens group switching at the workstation is realized. An isolation strip is provided along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole 21. The isolation strip can protect the support wheel 20 to prevent the laser from directly acting on the support wheel 20 after the optical shutter assembly fails. The support wheel 20 can be made of chromium zirconium copper with good thermal conductivity. The isolation strip can be a variety of coating structures, such as an adhesive layer, a heat insulation layer, or an absorption composite layer. The positioning hole 25 is a tapered structure that matches the positioning rod 50. During positioning, the positioning rod 50 can be embedded in the positioning hole 25 to improve positioning accuracy. To improve the positioning accuracy and repeatability of the positioning component, a position sensitive detector (PSD) or a four-quadrant detector can be added to the optical path as a closed-loop feedback to fine-tune or verify the position of the switched mirror group.

[0027] The control method for this adjustable multi-functional laser head specifically includes the following steps: S1, according to the usage requirements, different mirror groups are installed in the mounting holes 21 at different positions on the support wheel 20 in sequence; S2, when the support wheel 20 rotates so that the mounting hole 21 is aligned with the center of the channel 11 and the mirror assembly is in the working position, the positioning component acts on the support wheel 20 to perform positioning; The water inlet 41 at the workstation corresponding to the cooling channel 22 is connected to the first hole 31 on the cooling pipe 30, and at the same time, the corresponding water outlet 26 is connected to the second hole 32 on the cooling pipe 30. The coolant enters from one end of the cooling pipe 30, and then enters the cooling channel 22 through the first hole 31 and the water inlet hole 41 to cool and dissipate heat around the mounting hole 21 and the rotation trajectory located at the work station. Finally, it is discharged from the return hole 23 and the second hole 32. As the support wheel 20 rotates, causing other mirror assemblies to be in their working positions, the positioning component releases the positioning of the support wheel 20. The first hole 31 can still be connected to the water inlet hole 41, and the second hole 32 can still be connected to the corresponding water outlet hole 26, until the next mounting hole 21 is completely aligned with the center of the channel 11, and the mirror assembly inside is in its working position. S3. When the support wheel 20 rotates, so that the next mirror assembly is in the working position, repeat step S2.

[0028] The foregoing description, with reference to preferred embodiments, details an exemplary embodiment of the multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size proposed in this invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of this invention, and various combinations can be made to the various technical features and structures proposed in this invention, without exceeding the protection scope of this invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam spot, characterized in that, include: The support body (10) has a channel (11) through which the light path passes. The switching component has a support wheel (20) located inside the support base (10) and driven to rotate. The support wheel (20) has at least two mounting holes (21) arranged circumferentially around the rotation axis for placing different mirror groups. The positioning component is mounted on the support body (10) and has a positioning rod (50) that is close to or away from the channel (11). When the support wheel (20) is driven to rotate, different mounting holes (21) can be switched in sequence to be aligned with the center of the channel (11) and positioned by the positioning rod (50).

2. The multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching component also includes a support cylinder (40) fixed in the middle of the support wheel (20) and connected to the drive component (60). The support wheel (20) is provided with a closed cooling channel (22) for cooling the mirror assembly placed in the mounting hole (21). There are multiple cooling channels (22) and they are matched with multiple mounting holes (21). One end of the cooling channel (22) is connected to the water inlet (41) on the support cylinder (40) and the other end is connected to the water outlet (26) on the support cylinder (40). The inlet hole (41) and the outlet hole (26) are separated from each other on the axis of the support cylinder (40). The coolant enters the cooling channel (22) from the inlet hole (41) and is finally discharged from the outlet hole (26).

3. The multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 2, characterized in that, One end of the cooling channel (22) is provided with a return hole (23); The return hole (23) and the outlet hole (26) are connected to each other by a return pipe (24).

4. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cooling channel (22) includes a first cooling section, a second cooling section, and a third cooling section that are smoothly connected in sequence; The first cooling section is arranged radially from the support cylinder (40) to near the mounting hole (21); the second cooling section is arranged at a large angle around the outer periphery of the mounting hole (21); the third cooling section is arranged along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole (21) and extends to near the adjacent mounting hole (21); The rotation direction of the support wheel (20) is opposite to the arrangement direction of the third cooling section relative to the second cooling section.

5. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support cylinder (40) is provided with a fixedly arranged cooling pipe (30) coaxially inside; The upper end of the cooling pipe (30) is connected to the liquid inlet, the lower end is connected to the liquid outlet, and a partition (33) is provided in the middle for separation. The cooling pipe (30) has a first hole (31) and a second hole (32) on both sides of the partition plate (33) along its axis; When the mounting hole (21) is switched to be aligned with the center of the channel (11), the first hole (31) is sealed to the water inlet hole (41) corresponding to the mounting hole (21), and the second hole (32) is sealed to the water outlet hole (26) corresponding to the mounting hole (21).

6. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 5, characterized in that, Both the first hole (31) and the second hole (32) are circumferentially arranged arc-shaped holes; When the mounting hole (21) is aligned with the center of the channel (11) and rotates to switch to the next mounting hole (21), the first hole (31) is always connected to the water inlet (41) of the mounting hole (21), and the second hole (32) is always connected to the water outlet (26) of the mounting hole (21).

7. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The sensor is installed on the support base (10) or the support cylinder (40) to identify the position of the mounting hole (21) switching to the channel (11); The controller, connected to the sensor, receives the position signal from the mounting hole (21) and controls the rotation of the support wheel (20) and the movement of the positioning rod (50).

8. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a shutter assembly connected to the controller for switching the optical path on and off; The support wheel (20) has an isolation strip at one end facing the optical path and along the rotation trajectory line of the mounting hole (21); When the mounting hole (21) is aligned with the center of the channel (11), the controller controls the shutter assembly to connect the optical path. When the mounting hole (21) rotates and switches, the controller controls the shutter assembly to cut off the optical path.

9. A multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support wheel (20) has multiple positioning holes (25) on its periphery that match the mounting holes (21). The positioning hole (25) has a tapered structure. One end of the positioning rod (50) matches the positioning hole (25) and can be moved and inserted into the positioning hole (25).

10. A control method for a multifunctional laser head with adjustable beam size as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Specifically, the following steps are included: S1, according to the usage requirements, different mirror groups are installed in the mounting holes (21) at different positions on the support wheel (20); S2, when the support wheel (20) rotates so that the mounting hole (21) is aligned with the center of the channel (11) and the mirror assembly is in the work position, the positioning component acts on the support wheel (20) to perform positioning; The water inlet (41) at the workstation corresponding to the cooling channel (22) is connected to the first hole (31) on the cooling pipe (30), and at the same time, the corresponding water outlet (26) is connected to the second hole (32) on the cooling pipe (30); The coolant enters from one end of the cooling pipe (30), and then enters the cooling channel (22) through the first hole (31) and the water inlet hole (41) to cool and dissipate heat around the mounting hole (21) and the rotation trajectory located at the work station. Finally, it is discharged from the return hole (23) and the second hole (32). As the support wheel (20) rotates, causing other mirror groups to be in the working position, the positioning component releases the positioning of the support wheel (20). The first hole (31) can still be connected to the water inlet (41), and the second hole (32) can still be connected to the corresponding water outlet (26) until the next mounting hole (21) is completely aligned with the center of the channel (11), and the mirror group inside is in the working position. S3. When the support wheel (20) rotates, so that the next mirror group is in the work position, repeat step S2.

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