An underwater laser cutting nozzle

Abstract

The utility model discloses an underwater laser cutting nozzle, including nozzle main part, shunt core and pneumatic control assembly. The upper end of nozzle main part is equipped with the connecting piece who communicates with the cutting machine injection port, and the lower end is assembled to expand the mouth, shunt core can move along the axial movement of nozzle main part, and the lower end forms the flow guide cone, and pneumatic control assembly is arranged in the upper portion of nozzle main part inner chamber, including the locating disc and the elastic deflection of pressure crooked disc, and pressure crooked disc is connected with shunt core through the ring handle seat, and drives shunt core to go up or resets under the action of pneumatic force, thereby realizes the automatic opening and closing of annular air passage. When working, the nozzle forms the concentrated low turbulent beam flow in the low pressure stage, and forms the coaxial collaborative airflow of "axial beam flow + outer ring air curtain" in the high pressure stage, constructs the local dry area / air cavity below the nozzle, and separates the week water and discharges the molten droplet debris. The structure can adjust the airflow distribution proportion according to the pneumatic force size self -adaptation, and improves the stability of underwater laser cutting, gas utilization rate and cutting quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of laser cutting equipment technology, specifically to an underwater laser cutting nozzle. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, underwater laser cutting is widely used in shipbuilding, marine engineering, and nuclear power equipment maintenance. However, due to the presence of numerous air bubbles and water currents in the underwater environment, the laser beam is highly susceptible to refraction, scattering, and energy attenuation, leading to decreased cutting stability and forming quality. To address this, existing technologies typically incorporate a gas guiding structure within the laser cutting nozzle. This structure uses protective gas to form a beam or gas curtain at the nozzle exit, isolating the laser beam from water interference and expelling molten droplets and debris.

[0003] In typical structures, some nozzles employ a fixed flow divider or annular channel design, allowing gas to be ejected simultaneously as an axial jet and an outer annular air curtain. While this type of structure can improve the underwater cutting environment to some extent, it has the following drawbacks: First, the opening amount and airflow distribution ratio of the annular air channel are fixed, making it impossible to dynamically adjust according to changes in inlet pressure or flow rate, which can easily lead to low gas utilization efficiency or insufficient gas protection in the cutting zone. Second, when the underwater environment is disturbed or the cutting posture changes, the fixed structure struggles to achieve adaptive airflow control, resulting in uneven air curtain coverage, affecting the stability of the dry zone and cutting quality. Third, some devices rely on a rigid fit or a single elastic element for reset between the annular air channel and the flow divider, limiting the adjustment range and easily causing problems such as over-stroke or poor sealing, thus reducing reliability.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies for airflow control in annular air channels generally suffer from insufficient adjustment capabilities, high gas consumption, and poor adaptability to underwater disturbances, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the requirements of beam concentration during the startup phase and air curtain coordination during the cutting phase. There is an urgent need for a novel nozzle structure capable of automatically adjusting according to aerodynamic forces and adaptively distributing airflow ratios under different operating conditions to improve the stability and energy efficiency of underwater laser cutting. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model aims to solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related technologies.

[0006] Therefore, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: an underwater laser cutting nozzle, including a nozzle body, a flow divider, and a pneumatic control component. The upper end of the nozzle body is provided with a connector communicating with the spray port of a cutting machine, and the lower end is equipped with a flaring nozzle; the flow divider can move axially along the nozzle body, and its lower end forms a guide cone; the pneumatic control component is arranged in the upper part of the inner cavity of the nozzle body, including a positioning plate and a pressure plate that can be elastically deflected. The pressure plate is connected to the flow divider through a lifting ring seat, and drives the flow divider to move axially under the action of pneumatic force, thereby realizing the automatic opening and closing of the annular air passage.

[0007] Through the above structural design, a concentrated and stable low-turbulence beam can be formed during the nozzle start-up phase, and the coaxial synergy of "axial beam + outer ring air curtain" can be achieved during the cutting phase. This allows for the construction of a local dry zone / air cavity below the nozzle, significantly improving the stability and forming quality of underwater laser cutting.

[0008] In a preferred example, the pressure plate is composed of a support ring, a lifting ring, and several pressure plates connected therebetween. The support ring is positioned on the step or limiting surface of the positioning plate, the lifting ring is located near the axis above the diverter core, and the several pressure plates are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction and integrally formed with the support ring and the lifting ring.

[0009] Specifically, this structure ensures that the pressure plate can rotate synchronously in the circumference under the action of aerodynamic force, thereby stably driving the flow divider core to move upward and ensuring that the annular air passage opens evenly.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the outer periphery of the flow divider core is a conical surface or a cylindrical-conical composite sealing surface that mates with the inner wall of the nozzle body, and in the initial state, the flow divider core and the inner wall of the nozzle body form a sealing fit of surface contact or line contact.

[0011] Specifically, this design can effectively seal the outer annular air passage when the nozzle is not open, ensuring that the gas is concentrated and forms a beam through the inner cavity of the splitter core, thus preventing gas leakage during the cutting start-up phase.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the pressure plate is further configured such that it has an elastic reset capability, and the positioning plate is provided with a travel limit portion to limit the maximum deflection angle of the pressure plate and the maximum upward movement of the diverter core.

[0013] Specifically, this structure ensures that the opening amount of the annular air passage is within a controllable range, avoiding over-travel of the mechanism or interference of components, and improving the reliability of system operation.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the annular air passage is further configured such that it is formed between the outer periphery of the flow divider core and the inner wall of the nozzle body, and overflows outward through the annular gap between the inner side of the diffuser and the outer periphery of the guide cone to form a conical air curtain; at the same time, the inner cavity of the flow divider core constitutes an axial shearing gas passage.

[0015] Specifically, this structure can achieve coaxial synergy of "axial beam + outer ring air curtain" around the flow guide cone, forming a local dry area / air cavity, isolating the surrounding water and timely discharging molten droplets and debris, thereby improving the quality of underwater cutting.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the connector is further configured to have an external thread or quick-connect structure; the flare nozzle is detachably connected to the nozzle body.

[0017] Specifically, the design facilitates quick assembly and disassembly of the nozzle, and makes it easy to maintain and replace the guide cone and annular air passage area, thus improving ease of use.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the pressure plate is further configured to be made of an elastic metal material, and the nozzle body, the flow divider and the diffuser are preferably made of corrosion-resistant alloy materials, including one or more of titanium alloy, duplex stainless steel or Hastelloy, and the scourted part of the flow guide cone is provided with a hard wear-resistant layer.

[0019] Specifically, this structure ensures that the nozzle can operate stably for a long time in complex underwater environments, and has the properties of corrosion resistance and erosion resistance, thus extending its service life.

[0020] The beneficial effects achieved by this utility model are as follows: 1. In this invention, by setting a pneumatic control component and a movable flow divider core within the nozzle body, the automatic opening and closing of the annular air passage is achieved by utilizing the elastic deflection of the pressure plate under aerodynamic force. During the low-pressure start-up phase, this structure ensures that the gas only passes through the inner cavity of the flow divider core to form a concentrated beam, ensuring laser beam stability. During the cutting phase, it can achieve coaxial coordination of "axial beam + outer annular air curtain" according to pressure changes, effectively constructing a local dry zone / air cavity, thereby improving the stability and forming quality of underwater laser cutting.

[0021] 2. In this invention, the pressure plate can generate continuously adjustable elastic deflection under different aerodynamic forces, thereby driving the flow divider core to freely adjust its position within the opening stroke range. This design allows the opening amount and airflow distribution ratio of the annular air passage to dynamically change with the inlet pressure, realizing adaptive control of the axial beam and outer annular air curtain flow rates, effectively improving the nozzle's robustness to water flow disturbances and attitude changes, and reducing gas consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure plate structure according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the closed and open states of the air passage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure label: 100. Nozzle body; 110. Connector; 120. Expander nozzle; 200. Flow divider core; 210. Lifting ring seat; 220. Flow guide cone; 300. Pneumatic control component; 310. Positioning plate; 320. Pressing plate; 321. Support ring; 322. Pressing ring; 323. Pressing plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features of the present utility model can be combined with each other.

[0025] It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this invention.

[0026] The following describes, with reference to the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of an underwater laser cutting nozzle provided by this utility model.

[0027] Combination Figures 1-5 As shown, the present invention provides an underwater laser cutting nozzle, including a nozzle body 100, a flow divider 200, and a pneumatic control component 300.

[0028] In this embodiment, a connector 110 is provided at the upper end of the nozzle body 100 for communication with the spray port of the cutting machine, and a diffuser 120 is assembled at the lower end to facilitate the convergence and spraying of the cutting airflow. The flow divider 200 is arranged along the axial direction of the nozzle body 100 and can move axially relative to the nozzle body 100, and its lower end forms a guide cone 220. The guide cone 220 forms an annular gap structure with the lower end of the nozzle body 100 inside the diffuser 120, which is used to form an annular air curtain when the air passage is open.

[0029] The pneumatic control assembly 300 is located in the upper part of the inner cavity of the nozzle body 100, and includes a positioning plate 310 and a pressure plate 320. The pressure plate 320 is integrally formed by a support ring 321, a lifting ring 322, and several pressure plates 323 connecting them. The support ring 321 is fixed to the stepped surface of the positioning plate 310, and the lifting ring 322 is located at the axial center position above the flow divider core 200 and is connected to the flow divider core 200 through a lifting ring seat 210. The pressure plates 323 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference, so that the pressure plate 320 can achieve synchronous circumferential deflection under the action of pneumatic force, thereby driving the lifting ring 322 and the flow divider core 200 to move axially upward.

[0030] In the initial state, the outer periphery of the flow divider 200 forms a surface or line contact with the inner wall of the nozzle body 100, thus cutting off the annular air passage. At this time, the gas only flows downward along the inner cavity of the flow divider 200, is converged by the guide cone 220, and is ejected from the diffuser 120, forming a concentrated, low-turbulence initiation stream. When the inlet pressure rises to a set threshold, the aerodynamic force acting on the pressure plate 323 causes the pressure plate 320 to deflect elastically, driving the flow divider 200 upward, thereby opening the annular air passage. Part of the gas continues to form an axial stream, while the other part flows downward through the annular gap, forming a conical air curtain on the outer periphery of the guide cone 220. The two airflows achieve coaxial coordination of "axial stream + outer annular air curtain" at the periphery of the guide cone 220, forming a local dry area / air cavity below the nozzle, effectively isolating surrounding water and discharging molten droplets and debris.

[0031] In this embodiment, the positioning disk 310 is provided with a limiting part to limit the maximum deflection angle of the pressure plate 320 and the maximum stroke of the diverter core 200, thereby preventing over-travel of the mechanism and interference between components. Meanwhile, the pressure plate 320 is made of elastic metal material and has good elastic reset performance. When the inlet pressure drops below the threshold, the pressure plate 320 resets under its own elasticity and the weight of the diverter core 200, causing the diverter core 200 to fall back down, automatically closing the annular air passage, reducing air consumption and ensuring optical path safety.

[0032] In another embodiment, the connector 110 may employ an external thread or a quick-connect structure to achieve a quick connection between the nozzle body 100 and the cutting machine's spray port. The expansion nozzle 120 is detachably connected to the nozzle body 100, facilitating maintenance and replacement of the guide cone 220 and the annular air passage area.

[0033] In a further embodiment, the nozzle body 100, the flow divider 200, and the diffuser 120 are preferably made of corrosion-resistant alloy materials, such as titanium alloy, duplex stainless steel, or Hastelloy, to adapt to complex underwater environments; the scour-prone parts of the flow guide cone 220 may be provided with a hard wear-resistant layer to extend service life.

[0034] In summary, the underwater laser cutting nozzle of this invention, through the coordinated structure of the pneumatic control component 300 and the flow divider 200, achieves automatic opening and closing of the annular air channel, forming a coaxial coordinated airflow mode of axial beam and outer annular air curtain. While ensuring the stability of the concentrated beam during the cutting start-up phase, it can form an effective dry zone / air cavity during the cutting process, improving the stability and efficiency of underwater laser cutting.

[0035] Working principle and usage process of this utility model: Protective / auxiliary gas enters the inner cavity of the nozzle body 100 via connector 110. The pneumatic control assembly 300 is in reset position: the pressure plate 320 remains in place under its own elasticity and / or the weight of the flow divider 200, with the outer periphery of the flow divider 200 sealing the inner wall of the nozzle body 100, thus closing the outer annular gas passage. At this time, the gas only flows downwards along the inner cavity of the flow divider 200, is converged by the guide cone 220, and is then axially ejected from the center of the diffuser 120, forming the concentrated, low-turbulence core stream required for the start-up phase.

[0036] When the inlet pressure / flow rate rises to a set threshold, the pneumatic force acting on the pressure plate 323 causes the pressure plate 320 to elastically deflect upwards, driving the lifting ring 322 to move upwards. The lifting ring 322 pulls the flow divider core 200 axially upwards through the lifting ring seat 210. This opens an annular air passage between the outer periphery of the flow divider core 200 and the inner wall of the nozzle body 100. Part of the gas continues to form an axial stream, while the other part flows downwards along the annular air passage and overflows through the annular gap between the inner side of the diffuser 120 and the outer periphery of the guide cone 220, forming a conical air curtain around the guide cone 220. The two gas streams achieve coaxial coordination of "axial stream + outer annular air curtain" around the guide cone 220, creating a local "dry zone / air cavity" below the nozzle, isolating surrounding water, breaking up bubbles, and discharging droplets and debris.

[0037] When the inlet dynamic pressure changes, the pressure plate 320 generates a slight rebound / deflection, allowing the flow divider 200 to be continuously adjustable within its opening stroke. This enables the flow ratio of the axial beam to the outer annular air curtain to be distributed as needed, improving robustness to water flow disturbances and attitude changes. The limiting part on the positioning plate 310 limits the maximum deflection angle of the pressure plate 320 and the maximum stroke of the flow divider 200, preventing overtravel of the mechanism and interference of components. When the pressure drops below the threshold, the pressure plate 320 resets, the flow divider 200 falls back, and the annular air passage automatically closes, reducing air consumption and maintaining optical path safety.

[0038] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0039] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An underwater laser cutting nozzle, characterized in that, include: The nozzle body (100) has a connector (110) at its upper end that communicates with the spray port of the cutting machine, and a diffuser (120) at its lower end; a flow divider (200) is disposed inside the nozzle body (100) and can move axially relative to the nozzle body (100), and the lower end of the flow divider (200) forms a guide cone (220). A pneumatic control assembly (300) is arranged in the upper part of the inner cavity of the nozzle body (100). The pneumatic control assembly (300) includes a positioning disk (310) for fixed positioning and a pressure plate (320) that can be elastically deflected under the action of pneumatic force. The pressure plate (320) is composed of a support ring (321), a lifting ring (322) located on its radial inner side, and a number of pressure plates (323) connecting the two. The lifting ring (322) is connected to the flow divider (200) through a lifting ring seat (210).

2. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, Specifically, the support ring (321) of the pressure plate (320) is positioned on the step or limiting surface of the positioning plate (310), the lifting ring (322) is located near the axis above the diverter core (200), and several pressure plates (323) are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction and integrally formed with the support ring (321) and the lifting ring (322) to achieve circumferential synchronous deflection under the action of aerodynamic force.

3. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the flow divider (200) is a conical surface or a cylindrical-conical composite sealing surface that mates with the inner wall of the nozzle body (100).

4. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate (320) has an elastic reset capability, and the positioning plate (310) is provided with a stroke limit part for the pressure plate (320) to limit the maximum deflection angle of the pressure plate (320) and the maximum upward stroke of the flow divider (200) so as to ensure that the opening amount of the annular air passage is controllable and to prevent the mechanism from over-stroke.

5. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 4, characterized in that, The annular air passage is formed between the outer periphery of the flow divider (200) and the inner wall of the nozzle body (100), and overflows outward through the annular gap between the inner side of the diffuser (120) and the outer periphery of the guide cone (220) to form a cone-shaped air curtain.

6. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connector (110) has an external thread or quick-connect structure; the diffuser (120) is detachably connected to the nozzle body (100), which facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the guide cone (220) and the annular air passage area.

7. The underwater laser cutting nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate (320) is made of elastic metal material, and the nozzle body (100), the flow divider (200) and the diffuser (120) are preferably made of corrosion-resistant materials, including one or more of titanium alloy, duplex stainless steel or Hastelloy, and the scouring part of the flow guide cone (220) may be provided with a hard wear-resistant layer.

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