DEVICE FOR LABELING A COMPONENT WITH A MULTI-PART FORMED HOUSING

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for marking a component, comprising a laser device for generating a laser marking beam, a support surface for providing the component to be marked, and a housing for enclosing a working area between the laser device and the component to be marked.

[0002] Various laser marking devices with different designs and different protective devices are already known from the state of the art.

[0003] A device for marking identification plates is already known from DE 10 2010 051 539 A1. This device comprises a support surface for the identification plates in order to mark them with a laser marking device. Furthermore, this device comprises a housing for enclosing a laser beam exiting the laser marking device and directed onto the support surface, the housing comprising a lower housing part and a cover arranged on or above the lower housing part.Furthermore, the design provides that the contact surface is arranged on a rotary table rotatable about a housing-fixed axis. This rotary table is positioned between the lower housing part and the cover and projects laterally beyond the cover. It is movable between a labeling position, in which the contact surface is completely covered by the cover, and a loading position, in which the contact surface is completely outside the cover. The rotary table has two sealing ribs extending radially from the axis of rotation and projecting from the contact surface. In the labeling position, these ribs rest against a front wall of the cover.

[0004] DE 100 59 246 A1 describes a device which includes a sealing element for guiding a laser beam onto a workpiece to be processed, which together with the workpiece forms a light-tight enclosed interior space, and which further includes a light-sensitive sensor which is coupled to a control device and stops the laser beam when light from the outside penetrates into the interior space.

[0005] US Patent 9,216,476 B1 describes a laser engraving device with a platform defining a loading table at a first height and a tool column on which a movable laser carriage is mounted for up-and-down movement relative to the platform. A vertically retractable housing attached to the laser carriage is provided.

[0006] US patent 2018 0 257 175 A1 discloses a laser welding device with a pistol body and a laser scanner attached to it, wherein a shielding pistol shields a laser beam generated by the laser scanner.

[0007] DE 10 2015 007 828 A1 describes a welding arrangement for welding using high-energy beams on a movable arm of a handling machine. The device emitting the high-energy beam is encapsulated in a shield together with the workpiece to be welded, at least during the welding process.

[0008] DE 10 2013 018 196 A1 describes a device for gripping and transporting a set of identification plates and a marking system for identification plates with a laser marking device, the design of which can be found in DE 10 2010 051 539 A1 described above.

[0009] JP 2009 214 141 A (describing the preamble of claim 1) discloses a laser marking device with a rotary table movable by means of a drive, on which a workpiece is arranged. The rotary table is located entirely within a housing, which can be opened by means of a sliding door having a viewing window.

[0010] The invention is based on the objective of providing a device for laser marking a component, which is optimized with regard to the complexity of a protective device. Advantageously, it should also ensure further improved handling while maintaining at least the same high safety standard.

[0011] This problem is solved by a device for marking a component with the features of claim 1. A device designed according to the invention comprises a laser device for generating a laser marking beam for marking the component, a support surface for providing the component to be marked, and a housing for enclosing a working area between the laser device and the component to be marked, so that the working area is sealed in a laser beam-tight manner.The housing is multi-part and comprises at least a first housing part and a second housing part, wherein the two housing parts are movably arranged relative to each other such that, in a loading position, the housing provides an open working area, allowing the component to be marked to be inserted into the working area, and that, in a working position, the housing completely seals the working area to prevent laser beam penetration. The support surface for the component to be marked is oriented in a horizontal plane.

[0012] According to the invention, the support surface is designed as a rotary table rotatable in the horizontal plane. This offers the advantage of providing a protective device optimized for the required number of individual components for a housing that shields the work area from laser beams. Furthermore, a device for laser marking components could be provided, which could be further optimized with regard to both its handling and occupational safety. The advantage of this design lies in the fact that a laser marking device could be created that requires little installation space while simultaneously ensuring high cycle rates in production.

[0013] According to the invention, the housing is provided to have at least one third housing part, wherein the first housing part is fixed and closes off or encloses the working space at the top, the second housing part is vertically displaceable between the working surface and the first housing part relative to the working surface and encloses a central part of the working area in the working position, and the third housing part is arranged on the side of the support surface opposite the first and second housing parts, wherein the second housing part has, at least partially, first sealing means on its end face facing the third housing part for a laser beam-tight seal between the two housing parts, and the third housing part has, at least partially, second sealing means corresponding to the first sealing means on its end face facing the second housing part, and wherein the first housing part, which has a laser beam-tight viewing window,and that the second housing part is arranged above the rotary table and that the third housing part is arranged below the rotary table. According to the invention, the third housing part is designed to be vertically displaceable in one direction away from the support surface.

[0014] In this three-part design, the second housing part is arranged vertically as the central housing part, so that in the working position it encloses a central portion of the working area. The third housing part is located on the side of the support surface opposite the first and second housing parts and is designed to be vertically displaceable away from the support surface in one direction for transferring it into the loading position. This creates an optimized enclosure with regard to its construction, which, with only a few housing parts, forms a laser-beam-tight enclosure of a working area to provide a laser-beam-tight enclosure for a component placed on the support surface of a rotary table for a laser marking process.

[0015] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The features listed individually in the dependent claims can be combined in a technologically meaningful manner and can define further embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the features specified in the claims are specified and explained in more detail in the description, which also presents further preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0016] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the two housing parts can also be arranged to be movable relative to each other in a vertical direction. Advantageously, the first housing part is designed as a fixed part relative to the laser device or a support, and the second housing part is designed as a movable part relative to the first housing part. Particularly preferably, the second housing part is designed to be displaceable, at least partially, upwards into the first housing part. The second housing part can, in particular, be designed in the form of a frame part open at the top and bottom, while the first housing part can, for example, be designed as an upside-down pot-shaped part.With the second housing part inserted upwards, a component to be marked can be placed underneath the housing, and the housing can then be sealed laser-beam-tight by sliding it vertically downwards, as the second housing part closes the working area between the support and the first housing part. This provides a structurally simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly enclosure for a laser marking device.

[0017] The second housing part, which is designed to be partially slid into the first housing part for transfer between a working position and a loading position, is sealed against the first housing part to prevent laser beam penetration. For this purpose, a seal is formed between the first and second housing parts to create a laser beam-tight seal between the two housing parts. Advantageously, this seal is designed as a labyrinth seal. This provides a structurally simple solution for a laser beam-tight seal between two sliding housing parts.

[0018] Since the second housing part has, at least in sections, first sealing means on its end face facing the third housing part for a laser beam-tight seal between the two housing parts, and the third housing part has, at least in sections, second sealing means corresponding to the first sealing means on its end face facing the second housing part, the first and second sealing means are advantageously designed again in the form of a labyrinth seal, so that a structurally simple and effective laser beam seal between the second and third housing parts could be created.

[0019] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a position sensor can be provided for detecting the working position. The position sensor is particularly designed to detect the closed position between the second and third housing parts in the area of ​​the contact surface. This ensures that the laser device is only activated when the housing is sealed to prevent laser beam penetration. Furthermore, this allows the closed position to be monitored so that the laser device can be deactivated if the housing is unintentionally opened, even partially.

[0020] Finally, the invention can also be advantageously implemented such that the housing has at least one air duct opening for connection to a ventilation or extraction system, the air duct opening being advantageously formed within the stationary first housing part. This allows for the creation of a permanently clean working area and enables high-quality marking of components using simple design means.

[0021] Preferably, at least one of the housing parts, and preferably all housing parts, are manufactured using an additive manufacturing process. Advantageously, the housing parts are manufactured using 3D printing.

[0022] The invention and its technical context are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments shown. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the situations explained in the figures and combine them with other elements and findings from the present description and / or figures. It should be emphasized that the figures, and especially the depicted dimensions, are only schematic. The same reference numerals denote the same objects, so that explanations from other figures may be consulted as needed.

[0023] They show: Figure 1 shows a laser marking station with protective housing in a front view (left) and in a side view (right), Figure 2 shows an enlarged partial section "a" according to Figure 1(top right), as well as the first housing part of the protective enclosure in two different perspective views (center and bottom), Figure 3 a laser marking station with a support surface formed by a rotatable rotary table, in a perspective view with closed protective enclosure, and Figure 4 a laser marking station in a perspective view with open protective enclosure and schematically represented component to be marked.

[0024] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a device 1 for marking a component 2 (laser marking station) with a protective housing in a front view (left) and in a side view (right). The device 1 shown for marking a component 2 comprises a laser unit 3 for generating a laser marking beam, a support surface 4 (see Figure 1). Figure 3) for providing the component 2 to be marked, and a housing 5 in the form of a protective enclosure for enclosing a working area 6 formed on or around the support surface 4 between the laser device 3 and the component 2 to be marked. The housing 5 is multi-part and, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a first (upper) housing part 51, a second (middle) housing part 52, and a third (lower) housing part 53. The first housing part 51 and the second housing part 52 are designed and arranged to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction, such that the housing 5 is in a loading position BP1 (see Figure 4) provides an open working area 6 through which the component 2 to be marked can be inserted into the working area 6, and that the housing 5 completely closes the working area 6 in a working position BP2, so that no laser radiation can escape from the working area 6 enclosed by the housing 5.

[0025] The support surface 4 carrying the component 2 to be labelled is aligned in a horizontal plane, and as shown in Figure 3The device is shown as a rotary table 400 rotatable in the horizontal plane. The two housing parts 51, 52 are arranged to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction. The first housing part 51 is designed as a fixed (stationary) part relative to the laser device 3, while the second housing part 52 is designed to be slid into the first housing part 51, at least partially, for transfer from the working position (closed housing) to the loading position BP1 (open housing). A seal is formed between the first housing part 51 and the second housing part 52 to provide a laser beam-tight seal between the two housing parts 51, 52.

[0026] The third (lower) housing part 53 is arranged on the side of the support surface 4 (below the support surface of the rotary table 400) that is vertically opposite the first and second housing parts 51, 52, and is designed and positioned to be vertically displaceable downwards in one direction away from the support surface 4. Furthermore, the airflow for extracting air from the enclosed work area is schematically illustrated by a dotted line in the right-hand diagram. Ambient air in the form of supply air Z is drawn into the work area through an opening in the lower third housing part 53 and extracted as exhaust air A through another opening in the housing 5 in the upper first housing part 51. For this purpose, the opening of the first housing part 51 can be connected to a corresponding extraction direction.

[0027] Figure 2 The view in the upper right shows an enlarged section "a" according to Figure 1The middle and lower views show the first housing part 51 of the protective enclosure or housing 5 in different perspective views. As illustrated in the upper illustration, the second housing part 52 has first sealing elements 520 on its end face facing the third housing part 53 for a light- or laser-beam-tight seal between the two housing parts 52 and 53, and the third housing part 53 has second sealing elements 530 on its end face facing the second housing part 52, corresponding to the first sealing elements 520. The first sealing elements 520 and the second sealing elements 530 form a labyrinth seal. Furthermore, it is shown that the first housing part 51 has a laser-beam-tight viewing window 51a through which a worker can observe the component 2 to be marked during the marking process.

[0028] Figure 3Figure 1 shows the device 1 (laser marking station) with a support surface 4, formed by a rotatable rotary table 400, in a perspective view with a closed protective enclosure or housing 5. The second housing part 52 is fully extended downwards from the first housing part 51 and covers the component 2 to be marked, providing a laser-tight seal from above and to the sides. This can be seen from the Figure 3 Furthermore, a position sensor 7 is provided for detecting the working position BP2, or for detecting whether the housing 5 is in a closed state, wherein the position sensor 7 is designed such that it detects the closed position between the (middle) second housing part 52 and the (lower) third housing part 53. Finally, the Figure 3also that the housing 5 has a first air duct opening 501 in the upper first housing part 51 for connection to a ventilation or extraction system and that the housing 5 has a second air duct opening 503 in its lower third housing part 52 for the entry of the air drawn in via the first air duct opening 501.

[0029] Figure 4Figure 1 shows the device 1 (laser marking station) in a perspective view with the protective housing open and the component 2 to be marked shown schematically. It is clearly visible in this view that the second middle housing part 52 and the third lower housing part 53 are sealed against each other in a front area via their corresponding vertical end faces in a laser beam-tight manner, while in a remaining (rear) area the sealing of the second housing part 52 and the third housing part 53 is effected against the rotary table 400 which is rotatably arranged in this area - for example by means of corresponding flexible sealing elements.

[0030] The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures, but according to the subject matter of the following claims. Reference symbol list

[0031] 1 Device 2 Component (to be marked) 3 Laser device 4 Support surface 400 Rotary table 5 Housing 51 First housing part 501 First air duct opening (in the first housing part) 51a Viewing window 52 Second housing part 520 Sealant (second housing part) 53 Third housing part 503 Second air duct opening (in the third housing part) 530 Sealant (third housing part) 6 Working area 7 Position sensor BP1 Feed position BP2 Working position L Extraction airflow

Claims

1. A device (1) for marking a component (2), comprising - a laser device (3) for generating a laser marking beam, - a support surface (4) for providing the component (2) to be marked, wherein the support surface (4) is designed as a rotary table (400) which can be rotated in a horizontal plane, and - a housing (5) for enclosing a working area (6) between the laser device (3) and the component to be marked (2), characterised in that the housing (5) is multi-part in design and comprises at least a first housing part (51) and a second housing part (52), wherein the two housing parts (51, 52) are designed and arranged to be movable relative to one another, such that the housing (5) in a loading position (BP1) provides an open working area (6), through which the component (2) to be marked can be introduced into the working area (6), and that the housing (5) in a working position (BP2) closes the working area (6) in a laser beam-tight manner, wherein the support surface (4) carrying the component (2) to be marked is aligned in a horizontal plane, and that: the housing (5) has at least a third housing part (53), wherein - the first housing part (51) is fixed and closes off or encloses the working space at the top, - the second housing part (52) is designed to be vertically displaceable between the working surface (4) and the first housing part (51) relative to the working surface (4) and the first housing part (51) and, in the working position (BP2), encloses a central part of the working area (6), and - the third housing part (53) is arranged on the side of the support surface (4) opposite the first and second housing parts (51, 52), wherein the second housing part (52) has a first sealing means (520) at least in sections on its end face facing the third housing part (53) for sealing the two housing parts (52, 53) against each other in a laser beam-tight manner and the third housing part (53) has a second sealing means (530) corresponding at least in sections to the first sealing means (520) on its end face facing the second housing part (52), and wherein the first housing part (51), which has a laser beam-tight viewing window (51a), through which a worker can observe the component (2) to be marked through the viewing window (51a) during the marking process, and the second housing part (52) are arranged above the rotary table (400), and that the third housing part (53) is arranged below the rotary table (400), wherein the third housing part (53) is designed to be vertically displaceable in a direction away from the support surface (4).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the first housing part (51) and the second housing part (52) are arranged so as to be displaceable relative to one another in a vertical direction.

3. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first housing part (51) is designed as a part that is fixed relative to the laser device (3) or a carrier and in that the second housing part (52) is designed as a part that is displaceable relative to the first housing part (51).

4. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second housing part (52) is designed to be insertable into the first housing part (51), at least in sections, for transfer into the loading position (BP1), wherein a seal is formed between the first housing part (51) and the second housing part (52) for sealing the two housing parts (51, 52) against each other in a laser beam-tight manner.

5. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the first sealing means (520) and the second sealing means (530) are designed in the form of a labyrinth seal.

6. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by a position sensor (7) for detecting the working position (BP2).

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the position sensor (7) is designed such that it detects the closed position between the first housing part (52) and the third housing part (53).

8. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing (5) has at least one air duct opening (500) for connection to a ventilation or extraction system, wherein the air duct opening (500) is formed within the fixed first housing part (51).

9. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the housing parts (51, 52, 53) is produced by an additive manufacturing process, in particular that the first housing part (51) and / or the second housing part (52) and / or the third housing part (53) are produced by a 3D printing process.