Laser Processing Equipment

Abstract

While maintaining heat dissipation efficiency, the installation space in the direction of irradiation is made compact. [Solution] The laser processing device L includes a light-guiding optical system 3, a solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates laser light based on excitation light guided by the light-guiding optical system 3, a first scanner 51 that drives a first mirror 51a that deflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41, a first control board 53 that controls the first scanner 51, and a housing 10 in which an exit window 6 is formed. The housing 10 has a mirror housing section H11 that houses the first mirror 51a, and a crystal housing section H12 that is partitioned by a first base plate 15 having a partition surface 15g that extends along the irradiation direction from the exit window 6 toward the irradiation area R1, and is arranged on the opposite side of the partition surface 15g from the mirror housing section H11 and that houses the solid-state laser crystal 41, and a substrate housing section H13 that is arranged on the opposite side of the mirror housing section H11 from the crystal housing section H12 and that houses the first control board 53.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a laser processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a laser processing device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Specifically, the laser processing device according to Patent Document 1 includes a laser beam output unit that generates and outputs laser beam, a laser beam scanning unit that deflects the laser beam output from the laser beam output unit, an exit window that transmits the laser beam deflected by the laser beam scanning unit, and a housing that houses the laser beam output unit and the laser beam scanning unit and in which the exit window is formed.

[0003] According to Patent Document 1, some of the components constituting the laser light output unit (wavelength conversion unit), the laser light scanning unit, and the exit window unit are arranged in this order along the direction of laser light irradiation, which is a direction that is approximately the same as the height direction of the housing.

[0004] Furthermore, the laser beam scanning unit according to Patent Document 1 has a circuit board for controlling the laser beam scanning unit, and this circuit board is disposed adjacent to the housing of the wavelength conversion unit in the irradiation direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-104047 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Generally, in order to install a laser processing device on a production line, etc., an installation space at least larger than the size of the housing is required. Specifically, the dimension of the installation space in the above-mentioned irradiation direction requires a length that takes into account the distance from the exit window to the top end of the housing in addition to the distance between the workpiece and the exit window.

[0007] However, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the wavelength conversion unit, the laser beam scanning unit, and the exit window are laid out so as to be aligned in the irradiation direction, the dimensions of the housing that houses them may increase in the irradiation direction, which is inconvenient because it leads to an increase in the installation space in the irradiation direction.

[0008] Therefore, it is conceivable to make the enclosure more compact in the height direction by vertically arranging the circuit board and the housing adjacent to each other, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, such a configuration is inconvenient from the viewpoint of heat dissipation efficiency, considering the heat generated by the housing and the circuit board.

[0009] The technology disclosed herein has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to achieve compact installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining heat dissipation efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a laser processing apparatus that processes a workpiece by irradiating an irradiation area with laser light. The laser processing apparatus includes a light-guiding optical system that guides excitation light, a solid-state laser crystal that generates laser light based on the excitation light guided by the light-guiding optical system, a first scanner that drives a first mirror that deflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal so that the laser light is irradiated toward the irradiation area, a first control board that controls the first scanner, and a housing that houses the light-guiding optical system, the solid-state laser crystal, the first scanner, and the first control board, and has an exit window that transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the housing has a mirror accommodating section that accommodates the first mirror, a crystal accommodating section that is partitioned by a support plate having a partition surface that extends along the irradiation direction from the exit window toward the irradiation area, and is arranged on the opposite side of the partition surface from the mirror accommodating section to accommodate the solid-state laser crystal, and a substrate accommodating section that is arranged on the opposite side of the mirror accommodating section from the crystal accommodating section to accommodate the first control substrate.

[0012] According to the first aspect, the mirror housing is disposed on one side of the partition surface, and the crystal housing is disposed on the opposite side. Considering that the partition surface extends along the irradiation direction, the mirror housing and the crystal housing are aligned in a direction (for example, horizontal direction) substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction.

[0013] Furthermore, considering the relative positions of the substrate housing section with respect to the mirror housing section and the crystal housing section, the crystal housing section, the mirror housing section, and the substrate housing section are arranged in this order within the housing along a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction. In this way, by arranging the three types of housing sections in a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction, it is possible to configure the housing compactly in the irradiation direction. This allows for a compact installation space for the housing.

[0014] Furthermore, the mirror housing is located between the crystal housing and the substrate housing, which are the housings with the greatest heat dissipation concerns. A layout in which the crystal housing and the substrate housing are spaced apart contributes to maintaining heat dissipation efficiency compared to a layout in which they are adjacent to each other.

[0015] In this way, according to the first aspect, it is possible to achieve compact installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining heat dissipation efficiency.

[0016] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the first mirror may be disposed so as to face the irradiation area across the exit window.

[0017] According to the second aspect, the laser light reflected by the first mirror can be guided directly to the exit window without providing a large mirror or the like between the first mirror and the exit window, which is advantageous in reducing the number of components in the housing and realizing compact dimensions of the housing and, ultimately, the installation space.

[0018] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus may include a second scanner that drives a second mirror that reflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal, thereby deflecting the laser light in a second direction that is perpendicular to both the first direction, which is the deflection direction by the first mirror, and the irradiation direction, and an intermediate mirror that receives the laser light reflected by the second mirror and reflects the laser light toward the first mirror, wherein the first scanner rotates the first mirror around a first rotation axis, and the second scanner rotates the second mirror around a second rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first rotation axis, and both the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction.

[0019] Generally, when a laser beam is deflected by two scanners, such as a two-axis galvanometer scanner, one of the two scanners rotates a mirror around a rotation axis extending along the irradiation direction. However, when considering the layout of the motor that drives the mirror, such a configuration leads to an increase in the size of the housing in the direction of the rotation axis of the mirror, i.e., in the irradiation direction, which is inconvenient for achieving compact installation space as mentioned above.

[0020] In contrast, according to the third aspect, an intermediate mirror is disposed between the first and second mirrors. By disposing the intermediate mirror, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the first and second mirrors (particularly the layout of the rotation axes of each mirror). This is advantageous in realizing a compact housing and, in turn, a more compact installation space.

[0021] Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the first scanner may rotate the first mirror around a first rotation axis, and the second scanner may rotate the second mirror around a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis, and both the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis may extend in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction.

[0022] According to the fourth aspect, by making both the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis perpendicular to the irradiation direction, it is advantageous in realizing a compact housing in the irradiation direction and thus a compact installation space.

[0023] Furthermore, according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus may include an optical element that transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror and diffuses the laser light in an outward direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction.

[0024] According to the fifth aspect, by providing an optical element capable of diffusing laser light, it is possible to set the irradiation area as wide as possible while keeping the first mirror and the irradiation area close to each other in the irradiation direction, thereby realizing compact installation space without reducing the irradiation area.

[0025] Furthermore, according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus may include an excitation light source that generates excitation light that is guided by the light-guiding optical system, and the excitation light source may be accommodated in the substrate accommodating section.

[0026] According to the sixth aspect, by accommodating the excitation light source in the substrate accommodating section, the mirror accommodating section is interposed between the crystal accommodating section and the substrate accommodating section, so that the excitation light source can be spaced apart from the crystal accommodating section by an amount corresponding to the amount of the mirror accommodating section. This configuration contributes to maintaining heat dissipation performance.

[0027] Furthermore, according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the light-guiding optical system may be configured by a fiber cable that optically couples the excitation light source and the solid-state laser crystal, and the housing may house a fiber guide configured to wind the fiber cable with a bending radius equal to or greater than the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable.

[0028] Generally, fiber optic cables have a minimum bending radius. Therefore, when a pumping light source and a solid-state laser crystal are connected by a fiber optic cable, the bending of the fiber optic cable is restricted, which may result in restrictions on the relative position of the pumping light source with respect to the solid-state laser crystal. This can be inconvenient when it comes to accommodating the solid-state laser crystal and the pumping light source in a housing while also making the housing compact.

[0029] In contrast, according to the seventh aspect, by accommodating a fiber guide configured according to the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable in the housing, it becomes possible to adjust the length of the fiber cable more flexibly. This is advantageous in achieving a compact layout while connecting the solid-state laser crystal and the pumping light source with a fiber cable, and in achieving both the compactness of the housing and the accommodation of the solid-state laser crystal and the pumping light source.

[0030] Furthermore, according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the exit window may be formed by a cover glass that transmits the laser light, the irradiation area may be formed as a rectangular region, and the cover glass may be formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area.

[0031] According to the eighth aspect, the cover glass through which the laser light passes is not generally circular, but is rectangular in shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area. Compared to a circular cover glass, the cover glass can be made more compact. This is effective in reducing the size of the housing and, ultimately, the installation space.

[0032] Furthermore, according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing device may include a nonlinear optical crystal that receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal and converts the laser light to a shorter wavelength, and the nonlinear optical crystal may be accommodated in the crystal accommodation section.

[0033] According to the ninth aspect, by accommodating the nonlinear optical crystal in the crystal accommodating section, the nonlinear optical crystal can be spaced apart from the substrate accommodating section by the amount of the mirror accommodating section interposed between the crystal accommodating section and the substrate accommodating section, which contributes to maintaining heat dissipation performance.

[0034] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the crystal housing portion may house the nonlinear optical crystal in a sealed state.

[0035] Furthermore, according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the laser processing apparatus may be provided with a Q switch housed in the crystal housing section and configured to pulse oscillate a fundamental wave, and the internal space of the crystal housing section may be separated into a space housing the Q switch and a space housing the nonlinear optical crystal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve compact installation space in the irradiation direction while maintaining heat dissipation efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a laser processing system. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the laser processing device. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a marker head. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of the marker head. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the marker head. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a cover member is removed from the marker head. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the marker head. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection structure of an electric cable in a marker head. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a housing structure for the marker head. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a housing structure for the marker head. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view schematically illustrating the main parts inside the substrate accommodating section. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view schematically illustrating the main parts inside the crystal housing portion. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic example of a main part inside the mirror housing portion. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view for explaining deflection of the laser light by the laser light scanning unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view for explaining deflection of the laser beam by the laser beam scanning unit. [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A is a schematic diagram for explaining the replacement of the printing device and the marker head. [Figure 17B]FIG. 17B is a perspective view for explaining attachment of the marker head to the support member. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining various dimensions of the marker head and the support member. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a basic control process of a laser processing apparatus. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a block diagram for explaining the circuit structure of the power supply unit. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a control process for the power supply unit. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the mounting surface and the attachment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a further modification of the mounting surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is for illustrative purposes only.

[0039] That is, although this specification describes a laser marker as an example of a laser processing device, the technology disclosed herein can be applied to laser application equipment in general, regardless of whether it is called a laser processing device or a laser marker.

[0040] Furthermore, in this specification, printing processing will be described as a representative example of processing, but the present invention is not limited to printing processing and can be used in any processing using laser light, such as image marking.

[0041] <Overall structure> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a laser processing system S, and Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a laser processing device L in the laser processing system S. Also, Fig. 17A is a schematic diagram for explaining the replacement of a printing device 1001 with a marker head 1, and Fig. 17B is a perspective view for explaining the attachment of the marker head 1 to a support member 501.

[0042] The laser processing system S illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a laser processing device L and an external device 400 connected thereto. Of these, the laser processing device L illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is configured to perform processing on a workpiece W according to a predetermined processing pattern Pp by irradiating a predetermined irradiation area R1 with laser light.

[0043] The irradiation area R1 here refers to an area set on the surface of the workpiece W, and can take various forms depending on the relative positional relationship between the laser processing device L and the workpiece W, the specifications of the laser processing device L, the movement path of the workpiece W, etc. The irradiation area R1 according to this embodiment is configured as a rectangular area as shown in FIG.

[0044] In particular, the laser processing device L according to this embodiment can emit laser light having a wavelength of around 350 nm as laser light for processing the workpiece W. This wavelength corresponds to the wavelength range of ultraviolet light. Therefore, in the following description, the laser light for processing the workpiece W may be referred to as "UV laser light" to distinguish it from other laser light such as near-infrared light. Note that laser light other than ultraviolet light, such as infrared light, may also be used to process the workpiece W.

[0045] The following describes a case where the workpiece W to be processed is made of a sheet-like film, and the film contains a UV reactive layer that chemically reacts with UV laser light.

[0046] However, in the laser processing apparatus L according to the present disclosure, the workpiece W that can be processed is not limited to a film containing a UV reactive layer. A film that chemically reacts with laser light having a wavelength other than ultraviolet light may be used, and the workpiece W may be made of various materials such as paper or synthetic resin.

[0047] Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus L according to this embodiment is configured to perform so-called two-dimensional printing by two-dimensionally scanning the laser beam, but as will be described later, this laser processing apparatus L is configured to have a deep focal depth, so it can also perform so-called three-dimensional printing. Therefore, this laser processing apparatus L can even process a workpiece W that is transported along a three-dimensional movement path, as shown in Fig. 18, which will be described later.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the laser processing device L according to this embodiment includes a marker head 1, a marker controller 100, an electric cable 200, and an operation terminal 300.

[0049] Of these, the marker controller 100 is configured as a controller for controlling the marker head 1, and is capable of receiving settings related to the processing pattern and supplying power to the outside.

[0050] On the other hand, the marker head 1 is controlled by the marker controller 100 to emit laser light toward the irradiation area R1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 are separate entities and connected by an electric cable 200. This electric cable 200 includes at least an electric wiring that transmits power from the inside of the marker controller 100 (specifically, the power supply unit 104 described below) to the outside. Specifically, the electric cable 200 according to this embodiment is configured by bundling together electric wiring for transmitting power and signal wiring for transmitting and receiving analog signals, digital signals, etc.

[0052] The marker head 1 according to this embodiment is installed on processing equipment 500 for processing a workpiece W made of a sheet-like film. As shown in Figures 17A and 17B, this processing equipment 500 includes a support member 501 that supports the marker head 1 and a transport roller 502 around which the workpiece W is wound.

[0053] 17B and 18, the processing equipment 500 further includes two rail members 503l and 503r that slidably support the marker head 1 via the support member 501, two fixing members 505 and 506 to which the ends of the two rail members 503l and 503r are attached, and a first driven roller 504l and a second driven roller 504r that are driven when the workpiece W is transported by the drive of the transport roller 502. In this case, it is preferable that the workpiece W is wrapped around the transport roller 502 so that the contact length between the transport roller 502 and the workpiece W is longer than the contact length between the first driven roller 504l and the workpiece W and is also longer than the contact length between the second driven roller 504r and the workpiece W. This makes it less likely that the workpiece W will slip on the transport roller 502 when the transport roller 502 transports the workpiece W. The "contact length" here refers to the length as seen in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of each of the conveying roller 502, the first driven roller 504l, and the second driven roller 504r.

[0054] In this way, the workpiece W in this embodiment can be a workpiece that is transported while wrapped around the transport roller 502, and the transport roller 502 used in this case may be arranged so as to overlap with the irradiation area R1 in the vertical direction (the Z direction described below), as shown, for example, in Figure 1, the lower diagram of Figure 17A, and Figure 18.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 17A, the support member 501 can attach the laser processing device L, particularly the housing 10 of the marker head 1, to a predetermined attachment position. Although Fig. 1, Fig. 17A, and Fig. 17B show examples of the support member 501 configured to suspend the housing 10 from above, as will be described later, the housing 10 may be supported from another direction, such as the side.

[0056] On the other hand, the conveying roller 502 is configured in a cylindrical shape having a central axis extending in the short dimension direction (the front-to-rear direction described later) of the workpiece W. In this case, the workpiece W is conveyed in the long dimension direction (the left-to-right direction described later) along a predetermined movement path by the rotation of the conveying roller 502.

[0057] Here, the processing equipment 500 of this embodiment is shared between the marker head 1 of this embodiment and a printing device 1001 that prints using a method other than laser light, as shown in the upper and lower figures of Figure 17A.

[0058] That is, the marker head 1 according to this embodiment is configured so that it can be attached in place of the printing device 1001 to the support member 501 of the processing equipment 500 configured to attach the printing device 1001.

[0059] An example of a printing device 1001 that can replace the marker head 1 is a thermal transfer overprinter (TTO), but other printing devices 1001 can also be used.

[0060] The printing device 1001 that can replace the marker head 1 may be, for example, one that includes a housing 1010 that is approximately rectangular and has a printing surface 1010d that exposes a printing portion 1006 that contacts the printing area on the workpiece W, and a connection surface 1010u that is different from the printing surface 1010d and can be connected to the support member 501.

[0061] 17A, the marker head 1 is supported by a support member 501 connectable to the connection surface 1010u, similar to the printing device 1001. The marker head 1 supported in this manner processes the workpiece W by irradiating laser light toward an irradiation area R1 set corresponding to the printing area (the area that comes into contact with the printing unit 1006 in the printing device 1001).

[0062] On the other hand, the operation terminal 300 has, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, and is connected to the marker controller 100 by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to send and receive electrical signals.

[0063] The operation terminal 300 sets various processing conditions (also called printing conditions) such as print settings, and also functions as a terminal for showing the user information related to the processing of the workpiece W. This operation terminal 300 includes a display unit 301 for displaying information to the user, an operation unit 302 for accepting operation input by the user, and a storage device 303 for storing various information.

[0064] For example, the display unit 301 can be configured with a liquid crystal display or an organic EL panel. The operation unit 302 can be configured with a keyboard and a pointing device. Pointing devices include a mouse, a joystick, and the like. Instead of such a pointing device, the operation unit 302 may be configured with, for example, a touch panel console directly connected to the marker controller 100.

[0065] The operation terminal 300 configured as described above can set processing conditions for laser processing based on operation input by the user. The processing conditions include one or more of the content of the character string and graphic to be printed on the workpiece W (processing pattern Pp), the target output of the laser beam (laser power), and the scanning speed of the laser beam on the workpiece W (scan speed).

[0066] The processing conditions set by the operation terminal 300 are output to the marker controller 100 and stored in the storage unit 102 of the marker controller 100. If necessary, the storage device 303 of the operation terminal 300 may store the processing conditions.

[0067] The operation terminal 300 can be integrated into the marker controller 100, for example.

[0068] The external device 400 is connected to the marker controller 100 as needed. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, a conveying speed sensor 401 and a programmable logic controller (PLC) 402 are provided as the external device 400.

[0069] The conveying speed sensor 401 is configured by, for example, a rotary encoder, and can detect the conveying speed of the workpiece W. The conveying speed sensor 401 outputs a signal (detection signal) indicating the detection result to the marker controller 100. The marker controller 100 controls two-dimensional scanning of the laser light, etc., based on the detection signal input from the conveying speed sensor 401.

[0070] The PLC 402 is configured by, for example, a microprocessor, and is capable of inputting control signals to the marker controller 100. The PLC 402 is used to control the laser processing system S in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

[0071] In addition to the above-mentioned equipment and devices, the laser processing apparatus L can be connected wirelessly or with a wire to devices for operation and control, computers for performing various other processes, memory devices, peripheral devices, etc.

[0072] Hereinafter, the hardware configurations of the marker head 1 and the marker controller 100 will be described in detail, and then an outline of the control of the marker head 1 by the marker controller 100 will be described.

[0073] <Marker Controller 100> As shown in Figure 2, the marker controller 100 includes a reception unit 101 that receives settings (processing settings) regarding processing conditions including a processing pattern, a memory unit 102 that stores the processing conditions, a control unit 103 that controls the marker head 1 based on the processing conditions, and a power supply unit 104 that serves as a power source unit that supplies power to the marker head 1.

[0074] (Reception Section 101) The receiving unit 101 is configured to receive processing conditions input via the operation terminal 300 and to output the received processing conditions to the storage unit 102 and / or the control unit 103.

[0075] Specifically, the reception unit 101 according to this embodiment is electrically connected to the operation terminal 300, and can display a setting screen (not shown) for setting each processing condition on the display unit 301 of the operation terminal 300. The reception unit 101 can reflect the content input through the setting screen in each processing condition, and output the reflected processing conditions to the storage unit 102 and / or the control unit 103.

[0076] (Storage unit 102) The memory unit 102 is configured to temporarily or continuously store the processing conditions received by the receiving unit 101, and to output the stored processing conditions to the control unit 103, display unit 301, etc., as necessary.

[0077] Specifically, the memory unit 102 according to this embodiment is configured using a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and can temporarily or continuously store data indicating processing conditions.

[0078] (Control unit 103) The control unit 103 is configured to perform processing on the workpiece W in accordance with the processing conditions by controlling the power supply unit 104, the laser light output unit 4, the laser light scanning unit 5, etc. based on the processing conditions.

[0079] Specifically, the control unit 103 according to this embodiment includes a processor, a volatile memory, an input / output bus, etc. The control unit 103 generates a control signal based on the processing conditions read from the storage unit 102 or directly input from the receiving unit 101, and outputs the generated control signal to each unit of the laser processing device L, thereby controlling the processing of the workpiece W.

[0080] For example, when starting processing of the workpiece W, the control unit 103 reads a target output that is one of the processing conditions from the memory unit 102, and controls the generation of laser excitation light by inputting a control signal generated regarding the target output to the power supply unit 104, etc.

[0081] (Power supply section 104) The power supply unit 104 supplies a drive current to the excitation light generation unit 2 based on a control signal output from the control unit 103. Although details are omitted, the power supply unit 104 determines a drive current based on a target output input from the control unit 103, and supplies the determined drive current to the excitation light generation unit 2. The power supply unit 104 supplies power to the excitation light generation unit 2, and can be configured by a DC power supply 104a or the like, as exemplified in Fig. 20 described below. Details of the power supply unit 104 will be described later.

[0082] In this embodiment, the excitation light generating unit 2, which is configured by an excitation light source such as a laser diode, is configured to be built into the marker head 1, not the marker controller 100. Power supplied from the power supply unit 104 is supplied to the excitation light generating unit 2 via the above-mentioned electric cable 200.

[0083] <Marker head 1> 3A and 3B are perspective views illustrating the appearance of the marker head 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of the marker head 1, Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the marker head 1 with the cover member 13 removed, and Fig. 6 is a rear view of the marker head 1.

[0084] 7 is a diagram illustrating a connection structure of the electric cable 200 in the marker head 1, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating an accommodation structure of the marker head 1. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head 1, and FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the marker head 1. The cross-section in FIG. 10 substantially coincides with the AA cross-section in FIG. 11.

[0085] In addition, Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view that schematically illustrates the internal structure of the marker head 1, Figure 12 is a side view that schematically illustrates the main parts within the substrate accommodating section H13, and Figure 13 is a side view that schematically illustrates the main parts within the crystal accommodating section H12.

[0086] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic example of the main parts inside the mirror housing portion H11, and FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views for explaining the deflection of the laser light by the laser light scanning portion.

[0087] (Schematic configuration of marker head 1) As shown in Figure 2, the marker head 1 has, as its main components, an excitation light generating unit 2, an excitation light guiding unit 3 as a light guiding optical system, a laser light output unit 4, and a laser light scanning unit 5 as a laser light deflection unit.

[0088] As will be described in detail later, the pumping light generation unit 2 generates pumping light for exciting laser light based on power supplied via an electric cable 200. The pumping light guide unit 3 guides the pumping light generated by the pumping light generation unit 2 and inputs it to the laser light output unit 4. The laser light output unit 4 has a solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates laser light based on the pumping light guided by the pumping light guide unit 3.

[0089] The laser light scanning unit 5 also has a first scanner 51 that drives a first mirror 51a so that the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 is irradiated toward a desired position in the irradiation area R1, and a first control board 53 that controls this first scanner 51.

[0090] More specifically, the laser light scanning unit 5 according to this embodiment is configured using a so-called two-axis (X-axis and Y-axis) galvanometer scanner, and in addition to a first scanner 51 as a Y scanner, further includes a second scanner 52 as an X scanner and a second control board 54 that controls this second scanner 52.

[0091] The laser light scanning unit 5 controls the first scanner 51 via the first control board 53 and the second scanner 52 via the second control board 54, thereby driving the first mirror 51a of the first scanner 51 and the second mirror 52a of the second scanner 52.

[0092] At this time, the laser light scanning unit 5, which serves as a laser light deflection unit, drives the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a in accordance with predetermined processing settings (settings related to the processing pattern Pp), thereby deflecting the laser light generated by the laser light output unit 4 so that it is irradiated toward the desired position in the irradiation area R1.

[0093] The marker head 1 also includes a housing 10 that houses the aforementioned components, namely, the excitation light generation unit 2, the excitation light guide unit 3, the laser light output unit 4, and the laser light scanning unit 5. The housing 10 is formed with an exit window 6 that transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a of the laser light scanning unit 5 (i.e., the laser light irradiated toward the irradiation area R1 via the laser light scanning unit 5).

[0094] Below, the configuration relating to the appearance of the marker head 1 (specifically, the configuration of the six surfaces of the housing 10) and the internal structure of the marker head 1 will be described in order.

[0095] (Outer surface of the housing 10) As illustrated in Fig. 3A, the housing 10 of the marker head 1 is configured as a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with a longer dimension in the front-to-rear direction (the direction from the right and front side to the left and depth side in Fig. 3A) than in the left-to-right direction (the direction from the left and front side when viewed from the front of the housing 10 to the right and depth side when viewed from the front of the housing 10 in Fig. 3A). Note that "left and right" in this specification refers to left and right as seen by a user facing the housing 10.

[0096] Hereinafter, the front-to-back direction of the housing 10 is referred to as the X direction, the left-to-right direction as the Y direction, and the height direction as the Z direction. Specifically, the depth of the paper in FIG. 3A in the X direction is referred to as the +X direction, and the front side of the paper in FIG. 3A in the Y direction is referred to as the -X direction. Similarly, the front side of the paper in FIG. 3A in the Y direction is referred to as the +Y direction, and the depth side of the paper in FIG. 3A in the Z direction is referred to as the -Z direction, and the bottom side of the paper in FIG. 3A is referred to as the +Z direction.

[0097] For convenience, a definition based on the external shape of the housing 10 has been given here as an example, but instead of or in addition to this definition, a definition based on the operating direction and positional relationship of each component housed in the housing 10 can also be used.

[0098] For example, the first direction, which is the deflection direction of the first mirror 51a, can be defined as the Y direction, and the second direction, which is the deflection direction of the second mirror 52a, can be defined as the X direction. In this embodiment, the deflection direction of the mirror included in the laser beam scanning unit 5 and driven refers to the direction in which the irradiation position within the irradiation area R1 is scanned by driving the mirror. That is, when the first mirror 51a is driven and rotated, the irradiation position within the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the Y direction. Furthermore, when the second mirror 52a is driven and rotated, the irradiation position within the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the X direction. Similarly, the irradiation direction, which is the direction from the marker head 1 toward the irradiation area R1, more specifically, the direction from the exit window 6 toward the irradiation area R1, can be considered as the Z direction. The irradiation direction may also be defined as the direction from the first mirror 51a toward the irradiation area R1. In this embodiment, the "direction from a certain component toward the irradiation area R1" refers to one of the axial directions in which the certain component and the irradiation area R1 face each other. The "direction from a certain component toward the illumination area R1" does not refer to the traveling direction of light from a certain component toward the illumination area R1. Therefore, although the illumination position in the illumination area R1, i.e., the traveling direction of light toward the illumination area R1, changes depending on the rotation of the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a, the illumination direction in this embodiment does not change in accordance with the change in the traveling direction of the light.

[0099] In the following description, it is assumed that the definition based on the external shape of the housing 10 is the same as the definition based on the deflection direction and irradiation direction of the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a.

[0100] 3A to 7, the housing 10 has a bottom surface 10d on which the exit window 6 is formed, and a top surface 10u facing the bottom surface 10d and therefore the exit window 6. For example, the bottom surface 10d faces the +Z direction, while the top surface 10u faces the -Z direction, and both are made of one or more plate-like members having a thickness in the Z direction. Note that "facing" here refers to conceptual facing when the housing 10 is considered as a conceptual rectangular parallelepiped.

[0101] The housing 10 further has a bottom surface 10d and a top surface 10u, as well as a front surface 10f, a rear surface 10b, a left side surface 10l and a right side surface 10r that surround the excitation light generation unit 2, the excitation light guide unit 3, the laser light output unit 4 and the laser light scanning unit 5.

[0102] The front surface 10f, the back surface 10b, the left side surface 10l, and the right side surface 10r all face in a direction perpendicular to the top surface 10u and the bottom surface 10d (i.e., in a direction along the XY plane). For example, the front surface 10f faces in the -X direction, while the back surface 10b faces in the +X direction, and both are made of one or more plate-like members having a thickness in the X direction. Similarly, for example, the left side surface 10l faces in the +Y direction, while the right side surface 10r faces in the -Y direction, and both are made of one or more plate-like members having a thickness in the Y direction.

[0103] The six sides of the housing 10 will be described in order below. The term "side" in the context of the bottom side 10d, top side 10u, front side 10f, back side 10b, left side side 10l, and right side side 10r also includes plate-like members having a predetermined thickness. These six sides are merely classified for convenience and do not need to be separate from one another. For example, at least one of the left side side 10l and the right side side 10r may be integrally formed with at least a portion of the bottom side 10d (particularly the non-offset portion 18, described below).

[0104] -Top surface 10u- As shown in Fig. 3A, the top surface 10u of the six surfaces constituting the housing 10 extends along the XY direction and is formed as a rectangular plate with the X dimension being longer than the Y dimension. In this embodiment, the top surface 10u is configured as a mounting surface that is connected to a support member and attached to the mounting position. In this case, the thickness of the top surface 10u is greater than the thicknesses of the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r.

[0105] An attachment 7 that can be attached to a mounting position is provided on the top surface 10u, which serves as a mounting surface. The attachment 7 is configured as a plate-like member that extends in a direction (XY direction) substantially parallel to the top surface 10u and has a thickness in a direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the top surface 10u. The attachment 7 is placed on the top surface 10u and, as shown in FIG. 10, is fastened to the top surface 10u by fasteners 7b such as bolts. As described above, the thickness of the top surface 10u is greater than the thicknesses of the left side surface 10l, right side surface 10r, etc. Increasing the thickness of the top surface 10u is advantageous in ensuring an insertion margin for the fasteners 7b.

[0106] Fastening holes 7a corresponding to the support member 501 to be placed at the attachment position are provided on the top surface of the attachment 7. With the support member 501 placed on the attachment 7, the support member 501 can be attached to the attachment 7 by fastening a fastener such as a bolt into the fastening holes 7a. As a result, the top surface 10u is attached to the attachment position via the attachment 7, and at the same time, the housing 10 is suspended from the support member 501.

[0107] -Bottom 10d- As shown in Fig. 4, the bottom surface 10d of the six surfaces is disposed on the opposite side of the top surface 10u across the laser light scanning unit 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the bottom surface 10d is formed in a curved shape that extends along the X direction and has a central portion in the Y direction recessed toward the -Z side.

[0108] 5 and 10, the bottom surface 10d according to this embodiment has an offset portion 16a located in the center in the Y direction and offset toward the -Z side, and non-offset portions 18 located at both ends in the Y direction and protruding toward the +Z side compared to the offset portion 16a. Both the offset portion 16a and the non-offset portion 18 are formed to extend flatly along the X direction.

[0109] In detail, a groove having a trapezoidal cross section and an increasing diameter toward the +Z side is formed on the bottom surface 10d according to this embodiment, with the offset portion 16a as the upper base. The exit window 6 is provided in the offset portion 16a serving as the upper base. The bottom surface 10d according to this embodiment is configured as an exit surface on which the exit window 6 is formed. Details of the exit window 6 will be described later.

[0110] On the other hand, non-offset portion 18 constitutes a portion of bottom surface 10d from a portion corresponding to the oblique side of the trapezoid to the +Z side end. Non-offset portion 18 according to this embodiment is constituted by first plate-shaped member 18l located on the +Y side of offset portion 16a, and second plate-shaped member 18r located on the -Y side of offset portion 16a.

[0111] As shown in Fig. 10, the first plate-shaped member 18l is formed in a thin plate shape and has an inverted L-shape when viewed from the -X side. Here, "inverted L-shape" refers to a shape obtained by inverting an L-shape with respect to an axis of symmetry extending in the Z direction. The first plate-shaped member 18l is disposed on the opposite side of the second plate-shaped member 18r across the offset portion 16a. The vertical side of the inverted L-shape of the first plate-shaped member 18l forms the oblique side on the +Y side of the trapezoid, and the horizontal side of the inverted L-shape forms the +Z side end of the +Y side.

[0112] 10, second plate-shaped member 18r is formed in a thin plate shape and has an L-shape when viewed from the -X side. Second plate-shaped member 18r is disposed on the opposite side of first plate-shaped member 18l with offset portion 16a sandwiched therebetween. The vertical side of the L-shape of second plate-shaped member 18r forms the oblique side on the -Y side of the trapezoid, and the horizontal side of the L-shape forms the +Z side end of the -Y side.

[0113] 10, first plate-shaped member 18l, together with the lower half of left side surface 10l, covers and conceals exit window 6 from the +Y side. Meanwhile, second plate-shaped member 18r, together with the lower half of right side surface 10r, covers and conceals exit window 6 from the -Y side. In this way, first plate-shaped member 18l and second plate-shaped member 18r, together with the lower half of left side surface 10l and the lower half of right side surface 10r, form a skirt-shaped cover (skirt portion).

[0114] -Front 10f- As shown in Figures 3B and 5, the front surface 10f of the six surfaces extends along the YZ direction and is formed in a plate shape having an indicator 11, two ventilation holes 12, 12, and a notch 10c.

[0115] 3B and 5, the indicator 11 is provided on the upper side of the front surface 10f near the right end thereof, and is composed of three lamps 11a, 11b, and 11c aligned along the Y direction (shown only in FIG. 5). The three lamps 11a, 11b, and 11c are each composed of a light-emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to the marker controller 100. Hereinafter, the three lamps 11a, 11b, and 11c will be referred to as the first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b, and the third lamp 11c, respectively, starting from the +Y side.

[0116] The first lamp 11a is configured by, for example, a blue LED, and lights up blue in conjunction with a key switch (not shown) provided on the laser processing apparatus L. The "key switch" here refers to a switch that is switched by a key managed by a safety manager or the like. By inserting the key into the laser processing apparatus L and turning the key in a predetermined direction, the state can be switched among an "OFF" state corresponding to a power-off state, a "POWER ON" state corresponding to a power-on state in which laser light emission is not permitted, and a "LASER ON" state corresponding to a power-on state in which laser light emission is permitted.

[0117] On the other hand, the second lamp 11b is configured to be able to switch its luminous color between green and orange, and its luminous color switches in response to various conditions in addition to the state of the key switch.Furthermore, the third lamp 11c is configured to be able to switch its luminous color between green, orange, and red, and its luminous color switches in response to various conditions in addition to the state of the key switch.

[0118] The first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b, and the third lamp 11c are each electrically connected to the marker controller 100, and are configured to light up in response to a control signal input from the control unit 103. The control of the indicator 11 will be described in detail later.

[0119] 3B and 5, one of the two ventilation holes 12, 12 is provided on the lower side of the front surface 10f near the left end, and the other of the two ventilation holes 12, 12 is provided on the lower side of the front surface 10f near the right end. Both of the two ventilation holes 12, 12 penetrate the front surface 10f in the thickness direction and each communicates with a second storage section H2, which will be described later.

[0120] 3B and 5, the cutout 10c is formed by cutting out a portion of the front surface 10f that includes the lower end portion, and is connected to the front end portion (the end portion on the −X direction side) of the offset portion 16a. The cutout 10c is arranged between the two ventilation openings 12, 12 in the Y direction.

[0121] Specifically, notch 10c is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape tapering in the +Z direction so as to have a cross section that generally coincides with the cross section of the trapezoid with offset portion 16a as its upper base. By providing notch 10c in the lower half of front surface 10f according to this embodiment, front surface 10f is configured as an at least partially open user-access surface (open surface) that communicates with exit window 6 via offset portion 16a.

[0122] -Details of the front 10f 1 (dust collector and camera)- The notch 10c according to this embodiment can be used for various purposes in addition to maintenance of the exit window 6 (for example, cleaning performed by inserting a cleaning tool through the notch 10c).

[0123] Generally, when a UV laser is irradiated onto a workpiece W such as film, smoke is generated. Therefore, a dust collector separate from the marker head 1 may be connected to the front surface 10f, and the smoke may be sucked in through the cutout 10c. Note that instead of attaching a dust collector externally to the marker head 1, such as connecting it to the front surface 10f, the dust collector may be built into the marker head 1.

[0124] Furthermore, a camera may be built into or attached externally to the marker head 1 in order to inspect the printed content after irradiating a UV laser onto a workpiece W such as film to perform the printing process. Such a camera may be attached, for example, to the cutout 10c or to the offset portion 16a. In the former case, a reflective mirror may be provided around the exit window 6 so that the irradiation area R1 can be imaged from as directly above (-Z side) as possible. Furthermore, lighting may be provided around the camera or the exit window 6 to obtain the brightest possible image.

[0125] -Details of the front surface 10f 2 (cover member 13 and open / close sensor)- A cover member 13 that can open and close the front surface 10f is attached to the front surface 10f as an open surface. The cover member 13 has a first cover portion 13a fixed to the upper half of the front surface 10f, a second cover portion 13b that can swing to open and close the lower half of the front surface 10f, particularly the portion opened by the notch 10ca, and a hinge mechanism 13c that connects the first cover portion 13a and the second cover portion 13b (see FIGS. 3A and 3B).

[0126] The first cover part 13a is formed in a rectangular plate shape that covers the upper half of the front surface 10f, and has a through-hole (reference numeral omitted) formed in approximately the same position as the indicator 11. The first cover part 13a is fixed to the upper half of the front surface 10f with fasteners such as screws.

[0127] The second cover part 13b is formed in a rectangular plate shape that can cover the lower half of the front surface 10f, particularly the cutout 10c, and has through holes (reference numerals omitted) formed in approximately the same positions as the two ventilation holes 12, 12. The second cover part 13b is supported by the first cover part 13a via a hinge mechanism 13c.

[0128] The hinge mechanism 13c is located in the center of the front surface 10f in the Z direction, and swingably connects the upper edge of the second cover portion 13b to the lower edge of the first cover portion 13a.

[0129] With the first cover portion 13a fixed to the front surface 10f, the hinge mechanism 13c can swing the second cover portion 13b around a rotation axis extending in the Y direction (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). By swinging the second cover portion 13b in the opening direction, the cutout 10c in the front surface 10f can be exposed. By exposing the cutout 10c, various maintenance tasks, such as cleaning the exit window 6, can be performed through the offset portion 16a connected to the cutout 10c.

[0130] The cover member 13 is not essential, and the front surface 10f may be exposed without providing the cover member 13.

[0131] Also, although not shown, an opening / closing sensor that detects the opening / closing of the cover member 13 may be provided on at least one of the cover member 13 (particularly, the second cover portion 13b) and the front surface 10f (particularly, the area surrounding the cutout 10c on the front surface 10f).

[0132] Such an open / close sensor may be, for example, a magnetic sensor including a magnet provided on one of second cover portion 13b and front surface 10f, and a magnetic sensor (e.g., a Hall element) provided on the other of second cover portion 13b and front surface 10f. Note that the magnetic sensor is merely an example, and an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, or the like may also be used.

[0133] This magnet sensor is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and / or the circuit board in the marker head 1, and can output a detection signal indicating the open / closed state of the cover member 13, particularly the second cover part 13b, to the marker controller 100 and / or the circuit board.

[0134] By providing such an open / close sensor, it becomes possible to detect the open / closed state of the cover member 13 and perform various controls based on the open / closed state. As an example, the marker controller 100 according to this embodiment emergency stops the emission of laser light when the cover member 13 is opened while the laser light is being emitted. Thereafter, by closing the cover member 13 and performing an operation to release the emergency stop via the operation unit 302, the emission of laser light can be resumed.

[0135] If the cover member 13 is considered to be one outer surface of the housing 10, the cover member 13 will be visible to the user when attaching the marker head 1. In this case, for example, the second cover portion 13b of the cover member 13 may be provided with a first mark M1 as a mark, as shown in FIG.

[0136] The first mark M1 is composed of a first center line M11 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection of the diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1), a +Y edge M12 indicating the edge on the +Y side of the irradiation area R1, and a -Y edge M13 indicating the center on the -Y side of the irradiation area R1.

[0137] The cover member 13 is not essential. If the front surface 10f is regarded as the outer surface of the housing 10 without providing the cover member 13, the first mark M1 can be attached to the front surface 10f.

[0138] -Back 10b- 3B and 5, the rear surface 10b, one of the six surfaces, is disposed on the opposite side of the laser beam scanning unit 5 from the front surface 10f, and is formed in a plate shape extending along the YZ direction. The rear surface 10b according to this embodiment can be regarded as one outer surface of the housing 10 (an outer surface different from the cover member 13), and serves as a connection surface to which an electric cable 200 that supplies power to the inside of the housing 10 is connected. The rear surface 10b as a connection surface surrounds the laser beam scanning unit 5 as a laser beam deflection unit, together with the front surface 10f as an open surface, the top surface 10u as a mounting surface, and the bottom surface 10d as an emission surface.

[0139] 7, a connection cover 14 is provided on the rear surface 10b serving as a connection surface to cover the connection portion between the rear surface 10b and the electric cable 200. This connection cover 14 regulates the extending direction Ae of the electric cable 200 so that the electric cable 200 is unreeled in an in-plane direction (YZ direction) of the rear surface 10b, more specifically, in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the irradiation direction (Z direction) among the in-plane directions (YZ directions).

[0140] In other words, the connection cover 14 is configured to feed out the electric cable 200 along a direction (Y direction or Z direction) perpendicular to the X direction which is the direction connecting the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b.

[0141] Specifically, the connection cover 14 in this embodiment has an enclosure 14a that surrounds the connection terminal with the electric cable 200 in the marker head 1, a lid 14b that closes the enclosure 14a, a sealing member 14c that provides a liquid-tight seal between the enclosure 14a and the lid 14b, and a wire diameter conversion connector 14d that adjusts the wire diameter of the electric cable 200.

[0142] Of these, the enclosure 14a is formed so as to surround the connector opening on the rear surface 10b from the sides (YZ directions). More specifically, the enclosure a according to this embodiment is formed in the shape of a thin rectangular box that opens in the +X direction.

[0143] When the enclosure 14a is considered to be a thin box, the bottom surface 14e has two openings (reference numerals omitted) that lead to different connection terminals. Of the multiple side walls that make up the enclosure 14a, the left side wall 14f facing the +Y side has a first through hole 14g that penetrates the left side wall 14f along the Y direction, which is the extension direction Ae. When the electric cable 200 is inserted through this first through hole 14g, the extension direction Ae of the electric cable 200 is restricted.

[0144] The wire diameter conversion connector 14d is disposed inside the enclosure 14a and is housed in a housing space partitioned by the enclosure 14a and the lid 14b. Here, the electric cable 200 according to this embodiment is composed of a first cable portion 201 that extends from the marker controller 100 and is connected to the wire diameter conversion connector 14d, and a second cable portion 202 that extends from the wire diameter conversion connector 14d and is connected to a connection terminal of the marker head 1. The wire diameter of the second cable portion 202 is set to be smaller than the wire diameter of the first cable portion 201 so as to fit the connection terminal of the marker head 1.

[0145] That is, in this embodiment, the electric cable 200 is connected to the marker head 1 in a state where the wire diameter is converted by the wire diameter conversion connector 14d.

[0146] In general, there is a need to change the cable length of the electric cable 200 depending on the installation environment of the marker head 1. Here, when an electric cable 200 longer than normal is used, there is a concern about voltage drop compared to a relatively short electric cable, and as a countermeasure, it is conceivable to use an electric cable 200 with a larger wire diameter.

[0147] As such, since the wire diameter of the electric cable 200 can change depending on the installation environment of the marker head 1, it is possible to consider using the wire diameter conversion connector 14d as described above. However, simply using the wire diameter conversion connector 14d raises concerns about water getting into the connection between the first cable portion 201 and the wire diameter conversion connector 14d, and the connection between the second cable portion 202 and the wire diameter conversion connector 14d.

[0148] 7, by housing the wire diameter conversion connector 14d inside the connection cover 14, it is possible to prevent the aforementioned connection parts from becoming wet. This makes it possible for the marker head 1 to be adapted to a wider range of installation environments.

[0149] -Left side 10l- As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 10, the left side surface 10l of the six surfaces is disposed on the +Y side with respect to the laser light scanning unit 5, and is formed in a plate shape extending along the ZX direction.

[0150] If the left side surface 10l is considered to be one of the outer surfaces of the housing 10, this left side surface 10l will be visible to the user when attaching the marker head 1. As shown in Fig. 3A, a second mark M2 can also be attached to this left side surface 10l.

[0151] The second mark M2 is composed of a second center line M21 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection of the diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1), a +X edge M22 indicating the edge on the +X side of the irradiation area R1, and a -X edge M23 indicating the edge on the -X side of the irradiation area R1.

[0152] -Right side 10r- 4, 5, and 10, the right side surface 10r of the six surfaces is disposed on the -Y side with respect to the laser light scanning unit 5, and is formed in a plate shape extending along the ZX direction. The right side surface 10r is disposed on the opposite side of the left side surface 10l with the laser light scanning unit 5 in between.

[0153] If the right side surface 10r is considered to be one outer surface of the housing 10, a third mark M3 configured in the same manner as the second mark M2 can be attached to this right side surface 10r.

[0154] The third mark M3 is composed of a third center line M31 indicating the center of the irradiation area R1 (the intersection of the diagonal lines of the irradiation area R1), a +X edge M32 indicating the edge on the +X side of the irradiation area R1, and a -X edge M33 indicating the edge on the -X side of the irradiation area R1.

[0155] It is not essential that both the second mark M2 and the third mark M3 are provided, and it is also possible to provide either the second mark M2 or the third mark M3.

[0156] (Internal space of the housing 10) The housing 10 defines an internal space surrounded by six sides: a bottom side 10d, a top side 10u, a front side 10f, a rear side 10b, a left side side 10l, and a right side side 10r. The internal space is divided into multiple storage compartments by plate-like members disposed inside the housing 10.

[0157] As such plate-like members, the marker head 1 according to this embodiment has a first base plate 15, a second base plate 16, and a third base plate 17. In this embodiment, the first base plate 15, the second base plate 16, and the third base plate 17 are separate from one another. Of these plate-like members, the first base plate 15 is configured as a support plate capable of supporting the solid-state laser crystal 41.

[0158] The configuration of each plate-like member will be explained in order below.

[0159] -First base plate 15- 8, 9, and 10, first base plate 15 is configured as a metal plate-like member extending in the X direction, and is housed in housing 10 (in other words, surrounded by six sides of housing 10). The thickness of first base plate 15 is set to be greater than the thickness of at least left side surface 10l and right side surface 10r of housing 10 among the six sides.

[0160] In particular, the first base plate 15 according to this embodiment has an inverted L-shape when viewed from the -X side. Here, the "inverted L-shape" refers to a shape obtained by inverting an L-shape with respect to an axis of symmetry extending in the Z direction. Hereinafter, the portion of the first base plate 15 corresponding to the vertical side of the inverted L-shape may be referred to as the vertical side portion 15a, and the portion corresponding to the horizontal side of the inverted L-shape may be referred to as the horizontal side portion 15b.

[0161] The first base plate 15 is disposed between the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r in the Y direction, and is disposed on the +Y side of the second base plate 16. The first base plate 15 is disposed on the +Y side of the third base plate 17, with the second base plate 16 sandwiched between them.

[0162] Here, a sealing member (not shown) is provided between the left end (end on the +Y side) of the horizontal side portion 15b and the left side surface 10l of the housing 10 to liquid-tightly seal the gap between the first base plate 15 and the left side surface 10l.

[0163] The first base plate 15 is disposed below the top surface 10u in the Z direction.

[0164] 10, the upper end (the end on the -Z side) of vertical side portion 15a faces top surface 10u with a predetermined gap therebetween, so that first base plate 15 is not integrated with top surface 10u of housing 10 (a state in which relative displacement of first base plate 15 with respect to top surface 10u is permitted).

[0165] When an outer surface other than the top surface 10u of the six surfaces of the housing 10 is used as a mounting surface, instead of providing a gap between the top surface 10u and the vertical side portion 15a, a gap may be provided between the outer surface used as a mounting surface and the first base plate 15. For example, when the left side surface 10l of the housing 10 is used as a mounting surface, a gap can be provided between the left end of the horizontal side portion 15b and the left side surface 10l.

[0166] The first base plate 15 is disposed between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. As shown in Fig. 11, the first base plate 15 is fixed to the front surface 10f by front-side fasteners 15c and is fixed to the rear surface 10b by rear-side fasteners 15d.

[0167] That is, the first base plate 15 as a support plate is attached to the housing 10 via the front surface 10f and the back surface 10b while being in a non-integral state with the top surface 10u as an attachment surface.

[0168] Next, the vertical side portion 15a will be described in detail. The vertical side portion 15a according to this embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape extending along the Z direction as the irradiation direction and the X direction. As shown in Fig. 11, at least two through holes 15e and 15f are formed in the vertical side portion 15a.

[0169] Of the two through holes 15e, 15f, the second through hole 15e located on the +X side is used to optically couple the excitation light guide 3 and the laser light output unit 4. The second through hole 15e forms a first entrance window 91 that allows excitation light to enter from the excitation light guide 3 to the laser light output unit 4.

[0170] Of the two through holes 15e, 15f, the third through hole 15f located on the -X side is used to optically couple the laser light output unit 4 and the laser light scanning unit 5. An optical member 15h such as glass that transmits laser light is fitted into the third through hole 15f. The third through hole 15f and the optical member 15h, together with a fifth through hole 50b described below, form a second entrance window 92 that allows laser light to enter the laser light scanning unit 5 from the laser light output unit 4.

[0171] Of the left and right side surfaces of vertical side portion 15a, the left side surface facing the +Y side forms partition surface 15g that defines crystal housing section H12 (described later). Various optical components including solid-state laser crystal 41 are fastened to partition surface 15g.

[0172] Of the left and right side surfaces of the vertical side portion 15a, the right side surface facing the -Y side supports, from the left, the first casing 50 that defines a mirror housing section H11 (described later). Instead of supporting the first casing 50 with the right side surface of the vertical side portion 15a, the right side surface may define part of the mirror housing section H11.

[0173] Next, the horizontal side portion 15b will be described in detail. The horizontal side portion 15b according to this embodiment is formed in a thick plate shape extending along the X direction and the Y direction. As shown in Fig. 10, a first heat sink 81 serving as a heat sink according to this embodiment is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal side portion 15b.

[0174] The first heat sink 81 is composed of a plurality of fins that protrude in the +Z direction. These fins are aligned in the Y direction. Each fin is formed to extend in the X direction. The first heat sink 81 is thermally coupled to components of the laser light output unit 4 (for example, the solid-state laser crystal 41) via the first base plate 15.

[0175] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the horizontal side portion 15b and the first heat sink 81 are integrally formed, but this is not limiting, and the horizontal side portion 15b and the first heat sink 81 may be formed separately.

[0176] -Second base plate 16- As shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10, the second base plate 16 is configured as a metal plate-like member extending in the X direction, and defines a portion of the six sides of the housing 10, particularly an offset portion 16a on the bottom surface 10d.

[0177] In particular, the second base plate 16 according to this embodiment is formed in a Z shape when viewed from the -Y side. When the second base plate 16 is considered to be Z-shaped, the upper side corresponds to the offset portion 16a in this embodiment. In the X direction, the length of the offset portion 16a as the upper side is set to be longer than the length of the bottom side when the second base plate 16 is considered to be Z-shaped.

[0178] The second base plate 16 is disposed between the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r in the Y direction, more specifically, between the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17. The second base plate 16 is supported by the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 via fasteners such as screws (not shown).

[0179] The second base plate 16 is disposed below the top surface 10u in the Z direction. The second base plate 16 is disposed on the -Z side of the horizontal side portion 15b of the first base plate 15. Specifically, in the second base plate 16, the offset portion 16a as the Z-shaped upper side is disposed at approximately the same Z position as the +Z side portion (lower portion) when the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15 is divided in half in the Z direction. In addition, in the second base plate 16, the portion corresponding to the Z-shaped bottom is disposed at approximately the same Z position as the +Z side end portions (lower ends) of the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r.

[0180] Here, a sealing member (not shown) is provided between the +Y side end (left end) of the offset portion 16a of the second base plate 16 and the right side surface of the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15, sealing the gap between the offset portion 16a and the right side surface in a liquid-tight manner.

[0181] Similarly, a sealing member (not shown) is provided between the -Y side end (right end) of the offset portion 16a and the left side surface of the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17, sealing the gap between the offset portion 16a and the left side surface in a liquid-tight manner.

[0182] The second base plate 16 is disposed between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. The second base plate 16 is fixed to the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b via the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17. The second base plate 16 may also be directly fastened to the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b.

[0183] Next, to describe the offset portion 16a in detail, the offset portion 16a according to this embodiment is formed in the shape of a thick plate extending along the X and Y directions. When the offset portion 16a is divided into two in the X direction, the exit window 6 according to this embodiment is formed in the +X side portion (the rear portion in the front-to-rear direction).

[0184] The exit window 6 has an exit hole 61 that penetrates the +X side portion of the offset portion 16a, a cover glass 62 that is fitted into the exit hole 61, and a sealing member (not shown) that liquid-tightly seals the gap between the exit hole 61 and the cover glass 62 (see FIG. 10). The cover glass 62 is configured as an optical member that transmits the laser light that is deflected by the laser light scanning unit 5 and directed toward the irradiation area R1. The cover glass 62 can be formed in a rectangular shape that corresponds to the shape of the irradiation area R1, for example, a rectangular shape that is approximately similar to the irradiation area R1 and is smaller than the irradiation area R1.

[0185] 8, 9, and 10, of the upper and lower surfaces of the offset portion 16a, the upper surface facing the -Z side supports the first casing 50 from below. More specifically, the first casing 50 can be fastened to the upper surface of the offset portion 16a, and this fastening allows the first casing 50 to be fixed to the second base plate 16. Instead of supporting the first casing 50 by the upper surface of the offset portion 16a, the upper surface may define a part of the mirror housing portion H11.

[0186] -Third base plate 17- 8, 9, and 10, the third base plate 17 is configured as a metal plate-like member extending in the X direction, and is housed in the housing 10 (in other words, it is surrounded by six sides of the housing 10). The thickness of the third base plate 17 is set to be greater than the thickness of at least the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r of the six sides of the housing 10.

[0187] In particular, the third base plate 17 according to this embodiment has an L-shape when viewed from the -X side. Hereinafter, the portion of the third base plate 17 corresponding to the vertical side of the L-shape may be referred to as a vertical side portion 17a, and the portion corresponding to the horizontal side of the L-shape may be referred to as a horizontal side portion 17b.

[0188] The third base plate 17 is disposed between the left side surface 10l and the right side surface 10r in the Y direction, and is disposed on the -Y side of the second base plate 16. The third base plate 17 is disposed on the -Y side of the first base plate 15, with the second base plate 16 sandwiched between them.

[0189] Here, a sealing member (not shown) is provided between the right end (end on the +Y side) of the horizontal side portion 17b of the third base plate 17 and the right side surface 10r of the housing 10 to liquid-tightly seal the gap between the third base plate 17 and the right side surface 10r.

[0190] The third base plate 17 is disposed below the top surface 10u in the Z direction.

[0191] The third base plate 17 is disposed between the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b in the X direction. The third base plate 17 is fixed to the front surface 10f and the rear surface 10b by fasteners (not shown).

[0192] Next, the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the vertical side portion 17a is formed like a thick plate extending along the -Z direction, which is the irradiation direction, and the X direction. In the Z direction, the dimension of the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 is shorter than the dimension of the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15. This vertical side portion 17a supports the second base plate 16 from the -Y side.

[0193] Next, the horizontal side 17b of the third base plate 17 will be described in detail. The horizontal side 17b according to this embodiment is formed like a thick plate extending along the X and Y directions. Various components can be attached to this horizontal side 17b. Components attached to the horizontal side 17b include the first control board 53 of the laser light scanning unit 5. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, a second heat sink 82, which serves as a heat sink according to this embodiment, is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal side 17b facing the -Z side.

[0194] The second heat sink 82 is composed of a plurality of fins that protrude in the +Z direction. These fins are aligned in the Y direction. Each fin is formed to extend in the X direction. The second heat sink 82 is thermally coupled to components of the excitation light generation unit 2 (e.g., excitation light source 21) via the third base plate 17.

[0195] That is, in this embodiment, the first heat sink 81 for cooling the laser light output unit 4 is configured as a separate unit from the second heat sink 82 for cooling the excitation light generation unit 2.

[0196] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the horizontal side portion 17b and the second heat sink 82 are integrally formed, but this is not limiting, and the horizontal side portion 17b and the second heat sink 82 may be formed separately.

[0197] Furthermore, when the first base plate 15 and the third base plate 17 are separate bodies as in this embodiment, the first heat sink 81 provided on the first base plate 15 and the second heat sink 82 provided on the third base plate 17 are separate bodies. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first heat sink 81 and the second heat sink 82 can also be configured as an integrated body.

[0198] (Outline of the first storage section H1 and the second storage section H2) As described above, the internal space of the housing 10 is partitioned by the first base plate 15, the second base plate 16, and the third base plate 17 into a plurality of housing sections.

[0199] As such a storage section, the housing 10 of this embodiment is formed with a first storage section H1 in which a cover glass 62 serving as an optical member is provided, and a second storage section H2 in which at least a portion of the periphery of the cover glass 62 protrudes beyond the cover glass 62 toward the irradiation area R1 (see dashed line S1 in Figure 10).

[0200] The first housing unit H1 and the second housing unit H2 are aligned along the irradiation direction (-Z direction), with the first housing unit H1 located on one side (-Z side) of the irradiation direction and the second housing unit H2 located on the other side (+Z side) of the irradiation direction. The boundary between the first housing unit H1 and the second housing unit H2 is defined by a first base plate 15, a second base plate 16, and a third base plate 17.

[0201] The first housing unit H1 houses optical components related to generation of excitation light, generation of laser light, and deflection of laser light. Specifically, the first housing unit H1 according to this embodiment houses an excitation light generation unit 2, an excitation light guide unit 3, a laser light output unit 4, and a laser light scanning unit 5.

[0202] In the example shown in Figure 10, the first storage section H1 is configured as a space surrounded by the top surface 10u, the upper part of the front surface 10f, the lower part of the back surface 10b, the upper part of the left side surface 10l, the upper part of the right side surface 10r, the part of the bottom surface 10d formed by the second base plate 16, the first base plate 15, and the third base plate 17.

[0203] On the other hand, the second housing portion H2 houses cooling components related to cooling the optical components housed in the first housing portion H1. Specifically, the second housing portion H2 according to this embodiment houses a first heat sink 81 and a second heat sink 82 thermally coupled to the optical components housed in the first housing portion H1, a first blower fan 83 serving as an air blower that blows air to the first heat sink 81, and a second blower fan 84 also serving as an air blower that blows air to the second heat sink 82.

[0204] In the example shown in Figure 10, the second storage section H2 is configured as a space surrounded by the lower part of the front surface 10f, the lower part of the back surface 10b, the lower part of the left side surface 10l, the lower part of the right side surface 10r, the part of the bottom surface 10d formed by the non-offset portion 18 excluding the offset portion 16a, the first base plate 15, and the third base plate 17.

[0205] Furthermore, of the first housing portion H1 and the second housing portion H2, at least the first housing portion H1 is configured to satisfy the IP standard established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). This allows the marker head 1 to be washed with water without causing water to get on the optical components such as the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the first mirror 51a. This contributes to improving the ease of cleaning the marker head 1.

[0206] Furthermore, the housing 10 constituting the first housing portion H1 and the second housing portion H2 can be designed to have an exterior shape that makes it difficult for water to collect when washed with water. Such an exterior shape can be achieved, for example, by tilting the top surface 10d with respect to the XY plane. Such an exterior shape contributes to improving the sanitary properties of the marker head 1.

[0207] In this case, by configuring the front surface 10f to be opened and closed by the cover member 13 as described above, wiping after washing with water (especially wiping the vicinity of the exit window 6) becomes easy. This contributes to improving the maintainability of the marker head 1.

[0208] (Details of the first storage section H1) Here, of the first housing section H1 and second housing section H2 described above, the first housing section H1 is further divided into three housing sections aligned in a direction (XY direction) perpendicular to the irradiation direction, for example, along the Y direction. Specifically, the housing 10 according to this embodiment has a mirror housing section H11, a crystal housing section H12, and a substrate housing section H13.

[0209] The mirror housing section H11 houses the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a of the laser light scanning unit 5. The mirror housing section H11 according to this embodiment is defined by a first casing 50 capable of airtightly sealing the first mirror 51a and the second mirror 52a. As described above, the first casing 50 may be defined using an offset section 16a. When the first casing 50 is defined using the offset section 16a, it is preferable to provide a buffer material between the offset section 16a and the first casing 50. Because the offset section 16a is part of the bottom surface 10d, it is susceptible to distortion, vibration, and the like. The buffer material can reduce the impact of such external influences on the first casing and the components housed therein. Alternatively, the crystal housing section H12 may be defined using a first base plate 15, similar to the crystal housing section H12 described below.

[0210] The first casing 50 is formed in a box shape with a bottom that opens toward the −Z side. The first casing 50 is held by the first base plate 15.

[0211] The dimension of the first casing 50 in the X direction substantially matches the dimension of the offset portion 16a in the X direction. Similarly, the dimension of the first casing 50 in the Y direction substantially matches the dimension of the offset portion 16a in the Y direction.

[0212] The opening on the -Z side of the first casing 50 can be closed by, for example, a lid 59 shown in Fig. 10. Instead of sealing the opening by the lid 59, the opening of the first casing 50 may be sealed by, for example, the top surface 10u. When sealing the opening of the first casing 50 by the top surface 10u, it is preferable to provide a buffer material between the top surface 10u and the first casing 50. This can reduce the effects of distortion, vibration, etc. that occur on the top surface 10u on the first casing 50 and the components housed in the first casing.

[0213] Furthermore, at least four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d are formed in the first casing 50. Of the four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the fourth through hole 50a formed in the left wall portion of the first casing 50 communicates with the third through hole 15f of the first base plate 15 when the marker head 1 is assembled, and forms a second entrance window 92 together with the third through hole 15f and the optical member 15h fitted into the third through hole 15f.

[0214] On the other hand, of the four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the fifth through hole 50b formed in the bottom of the first casing 50 is arranged on the +X side when the first casing 50 and therefore the offset portion 16a are divided in half in the X direction. A defocus lens 57 serving as an optical element is provided in this fifth through hole 50b. This defocus lens 57 will be described later.

[0215] Of the four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the sixth through hole 50c formed in the right wall portion (the wall portion located on the -Y side) of the first casing 50 is located on the +X side when the first casing 50 and therefore the offset portion 16a are divided in half in the X direction. The second motor 52b constituting the second scanner 52 can be inserted and fixed into this sixth through hole 50c.

[0216] Of the four through holes 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, the seventh through hole 50d formed in the rear wall portion (the wall portion located on the +X side) of the first casing 50 is located on the +X side when the first casing 50 and, therefore, the offset portion 16a are divided in half in the X direction. In the Z direction, the seventh through hole 50d is located on the +Z side of the sixth through hole 50c. In the Y direction, the center of the seventh through hole 50d (the center of the circle when the seventh through hole 50d is considered to have a circular cross section) is located at approximately the same position as the optical axis of the cover glass 62. The first motor 51b constituting the first scanner 51 can be inserted and fixed into this seventh through hole 50d.

[0217] The crystal housing section H12 is defined by a support plate (first base plate 15) having a partition surface 15g extending along the irradiation direction, and is disposed on the opposite side of the partition surface 15g from the mirror housing section H11 (the +Y side in the illustrated example) to house a solid-state laser crystal 41. The crystal housing section H12 houses optical components that constitute the laser light output section 4, such as the solid-state laser crystal 41. The crystal housing section H12 is defined by a second casing 40 that can hermetically seal these optical components. The crystal housing section H12 according to this embodiment can house a nonlinear optical crystal 45 in a sealed state.

[0218] Here, second casing 40 is formed in the shape of a bottomed box that opens toward the -Y side. Second casing 40 is attached to vertical side portion 15a of first base plate 15 and is supported from the -Y side by partition surface 15g of vertical side portion 15a. The opening on the -Y side of second casing 40 can be closed by partition surface 15g.

[0219] The internal space of the crystal housing section H12 can be divided into two sections, a Q-switch housing section H121 and a wavelength converting section H122, which are aligned in the X direction. The Q-switch housing section H121 is a space that houses the Q-switch 43. The wavelength converting section H122 is a space that houses the nonlinear optical crystal 35.

[0220] Here, the Q switch accommodating section H121 and the wavelength converting section H122 are aligned along the X direction, and both are configured as spaces enclosed by the second casing 40 and the partition surface 15g. More specifically, the second casing 40 is configured with a box-shaped body corresponding to the Q switch accommodating section H121 and a box-shaped body corresponding to the wavelength converting section H122, and the spaces enclosed by the respective box-shaped bodies and the partition surface 15g are the Q switch accommodating section H121 and the wavelength converting section H122. The Q switch accommodating section H121 and the wavelength converting section H122 are optically coupled by an optical member (not shown). By configuring the Q switch accommodating section H121 and the wavelength converting section H122 as separate spaces in this way, the risk of impurities generated in the Q switch 43 (described later) adhering to the wavelength converting element 45 (described later) and reducing the output of the laser light is reduced.

[0221] The substrate accommodating section H13 is disposed on the opposite side of the crystal accommodating section H12 with respect to the mirror accommodating section H11, and accommodates the first control substrate 53. The substrate accommodating section H13 according to this embodiment is defined as the space within the internal space of the first accommodating section H1 excluding the mirror accommodating section H11 and the crystal accommodating section H12.

[0222] In other words, in this embodiment, the phrase "a specified member is accommodated in the mirror accommodating section H11" indicates that the member is surrounded on six sides by the first casing 50, and the phrase "a specified member is accommodated in the crystal accommodating section H12" indicates that the member is surrounded on six sides by the second casing 40 and the partition surface 15g.

[0223] In contrast, the phrase "a specific member is housed in the substrate housing portion H13" simply indicates that the member is disposed in the space excluding the mirror housing portion H11 and the crystal housing portion H12 within the housing 10. Of course, this configuration is not limited to this, and a casing (a third casing, so to speak) dedicated to the substrate housing portion H13 may be provided, similar to the first casing 50 and the second casing 40.

[0224] (Details of the second storage section H2) On the other hand, the second housing section H2 is partitioned into the +Z side portion of the housing 10 by a first plate-shaped member 18l and a second plate-shaped member 18r. The second housing section H2 has two spaces spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction, for example, in the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the mirror housing section H11, the crystal housing section H12, and the substrate housing section H13.

[0225] The second housing unit H2 according to this embodiment has two such spaces: a crystal-side housing unit H21 and a light source-side housing unit H22. Here, because the crystal-side housing unit H21 and the light source-side housing unit H22 are disposed apart in the Y direction, a space that does not belong to the second housing unit H2 is partitioned between the crystal-side housing unit H21 and the light source-side housing unit H22.

[0226] In this embodiment, the first plate-shaped member 18l and the second plate-shaped member 18r are configured to partition a space that includes the optical path closer to the irradiation area R1 (the optical path on the +Z side) of the optical path of the laser light connecting the first mirror 51a (as a scanner mirror) and the irradiation area R1, in addition to the second housing section H2 that houses the members. Hereinafter, this space will be referred to as the "optical path dividing section" and will be denoted by the symbol H3. The optical path dividing section H3 in this embodiment is configured as a space that is surrounded on three sides, the +Y side, the -Y side, and the -Z side, by the first plate-shaped member 18l, the second plate-shaped member 18r, and the cover glass 62.

[0227] In the illustrated example, the optical path dividing section H3 is configured as a space with an open lower end on the +Z side, but this configuration is not limited to this. The +Z side end of the optical path dividing section H3 may be covered with an optical member such as glass. The optical member covering the +Z side end of the optical path dividing section H3 may be provided alternatively to the cover glass 62, or may be used in combination with the cover glass 62.

[0228] Of the two spaces that make up the second accommodation section H2, the crystal-side accommodation section H21 accommodates the first heat sink 81 and the first ventilation fan 83. The first heat sink 81 and the first ventilation fan 83 are arranged side by side in the X direction.

[0229] Here, although this overlaps with the above explanation, the first heat sink 81 according to this embodiment is thermally coupled to at least the optical components attached to the first base plate 15 among the optical components that make up the laser light output unit 4.

[0230] 13, the first blower fan 83 is disposed on the +X side of the first heat sink 81. The first blower fan 83 is configured as a so-called axial fan, and generates an airflow that passes through the first heat sink 81 in accordance with a control signal received from the marker controller 100. The first blower fan 83 may be disposed on the -X side of the first heat sink 81. In this embodiment, power and signals for driving the first blower fan are supplied via an electric cable 200 whose connection portion is covered by a connection cover 14 provided on the +X side. Therefore, if the first blower fan 83 is configured to be disposed on the +X side of the first heat sink 81, the space required for wiring is reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the marker head 1.

[0231] As indicated by arrow A11 in Fig. 13, the airflow generated by the first blower fan 83 flows into the crystal-side accommodation section H21 through the ventilation opening 12 provided on the front surface 10f of the housing 10. The airflow thus flows along the X direction from the -X side to the +X side, passing through the first heat sink 81 and the first blower fan 83. The airflow that has passed through the first blower fan 83 flows out from an exhaust opening provided on the rear surface 10b of the housing 10, as indicated by arrow A12 in Fig. 13.

[0232] Here, a first rectifying plate 85 that aligns the flow direction of the airflow is attached to the rear surface 10b of the housing 10 (see also FIG. 6). As shown by arrow A13 in FIG. 13, this first rectifying plate 85 guides the flow direction of the airflow flowing out from the rear surface 10b to the opposite side (-Z side) of the direction from the housing 10 toward the workpiece W. This suppresses collision between the exhaust air and the workpiece W, which is advantageous in stabilizing the posture of the workpiece W.

[0233] The light source side housing portion H22 houses the second heat sink 82 and the second ventilation fan 84. The second heat sink 82 and the second ventilation fan 84 are arranged side by side in the X direction.

[0234] The second heat sink 82 according to this embodiment is thermally coupled to at least the excitation light source 21 attached to the third base plate 17 among the optical components housed in the substrate housing portion H13.

[0235] 12, the second blower fan 84 is disposed on the +X side of the second heat sink 82. The second blower fan 84 is configured as an axial fan like the first blower fan 83, and generates an airflow that passes through the second heat sink 82 in accordance with a control signal received from the marker controller 100. The second blower fan 84 may be disposed on the -X side of the second heat sink 82. In this embodiment, power and signals for driving the first blower fan are supplied via an electric cable 200 whose connection portion is covered by a connection cover 14 provided on the +X side. Therefore, if the first blower fan 83 is configured to be disposed on the +X side of the second heat sink 82, the space required for wiring is reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the marker head 1.

[0236] As indicated by arrow Ar1 in Fig. 12, the airflow generated by the second blower fan 84 flows into the light-source-side accommodating section H22 through the ventilation opening 12 provided in the front surface 10f of the housing 10. The airflow thus flows along the X direction from the -X side to the +X side, passing through the second heat sink 82 and the second blower fan 84. As indicated by arrow Ar2 in Fig. 12, the airflow that has passed through the second blower fan 84 flows out from an exhaust opening provided in the rear surface 10b of the housing 10.

[0237] Here, a second rectifying plate 86 that aligns the flow direction of the airflow is attached to the rear surface 10b of the housing 10 (see also FIG. 6). As shown by arrow Ar3 in FIG. 12, this second rectifying plate 86 changes the flow direction of the airflow flowing out from the rear surface 10b to the opposite side (-Z side) of the direction from the housing 10 toward the workpiece W. This suppresses collision between the exhaust air and the workpiece W, which is advantageous in stabilizing the posture of the workpiece W.

[0238] Below, the configuration of the excitation light generating unit 2, excitation light guiding unit 3, laser light output unit 4, laser light scanning unit 5, etc., which are provided in the first storage unit H1 and the second storage unit H2, will be described in detail, including their relative positional relationships within the housing 10.

[0239] (Excitation light generation unit 2) The excitation light generating unit 2 includes an excitation light source 21 that generates laser excitation light (excitation light) based on power (driving current) supplied from a power supply unit 104, a metal plate 22 that supports the excitation light source 21, a temperature control unit 23 that adjusts the temperature of the excitation light source 21, and a light source control board 24 that supports the excitation light source 21 based on a control signal input from the marker controller 100.

[0240] The excitation light source 21, metal plate 22, temperature adjustment unit 23, and light source control board 24 that constitute the excitation light generation unit 2 are all housed in the board housing section H13. As a result, the excitation light generation unit 2, particularly the excitation light source 21, is disposed on the opposite side of the mirror housing section H11 from the laser light output unit 4. This allows the excitation light generation unit 2 and the laser light output unit 4 to be separated as far as possible.

[0241] -Metal Plate 22- The metal plate 22 is made of metal and is configured as a thin plate-like member. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, when the third base plate 17 is divided into three parts in the X direction: a +X side part, a central part, and a -X side part, the metal plate 22 is placed on the -X side part. The metal plate 22 is fastened to the upper surface of the third base plate 17 (more specifically, to the upper surface of the horizontal side part 17b of the third base plate 17), and is thermally coupled to the second heat sink 82 via the third base plate 17.

[0242] An excitation light source 21 is placed on the upper surface of the metal plate 22 , while a plate-shaped temperature control unit 23 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the metal plate 22 and the third base plate 17 .

[0243] -Excitation Light Source 21- The excitation light source 21 is configured to receive power from the power supply unit 104 via the electric cable 200 and to generate excitation light in accordance with the power. The output of the excitation light generated by the excitation light source 21 increases as the driving current increases.

[0244] The excitation light source 21 according to this embodiment is composed of a laser diode (LD). Laser light emitted from the excitation light source 21 is focused by a focusing lens (not shown) or the like and output as laser excitation light (excitation light). The excitation light source 21 is optically coupled to a fiber cable 31 that constitutes the excitation light guide 3. The laser excitation light output from the excitation light source 21 is guided to the excitation light guide 3 via the fiber cable 31.

[0245] 11 and 12, the excitation light source 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular thin plate, and is fixed to the upper surface of the metal plate 22 with its thickness direction aligned along the Z direction. Like the metal plate 22, the excitation light source 21 is arranged on the −X side when the third base plate 17 is divided into thirds in the X direction. By arranging it in this manner, the excitation light source 21 according to this embodiment is arranged at the upstream end (−X side end remote from the second blower fan 84) of the airflow generated by the second blower fan 84, compared to the downstream end (+X side end adjacent to the second blower fan 84) of the airflow.

[0246] One side of the excitation light source 21 faces obliquely toward the +X side and the +Y side, and the upstream end of the fiber cable 31 is connected to the obliquely facing side.

[0247] -Temperature control section 23- The temperature adjustment unit 23 is configured to adjust the temperature of the excitation light source 21 so that it falls within a predetermined temperature range. Here, the temperature range (the predetermined temperature range) realized by the temperature adjustment unit 23 is set based on the guaranteed environment of the marker head 1, and is preferably set to be higher than the guaranteed environment of the marker head 1, and more preferably set to be 40°C or higher and 60°C or lower.

[0248] Specifically, the temperature adjustment unit 23 according to this embodiment is configured by a substantially thin-plate-shaped Peltier element, and is sandwiched between the upper surface of the third base plate 17 (more specifically, the upper surface of the horizontal side portion 17b) and the lower surface of the metal plate 22. The temperature adjustment unit 23 dissipates heat from the metal plate 22. A harness (not shown) for supplying current to the temperature adjustment unit 23 is connected to the side of the temperature adjustment unit 23. When current is supplied via the harness, the temperature adjustment unit 23 absorbs heat on the surface facing the metal plate 22 and generates heat on the surface facing the third base plate 17.

[0249] -Light source control board 24- The light source control board 24 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and controls the power supplied from the power supply unit 104 to the excitation light source 21 .

[0250] The light source control board 24 according to this embodiment is configured as a circuit board in the shape of a substantially rectangular thin plate. The light source control board 24 is disposed with both its front and back surfaces aligned along the ZX direction, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side (fastening structure not shown).

[0251] As shown in FIG. 12, the light source control board 24 is also disposed on the −Z side of the excitation light source 21 in the Z direction, and is electrically connected to the excitation light source 21 by wiring (not shown).

[0252] (Excitation light guide section 3) The excitation light guide unit 3 as a light guide optical system has a fiber cable 31 that optically couples the excitation light source 21 with the solid-state laser crystal 41 in the laser light output unit 4, and a fiber guide 32 configured to wind the fiber cable 31 with a predetermined bending radius. Both the fiber cable 31 and the fiber guide 32 are housed in a substrate housing portion H13 inside the housing 10.

[0253] -Fiber Cable 31- The fiber cable 31 is made up of a so-called optical fiber, one end of which (one end as viewed in the direction of light propagation) is connected to the excitation light source 21, while the other end (the end located opposite the one end in the direction of light propagation) is connected to the first entrance window 91.

[0254] The other end of fiber cable 31 is optically coupled to solid-state laser crystal 41 via first entrance window 91 and first deflection mirror 42, which will be described later. At least a portion of the midway portion connecting one end and the other end of fiber cable 31 is wound around fiber guide 32.

[0255] The fiber cable 31 can guide the pumping light generated in the pumping light source 21 to the solid-state laser crystal 41 .

[0256] -Fiber Guide 32- The fiber guide 32 is configured to wind the fiber cable 31 with a predetermined bending radius. The bending radius of the fiber guide 32 is set to be equal to or greater than the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable 31.

[0257] Specifically, the fiber guide 32 according to this embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical reel shape around which the fiber cable 31 can be wound multiple times. The fiber guide 32 is disposed with the central axis of the cylindrical shape aligned along the Y direction, and is attached to the vertical side portion 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side.

[0258] 12, the fiber guide 32 is disposed in the range from the front end of the light source control board 24 to the rear end of the second control board 54 in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 11, the fiber guide 32 is disposed on the +Y side of the light source control board 24 and the second control board 54 and on the −Y side of the right wall portion of the first casing 50 in the Y direction.

[0259] (Laser light output unit 4) The laser light output unit 4 has the first deflection mirror 42 that bends the optical path of the excitation light, the solid-state laser crystal 41 that generates a fundamental wave based on the excitation light, a Q switch 43 that pulses the fundamental wave based on a control signal input from the marker controller 100, and a first reflecting mirror 44 for reflecting the fundamental wave. These optical components are airtightly housed in a Q switch housing section H121 that is obtained by dividing the crystal housing section H12 in half. Of these optical components, at least the solid-state laser crystal 41 can also be housed in the wavelength conversion section H122.

[0260] The laser light output unit 4 also has a nonlinear optical crystal 45 that receives the laser light (fundamental wave) generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 and wavelength-converts the laser light to a shorter wavelength, a second reflecting mirror 46 that forms a resonant light path together with the first reflecting mirror 44, a laser light separating unit 47 that separates the laser light wavelength-converted to a shorter wavelength from the resonant light path, and a second deflection mirror 48 that bends the light path of the laser light separated by the laser light separating unit 47. These optical components are housed airtight in a wavelength converting unit H122 that is formed when the crystal housing unit H12 is divided in half.

[0261] In particular, the laser light output unit 4 according to this embodiment is configured as a so-called intracavity laser oscillator. That is, on the way from the first reflecting mirror 44 to the second reflecting mirror 46, the Q switch 43, the first deflection mirror 42, the solid-state laser crystal 41, a first separator 47a constituting the laser light separating unit 47, a second wavelength conversion element 45b as a nonlinear optical crystal 45, and a first wavelength conversion element 45a also as a nonlinear optical crystal 45 are arranged in this order. In other words, the first reflecting mirror 44, the second reflecting mirror 46, and each member between the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46 constitute a resonance unit, and the first wavelength conversion element 45a and the second wavelength conversion element 45b are arranged inside the resonance unit. In this embodiment, the laser light output unit 4 is configured as an intra-cavity laser oscillator, but it may also be an extra-cavity laser oscillator in which the nonlinear optical crystal 45 is not located between the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46.

[0262] Here, the first deflection mirror 42 is positioned so as to merge the optical axis of the excitation light guided by the excitation light guide section 3 and passing through the first entrance window 91 (the optical axis extending along the Y direction as indicated by symbol A1 in Figure 11) with the optical axis of the resonant light path (the optical axis extending along the X direction as indicated by symbol A2 in Figures 11 and 12).

[0263] Furthermore, the first separator 47a is arranged to separate laser light containing, for example, the third harmonic wave from the resonant optical path connecting the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46. That is, the laser light output unit 4 amplifies laser light made up of photons emitted by stimulated emission from the solid-state laser crystal 41 by multiple reflection between the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46, while converting the wavelength of the laser light to a shorter wavelength. The amplified laser light is separated by the laser light separating unit 47 and output from the laser light output unit 4.

[0264] The laser light output unit 4 also has a Q-switch driver 49 that drives the Q-switch 43 as a component disposed outside the crystal accommodation unit H12. As shown in Fig. 13, the Q-switch driver 49 is attached to the +X side portion when the top surface 10u is divided into two in the X direction. The Q-switch driver 49 is also disposed on the +Y side of the vertical side portion 15a of the first base plate 15.

[0265] The Q switch driver 49 may be attached to the left side surface 10l, rear surface 10b, etc. of the housing 10. The Q switch driver 49 can be attached to a plate-like member that forms the outer surface of the housing 10.

[0266] -First reflecting mirror 44- The first reflecting mirror 44 is accommodated in the Q switch accommodating section H121 and is configured to reflect at least the fundamental wave. The first reflecting mirror 44 constitutes a resonator together with the second reflecting mirror 46. Note that the first reflecting mirror 44 according to this embodiment is configured as a total reflecting mirror that reflects the fundamental wave.

[0267] The first reflecting mirror 44 according to this embodiment is attached to a partition surface 15g that defines the crystal housing portion H12, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15.

[0268] -Second reflecting mirror 46- The second reflecting mirror 46 is housed in the wavelength converting unit H122 and is configured to reflect at least the fundamental wave. The second reflecting mirror 46 forms a resonator together with the first reflecting mirror 44. Note that the second reflecting mirror 46 according to this embodiment is configured as a total reflecting mirror that reflects not only the fundamental wave but also a second harmonic having a wavelength higher than that of the fundamental wave and a third harmonic having an even higher wavelength than that of the second harmonic.

[0269] Furthermore, the second reflecting mirror 46 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. In this way, in order to configure a highly accurate resonant optical path, it is preferable that the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46, which are both ends of the resonant optical path, are positioned by the same first base plate 15.

[0270] -Q Switch 43- The Q switch 43 is housed in the Q switch housing portion H121, and is configured to pulse oscillate the fundamental wave generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41. Specifically, the Q switch 43 is disposed so as to be located on the optical axis of the resonance optical path (optical path of the resonator), and is interposed between the solid-state laser crystal 41 and the first reflecting mirror 44.

[0271] The Q switch 43 according to this embodiment is a so-called active Q switch that operates based on an RF signal applied from a Q switch driver 49. That is, if the Q switch 43 is turned on, the laser light incident on the Q switch 43 is deflected and separated from the resonant optical path. In this case, the multiple reflection of the laser light is restricted, and as a result, the generation of a population inversion in the solid-state laser crystal 41 is promoted.

[0272] When the Q switch 43 is turned on for a predetermined period and then turned off, the laser light undergoes multiple reflections without being separated by the Q switch 43, and is amplified by the multiple reflections. In this case, high-power laser light is pulsed.

[0273] The Q switch 43 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15.

[0274] -Q Switch Driver 49- The Q switch driver 49 is housed inside the housing 10 and outside the crystal housing portion H12, and generates an RF signal to be applied to the Q switch 43 based on a control signal input from the marker controller 100.

[0275] The Q-switch driver 49 is attached to the top surface 10u via a metal support plate, and is thermally coupled to the housing 10 via the support plate and the top surface 10u.

[0276] -First deflection mirror 42- The first deflection mirror 42 is housed in the Q switch housing H121 and is disposed between the Q switch 43 and the solid-state laser crystal 41 in the X direction. The first deflection mirror 42 according to this embodiment is configured by a so-called beam splitter. The first deflection mirror 42 totally reflects the excitation light incident from the first entrance window 91 toward the +Y side so that the light propagates along the X direction. On the other hand, the first deflection mirror 42 transmits the fundamental wave propagating along the X direction without reflecting it. The fundamental wave that transmits through the first deflection mirror 42 reaches the first reflecting mirror 44 via the Q switch 43.

[0277] Furthermore, the first deflection mirror 42 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflection mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15.

[0278] -Solid State Laser Crystal 41- The solid-state laser crystal 41 is housed in the Q-switch housing H121 and is made of a laser medium capable of forming a population inversion. The solid-state laser crystal 41 is configured to perform stimulated emission corresponding to the incident laser excitation light when the laser excitation light is incident on its end face. The wavelength of the photons emitted by stimulated emission (so-called fundamental wavelength) varies depending on the specific configuration of the solid-state laser crystal 41, but in this embodiment it is in the infrared region of around 1 μm.

[0279] In this embodiment, rod-shaped Nd:YVO4 (yttrium vanadate) is used as the laser medium constituting the solid-state laser crystal 41. Laser excitation light is incident on one end face of the rod-shaped solid-state laser crystal 41, and laser light having a fundamental wavelength (so-called fundamental wave) is emitted from the other end face (so-called one-directional excitation method using end pumping). In this example, the fundamental wavelength is set to 1064 nm. Meanwhile, the wavelength of the laser excitation light is set near the center wavelength of the absorption spectrum of Nd:YVO4 to promote stimulated emission. However, this example is not limiting, and other laser media such as rare-earth doped YAG, YLF, and GdVO4 can also be used. Various solid-state laser media can be used depending on the application of the laser processing device L.

[0280] Moreover, the solid-state laser crystal 41 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15.

[0281] -Nonlinear Optical Crystals 45- The nonlinear optical crystal 45 is configured by combining a first wavelength conversion element 45a that receives the fundamental wave generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 and generates a second harmonic wave having a wavelength higher than that of the fundamental wave, and a second wavelength conversion element 45b that generates a third harmonic wave having a wavelength higher than that of the second harmonic. Both the first wavelength conversion element 45a and the second wavelength conversion element 45b are housed in the wavelength conversion unit H122.

[0282] The first wavelength conversion element 45a is a nonlinear optical crystal capable of generating a second harmonic wave, and is configured to double the frequency of the fundamental wave when the fundamental wave is incident and emit the second harmonic wave (Second Harmonic Generation: SHG). That is, the wavelength of the laser light generated when the fundamental wave is incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a is in the visible light range of around 500 nm. In particular, in this embodiment, the wavelength of the second harmonic wave is set to 532 nm.

[0283] Generally, the conversion efficiency of the first wavelength conversion element 45a is less than 100%. Therefore, when a fundamental wave is incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a, a laser beam containing a mixture of the fundamental wave and the second harmonic wave is emitted.

[0284] In this embodiment, LBO (LiB3O3) is used as the first wavelength conversion element 45a. However, the first wavelength conversion element 45a is not limited to this example, and various organic nonlinear optical materials, inorganic nonlinear optical materials, etc. can be used as the first wavelength conversion element 45a.

[0285] The second wavelength conversion element 45b is a nonlinear optical crystal capable of generating a third harmonic, and is configured to convert a fundamental wave and a second harmonic wave incident thereon (particularly when the propagation directions of the fundamental wave and the second harmonic wave are the same) into a third harmonic wave having a frequency three times that of the fundamental wave and emit the third harmonic wave (Third Harmonic Generation: THG). That is, the wavelength of the laser light generated when the fundamental wave and the second harmonic wave are incident on the second wavelength conversion element 45b is in the ultraviolet region around 350 nm (specifically, near the boundary between the visible light region and the ultraviolet region). In particular, in this embodiment, the wavelength of the third harmonic wave is set to 355 nm.

[0286] Generally, the conversion efficiency of the second wavelength conversion element 45b is less than 100%. Therefore, when the fundamental wave and the second harmonic are incident on the first wavelength conversion element 45a, a laser beam containing a mixture of the fundamental wave, the second harmonic, and the third harmonic is emitted.

[0287] In this embodiment, LBO (LiB3O3) is used as the second wavelength conversion element 45b. However, the second wavelength conversion element 45b is not limited to this example, and various organic nonlinear optical materials, inorganic nonlinear optical materials, etc. can be used as the second wavelength conversion element 45b.

[0288] Furthermore, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15 g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44 and the like, and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15 .

[0289] -Laser beam separation unit 47- The laser beam separating unit 47 is housed in the wavelength converting unit H122, and is configured to separate the third harmonic from the resonant optical path of the laser beam to generate UV laser beam for laser processing.

[0290] The laser beam separating unit 47 is composed of a plurality of optical components. Specifically, the laser beam separating unit 47 according to this embodiment has a first separator 47a for extracting the second harmonic and the third harmonic from the laser beam, a concave lens 47b for adjusting the beam diameter of the laser beam consisting of the second harmonic and the third harmonic, and a second separator 47c for extracting the third harmonic from the laser beam.

[0291] The first separator 47a is a so-called beam splitter that is configured to transmit the fundamental wave while reflecting the second and third harmonic waves. The first separator 47a is disposed so as to intersect with the optical axis of the resonant optical path connecting the first reflecting mirror 44 and the second reflecting mirror 46, and is tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis. The laser light reflected by the first separator 47a propagates toward the -Z side.

[0292] The concave lens 47b is configured to transmit the laser light reflected by the first separator 47a, i.e., the laser light separated from the resonant optical path, thereby expanding the beam diameter of the transmitted laser light. In this embodiment, the concave lens 47b is interposed between the first separator 47a and the second separator 47c, but is not limited to such an arrangement.

[0293] The second separator 47c is a beam splitter similar to the first separator 47a, and is configured to transmit the second harmonic wave while reflecting the third harmonic wave. The second separator 47c is disposed so as to intersect with the optical axis of the laser light that has passed through the concave lens 47b, and is tilted at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis. The laser light reflected by the second separator 47c propagates toward the -X side.

[0294] In addition, each optical component constituting the laser light separating section 47 is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44, etc., and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15 (see also Figure 10).

[0295] In this way, in order to generate laser light with a highly accurate optical path, it is preferable that the first reflecting mirror 44, the second reflecting mirror 46, the Q switch 43, the first deflection mirror 42, the solid-state laser crystal 41, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 and the laser light separating unit 47 are all positioned by the same first base plate 15.

[0296] -Second deflection mirror 48- The second deflection mirror 48 is housed in the wavelength conversion unit H122 and is disposed closer to the -X side than the other optical members housed in the crystal housing unit H12. The second deflection mirror 48 according to this embodiment is configured by a so-called beam splitter. The second deflection mirror 48 reflects the laser light that passes through the second separator 47c and propagates toward the -X side. The laser light reflected by the second deflection mirror 48 is deflected so as to propagate toward the -Y side.

[0297] Furthermore, the second deflection mirror 48 according to this embodiment is attached to the partition surface 15g in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44, etc., and is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 81 via the first base plate 15. In this way, in order to improve the accuracy of the position at which the generated laser light is output, it is preferable that the second deflection mirror 48, which emits the laser light to the outside from the laser light output unit 4, be positioned by the first base plate 15 in the same manner as the first reflecting mirror 44, etc.

[0298] Finally, the laser light deflected by the second deflection mirror 48 passes through the second entrance window 92 and enters the first casing 50 from the laser light output unit 4. As shown in FIG. 11 , the laser light that has entered the first casing 50 propagates toward the -Y side and reaches the third deflection mirror 56 of the laser light scanning unit 5.

[0299] (Laser light scanning unit 5) The laser light scanning unit 5 has, in addition to the first scanner 51, second scanner 52, first control board 53 and second control board 54 described above, an intermediate deflection unit 55, a third deflection mirror 56, a defocus lens 57 as an optical element, and a first casing 50 that houses at least the first mirror 51a of the first scanner 51 and the second mirror 52a of the second scanner 52.

[0300] These components will be described below in the order in which the laser light reaches them during laser oscillation.

[0301] -Third deflection mirror 56- 11, the third deflection mirror 56 is housed in the first casing 50 and is arranged alongside the second deflection mirror 48 and the second entrance window 92 in the Y direction, and is located on the -Y side of these components. The third deflection mirror 56 is arranged between the second entrance window 92 and the light source control board 24 in the Y direction (in other words, on the -Y side of the second entrance window 92 and on the +Y side of the light source control board 24).

[0302] The third deflection mirror 56 is configured, for example, by a total reflection mirror, and receives the laser light that enters the first casing 50 and propagates toward the -Y side, and reflects it toward the +X side. The laser light reflected by the third deflection mirror 56 reaches the second mirror 52a of the second scanner 52. Note that the third deflection mirror 56 may be configured by a mirror that transmits part of the laser light instead of a total reflection mirror. In that case, the output of the laser light entering the first casing 50 from the laser light output unit 4 may be detected using the partially transmitted laser light.

[0303] -Second Scanner 52- 14, 15, and 16, the second scanner 52 has a second mirror 52a for scanning the laser light in a predetermined second direction and a second motor 52b for rotatably supporting the second mirror 52a. Of these, the second mirror 52a is housed in the mirror housing section H11, and most of the second motor 52b is housed in the substrate housing section H13.

[0304] The second mirror 52a is configured as a so-called galvanometer mirror. The second mirror 52a receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal 41 via the third deflection mirror 56 shown in FIG. 11 and the like. The second mirror 52a deflects the received laser light by reflecting it toward the +Z side. As the second mirror 52a rotates, the irradiation position of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the second direction.

[0305] Here, the second direction, which is the deflection direction by the second mirror 52a, is a direction perpendicular to both the first direction, which is the deflection direction by the first mirror 51a of the first scanner 51, and the -Z direction as the irradiation direction, and in this embodiment is set to coincide with the X direction.

[0306] Specifically, the second mirror 52a is a generally rectangular, plate-shaped total reflection mirror that is supported on the tip of the rotation shaft of the second motor 52b and is housed within the mirror housing H11. The second mirror 52a rotates integrally with the shaft of the second motor 52b and is configured to be rotated by the second motor 52b about a predetermined second rotation axis Ac2. The amount of deflection by the second mirror 52a, and therefore the irradiation position of the laser light in the second direction, is determined based on the rotation angle of the second mirror 52a about the second rotation axis Ac2.

[0307] Here, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the second rotation axis Ac2, which is the rotation center of the second mirror 52a, extends perpendicular to both the first rotation axis Ac1, which is the rotation center of the first mirror 51a, and the Z direction as the irradiation direction, and in this embodiment is set to extend along the Y direction.

[0308] The second mirror 52a is also arranged alongside the third deflection mirror 56 in the X direction, and is located on the +X side of the third deflection mirror 56. The second mirror 52a is further located on the −Y side of the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 in the Y direction, and on the −Z side of the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 in the Z direction.

[0309] The second motor 52b is a galvanometer motor such as a DC motor, and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with the second rotation axis Ac2 as its central axis. A tip end (+Y side end) of the second motor 52b in the direction of the second rotation axis Ac2 (Y direction) is inserted into the sixth through-hole 50c of the first casing 50. Meanwhile, the other end (-Y side end of the second motor 52b) located opposite the tip end in the direction of the second rotation axis Ac2 protrudes from the sixth through-hole 50c and is exposed inside the substrate accommodating portion H13.

[0310] The second scanner 52 reflects the laser light via the second mirror 52a. The laser light reflected by the second mirror 52a passes through the intermediate deflection unit 55, the first mirror 51a, and the defocus lens 57 and is emitted from the exit window 6. At this time, the second scanner 52 adjusts the reflection angle of the laser light using the second motor 52b, thereby scanning the laser light in the second direction (X direction) within the irradiation area R1.

[0311] -Intermediate deflection section 55- 14, 15, and 16, the intermediate deflection unit 55 has an intermediate mirror 55a that relays the laser light between the second mirror 52a and the first mirror 51a, and a base 55b that supports the intermediate mirror 55a. Both the intermediate mirror 55a and the base 55b are housed in the mirror housing H11.

[0312] The intermediate mirror 55a is configured by, for example, a total reflection mirror, and receives the laser light reflected by the second mirror 52a and reflects the laser light toward the first mirror 51a.

[0313] The intermediate mirror 55a is also arranged to be aligned with the second mirror 52a in the Z direction, and is located on the +Z side of the second mirror 52a. The intermediate mirror 55a is also arranged to be aligned with the first mirror 51a in the Y direction, and is located on the -Y side of the first mirror 51a.

[0314] The intermediate mirror 55a receives the laser light reflected by the second mirror 52a and propagating toward the +Z side, and reflects it toward the +Y side. The laser light reflected by the intermediate mirror 55a reaches the first mirror 51a of the first scanner 51.

[0315] Pedestal portion 55b is disposed at the bottom of first casing 50 and supports intermediate mirror 55a from the +Z side. Pedestal portion 55b according to this embodiment supports intermediate mirror 55a so that the mirror surface faces both the +Y side and the -Z side.

[0316] -1st Scanner 51- 14, 15, and 16, the first scanner 51 has a first mirror 51a for scanning the laser light in a predetermined first direction, and a first motor 51b for rotatably supporting the first mirror 51a. Of these, the first mirror 51a is housed in the mirror housing section H11, and most of the first motor 51b is housed in the substrate housing section H13.

[0317] The first mirror 51a is configured as a so-called galvanometer mirror. The first mirror 51a receives the laser light reflected by the intermediate mirror 55a. The first mirror 51a reflects the received laser light toward the +Z side, thereby deflecting the laser light. As the first mirror 51a rotates, the irradiation position of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is scanned in the first direction.

[0318] Here, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the first direction, which is the deflection direction by the first mirror 51a, is a direction perpendicular to both the second direction described above and the Z direction, which is the irradiation direction, and in this embodiment is set to coincide with the Y direction.

[0319] The first and second directions are not limited to those set in this embodiment. The first direction may coincide with the X direction and the second direction may coincide with the Y direction, or the first and second directions may be inclined relative to the X and Y directions, respectively.

[0320] Specifically, the first mirror 51a is a generally rectangular, plate-shaped total reflection mirror that is supported on the tip of the rotation shaft of the first motor 51b and housed within the mirror housing H11. The first mirror 51a rotates integrally with the shaft of the first motor 51b and is configured to be rotated by the first motor 51b about a predetermined first rotation axis Ac1. The amount of deflection by the first mirror 51a, and therefore the irradiation position of the laser light in the first direction, is determined based on the rotation angle of the first mirror 51a about the second rotation axis Ac2.

[0321] Here, the first rotation axis Ac1, which is the rotation center of the first mirror 51a, extends perpendicular to both the second rotation axis Ac2, which is the rotation center of the second mirror 52a, and the -Z direction as the irradiation direction, and in this embodiment is set to extend along the X direction.

[0322] By setting them in this way, the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 both extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction (XY direction). Note that it is not essential to configure the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 to be perpendicular to the irradiation direction, and they may be tilted at an angle of, for example, 20 degrees or less with respect to the XY direction.

[0323] In addition, in this embodiment, the first rotation axis Ac1 is offset toward the +Z side with respect to the second rotation axis Ac2, but depending on the configuration of the intermediate mirror 55a, the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 can also be arranged on the same plane.

[0324] The first mirror 51a is also arranged to be aligned with the intermediate mirror 55a in the Y direction and is located on the +Y side of the intermediate mirror 55a. The first mirror 51a is further arranged to be aligned with the cover glass 62 and the defocus lens 57 in the Z direction and is located on the -Z side of the defocus lens 57. As a result of this configuration, the first mirror 51a according to this embodiment is arranged to face the workpiece W and, by extension, the irradiation area R1 across the exit window 6. The first mirror 51a is located directly above the exit window 6, and no other reflecting mirrors are interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6. For ease of explanation, the first mirror 51a is defined in this embodiment as not having a reflecting mirror interposed between it and the exit window 6, but this does not exclude the possibility of some kind of reflecting mirror being interposed therebetween. When a reflecting mirror is interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6, the mirror that scans the irradiation position in the irradiation area R1 just before reaching the irradiation area R1 is regarded as the first mirror 51a. Note that, because the area through which the laser light passes between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6 is expanded due to the rotation of the second mirror 52a and the rotation of the first mirror 51a, the interposed reflecting mirror has a size sufficient to cover the area through which the laser light passes. Therefore, in order to miniaturize the marker head 1, it is preferable that no reflecting mirror is interposed between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6.

[0325] The first motor 51b is a galvano motor formed by a DC motor or the like, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the first rotation axis Ac1 as its central axis. A tip end (-X side end) of the first motor 51b in the direction of the first rotation axis Ac1 (X direction) is inserted into a seventh through-hole 50d in the first casing 50. Meanwhile, the other end (+Y side end of the first motor 51b) located opposite the tip end in the direction of the first rotation axis Ac1 protrudes from the seventh through-hole 50d and is exposed inside the substrate accommodating portion H13.

[0326] The first scanner 51 reflects the laser light via a first mirror 51a. The laser light reflected by the first mirror 51a passes through a defocus lens 57 and exits from the exit window 6. At this time, the first scanner 51 adjusts the reflection angle of the laser light using a first motor 51b, thereby scanning the laser light in the first direction (Y direction) within the irradiation area R1.

[0327] -Defocus Lens 57- The defocus lens 57 is configured to transmit the laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a and diffuse the laser light in an outward direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction. In this embodiment, when the irradiation direction is the Z direction, the outward diffusion direction is along the XY plane.

[0328] Specifically, the defocus lens 57 can be configured, for example, by a single biconcave lens. In this case, the defocus lens 57 is fitted into the fifth through-hole 50b with its central axis aligned along the Z direction.

[0329] The defocusing lens 57 is also disposed on a straight line connecting the first mirror 51a and the center of the cover glass 62 at the exit window 6. The defocusing lens 57 is disposed between the first mirror 51a and the cover glass 62 in the Z direction (in other words, on the +Z side of the first mirror 51a and the -Z side of the cover glass 62).

[0330] The defocusing lens 57 is further disposed so that the optical axis of the defocusing lens 57 is coaxial with the optical axis of the cover glass 62. Hereinafter, the optical axes of the defocusing lens 57 and the cover glass 62 will be collectively referred to as the "laser emission axis," which will be denoted by the symbol Al (see also FIG. 4). This laser emission axis Al extends along the Z direction and is offset toward the +Y side with respect to the second mirror 52a and the intermediate mirror 55a, while intersecting with the mirror surface of the first mirror 51a.

[0331] The configuration of the defocus lens 57 as an optical element is not limited to one using a single biconcave lens. The optical element may be configured using multiple lenses, or may be configured using lenses other than a biconcave lens. Furthermore, the laser light scanning unit 5 may be configured without using the defocus lens 57.

[0332] -Second control board 54- The second control board 54 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and the second scanner 52, and is configured to control the second scanner 52. More specifically, the second control board 54 can control the rotation angle of the second mirror 52a by driving the second motor 52b in accordance with a control signal input from the marker controller 100.

[0333] The second control board 54 according to this embodiment is configured as a substantially rectangular thin-plate circuit board. The second control board 54 is accommodated in the board accommodation section H13 with both its front and back surfaces aligned along the Z and X directions, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side.

[0334] 12, the second control board 54 is disposed on the +X side of the light source control board 24 in the X direction, and on the −Y side of the first casing 50 and the light source control board 24 in the Y direction. The second control board 54 is also electrically connected to the second motor 52b by wiring (not shown).

[0335] -First control board 53- The first control board 53 is electrically connected to the marker controller 100 and the first scanner 51, and is configured to control the first scanner 51. More specifically, the first control board 53 can control the rotation angle of the first mirror 51a by driving the first motor 51b in accordance with a control signal input from the marker controller 100.

[0336] The first control board 53 according to this embodiment is a substantially rectangular thin-plate circuit board. The first control board 53 is accommodated in the board accommodation section H13 with both its front and back surfaces aligned along the Z and X directions, and is fastened to, for example, the vertical side 17a of the third base plate 17 from the -Y side.

[0337] 12, first control board 53 is disposed alongside second control board 54 in the X direction, and is located on the +X side of light source control board 24 and second control board 54. First control board 53 is also electrically connected to first motor 51b by wiring (not shown).

[0338] <Main operations and processes of the laser processing device S> 19 is a flowchart illustrating a basic control process of the laser processing device L. Below, the main operations and main processes of the laser processing device L will be described with reference to FIG.

[0339] First, in step S1 of Fig. 19, input of a processing pattern Pp to be printed on the setting plane R2 displayed on the display unit 303 is accepted. This input is accepted by the accepting unit 103 and read by the control unit 103. The control unit 103 generates printing data based on the input processing pattern Pp. This printing data includes the trajectory of the laser light on the workpiece W (so-called scanning line), etc., which is set in correspondence with the processing pattern Pp.

[0340] In the following step S2, the control unit 103 sets a voltage (supply voltage) to be supplied to the excitation light source 21. Details of this setting will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0341] In the next step S3, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the light source control board 24 or the like, thereby supplying power to the excitation light source 21. As a result, excitation light is generated in the excitation light generation unit 2, and the excitation light is input to the laser light output unit 4.

[0342] In the next step S4, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the Q switch driver 49 etc., thereby controlling the on / off of the Q switch 43 and pulsating the UV laser light. This laser light is output from the laser light output unit 4 and input to the laser light scanning unit 5.

[0343] In the following step S5, the control unit 103 inputs control signals to the first control board 53 and the second control board 54, etc., thereby performing two-dimensional scanning with the UV laser light. Here, two-dimensional scanning means moving the irradiation position of the laser light in two-dimensional directions, that is, in this embodiment, in directions along the XY plane. Note that the shape of the workpiece W irradiated with the laser light is not limited to a two-dimensional shape along the XY plane, but may also be a three-dimensional shape with different positions in the Z direction (a shape in which the height in the Z direction changes).

[0344] At this time, in the laser light scanning unit 5, the UV laser light deflected by the second mirror 52a is reflected by the intermediate mirror 55a and then deflected again by the first mirror 51a. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 18, the UV laser light deflected by the first mirror 51a passes through the defocus lens 57 and the cover glass 62 in sequence, and then passes through the aforementioned optical path dividing section H3, and is then emitted outside the housing 10. The UV laser light emitted outside the housing 10 is irradiated onto an irradiation area R1 set on the workpiece W. The UV laser light irradiated onto the workpiece W is two-dimensionally scanned within the irradiation area R1 so as to trace a scanning line in accordance with the print data.

[0345] <Measures to prevent heat generation in the excitation light source 21> Fig. 20 is a block diagram for explaining the circuit structure of the power supply unit 104, and Fig. 21 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control process related to the power supply unit 104. As described above, the excitation light source 21 is configured to receive power from the power supply unit 104, which serves as a power supply unit.

[0346] 20, the power supply unit 104 according to this embodiment includes a DC power supply 104a that converts externally supplied AC power into DC power and outputs the DC power, and a DC / DC converter 104b that performs DC / DC conversion on the power output from the DC power supply 104a. The power (particularly DC power) converted by the DC / DC converter 104b is input to the excitation light source 21 constituted by an LD.

[0347] Here, a relay 25 is interposed between the DC / DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21. This relay 25 opens and closes the electrical contact between the DC / DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21.

[0348] The relay 25 can be configured by, for example, a field effect transistor (FET). The relay 25 according to this embodiment is configured by this FET, and opens and closes the electrical contacts based on control signals input from the PLC 902, the control unit 103, etc. via the light source control board 24.

[0349] Conventionally, the output voltage input from the DC / DC converter 104b to the excitation light source 21 via a relay has been set to a fixed value. Variations in the forward voltage (so-called Vf) of the excitation light source 21 have been compensated for by generating heat in the relay 25. Note that variations in Vf are caused, for example, by variations in the quality of the excitation light source 21 itself, which results in different Vfs being required for a certain laser light output. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a margin in the output of the DC / DC converter 104b (in other words, to set the output voltage of the DC / DC converter 104b slightly higher) in order to ensure a minimum laser light output even in the worst case.

[0350] However, when such a conventional configuration is used, the amount of heat generated by the relay 25 tends to be large. This leads to an increase in the size of the heat-generating structure, such as a heat sink, which may cause problems when attempting to incorporate the excitation light source 21 into the marker head 1.

[0351] Therefore, the control unit 103 according to this embodiment controls the output voltage output from the power supply unit 104 as a power supply unit and input to the excitation light source 21. To this end, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 20, the control unit 103 and the DC / DC converter 104b are electrically connected, and the output (the output voltage) from the DC / DC converter 104b is adjusted based on a control signal output from the control unit 103.

[0352] Furthermore, the control unit 103 according to this embodiment detects a voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 and controls the output voltage based on the detected voltage drop. Specifically, the control unit 103 controls the output voltage so that the detected voltage drop becomes a predetermined value. To this end, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20 , a first monitor circuit 26 that monitors the voltage upstream of the relay 25 and a second monitor circuit 27 that monitors the voltage downstream of the relay 25 are provided. The control unit 103 can estimate the voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 by calculating the difference between the voltage monitored by the first monitor circuit 26 and the voltage monitored by the second monitor circuit 27.

[0353] Furthermore, the "predetermined value" that serves as a criterion for determining a voltage drop can be set to, for example, 2.5 V when 1 ampere is flowing through the excitation light source 21. The setting of the predetermined value is stored in advance in the storage unit 102, and is configured to be read by the control unit 103 as needed.

[0354] As described above, when the predetermined value is set to 2.5 V, the control unit 103 adjusts the output voltage of the DC / DC converter 104b so that the voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 becomes 2.5 V. This configuration eliminates the need to provide a margin in the output voltage of the DC / DC converter 104b, and therefore the output voltage can be suppressed, thereby suppressing heat generation in the relay 25.

[0355] 21 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control process related to the power supply unit 104. This control process can be executed, for example, in step S2 in the control process of FIG.

[0356] 21, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the relay 25 via the light source control board 24, and electrically connects the DC / DC converter 104b and the excitation light source 21. Then, the control unit 103 inputs a control signal to the power supply unit 104, and supplies the output voltage of the DC / DC converter 104b to the excitation light source 21 via the relay 25.

[0357] In the next step S102, the control unit 103 detects a voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 based on the detection signals of the first monitor circuit 26 and the second monitor circuit 27.

[0358] In the following step S103, the control unit 103 determines whether the voltage drop detected in step S102 matches the predetermined value set as described above. If this determination is NO, the control unit 103 advances the control process to step S105, adjusts the output voltage from the DC / DC converter 104, and returns to step S101. That is, the control unit 103 is configured to repeat the processes of steps S101 to S103 and step S105 until the voltage drop matches the predetermined value. Note that, in this embodiment, the control unit 103 determines whether the voltage drop occurring in the relay 25 matches the predetermined value (step S103 in FIG. 21), but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, it may also determine whether the voltage drop falls within a certain range above or below the predetermined value. In other words, the control unit 103 may control the output voltage based on the detected voltage drop.

[0359] On the other hand, if the determination in step S103 is YES, the control unit 103 advances the control process to step S104 and ends the output adjustment of the DC / DC converter 104 (output determination). In this case, the control unit 103 ends the process shown in Fig. 21 and advances the control process from step S2 to step S3 in Fig. 19. The subsequent processes are as described above.

[0360] <Indicator 11 lighting control> As described above, the first lamp 11a, second lamp 11b, and third lamp 11c that constitute the indicator 11 are lit in response to control signals input from the marker controller 100. For example, the first lamp 11a emits light when the marker head 1 is powered on. On the other hand, the second lamp 11b is lit in response to the standard requirements of the UV laser light, and the third lamp 11c is lit in response to the state of the laser processing device L, such as the irradiation state of the UV laser light and whether or not an error has occurred in the marker head 1. Details of the lighting states are as shown in Table 1.

[0361] Specifically, when the key switch is in the "OFF" state (KSW: OFF), the marker controller 100 turns off all of the first lamp 11a, the second lamp 11b, and the third lamp 11c.

[0362] When the key switch is in the "POWER ON" state (KSW: POWER ON), the marker controller 100 causes only the first lamp 11a to emit blue light and turns off both the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c.

[0363] When the key switch is in the "LASER ON" state (KSW: LASER ON), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit green light, and keeps the third lamp 11c in an off state.

[0364] When the marker head 1 is ready to emit UV laser light (ready state), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, and causes the second lamp 11b and the third lamp 11c to emit green light.

[0365] While the marker head 1 is emitting UV laser light (during laser irradiation), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit yellow light, and the third lamp 11c to emit green light.

[0366] When a warning that should be notified to the user occurs in the laser processing device L (a warning error occurs), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit green light, and the third lamp 11c to emit orange light.

[0367] When some abnormality occurs in the laser processing device L (occurrence of an abnormality error), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, the second lamp 11b to emit green light, and the third lamp 11c to emit red light.

[0368] When the laser processing device L is in an interlock state (for example, when the safety terminal block is in an off state), the marker controller 100 causes the first lamp 11a to emit blue light, turns off the second lamp 11b, and causes the third lamp 11c to emit red light.

[0369] In this way, by controlling the lighting state of the indicator 11 provided on the front surface 10f of the housing 10, the user can intuitively visually recognize the state of the laser processing device L.

[0370] [Table 1]

[0371] <Setting of the processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1> 18 is a diagram illustrating various dimensions of the marker head 1 and the support member 501. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the marker head 1 is attached to the support member 501 of the processing equipment 500 by replacing a printing device 1001 such as a TTO. The marker head 1 attached to the support member 501 irradiates UV laser light toward the workpiece W made of a sheet-like film, causing a chemical reaction in a UV reactive layer contained in the workpiece W, thereby performing printing processing on the workpiece W.

[0372] The processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1 according to this embodiment are configured to be suitable for such usage. The settings of the processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1, as well as the relative positional relationship between the processing equipment 500 and the marker head 1, will be described below.

[0373] First, the processing equipment 500 according to this embodiment has, in addition to the conveying roller 502 that is driven to convey the workpiece W, a first driven roller 504l that is arranged on the +Y side of the conveying roller 502 and around which the workpiece W is wrapped from the +Z side, and a second driven roller 504r that is arranged on the -Y side of the conveying roller 502 and around which the workpiece W is wrapped from the -Z side.

[0374] The transport roller 504 as a drive roller transports the workpiece W at a speed of 1500 mm / s or more and 2000 mm / s or less along the Y direction as the transport direction At. The workpiece W transported by the transport roller 504 moves along a movement path defined by the transport roller 502, the first driven roller 504l, and the second driven roller 504r.

[0375] Here, the path of movement of the workpiece W that corresponds to the irradiation area R1 includes a portion that has a different distance from the exit window 6. That is, as shown in Fig. 18, the movement path of the workpiece W is configured so that its height is different within the range of the irradiation area R1.

[0376] In addition, in the movement path of the workpiece W, the first driven roller 504l, which is the roller immediately above the transport roller 502 and closest to the transport roller 502 among the rollers that come into contact with the workpiece W upstream of the transport roller 502, and the second driven roller 504r, which is the roller immediately below the transport roller 502 and closest to the transport roller 502 among the rollers that come into contact with the workpiece W downstream of the transport roller 502, are both driven rollers that rotate as the workpiece W is transported. The rollers immediately above and below the transport roller 502 are not limited to driven rollers, but even when driven by a separately provided drive source, they are preferably rollers that have a large amount of slippage of the workpiece W relative to the transport roller 502. For example, if the material has a large frictional force with respect to the workpiece W, the amount of slippage is small. Furthermore, if the surface material of each roller is the same, the greater the amount of contact with the workpiece W, the smaller the amount of slippage. If the rollers immediately above and below are driven rollers or rollers with a large amount of slippage relative to the transport roller 502, there is little chance of an error in the amount of movement of the workpiece W relative to the rotation of the transport roller 502. Therefore, print quality can be improved by controlling printing based on the rotation of the transport roller W. In particular, compared to TTO, the marker head 1 of this embodiment prints on the workpiece W in a non-contact manner, so the print position is more likely to be misaligned if slippage occurs on the transport roller 502. Therefore, it is preferable to position the marker head 1 in the irradiation area R1 so that a transport roller with a small amount of slippage is located relative to the rollers immediately before and after it.

[0377] Here, the area of ​​the movement path of the workpiece W onto which UV laser light is irradiated corresponding to the irradiation area R1 is positioned so as to be farther away from the cover glass 62 as an optical element in the protruding direction of the second storage section H2 than the end of the second storage section H2 in the protruding direction.

[0378] Here, the protruding direction of the second housing portion H2 coincides with the irradiation direction of the UV laser light (i.e., the +Z direction) in this embodiment. Also, the end of the second housing portion H2 in the protruding direction corresponds to the +Z side end of the housing 10 in this embodiment.

[0379] In other words, the area in the movement path of the workpiece W that is irradiated with UV laser light is arranged on the +Z side of the +Z end of the housing 10. In other words, the area in the movement path of the workpiece W that is irradiated with UV laser light does not enter the optical path dividing section H3 (it is arranged on the +Z side of the optical path dividing section H3). This configuration makes it easy to insert the workpiece W into the movement path of the workpiece W from the front of the movement path of the workpiece W. This makes it easy to set the workpiece W on the movement path.

[0380] Also, as shown in Figure 18, the apex 502a of the conveying roller 502 on the cover glass 62 side (-Z side) is offset to the upstream side (+Y side) or downstream side (-Y side) of the conveying direction At, which is approximately aligned with the Y direction, with respect to the center line (laser emission axis Al) passing through the center of the cover glass 62 (offset to the +Y side in the illustrated example).

[0381] That is, the center line Ar, which passes through the rotation axis of the conveying roller 502 and extends in the Z direction, is offset upstream or downstream with respect to the laser emission axis Al. In other words, the laser emission axis Al, which extends in the Z direction, and the rotation axis of the conveying roller 502, which extends in the X direction, are laid out so as not to intersect with each other.

[0382] Furthermore, to put the above relationship in further terms, the laser emission axis Al is offset to the upstream side (+Y side) or downstream side (-Y side) of the conveying direction At with respect to the apex 502a (offset to the -Y side in the illustrated example). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 18 , of the workpiece W on the upstream side of the apex 502a and the workpiece W on the downstream side, the latter workpiece W has a smaller inclination with respect to the plane (XY plane) perpendicular to the laser emission axis Al. In other words, the workpiece W on the downstream side of the apex 502a is inclined more gently than the workpiece W on the upstream side. The laser emission axis Al according to this embodiment is offset to the side of the workpiece W on the upstream side or downstream side of the conveying direction At where the inclination of the workpiece W with respect to the plane perpendicular to the laser emission axis Al is smaller, like the workpiece W on the downstream side.

[0383] The size of the irradiation area R1 is set to be larger than the printable area (printing area) of the printing device 1001 before replacement, configured as a TTO. The TTO prints on the workpiece W by bringing the printing unit 1006, which extends in the short dimension of the workpiece W, into contact with the workpiece W. Therefore, even if the printing area on the workpiece W has a constant length in the long dimension of the workpiece W, as long as the printable range of the printing unit 1006 in the short dimension of the workpiece W includes the printing area on the workpiece W, it is possible to print on the entire printing area on the workpiece W by passing the workpiece W past the printing unit 1006. In contrast, the portion of the marker head 1 irradiated with laser light at a given moment has a constant area but is point-like. Therefore, if the printing area on the workpiece W has a constant length in the long dimension of the workpiece W, it is preferable that the irradiation area R1 irradiated with laser light has a constant length (dimension) in the direction corresponding to the long dimension of the workpiece W. Specifically, the dimension of the irradiation area R1 in the conveying direction At (see symbol L5 in FIG. 17A) is set to be 120 mm or more when the workpiece W is parallel to the XY plane. Note that the irradiation area R1 in this embodiment refers to an area on the surface of the workpiece W that can be irradiated with laser light by the first scanner 51 and the second scanner 52.

[0384] Furthermore, the size of the irradiation area R1 when the workpiece W is parallel to the XY plane is set so that the irradiation area R1 is covered by the bottom surface 10d of the housing 10 when placed on the XY plane. That is, when viewed in the Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane, the entire irradiation area R1 overlaps the bottom surface 10d, the dimension L5 of the irradiation area R1 in the Y direction is smaller than the dimension of the bottom surface 10d of the housing 10 in the Y direction, and the dimension L6 of the irradiation area R1 in the X direction is smaller than the dimension of the housing 10d in the X direction. With this configuration, the laser light irradiated onto the workpiece W is less likely to leak to the surroundings. In particular, when the distance from the +Z side end of the housing 10 to the workpiece W (see distance L2 in FIG. 18 ) is set to be between 0 mm and 20 mm, the leakage of the laser light is reduced. Furthermore, when the workpiece W is a sheet-like workpiece W that is transported wrapped around multiple transport rollers, the user can easily set the workpiece W on the movement path of the workpiece W by inserting the workpiece W from the front of the transport rollers. Therefore, since the front of the movement path of the workpiece W is open, the work of setting the workpiece W on the movement path is facilitated. Therefore, according to a configuration in which the entire length of the irradiation area R1 in the X direction fits within the bottom surface 10d, the front of the movement path is open, and the workability of setting the workpiece W is maintained while the leakage of laser light is reduced. Note that in a configuration in which the leakage of laser light is reduced using a member covering the front side of the workpiece W, there is a risk that the workpiece W will come into contact with the member when the workpiece W travels obliquely, and the workpiece W will be soiled. Therefore, a configuration in which the front of the workpiece W is open reduces the risk of the workpiece W being soiled.

[0385] These settings are particularly effective when printing eight characters on the workpiece W by irradiating a 3 mm x 2 mm square with UV laser light for 10 ms per character. Here, the parameters related to the UV laser light are suitable for printing thick lines with three scanning lines to achieve a line width of 0.2 to 0.35 mm (corresponding to a target line width of 100 to 150 μm per scanning line).

[0386] By setting the irradiation area R1 so that it is larger than the printable area of ​​the TTO, it becomes possible to perform printing within the irradiation area R1 while the irradiation position of the UV laser light follows the transport of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to secure a printable area similar to that of the TTO.

[0387] Meanwhile, the output of the laser light generated in the marker head 1 and passing through the exit window 6 is set to 1 W or more and 2 W or less. This setting was determined to achieve a compact marker head 1. The color of the print when irradiated with laser light for a certain period of time varies depending on the power density of the irradiated laser light. When the output of the laser light is 1 W or more and 2 W or less, the spot diameter of the laser light is preferably 160 μm or less to obtain sufficient color development.

[0388] More preferably, the spot diameter of the laser light in the irradiation area R1 is set to 60 μm or more and 80 μm or less. This spot diameter can be set so that the focal depth of the laser light corresponds to the part of the irradiation area R1 where the optical path length of the laser light is longest (the end part of the irradiation area R1) and the part of the irradiation area R1 where the optical path length is shortest (the center part of the irradiation area R1).

[0389] For example, the lower limit of the spot diameter is set to correspond to the number of scanning lines and the line width described above. This setting is effective in suppressing the influence of the optical path length difference between the center and end of the irradiation area R1 without adjusting the focus along the Z direction when the distance from the +Z side end of the housing 10 to the workpiece W (see distance L2 in FIG. 18) is set to 0 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and when the dimension of the irradiation area R1 is set to 120 mm or more.

[0390] On the other hand, the upper limit of the spot diameter is effective when printing thick lines with a thickness of 200 μm (0.2 mm) or more, such as the line width of 0.2 to 0.35 mm mentioned above. In this case, there is a concern that the processing time required for thick line processing will be relatively long, but by setting the upper limit of the spot diameter as mentioned above, the irradiation area R1 of the UV laser light can be enlarged and the irradiation time can be extended.

[0391] The upper limit of the spot diameter (=80 μm) is the optimum value when the UV laser light is irradiated parallel to the irradiation direction and the distance L2 is set to 10 mm. When the distance L2 is changed within the range of 0 mm to 20 mm, the upper limit of the spot diameter becomes 120 μm.

[0392] If there is a concern about the difference in optical path length within the irradiation area R1, the depth of focus can be increased by providing the above-mentioned defocus lens 57. Increasing the depth of focus is effective in suppressing the influence of the difference in optical path length.

[0393] Furthermore, among the relative positions of the workpiece W with respect to the housing 10, the relative positions that can be printed on the workpiece W are set so that the distance from the first mirror 51a to the surface of the workpiece W (particularly, the distance as viewed along the irradiation direction, which corresponds to the sum of the distances L2 and L3 in Figure 19) is 150 mm or less.

[0394] In addition to the above, in this embodiment, the distance from the top surface 10u of the housing 10 to the workpiece W is set to 195 mm or less. The TTO as the printing device 1001 before replacement is often used in an environment where the distance from the top surface to the workpiece W is around 200 mm, and can be used in the same environment as the printing device 1001 before replacement. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance L1 from the top surface 10u of the housing 10 to the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d is set to 165 mm. The distance L2 from the +Z side end of the bottom surface 10d to the workpiece W is preferably set to 30 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less.

[0395] Here, by setting the distance L2 to 30 mm or less, the specularly reflected light of the laser light irradiated onto the irradiation area R1 by the workpiece W can be guided to the region between the first plate-shaped member 18l and the second plate-shaped member 18r, i.e., the optical path dividing section H3. This is effective in suppressing leakage of the specularly reflected light outside the housing 10.

[0396] In this embodiment, distance L3 from first mirror 51a to the +Z side end of bottom surface 10d is set to 123 mm. Distance L4 from the lower surface of defocus lens 57 to the +Z side end of bottom surface 10d is set to 100 mm. Considering that the thickness of defocus lens 57 is 2 mm, the distance (not shown) from the upper surface of defocus lens 57 to the +Z side end of bottom surface 10d is set to 102 mm.

[0397] Here, the distance (= L1-L3) from the top surface 10u to the first mirror 51a is 42 mm, and the distance (= L1-L4) from the top surface 10u to the defocus lens 57 is 65 mm. Meanwhile, the center of the housing 10 in the Z direction corresponds to a location approximately 82 mm (= L1 / 2) from the top surface 10u. Therefore, both the first mirror 51a and the defocus lens 57 according to this embodiment are located on the -Z side of the center of the housing 10 in the Z direction.

[0398] <About compact installation space> As described above, in this embodiment, the mirror housing section H11 is arranged on the -Y side of the partition surface 15g, while the crystal housing section H12 is arranged on the +Y side of the partition surface 15g (see FIG. 10). Considering that the partition surface 15g extends along the irradiation direction (+Z direction), the mirror housing section H11 and the crystal housing section H12 are aligned along a direction (Y direction in this embodiment) that is approximately perpendicular to the irradiation direction.

[0399] Considering the relative positions of the substrate housing section H13 with respect to the mirror housing section H11 and the crystal housing section H12, the crystal housing section H12, the mirror housing section H11, and the substrate housing section H13 are arranged in this order within the housing 10 along a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction. By arranging the three types of housing sections in a direction substantially perpendicular to the irradiation direction in this way, it is possible to configure the housing 10 compactly in the irradiation direction. This allows the installation space of the housing 10 to be compact.

[0400] 10, the mirror housing H12 is arranged between the crystal housing H12 and the substrate housing H13, which are the housings with the greatest concern regarding heat dissipation among the three housings. A layout in which the crystal housing H12 and the substrate housing H13 are spaced apart contributes to maintaining heat dissipation efficiency compared to a layout in which they are adjacent to each other.

[0401] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to achieve a compact installation space for the housing 10 in the irradiation direction while maintaining heat dissipation efficiency.

[0402] 18, by arranging the first mirror 51a so as to face the irradiation area R1 with the exit window 6 in between, it becomes possible to guide the laser light reflected by the first mirror 51a directly to the exit window 6 without providing a large mirror or the like between the first mirror 51a and the exit window 6. This is advantageous in reducing the number of parts inside the housing 10 and in realizing compact dimensions of the housing 10 and, in turn, compact installation space.

[0403] 14 to 16, by disposing intermediate mirror 55a between first mirror 51a and second mirror 52a, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of first mirror 51a and second mirror 52a (particularly the layout of first rotation axis Ac1 and second rotation axis Ac2), which is advantageous in realizing a reduction in the size of housing 10 and, in turn, a reduction in the installation space.

[0404] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 14 to 16, by making both the first rotation axis Ac1 and the second rotation axis Ac2 perpendicular to the irradiation direction (+Z direction), it is advantageous to reduce the size of the housing 10 in the irradiation direction and, ultimately, to make its installation space more compact.

[0405] 18, etc., by providing a defocus lens 57 that can diffuse the laser light, it is possible to set the irradiation area R1 as wide as possible while bringing the first mirror 51a and the irradiation area R1 close to each other in the irradiation direction. This makes it possible to compact the installation space without reducing the irradiation area R1.

[0406] 10, etc., by accommodating the excitation light source 21 in the substrate accommodation portion H13, the excitation light source 21 can be spaced apart from the crystal accommodation portion H12 by the amount corresponding to the interposition of the mirror accommodation portion H11 between the crystal accommodation portion H12 and the substrate accommodation portion H13. This configuration contributes to maintaining heat dissipation performance.

[0407] 8, 11, and 12, by accommodating fiber guides 32 configured according to the minimum bending radius of fiber cable 31 within housing 10, it becomes possible to adjust the length of fiber cable 31 more flexibly. This is advantageous in achieving a compact layout while still connecting solid-state laser crystal 41 and pumping light source 21 with fiber cable 31, and in achieving both accommodation of solid-state laser crystal 41 and pumping light source 21 within housing 10 and compactness of housing 10.

[0408] 15 and 16, the cover glass 62 through which the laser light passes is not generally circular, but is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area R1. Compared to a circular shape, the cover glass 62 can be made more compact. This is effective in compacting the housing 10 and, ultimately, the installation space thereof.

[0409] 13, by accommodating the nonlinear optical crystal 45 in the crystal accommodating portion H12, the nonlinear optical crystal 45 can be spaced apart from the substrate accommodating portion H13 by the amount of the mirror accommodating portion H11 interposed between the crystal accommodating portion H12 and the substrate accommodating portion H13. This configuration contributes to maintaining heat dissipation performance.

[0410] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the second housing portion H2 is configured inside the housing 10, but this second housing portion H2 is not essential. The first heat sink 81 and the second heat sink 82 may be housed, for example, in the first housing portion H1. Furthermore, the optical path partition portion H3 may also be omitted as appropriate.

[0411] In addition, in the above embodiment, the excitation light source 21 is housed in the housing 10 of the marker head 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the excitation light source 21 may be provided in the marker controller 100.

[0412] In addition, in the above embodiment, one of the six surfaces of the housing 10 other than the bottom surface 10d on which the exit window 6 is formed (the top surface 10u in the above embodiment) is set as the mounting surface, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a setting. Any one of the six surfaces may be considered as the mounting surface. If the bottom surface 10d is considered as the mounting surface, the support member 501 of the processing equipment 500 will support the bottom surface 10d, for example, from below.

[0413] Furthermore, two or more of the six surfaces of the housing 10 can be considered as mounting surfaces. For example, if the left side surface 10l and the top surface 10u are considered as mounting surfaces, the attachment 7 may be attached to either the left side surface 10l or the top surface 10u, or may be attached to both the left side surface 10l and the top surface 10u, as in the marker head 1' shown in FIG.

[0414] 22 has a first portion 2007a attached to the top surface 10u and a second portion 2007b attached to the left side surface 10l, and the support member 501′ also has a shape that matches the attachment 2007. In this way, the attachment surface can be set according to the shape of the support member 501′, and an attachment 2007 that corresponds to that setting can be used.

[0415] Furthermore, the attachment 7 is not essential in the first place. As in the case of the housing 10" of the marker head 1" shown in Figure 23, the support member 501 can be attached directly to the mounting surface (top surface 10u" in the example) without using the attachment 7. In this case, a portion of the mounting surface can be considered the attachment. Also, a portion of the mounting surface can be made to protrude in the opposite direction from the exit window 6, and this protruding portion can be used as the attachment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0416] S Laser Processing System L Laser processing equipment 1 marker head 2. Excitation light generation unit 21 Excitation light source 23 Temperature control section 25 Relay 3. Excitation light guide section (light guide optical system) 31 Fiber Cable 32 Fiber guide 4. Laser light output section 41 Solid-state laser crystal 43 Q-switch 45 Nonlinear Optical Crystals 49 Q-switch driver 5. Laser beam scanning unit (laser beam deflection unit) 51 First Scanner 51a 1st mirror 52 Second scanner 52a 2nd mirror 53 First control board 55 Intermediate deflection section 55a Intermediate mirror 57 Defocus lens (optical element) 6 Exit window 62 Cover glass (optical component) 7 Attachments 81 First heat sink (heat sink) 82 Second heat sink (heat sink) 83 First blower fan (blower section) 84 Second blower fan (blower section) 10. Cabinet 10u Top surface (mounting surface) 10d bottom 10f front (open side) 10b Rear (connection surface) 13 Cover member 14 Connection cover 15 First base plate (support plate) 15g Partition surface 18l First plate-shaped member (plate-shaped member) 18r Second plate-shaped member (plate-shaped member) 100 Marker Controller 101 Reception 103 Control Unit 104 Power supply section (power supply section) 200 Electrical Cables 500 Processing equipment 501 Support member 502 Conveyor roller 502a Top of conveying roller Ac1 First rotation axis Ac2 Second rotation axis Ae Extension direction At conveying direction H1 First storage section H11 Mirror storage area H12 Crystal storage unit H13 Board storage section H2 Second storage section H21 Crystal side storage section H22 Light source side housing H3 Optical path partition M1 1st Mark (Mark) M2 Second Mark (Mark) M3 3rd Mark (Mark) Pp processing pattern R1 Irradiation area double work

Claims

1. A laser processing device that processes a workpiece by irradiating an irradiation area with laser light, a light-guiding optical system that guides the excitation light; a solid-state laser crystal that generates laser light based on the excitation light guided by the light-guiding optical system; a first scanner that drives a first mirror that deflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal so that the laser light is irradiated toward the irradiation area; a first control board that controls the first scanner; a housing that houses the light-guiding optical system, the solid-state laser crystal, the first scanner, and the first control board, and that has an exit window formed therein through which the laser light deflected by the first mirror passes; The housing includes: a mirror housing portion that houses the first mirror; a crystal housing section that is partitioned by a support plate having a partition surface that extends along the irradiation direction from the exit window toward the irradiation area, the crystal housing section being disposed on the opposite side of the partition surface from the mirror housing section and housing the solid-state laser crystal; a substrate housing portion that is disposed on the opposite side of the mirror housing portion from the crystal housing portion and that houses the first control substrate; A laser processing device characterized by:

2. 2. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, The first mirror is disposed to face the irradiation area across the exit window. A laser processing device characterized by:

3. 3. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, a second scanner that drives a second mirror that reflects the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal, thereby deflecting the laser light in a second direction that is orthogonal to both a first direction that is a deflection direction by the first mirror and the irradiation direction; an intermediate mirror that receives the laser light reflected by the second mirror and reflects the laser light toward the first mirror, the first scanner rotates the first mirror about a first rotation axis; the second scanner rotates the second mirror about a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis; The first rotation axis and the second rotation axis both extend in a direction different from the irradiation direction. A laser processing device characterized by:

4. 4. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, the first scanner rotates the first mirror about a first rotation axis; the second scanner rotates the second mirror about a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis; The first rotation axis and the second rotation axis both extend in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction. A laser processing device characterized by:

5. 5. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, an optical element that transmits the laser light deflected by the first mirror and diffuses the laser light in an outward direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction; A laser processing device characterized by:

6. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, an excitation light source that generates excitation light that is guided by the light-guiding optical system; The excitation light source is accommodated in the substrate accommodation section. A laser processing device characterized by:

7. 7. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 6, the light-guiding optical system is configured by a fiber cable that optically couples the excitation light source and the solid-state laser crystal; The housing accommodates a fiber guide configured to wind the fiber cable at a bending radius equal to or greater than the minimum bending radius of the fiber cable. A laser processing device characterized by:

8. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the exit window is formed by a cover glass that transmits the laser light, The illumination area is configured as a rectangular area, The cover glass is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the irradiation area. A laser processing device characterized by:

9. The laser processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a nonlinear optical crystal that receives the laser light generated by the solid-state laser crystal and converts the wavelength of the laser light to a shorter wavelength side; The nonlinear optical crystal is accommodated in the crystal accommodation portion. A laser processing device characterized by:

10. 10. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 9, The crystal housing section houses the nonlinear optical crystal in a sealed state. A laser processing device characterized by:

11. 11. The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, a Q switch accommodated in the crystal accommodation unit for pulse oscillation of a fundamental wave; The internal space of the crystal accommodating portion is divided into a space accommodating the Q switch and a space accommodating the nonlinear optical crystal. A laser processing device characterized by:

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