Laser cleaning device

Abstract

The present invention provides a device that expands the cleaning area by widening the scanning width of the laser beam, enables continuous irradiation over a long period of time, and prevents contamination and damage to the field lens provided in the laser beam emission aperture of the cleaning head by dust. [Solution] The system includes a laser light source and an air compressor for cooling the inside of the cleaning head 3 connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable. Compressed air is flowed into the inside of the cleaning head 3 so that compressed air is ejected outwards from the laser light emission aperture 33 of the cleaning head 3, forming an air curtain on the laser light emission side of the field lens 34 located at the laser light emission side aperture 33 of the cleaning head 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser cleaning device that irradiates a workpiece with laser light to remove and clean deposits adhering to the workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] When removing and cleaning deposits such as rust on metal products, dirt adhering to the surfaces of buildings and structures, and paint on various workpiece surfaces, it is common to peel off the deposits by spraying an abrasive such as sand or high-pressure water onto the workpiece using a sandblasting method or a high-pressure cleaning method. In addition, depending on the type of workpiece and deposits, methods such as a chemical cleaning method and an ultrasonic cleaning method are also used to peel off the deposits.

[0003] However, in the case of the sandblasting method or the high-pressure cleaning method, there is a risk that the workpiece may be deformed as part of its surface is scraped off by the spraying of the abrasive or water, and from the viewpoint of environmental conservation, it is extremely laborious because the sprayed abrasive and water (sewage) need to be collected. In addition, in the case of the chemical cleaning method, a chemical cleaning agent corresponding to the deposits is required, and the chemical cleaning agent must be collected without fail after peeling to prevent environmental pollution, which lacks versatility. In the case of the ultrasonic cleaning method, there is a problem that the work efficiency is poor because a special cleaning liquid is required and the cleaning range (peeling range) is narrowly limited.

[0004] On the other hand, with the progress of laser technology, laser cleaning devices have been conceived that irradiate a workpiece with laser light to peel off deposits by the impact pressure generated by the laser light irradiation, or remove the deposits by evaporating them with heat (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). This type of laser cleaning device has the advantage that there is no risk of workpiece deformation as in the sandblasting method or high-pressure cleaning method, and the collection of abrasives and water (sewage) from sandblasting and high-pressure cleaning, as well as chemical cleaning agents in chemical cleaning, is unnecessary, and furthermore, the cleaning range (peeling range) is not limited unlike in ultrasonic cleaning.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-232315 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-180903 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, conventional laser cleaning devices often become large and unportable in order to obtain a laser beam of the required output intensity, and the narrow laser beam irradiation range hinders improvements in work efficiency. Moreover, the lenses and other components in the emission aperture of the cleaning head that emits the laser beam become dirty with dust particles from detached materials or are damaged by dust impacts, requiring frequent cleaning or replacement of the lenses, which increases running costs. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a laser cleaning device that can expand the cleaning range with a large scanning width when scanning and irradiating with laser beam, enabling continuous irradiation of the laser beam for long periods of time, and reducing the frequency of lens cleaning and replacement.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a device that can widen the scanning width of the laser beam to expand the cleaning range, enable continuous irradiation over a long period of time, and prevent contamination and damage to the field lens provided in the laser beam emission aperture of the cleaning head by dust. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the laser cleaning apparatus according to the present invention is a laser cleaning apparatus that removes and cleans deposits adhering to a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with laser light, and is characterized by comprising: a laser light source that outputs laser light; a cleaning head that can be grasped by an operator and is connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable; an air-cooled cooling unit that cools the inside of the laser light source and the cleaning head; a scanning unit built into the cleaning head that scans the laser light by deflecting the optical axis of the laser light from the laser light source that is incident via the optical fiber cable; a control unit that controls the output of the laser light source and the scanning of the optical axis of the laser light by the scanning unit; a field lens arranged at the laser light emission aperture of the cleaning head that irradiates the workpiece with the laser light whose optical axis has been deflected; and an air curtain forming unit that flows a portion of the air used for air cooling by the cooling unit to the laser light emission side of the field lens of the cleaning head to form an air curtain.

[0009] With this configuration, the cooling unit cools the laser light source and the cleaning head, which suppresses the temperature rise of the laser light source and the cleaning head, enabling continuous irradiation of the laser beam.

[0010] Furthermore, by positioning the field lens at the laser beam emission aperture of the cleaning head and irradiating the workpiece with laser light whose optical axis has been scanned through the field lens, the field lens can widen the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser light, thereby widening the scanning width of the laser light irradiating the workpiece and expanding the cleaning range of deposits on the workpiece. In addition, it is possible to prevent the laser light from the laser light source from concentrating on a single point on the field lens, which can extend the lifespan of the field lens itself.

[0011] Furthermore, the air curtain forming section directs a portion of the cooling air from the cooling section to the laser beam emission side of the field lens, thereby forming an air curtain. This prevents dust particles from the workpiece, generated by laser irradiation, from adhering to and soiling the field lens or colliding with and damaging it, thus protecting the field lens. This eliminates the need for frequent lens cleaning or replacement as in conventional systems. Moreover, a single air supply source can be used for both cooling and the air curtain, simplifying the configuration and suppressing cost increases.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the air curtain forming section includes a supply means for supplying compressed air for air cooling by the cooling section, a supply passage for supplying a portion of the compressed air from the supply means into the cleaning head, and an inlet for the compressed air formed in the cleaning head, and that the compressed air that has flowed into the cleaning head from the inlet via the supply passage is discharged to the outside through the discharge opening to form the air curtain in front of the field lens.

[0013] With this configuration, a portion of the compressed air for cooling supplied by the supply means flows into the cleaning head through the supply path and inlet, and the incoming compressed air flows out to the outside through the discharge opening, forming an air curtain in front of the field lens. This air curtain prevents dust particles from workpieces, generated by laser irradiation, from adhering to or colliding with the field lens. Compressed air used for both cooling and the air curtain can be supplied by a single supply means, simplifying the configuration and reducing costs.

[0014] Furthermore, the scanning unit receives the laser light source incident via the optical fiber cable. The system may include a scanner that reflects and deflects the aforementioned laser light, and a driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the scanner and scans the laser light deflected by the scanner back and forth in one direction.

[0015] This configuration allows a laser beam with a predetermined scanning width to be irradiated onto the workpiece in one direction.

[0016] Furthermore, the scanning unit includes a first scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light, a second scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction perpendicular to the deflection direction of the first scanner, a first driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the first scanner to reciprocate scanning the laser light deflected by the first scanner in one direction, and a second driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the second scanner to reciprocate scanning the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction different from the one direction, wherein the control unit may control the scanning width and scanning period of the laser light by the first driving means and the second driving means, respectively, to values ​​set by the setting means.

[0017] With this configuration, the scanning direction of the second scanner is set to be perpendicular to the scanning direction of the first scanner, and the control unit controls the scanning width and scanning period of the laser beams of the first and second scanners to values ​​set by the setting means. As a result, the scanning of the first and second scanners allows the laser beams to be irradiated onto the workpiece with laser beams having various scanning patterns such as circles, ellipses, squares, rectangles, etc., and the scanning pattern can be selected according to the shape of the workpiece and the area to which the attached substances should be removed for cleaning.

[0018] Furthermore, the cooling unit may include a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the laser light source and a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the drive motor of the scanning unit, and the control unit may control the laser light source and the cleaning head so that the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors are below a set temperature.

[0019] According to this configuration, the laser light source and the cleaning head are cooled by the cooling unit such that the detected temperatures of the first and second temperature sensors are each equal to or lower than a set temperature, so that temperature rises of the laser light source and the cleaning head are suppressed, and continuous irradiation of laser light over a long period of time can be performed. Effects of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to expand the scanning width of laser light to increase the irradiation range, perform continuous irradiation of laser light over a long period of time, and provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus capable of preventing contamination and damage of a field lens provided at a laser light emission opening of a cleaning head due to dust. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a laser cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block configuration diagram of the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning head in the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a scanning unit in the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a display screen of an operation panel in the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] Figs. (a) to (d) are diagrams showing a plurality of scanning patterns of laser light in the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is an operation explanatory diagram of the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a modified example of a galvanometer scanner in the laser cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] One embodiment of the laser cleaning apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0023] <Structure> Figure 1 shows a laser cleaning device 1 according to this embodiment, which comprises a device body 2, a cleaning head 3, and an air compressor 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device body 2 has a housing 2b with casters 2a for movement at the four corners of its bottom surface, a laser light source 21 and a control unit 22 housed inside the housing 2b, an operation panel 23 provided on the top surface of the housing 2b, and a first temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature of the laser light source 21, and operates by being powered by a commercial AC power supply 5.

[0024] As the laser light source 21, a solid-state laser, a semiconductor laser, etc., can be used, and the laser light from the laser light source 21 may be pulsed or continuous. Examples of solid-state lasers include YAG lasers, YVO4 lasers, ruby ​​lasers, titanium-sapphire lasers, and fiber lasers. Although it is also possible to use gas lasers such as argon lasers, helium-neon lasers, and carbon dioxide lasers, gas lasers can be used, but although high output power can be expected from gas lasers, this leads to a large size, so using a solid-state laser is most preferable in order to achieve high output power while miniaturizing the device.

[0025] The control unit 22 is a microcomputer and has an output control function that controls the output of the laser light source 21, a display control function that controls the display of the operation panel 23, an air supply control function that controls the air supply of the air compressor 4 that supplies compressed air, a scanning control function that controls the scanning of the galvanometer scanner which is a scanning unit built into the cleaning head 3, and a display control function for the operation panel 23, which will be described later.

[0026] The control panel 23 is configured as a well-known touch panel, and under the control of the control unit 22, various operation keys as shown in Figure 5 can be displayed on the screen. In Figure 5, the "Cleaning Process" key is for selecting processes such as rust removal, oil film removal, and paint film stripping using a pull-down menu, and the "Scan Mode" key allows selection of scanning the irradiated laser beam in a linear pattern as shown in Figure 6(a), in a circular scanning pattern as shown in Figure 6(b), or in a square scanning pattern as shown in Figures 6(c) and 6(d). Here, the square scanning pattern is shown in one direction in Figure 6(c) and two directions in Figure 6(d). Furthermore, the circular scanning pattern can also be used to scan the laser beam in a spiral pattern. Note that the laser beam scanning pattern is not limited to those shown in Figure 6; it can also be scanned in an elliptical or rectangular pattern.

[0027] Furthermore, in Figure 5, which shows the display screen of the touch panel type operation panel 23, "Output" is a key for increasing or decreasing the output intensity of the laser light, "Frequency" is a key for increasing or decreasing the oscillation frequency of the laser light source 21, "Pulse Width" is a key for increasing or decreasing the pulse width of the pulsed oscillating laser light source 21, and "Galvano Speed" is a key for increasing or decreasing the scan speed of the galvano scanner, which will be described later. Additionally, there are keys for increasing or decreasing the scan width in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to it by the galvano scanner, and for increasing or decreasing the ring width, which is the diameter of the circle in the case of a circular scan. Note that Figure 5 shows an example of the display mode of the operation panel 23, and the display mode of the operation panel 23 is not limited to that shown in Figure 5.

[0028] The first temperature sensor 24 is positioned near the laser light source 21 inside the housing 2b and detects the temperature of the laser light source 21. As shown in Figure 2, compressed air from the air compressor 4 is supplied into the housing 2b via the air tube 41 to cool the laser light source 21 inside the housing 2b. At this time, the operation of the air compressor 4 is controlled by the control unit 22 so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 does not exceed a preset housing temperature. Here, the air compressor 4 and the air tube 41 correspond to the "cooling section" in this invention that cools the laser light source 21.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cleaning head 3 comprises a head body 30 having a hollow shape with a rectangular cross-section that is easy for the operator to use, an opening 31 for connecting an air tube and an optical fiber that serves as an inlet for compressed air formed on one end face of the head body 30, a galvanometer scanner 32 which is the scanning unit of the present invention housed inside the head body 30, a field lens 34 positioned inside the head body 30 near an aperture 33 for emitting laser light formed in the head body 30, and a second temperature sensor 35 positioned near the galvanometer scanner 32 for detecting the temperature of the galvanometer scanner 32.

[0030] A hose-shaped protective cover 6 is connected to a connection opening 31 at one end of the head body 30. Inside the protective cover 6 are an optical fiber cable 7 connected to a laser light source 21 and an air tube 42 connected to an air compressor 4 to supply compressed air. The optical fiber cable 7 is inserted into the head body 30 and its end is connected to a galvanometer scanner 32. Laser light from the laser light source 21 is guided to the galvanometer scanner 32 via the optical fiber cable 7. The galvanometer scanner 32 scans the laser light in the X-axis and the Y-axis direction perpendicular to it, and laser light with a predetermined scanning pattern (solid arrow in Figure 3) is emitted to the workpiece W via a field lens 34.

[0031] Furthermore, the end of the air tube 42 housed in the protective cover 6 is inserted into the head body 30, and compressed air from the air compressor 4 is introduced into the head body 30. The compressed air introduced from the connection opening 31 flows through the channel shown by the dashed line in Figure 3 to cool the galvanometer scanner 32, and is also ejected to the outside from the output opening 33 of the head body 30, blowing away dust particles generated by cleaning. This forms an air curtain over the laser beam output opening 33 of the field lens 34, preventing dust particles from adhering to the field lens 34 or damaging it.

[0032] A second temperature sensor 35, positioned close to the galvanoscanner 32, detects the temperature of the galvanoscanner 32. The control unit 22 controls the operation of the air compressor 4 so that the detected temperature does not rise above a preset head temperature, thereby controlling the flow rate of compressed air flowing through the head body 30 and cooling the galvanoscanner 32 to below the set temperature. Here, the air compressor 4 and air tube 42 correspond to the "air curtain forming section" and the "cooling section" that cools the cleaning head 3 in this invention.

[0033] The head body 30 of the cleaning head 3 is equipped with a power switch SW for starting and stopping the laser cleaning device 1, allowing the operator to start or stop the laser cleaning device 1 by operating the power switch SW. Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2, a main switch is located near the operation panel 23 of the housing 2b, and the power supply from the AC power source 5 to each part of the laser cleaning device 1 is interrupted by turning the main switch ON / OFF.

[0034] The galvanometer scanner 32, which is a scanning unit built into the cleaning head 3, is configured as shown in Figure 4, for example. In Figure 4, 32a is an X-axis scanner that reflects the laser light from the laser light source 21 in a direction different from the incident direction, and the tilt angle of the reflective surface is varied by the X-axis motor 32b, which is a driving means, so that it swings within a predetermined angular range, so that the reflected laser light is scanned in the X-axis direction with a scanning width corresponding to the tilt angle. 32c reflects the laser light reflected by the X-axis scanner 32a and incident in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis in the incident direction, and the tilt angle of the reflective surface is varied by the Y-axis motor 32d, which is a driving means, so that it swings within a predetermined angular range, so that the reflected laser light is scanned in the Y-axis direction with a scanning width corresponding to the tilt angle and reflected towards the field lens 34. When the galvanoscanner 32 operates, the laser light from the laser light source 21 (dotted line in Figures 1, 2, and 4) is irradiated onto the workpiece W with the scanning width controlled by the control unit 22 in the X and Y axes.

[0035] <Operation> When cleaning a workpiece W to be cleaned by removing contaminants such as rust, paint, or oil film, the main switch of the laser cleaning device 1 is turned ON, the operator grasps the cleaning head 3 and approaches the workpiece W, and the power switch SW is turned ON with the cleaning head 3 pointed towards the cleaning area. Laser light is then irradiated onto the workpiece W through the field lens 34 of the cleaning head 3, and the contaminants are removed from the workpiece W.

[0036] Specifically, when cleaning the surface of a workpiece W as shown in Figure 7, the operation panel 23 is used to select a linear scanning pattern in the X-axis direction only, as shown in Figure (a), and to select the X-axis scan width, output, frequency, and galvanometer speed. The cleaning head 3 is moved while irradiating the workpiece W with a continuously oscillating laser beam onto the areas where rust and other deposits are attached. By moving the laser beam sequentially in the direction of travel as indicated by the solid arrow, dashed-dotted arrow, and double-dotted arrow in Figure 7, the deposits are peeled off and removed from the workpiece W, and the surface of the workpiece W is cleaned. Since scanning is performed only in the X-axis direction, the laser beam can be scanned only in the X-axis direction by operating only the X-axis motor 32b and not the Y-axis motor 32d. Similarly, the laser beam can be scanned only in the Y-axis direction by operating only the Y-axis motor 32d and not the X-axis motor 32b.

[0037] In this case, if the laser beam is in continuous oscillation mode, as shown in Figure 7(a), the material is peeled off by the shock pressure caused by the laser beam irradiation. In addition, as shown in Figure 7(b), the heat from the laser beam causes the attached material to evaporate and peel off, scattering as dust and moving the laser beam in the direction of travel. By doing so, the laser light is irradiated onto the surface, and a predetermined cleaning area of ​​the workpiece W surface is cleaned. Note that when pulsed laser light is irradiated, the deposits are removed using the same principle as described above, but a greater proportion of the removal occurs due to evaporation caused by heat rather than impact pressure.

[0038] While the laser light is being irradiated, the air compressor 4 operates under the control of the control unit 22, supplying compressed air to the housing 2b and the cleaning head 3. This cools the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 so that their temperatures do not rise above the set temperature, allowing the laser light to be continuously irradiated for a long period of time.

[0039] Furthermore, while the workpiece W is being irradiated with laser light, compressed air from the air compressor 4 that flows in through the connection opening 31 flows through the cleaning head 3 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 3 and is ejected to the outside through the laser light emission opening 33. This forms an air curtain on the side of the field lens 34 located inside the cleaning head 3 that is opposite the workpiece W, which is the laser light emission side. This prevents dust particles generated by the laser light irradiation from adhering to the field lens 34 and contaminating it, or from colliding with the field lens 34 and damaging it.

[0040] Depending on the shape and size of the area to be cleaned on the workpiece W, one of the laser scanning patterns shown in Figure 6, or any other scanning pattern, can be selected and used for cleaning. Furthermore, specific examples of workpiece W include those made of materials such as metal, resin, and ceramic. This method can be used to remove rust, dirt, and paint from everyday items, industrial machinery, vehicles and their parts (automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.), ships and their parts, aircraft and their parts, railways and railway parts, as well as dirt and paint from the exterior surfaces of various buildings, structures, concrete structures, bridges, and steel towers. In all cleaning methods, the base material will not be damaged.

[0041] Therefore, according to the above embodiment, a portion of the compressed air from the air compressor 4 is flowed into the cleaning head 3 and ejected to the outside through the laser beam emission opening 33 of the field lens 34, forming an air curtain on the laser beam emission side of the field lens 34. This prevents dust particles generated by laser beam irradiation from adhering to or colliding with the field lens 34, thereby protecting the field lens 34. As a result, it is no longer necessary to frequently clean or replace the lens as in the conventional method, and since the air compressor 4, which is a single air supply source, can be used for both cooling and the air curtain, the configuration can be simplified and costs can be kept down.

[0042] Furthermore, since the compressed air from the air compressor 4 cools the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 inside the cleaning head 3, the temperature rise of the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 can be suppressed, making it possible to continuously irradiate the laser light for a long period of time.

[0043] Furthermore, by positioning the field lens 34 in the laser beam emission aperture 33 of the cleaning head 3 and irradiating the workpiece W with the laser beam whose optical axis has been scanned through the field lens 34, the field lens 34 widens the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser beam, making it possible to further widen the scanning width (maximum 300 mm) of the laser beam irradiated onto the workpiece W, thereby expanding the cleaning range of deposits adhering to the workpiece. In addition, the galvanometer scanner 32 is equipped with several focusing lenses that can be incorporated so that the laser beam irradiation distance can be adjusted in 20 cm increments within the range of 20 cm to 80 cm, and the optimal focusing lens is selected and incorporated into the galvanometer scanner 32 by the control unit 22 based on the operation of the operation panel 23.

[0044] Furthermore, because the field lens 34 widens the spot diameter (aperture) of the laser beam, it prevents the laser beam from the laser light source 21 from concentrating on a single point in the field lens 34, thus extending the lifespan of the field lens 34 itself.

[0045] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0046] As a modification of the above-described embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the X-axis scanner of the galvanometer scanner 32 in Figure 4 may be replaced with a reflector 32e, which is simply a reflector, and the Y-axis scanner 32c in Figure 4 may be replaced with an X-axis scanner 32a that is rotationally driven by an X-axis motor 32b, making it dedicated to linear scanning patterns. Similarly, the Y-axis scanner of the galvanometer scanner 32 that is rotationally driven by a Y-axis motor 32d in Figure 4 may be replaced with a simple reflector 32e.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, compressed air from the air compressor 4 is used as the cooling unit. Although the laser light source 21 and the galvanometer scanner 32 are to be cooled, they may also be water-cooled, or only the laser light source 21 may be water-cooled. In this case, a supply means for supplying compressed air into the cleaning head 3 as an air curtain forming unit is necessary.

[0048] Furthermore, the galvanometer scanner 32 is equipped with a 3-axis scanner (X, Y, and Z axes), allowing the laser beam to be scanned in a 3D scanning pattern to match the shape of the cleaning area of ​​the workpiece W. You can do that.

[0049] Furthermore, the present invention removes deposits adhering to a workpiece by irradiating it with laser light. It can be applied to laser cleaning devices that perform cleaning. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1… Laser cleaning device 2… cabinet 3… Cleaning head 4. Air compressor (supply means, air curtain forming section, cooling section) 7… Fiber optic cable 21… Laser light source 22 ... Control Unit 23 ... Control panel 24 ...First temperature sensor 31 ... Connection opening (inlet) 32... Galvanometer scanner (scanning unit) 32a ... X-axis scanner (scanning unit) 32b ...X-axis motor (scanning unit, driving means) 32c ... Y-axis scanner (scanning unit) 32d ... Y-axis motor (scanning unit, driving means) 32e ...Refle Hisa 33...Output aperture 34…Field lens 35 ...Second temperature sensor 41 ... Air tube 42...Air tube (feeding path) SW ... Power switch W...work

Claims

1. In a laser cleaning apparatus that irradiates a workpiece with laser light to remove and clean any deposits adhering to the workpiece, A laser light source that emits laser light, A cleaning head that can be grasped by an operator is connected to the laser light source via an optical fiber cable, The laser light source and the inside of the cleaning head are cooled by an air-cooled cooling unit, A scanning unit built into the cleaning head deflects the optical axis of the laser light from the laser light source incident via the optical fiber cable and scans the laser light in a predetermined direction, A control unit that controls the output of the laser light source and controls the scanning of the optical axis of the laser beam by the scanning unit, A field lens is positioned at the laser beam emission aperture of the cleaning head and irradiates the workpiece with the laser beam whose optical axis is deflected. An air curtain forming unit that directs a portion of the air used for air cooling by the cooling unit to the laser beam emission side of the field lens of the cleaning head to form an air curtain. A laser cleaning device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The air curtain forming section is A supply means for supplying compressed air for air cooling by the cooling unit, A supply path for supplying a portion of the compressed air from the supply means into the cleaning head, The cleaning head has an inlet for compressed air formed therein, The laser cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressed air that has flowed into the cleaning head from the inlet via the supply path is discharged to the outside from the discharge opening to form the air curtain in front of the field lens.

3. The scanning unit, A scanner that reflects and deflects the laser light from the laser light source that is incident through the optical fiber cable, A driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the scanner and scans the deflected laser light by the scanner back and forth in one direction. The laser cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by having the following features.

4. The scanning unit, A first scanner that reflects and deflects the aforementioned laser light, The laser light deflected by the first scanner is deflected by the first scanner A second scanner that reflects and deflects in a direction perpendicular to the direction, A first driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the first scanner and scans the laser light deflected by the first scanner back and forth in one direction, A second driving means that, under the control of the control unit, varies the angle of the second scanner and reciprocates the laser light deflected by the first scanner in a direction different from the one direction. It has, The control unit controls the scanning width and scanning period of the laser beam by the first driving means and the second driving means, respectively, to values ​​set by the setting means. The laser cleaning apparatus according to feature 2.

5. The cooling unit is A first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the laser light source, The scanning unit includes a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the drive motor, The control unit controls the laser light source and the cleaning head so that the temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors fall below the set temperature. The laser cleaning apparatus according to feature 1.

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