Laser processing machine and automatic changer

Abstract

The laser processing machine (100) includes a processing head (1) that irradiates a laser beam toward a workpiece (7), a focusing lens (2) that is provided inside the processing head (1) and focuses the laser beam, a protective glass (3) that is provided inside the processing head (1) between the focusing lens (2) and the workpiece (7) and protects the focusing lens (2), a storage container (4a) that can store a used protective glass (3A) and an unused protective glass (3B), and an automatic exchange device (4) that has a transport mechanism (4b) that transports the protective glass (3A, 3B) between the inside of the processing head (1) and the inside of the storage container (4a). The transport mechanism (4b) has a rotation mechanism (41) that rotates the protective glass (3) around a horizontal axis. The rotation mechanism (41) can change the attitude of the protective glass (3) so that the angle between the glass surface (3c) of the protective glass (3) and the vertical direction changes.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laser processing machine and an automatic exchange device capable of automatically exchanging a protective glass. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a laser processing machine in which a protective glass is provided between a focusing lens and a workpiece to protect the focusing lens provided inside the processing head from foreign matter such as fumes and sputters generated during laser processing.

[0003] Although the protective glass prevents foreign matter from adhering to the focusing lens, foreign matter will still adhere to the protective glass. If the protective glass becomes dirty due to foreign matter adhering to the protective glass, the transmittance of the laser beam through the protective glass will decrease, causing a decrease in the output of the laser beam and resulting in processing defects. For this reason, the protective glass must be replaced periodically.

[0004] The protective glass is replaced by temporarily interrupting the laser processing. If the protective glass is replaced manually by an operator, it takes a lot of time, which results in a long interruption of the laser processing, and a decrease in the productivity of the workpiece. Therefore, a laser processing machine equipped with an automatic exchange device that can automatically replace the protective glass has been developed and is now in practical use.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a laser processing machine including a processing head, a focusing lens provided inside the processing head, a movable clamp that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the processing head and holds the protective glass, a collection box that collects the protective glass after use, and a storage rack that stores the protective glass before use. The movable clamp, the collection box, and the storage rack constitute an automatic exchange device. The processing head, the collection box, and the storage rack are arranged in a row in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the processing head.

[0006] When replacing the protective glass, first, the used protective glass provided inside the processing head is held by a movable clamp, and then the movable clamp is moved to a collection box, and the used protective glass is transferred from the movable clamp to the collection box. Next, the movable clamp is moved to a storage rack, and the movable clamp receives the used protective glass from the storage rack. Finally, the movable clamp holding the used protective glass is moved to the inside of the processing head, and the used protective glass is positioned on the optical axis of the focusing lens, completing the replacement of the protective glass. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the glass surface (transmitting surface) of the used protective glass stored in the storage rack is perpendicular to the vertical direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-124718 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When a foreign object enters the interior of the storage rack, the foreign object gradually falls due to gravity. At this time, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, if an unused protective glass is stored in the storage rack with the glass surface perpendicular to the vertical direction, the falling foreign object will adhere to the glass surface. If foreign objects are already attached to the glass surface of the unused protective glass, the protective glass will need to be replaced more frequently, which increases the number of interruptions to laser processing and reduces the productivity of the workpiece.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a laser processing machine that can suppress adhesion of foreign matter to the glass surface of a protective glass before use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the laser processing machine according to the present disclosure includes a processing head, a focusing lens, a protective glass, and an automatic exchange device. The processing head irradiates a laser beam toward a workpiece. The focusing lens is provided inside the processing head and focuses the laser beam. The protective glass is provided inside the processing head between the focusing lens and the workpiece and protects the focusing lens. The automatic exchange device has a storage container and a transport mechanism. The storage container is capable of storing the protective glass after use and the protective glass before use. The transport mechanism transports the protective glass between the inside of the processing head and the inside of the storage container. The transport mechanism has a rotation mechanism that rotates the protective glass around a horizontal axis. The rotation mechanism is capable of changing the attitude of the protective glass so that the angle between the glass surface of the protective glass and the vertical direction is changed. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The laser processing machine according to the present disclosure has an effect of suppressing adhesion of foreign matter to the glass surface of the protective glass before use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a laser processing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of a glass surface of a protective glass according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic exchange device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a series of operations for replacing a protective glass by the automatic replacement device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing protective glasses stored in a storage container of an automatic exchanger in a comparative example, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing protective glasses stored in a storage container of the automatic exchanger according to the first embodiment, which corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a storage container, a protective glass, and a holding mechanism of the automatic exchanger according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a storage container, a protective glass, and a holding mechanism of an automatic exchanger according to a first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a cleaning mechanism and a protective glass of an automatic exchanger according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A laser processing machine and an automatic exchange device according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a laser processing machine 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following, when describing the directions of each component of the laser processing machine 100, the left-handed XYZ coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 is used. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are three axes perpendicular to each other. The direction of the arrows on each axis is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow is the - direction. The rotation direction around the X-axis is called the rotation direction RX. The direction along the X-axis (X-axis direction) and the direction along the Y-axis (Y-axis direction) are directions included in the horizontal direction. The direction along the Z-axis (Z-axis direction) coincides with the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the direction along the Z-axis may be called the vertical direction. In addition, the + direction of the Z-axis is the upward direction, and the - direction of the Z-axis is the downward direction. Gravitational acceleration acts in the - direction of the Z-axis.

[0015] The laser processing machine 100 is a device that processes a workpiece 7 by irradiating the workpiece 7 with a laser beam. The processing includes, for example, cutting, welding, and drilling. The workpiece 7 is, for example, a metal plate or a substrate. The laser processing machine 100 includes a processing head 1, a focusing lens 2, a protective glass 3, an automatic exchanger 4, a bed 5, and a column 6.

[0016] The bed 5 is a rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. A workpiece 7 is placed on the bed 5.

[0017] The column 6 is a gate-shaped member installed on the bed 5. The column 6 is installed so as to straddle the workpiece 7. The column 6 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction (the direction of the arrow A) along the bed 5 by driving a driving mechanism (not shown). The column 6 has two vertical parts 6a and one horizontal part 6b. Each of the two vertical parts 6a is a rectangular prism-shaped part extending upward from the upper surface of the bed 5 in the Z-axis direction. The two vertical parts 6a are disposed at an interval from each other in the Y-axis direction. The horizontal part 6b is a rectangular prism-shaped part that spans the upper ends of the two vertical parts 6a. The horizontal part 6b extends in the Y-axis direction.

[0018] The processing head 1 is a member that irradiates a laser beam toward a workpiece 7. The extension direction of the processing head 1 is parallel to the vertical direction. The processing head 1 is attached to the horizontal part 6b of the column 6. The processing head 1 is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction (the direction of the arrow B) and the Z-axis direction (the direction of the arrow C) along the horizontal part 6b of the column 6 by driving a driving mechanism (not shown). The processing head 1 can also move in the X-axis direction along with the movement of the column 6 in the X-axis direction. The laser processing machine 100 performs laser processing by moving the processing head 1 and the workpiece 7 relatively. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the position of the workpiece 7 is fixed, and the processing head 1 is moved along the XYZ coordinates to perform laser processing. The processing head 1 has a head-side housing 1a. Inside the head-side housing 1a, a focusing lens 2, a mirror (not shown), and the like are arranged. Hereinafter, the inside of the head-side housing 1a will be referred to as the inside of the processing head 1.

[0019] The focusing lens 2 is an optical component that is provided inside the processing head 1 and focuses the laser beam.

[0020] The protective glass 3 is a member provided between the focusing lens 2 and the workpiece 7 inside the processing head 1 to protect the focusing lens 2. The protective glass 3 plays a role in preventing foreign matter such as sputters and fumes generated during laser processing from adhering to the focusing lens 2. Note that, in FIG. 1, the processing head 1 is shown in a state in which the protective glass 3 is moved to a position where the protective glass 3 can be automatically replaced when the protective glass 3 is replaced, so the protective glass 3 is not provided between the focusing lens 2 and the workpiece 7, but during laser processing, the protective glass 3 is provided between the focusing lens 2 and the workpiece 7.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a front view of the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3 in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the protective glass 3 has a glass body 3a and a glass frame 3b that holds the periphery of the glass body 3a. As shown in FIG. 3, the glass body 3a has a glass surface 3c exposed from the glass frame 3b. There is one glass surface 3c on the front and one on the back of the glass body 3a. The glass frame 3b is composed of a split body that is split into two in the plate thickness direction of the glass body 3a, and the two split bodies sandwich and hold the periphery of the glass surface 3c. The material of the glass frame 3b is, for example, a metal such as aluminum.

[0022] The automatic exchange device 4 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for automatically exchanging the protective glass 3. The automatic exchange device 4 is disposed away from the bed 5 and the column 6 in the X-axis direction. The processing head 1 can approach and move away from the automatic exchange device 4. When exchanging the protective glass 3, the processing head 1 and the automatic exchange device 4 are disposed adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. The automatic exchange device 4 has a storage container 4a capable of storing the protective glass 3 after use and the protective glass 3 before use, a transport mechanism 4b that transports the protective glass 3 between the inside of the processing head 1 and the inside of the storage container 4a, and an apparatus side housing 4c that accommodates the storage container 4a and the transport mechanism 4b. In addition, in order to make the protective glass 3 and the transport mechanism 4b easier to see, the storage container 4a and the apparatus side housing 4c are indicated by two-dot chain lines. Hereinafter, the protective glass 3 after use may be referred to as the protective glass 3A, and the protective glass 3 before use may be referred to as the protective glass 3B.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the automatic exchange device 4 in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the automatic exchange device 4 holds a used protective glass 3A provided inside the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 4, the shape of the storage container 4a is a hollow box capable of accommodating the protective glass 3A, 3B. The storage container 4a is provided with an opening 4d for inserting and removing the protective glass 3A, 3B, and an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) that is openable and closes the opening 4d when closed. The storage container 4a is provided so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction (the direction of the arrow E). The movement of the storage container 4a is realized by using a pneumatic system, a solenoid, a motor, or the like.

[0024] In the storage container 4a, a plurality of protective glasses 3B before use are stored. The plurality of protective glasses 3B are arranged in a line in the Y-axis direction. When none of the protective glasses 3 have been replaced, only the protective glass 3B before use is stored in the storage container 4a as shown in the figure. On the other hand, when the protective glass 3 has already been replaced, both the protective glass 3A after use and the protective glass 3B before use are stored in the storage container 4a, or only the protective glass 3A after use is stored. The glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B before use stored in the storage container 4a is parallel to the vertical direction. Although not shown, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3A after use stored in the storage container 4a is also parallel to the vertical direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3 provided inside the processing head 1 is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3 provided inside the processing head 1 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the processing head 1.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the transport mechanism 4b includes a linear motion mechanism 40, a rotation mechanism 41, and a holding mechanism .

[0026] The linear motion mechanism 40 is a mechanism for linearly moving the protective glasses 3A, 3B between the inside of the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1) and the inside of the storage container 4a. The linear motion direction (the direction of the arrow D) coincides with the X-axis direction in this embodiment. The linear motion mechanism 40 has a guide 40a extending in the X-axis direction, and a linear motion moving body 40b that moves in the X-axis direction along the guide 40a. The linear motion moving body 40b is, for example, a pressure-type linear motion actuator.

[0027] The rotation mechanism 41 is a mechanism for rotating the protective glasses 3A, 3B around a horizontal axis. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 41 rotates the protective glasses 3A, 3B around the X-axis near the storage container 4a. That is, the rotation mechanism 41 rotates the protective glasses 3A, 3B in a rotation direction RX. The rotation mechanism 41 can change the attitude of the protective glasses 3A, 3B so that the angle between the glass surfaces 3c of the protective glasses 3A, 3B and the vertical direction changes. The rotation mechanism 41 has a drive source 41a and a rotating body 41b.

[0028] The driving source 41a is, for example, a motor. The driving source 41a is provided on the linear moving body 40b. The rotating body 41b is, for example, a pressure-type rotary actuator. The rotating body 41b is rotatably attached to a drive shaft (not shown) of the driving source 41a. The rotating body 41b is disposed at a position closer to the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1) than the linear moving body 40b and the driving source 41a. The rotating body 41b rotates in a rotation direction RX by being driven by the driving source 41a. The rotation range of the rotating body 41b is 90 degrees from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction.

[0029] The rotation of the rotor 41b changes the posture of the protective glasses 3A and 3B so that the angle between the glass surface 3c of the protective glasses 3A and 3B and the vertical direction varies within a range of 0 degrees to 90 degrees. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 41 can change the posture of the protective glasses 3A and 3B so that the angle between the glass surface 3c of the protective glasses 3A and 3B and the vertical direction is 0 degrees, that is, the glass surface 3c is parallel to the vertical direction. The rotation mechanism 41 can also change the posture of the protective glasses 3A and 3B so that the angle between the glass surface 3c of the protective glasses 3A and 3B and the vertical direction is 90 degrees, that is, the glass surface 3c is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In the following description, the direction from the horizontal to the vertical direction in the rotation direction RX is referred to as -RX, and the direction from the vertical to the horizontal direction in the rotation direction RX is referred to as +RX.

[0030] The holding mechanism 42 is a mechanism for holding the protective glass 3A, 3B. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 42 is an air hand that holds the protective glass 3A, 3B, and has a support part 42a and two arm parts 42b. The support part 42a is attached to a part of the rotating body 41b that faces the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1). The two arm parts 42b are attached to a part of the support part 42a that faces the processing head 1. The two arm parts 42b are provided so that they can approach and move away from each other. The protective glass 3 can be held by the two arm parts 42b approaching each other. On the other hand, the protective glass 3 can be separated by the two arm parts 42b moving away from each other. The movement of the two arm parts 42b is realized by using a pneumatic system, a solenoid, a motor, or the like. Although not shown in the figures, each of the head side housing 1a and the device side housing 4c shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an opening for inserting and removing the holding mechanism 42 and the protective glass 3A, 3B, and an opening / closing mechanism that can be opened and closed and covers the opening when closed.

[0031] The rotation mechanism 41, the holding mechanism 42, and the protective glasses 3A and 3B move linearly in the X-axis direction in accordance with the movement of the linear moving body 40b. The holding mechanism 42 and the protective glasses 3A and 3B rotate in the rotation direction RX in accordance with the rotation of the rotating body 41b. The rotation mechanism 41 can change the linear trajectory for transporting the protective glasses 3A and 3B. That is, the linear trajectory (transport path) of the protective glasses 3A and 3B between the inside of the processing head 1 and the inside of the storage container 4a is determined by the rotation position (angle) of the rotating body 41b, so that the linear trajectory for transporting the protective glasses 3A and 3B can be changed by adjusting the rotation position of the rotating body 41b. The transport mechanism 4b inserts the protective glass 3B before use into the inside of the processing head 1 in a state in which the glass surface 3c is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0032] Next, the operation of the automatic exchange device 4 in this embodiment when automatically exchanging the protective glass 3 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 13. Figures 5 to 13 are perspective views showing a series of operations for exchanging the protective glass 3 by the automatic exchange device 4 in embodiment 1.

[0033] First, as shown in Fig. 4, the used protective glass 3A is gripped by the two arm parts 42b inside the processing head 1 (see Fig. 1). At this time, the glass surface 3c of the used protective glass 3A is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The linear moving body 40b, the rotation mechanism 41, and the holding mechanism 42 move linearly in the negative direction of the X-axis direction, and are closest to the processing head 1. The rotating body 41b and the holding mechanism 42 are in a state where they have rotated the most in the +RX direction of the rotation direction RX.

[0034] 5, the used protective glass 3A is moved from inside the processing head 1 to a position below the opening 4d of the storage container 4a by the linear motion mechanism 40. Specifically, the used protective glass 3A connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the holding mechanism 42 and the rotation mechanism 41 is moved to a position below the opening 4d of the storage container 4a by moving the linear motion moving body 40b in the positive direction of the X-axis along the guide 40a. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the used protective glass 3A is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0035] 6, the used protective glass 3A is rotated by the rotation mechanism 41 to the same height as the opening 4d of the storage container 4a. Specifically, the drive source 41a is driven to rotate the rotor 41b in the rotation direction RX -RX, thereby rotating the used protective glass 3A connected to the rotor 41b via the holding mechanism 42 to the same height as the opening 4d of the storage container 4a. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the used protective glass 3A is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0036] 7, the used protective glass 3A is moved to the inside of the storage container 4a by the linear motion mechanism 40. Specifically, the used protective glass 3A connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the holding mechanism 42 and the rotation mechanism 41 is moved to the inside of the storage container 4a by moving the linear motion moving body 40b along the guide 40a in the negative direction of the X-axis. Then, the distance between the two arm parts 42b is widened, and the used protective glass 3A is released from the two arm parts 42b and transferred to the storage container 4a. As a result, the used protective glass 3A is stored in the storage container 4a. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the used protective glass 3A is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0037] 8, the linear motion mechanism 40 moves the holding mechanism 42 to the outside of the storage container 4a. Specifically, the linear motion moving body 40b is moved in the positive direction of the X-axis along the guide 40a, thereby moving the holding mechanism 42 connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the rotation mechanism 41 to the outside of the storage container 4a. At this time, the holding mechanism 42 is at the same height as the opening 4d of the storage container 4a.

[0038] 9, the storage container 4a is moved so that the unused piece of protective glass 3B faces the holding mechanism 42. Specifically, the storage container 4a is moved in the positive direction of the Y axis so that the unused piece of protective glass 3B faces the holding mechanism 42 in the X axis direction. That is, the unused piece of protective glass 3B and the holding mechanism 42 are aligned in position in the Y axis direction and the Z axis direction.

[0039] 10, the linear motion mechanism 40 moves the holding mechanism 42 into the storage container 4a. Specifically, the linear motion moving body 40b is moved in the negative direction of the X-axis along the guide 40a, thereby moving the holding mechanism 42 connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the rotation mechanism 41 into the storage container 4a. Then, the distance between the two arm portions 42b is narrowed, and the two arm portions 42b grip the protective glass 3B before use. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B before use is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0040] 11, the linear motion mechanism 40 moves the unused protective glass 3B to the outside of the storage container 4a. Specifically, the linear motion moving body 40b is moved in the positive direction of the X-axis along the guide 40a to move the unused protective glass 3B connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the holding mechanism 42 and the rotation mechanism 41 to the outside of the storage container 4a. At this time, the unused protective glass 3B is at the same height as the opening 4d of the storage container 4a.

[0041] Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the rotation mechanism 41 rotates the protective glass 3B before use to a position below the opening 4d of the storage container 4a. Specifically, the driving source 41a is driven to rotate the rotating body 41b in the rotation direction +RX, thereby rotating the protective glass 3B before use connected to the rotating body 41b via the holding mechanism 42 to a position below the opening 4d of the storage container 4a. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B before use is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In addition, the protective glass 3B before use and the opening (not shown) of the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1) are opposed to each other in the X-axis direction. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 12, the transport mechanism 4b is disposed in a space other than between the processing head 1 and the storage container 4a when the protective glass 3A, 3B is rotated by the rotation mechanism 41.

[0042] Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the linear motion mechanism 40 moves the protective glass 3B before use into the processing head 1 (see FIG. 1). Specifically, the linear motion moving body 40b is moved in the negative direction of the X-axis direction along the guide 40a, so that the protective glass 3B before use, which is connected to the linear motion moving body 40b via the holding mechanism 42 and the rotation mechanism 41, is moved into the processing head 1. Then, in a state in which the protective glass 3B before use is positioned on the optical axis of the focusing lens 2 (see FIG. 1), the interval between the two arm parts 42b is widened, and the protective glass 3B before use is separated from the two arm parts 42b and handed over to the processing head 1. As a result, the protective glass 3B before use is disposed at an appropriate position inside the processing head 1. At this time, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B before use is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In the series of exchange operations described above, the protective glass 3B before use is in a state in which the glass surface 3c is parallel to the vertical direction inside the storage container 4a. In other words, before use, the protective glass 3B is in a state in which the glass surface 3c is not perpendicular to the vertical direction inside the storage container 4a.

[0043] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0044] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a protective glass 200 stored in a storage container 210a of an automatic exchanger 210 in a comparative example, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a protective glass 3B stored in a storage container 4a of an automatic exchanger 4 in the first embodiment, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. In FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, one protective glass 3B, 200 is shown. As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, when a foreign object 8 enters the inside of the storage container 4a, 210a, the foreign object 8 gradually descends due to gravity. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14, if the protective glass 200 before use is stored in the storage container 210a with the glass surface 200a perpendicular to the vertical direction, the descending foreign object 8 will adhere to the glass surface 200a. If foreign matter 8 is already attached to the glass surface 200a of the protective glass 200 before use, the protective glass 200 will have to be replaced more frequently, which will increase the number of interruptions to laser processing and reduce the productivity of the workpiece 7.

[0045] In this respect, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the automatic exchange device 4 of the laser processing machine 100 has a storage container 4a capable of storing the used protective glass 3A and the unused protective glass 3B, and a transport mechanism 4b for transporting the protective glasses 3A and 3B between the inside of the processing head 1 and the inside of the storage container 4a. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the transport mechanism 4b has a rotation mechanism 41 for rotating the protective glasses 3A and 3B around a horizontal axis. Also, in this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 41 can change the posture of the protective glasses 3A and 3B so that the angle between the glass surface 3c of the protective glasses 3A and 3B and the vertical direction changes. With these configurations, as shown in FIG. 15, the unused protective glass 3B can be stored inside the storage container 4a with the glass surface 3c parallel to the vertical direction, so that the falling foreign matter 8 is less likely to adhere to the glass surface 3c. In other words, the adhesion of the foreign matter 8 to the glass surface 3c of the unused protective glass 3B can be suppressed. Therefore, compared to the comparative example shown in FIG. 14, the protective glass 3 needs to be replaced less frequently, and therefore the number of interruptions to laser processing is reduced, making it possible to improve the productivity of the workpiece 7.

[0046] Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the extension direction of the processing head 1 is parallel to the vertical direction, but it may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Even in this configuration, the transport mechanism 4b inserts the unused protective glass 3B into the processing head 1 with the glass surface 3c perpendicular to the extension direction of the processing head 1. For this reason, the transport mechanism 4b inserts the unused protective glass 3B into the processing head 1 with the glass surface 3c obliquely intersecting the vertical direction.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, when replacing the protective glass 3, the processing head 1 and the automatic exchange device 4 are disposed adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction, but they may be disposed adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction other than the X-axis direction. For example, the processing head 1 and the automatic exchange device 4 may be disposed adjacent to each other in the Y-axis direction. In this configuration, the automatic exchange device 4 is disposed away from the bed 5 and the column 6 in the Y-axis direction.

[0049] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the linear motion mechanism 40 is configured by combining a guide 40a and a linear motion moving body 40b which is a pressure type linear motion actuator, but is not limited thereto. The linear motion mechanism 40 may be configured by combining a guide, a ball screw, and a motor, a rack and pinion, a linear motor, or a belt drive system, for example.

[0050] In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the holding mechanism 42 is an air hand that holds the protective glass 3 with two arm portions 42b, but is not limited to this. The holding mechanism 42 may be, for example, a hole gripper, an electromagnet, or a universal socket.

[0051] Embodiment 2 Next, an automatic exchanger 4A in a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a side view showing a storage container 4a, a protective glass 3B, and a holding mechanism 42 of the automatic exchanger 4A in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the protective glass 3B inside the storage container 4a is different from that of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, parts that overlap with those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0052] Fig. 16 shows a virtual curve L along the rotation direction RX of the rotation mechanism 41 (see Fig. 4). Also, in Fig. 16, the rotation positions of the two arm portions 42b that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation mechanism 41 are shown by dashed lines. The rotation position of the arm portions 42b changes in multiple stages along the rotation direction RX, but only three stages are shown here. Also, in Fig. 16, the protective glass 3B is shown in a simplified form.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 16, the multiple protective glasses 3B before use are arranged in a line in the rotation direction RX of the rotation mechanism 41. The center of each protective glass 3B in the height direction is located on the virtual curve L. Some of the multiple protective glasses 3B are arranged inside the storage container 4a with the glass surface 3c parallel to the vertical direction. The remaining of the multiple protective glasses 3B are arranged inside the storage container 4a with the glass surface 3c obliquely intersecting the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B located at the center is parallel to the vertical direction. The glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B located at +RX in the rotation direction is obliquely intersecting the vertical direction, and is inclined to be located at +RX in the rotation direction RX as it moves from the bottom to the top. The glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B located at -RX in the rotation direction is obliquely intersecting the vertical direction, and is inclined to be located at -RX in the rotation direction RX as it moves from the bottom to the top. In this embodiment, the storage container 4a has a generally upwardly convex arch shape as viewed from the side.

[0054] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0055] Fig. 17 is a side view showing the storage container 4a, protective glass 3B, and holding mechanism 42 of the automatic exchange device 4 in the first embodiment. Fig. 17 shows an imaginary straight line M along the Y-axis direction. Fig. 17 also shows with dashed lines the rotational positions of the two arm portions 42b that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotation mechanism 41 (see Fig. 4). The rotational position of the arm portions 42b changes in multiple stages along the rotation direction RX, but only three stages are shown here. Fig. 17 also shows a simplified view of the protective glass 3B.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 17, the multiple protective glasses 3B before use are arranged in the Y-axis direction. The center of each protective glass 3B in the height direction is located on the virtual straight line M. Each protective glass 3B is arranged inside the storage container 4a with the glass surface 3c parallel to the vertical direction. As shown in the figure, if the arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) of the multiple protective glasses 3B before use does not match the rotation direction RX of the rotation mechanism 41, the protective glass 3B can be held only at one position where the positions of the two arm parts 42b are aligned in the vertical direction. Therefore, in order to hold the protective glass 3B with the two arm parts 42b, it is necessary to move the storage container 4a in the Y-axis direction (direction of arrow E) using a drive source other than the rotation mechanism 41, and move the protective glass 3B to a position where the positions of the two arm parts 42b are aligned in the vertical direction.

[0057] In this regard, in the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 16, the multiple protective glasses 3B before use are arranged side by side in the rotation direction RX of the rotation mechanism 41, so that the two arm sections 42b can be moved to the position of each protective glass 3B simply by controlling the angle of the rotor 41b of the rotation mechanism 41. In other words, each protective glass 3B can be held by the two arm sections 42b at each position of the multiple protective glasses 3B stored in the storage container 4a. This eliminates the need for a drive source for moving the storage container 4a in the Y-axis direction.

[0058] Embodiment 3 Next, an automatic exchanger 4B in the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a side view showing a cleaning mechanism 43 and a protective glass 3B of the automatic exchanger 4B in the third embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that the automatic exchanger 4B includes a cleaning mechanism 43. In the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for parts that overlap with the first and second embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The cleaning mechanism 43 is installed inside the device side housing 4c (see FIG. 1). The cleaning mechanism 43 has a fluid generating unit (not shown) that generates pressurized fluid 43b, and a nozzle 43a that sprays the fluid 43b sent from the fluid generating unit. The cleaning mechanism 43 sprays clean fluid 43b toward a part of the rotation orbit of the protective glass 3B before use. The clean fluid 43b is fluid 43b that does not contain foreign matter 8. The fluid 43b is, for example, air.

[0060] The rotation mechanism 41 (see FIG. 4) can change the attitude of the protective glass 3B in a stepwise manner. In other words, the rotation mechanism 41 can stop the protective glass 3B at each of a plurality of angles between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. FIG. 18 shows, as an example, four attitudes 3B1 to 3B4 of one protective glass 3B that change in a stepwise manner. The attitude 3B1 of the protective glass 3B is the attitude when the protective glass 3B has rotated most in the +RX direction of the rotation direction RX, and in this attitude 3B1, the glass surface 3c is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The attitude 3B4 of the protective glass 3B is the attitude when the protective glass 3B has rotated most in the -RX direction of the rotation direction RX, and in this attitude 3B4, the glass surface 3c is parallel to the vertical direction. The attitudes 3B2 and 3B3 of the protective glass 3B are the attitudes when the protective glass 3B has rotated halfway in the rotation direction RX, and the glass surface 3c is obliquely intersecting the vertical direction.

[0061] The rotation mechanism 41 can stop the protective glass 3B at each of the postures 3B1 to 3B4. The cleaning mechanism 43 sprays a fluid 43b toward the stopped protective glass 3B. In this embodiment, the cleaning mechanism 43 sprays the fluid 43b toward the protective glass 3B in postures 3B2 and 3B3. That is, the cleaning mechanism 43 sprays the fluid 43b toward the protective glass 3B that has stopped midway in the rotation direction RX.

[0062] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0063] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18, a cleaning mechanism 43 is provided that sprays a fluid 43b toward a part of the rotational orbit of the protective glass 3B before use, and the rotation mechanism 41 can change the attitude of the protective glass 3B in stages. With this configuration, it is possible to remove foreign matter 8 attached to the glass surface 3c of the protective glass 3B. In addition, by controlling the angle of the rotor 41b of the rotation mechanism 41 to change the attitude of the protective glass 3B in stages between an attitude in which the fluid 43b of the cleaning mechanism 43 hits the front glass surface 3c and an attitude in which the fluid hits the back glass surface 3c, it is possible to remove foreign matter 8 attached to the front and back glass surfaces 3c of the protective glass 3B.

[0064] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 processing head, 1a head side housing, 2 focusing lens, 3, 3A, 3B, 200 protective glass, 3a glass main body, 3b glass frame, 3c, 200a glass surface, 4, 4A, 4B, 210 automatic exchange device, 4a, 210a storage container, 4b transport mechanism, 4c device side housing, 4d opening, 5 bed, 6 column, 6a vertical section, 6b horizontal section, 7 workpiece, 8 foreign object, 40 linear motion mechanism, 40a guide, 40b linear motion moving body, 41 rotation mechanism, 41a drive source, 41b rotating body, 42 holding mechanism, 42a support section, 42b arm section, 43 cleaning mechanism, 43a nozzle, 43b fluid, 100 laser processing machine.

Claims

1. A processing head that irradiates a laser beam toward the workpiece, A focusing lens is provided inside the processing head to focus the laser beam, A protective glass is provided inside the processing head, between the focusing lens and the workpiece, to protect the focusing lens. An automatic replacement device having a storage container capable of storing the protective glass after use and the protective glass before use, and a transport mechanism for transporting the protective glass between the inside of the processing head and the inside of the storage container, Equipped with, The transport mechanism has a rotation mechanism that rotates the protective glass around a horizontal axis, The laser processing machine is characterized in that the rotation mechanism can change the orientation of the protective glass so as to change the angle between the glass surface of the protective glass and the vertical direction.

2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotating mechanism can change the linear trajectory for transporting the protective glass.

3. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport mechanism inserts the protective glass into the processing head before use while the glass surface is oblique to the vertical direction.

4. The storage container holds multiple pieces of the protective glass before use. The laser processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the multiple protective glass sheets before use are arranged in the direction of rotation of the rotating mechanism.

5. The system includes a cleaning mechanism that sprays fluid onto a portion of the rotational trajectory of the protective glass before use. The laser processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rotation mechanism can change the orientation of the protective glass in stages.

6. An automatic replacement device that automatically replaces the protective glass protecting the focusing lens, which is installed inside the processing head, A storage container capable of storing the protective glass after use and the protective glass before use, A transport mechanism for transporting the protective glass between the inside of the processing head and the inside of the storage container, It has, The transport mechanism has a rotation mechanism that rotates the protective glass around a horizontal axis, The automatic replacement device is characterized in that the rotation mechanism can change the orientation of the protective glass so as to change the angle between the glass surface of the protective glass and the vertical direction.

Images