Conical Mirror Laser Welding Device for Internal Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for transmission welding of internal peripheral surfaces using laser beams face challenges in achieving a media-tight weld seam without interruptions, requiring a high number of laser optics modules due to beam divergence and distortion issues, especially when trying to maintain a small cone angle for minimal radiation loss and distortion.
Innovation Solution
A device with a conical mirror element and high-power diode laser optics modules, where the beam divergence is managed through beam-shaping optics to reduce the beam profile from a more punctiform to a linear shape, allowing for fewer laser optics modules to produce a seamless weld seam by optimizing the cone angle and overlapping areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of laser beam sources are used to ensure complete coverage and merging of laser beams on the inner peripheral surface, then the reliability of the weld seam is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cone angle parameter of the mirror element to less than 30°, which fundamentally alters the beam reflection geometry. This parameter change allows each laser beam to maintain its integrity while reaching the workpiece, reducing the need for excessive beam sources and enabling reliable welding with fewer modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using two mirror elements that cause double 90° deflection and beam distortion, the patent inverts the approach by using a single conical mirror element with a small cone angle. This inverted geometry directly reflects beams onto the workpiece without the intermediate double-deflection path, eliminating the need for beam reshaping optics and reducing system complexity.
2Productivity
If the cone angle of the mirror element is increased to cover larger workpiece areas, then the productivity is improved, but the beam distortion and radiation loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the cone angle parameter to a specific range (less than 30°) that balances two competing requirements: it is small enough to minimize beam distortion and radiation loss, yet large enough to provide sufficient coverage area for productive welding operations. This optimized parameter eliminates the need for beam reshaping optics while maintaining energy efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If beam-shaping optics are used to reduce beam divergence, then the manufacturing precision of the weld seam is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by not using beam-shaping optics to reduce divergence. Instead, it accepts the natural divergence of diode laser beams and uses a small-cone-angle mirror to reflect them directly onto the workpiece. This inverted approach maintains beam quality and weld precision while eliminating complex optical shaping components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mirror cone angle parameter to compensate for beam divergence naturally. The small cone angle geometry ensures that even divergent beams from diode lasers are reflected onto the workpiece with sufficient precision, eliminating the need for additional beam-shaping optics while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables reliable, media-tight welding with the smallest possible number of laser optics modules, reducing costs and maintaining high welding efficiency by minimizing beam distortion and radiation loss, while allowing for adjustable overlapping areas to accommodate varying workpiece sizes.
Implementation Method 1
the laser beams 41 strike the reflecting lateral surface 31 of the conical mirror element 3 and are reflected directly onto the workpiece 5
Implementation Method 2
one of the workpiece parts to be welded consists of a plastic that is transparent to the laser radiation and the other of a plastic that absorbs the laser radiation
Implementation Method 3
causing the latter to melt on the surface through absorption of the laser beams
Implementation Method 4
The temperature of the melt is also transferred to the transparent workpiece part by thermal conduction, whereby the transparent plastic also melts and connects to the absorbent workpiece part
Implementation Method 5
The laser optics modules 4 each emit a divergent laser beam 41 with the beam axis 42 in an emission plane 8
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for transmittance welding of internal circumferential surfaces (53) of a workpiece (5) using laser beams (41). The object of creating a device with which internal circumferential surfaces (53) of workpieces (5) can be welded in a media-tight manner using the fewest possible number of laser optical modules (4) is achieved according to the invention by arranging several laser optical modules (4) at equal distances from each other and from the center of the circle (7) on a circular line (7), and by arranging a conical mirror element (3) with a cone angle (α) of less than 30° at the center of the circle (7) such that the incident laser beams (41) are reflected directly into a welding plane (9) onto the circumferential surfaces (53) of the workpiece (5).