JPH0420717B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a two-axis rotating laser head equipped with overtravel and origin position detection means.

[Prior Art] Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show a conventional two-axis rotating laser head of this type. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the two-axis rotating laser head, and Fig. 3 shows its main parts. FIG. In the figure, 1 is a laser head, and 2 is a vertical axis (hereinafter C
3 is a case in which a drive mechanism (not shown) for the C-axis rotary cylinder 2 is housed; 4 is a motor for driving the C-axis rotary cylinder 2; 5 is a motor for driving the C-axis rotary cylinder 2; The pulse encoder 6 for detecting the rotational position is a cylindrical body that is integrated with the lower end of the C-axis rotary cylinder 2 so as to be orthogonal thereto, and communicates with the C-axis rotary cylinder 2 through its internal space. It is provided. 7 is an A-axis whose rotation center is an axis (hereinafter referred to as A-axis) that becomes the optical axis of the laser beam whose traveling direction is made parallel by a bend mirror, which will be described below, arranged below the C-axis rotating tube 2. With a rotating tube,
A case 8 is formed at the rear end of the cylinder body 6 and is supported by penetrating the cylinder body 6 so as to be relatively rotatable, and is provided so as to communicate the C-axis rotary cylinder 2 and its internal space. A drive mechanism (not shown) provided therein allows driving force from the motor 9 to be applied to rotate the shaft. Further, the A-axis rotary tube 7 is provided with a processing lens mounting section 10 at its tip end that communicates with the processing lens mounting section 10 and extends in a direction orthogonal to the A-axis. (not shown) is installed. Furthermore, within the A-axis rotating cylinder 7, well-known bend mirrors are arranged at the intersections of the C-axis and the A-axis and the intersections of the A-axis and the center axis of the processing lens mounting section 10, and the above-mentioned The bend mirror at the intersection of the C-axis and the A-axis is fixed on the cylinder 6 side, and the bend mirror on the other processing head side is fixed on the A-axis rotating cylinder 7 side, so that the laser incident from the C-axis direction is fixed. The beam is deflected in its traveling direction by each of the bend mirrors, and further condensed by a condensing lens to process a workpiece placed at its focal position.

However, 11a and 11b are overtravel detection limit switches that detect when the A-axis rotary cylinder 7 rotates left and right around the A-axis by more than ±90 degrees, and are installed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the cylinder 6, Left and right dogs 12a and 12b provided on the outer surface of the processing lens mounting portion 10 on the side of the A-axis rotating barrel 7 allow the contacts to be mechanically turned on and off in the event of the above abnormality (Fig. 4). imaginary line). 11c
is a limit switch for detecting a reference position placed between the limit switches 11a and 11b on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the cylinder 6, and the length of the sensing lever 11d is the same as that of the limit switches 11a and 11b for overtravel detection. The dog 12a on the outer peripheral surface of the processing lens mounting portion 10 of the A-axis rotating barrel 7 is set longer than the
A reference position detection dog 12c protruding from the tip of the dog 12b in the A-axis direction allows the contact to be turned on and off mechanically.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional two-axis rotating laser head uses a mechanical limit switch as a means for detecting the overtravel and reference position of the A-axis rotating barrel 7. Since the mechanical limit switch is relatively large, the mounting position of the limit switch 11c, especially for detecting the reference position, is limited to outside the rotation range of the processing lens mounting section 10, and the dog 12c and other limit switches that operate it are limited. Dog 1 corresponding to 11a and 11b
2a and 12b must be installed independently, making it difficult to miniaturize the device.Furthermore, the limit switch is prone to malfunction because the contacts are directly turned on and off mechanically, resulting in a lack of reliability in detection. There was a problem.

In view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a two-axis rotating laser head that can share a dog, is free from mechanical wear, has high detection reliability, and can be miniaturized.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The two-axis rotating laser head of the present invention is provided with an oscillating section on either one of the C-axis rotating tube or the A-axis rotating tube, and detecting the approach of the oscillating section on the other. A detection unit is provided to detect these relative relationships in a non-contact manner.

[Function] In the present invention, the position detecting means consisting of the oscillating part and the detecting part is non-contact type and is smaller and lighter than a limit switch, so there is no mechanical wear even after repeated operations and it has a long life. Detection reliability is high and the device can be made smaller.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which parts corresponding to conventional ones are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the figure, 13a, 13b, 1
3c is a light receiving part of an optical proximity switch installed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the cylinder 6;
13a and 13b are light receiving parts for detecting overtravel in a non-contact manner when the machining lens attachment part 10 of the A-axis rotary barrel 7 rotates left and right by ±90 degrees or more around the A-axis, and 13c is the A-axis It is a light receiving part of an optical proximity switch for detecting the reference position of the rotary cylinder 7, and is located at a required position between the light receiving parts 13a and 13b, that is, within the range in which the processing lens mounting part 10 of the A-axis rotary cylinder 7 rotates. These light receiving sections 13a, 13b, and 13c all receive unidirectional light from a single light receiving section 14 installed at a position facing the cylinder 6 on the outer periphery of the processing lens mounting section 10. By sensing the light of the
It is designed to be turned on and off.
The configuration other than the above is the same as the conventional one, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the two-axis rotating laser head of the present invention detects the overtravel and reference position of the A-axis rotating tube 7 using a small and lightweight optical proximity switch whose contacts can be turned on and off without contact. Therefore, the setting position of each light receiving section 13a, 13b, 13c is not limited, and the light emitting section 14 that serves as a dog can be shared, and there is no mechanical wear on the position detection switch section, resulting in a long life and detection reliability. is high, and the device can be made more compact.

In the above embodiment, an optical proximity switch consisting of a light emitting part and a light receiving part is used as the rotational position detection means of the A-axis rotary cylinder 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. A single magnetic body made of soft steel or the like is provided in place of the light emitting section 14, and each of the light receiving sections 13 is provided on the cylindrical body 6 side.
A, 13c, and 13c may be replaced with a magnetic detection section that detects a change in the magnetic field due to the approach of the magnetic body, and such a magnetic proximity switch can also achieve the same effect as the above embodiment. In addition, especially when using this magnetic proximity switch, there is no effect even if fume gas or minute dust generated during processing adheres.
This has the advantage that more accurate detection is possible.

Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the light receiving section and the oscillating section made of a magnetic material are single, and the detection sections consisting of the light receiving section and the magnetic detecting section that detect the approach of these parts are described as being plural. It goes without saying that the relationship between the mounting positions and the number of settings can be reversed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a first rotary tube whose rotation center is the optical axis of an incident laser beam, and a bend mirror disposed at the tip of the first rotary tube. and a second rotating barrel whose center of rotation is the optical axis of the laser beam whose traveling direction has been deflected by the laser beam. In a two-axis rotating laser head that is assembled so as to be relatively rotatable in the cylinder rotation direction, an oscillating part is provided on one of the first and second rotating cylinders, and the approach of the oscillating part is sensed on the other. By providing a detection section that detects the relative positional relationship of these without contact, the position detection means consisting of the oscillation section and the detection section is non-contact, and is smaller and lighter than a limit switch.
There is no mechanical wear even when the device is turned around, has a long life, has high detection reliability, and has the advantage of being able to downsize the device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing essential parts of an embodiment of a two-axis rotating laser head according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a conventional two-axis rotating laser head. Figure 4 shows the main part of the first part.
It is a figure equivalent figure. In the figure, 1 is a laser head, 2 is a C-axis rotating tube (first rotating tube), 7 is an A-axis rotating tube (second rotating tube), 14 is a light emitting section (oscillating section), 13a, 13
b and 13c are light receiving parts (detecting parts). In addition, in each figure,
The same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first rotating tube whose center of rotation is the optical axis of the incident laser beam, and a bend mirror disposed at the tip of the first rotating tube, whose traveling direction is deflected. and a second rotary tube whose rotation center is the optical axis of the rear laser beam, which are assembled integrally in the rotational direction of the first rotary tube and relatively rotatable in the rotational direction of the second rotary tube. In the two-axis rotating laser head, an oscillating section is provided on one of the first and second rotating cylinders, and the relative positional relationship between them is detected in a non-contact manner by sensing the approach of the oscillating section on the other. A two-axis rotating laser head characterized in that it is provided with a detecting section that 2. A patent characterized in that optical position detecting means consisting of a light emitting section that generates unidirectional light and a light receiving section that senses the light is used as the position detecting means that consists of the oscillating section and the detecting section. A two-axis rotating laser head according to claim 1. 3. A magnetic position detecting means comprising a magnetic field generating section and a magnetic detecting section detecting a change in the magnetic field due to proximity of the magnetic field generating section is used as the position detecting means comprising the oscillating section and the detecting section. A two-axis rotating laser head according to claim 1.