Patent EP-2329908-A2 (EP)
Inventor: VOGEL PHILIPPE
IPC: B23K26/20
Filed: 2010-11-09
Abstract: The common laser device (10) comprises a connector (21) with a light source, an optical collimator for creating a parallel laser beam from the light source, a focusing optical system (31) to focus the laser beam in an impact area on a work surface, and a nozzle for guiding the laser beam and defining the impact zone. The connector and optical collimator are assembled in a basic optical module (30, 40). The focusing system and the nozzle are assembled in a dedicated optical module, and separated and assembled to the removable basic optical module. The common laser device (10) comprises a connector (21) with a light source, an optical collimator for creating a parallel laser beam from the light source, a focusing optical system (31) to focus the laser beam in an impact area on a work surface, and a nozzle for guiding the laser beam and defining the impact zone. The connector and optical collimator are assembled in a basic optical module (30, 40). The focusing system and the nozzle are assembled in a dedicated optical module, and separated and assembled to the removable basic optical module. The basic optical module and used optical module comprises an additional fastening unit, and a unit of closure arranged to protect the optical modules when they are not assembled. The additional fastening unit comprises a bayonet fastening system for assembling the optical modules by a push shot relative movement by a module with respect to the other module. The optical modules comprise a locking unit arranged to prevent removal of the assembled optical modules, and an unlocking unit arranged to release the locking unit and allowing removal of the optical modules. The closure unit and optical module are arranged for contacting with the additional fastening unit to be automatically moved between a closed position and an open position and inversely, respectively, when the optical modules are assembled and dismantled. The closure unit comprises a shutter in form of circular diaphragm mounted in a support ring and controlled by a pin extending radially outside of the optical modules. Control pins of shutter corresponding to the assembled optical modules are coupled together by a connecting part. The optical modules comprise a radial opening to the outside arranged to receive the control pins of shutter and extend over an angular sector corresponding to the path of the control pins between the closed and opened positions of the shutter. The optical collimator of the basic optical module is mounted on a movable support axially arranged to change the distance between the connector and the optical collimator for increasing or reducing the diameter and density of energy of the laser beam. The basic optical module comprises a first module of referral angle provided by a mirror inclined downstream of optical collimator to deflect the laser beam. The optical module further comprises a second module of referral angle provided by a tilted mirror and a focusing optical system, where the module is arranged to create a second laser beam from a single source of light. A diffractive optical system (26) is arranged downstream of the optical collimator and to create impact areas from a laser beam. A movable focusing module is provided with the focusing optical system coupled to an actuator arranged to move the focusing optical system laterally with respect to the axis of the laser beam and shifting its impact point. A first movable carriage is arranged for carrying the optical modules and coupled to an actuator for moving the impact zone according to a first axis. A second carriage is carried by the first movable carriage and coupled to a second actuator to move the impact point according to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. A control unit is arranged to control the position and quality of the impact zone using a laser beam over a path defined on the work surface, and comprises a camera loaded on the device and a processor that supervises two logical circuits of which one is used in processing the images seen by the camera and the other is used by the control of actuators of carriage and a communication unit with a control center or a supervisor. The processor is arranged to operate on Linux(RTM: Operating system), and the logic circuits are field-programmable gate array type.