Patent ID: 8445810

Claim:
A laser welding apparatus comprising: an outer frame; a laser irradiation head of tubular shape that is arranged in the outer frame and is divided inside into a light source side and an irradiation side by a partitioning member having a light transparency and reflectivity, an opening being formed in an extremity of the irradiation side, an optical member for collecting laser light being arranged on the light source side, the irradiation side being intended for irradiation of the laser light; a gas supply pipe that is coupled to a lateral side of the irradiation side to supply inert gas into an interior of the irradiation side; a gas jet nozzle that is coupled in series to the opening in the extremity of the irradiation side, and is formed so as to irradiate a portion to be welded with the laser light and jet the inert gas to the portion to be welded; a welding wire feed pipe that sequentially feeds a welding wire so that an extremity of the welding wire comes into contact with the portion to be welded; and a welding wire contact mechanism that includes a measuring means for measuring an angle of rotation of the welding wire fed from the welding wire feed pipe, such that the welding wire contact mechanism is capable of measuring a distance between the extremity of the irradiation side and the extremity of the welding wire, and is formed so that the extremity of the welding wire is brought into contact with and pressed against the portion to be welded by an elastic member.