Patent ID: 7622694

Claim:
A laser beam machine for joining a first workpiece material to a second workpiece material by irradiating a laser beam, comprising: an optical fiber for propagating the laser beam; and an optical guide member that has a connecting portion to be optically connected to the optical fiber and a pressing portion to press the first workpiece material against the second workpiece material, and annularly guides the laser beam from the connecting portion to the pressing portion and outputs the laser beam from the pressing portion, wherein the optical guide member has a hollow and roughly headless circular cone shape that utilizes the connection portion as an apex and utilizes the pressing portion as a bottom, and wherein the laser beam utilized for processing is an annular laser beam, wherein the above-described combination of features is specifically configured so that laser beam scanning is not necessary, wherein a groove having a bottom from which the laser beam exits is annularly formed in the pressing portion, wherein the optical guide member is formed into a cap shape broadened toward the pressing portion from the connecting portion, wherein the optical guide member comprises a main body and a light guide portion inside the main body, the light guide portion formed into a cap shape broadened to the end for connection to the bottom of the groove from the connection portion, the light guide portion having a refractive index higher than that of the main body, and wherein the first workpiece material is a lid and the second workpiece material is a body.