Patent ID: 7538295

Claim:
A laser welding system, comprising: a free-spacing beam delivery laser head having a linear array of at least two laser diodes therein, each of the diodes adapted to generate a laser beam, the laser beams adapted to weld a workpiece having a first component and at least one other component to be welded to the first component; a lens spaced from each of the at least two laser diodes, each of the lenses adapted to focus the respective laser beam into a focused laser beam segment thus forming a continuous line of laser energy; and a water cooled pressure plate between the lenses and the first component of the workpiece, the water cooled pressure plate including a frame having an interior opening and at least one water cooling passage within an outer periphery of the frame, wherein the water cooled pressure plate further comprises: a first layer of substantially transmissive material supported by the frame and substantially covering the interior opening; a mask established in a predetermined configuration on the first layer of substantially transmissive material; and a second layer of substantially transmissive material supported by the frame and established on the mask, wherein the mask comprises a substantially non-transmissive, highly reflective material.