Patent ID: 8487209

Claim:
An apparatus for conducting laser welding, comprising: a laser irradiating unit for irradiating a laser beam to a work; a first fluid injecting unit comprising a first fluid injecting nozzle and a fluid deflector and configured to inject a fluid in a cone pattern in a first fluid injecting direction configured to remove a fume produced by the laser beam during welding of the work piece from a path of the laser beam to the work piece, wherein the first fluid injecting unit is positioned external to the laser irradiating unit between a laser beam exit from the laser irradiating unit and the work piece, and the first fluid injecting unit is positioned such that the cone pattern is oblique to the laser beam such that a laser irradiating point on the work piece is separated from the cone pattern of the fluid; and a lens protecting element positioned proximal to a laser emitting port on an outer surface of the laser irradiating unit, wherein the first fluid injecting nozzle is positioned between the lens protecting element and the work piece to inject the fluid transverse to the laser beam along the lens protecting element, wherein the fluid deflector is positioned to deflect the fluid in the direction oblique to the laser beam after the fluid passes along the lens protecting element.