Gas supply device and laser processing head comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465237-B2
Application number	US-201916967103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A gas supply device for a laser machining head is provided for generating a homogeneous gas flow. The gas supply device includes a gas inlet, a shared volume for superimposing a laser beam and the gas flow, and a gas channel system which, starting from the gas inlet, branches at least twice and connects the gas inlet with several outlet openings at the shared volume. The gas channel system and the outlet openings are configured to provide a substantially homogeneous gas flow to the shared volume.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas supply device for a laser machining head for providing a gas flow, comprising:
a gas inlet;
a shared volume having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end having an exit opening for providing the gas flow; and
a gas channel system having a plurality of gas channels and at least two branching points, which are arranged consecutively along a flow path from the gas inlet to the shared volume, wherein a first gas channel connected to the gas inlet is split at a first one of the branching points into at least two second gas channels, wherein each of the at least two second gas channels are split into at least two third gas channels at second ones of the branching points, and wherein the plurality of gas channels connect the gas inlet with at least one outlet opening at the shared volume by connecting each of the third gas channels with the at least one outlet opening at the shared volume;
wherein the shared volume is configured for the superimposition of a laser beam and the gas flow in the shared volume between the exit opening and the second end of the shared volume; and
wherein the gas channel system is configured to provide a homogenous gas flow over a flow cross section of the exit opening.

2. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein paths are formed in said gas channel system, each path extends from said gas inlet to said at least one outlet opening, and lengths of said paths are the same.

3. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein said gas channels are shaped as bores.

4. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein said gas channel system is symmetrical to a plane which is parallel to an optical axis of said laser machining head and which extends through said gas inlet.

5. The gas supply device according to claim 4 , wherein said plane is a central plane of said gas supply device.

6. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein an accumulation volume is arranged between said gas channels and said at least one outlet opening at said shared volume.

7. The gas supply device according to claim 6 , wherein paths are formed in said gas channel system, each path extends from said gas inlet to said at least one outlet opening, and lengths of said paths are the same.

8. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising an element arranged such that the gas flow is guided from said gas channel system via said element into said shared volume.

9. The gas supply device according to claim 8 , wherein said element is selected from a group consisting of bundles of tubes, sieves, fins, honeycomb elements and calming sections.

10. The gas supply device according to claim 8 , wherein said element comprises a plurality of calming sections distributed symmetrically around a periphery of said shared volume.

11. The gas supply device according to claim 10 , wherein said element comprises between 4 and 24, inclusive, calming sections.

12. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the gas channels of said gas channel system branches at each branching point into two or more subsequent gas channels.

13. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein said gas supply device forms part of said laser machining head.

14. A laser machining head comprising:
a laser device for providing a laser beam; and
a gas supply device for providing a gas flow,
wherein the gas supply device comprises:
a gas inlet;
a shared volume;
having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end having an exit opening for providing the gas flow; and
a gas channel system having a plurality of gas channels and at least two branching points, which are arranged consecutively along a flow path from a gas inlet to the shared volume, wherein a first gas channel connected to the gas inlet is split at a first one of the branching points into at least two second gas channels that are each split into at least two third gas channels at second ones of the branching points, wherein the plurality of gas channels connect the gas inlet with at least one outlet opening at the shared volume by connecting each of the third gas channels with the at least one outlet opening at the shared volume;
wherein the shared volume is configured for the superimposition of the laser beam and the gas flow in the shared volume between the exit opening and the second end of the shared volume.

15. The laser machining head according to claim 14 , further comprising an optical element, wherein said shared volume of said gas supply device is arranged between said optical element and a nozzle opening of said laser machining head.

16. The laser machining head according to claim 14 , further comprising an optical element, wherein said shared volume is arranged directly next to said optical element and said at least one outlet opening is oriented at an angle between 0° and 90° with respect to said optical element.

17. The laser machining head according to claim 14 , wherein said gas inlet of said gas supply device is the only gas inlet for a cutting gas on said laser machining head.

18. The gas supply device according to claim 1 , wherein said gas channel system is symmetrical to a plane which is a symmetry plane of said shared volume.

19. The gas supply device according to claim 4 , wherein said plane is a central plane through one of the branching points of said gas channel system.

20. The gas supply device according to claim 10 , wherein said calming sections have a ratio D/L of section diameter D to section length L between 0.05 and 0.3.

Assignees

• Precitec Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Opitz Florian
• Loose Christian

Classifications

• B23K26/38

  by boring or cutting · CPC title

• B23K26/1435 Primary

  involving specially adapted flow-control means · CPC title

• B23K26/1476 Primary

  Features inside the nozzle for feeding the fluid stream through the nozzle · CPC title

• B23K26/142

  for the removal of by-products · CPC title

• B23K2103/04

  Steel {or steel} alloys · CPC title