Apparatus and method of manufacturing shell for resonator using laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11773003-B2
Application number	US-202017101227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Proposed are an apparatus and a method of manufacturing a shell for a resonator using a laser. According to the apparatus and method, it is possible to stably manufacture 3D shells for a resonator in various shapes by applying heat through a laser and adjusting the degree of vacuum in a forming frame, it is possible to improve work safety and work efficiency, and it is possible to use various materials that are heated and deformed by a laser other than a glass material, thereby being able to increase generality of manufacturing. In particular, it is possible to accurately implement 3D shapes of a shell for a resonator such as a hemisphere or a semi-toroid, so it is possible to remarkably reduce a defective portion in manufacturing and the manufacturing cost, and considerably improve productivity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a shell for a resonator using a laser, the apparatus comprising:
a shell-forming frame that has a shell-forming space having an open top and being able to form a shell for a resonator, and on which a substrate for manufacturing a shell that is deformed by a laser is disposed;
a laser generator that thermally deforms the substrate for manufacturing a shell on the shell-forming frame by emitting a laser beam to the substrate for manufacturing a shell;
a vacuum pump unit that is connected to the shell-forming space and deforms the substrate for manufacturing a shell heated by the laser beam into a 3D shape by adjusting a degree of vacuum in the shell-forming space, and
a plurality of substrate-fixing jig assemblies spaced over a top of the shell-forming frame and fixing a position of the substrate for manufacturing a shell by pressing a top of the substrate for manufacturing a shell,
wherein the substrate-fixing jig assembly comprises:
a pressing jig disposed on the shell-forming frame to be able to move up and down and rotate;
a jig-supporting spring disposed in the shell-forming frame and elastically supporting the pressing jig; and
a substrate-pressing bolt fastened to the shell-forming frame through the pressing jig from above and enabling the pressing jig to press the top of the substrate for manufacturing a shell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum pump unit comprises:
a vacuum pump suctioning air from the shell-forming space or supplying air into the shell-forming space;
a vacuum line connecting the vacuum pump and the shell-forming space; and
a vacuum degree control valve opening or closing a channel of the vacuum line,
wherein the vacuum pump and the vacuum degree control valve are connected to a controller and are controlled to operate by the controller, thereby adjusting the degree of vacuum in the shell-forming space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller comprises an air pressure sensor sensing air pressure in the shell-forming space.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser generator changes a shape and intensity of the laser beam using any one of a lens, a prism, axicon, a diffraction grating, a screen, and a neutral density filter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first straight mover straightly reciprocating the laser generator in an X-axial direction; and
a second straight mover straightly reciprocating the first straight mover in a Y-axial direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a laser elevator moving up and down the laser generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressing jig comprises:
a rotational shaft portion rotatably inserted in the shell-forming frame; and
a substrate supporting portion protruding to a side from the rotational shaft portion and holding the top of the substrate for manufacturing a shell.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an upper shock-absorbing pad made of an elastic material and being in close contact with a top of the shell for manufacturing a shell is disposed under a bottom of the substrate supporting portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a cooling gas spray unit spraying cooling gas to a bottom of the shell for manufacturing a shell out of an emission range of the laser beam is disposed in the shell-forming frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a lower sealing O-ring, that is made of an elastic material and on which the substrate for manufacturing a shell is disposed, is disposed on the top of the shell-forming frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an inner forming frame separably coupled in the shell-forming space of the shell-forming frame and having a different shell-forming space therein.

Assignees

• Hanwha Corp
• Hanwha Aerospace Co Ltd

Inventors

• Min Seong Ho
• Han Jeong Youp
• Kim Kwang Jin
• Son Seong Hyun

Classifications

• C03B23/0357 Primary

  by suction without blowing, e.g. with vacuum or by venturi effect · CPC title

• B23K26/0093

  combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K · CPC title

• C03C23/0025

  by a laser beam · CPC title

• G01C19/5783

  Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719 · CPC title

• B23K26/0869

  Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction · CPC title