Patent · US Expired

Laser beam machine with an optical fiber cable

US5660748A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
12References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1996
Grant dateAug 26, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/4296
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A laser beam machine comprises an optical fiber cable for transmitting laser light, a beam output optical assembly for converging and emitting a laser beam and flexible protective conduits arranged along the X- and Y-axes accommodating the optical fiber cable as well as power and control cables for X-and Z-axis drive motors and an assist gas tube. While the beam output optical assembly can be moved along the X-, Y- and Z-axes, the flexible protective conduits do not bend in excess of the permissible bending radius of the optical fiber cable. The laser beam machine thus constructed provides improved reliability, safety and maintainability of the optical fiber cable as well as high laser beam converging performance and an enlarged machining area. In another embodiment a nozzle centering device is provided between an optical fiber cable and a nozzle housing holding a collimator lens and a condensor lens to align the optical axis of the optical fiber cable with the nozzle housing.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.