LASER HARDENING TOOL

Abstract

The invention provides a laser hardening tool having little laser output loss. The laser hardening tool 100 condenses the irradiated beams LB1 from a semiconductor laser stack 120 via a condensing optical lens 134, and creates parallel light beams LB3 via a diverging optical lens 142. The laser beams LB4 having been bent by a first mirror 160 travels through an optical waveguide 150 having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The laser beams LB5 having been condensed by a re-condensing optical lens 170 are irradiated through a nozzle 190 to subject a work to hardening. The number of reflections of the laser beams LB4 in the angular optical waveguide 150 is small, and thus the loss of laser output is reduced.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laser hardening tool according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the laser hardening tool according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an upper view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling water channel of the laser hardening tool of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an upper view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view showing the arrangement of mirrors of the laser hardening tool according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the flow of laser beam of the laser hardening tool according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an upper view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the rectangular optical waveguide according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the operation of a prior art optical waveguide.

Claims

1. A laser hardening tool comprising: a semiconductor laser stack having semiconductors arranged in a matrix for outputting laser beams;a condensing optical system for condensing the laser beams output from the semiconductor laser stack;a diverging optical system for diverging the laser beams condensed by the condensing optical system so that the axis lines of the laser beams become parallel;a rectangular optical waveguide for guiding the laser beams output from the diverging optical system having a rectangular cross-sectional shape;a re-condensing optical system for re-condensing the laser beams having traveled through the rectangular optical waveguide; andan optical waveguide nozzle for outputting the re-condensed laser beams toward a work.

2. The laser hardening tool according to claim 1, further comprising a first mirror disposed at an inlet port of the rectangular optical waveguide, and a second mirror disposed between the re-condensing optical system and the optical waveguide nozzle.

3. The laser hardening tool according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling water channel for supplying cooling water provided in a lens holder of the condensing optical system, a lens holder of the diverging optical system, the first mirror, the rectangular optical waveguide, a lens holder of the re-condensing optical system, the second mirror and the optical waveguide nozzle.

4. The laser hardening tool according to claim 1, wherein a mirror surface for reflecting the laser beam is provided with a reflection amplifying coating layer.