US 12,521,816 B2 · Scanning laser apparatus addressing two workstations

Abstract

A scanning laser apparatus for alternately processing two workstations includes a 2D laser beam scanner and a roof reflector. The roof reflector has two reflective surfaces located on the left and right sides, respectively, of the roof “ridge”. The laser beam scanner directs the laser beam to either one of the left and right reflective surfaces of the roof reflector. When the laser beam scanner directs the laser beam to the left (or right) reflective surface, the left (or right) reflective surface reflects the laser beam toward a workstation on the left (or right) side of the roof ridge. The roof reflector divides the field of view of the laser beam scanner between the workstations. While a workpiece is being removed from or mounted in the left workstation, another workpiece may undergo scanning laser processing in the right workstation, and vice versa, thereby facilitating high throughput.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A scanning laser apparatus for alternately addressing two workstations, comprising:

a two-dimensional laser beam scanner for steering a propagation direction of a laser beam within a field of view of the laser beam scanner;
and
a roof reflector positioned to intercept the laser beam steered by the laser beam scanner, the roof reflector including a roof ridge and first and second reflective surfaces positioned on first and second sides, respectively, of a center plane of the roof reflector coinciding with the roof ridge, the center plane dividing the field of view into first and second field-of-view portions so as to allow said steering of the laser beam to direct the laser beam to either the first or the second reflective surface, each of the first and second reflective surfaces being oriented to reflect the laser beam away from the center plane;
wherein the laser beam scanner is configured to adjust the propagation direction of the laser beam, as incident on the roof reflector, in dimensions both parallel and perpendicular to the center plane.

1 more element

A scanning laser processing method for alternately addressing two workstations, comprising steps of:

directing a laser beam to a first reflective surface of a roof reflector, the first reflective surface being positioned on a first side of a center plane of the roof reflector, the center plane coinciding with a roof ridge of the roof reflector, the first reflective surface reflecting the laser beam away from the center plane to irradiate a first workpiece mounted in a first workstation on the first side of the center plane;
while directing the laser beam to the first reflective surface, varying the propagation direction of the laser beam toward the roof reflector, both parallel and orthogonally to the center plane, to scan at least a portion of the first workpiece with the laser beam;
after directing the laser beam to the first reflective surface, directing the laser beam to a second reflective surface of the roof reflector, the second reflective surface being positioned on a second side of the center plane, the second reflective surface reflecting the laser beam away from the center plane to irradiate a second workpiece mounted in a second workstation on the second side of the center plane;
and
while directing the laser beam to the second reflective surface, varying the propagation direction of the laser beam toward the roof reflector, both parallel and orthogonally to the center plane, to scan at least a portion of the second workpiece with the laser beam.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Scanning laser apparatus addressing two workstations

Life of this patent

Scanning laser apparatus addressing two workstations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21