Sensing Arrangement for Monitoring Contamination of Cover Slide on Laser Processing Head
AssigneeII-Vi Delaware, Inc.
InventorDanny CHAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensing apparatus monitors a cover optic on a laser processing head for contamination, indicating the need to replace the cover optic. The apparatus includes at least one reflector and at least one sensors that are disposed in the processing head adjacent a periphery of the cover optic. The reflector reflects radiation from the laser beam deflected from contamination on the cover optic and incident thereagainst. The sensor is offset from the reflector and detects at least a portion of the radiation reflected by the reflector. A controller in communication with the sensor can determine the contamination on the cover optic based on the detected radiation.
Claims20
An apparatus for a laser processing head having a replaceable cover optic, the replaceable cover optic disposed in line with a longitudinal axis of a laser beam emitted from the laser processing head in a lasing process, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one reflector disposed adjacent a periphery of the replaceable cover optic, the at least one reflector configured to reflect radiation generated by interaction of the laser beam with contamination on the replaceable cover optic and incident against the at least one reflector;
- and
- at least one sensor disposed adjacent the periphery of the replaceable cover optic, the at least one sensor disposed in offset relation relative to the at least one reflector, the at least one sensor configured to detect at least a portion of the radiation reflected by the at least one reflector.
A laser processing head having a replaceable cover optic, the replaceable cover optic disposed in line with a laser beam emitted from the laser processing head, the head comprising:
- a receptacle disposed on the laser processing head for holding the replaceable cover optic;
- at least one reflector disposed adjacent the receptacle, the at least one reflector configured to reflect radiation generated by interaction of the laser beam with contamination on the replaceable cover optic and incident against the at least one reflector;
- and
- at least one sensor disposed adjacent the periphery of the receptacle, the at least one sensor disposed in offset relation relative to the at least one reflector, the at least one sensor configured to detect at least a portion of the radiation reflected by the at least one reflector.
A method used with a laser processing head having a replaceable cover optic, the replaceable cover optic disposed in line with a laser beam emitted from the laser processing head, the method comprising:
- reflecting, with at least one reflector disposed on the laser processing head adjacent the replaceable cover optic, radiation from generated by interaction of the laser beam with contamination on the replaceable cover optic and incident against the at least one reflector;
- detecting, with at least one sensor disposed on the laser processing head adjacent the periphery of the replaceable cover optic and in offset relation relative to the at least one reflector, at least a portion of the radiation reflected by the at least one reflector;
- and
- determining a level of the contamination on the replaceable cover optic based on the radiation detected by the at least one sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.