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US 5,739,502 AGranted
Laser intensity redistribution
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas Edwin Anderson, Gail Robert Dearth, James George Kelley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser beam is shaped by eclisping it with a mask of desired shape. The shaped beam is used to drill a hole corresponding to the shape of the beam.
Claims2
A method of drilling compound holes, comprising the following stesp:
- (a) drilling a pilot hole using a laser beam having a first, generally conical, shape,
- (b) enlarging at least part of the pilot hole by using a laser beam having a second, generally pyrimidal, shape.
A method of drilling cooling holes in a turbine blade, the holes having a first, upstream, region of generally cylindrical shape, and a second, downstream, diffusing region of generally pyramidal shape, comprising the following steps:
- (a) forming the first region by passing a laser beam through a generally circular mask to provide a laser beam of generally circular cross section of predetermined diameter;
- (b) focusing the first laser beam such that the focal point is positioned at a predetermined depth in the blade;
- (c) drilling a hole to a predetermined depth using the first laser beam;
- (d) forming the second region by passing a laser beam of generally triangular cross section of predetermined dimension;
- (e) focusing the second laser beam such that the focal point is positioned at a predetermined depth in the blade;
- and
- (f) enlarging one region of the hole using the second laser beam such that a generally pyramidal diffuser is formed.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.