Optical component unit, laser joining method and apparatus for joining optical component

A laser joining method for an optical component unit, the method comprising:

• casting a laser beam by a laser radiation device onto an inner wall of a housing component formed of resin, locally and thermally melting resin of a laser irradiated part into a viscous fluid state, forcing the resin in the viscous fluid state into an area between the optical component housed along the inner wall of the housing component and the inner wall;
• blowing gas, directly against the laser irradiated part, radially and diagonally downward from a position above a center of the optical component by a gas jet device;
• and
• cooling and solidifying the resin in the viscous fluid state forced into between the optical component and the inner wall.

A laser joining method for an optical component unit in which an optical component housed along an inner wall of a housing component formed of resin is fixed to the inner wall, the method comprising:

• casting onto the inner wall a laser line beam having longer sides extending in a direction along the inner wall of the housing component formed of resin, by a laser radiation device, while moving the laser line beam in the direction of the longer sides;
• locally and thermally melting resin of a laser irradiated part into the viscous fluid state;
• and
• forcing the resin in the viscous fluid state into an area between the optical component housed along the inner wall of the housing component and the inner wall.

A laser joining apparatus for an optical component unit, the laser joining apparatus comprising:

• a holding member for holding a housing component that is formed of resin and houses an optical component along an inner wall;
• a laser radiation device for casting a laser beam onto the inner wall of the housing component, locally and thermally melting resin of a laser irradiated part into a viscous fluid state, and forcing the resin in the viscous fluid state into an area between the optical component and the inner wall so as to fix the optical component to the inner wall;
• and
• a gas jet device that is placed in a position above a center of the optical component for jetting gas radially and diagonally downward from the position above the center of the optical component, and blowing the gas directly against the laser irradiated part.