# US 7,411,748 B2 · Optical component unit, laser joining method and apparatus for joining optical component

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- Number: US 7,411,748 B2
- Document ID: US7411748B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/098,435
- Filed: 2005-04-05
- Published: 2006-03-02
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2004-04-07
- Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Seiji Kumazawa; Yohei Takechi; Masahiro Kuwabara; Toshiyuki Okada; Masami Ito; Koji Funami; Yosuke Kawahito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411748B2

## CPC

- B29C 65/567: {using a tamping or a swaging operation, i.e. at least partially deforming the edge or the rim of a first part to be joined to clamp a second part to be joined}
- B23K 26/103: {the laser beam rotating around the fixed workpiece (B23K26/28 takes precedence)}
- B23K 26/142: for the removal of by-products
- B23K 26/1462: {Nozzles; Features related to nozzles}
- B29C 65/1632: {direct heating the surfaces to be joined}
- B29C 65/1654: {scanning at least one of the parts to be joined}
- B29C 65/1664: {making use of several radiators}
- B29C 65/1696: {making use of masks}
- B29C 65/4815: {Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives}
- B29C 66/0014: {Gaseous environments}
- B29C 66/1222: {comprising at least a lapped joint-segment}
- B29C 66/1224: {comprising at least a butt joint-segment}
- B29C 66/24221: {being circular (B29C66/51 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/326: {Shaping the burr, e.g. by the joining tool}
- B29C 66/534: {Joining single elements to open ends of tubular or hollow articles or to the ends of bars}
- B29C 66/65: {with a relative motion between the article and the welding tool (B29C65/10, B29C65/12 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/652: {moving the welding tool around the fixed article}
- B29C 66/8266: {using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined}
- B29D 11/00: Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms (grinding or polishing of optical elements B24B; constructional form of optical elements G02B; {optical parts of spectacles G02C7/00})
- G02B 7/02: for lenses {(supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002)}
- B29C 65/1616: {Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers}
- B29C 65/4845: {Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives}
- B29C 66/00141: {Protective gases}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29K 2069/00: Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material
- B29K 2101/12: Thermoplastic materials
- B29L 2011/0016: {Lenses}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A ratio of a length of resin flow-in to a radius of an optical component is not larger than 0.25, and gas is blown directly against a laser irradiated part radially and diagonally downward from an upside position corresponding to a center of the optical component. A laser line beam having longer sides extending in a direction along an inner wall is cast by a laser radiation device while being moved in the direction of the longer sides.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical component unit comprising:
a housing component formed of resin; and
an optical component housed along an inner wall of the housing component,
the inner wall of the housing component having traces of laser irradiation, the traces of laser irradiation being formed from resin of the inner wall melted locally and thermally in a viscous fluid state and forced into and fixed between the optical component and the inner wall, a ratio of a length of resin flow-in from an end face of the optical component on an outer upper surface of the optical component to a radius of the optical component being larger than 0 and not larger than 0.25.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An optical component unit as defined in claim 1, wherein a height from a top of a wall surface of the optical component to a top of the inner wall of the housing component is not larger than 1 mm and wherein swelling of melted resin from the inner wall is not larger than 0.2 mm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An optical component unit as defined in claim 1, wherein a receiving surface of the housing component for holding the optical component has no traces of melt.

### Claim 4

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.

### Claim 5

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A laser joining method for optical component unit as defined in claim 5, wherein the laser line beam cast on the inner wall has a beam width not smaller than 20 μm and not larger than 300 μm.

### Claim 7

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A laser joining apparatus for optical component unit as defined in claim 7, wherein a nozzle unit of the gas jet device has a ring-like gas jet nozzle directed toward the laser irradiated part.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A laser joining apparatus for optical component unit as defined in claim 7, the laser joining apparatus further comprising a plurality of the laser radiation devices,
wherein a nozzle unit in the gas jet device has a plurality of gas jet nozzles directed toward the laser irradiated part, and the number of gas jet nozzles is as many as the laser radiation devices, and
wherein the laser joining apparatus further comprises a turning mechanism for turning the nozzle unit simultaneously with the laser radiation devices.

### Claim 10

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 of the housing component; and
a laser radiation device for casting onto the inner wall of the housing component, a laser line beam that has longer sides extending in a direction along the inner wall of the housing component, and the laser line beam has a beam width not smaller than 20 μm and not larger than 300 μm, wherein the laser line beam is cast while moving the laser line beam in the direction of the longer sides, 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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

An optical component unit as defined in claim 2, wherein a receiving surface of the housing component for holding the optical component has no traces of melt.