Data generating device that generates drawing data representing index pattern to be drawn on workpiece by laser beam for measuring deformation of workpiece

• US 10,338,561 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Narihiko, Furukawa, Koki, Ito, Ryuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Vincent H
• Application Number:
  US15/474,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/062 by direct control of the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/082 Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/355 Texturing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/32 for measuring the deformation in a solid
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/31 for continuous-path control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33198 Laser, light link, infrared

Abstract

A data generating device includes a memory; and a controller. The memory is configured to store a plurality of sets of drawing information about an index pattern and a laser beam used for drawing the index pattern on a surface of a workpiece in association with respective ones of a plurality of sets of machining contents individually. The index pattern is represented by drawing data. Each of the plurality of machining contents indicates a machining process to be performed on the workpiece to measure deformation of the workpiece. The controller is configured to perform: receiving a generation instruction instructing to start generating the drawing data; designating one set of machining contents from the plurality of sets of machining contents; and generating the drawing data according to designated one set of machining contents and corresponding one of the plurality of sets of drawing information.

Claims

1. A data generating device for generating drawing data representing an index pattern to be drawn on a surface of a workpiece by a laser beam emitted from a laser machining device, the index pattern being constituted with a plurality of unit graphics, a deformation test being performed to measure deformation of the workpiece, the data generating device comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of sets of drawing information about the index pattern and the laser beam used for drawing the index pattern in association with respective ones of a plurality of sets of machining contents individually, each of the plurality of machining contents indicating a machining process to be performed on the workpiece in the deformation test; and

a controller configured to perform;

receiving a generation instruction instructing to start generating the drawing data;

designating one set of machining contents from the plurality of sets of machining contents; and

generating the drawing data according to designated one set of machining contents and corresponding one of the plurality of sets of drawing information.

2. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of drawing information includes information about a heat amount to be applied per unit area of the surface of the workpiece by the laser beam.

3. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of drawing information includes information about a type of the plurality of unit graphics.

4. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of machining contents includes a machining type of the machining process.

5. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of machining contents includes information about number of processes for completing the machining process in the deformation test.

6. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of machining contents includes information about a deformation degree of the workpiece during the machining process in the deformation test.

7. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of drawing information includes information about at least one recommended index pattern,

wherein the controller is configured to further perform:

outputting the at least one recommended index pattern corresponding to the designated one set of machining contents; and

selecting one recommended index pattern from the at least one recommended index pattern as the index pattern,

wherein the generating generates the drawing data according to the selected recommended index pattern.

8. The data generating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to further perform:

receiving an editing instruction instructing to edit the drawing data; and

editing the drawing data in response to receiving the editing instruction.

9. The data generating device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving receives the editing instruction instructing to remove an intersection in the index pattern, and

wherein the editing removes the intersection from the index pattern represented by the drawing data in response to receiving the editing instruction.

10. The data generating device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving receives the editing instruction regarding a thickness of the workpiece, and

wherein the editing changes a heat amount to be applied per unit area of the surface of the workpiece by the laser beam according to the thickness of the workpiece.

11. The data generating device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving receives the editing instruction regarding material of the workpiece, and

wherein the editing changes a heat amount to be applied per unit area of the surface of the workpiece by the laser beam according to the material of the workpiece.

12. The data generating device according to claim 8, wherein the receiving receives the editing instruction instructing to draw a reference index indicating a relative positional relationship of the plurality of unit graphics in the index pattern with respect to the reference index, and

wherein the editing adds the reference index to the index pattern represented by the workpiece in response to receiving the editing instruction.

13. The data generating device according to claim 12, wherein the reference index is a scale indicating the relative positional relationship of the plurality of unit graphics in the index pattern with respect to the reference index.

14. The data generating device according to claim 12, wherein the reference index is drawn with a line different from that of the plurality of unit graphics.