Laser-Protective Wall Element for a Housing in Laser Machining Stations

• US 20110260737A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Hannweber, Jan, Bretschneider, Sven, Kuehn, Stefan, Melde, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,829,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/649
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/706 Protective screens
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 1/06 specially designed for welding

Abstract

A laser protective wall element for a housing in laser machining stations with which increased protection, in particular for the eyes of living beings, can be achieved. In a laser protective wall element for a housing at laser machining stations, an intermediate layer is present which has hot conductor properties. The intermediate layer can be formed between electrically conductive plate-like elements, an electrically conductive plate-like element and an electrically conductive coating or also two electrically conductive layers or can be arranged there. The electrically conductive plate-like elements, the coating and/or the layers are connected to an electrical voltage source as well as a measuring instrument which detects electrical current, electrical resistance and/or electrical capacity and whose measured signal change can be used for the condition monitoring of the laser protective wall element.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A laser protective wall element for a housing in a laser machining station, comprising:

an intermediate layer formed as a plate-like element between first and second electrically conductive layers,

wherein the layers are connected to an electrical voltage source and a measuring instrument which detects at least one of an electrical current, an electrical resistance and an electrical capacity and wherein a condition of the laser protective wall element is being monitored as a function the measured signal change.

20. The laser protective wall element of claim 19, wherein the first and second electrically conductive layers are formed as a coating on the plate-like element.

24. The laser protective wall element of claim 19, further comprising:

a plate-like outer wall element is parallel to a plate-like element provided with a coating.

37. The laser protective wall element of claim 19, wherein a plate-like element of one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy is provided with an anodized layer as the intermediate layer.

38. The laser protective wall element of claim 19, wherein a coating is formed with an electrically conductive lacquer.

39. The laser protective wall element of claim 19, wherein electrically conductive layers and the intermediate layer are formed on a window element with a thickness so that they are optically transparent in the wavelength range of visible light.

21. A laser protective wall element for a housing in a laser machining station, comprising:

an intermediate layer having electrical hot conductor properties, the intermediate layer being arranged between first and second electrically conductive plate-like elements separating them from one another,

wherein the first and second electrically conductive plate-like elements are connected to an electrical voltage source and a measuring instrument which detects at least one of an electrical current, an electrical resistance and an electrical capacity and wherein a condition of the laser protective wall element is being monitored as a function the measured signal change.

22. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the generation of at least one of a deactivation signal for the respective laser and a warning signal takes place using an electronic evaluation and control unit on the exceeding of a presettable threshold value of a measured signal change.

23. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, further comprising:

a plate-like outer wall element is parallel to the first and second electrically conductive plate-like elements.

25. The laser protective wall element of claim 23, wherein the plate-like outer wall element is separated from an adjacent one of the first and second plate-like elements by one of a space and a dielectric separating layer.

26. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer has a constant layer thickness and consistency over the total surface.

27. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is a binder which has hot conductor properties and with which the first and second plate-like elements are connected to one another with material continuity.

28. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is formed by at least one of a metal oxide, a mixture of metal oxides and a polymer having hot conductor properties.

29. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is formed by a binder including one of aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide.

30. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is formed by a polycrystalline semiconductor of at least one sinterable metal oxide.

31. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer is formed with one of Fe2O4 and Zn2TiO4.

32. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the first and second electrically conductive plate-like elements are separated from one another by an intermediate layer and a dielectric support structure.

33. The laser protective wall element of claim 32, wherein the support structure is one of a fabric and a knitted fabric which is formed with fibers and which is interspersed with the substance forming the intermediate layer.

34. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein a plurality of laser protective wall elements arranged at least one of next to one another and above one another to one another with their outer margins overlapping.

35. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific electrical resistance of at least 1010 Ocm at a temperature of 20°

C. which reduces to a value of at least 108 Ocm at a temperature of 600°

C.

36. The laser protective wall element of claim 21, wherein one of the first and second plate-like elements is formed of one of iron and an iron alloy and includes a bluing as the intermediate layer.