Sensor arrangement for optical elements in laser material processing heads
The present disclosure provides a sensor arrangement for reflecting scattered light from a laser beam. The sensor arrangement comprises a first optical element; a cone of a housing disposed behind the first optical element in the direction of the beam path of a laser beam, where the cone of the housing comprises a conical staircase-shaped reflector whose shape corresponds to the shape of the cone of the housing, and where the conical staircase-shaped reflector is formed of a plurality of ring-shaped elements, with each ring-shaped element having reflector surfaces on the inner side facing the beam path of the laser beam; and an element for receiving the light reflected by the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements is arranged on the side of the optical element opposite to the cone of the housing.
1 . A sensor arrangement for reflecting scattered light from a laser beam, comprising
a first optical element;
a cone of a housing which is arranged in the direction of the beam path of a laser beam behind the first optical element, wherein the cone of the housing comprises a conical staircase-shaped reflector whose shape corresponds to the shape of the cone of the housing and wherein the conical staircase-shaped reflector is formed from a plurality of ring-shaped elements, each ring-shaped element having reflector surfaces on the inner side facing the beam path of the laser beam; and
an element for receiving the light reflected by the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements, which is arranged on the side of the optical element opposite to the cone of the housing.
2 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the element for receiving the light reflected by the reflector surfaces is a light sensor.
3 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the element for receiving the light reflected by the reflector surfaces is a deflecting mirror for reflecting the light onto a light sensor.
4 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the light sensor is a photodiode.
5 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements each have a different inclination with respect to the first optical element.
6 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements are formed such that they are aligned with the element for receiving the light reflected by the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements.
7 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the light sensor is connected to a receiving and evaluating device.
8 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the conical staircase-shaped reflector is arranged on the inside of the cone of the housing.
9 . The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the conical staircase-shaped reflector is part of the cone of the housing.
10 . A laser material processing apparatus comprising a laser material processing head according to claim 8 or 9 and a device for moving the laser material processing head.
11 . A laser material processing head comprising
an opening for coupling a laser beam;
a first optical element;
a cone of a housing which is arranged in the direction of the beam path of a laser beam behind the first optical element, wherein the cone of the housing comprises a conical staircase-shaped reflector whose shape corresponds to the shape of the cone of the housing and wherein the conical staircase-shaped reflector is formed from a plurality of ring-shaped elements, each ring-shaped element having reflector surfaces on the inner side facing the beam path of the laser beam; and
an element for receiving the light reflected by the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements, which is arranged on the side of the optical element opposite to the cone of the housing.
12 . The laser material processing head according to claim 11 , wherein the cone of the housing is a cutting gas cone through which a cutting gas flows.
13 . A method for monitoring optical elements for contamination or soiling, comprising:
guiding a laser beam through a first optical element;
reflecting of scattered radiation of the first optical element with a conical staircase-shaped reflector which is arranged in a cone of a housing which is arranged behind the first optical element in the direction of the beam path of the laser beam, wherein the shape of the conical staircase-shaped reflector corresponds to the shape of the cone of the housing and wherein the conical staircase-shaped reflector is formed from a plurality of ring-shaped elements, wherein each ring-shaped element has a reflector surface on the inner side facing the beam path of the laser beam;
receiving the reflected scattered radiation with an element for receiving the light reflected from the respective reflector surfaces of the plurality of ring-shaped elements, which is arranged on the side of the optical element opposite to the cone of the housing.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the element for receiving the light reflected from the reflector surfaces is a light sensor.
15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the element for receiving the light reflected from the reflector surfaces is a deflecting mirror for reflecting the light onto a light sensor.
16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the light sensor is a photodiode.
17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the light received by the light sensor is converted into electrical signals which are processed by a receiving and evaluating device.