The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 11, 2012
Filed:
May. 11, 2006
Yuji Sano, Yokosuka, JP;
Naruhiko Mukai, Yokohama, JP;
Masaki Yoda, Yokohama, JP;
Yoshiaki Ono, Kawasaki, JP;
Ryoichi Saeki, Chigasaki, JP;
Hideki Naito, Yokohama, JP;
Yuji Sano, Yokosuka, JP;
Naruhiko Mukai, Yokohama, JP;
Masaki Yoda, Yokohama, JP;
Yoshiaki Ono, Kawasaki, JP;
Ryoichi Saeki, Chigasaki, JP;
Hideki Naito, Yokohama, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
There is provided an improved laser shock hardening method and apparatus which can eliminate spattering of a liquid and waving of the liquid surface upon laser irradiation, and can stably irradiate a workpiece with a laser beam. Thus, the present invention provides in a laser shock hardening method for carrying out surface processing of a workpiece in contact with a liquid by irradiating through the liquid the surface of the workpiece with a pulsed laser beam intermittently emitted from a laser irradiation device, the improvement comprising: providing a solid transparent to the wavelength of the laser, serving as an entrance window to the surface of the liquid; allowing the liquid to be present in the light path of the laser beam between the solid and the surface of the workpiece; and allowing the laser beam to enter through the solid and irradiating through the liquid the surface of the workpiece with the laser beam, thereby shock-hardening the surface of the workpiece.