JPH02143577A - Monitoring device of laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a monitoring device which is able to precisely monitor a laser oscillator detecting an operating state of the laser oscillator automatically by a method wherein an optical energy emitted from the laser oscillator and an electrical energy inputted into the laser oscillator are detected and converted into an electric signal, and the signal is processed to be outputted. CONSTITUTION:A discharge current signal 22 outputted from a discharge ammeter 21 and a laser output signal 23 outputted from a power monitor 9 which detects the optical energy emitted from a laser oscillator are inputted into a divider 24. The divider 24 computes the relation between the emitted optical energy and the inputted electrical energy, a division result signal 25 of the computed result outputted from the divider 24 is inputted into a comparator 27. The comparator 27 compares the division result signal 25 sent from the divider 24 with a set value 26 of a previously set ratio of a laser output to an inputted electric energy in a normal operating state. The result of this comparison is sent as a comparison result signal 28 to a display device 29, and the device 29 displays an indication of 'normal' or 'abnormal' for monitoring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a monitoring device for monitoring the operating state of a laser oscillator.

[Prior Art] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional monitoring device for monitoring, for example, a Co2 laser oscillation device. In the figure, 1 is a box, 2 is a discharge electrode, 3 is a discharge space, and 4 is a whole A reflecting mirror, 5 a partial reflecting mirror, and 6 a laser beam.

7 is a beam splitter, 8 is a monitor light, 9 is a power monitor, 91 is a power monitor sensor section, 92 is a power monitor amplifier display section, 10 is a power source, 11 is a discharge current indicator, 1
2 is a laser beam.

Next, the configuration and operation will be explained. Inside the box 1, a laser medium gas such as CO□, N2, He, etc. is sealed at a pressure of about 100 Torr, and a discharge space 3 is formed between both discharge electrodes 2, 2. When electrical energy is sent from the power source 10 to the discharge electrode 2, a glow-like discharge occurs in the discharge space 3, and this discharge excites the laser medium gas in the discharge space 3, causing laser oscillation. Box body 1
A total reflection mirror 4 and a partial reflection mirror 5 are disposed in the longitudinal direction of the discharge space 3.
An optical resonator consisting of a discharge space 3 and a
The laser light stimulated and emitted within is amplified by this optical resonator and emitted as laser light 6 from the partially reflecting mirror 5 . This laser light 6 is split by a beam splitter 7 into a laser beam 12 used for laser processing, etc., and a monitor light 8. The power monitor 9 measures the energy amount of the laser beam 6 using the monitor light 8 . The power monitor 9 includes a power monitor sensor section 91 and a power monitor amplifier display section 91. Further, the discharge current indicator 11 detects and displays the amount of electrical energy input to the laser oscillator. When operating this laser device, the operating state of the laser oscillation device is determined and monitored by observing the state of the laser output displayed on the power monitor amplifier display section 91.

Furthermore, as a conventional example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-251088 discloses that the light emitted from a laser oscillator is detected by a semiconductor light receiving element or an optical fiber, this is converted into an electrical signal, and this is compared with a reference value. A technical idea is disclosed in which the information is input to a means to determine the presence or absence of an abnormal discharge, and to control a discharge circuit or the like.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] A conventional laser oscillator monitoring device has the above configuration, and detects the state of the laser beam or laser light emitted from the laser oscillator and compares it with a reference value. Therefore, if an abnormality is detected, it is obvious that the fault must have occurred somewhere in the entire system before this detection means, but for example, it may be caused by an abnormality in the power supply system. It is not possible to determine whether the abnormality has occurred due to a decrease in power due to an angular shift of the resonator, a change in laser gas pressure, dirt on the resonator, or the like. That is, there is a problem in that the method is not accurate as a means for monitoring the operating state of the laser oscillator itself.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a laser oscillator monitoring device that can automatically detect and accurately monitor the operating state of a laser oscillator.

"Means for Solving the Problems" A laser oscillator monitoring device according to the present invention includes a light energy detection means that detects the amount of light energy emitted from the laser oscillator and outputs it as an electrical signal, electrical energy detecting means for detecting the amount of electrical energy and outputting it as an electrical signal; and arithmetic processing means for processing and outputting both the electrical signals output from the optical energy detecting means and the electrical energy detecting means. It is something that

[Operation] The optical energy detection means in this invention detects the amount of optical energy emitted from the laser oscillator, and sends the output electric signal to the arithmetic processing means.

Further, the electric energy detection means detects the amount of electric energy input to the laser oscillator, and sends the output electric signal to the arithmetic processing means. The arithmetic processing means performs arithmetic processing on both electrical signals sent from the re-detection means.
The relationship between the amount of optical energy emitted from the laser oscillator and the amount of electrical energy input to the laser oscillator is calculated (1), processed and outputted, thereby determining and monitoring the operating state of the laser oscillator.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
In the figure, 21 is a discharge ammeter, 22 is a discharge current signal,
23 is a laser output signal, 24 is a divider, 25 is a division result signal, 26 is a set value, 27 is a comparator, 28 is a comparison result signal, and 29 is a display device. Note that the reference numerals 1 to 10 and 12 are the same as those described for the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, and therefore will be omitted.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a laser beam 6 emitted through a partial reflecting mirror 5 of a laser oscillator is applied to a beam splitter to extract a monitor beam 8, which is then emitted from the laser oscillator. A power monitor 9 is provided as a light energy detection means for detecting the amount of light energy, that is, the laser output, and a laser output signal 23, which is an electric signal indicating the laser output, is sent from the power monitor 9 to a divider 24. connected to send to. Further, a discharge ammeter 21 which is an electric energy detection means for detecting the amount of electric energy inputted into the laser oscillator from the power supply 10 is provided. It is connected to send a discharge current signal 22, which is an electric signal shown, to a divider 24. The divider 24 receives the discharge current signal 22
is divided by the laser output signal 23, and the division result signal 25, which is the output of the divider 24, is connected to be sent to the comparator 27. The comparator 27 receives the division result signal 2.
5 is input, and the set value 26 is also input. A comparison result signal 28, which is the output of the comparator 27, is connected to be input to two display devices.

The operation will be explained below. Note that the principle of laser oscillation is the same as the conventional one, so a description thereof will be omitted.

a discharge current signal 22 output from a discharge ammeter 21 that detects the amount of electrical energy input to the laser oscillator;
A laser output signal 23 output from a power monitor 9 that detects the amount of optical energy emitted from a laser oscillator enters a divider 24 .

The divider 24 inputs this re-output electrical signal and performs an operation of dividing the amount of optical energy (laser output) by the amount of input electrical energy to calculate a ratio. That is, the relationship between the amount of emitted light energy and the amount of input electrical energy is calculated, a division result signal 25 that is the calculation result value is output, and the division result signal 25 is sent to the comparator 27. The comparator 27 receives the division result signal 25 and
A comparison is made with a preset value 26 of the ratio of laser output to input electrical energy in a normal state. This result is displayed on the display device 2 as a comparison result signal 28.
Sent to 9. For example, the division result signal 25 is set to 26
A comparison result signal 28 is output indicating that the comparison result is equal to or somewhat smaller than the expected value, but if the comparison result is equal to the expected value, the operation of the laser oscillator is normal; Since it is presumed that there is some kind of abnormality, the two display devices output indications of normality, abnormality, etc. based on the comparison result signal 28 and are monitored.

As described above, in this embodiment, the amount of energy of the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator is compared with the amount of electrical energy input to the laser oscillator, so the operating state of the laser oscillator itself can be determined and accurate information can be determined. Monitoring can be carried out.

In the above embodiment, the discharge current signal 22 is used as the energy value input to the laser oscillator, but an electric signal by other means that can determine the energy value input to the laser oscillator may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the comparison result signal 28 is displayed on the display device 29.
I sent it to the computer, displayed it, judged it, and monitored it, but
For example, the comparison result signal 28 may be used to operate an automatic control device that automatically controls a laser oscillator.

Note that although the above description has been made regarding the case of a Co2 laser oscillator, similar effects can be obtained with a similar configuration in other laser oscillators as well.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the amount of optical energy emitted from the laser oscillator and the amount of electrical energy input to the laser oscillator are detected, an electrical signal is output, and this is calculated. Since the information is processed and output, the operating state of the laser oscillator itself can be accurately monitored.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a laser oscillator monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main components of a conventional laser oscillator monitoring device. In the figure, 6 is a laser beam, 7 is a beam splitter, and 8 is a laser beam.
is a monitor light, 9 is a power monitor, 91 is a power monitor sensor section, 92 is a power monitor amplifier display section, 10 is a power source, 12 is a laser beam, 21 is a discharge ammeter, 24 is a divider, 26 is a set value, 27 is a comparator, and 29 is a display device. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] optical energy detection means for detecting the amount of optical energy emitted from a laser oscillator that converts electrical energy into optical energy and outputting it as an electrical signal; A monitoring device for a laser oscillator, characterized in that it is equipped with an electric energy detection means that outputs an electric energy as a signal, and an arithmetic processing means that arithmetic processes and outputs both the electric signals outputted from the optical energy detection means and the electric energy detection means. .