JPH04349676A - Seal for gas laser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a laser in which a decrease in its output is small by employing organic fluorine compound containing no filter such as carbon, silicon dioxide, as a material of a seal such as a gasket, an oil seal, and an O-ring. CONSTITUTION:As a material of a seal such as a gasket 9, oil seals 14, 24, and an O-ring 17, organic fluorine compound containing no filter such as carbon, silicon dioxide, etc., is employed. Accordingly, even if it is brought into contact with halogen gas of medium gas in a chamber formed of a case 1 and a cover 2, fluorocarbon, fluorosilicon, etc., are not generated. Thus, life of the medium gas can be prolonged, and a decrease in an output of a laser can be suppressed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a gas laser device.
More specifically, it relates to seals for gas lasers.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the general structure of a gas laser device, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a case, and 2 is a plate made of an insulator. 3
is a blower, and 11 and 21 are rotating shafts fixed to the blower 3. 13 and 23 are bearings that support the rotating shafts 11 and 21;
12 and 22 are bearing chambers and are respectively fixed to the case 1 as shown in the figure. 15 and 25 have bearings 11 and 2.
1 is filled with grease or oil as a lubricant. A gasket 9 seals the entire circumference of the joint between the case 1 and the plate 2. Further, 14 and 24 are oil seals that prevent the lubricants 15 and 25 from coming into contact with the medium gas 7.

The interior of the chamber constituted by the case 1 and the plate 2 is filled with a medium gas 7, and the medium gas 7 is circulated by a blower 3 in the directions shown by arrows B and C. 5 is a cathode, 6 is an anode, and by applying a certain voltage between the two electrodes, a discharge is generated and a laser beam is generated. The generated laser beam can be taken out from the window 10 as shown by arrow D. Also, 17 is an O-ring for window 1.
This is a seal that prevents the medium gas 7 from leaking from around the 0. Since the medium gas is heated by the above-mentioned discharge, it absorbs the heat generated by the heat exchanger 8.

[0004] For seals such as the gasket 9, oil seals 14 and 24, and O-ring 17, organic fluorine compounds with excellent corrosion resistance are used as materials because the medium gas is highly corrosive.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The problem to be solved is that carbon (C) and silicon dioxide (SiO2), which are used as fillers for organic fluorine compounds, react with halogen gas, which is a medium, and form fluorocarbon (CF4). ) and fluorosilicon (SiF4). Since these products reduce the laser output, the objective is to suppress the generation of these products as much as possible to obtain a laser device with less reduction in laser output.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a material for seals such as gaskets, oil seals, and O-rings, an organic fluorine compound containing no filler such as carbon or silicon dioxide is used in the contact portion with the medium gas.

[0007]

[Example] Gasket 9 and oil seals 14 and 2 in Fig. 1
4 and the O-ring 17, etc., we used an organic fluorine compound that does not contain fillers such as carbon or silicon dioxide. There is no generation of fluorocarbon (CF4) or fluorosilicon (SiF4) even upon contact. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between laser oscillation time and CF4, where P is when an organic fluorine compound containing a filler is used, and Q is when an organic fluorine compound without a filler is used. It can be seen that in the case of Q, that is, the production of CF4 according to the present invention is far less.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the laser output and the laser oscillation time in the above case, where R indicates the case of P in FIG. 3, and S indicates the case of Q in FIG. As can be seen from this, it can be seen that in the case of S, that is, the case of Q in FIG. 3, the laser output decreases less and lasts longer. Exactly the same can be said about SiF4.

[0009] Note that the material for seals such as gaskets, oil seals, and O-rings does not necessarily have to be filler-free in their entirety, but only the surfaces that come into contact with the medium gas are coated with a filler-free material. Similar effects can also be expected. FIG. 5 shows an example of a part of the oil seal 14 as described above, where 14a is the main body made of a normal organic fluorine compound, and 14b is a coating of an organic fluorine compound containing no filler. Note that the surfaces of gaskets and O-rings can also be partially or entirely covered.

0010

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, by using the seal for a laser device of the present invention, the life of the medium gas is extended and the decrease in laser output is suppressed, so it has extremely high practical value. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a gas laser device.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between laser oscillation time and CF4 concentration.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between laser oscillation time and laser output.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an oil seal partially coated with a filler-free organic fluorine compound.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 case 2 Board 3. Blower 5 Cathode 6 Anode 7 Medium gas 8 Heat exchanger 9 Gasket 11 Rotation axis 13 Bearing 14 Oil seal 17 O-ring 21 Rotation axis 23 Bearing 24 Oil seal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A gas laser device, which includes a chamber consisting of a plurality of divisible structures filled with a medium gas, equipped with a cathode and an anode for discharge, a blower for circulating the medium gas, a bearing supporting the blower, and the like. In the gas laser seal, a seal such as a gasket, an oil seal or an O-ring is used to maintain airtightness between the structures, and an organic fluorine compound containing no filler is used as the seal material. 2. The seal for a gas laser according to claim 1, wherein a part of a seal such as a gasket, an oil seal, or an O-ring that comes into contact with a medium gas is covered with a film of an organic fluorine compound containing no filler.