JPH0456366A - Gas laser exciter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease scattering of output characteristics by using a high-frequency transformer, which has a pair of U-shaped cores joined with specified gaps between their joined faces, as the output transformer of a high-voltage power supply. CONSTITUTION:Two 100-1,000mum thick gap sheets 26 and 27 to form gaps as wide as their thickness are interposed between the joined faces 24a and 25a of a pair of U-shaped ferrite cores 24 and 25. The gap sheets 26 and 27 are interposed between a pair of the joined faces each. The 100-1,000mum wide gaps decrease scattering of the output characteristics. If the gaps are wider than 1,000mum, too low primary inductance decreases voltage transfer efficiency. Therefore, scattering of the output characteristics of high-frequency transformers caused by scattering of the width of the gaps between the joined faces produced in mass-production assembly is suppressed and reliable gas laser exciters are obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a trickle-type gas laser oscillation device in which the axial direction of a discharge tube and the optical axis direction are aligned, and in particular has high reliability with little variation in output characteristics. This invention relates to a gas laser oscillation device.

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional axial flow type gas laser oscillation device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 1 is a discharge tube made of a dielectric material such as glass, and 2 and 3 are electrodes provided inside the discharge tube 1. In FIG. A high voltage power supply 4 is connected to the electrodes 2 and 3, and applies a voltage of, for example, about 30 kV between the picture electrodes 2 and 3. 5 is a discharge space within the discharge tube 1 formed between the electrodes 2 and 3. 6 is a total reflection mirror, 7 is a partial reflection mirror,
The total reflection mirror 6 and the partial reflection mirror 7 are fixedly arranged at both ends of the discharge space 5 and constitute an optical resonator. Reference numeral 8 denotes a laser beam output from the partial reflecting mirror 7 in the axial direction of the discharge tube 1. Reference numeral 9 denotes an air supply pipe for supplying laser gas to the discharge tube 1, and the laser gas circulates in the direction of arrow 10 within this gas laser device. Reference numerals 11 and 12 designate heat exchangers for lowering the temperature of the laser gas that has increased in temperature due to discharge or the like in the discharge space 5 inside the discharge tube 1. 13 is a blower for circulating the laser gas, and the discharge space 5
A gas flow of about 100 Il/see is generated.

Next, the operation of the conventional trickle type gas laser oscillation device will be explained. First, a high voltage is applied from the high voltage power supply 4 to the pair of electrodes 2.3 to generate a glow-like discharge in the discharge space 5. The laser gas passing through the discharge space 5 is excited by obtaining this discharge energy, and the excited laser gas enters a resonant state in the optical resonator formed by the total reflection mirror 6 and the partial reflection mirror 7, and is emitted from the partial reflection mirror 7. A laser beam 8 is output. This laser beam 8 is used for purposes such as laser processing.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the high voltage power supply 4 in the gas laser generator.

In Fig. 5, 14 is a commercial power supply, 15 is a rectifier, and 16 is a commercial power supply.
1 is a smoothing capacitor, 17 is a switching power supply, 18 is a high frequency transformer, and 19 is a high voltage DC smoothing circuit.

Next, the operation of the conventional high voltage power supply will be explained. The three-phase 200cm AC voltage sent from the commercial power supply 14 is rectified by a rectifier 15 and smoothed by a smoothing capacitor, and then converted to a high-frequency AC voltage by a switching power supply 17 and input to a high-frequency transformer 18. High frequency transformer 1
8 converts the low voltage AC input into the primary side into high voltage AC and outputs it to the secondary side, and the high voltage AC is rectified and smoothed by the high voltage DC smoothing circuit 19, and then passed through the electrodes 2 and 8 of the discharge tube 1. 3 is input.

Normally, a gas laser oscillation device is equipped with a plurality of discharge tubes, and in the circuit configuration shown in FIG. Since it is connected,
It becomes possible to share a plurality of high frequency transformers 18 with one switching power supply 17, and it is possible to reduce the size of the device.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross section of the high frequency transformer 18, in which a secondary winding 18b is wound around the outer periphery of the primary winding 18a, coaxially with the primary winding 18a, and has several thousand turns or more. 2
The next winding 18b has a random winding structure. A pair of U-shaped ferrite cores 20 are used as the cores, and abutting surfaces 20a of the ferrite cores 20 are in close contact with each other.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in such a conventional gas laser oscillation device, when mass-produced, voids are generated in the abutting surface 20a due to lack of precision in the abutting surface 20a of the ferrite core 20 or due to the introduction of foreign matter. However, there is a problem in that the output characteristics of the high frequency transformer 18 vary, and the output of the gas laser oscillation device varies from device to device.

The present invention solves these conventional problems, and aims to provide a highly reliable gas laser oscillation device with less variation in output characteristics.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses an output transformer of a high voltage power supply that generates high voltage as a high frequency transformer in which a pair of U-shaped cores are butted against each other. A gap with a radius of 100 microns to 1000 microns is provided in advance on the abutting surfaces.

According to the present invention, with the above-mentioned configuration, a gap of a predetermined radius is formed in the abutting surfaces of the U-shaped cores, so that it is possible to eliminate variations in the output characteristics of high-frequency transformers due to variations in the gaps in the abutting surfaces that sometimes occur during mass production assembly. It is possible to realize a highly reliable gas laser oscillation device.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Since the present invention differs from the conventional example only in the structure of the high frequency transformer of the high voltage power supply, only the structure of the high frequency transformer will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a high frequency transformer of a gas laser oscillation device in one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 21 is a high frequency transformer, 22 is a primary winding, and 23 is a secondary winding coaxially wound above the primary winding 22 with an insulating distance. . 24 and 25 are a pair of ferrite cores formed in a U-shape, and the abutting surfaces 24a and 25a have a thickness of 100 microns to 1 micron.
A gap sheet 26, 27 having an arbitrary thickness selected from the range of 0,000 microns is interposed to form a gap with a radius corresponding to the thickness.

This gap sheet 26, 27 can be provided only on one abutting surface.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between variations in the output characteristics of high-frequency transformers and the gap width, and shows that the variations in the output characteristics are reduced in the range where the gap width is 100 microns or more.

Figure 3 shows the relationship between the primary inductance of the output transformer and the gap width.If the gap width is 1000 microns or more, the primary inductance decreases too much and the power transfer efficiency deteriorates. In order to ensure output characteristics, the high frequency transformer itself must be increased in size, eliminating the advantage of miniaturization.

Therefore, the gap width is from 100 microns to 100 microns.
(If it is set in the range of 1 cron, a small high-frequency transformer with small variations in output characteristics and high power transmission efficiency can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the abutment surfaces 24a and 25a of the ferrite cores 24 and 25 of the high frequency transformer 21 have a thickness of 10 mm.
Gap sheet 26 from 0 micron to 1000 micron
．． 27 and a gap corresponding to the thickness thereof, the high frequency transformer 21 does not need to be enlarged.
Variations in the output characteristics can be minimized.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the gas laser oscillation device of the present invention connects the output transformer of the high voltage power supply that generates high voltage to the U-shaped one.
The high-frequency transformer has a pair of cores butted against each other, and a gap of 100 to 1000 microns is created in advance on the butting surfaces of the cores, so mass production assembly is possible to eliminate variations in the output characteristics of the high-frequency transformer due to variations in the gaps between the butting surfaces. can be minimized, and a highly reliable gas laser oscillation device can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a high-frequency transformer of a gas laser oscillation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between output characteristics and gap width in the same high-frequency transformer, and FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the output characteristics and gap width in the same high-frequency transformer. A graph showing the relationship between primary inductance and gap width, Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional gas laser oscillation device, Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a high voltage power supply in the same gas laser oscillation device, and Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional high frequency transformer. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Discharge tube, 2, 3... Electrode, 4... High voltage power supply, 5... Discharge space, 6... Total reflection mirror, 7 River partial reflection mirror, 8... Laser beam , 9... Air pipe, 10.
...Flow direction of laser gas, 11.12... Heat exchanger, 13... Blower, 14... Commercial power supply, 15...
Rectifier, 16... Smoothing capacitor, 17... Switching power supply, 18... High frequency transformer, 18a...
Primary winding, 18b... Secondary winding, 19... High voltage DC smoothing circuit, 20... Ferrite core, 20a...
・Abutment surface, 21...High frequency transformer, 22...
・Primary winding, 23...Secondary winding, 24.25...
- Ferrite core, 24a. 25a...Abutment surface, 26.27...Gap sheet. Name of Agent Patent Attorney Masahiro Kura Figure 1 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 17 Switching power supply 19 High-voltage DC smoothing circuit Figure 2 Figure 6 〆20a butting surface

Claims (1)

[Claims] A blower causes laser gas to flow through a discharge tube made of an insulator in the optical axis direction, a high voltage power source is connected between electrodes provided at both ends of the discharge tube, and a discharge is generated within the discharge tube.
In the gas laser oscillation device that generates a laser beam in the axial direction of the discharge tube using the discharge as a laser excitation source, the output transformer of the high voltage power supply is a high frequency transformer having a core in which a pair of U-shaped cores are butted against each other. ,
A width of 100 microns to 100 microns is formed on the abutting surface of the core.
A gas laser oscillation device characterized in that a gap of 0 microns is provided in advance.