JPH0456367A - Gas laser exciter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease scattering of output characteristics by using a high-frequency transformer, which has a pair of joined U-shaped cores, as the output transformer of a highvoltage power supply and tightening the cores with specified tightening strength. CONSTITUTION:A primary winding 22 and a secondary winding 23 are wound coaxially around the same shaft as the feet of ferrite cores 24 and 25, the shaft is removed, and the ferrite cores 24 and 25 are fitted and joined therein and set in a core holder 26. The ferrite cores 24 and 25 are tightened by pressing the ferrite core 25 to the ferrite core 24 through a pressing metal 30 and an application metal 28 by tightening the bolt 29 of the core holder 26. The tightening strength of the bolt 29 is determined from 10-100kgf according to the sizes of the ferrite cores 24 and 25. Thereby scattering of the output characteristics 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 trickle-type gas laser oscillation device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, 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,
These total reflection mirror 6 and partial reflection mirror 7 are connected to the discharge space 50.
They are fixedly arranged at both ends and form 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. 11.12 is discharge tube 1
This is a heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the laser gas whose temperature has increased due to discharge etc. in the internal discharge space 5. Reference numeral 13 denotes a blower for circulating the laser gas, which generates a gas flow of about 100 n/see in the discharge space 5.

Next, the operation of the conventional axial flow type gas laser oscillation device will be explained. First, a high voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 2 and 3 from the high voltage power supply 4 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. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the high voltage power supply 4 in the gas laser generator.

In Fig. 4, 14 is a commercial power supply, 15 is a rectifier, and 16 is a
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 inputted to a high-frequency transformer 18. High frequency transformer 1
8 converts the low voltage AC input to the primary side into high voltage AC and outputs it to the secondary side.The high voltage AC is rectified and smoothed by the high voltage DC smoothing circuit 19, and then passed through the electrodes 2.8 of the discharge tube 1. 3 is input.

Usually, 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. 5 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 2o 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. Also,
Due to vibration during transportation, the abutment surface 20a may be misaligned,
There was a problem in that the output characteristics of the high frequency transformer 18 deteriorated, making it impossible to obtain the output required for the gas laser 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, and the cores are tightened. The strength is set in the range of 10 kgf to 100 kgf.

Effect of the Invention In the present invention, with the above configuration, the abutting surfaces of the U-shaped cores are fixed with a tightening strength of 10 kg gf to Look gf.
A highly reliable gas laser oscillation device can be realized without displacement of the abutting surfaces, suppressing variations in the output characteristics of the high frequency transformer.

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. . Reference numerals 24 and 25 denote a pair of ferrite cores formed in a U-shape, and a primary winding 22 and a secondary winding M23 are connected to one of the butted legs.
is installed. A U-shaped core holder 26 supports the lower and both sides of the ferrite cores 24 and 25, and its width is larger than the combined radius of the ferrite cores 24 and 25, with a gap 27 between them. It is formed. 28 is a pad inserted into this gap 27,
It has the same size as the side surface of the ferrite core 25 and is applied to the side surface of the ferrite core 25. A bolt 29 is provided on the side surface of the core holder 26 on the ferrite core 25 side, and a pusher metal 30 is provided at the tip of the bolt.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. Primary winding 2
2 and the secondary winding 23 are ferrite cores 24.25
The ferrite cores 24 and 25 are wound coaxially in advance around a shaft similar to the leg portion of the core, and then the ferrite cores 24 and 25 are passed through the holes from which the shafts have been removed, abutted against each other inside the cores, and set in the core holder 26. By tightening the bolt 29 of the core holder 26, the ferrite cores 24 and 25 are pressed against the ferrite 24 via the pusher 30 and the stopper 28, and are tightened together. The tightening strength of the bolts 29 is set in the range of 10 kgf to 100 kgf, and a value that is suitable for use is selected in consideration of the sizes of the ferrite cores 24, 25, etc.

Figure 2 shows the relationship between variations in the output characteristics of high-frequency transformers and the tightening strength of the core.
The range from 0 kgf to Look gf indicates that there is little variation in the output characteristics of the high frequency transformer.

In the embodiment described above, since the ferrite cores 24 and 25 of the high frequency transformer 21 are fixed to each other with a tightening strength of 10 kgf to 100 kQf, variations in the output characteristics of the high frequency transformer 21 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 set of cores butted against each other, and the cores are tightened together with a tightening strength of 10 kgf to 100 kgf, so there is no gap or misalignment of the butt surfaces of the cores, and the output of the high-frequency transformer is improved. It is possible to suppress variations in characteristics and realize a highly reliable gas laser oscillation device.

[Brief Description of the 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, and Fig. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between output characteristics and core tightening strength in the same high-frequency transformer. , FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional gas laser oscillation device, FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a high voltage power supply in the same gas laser oscillation device, and FIG. 5 is a schematic 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... Partial reflection mirror, 8... Laser beam, 9...Air pipe, l
o...Flow direction of laser gas, 11.12 River 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, 2o... Ferrite core, 20a...
・Abutment surface, 21...High frequency transformer, 22...
・Primary winding, 23...Secondary winding, 24.25...
- Ferrite core, 26... Core holder, 27 River gap, 28... Pad, 29... Bolt, 3o... Push metal. Name of agent Patent attorney Masahiro Kuro Figure 5

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 gas laser oscillation device characterized in that the pair of cores are tightened together with a tightening strength of 10 kgf to 100 kgf.