JPH05190935A - Laser oscillator continuous gas exchanging equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically make a sealed-off state in the case where laser gas pressure satisfies the condition necessary for oscillation, when the abnormality of a suction system and an exhaust system like the decrease of laser gas main pressure is generated during continuous gas exchange. CONSTITUTION:When the abnormality of a suction system and an exhaust system is generated during continuous gas exchange, a suction valve 3, an exhaust valve 5 and an exhauster 4 are turned OFF to make a sealed-off state, and a laser oscillator 1 is not interrupted, in the case where it is judged by the information from an oscillation judgement equipment 8 that oscillation is possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous gas exchange device for a laser oscillator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a device configuration required for continuous gas exchange of a conventional laser oscillator. Reference numeral 1 is a laser oscillator for generating a laser beam. Laser laser 2 is a laser gas storage for storing a laser gas sucked into the housing of the laser oscillator 1. Reference numeral 3 designates a laser gas intake valve for controlling the intake of the laser gas emitted from the laser gas reservoir 2, 4 an exhaust device serving as power for exhausting the laser gas inside the casing of the laser oscillator 1, and 5 an exhaust device 4 when the exhaust device 4 is ON. A laser gas exhaust valve for controlling the exhaust of the laser gas, 6 a laser gas pressure detection device for detecting the laser gas pressure inside the casing of the laser oscillator 1, 7 a laser gas intake valve 3 while monitoring the laser gas pressure detected by the laser gas pressure detection device 6, Opening and closing the laser gas exhaust valve 5,
It is a control device that controls ON / OFF of the laser gas exhaust device 4.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the laser gas pressure inside the housing of the laser oscillator 1 during continuous gas exchange, and FIG. 6 is a flow during continuous gas exchange. After the continuous gas exchange is started, the laser gas exhaust device 4 is turned on and the exhaust valve 5 is opened. Next, when the laser gas pressure detection device 6 detects the pressure lower limit point (point b in FIG. 5) of the internal pressure of the housing, the laser gas intake valve 3 is opened and the laser gas is sucked into the housing. Next, when the laser gas pressure detection device 6 detects the pressure upper limit point (point a in FIG. 5), the laser gas intake valve 3 is closed and the laser gas intake is stopped. The pressure in the housing is controlled as shown in FIG. 5 by repeating the above procedure. Then, after the laser gas intake valve 3 is opened / closed, when the pressure inside the housing is out of the range from the pressure upper limit point (point a in FIG. 5) to the pressure lower limit point (point b in FIG. 5), intake and exhaust of laser gas It is judged that the pressure is abnormal due to a system abnormality, and the laser oscillator 1 and the like are stopped. These controls are performed by the controller 7.

[0004]

Since the conventional laser oscillator continuous gas exchange apparatus is controlled as described above,
When the pressure inside the housing is out of the range from “a” to “b” in FIG. 5, there is a problem that the laser oscillator 1 is automatically stopped and the production is stopped.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is automatic under the condition that oscillation is possible even when the pressure inside the housing is out of the range from a to b in FIG. The purpose is to prevent the laser oscillator from being stopped in a closed state.

[0006]

A laser oscillator continuous gas exchange apparatus according to the present invention detects a pressure inside a laser oscillator housing, an intake valve for controlling laser gas intake, and an exhaust control for laser gas. Exhaust valve, intake valve while monitoring the pressure detected by the pressure detection device,
It is composed of a control device that controls the exhaust valve and an oscillation determination device that determines whether or not the condition allows oscillation.

[0007]

In the present invention, the laser gas intake valve and the exhaust valve are controlled by the control device according to the information from the oscillation determination device and the laser gas pressure.

[0008]

EXAMPLES Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is a laser oscillator that generates a laser beam, 2 is a laser gas reservoir that stores the laser gas that is sucked into the casing of the laser oscillator 1, and 3 is a laser gas intake that controls the intake of the laser gas emitted from the laser gas reservoir 2. A valve 4, an exhaust device serving as power for exhausting the laser gas inside the casing of the laser oscillator 1, a laser gas exhaust valve 5 for controlling the exhaust of the laser gas when the exhaust device 4 is ON, and 6 inside the casing of the laser oscillator 1. A laser gas pressure detection device for detecting the laser gas pressure, 7 controls the opening / closing of the laser gas intake valve 3, the laser gas exhaust valve 5, and the ON / OFF of the laser gas exhaust device 4 while monitoring the laser gas pressure detected by the laser gas pressure detection device 6. Control device, 8 is laser gas pressure detected by laser gas pressure detection device 6, laser oscillation It is possible to determine whether the rated output can be secured within the normal control range by comparing and calculating various factors that regulate the oscillation characteristics such as the laser output integrated value of 1 and the relational values of the discharge current and the laser output at that time. It is the oscillation determination device 8 for determination.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the laser gas pressure inside the housing of the laser oscillator 1 during continuous gas exchange, and FIG. 3 is a flow during continuous gas exchange. Laser gas exhaust device 4 after continuous gas exchange start
Turns on and the exhaust valve 5 opens. Next, the internal pressure of the housing is measured by the laser gas pressure detection device 6 so that the pressure lower limit point (FIG. 2, b
(Point), the laser gas intake valve 3 is opened, and the laser gas is sucked into the housing. Next, when the laser gas pressure detection device 6 detects the pressure upper limit point (point a in FIG. 2), the laser gas intake valve 3 is closed to stop the intake of the laser gas. The pressure in the housing is controlled as shown in FIG. 2 by repeating the above process. The above operation is the same as the conventional continuous gas exchange of the laser oscillator. Then, after the laser gas intake valve 3 is opened / closed, when the pressure inside the housing is out of the range of the pressure upper limit point (FIG. 2, point a) to the pressure lower limit point (FIG. 2, point b), laser gas pressure and laser output Oscillation that determines whether or not the rated output can be secured within the normal control range by comparing and calculating various factors that define the oscillation characteristics such as integrated value and the relational values of the discharge current and laser output at that time. Determination device 8,
Determines that the rated output can be secured, the laser gas intake valve 3 and the exhaust valve 5 are closed, and the laser gas exhaust device 4 is closed.
Turn off. In this way, the laser oscillator 1 can be oscillated in the closed state without stopping the laser oscillator 1. The above control is performed by the controller 7. The oscillation determination device 8 constantly sends information to the control device 7 as to whether or not the rated output can be secured,
If it is determined that it is impossible, the oscillator is completely stopped even during normal continuous gas exchange.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if continuous gas exchange becomes impossible due to an abnormality in the intake system and the exhaust system, if the oscillation determining device 8 determines that oscillation is possible, automatic Since it does not have to stop the oscillation by making it into a closed state, the production is not stopped.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a laser oscillator continuous gas exchange apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the pressure inside the housing during continuous gas exchange of the laser oscillator of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart during continuous gas exchange of the laser oscillator of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional laser oscillator continuous gas exchange device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a pressure inside a casing during continuous gas exchange of a conventional laser oscillator.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart during continuous gas exchange of a conventional laser oscillator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser Oscillator 2 Laser Gas Reservoir 3 Laser Gas Intake Valve 4 Laser Gas Exhaust Device 5 Laser Gas Exhaust Valve 6 Laser Gas Pressure Detection Device 7 Control Device 8 Oscillation Judgment Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser oscillator for generating a laser beam,
A laser gas reservoir that stores the laser gas that is sucked into the laser oscillator housing, an intake valve that controls the intake of this laser gas, an exhaust device that exhausts the laser gas from the oscillator housing to the outside, an exhaust valve that controls the exhaust, and a laser oscillator housing Laser gas pressure detection device that detects the laser gas pressure of the device, the control device that controls the laser oscillator, intake valve, exhaust valve, and exhaust device while monitoring the pressure detected by this pressure detection device, and determine whether the conditions allow oscillation Laser oscillator continuous gas exchange device consisting of the oscillation determination device.