JPH10135554A - Gas laser oscillating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change a laser output in a stable manner by preparing a control device to fix a frequency of a high-frequency voltage occurs in an inverter to a frequency out of a resonance frequency unique to a step-up transformer and change the pulse width of the inverter. SOLUTION: When the laser output is changed, a laser command output signal is inputted from the outside. The laser command output signal is converted into an inverter drive (frequency fixing) signal. The laser output drive (frequency fixing) signal fixes the frequency of the high-frequency voltage at a frequency out of the resonance frequency of the step-up transformer, and determines an ON period of the inverter drive signal, i.e., the pulse width based on the level of the laser command output signal. By preparing a control device 9a which fixes the frequency of the high-frequency voltage occurred in the inverter to a frequency out of the resonance frequency unique to the step-up transformer and changes the pulse width of the inverter, the laser output can be changed in a stable manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas laser oscillator in which the frequency of a high-frequency voltage generated in an inverter section is fixed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional gas laser oscillation device will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a gas laser medium for generating laser light, 2 denotes a DC high-voltage power supply for exciting the gas laser medium 1, 3a and 3b denote discharge electrodes connected to the DC high-voltage power supply 2, Is a partially transmissive mirror for taking out an optically amplified laser beam, 5 is a total reflection mirror for amplifying light, 6 is a laser tube, 7 is a commercial AC power supply for supplying a DC high voltage power supply, and 8 is a high frequency voltage. An inverter 9 for controlling the output of the inverter 8; and 10 an inverter 8 for boosting the high-frequency voltage.
Is connected to the step-up transformer 10.
Rectifier diode that rectifies the high voltage boosted by
Is a smoothing capacitor for smoothing the high voltage rectified by the rectifier diode 11.

Next, the operation of the conventional gas laser oscillation device will be described. First, discharge is performed from the discharge electrodes 3a and 3b connected to the DC high-voltage power supply 2 to which the commercial AC power supply 7 is applied. This discharge causes the gas laser medium 1 to be excited by obtaining discharge energy, and the excited gas laser medium is brought into a resonance state by an optical resonator formed by the partial transmission type reflection mirror 4 and the total reflection mirror 5, and the partial transmission type reflection mirror 4 outputs a laser beam, which is used for laser processing such as cutting and welding. Next, the operation of the DC high-voltage power supply 2 will be described. Power is supplied from the commercial AC power supply 7 to the inverter 8,
An inverter 8 generates a high-frequency voltage. The high frequency voltage is boosted by a step-up transformer 10, the high frequency voltage is rectified by a rectifier diode 11, and smoothed by a smoothing capacitor 12. Further, the frequency of the inverter section 8 is controlled by the control device 9 to change the laser output.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional gas laser oscillation device, when the laser output is changed, the control device 9 for changing the output of the step-up transformer 10 outputs the laser command output (w) shown in FIG. On the other hand, the frequency of the high frequency voltage shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the frequency of the high-frequency voltage (kv) matches the resonance frequencies f ₀ , f ₁ , and f ₂ of the step-up transformer 10, the generated voltage is not stabilized and the laser output becomes unstable. Challenges were occurring.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional gas laser oscillation device.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, a gas laser oscillator according to the present invention fixes the frequency of a high-frequency voltage generated by an inverter to a frequency outside a resonance frequency range inherent in a step-up transformer. It has a control device for changing the pulse width.

[0007]

With the above arrangement, the gas laser oscillation device of the present invention can use a stable high-frequency high-voltage frequency in a region other than the resonance frequency inherent in the step-up transformer, and can change the pulse width. Thus, stable output control can be obtained.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, the control device 9
The configuration of the gas laser oscillation device except for a is the same as that of the conventional example of FIG. Control device 9a of the present embodiment
Will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Laser command output signal from outside when changing laser output (Fig. 2 (a))
Enter Next, the laser command output signal is converted into an inverter drive signal (fixed frequency). The laser output drive signal (fixed frequency) is fixed at a frequency f excluding the resonance frequency inherent in the step-up transformer, and the ON time of the inverter drive signal, that is, the pulse width is determined by the magnitude of the laser output command signal. I have. Then, this inverter drive signal is sent to the inverter section, and operates the high frequency voltage (v) of the inverter as shown in FIG. 2 (b).
As described above, the present embodiment is provided with the control device 9a that fixes the frequency of the high-frequency voltage (v) generated by the inverter to a frequency deviated from the resonance frequency inherent in the step-up transformer and changes the pulse width. The laser output can be stably changed.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, as a control device for changing the laser output, the frequency of the high-frequency voltage generated by the inverter is fixed and the pulse width is changed. This is an excellent effect that can change the output.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a control device of a gas laser oscillation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a characteristic diagram showing a change in a laser command output (w) in the embodiment; FIG. 2B is a characteristic diagram of a high-frequency voltage (v) of an inverter in the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional gas laser oscillation device.

4A is a characteristic diagram showing a change in a conventional laser command output (w). FIG. 4B is a characteristic diagram of a conventional inverter high-frequency voltage (v).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a correlation characteristic between a high-frequency voltage and a frequency.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9a Controller

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Onishi 1006 Ojidoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An inverter for generating a high-frequency voltage, a boosting transformer for boosting the high-frequency voltage, a rectifier for rectifying the boosted high-frequency voltage, and a smoothing capacitor having a smoothing capacitor for smoothing the rectified high voltage. A gas laser oscillation device that uses a voltage DC power supply to discharge and excite a gas laser medium to generate laser light in a continuous or pulsed manner.The frequency of a high-frequency voltage generated by an inverter is changed to a frequency outside the resonance frequency inherent to a step-up transformer. A gas laser oscillating device having a control device that is fixed and changes a laser output by changing a pulse width thereof.