JPS61121377A - Laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change the pressure of a laser gas easily and positively by simple constitution by mounting an auxiliary vessel, capacity thereof is varied, besides an oscillator vessel outputting laser beams generating continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation, moving the auxiliary vessel by an electric signal and altering capacity in an oscillator. CONSTITUTION:When an output from laser beams 31 generates continuous oscillation, a laser gas is encapsulated into a laser-oscillator vessel 1, and set at optimum gas pressure. A bellows 11 as an auxiliary vessel is pushed by a cylinder 13, etc. set to a susceptor 12 at that time, and positioned at a bellows- shrinking position 16 at the position of a stopper 14. When the output from laser beams 31 generate pulse oscillation, the bellows 11 is extended by the cylinder 13 and set at the position of a stopper 15 in order to set gas pressure at a value lower than continuous oscillation. Accordingly, when continuous oscillation and pulse one are changed over, a command is applied and controlled to a discharge power supply 7 by a control panel 50, and instructions are emitted to the cylinder 13, thus easily changing over gas pressure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a gas laser oscillator, and particularly to a laser oscillator suitable for obtaining continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation laser light outputs using the same oscillator.

[Background of the invention]

Conventionally, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-184271, when controlling the laser gas pressure, the gas supply amount and the gas discharge amount were balanced with a valve to keep the laser gas pressure in the discharge tube constant. However, if the laser gas pressure during continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation of laser light output is different, the gas supply amount and exhaust amount must be balanced with a valve to switch the gas filling pressure.
The operation of the valve was troublesome, and switching during processing could not be done using electrical signals, resulting in a long switching time, and it was difficult to perform laser processing by switching between continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation in a short period of time.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a laser oscillator that can easily and reliably change the laser gas pressure of a laser oscillator that performs continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation of laser light output with a simple configuration. be.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to obtain stable laser light output from a laser oscillator, it is necessary to create a good glow discharge state at the discharge electrode section that excites the laser gas. It has been found through experiments that the optimal pressure of the laser gas in the container for glow discharge should be set to a value several Torr lower when the laser light output is pulsed than when it is continuously oscillated. Therefore, the laser gas pressure during continuous oscillation and pulsed oscillation is instantaneously switched by changing the machining volume by moving a variable volume auxiliary container attached to the container.

In addition, in the figure, 23 is a stopper, 25 is a 7 lunge storage state,
30 is a laser oscillator, 32 is a pend mirror, 40 is a processing table, 51 is an oscillation output control, 52 is a gas pressure control, 5
3 is processing table control.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Laser light is oscillated by enclosing a laser gas medium in a laser oscillator container 1, rotating a blower 6, and circulating the laser gas in the direction of the arrow 8. The laser gas is the - pole 2 and the cathode 3.
Create a glow discharge between 0 and excite the laser gas,
The optical section 4 amplifies and oscillates the Elylaser light. The heat generated by the discharge is cooled by a heat exchanger 5, and is then cooled by a blower 6.
is circulated again to The laser beam 31 can be oscillated between continuous oscillation and pulse oscillation by switching the configuration of the power supply section 7 applied between the electrodes 2 and 3 of the discharge section. Laser light 3
In order to stably and efficiently oscillate the laser diode 1, it is necessary to maintain glow discharge in a good state at the discharge electrode section under an appropriate laser gas pressure, and to inject a large current. Here, it has been experimentally confirmed that the laser gas pressure is in a good glow discharge state when the laser light output is several l'orr lower in pulse oscillation than in continuous oscillation.

When the output of the laser beam 31 is continuous oscillation, the laser oscillator container is filled with IK laser gas, and the optimum gas pressure (for example, 3Q'l'orr) is set. At this time, the bellows 11, which is the auxiliary container, is pushed by a cylinder 13 or the like set on the support stand 12 to bring the bellows to the contracted position fl16 at the stopper 14 position. In addition, in the case of pulse oscillation, the gas pressure is set to a value 3 to 6'l'orr lower than that of continuous oscillation.
By stretching the bellows 11, which requires a certain amount of expansion and contraction, with the cylinder 13 and setting the bellows 11 at the stopper 15 position, the volume of the laser gas pressure difference during continuous pulse excavation can be changed, and the laser gas pressure can be easily adjusted. It can be changed.

Therefore, when switching between continuous pulses, the control panel 50 controls the discharge power source 7 to change the applied voltage, and the gas pressure can be easily switched by issuing a command to the cylinder 13.

According to this embodiment, continuous and pulse switching can be performed instantaneously and optimally during laser cutting, and processing speed can be increased by pulse output with less thermal influence for cutting complex shapes, and continuous output for cutting straight arcs. It is possible to realize a large and highly flexible laser processing operation.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the invention. In this modification, instead of the bellows 11, an auxiliary container 21 is provided in the laser oscillator container 1, and the cylinder 13, which is provided on the support base 12 with the 01J 7 lugs 24 set in the 7 langes 22, is moved by electric signals.
By moving it left and right, the volume of the container is changed, and the continuity of the laser light output and the laser gas pressure during pulse oscillation are changed, and it has the same function as the embodiment.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, there is no need to adjust the laser gas pressure,
Improves operability. Furthermore, processing efficiency can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a laser oscillation device of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a modified example of the invention. 11... Bellows, 12... Support stand, 13... Cylinder, Fig. 2 Fig. 30

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A discharge electrode section that excites laser gas with the discharge energy of glow discharge, an optical section that obtains a laser output from the excited laser gas, a heat exchanger that cools the laser gas, and circulation within an oscillator container. In addition to the oscillator container, the laser oscillator is comprised of a blower section, etc., which has a variable volume, a means for moving the auxiliary container by an electric signal, and a means for changing the volume inside the laser oscillator. A laser oscillator characterized by the ability to change. 2. The laser oscillator according to claim 1, further comprising means for switching between continuous and pulsed discharge and at the same time applying a movement signal to the means for moving the auxiliary container.