JPS6225477A - Laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a member such as a reflecting mirror from damaging by providing a branch tube and a leakage water detector for detecting the moisture dropped to the tube in a laser gas circulating passage. CONSTITUTION:When the supply of coolant is forgotten and coolant is supplied from the midway of operation, a discharge tube 1 is already at high temperature, and accordingly cracked to invade the coolant to be mixed with laser gas 5. When this gas is arrived at a branch tube 15, the mixed coolant is dropped to the bottom of the tube 15. The dropped water is detected by a leakage water detector 14 to stop operating of a laser oscillator, to operate valves of an inlet 12 and an outlet 13 of the coolant, thereby stopping supply of the coolant and exhausting the coolant. With this construction, the coolant leakage is rapidly detected to prevent a member such as a reflecting mirror from damaging.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to laser oscillation that generates laser light for performing laser processing such as drilling, welding, and cutting. 5.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of a normal laser oscillator.
FIG. 6 is an A-Ai#i plane view in FIG. 2. Second
In Figure 6, (1) is a discharge tube, (2) is a partial reflection mirror, (3) is a total reflection mirror, and (4) is a pair of electrodes (4a).
, (4b) of the discharge tube (1).

(5) is a laser gas, (6) is a heat exchanger installed at two places in the circulation path of this laser gas (5), (7) is a blower that is a driving source for circulating the laser gas (5), and (8) is a A gas cylinder filled with laser gas (5), (9) is a vacuum evacuation pump for laser gas (5), AC source for exciting laser light, C1,) is an overjacket that circulates cooling water, θ is the inlet of the cooling water, and (6) is the outlet of the cooling water.

In the conventional laser oscillator configured with a Vc bond as described above, the electrode (4a) is provided on the outer periphery of the discharge tube (1).

By applying vehicle pressure 1i'''L from AC power supply αq to (4b), the laser beam excited in the discharge tube (1) is transmitted between the partially reflecting stirrup (2) and the total reflecting mirror (3). A part of it is emitted from the partial reflecting mirror (2) and is used as an energy source for laser processing.
) is controlled to a predetermined temperature by circulating cooling water inside the quarter jacket qn (12) through the outlet CI:
The laser gas (5) inside becomes a clockwise circulation path in FIG.
A certain amount of fresh gas is replenished from 8), and the gas is discharged by a full vacuum evacuation pump (9) that is equilinear with the replenished fresh gas, and a heat exchanger (6) installed in the circulation path is
).

[Problems to be solved by the invention] In the conventional laser oscillator as described above, for example, a discharge tube (
The outer periphery of 1)? I forgot to flush the cooling water to be circulated and the first pipe (
If 1) is brought to a high temperature state, many air bubbles may get mixed into the cooling water and cause damage to the electrode (4a).

(4b) Void discharge occurs due to bath surface leakage between
In the case of fc, if a crack occurs in the discharge tube (1), which is made of a fragile material such as ceramic, and cooling water enters through the crack and becomes mixed in the laser gas (5), this water will Partially reflecting mirror (2) and totally reflecting mirror (
3) may corrode the mirror surface and make it unusable, or the heat exchanger (
6) and that there may be problems such as corrosion of parts inside the blower (7).

This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. When a crack occurs in the discharge tube and cooling water infiltrates into the laser gas, this is immediately detected and the laser gas circulation path as described above is installed. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a laser excavated RFR in which members such as an anti-mirror provided therein are not damaged.

[Means for solving problems]

The laser oscillator according to the present invention includes a branch tube provided in the middle of a tube for circulating laser gas in the discharge tube by a blower, and a detection end located on the bottom of the branch tube. It is equipped with a water leak detector.

[Effect]

In this invention, the water leakage detector installed in the gas laser circulation path of the laser oscillator detects the cooling water that has entered the laser gas through the cracks in the discharge tube, and uses this detection signal to detect the cooling water in the outer circumference of the discharge tube. The supply will be stopped and discharged.

[Embodiment] Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a laser oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (1) to 03 are Fig. 2 V showing a conventional example.
It is the same part as Kooru with the same symbol. α4 is laser gas (
A branch path 4 is provided in the circulation path of 5) to constantly sample the circulating laser gas (5).
5) In the above-mentioned laser oscillator, which is a Ronin detector such as a stainless/less heavy pole type that activates when moisture gets into the discharge tube (1), for example, when the laser vibration isolator starts operating, Forgetting to supply cooling water to circulate around the outer periphery,
When cooling water is supplied during operation, if cracks have formed in the discharge tube (1) because the discharge tube (1) was already in a high temperature state before this supply, the cooling water will enter through the cracks and cause laser gas (5). This laser gas (5) is mixed into the branch pipe Q.
When the temperature reaches 5Vc, the mixed cooling water drips onto the bottom of the branch pipe α1, so the operation of the laser vibration isolator is stopped by an alarm from the water leak detector Q4, which is activated by detecting this dripped cooling water. By operating the valves provided at the cooling water population α and outlet 0, the supply of cooling water to the outer periphery of the discharge tube (1) is stopped +h and discharged? conduct.

In the above embodiment, an example was explained in which the laser oscillator was manually stopped E and all the cooling water was drained by the water leak detector α11 report.
5) Is there a control signal at the same time as the cooling water gold is detected? output,
This control signal stops the operation of the oscillator 17,
Also, the cooling water population i'12 and the outlet (to) vr-I!
, magnetic valve? These electromagnetic valves may be actuated by the above-mentioned control signal lζ to stop the supply of cooling water and discharge the cooling water.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, a branch pipe is provided in the laser gas circulation path, and the bottom surface of the branch pipe ((Configuration 1-fr
Therefore, leakage of cooling water can be quickly detected, and damage to members such as a reflector that come in contact with the circulating laser gas can be prevented from being damaged.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a laser oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional laser oscillator, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. In the figure, (1) is a discharge tube, (4a), (4b)
is an electrode, (5) is a laser gas, (6) is a heat exchanger, (7
) is the blower, C11) is the water jacket, α■ is the cooling water population, (c) is the cooling water outlet, α4 leakage detector, α9 branch pipe. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts. Agent Patent Attorney Tadashi Sato Year 1 Figure 1, 4b: @Koku5: Shi-sun'°gumata 15 Nosuntoge!

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The axial direction of the discharge tube formed of a dielectric material is the laser optical axis, and the electrode provided on the outer periphery of the discharge tube, the cooling water jacket provided on the outside, and the laser gas of the discharge tube are A laser oscillator comprising a blower for circulating and a heat exchanger for cooling the laser gas, characterized in that a branch pipe and a water leakage detector for detecting moisture dripping into the branch pipe are provided in the laser gas circulation path. Laser oscillator. (2) The control output of the water leak detector stops the operation of the laser oscillator, and also operates the solenoid valves provided at the inlet and outlet of the cooling water to discharge the cooling water inside the jacket. A laser oscillator according to claim 1.