JPH0445587A - Carbon dioxide gas laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a carbon dioxide gas laser device of large output which can acquire stable laser output by providing laser gas regenerated substance in an area near opposite surfaces of discharge electrodes which are arranged in opposition. CONSTITUTION:Active element such as Co, O2, generated by discharge is brought into direct contact with laser gas regenerated substance which is arranged in an area near opposite surfaces of discharge electrodes. Thereby, efficiency of regeneration reaction of laser gas is greatly improved. Furthermore, since there is no necessity to provide a laser gas regenerator to an outside of a gas container, constitution of a device can be greatly simplified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a high-output carbon dioxide laser device used for cutting, welding, surface treatment, etc.

(Prior art) Generally, in a high-output carbon dioxide laser device, CO
□ Laser medium gas, which is a mixture of (carbon dioxide gas), N2 (nitrogen gas), and He (helium gas), is circulated at high speed through the discharge excitation section using a blower to generate a glow discharge between the cathode and anode, and this discharge C02 is excited by this, and a laser output is extracted by the action of an optical resonator having an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the gas flow of the laser medium gas.

By the way, during such a glow discharge, some CO2 molecules are decomposed to generate CO and 0□, so the excitation intensity of the 002 molecules decreases and the laser output decreases. Furthermore, it is known that due to the influence of the 02 molecules, glow discharge contracts and arc discharge becomes more likely to occur. Such arc discharge not only makes laser oscillation impossible due to its high temperature and high current density, but also accelerates the decomposition of CO2 gas and significantly shortens the life of the gas in the carbon dioxide laser device. I was letting it happen.

Therefore, as a countermeasure for the above gas decomposition,
The method shown in Figure 3 was used. That is, a glow discharge electrode 2a is provided inside the gas container 1.

2b are arranged facing each other, and one glow discharge electrode 2a is fixed to the conductor 3a and at the same time connected to the current terminal 4. Further, the other glow discharge electrode 2b is fixed to the conductor 3b and connected to the ground potential by a lead wire (not shown). Note that since the gas container 1 is made of an insulator, the gas container 1 and the current terminal 4 are electrically insulated. Further, a capacitor 5 is connected to the conductor 3b, and a gap 6 is formed between the side conductors 3a and 3b. The capacitor 5 and the gap 6 are for pre-ionizing the laser gas between the glow discharge electrodes 2a and 2b to generate glow discharge. Furthermore, a blower fan 7 is installed in the gas container 1, and is configured to circulate laser gas in the direction of arrow 8 in the figure through the glow discharge portion formed by the glow discharge electrodes 2a and 2b. Further, heat exchangers 9a and 9b for cooling the laser gas whose temperature has increased due to glow discharge are connected to the blower fan 7.
It is placed around 0. Further, a laser gas regenerator 11 is connected to the gas container 1 via a pipe 10. Inside the laser gas regenerator 11, a laser gas regenerating material 12, a heater coil 13 for operating the laser gas regenerating material under optimal temperature conditions, and a cooling blower 14 for lowering the temperature of the regenerated laser gas are installed. There is.

In the conventional carbon dioxide laser device configured in this way, a part of the laser gas in the gas container 1 is taken out and guided to the laser gas regenerator 11, and the carbon dioxide gas is decomposed by glow discharge.
02 molecules are regenerated.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional carbon dioxide laser device as described above has the following problems to be solved. That is, the laser gas deteriorated in the discharge section formed by the glow discharge electrodes 2a and 2b is removed from the gas container 1 as described above.
It goes around inside and returns to the discharge section again. At this time, part of the CO102 generated in the discharge section is regenerated into CO2 by the action of the laser gas regenerator 11, but the remaining CO20□ and the like return to the discharge section as they are. Therefore, the excitation intensity of CO2 molecules in the discharge section decreases, the discharge becomes unstable, and the laser output decreases.

On the other hand, if the amount of laser gas introduced into the laser gas regenerator 11 is increased to increase the amount of laser gas regenerated, it is possible to reduce the amount of CO, O□, etc. that is circulated to the discharge part. In order to regenerate the same amount of laser gas as the flow rate of the laser gas flowing through the laser gas, a very large laser gas regenerator is required, and the diameter of the pipe 10 connected to the laser gas regenerator 11 also needs to be extremely large.

As a result, the laser gas flow velocity distribution within the gas container 1 is disturbed,
There was a drawback that the discharge became unstable.

Furthermore, in order to operate the laser gas regeneration material 12 under optimal temperature conditions, it is necessary to heat the laser gas regeneration material 12 using the heater coil 13, and in order to cool the laser gas whose temperature has increased as a result, cooling is required. Since the laser gas is cooled using the blower 14 to a certain temperature and then returned to the gas container 1, the device becomes very large.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to easily regenerate CO2 gas molecules decomposed by glow discharge and to obtain stable laser output. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide gas laser device with high output power.

[Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a system in which a gas flow path including a blower fan and a heat exchanger is formed in a gas container in which discharge electrodes are arranged facing each other, and a gas flow path is formed by the discharge electrodes. The laser gas is supplied to the discharge section,
This carbon dioxide laser device that excites the laser gas to generate laser is characterized in that a laser gas regenerating material is disposed near the facing surfaces of the discharge electrodes arranged opposite to each other.

(Function) According to the carbon dioxide laser device of the present invention having the above configuration, active elements such as CO and O2 generated in the discharge can be brought into direct contact with the laser gas regeneration material disposed near the facing surface of the discharge electrode. As a result, the efficiency of the laser gas regeneration reaction is greatly improved.

Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a laser gas regenerator outside the gas container, the configuration of the apparatus is greatly simplified.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be specifically described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. Incidentally, the same members as those of the conventional type shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
A mesh-like insulated wire whose surface is coated with a laser gas regenerating material 20 is disposed near the opposing surfaces of the glow discharge electrodes 2a and 2b arranged oppositely. The rest of the structure is the same as the conventional type shown in FIG.

In the carbon dioxide laser device of this embodiment configured in this way, as shown in FIG. Knitted laser gas regeneration material 2
Since the laser gas is in direct contact with zero, the regeneration reaction of the laser gas is carried out efficiently.

Furthermore, since the glow discharge electrode is heated by discharge and the insulated wire disposed near it is also heated, there is no need to separately heat the laser gas regeneration material 20 coated on its surface, and the laser gas is also heated. Therefore, the conventionally used cooling blower becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the laser gas containing CO102 emitted from the discharge part is immediately regenerated into CO□ molecules.
When the gas circulates within the gas container 1 and flows into the discharge section again, the gas composition remains the same as in the initial state. Further, unlike the conventional example, since a pipe connecting the gas container 1 and the laser gas regenerator 11 is not required, stable discharge can be ignited without disturbing the laser gas flow velocity distribution. Furthermore, since the space in which the generated 02 molecules move within the gas container 1 is limited and becomes small, the reaction between the 02 molecules and the gas container 1 and the structural materials in the container is suppressed, and as a result, the carbon dioxide laser device Longer life is achieved.

In this way, according to this embodiment, C01 generated in the discharge section
02 can be immediately regenerated into CO2 molecules, and the device configuration is simple and a stable gas flow state can be achieved, so stable discharge can be obtained, making it possible to extend the life of the carbon dioxide laser device and increase its output. becomes.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the size of the mesh-like insulated wire whose surface is coated with a laser gas regenerating material, which is arranged near the opposing surface of the discharge electrodes arranged oppositely, The shape and the interval between the stitches can be set as appropriate depending on the magnitude of the output of the discharge section. However, the spacing between the stitches must be large enough not to impede the main discharge in the discharge section.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, CO2 gas molecules decomposed by glow discharge can be easily removed by disposing a laser gas regenerating material near the opposing surfaces of discharge electrodes arranged oppositely. It is possible to provide a high-output carbon dioxide laser device that can be regenerated and obtain stable laser output.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the carbon dioxide laser device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional carbon dioxide laser device. . 1... Gas container, 2a, 2b... Glow discharge electrode,
3a, 3b...Conductor, 4...Current terminal, 5...Capacitor, 6...Gap, 7...Blower fan, 8
...Gas flow direction, 9a, 9b...Heat exchanger, 10.
...Pipe, 11...Laser gas regenerator, 12...
Laser gas regeneration material, 13... Heater coil, 14.
...Cooling blower, 20...Laser gas regeneration material. Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A gas flow path including a blower fan and a heat exchanger is formed in a gas container in which discharge electrodes are arranged facing each other, and a laser gas is supplied to a discharge section formed by the discharge electrodes. A carbon dioxide laser device that generates a laser beam by excitation, characterized in that a laser gas regenerating material is disposed near opposing surfaces of the discharge electrodes arranged opposite to each other.