JPH079405Y2 - Device for coupling HF energy to laser - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is directed to a supply line, a first capacitor electrode, a second capacitor electrode, and two capacitor electrodes located inside the supply line. A capacitor having a dielectric located therein;
An apparatus for capacitively coupling HF energy into a laser section having two cooled contact electrodes surrounding a dielectric laser tube and an emission line at least electrically coupled to the second contact electrode.

[Problems to be solved by conventional techniques and devices]

Energy is supplied to the output laser (CO ₂ laser) via a capacitor. Capacitors can be useful for distributing the output correctly. That is, the capacitors must be able to transfer energy in the kilowatt range. Furthermore, apart from the fact that the laser heats up during operation and thus the condenser also receives the light heat, i.e. heat via the supply line, the condenser must be resistant to thermal changes. Capacitors are also useful for galvanic isolation. In addition, capacitors can be involved to affect the oscillating circuit. HF energy frequency is 1
Range of megahertz to tens of megahertz, for example
It is in the range of 5MHz to 30MHz. The preferred embodiment described below operates at 13.5 MHz.

With respect to output lasers, efforts are being made to reduce the size of the lasers. However, in the prior art, the size was limited by the capacitor to be used. It is not possible to extend the laser sections close enough to each other. For safety reasons, each laser section must also be shielded with respect to the HF, which shielding is in practice done by a cover, which is often U-shaped in cross section. The size of the cover, once facing outwards, determines the space used in the laser section. Due to the location and size of the capacitors, a fairly large cover had to be used. This is because the capacitor also needs to be placed inside the shielding member.

Furthermore, capacitors are, of course, components that must be purchased and stored in the warehouse, and are only available in certain size steps (depending on capacity).

[Outline of device]

The purpose of the present invention is to allow the laser tubes (often made of fused silica) to be closer together,
As a result, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be made extremely compact so that the shielding member in the laser section can also be kept small.

Naturally, there should be no disadvantages with respect to resistance to thermal changes, energy transfer capacity and simple construction.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features stated in the characterizing part of claim 1 of the utility model. The upper surface that is present in any of the first contact electrodes will be utilized. The foil itself is completely negligible in terms of volume, and the electrical conductor paths-even those with very high rigidity-are extremely thin. Since the contact electrodes must be supplied with HF energy via some conductor path, the conductor path itself does not add further burden. Since the contact electrodes are cooled, the capacitors thus constructed are also cooled, with the result that all advantages are obtained.

Due to the characteristics of claim 2 of the utility model registration, the contact electrodes can be formed to a length which is only slightly shorter than the laser tube, so that such contact electrodes have a length of up to a value of the order of ten centimeters. However, a part of the region can be formed correspondingly longer, so that a relatively large capacity can be obtained. The widthwise spread-to become a plane-is not a problem at all. Furthermore, since the electrodes are energized over this length and are not connected, for example via a narrow cross section, the contact electrode will be connected to the HF along its entire length. Since the contact electrodes to be cooled-for example, unlike electrodes formed from sheet metal strips-are always very strong metal rods, the contact electrodes are mechanically and electrically suitable for such long capacitors. If you support it, it does not have a big impact.

Due to the characteristics of claim 3 of the utility model registration, a foil provided in the form of a longitudinal strip is often used as such a longitudinal strip, which is necessary when the foil is too wide. One edge of the foil can be cut accordingly. A foil provided in the form of a roll is also suitable as such a longitudinal strip.

Due to the characteristics of claim 4 of the utility model registration, a part of the area does not come into contact with the attached laser tube. That is, a part of the region does not receive the light ray heat and accordingly remains in the cooling state. In addition, the sides of the contact electrodes are open for the formation of cooling holes and cooling connections. Since the back surface of the contact electrode has no other role, it is easy to keep the back surface flat. Also, for other reasons, when the back surface is used to form a capacitor, there are very few obstacles.

According to the feature of claim 5 of the utility model registration, the capacitor is prevented from being deteriorated due to interruption, undulation, etc., which lengthens the separation distance of the region where the capacitor electrode is formed, so that the capacity is maximized.

Due to the features of claim 7 of the utility model registration, arcing between the electrical conductor path and the contact electrode is avoided.

According to the feature of claim 8 of the utility model registration, since it is sufficient to cover the entire back surface with the foil, the cost is lower than the case where only a predetermined area on the back surface has to be covered with the foil. In particular, such a configuration is suitable when the foil is self-adhesive on one side. Even if the foil is too wide on the back side, there is no problem since it is only necessary to cut the foil along the edge of the back side after the bonding is completed.

The features of claim 9 of the utility model registration result in a dielectric that is very resistant to aging with respect to operating conditions in the laser. In addition, this kind of foil is available in very finely divided, all thicknesses,
The capacitance value can also be finely graded.

Due to the characteristics of claim 10 of the utility model registration, it is not necessary to vapor-deposit the conductor path on the foil, and the conductor path can be added as a separate component to the structure. If the metal profile is not flexible, the profile will stick to the foil without undulations.

Due to the characteristics of claim 11 of the utility model registration, the metal profile is shorter than that when, for example, a U profile is used.

Due to the features of claim 12 of the utility model registration, the metal profile evenly distributes the energy over the entire length, and there is no butt point where the foil is pushed in so as to penetrate or penetrate.

By virtue of the feature of claim 13 of the utility model registration, the contact electrode can be divided into a plurality of electrodes having different sizes, and accordingly, in many cases, a structural advantage can be obtained.

Particularly, regarding the feature of the utility model registration claim, this is important because it is possible to provide capacitors of different sizes along the laser tube. For example, a partial electrode located upstream may be configured to support a thinner foil than another downstream partial electrode, where more HF energy may be coupled in. This allows another capacity acquisition process to be realized.

According to the feature of claim 15 of the utility model registration, the metal profile can be fixed to the back surface of the first contact electrode, and both contact electrodes can be pressed closely to the laser tube.

With the feature of claim 16 of the utility model registration, this pressing can be performed symmetrically and the inclination of the contact electrodes with respect to each other can be prevented at all.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A cylindrical laser tube 11 made of quartz glass extends along a geometrical longitudinal axis 12, the ends of which are each received in a socket 13. The gas flows inside the laser tube 11 in the direction of arrow 14. 2 and 3
As shown in the figure, a contact electrode 16 composed of two partial electrodes 17 and 18 is provided above the laser tube 11. The partial electrode 17 has a length that is more than twice that of the partial electrode 18. Seen in the longitudinal direction, the partial electrodes are narrow, but are arranged with a separation distance that prevents an electrical arc. Laser tube
A second contact electrode 19 located directly opposite to the first contact electrode 16 is provided below 11. Due to the groove 21, which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 12, the contact electrodes 16, 19 abut the upper and lower peripheral regions of the laser tube 11. Partial electrode
17, 18 and the second contact electrode 19 are integrally manufactured from solid aluminum and provided with a cooling hole (not shown) having a cooling connection (not shown). According to FIG. 3, the end faces 22 of the contact electrodes 16 and 19 at the positions closest to each other are shown.
Are approximately at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock (FIG. 3) and are separated from each other by a distance such that no electrical arcing occurs at that point. In FIG. 3, the vertical side surfaces 23 of the contact electrodes 16 and 19 are vertically aligned and have a separation distance larger than the length corresponding to the outer diameter of the laser tube 11 when viewed in the lateral direction.

According to FIG. 3, a thin copper plate 26 is attached by a screw 24 to the center of the right side surface 23 of the second contact electrode 19.
Since this copper plate has an electric mass, the second electrode 19 also has a mass.

There are three yokes 27, 28 and 29 formed of plastic that do not conduct electricity and that do not change with heat. In this case, the yokes 27 and 28 pull the partial electrode 17 with respect to the laser tube 11 and pull the left region of the second contact electrode 19, and the yoke 29 pulls the partial electrode 18 and the second contact electrode 19 in the right region. Pull in the same way. Each yoke has two longitudinal arms 31, 32, the inner surface of which is flat, except for a recess 33 in the region of the end face 22, and which abuts the side face 23. The lower ends of the longitudinal arms 31, 32 are fixedly attached by screws 34 to the lower region of the side surface 23 of the second contact electrode 19. A non-flexible lateral arm 37 is attached by screws 36 to the upper ends of the longitudinal arms 31, 32. Each yoke 27,28,29
Has a clamping screw 38, 39, 41 perpendicular to it exactly above its geometrical longitudinal axis 12 in its central position.

The partial electrodes 17, 18 have flat back surfaces 42, 43 which are perfectly aligned with each other. A self-adhesive foil 44 is applied to the fully continuous rectangular surface of the back surface 42, which foil is too thin to be shown in FIG. A self-adhesive foil 46 is attached to the back surface 43, but the thickness thereof is shown in an exaggerated manner in FIG. The foils 44 and 46 are made of tetrafluoroethylene, and for example, foil made of Teflon (registered trademark) is used. As shown in FIG. 1, on the foil 44, symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis 12, a so-called I-shaped elongated rectangular cross section of aluminum with a thickness of a few millimeters is used.
A shape member (also called a flat member) 47 is arranged. The right edge 48 and the left edge 49 of this I-section are parallel to the side surface 23 and thus,
It extends parallel to the corresponding edge of the foil 46, which only extends to the side 23. The edges 48, 49 and the side surface 23 are considerably separated from each other. Exactly the same as the lateral edge 5 of the I-section 47.
The same can be said for 1,52. The area of the lower surface 53 of the I-shaped member 47, the distance to the back surface 42, and the dielectric characteristics of the foil 44 determine the capacitance value of the capacitor. Therefore, only a small area of the back surface 43 acts as a capacitor electrode.

The clamping screw 38 presses the upper surface of the I-shaped member 47 in its left side region, and the clamping screw 39 presses the right side region of the I-shaped member 47.

The foil 46 on the rear surface 43 of the partial electrode 18 located on the right side in FIGS. 1 and 2 is also attached according to the same principle. An I-shaped member 54 constructed according to the same principle as the I-shaped member 47 is similarly arranged on this foil. That is, I
Profile 54 has aligned edges 48,49 similar to those previously described.
And lateral edges 51, 52 and a lower surface 53.

Position the foil 44 slightly below the lateral edge 56 and
If the 46 were positioned slightly below the lateral edge 57, the I-sections 47, 54 could be formed in one piece, i.e. continuously.

A thin copper plate 59 is electrically and mechanically fixed to the right end region of the I-shaped member 47 by screws 58. Of course, the screws 58 do not penetrate the foil 44. The thin copper plate 59 is I in the right side area.
Once again profile 54, it contacts I profile 54 for HF. The thin copper plate 59 conducts HF. A thin copper plate 59 extends below the transverse arm 37 of the yoke 29 and its clamping screw 41 presses the thin copper plate 59 against the I-section 54 and also the thin copper plate against the foil 46. The thin copper plate 59 has a rear surface 42, which is the thickness of the I-shaped members 47, 54
Since it is higher than 43, there is no arcing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan view of the rear surface of the device fixed to the laser tube, FIG. 2 is a view seen from the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is the figure which expanded the cross section along 3 further. 11 …… Laser tube, 16 …… First contact electrode, 17,18 ……
Partial electrode, 19 …… second contact electrode, 27,28,29 …… yoke, 38,39,41 …… tightening screw, 44,46 …… foil, 47 …… I
Shape, 54 …… I shape, 59 …… Thin copper plate.

Claims (16)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A capacitor having a supply line, a capacitor located in the supply line, a first capacitor electrode, a second capacitor electrode, and a dielectric material positioned between the two capacitor electrodes, and a dielectric laser. In a device for capacitively coupling HF energy into a laser section having two cooled contact electrodes surrounding a tube and an emission line at least electrically coupled to a second contact electrode, a) at least a first Part of the upper surface of the contact electrode is the first
B) A dielectric foil forming a capacitor dielectric is arranged on the partial region, c) An electric conductor path forming a second capacitor electrode on the foil. A device for coupling HF energy to the laser, characterized in that 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the partial region extends along the contact electrode. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the partial region is a longitudinal strip having a linear longitudinal structure. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the partial region is located on the back surface of the contact electrode. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the partial area is flat. 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the foil is self-adhesive. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the foil extends beyond the partial area. 8. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the back surface of the contact electrode is substantially entirely covered with a foil. 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the foil is made of a material such as tetrafluoroethylene. 10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductor path is a non-flexible metal profile. 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the metal profile is an I profile extending above the partial region. 12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal profile is integrated. 13. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first contact electrode comprises at least two partial electrodes. 14. The utility model registration claim 13 characterized in that the foil on the partial electrode has partial foil pieces having different thicknesses.
The device according to the item. 15. The utility model registration claim characterized in that the clamping screw of the fixed yoke presses against the metal profile and the fixed yoke presses the contact electrode-via the clamping screw-on the contact electrode against the tube surrounding the laser section. Apparatus according to claim 10. 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein each of the fastening screws is provided in the central portion of the lateral yoke of each fixed yoke and is also a fastening screw of the contact electrode.