JPH0334926Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention is a means to effectively and inexpensively remove fine dust and mist such as oil mist mixed into the gas used as a laser oscillation medium in a gas circulation type laser oscillator. The present invention relates to a laser oscillator equipped with a laser oscillator.

Prior Art As shown in Figure 1, a gas circulation type laser oscillator includes a discharge tube 1 for laser oscillation, a blower 2 for circulating gas at high speed, and a heat exchanger for cooling the gas heated by discharge. The discharge tube 1 includes a partially transmitting mirror 101 and a total reflecting mirror 102, which are optical components, at both ends of the discharge tube 1, and a discharge tube connected to a power source 5, 5. It consists of electrodes 103 to 106. Note that arrow 7 indicates the output laser beam. In the oscillator shown in the figure, gas is supplied from the blower 2 to the gas outlet ports 8, 8 of the discharge tube 1, as indicated by the reference numeral 6 in the figure, and from the center through the discharge section formed by the electrodes 103 to 106 to the heat exchanger 3. The air flows to the blower 2 and returns to the blower 2 again. In a laser oscillator with this type of structure, fine dust contained in the gas and oil mist generated on the rotating shaft of the blower and penetrating into the gas (hereinafter referred to as mist) circulate together with the gas. Therefore, if this mist adheres to the optical components such as the partially transmitting mirror 101 and the total reflecting mirror 102, not only will the laser oscillation ability decrease, but the attached mist will absorb the laser light and be heated. This will damage the attached optical parts. By the way, in general, in a gas circulation type laser oscillator, the blower 2
When the blower 2 is started, stopped, and then restarted, an overload will occur on the blower 2 at the time of restart, which will shorten the service life of the blower 2. Therefore, once the blower 2 is started, it will normally run until the laser oscillator finishes processing. It has been operated for a while. On the other hand, gas circulation type blower 2
Usually consists of a circulation pump, bearings, shaft seals, and an oil tank for lubricating and cooling the sliding surfaces of timing gears, etc., so the oil in the oil tank seeps into the gas circulation path as oil mist. As described above, in the laser oscillator, as the blower 2 is continuously operated, the oil mist continues to seep into the gas circulation path, which is troublesome. In order to prevent this, it has been considered to insert a mechanical filter across the gas circulation path to remove mist, but inserting a mechanical filter causes pressure loss. This is disadvantageous and cannot be realized, especially in high-speed axial flow laser oscillators that require gas circulation at high speeds of several tens of meters per second. Furthermore, in a laser oscillator with an electric precipitator added to a part of the gas circulation path, not only is cleaning the dust collecting electrode plate troublesome, but the laser oscillator is The disadvantage was that the production costs rose.

Purpose of the invention The present invention is an inexpensive laser that can effectively remove mist in gas with a simple structure without installing elements that cause pressure loss such as mechanical filters in the gas circulation path. It provides an oscillator.

Summary of the invention In this invention, a hole leading to the outside is provided at the wall surface where the gas flow collides with the bent part of the gas circulation path, and a mist collector is removably attached to this hole to remove mist in the gas. This allows for effective removal.

Embodiment FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the bent portion "A" of the pipe 4 in FIG. 1. In the figure, a hole 11 communicating with the outside is provided at a wall surface position of the bent portion of the pipe 4 where the gas flow collides, and a mist collector 20 is attached to this hole 11. As the mist collector 20, a mist absorbent 14 is attached to the tip 13 of the blind lid 12.
The blind cover 12 is coated with a thin layer of grease with low vapor pressure, for example, for high vacuum applications.
It is removably attached directly to the hole 11 or by screwing with a cap nut or other suitable method to close the hole 11 airtightly. If the bent portion of the pipe 4 is structured as shown in the figure, the gas flow 6 will flow toward the discharge tube 1 after colliding with the tip 13 of the blind lid 12 at this bent portion. At this time, mist in the gas is adsorbed by the mist adsorbent 14 applied to the tip 13 of the blind lid 12 and removed from the gas. If this blind lid 12 is made of a transparent material, such as transparent acrylic, the state of adhesion and accumulation of mist can be seen from the outside.

Of course, by removing the mist collector 20,
Mists in the mist collector 20 can be removed quickly and reliably. Furthermore, by reattaching a new or cleaned mist collector 20, the gas circulation path in the initial state can be reproduced.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the bent part "A" of the pipe 4 in FIG. 1, and the same parts as in FIG. It is attached. In the figure, similarly to the first embodiment, a hole 11 communicating with the outside is provided at the wall surface position of the bent portion of the pipe 4 where the gas flow collides.
A mist collector 20 made of heat-resistant tempered glass, such as Pyrex (trade name) glass, which is a so-called test tube processed into an L-shape, is removably attached to the hole 11 by a tube 21 made of heat-resistant silicon or the like. is closed airtight. If the tip 22 of this L-shaped mist collector 20 is directed downward, the density of the mist is larger than that of the gas, so the mist in the gas will be absorbed into the hole 11 of this bent part.
It receives the force of the gas flow 6 immediately on the upstream side, passes through the hole 11 provided in that direction, and is deposited on the tip 22. In this way, the mist is removed from the gas, and if the mist collector 20 is made of, for example, a transparent material, the state of adhesion and accumulation of the mist can be seen from the outside.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the main part of the third embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the end "B" of the discharge tube 1 in FIG. 1, and the same parts as in FIG. 2 are the same. A symbol is attached. In the figure, a hole 1 communicating with the outside is provided at the end of the discharge tube 1 at a wall surface position where the gas flow 6 collides, that is, at a position facing the gas outlet 8.
1 is provided, and a mist collector 20 is attached to this hole 11. The mist collector 20 is exactly the same as that shown in the first embodiment, and a blind cover 12 is detachably attached to the hole 11 to close the hole 11 airtightly. If the end of the discharge tube 1 is structured as shown in the figure, the gas flow 6 will flow to the center of the discharge tube 1 after colliding with the tip 13 of the blind lid 12 at this end. At this time, mist in the gas is adsorbed by the mist adsorbent 14 applied to the tip 13 of the blind lid 12 and removed from the gas.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the main part of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the end "B" of the discharge tube 1 in FIG. 1, and is the same as FIGS. 3 and 4. The same reference numerals are given to the parts. In the same figure, the gas outlet 8 of the discharge tube 1 is shown as in the third embodiment.
A hole 11 communicating with the outside is provided at a position facing the , and a mist collector 20 is attached to this hole 11 . The mist collector 20 is almost the same as the second embodiment, except that it has a U-shape, and is detachably attached to the hole 11 by a tube 21 to airtightly close the hole 11. ing. If the tip 22 of this U-shaped mist collector 20 is directed downward, the density of the mist is larger than that of the gas, so the mist in the gas will be directed directly upstream from the hole 11 at this end. Under the force of gas flow 6,
The tip 22 passes through the hole 11 provided in that direction.
is deposited in In this way, mist is removed from the gas.

In the above explanation, a pair of mist collectors are provided at the wall surface position where the gas flow collides with the bent part of the gas circulation path, but the first embodiment, the third embodiment, or the fourth embodiment It is clear that the two embodiments can be used together, or the second embodiment and the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment can be used together.

Effects of the invention As described above, according to the invention, a hole leading to the outside is provided at the wall surface position where the gas flow collides with the bent part of the gas circulation path, and a mist collector with an extremely inexpensive mechanism is installed in this hole. Since it is removably installed, the mist collector that collides with the gas flow removes dust contained in the gas and mist such as oil mist that continuously seeps into the gas circulation path due to continuous operation of the blower. It is possible to remove mist quickly and reliably, and by appropriately using each embodiment in parallel, mist can be removed more quickly and reliably. Of course, the mist collector is removable, so after removing the mist collector, you can re-install a new or cleaned mist collector to recreate the airtight gas circulation path in its initial state. be able to.

Furthermore, by manufacturing the mist collector from a transparent material, the state of adhesion and accumulation of mist can be easily seen from the outside, so that it is possible to know when it is time to clean it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a conventional laser oscillator, Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the main part of the first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the main part of the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 1... Discharge tube, 2... Blower, 3... Heat exchanger, 4... Piping, 5... Power source, 6... Gas flow, 8
...Gas outlet, 11...hole, 20...mist collector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. In a gas circulation laser oscillator in which the gas inlet and gas outlet of a discharge tube and a gas circulation blower are airtightly connected, the gas flow at the bent part of the gas circulation path is A laser oscillator in which a hole leading to the outside is provided at a wall surface position where it collides, and the hole is closed with a mist collector that is detachably attached to the hole. 2. The laser oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the mist collector is a blind lid having a tip coated with a mist adsorbent. 3. The laser oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the mist collector has a bag-like shape.