JPS6022385A - Laser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To protect the human body, etc., from high-output laser beams by a method wherein visible laser beams are superposed on invisible laser beams by an optical parts, which has been provided at an optical path for the invisible laser beams in a condition inclining to the optical path, and detectors are provided on an optical path for the visible laser beams. CONSTITUTION:Large-output invisible laser beams oscillated from a carbonic acid gas laser oscillator 6 are projected to a matter 9 to be irradiated by a condensing system 4. A mirror 8 having an opening in the center thereof is provided at an optical path 15 for the invisible laser beams in a condition inclining to the optical path 15. Visible laser beams generated by a helium neon laser oscillator 7 are made to superpose on the invisible laser beams by the mirror 8 in such a way as to surround around the luminous flux 15. On the other hand, parts of the visible laser beams are contrived in such a way as to be reflected by the mirror 8 and to be detected by detectors 10. In case the laser beams, which are led to the detectors 10, are intercepted on the way to the detectors 10, a shutter 12 is turned into OFF by a logic-driving circuit 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial applications The present invention is a carbon dioxide laser and a YAG laser.

This invention relates to a racer device that uses an excimer laser or the like.

Conventional configuration and its problems In laser devices that use invisible lasers such as carbon dioxide lasers, visible lasers such as helium neon lasers are superimposed for reasons of operability and safety. There is.

Figure 1 shows the conventional method of superimposing a helium neon laser on a carbon dioxide laser. In the diagram, 1 indicates the carbon dioxide laser beam, which is non-visible light, and 2 indicates the helium neon laser beam, which has visible light. - Indicates luminous flux. The helium neon laser beam 2 is bent by an annular mirror 3 placed at 46 degrees, wraps the carbon dioxide laser beam 1, is guided to a condensing system 4, and is focused on a focal point 5. In this case, the carbon dioxide gas 1 The light guide path from the nocer oscillator to the condensing system 4, such as a lens, is covered with a metal or non-metal tube for safety, so that it does not come into direct contact with the human body.

The above-mentioned light guide path is usually within 1 m, and the metal/nonmetal cover covering the light guide path is rarely removed. but,
In some cases, the light guide path is long and the processing point is located 4 m to 6 m away. Although the light guide path is covered with a cover, it is necessary to oscillate and adjust the carbon dioxide laser without removing the cover.

At this time, the human body could be accidentally exposed to carbon dioxide laser light, which was extremely dangerous.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a highly safe laser device in which the human body is not exposed to high-power invisible laser light under any circumstances. The present invention achieves the above-mentioned object, and includes an optical component having a reflective surface that is provided at an angle to the optical path of the invisible laser beam and totally reflects the visible laser beam, and the reflective surface has the following characteristics:
It consists of an inclined surface provided in the vicinity of the peripheral edge iI region and a flat surface in the central portion, and invisible light incident from the opposite side of the reflective surface through an opening provided through the central portion of the flat surface. At least one detector is provided on the optical path of the laser beam, and at least one detector is provided on the optical path of the laser beam, and the visible laser beam reflected from the flat surface is superimposed on the laser beam, and the visible laser beam reflected from the inclined surface is superimposed on the laser beam. Due to the detection signal of the detector, non-iJ
The shielding means provided on the optical path of the visible light is either fully opened or closed or the oscillation of the invisible laser light is stopped.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS A current schematic diagram of a laser device which is an embodiment of the present invention is shown in a second diagram.
As shown in the figure.

In the figure, 6 is a carbon dioxide laser oscillator that generates high output invisible laser light f: 7 is a helium neon laser oscillator that generates visible laser light, and 8 is a visible laser for the invisible laser light→)-1 A mirror that serves to overlap parts and at the same time split part of the visible laser beam, 9 is a provisional object, and the non-convex visible laser beam with superimposed laser beam is classified into class 1 and 7. (Light condensing system that focuses light on property, 10
(1 high-speed detector such as a phototransistor that detects the visible laser light split by mirror 8, 1
1 is a logic drive circuit that processes a signal from the detector 10 and drives a relay; 12 is a shutter that is operated by a signal from the logic drive circuit 11;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the mirror 8 of this embodiment.

An aperture 14 is provided in the center of the mirror 8, and the invisible laser beam 16 passes through the aperture 14 from left to right in the drawing. The mirror 8 has a disk shape, and is further provided with an inclined surface 16 that descends toward the outside in the radial direction near the periphery.

The visible laser beam 17 is incident on the mirror 8 from a direction perpendicular to the invisible laser beam 16, and is bent in the direction of the beam axis 13 of the invisible laser beam 16, except for that emitted through the aperture 14. The visible laser beam 18 is superimposed to surround the invisible laser beam 16 for convenience during processing.

On the other hand, the visible laser beam 19 of the visible laser beam 17 reflected by the inclined surface 16 is detected by one or more detectors 10 shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG.

Under normal conditions, the laser beam emitted from the carbon dioxide laser oscillator 6 is not blocked even by the shutter 12 (that is, the shutter 12 is open), and the helium neon laser beam is superimposed by the mirror 8, and the condensing system 4 emits the helium neon laser beam onto the object 9 to be irradiated. is irradiated.

At this time, the helium neon laser beam 75B from the helium neon laser oscillator 7 is reflected by the inclined surface of the mirror 8 (indicated by 16 in FIG. 3) and introduced into the detector 10, and a detection signal is always sent out. ing.

In this normal state, the carbon dioxide laser oscillator 6 is excited, and the shutter 12 placed outside the output window of the oscillator 1111 +rtc is in an open state.

If the helium neon light emitted to the detector is blocked by a human body or the like on the way and is not guided to the detector 1o, the signal from the detector 10 will be zero. At this time, the logic/drive circuit 11 immediately closes the burner 12 and the high-power carbon dioxide laser light is cut off, so that the human body is not exposed to the high-power laser light.

The same effect can be obtained by operating the logic/drive circuit 11 to stop excitation of the carbon dioxide laser oscillator 6 instead of closing the shutter 12 when the helium neon light is no longer introduced into the detector 1o.

To increase safety, detector 1 that receives helium neon light
It is preferable to use a plurality of 0's so that when the signal of one of the detectors 10 reaches zero vc, the excitation means stops or the shutter closes instantaneously.

A specific circuit diagram of the logic/drive circuit 11 that processes the signal of the detector 10 is shown in FIG.

The figure shows a case where two detectors 10 are provided. Phototransistor 2 that detects helium neon laser light
A signal of 0 is processed by a 1AND circuit 21-, and a signal from a transistor 22 drives a relay 23 to fully open and close the shutter 12.

Now, assume that the phototransistor 20 having the above configuration is placed, for example, at a position 10 crrL outside the condensing system 4.

It takes about 100m5ecl'J or more for normal human body movement to block the helium neon light entering the phototransistor 20 and destroy the carbon dioxide laser.
In the case of the circuit configuration shown in the figure, the relay 23 is activated during this time and the shutter 12 can be closed.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is provided with an optical component having a gold layer on the reflective surface which is provided at an angle to the optical path of the non-city vision laser beam and reflects the laser beam, and the reflective surface is , an invisible beam incident from the opposite side of the reflective surface through the entire opening provided through the vicinity of the center of the flat surface, which is connected to the slope surface near the peripheral region and the flat surface in the central portion. Superimposing the visible laser beam reflected by the flat surface on the laser beam,
At least one detector is provided on the optical path of the visible laser beam reflected by the inclined surface, and a shielding means provided on the optical path of the invisible laser beam is opened or closed according to a detection signal from the detector, or This laser device is characterized by stopping the oscillation of invisible laser light, and is highly safe since the human body is not exposed to high-power laser light during work.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method of fully superimposing a helium neon laser on a conventional carbon dioxide laser, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a laser device that is an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3
The figure is an enlarged view of a portion of a mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a specific circuit diagram of a logic/drive circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Carbon dioxide racer luminous flux, 2...
Helium neon laser - luminous flux, 3... annular mirror, 4... focusing mirror, 6... focal point, 6...
...Carbon dioxide racer oscillator, 7...Hilium neon racer oscillator, 8...Mirror (
optical parts), 9 mountains, irradiated object, 10...detector,
11...Logic/drive circuit, 12...Shutter, 13...Optical axis, 14...Opening part, 16...Non Visible laser light, 16...
... Inclined surface, 17 ... Visible laser light, 18
．． 19... Visible Racer E JJJ Hikari, 20.
...--Phototransis 2-121...AN
D circuit, 22... song transistor, 23... river... relay. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] An optical component is provided that is inclined in the optical path of the invisible laser beam and has a reflective surface that reflects the visible laser beam, and the reflective surface includes an inclined surface provided near the peripheral area and a flat surface in the central portion. The visible laser beam reflected by the flat surface is superimposed on the invisible laser beam incident from the opposite side of the reflective surface through an opening provided near the center of the flat surface. , at least one detector is provided on the optical path of the visible laser beam reflected by the inclined surface, and a shielding means provided on the optical path of the invisible laser beam is opened or closed based on a detection signal from the detector. Or a laser device characterized by stopping oscillation of invisible laser light.