Folding pipe

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of high-power design in gas lasers, in particular to a folded tube which comprises a plurality of laser tubes which are arranged side by side and connected in series through U-shaped elbows. The number of the laser tubes is at least three, each laser tube makes contact with the side walls of at least two laser tubes, and every two adjacent laser tubes making contact with each other are fixedly connected. The natural stability of the triangle is utilized, the torsion resistance of the single laser tube and the overall rigidity of the folding tube are improved, and the transportation stability and the vibration resistance are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-power design technology for gas lasers, and particularly to a folded tube. Background Technology

[0002] Gas lasers, represented by carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers and helium-neon (He-Ne) lasers, have found wide application in materials processing (such as cutting, welding, and marking), medical surgery, and scientific research due to their high beam quality, wide output power range, and stable performance. These lasers typically generate laser light by applying a high voltage across a discharge tube filled with a specific gas to create a glow discharge that excites gas molecules.

[0003] Take a carbon dioxide laser as an example. Existing small sealed carbon dioxide lasers typically consist of a gas storage tube, a discharge tube, a water-cooling tube, electrodes, and a resonant cavity mirror. The water-cooling tube is fitted outside the discharge tube, and the gas storage tube is fitted outside the water-cooling tube. Electrodes are respectively set at both ends of the discharge tube as anode and cathode. The resonant cavity mirror includes a reflecting mirror and an output mirror, which are respectively set at both ends of the gas storage tube. The discharge tube is filled with carbon dioxide gas and other auxiliary gases. When a high voltage is applied to the electrodes, a glow discharge is generated in the discharge tube. After being reflected by the reflecting mirror and the output mirror, photons oscillate repeatedly in the discharge tube to form a laser beam, which is then emitted from the output mirror to obtain the final laser beam.

[0004] In existing technologies, to increase output power without significantly increasing the external size of the laser, a common approach is to optimize the internal structure of the laser (such as increasing the efficiency of the return gas tube and optimizing the electrode design) to maximize the effective discharge length within a limited space. However, this method is limited by physical laws and material properties, and the power increase has reached a bottleneck, making it difficult to meet the needs of higher-power applications such as heavy metal cutting and welding.

[0005] For applications requiring double or even higher power, the most direct traditional solution is to proportionally increase the total length of the laser. However, this method results in a linear increase in laser size. Ultra-long lasers are extremely inconvenient to package, handle, and transport, and can easily incur additional costs due to size limitations. Furthermore, excessively long lasers place higher demands on equipment installation space, limiting their application in compact industrial equipment.

[0006] To achieve a long discharge path within a limited space, existing technologies propose arranging multiple shorter laser tube units side-by-side, connected in series by U-shaped bends. By grinding flat corners and installing deflecting lenses at the two bends of the U-shape, the optical path direction at the bend is altered. While this method shortens the overall length to some extent, the multiple side-by-side laser tubes and the connected U-shaped pipes form a planar structure with poor torsional and bending resistance, insufficient lateral rigidity, and susceptibility to relative displacement or stress concentration during transportation due to bumps, leading to cracking at the end connections or vacuum leakage, and poor vibration resistance. Therefore, further optimization of the existing multi-folded tube structure design of lasers is needed to both double the discharge length to meet the demands of high-power applications and improve structural stability during transportation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a folded tube that addresses the problems of insufficient lateral rigidity and poor vibration resistance in the existing technology of folding a long discharge path by arranging multiple laser tube units side by side in a planar structure.

[0008] The present invention provides a folded tube, comprising multiple laser tubes arranged side by side and connected in series by U-shaped bends; the number of laser tubes is at least three, each laser tube is in contact with the sidewalls of at least two laser tubes, and the two adjacent laser tubes in contact are fixedly connected.

[0009] The two laser tubes in contact with each other can be solidified by sintering or by using positioning components to fix them to each other, thereby fixing the two laser tubes in contact with each other.

[0010] Preferably, all the laser tubes are provided with a plurality of positioning rods on their periphery, the positioning rods are located at the angle between two adjacent laser tubes, and the positioning rods are fixedly connected to the two laser tubes.

[0011] Preferably, the positioning rods are arranged at intervals along the axial direction.

[0012] Preferably, an adhesive is used to fill the space between the positioning rod and the two connected laser tubes. The adhesive contacts the sidewalls of the positioning rod and the laser tubes respectively, which can enhance the structural stability of the laser tubes and improve their vibration resistance.

[0013] The positioning rod can be fixed to the laser tube by adhesive or by sintering.

[0014] Preferably, the positioning rod is made of glass.

[0015] Preferably, the laser tube and the positioning rod are sintered together.

[0016] Preferably, all the laser tubes are arranged in an equilateral triangle or in a petal shape.

[0017] Preferably, the number of laser tubes is 3 to 7.

[0018] Preferably, the sidewalls of two adjacent laser tubes are sintered together.

[0019] Preferably, each laser tube has an air outlet and an air inlet on its side wall, with both the air outlet and the air inlet facing outwards to facilitate pipeline connection.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The folding tube provided by this invention shortens the overall length by arranging multiple laser tubes connected in series side by side through a U-shaped bend. Each laser tube is arranged side by side with at least two other laser tubes and in contact with each other. The two adjacent laser tubes in contact are fixedly connected. This transforms the traditional horizontal straight-line arrangement of three adjacent laser tubes into a stable triangular or triangular arrangement. By utilizing the natural stability of the triangle, the torsional resistance of a single laser tube and the overall rigidity of the folding tube are improved, significantly enhancing transportation stability and vibration resistance, and helping to reduce packaging, transportation, and installation costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-fold tube structure in the embodiment; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A in the image; Figure 3 for Figure 1 End diagram; Figure 4 This is a front view of a triple-folded tube; Figure 5 This is a rear view of a triple-folded tube; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of a triple-folded tube. Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the cross-section of the five-fold tube. Figure 1 ; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-section of the five-fold tube. Figure 2 ; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the cross-section of a hexagonal folded tube. Figure 1 ; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the cross-section of a hexagonal folded tube. Figure 2 ; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the cross-section of a hexagonal folded tube. Figure 3 ; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of a seven-fold tube.

[0022] The markings in the diagram are: 1-laser tube; 2-U-shaped bend; 3-positioning rod; 4-total internal reflection mirror; 41-heat sink. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments. However, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention to the following embodiments; all technologies implemented based on the content of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Unless otherwise specified, the use of terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "center," "inner," and "outer" to indicate orientation or positional relationships in the description of specific embodiments of the present invention is based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product / equipment / device is typically placed during use. These terms are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present invention or simplifying the description in specific embodiments, enabling those skilled in the art to quickly understand the solution, and do not indicate or imply that a particular device / component / element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific positional relationship. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0025] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," "suspended," and "parallel" does not imply that the corresponding device / component / element must be absolutely horizontal, vertical, suspended, or parallel, but rather that it can be slightly tilted or have a deviation. For example, "horizontal" merely means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," not that the structure must be completely horizontal, but that it can be slightly tilted. Alternatively, it can be simplified to mean that the corresponding device / component / element, when set in a "horizontal," "vertical," "suspended," or "parallel" direction, can have an error / deviation of ±10% relative to the corresponding direction, more preferably within ±8%, more preferably within ±6%, more preferably within ±5%, and more preferably within ±4%. As long as the corresponding device / component / element is within the error / deviation range, it can still achieve its function in the present invention.

[0026] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first," "second," and "third" in terminology is merely for distinguishing descriptions of identical or similar components and should not be interpreted as emphasizing or implying the relative importance of a particular component.

[0027] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "several", "more than", and "a number of" represent at least two. The number can be any number, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, and can even exceed nine.

[0028] Furthermore, in the description of the technical solution of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified / limited / restricted, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," "link," "provided with," "laid out," and "arranged" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to common connection methods in the art, such as welding, riveting, bolting, and threaded connections. Such connections can be mechanical, electrical, or communication connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components.

[0029] Example like Figures 1-5 As shown, a folded tube includes multiple laser tubes 1 arranged side by side and connected in series by U-shaped bends 2; the number of laser tubes 1 is at least three, each laser tube 1 is in contact with the sidewalls of at least two laser tubes 1, and the two adjacent laser tubes 1 in contact are fixedly connected.

[0030] Each folded laser tube 1 includes a gas storage tube, a cooling tube, a discharge tube, and a return gas tube. The gas storage tube has an outlet and an inlet for connecting pipelines to achieve vacuuming and gas filling. The discharge tube is located inside the gas storage tube, and the cooling tube is located around the outer ring of the discharge tube. One end of the discharge tube has a positive electrode, and the other end has a negative electrode. At least two return gas tubes are wound around the discharge tube, with one end connected to the discharge tube and the other end connected to the gas storage tube. When two adjacent laser tubes 1 are connected by a U-shaped bend 2, total internal reflection deflectors 4 are obliquely installed at the bends on both sides of the U-shaped bend 2. The return gas tubes in adjacent laser tubes 1 are arranged end-to-end, that is, the return gas tube in one gas storage tube is located near the positive electrode, and the return gas tube in the other gas storage tube is located near the negative electrode. Through this structural arrangement, there will be a certain pressure difference at the connection with the U-shaped bend 2. After connecting through the U-shaped bend 2, gas flow between the two laser tubes 1 can be realized, further improving the return gas flow speed. One laser tube 1 has an output lens at its end furthest from the U-shaped bend 2, while the other laser tube 1 has a reflecting lens at its end furthest from the U-shaped bend 2. The gas storage tube is filled with carbon dioxide gas. A discharge process excites the carbon dioxide gas molecules, causing them to transition from a low-energy state to a high-energy state. Electrons are accelerated and collide with the carbon dioxide molecules, causing them to excite and release photons. These photons are repeatedly reflected within the resonant cavity, stimulating more carbon dioxide molecules to release photons of the same wavelength, forming a laser beam. The laser resonant optical path is folded by the reflecting lens at one end and two total internal reflection deflectors 4 at the U-shaped bend 2 in the optical path. After amplification and enhancement by the resonant cavity, the laser beam is output through the output lens. The internal structure and working principle of the laser tube 1 are existing technologies.

[0031] This solution shortens the overall length by arranging multiple laser tubes 1 connected in series side by side using U-shaped bends 2. Each laser tube 1 is arranged side by side with at least two other laser tubes 1 and in contact with each other. The two adjacent laser tubes 1 that are in contact with each other are fixedly connected. This transforms the traditional horizontal straight-line arrangement of three adjacent laser tubes 1 into a stable triangular or triangular arrangement. By utilizing the natural stability of the triangle, the torsional resistance of a single laser tube 1 and the overall rigidity of the folded tube are improved, significantly enhancing transportation stability and vibration resistance, and helping to reduce packaging, transportation, and installation costs.

[0032] Compared to the existing patent (publication number CN223079546U), which uses a support frame to increase the clamping force to fix multiple laser tubes 1 arranged in a straight line at a fixed position, the folded tube in this solution fundamentally improves its bending and torsional resistance by redesigning the arrangement of laser tubes 1 from the perspective of structural mechanics. It has strong axial constraint and can effectively prevent the breakage of weak connection points at the ends.

[0033] In this embodiment, all folded laser tubes 1 are preferably configured with the same dimensions and are all made of straight circular glass tubes. Every three adjacent laser tubes 1 are in contact with each other in an equilateral triangle arrangement, such as... Figure 6 As shown. For example, laser tubes A, B, and C are arranged in a triangular configuration, adjacent to each other. In this triangular arrangement, the sidewalls of laser tubes A and B, A and C, and B and C are all in axial contact with each other, i.e., they are in pairwise contact. Figure 2 As shown, the total reflection conversion mirror 4 at the U-shaped bend 2 preferably has an integral heat sink 41 on its exterior to reduce the temperature generated by the total reflection conversion mirror 4 during reflection, making the entire laser tube operate more safely and reliably.

[0034] To ensure the fixed installation of two adjacent laser tubes 1 in contact with each other, in one or more embodiments, the folded tube further includes positioning rods 3. Positioning rods 3 are long rods with a circular cross-section, and their cross-sectional dimensions are much smaller than those of the laser tubes. Multiple positioning rods 3 are arranged along the periphery of all laser tubes 1. Preferably, the axial direction of the positioning rods 3 is aligned with the axial direction of the laser tubes 1. Positioning rods 3 are located at the included angle between two adjacent laser tubes 1, and are in contact with and fixedly connected to both laser tubes 1. Thus, the positioning rods 3 and the two connected laser tubes 1 form a rigid triangular structural unit, further enhancing the bending and torsional load resistance of a single laser tube 1 and the overall stiffness of the folded tube. In this design, the positioning rods 3 can serve as structural connectors, distributing the force between the three laser tubes 1 within the small triangle. The connection of the positioning rods 3 enhances the vibration and impact resistance of the overall structure, making the overall module composed of multiple folded laser tubes 1 more stable under mechanical movement or external forces. Preferably, the positioning rods 3 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction, which can be used to balance the center of gravity and save material costs.

[0035] Furthermore, in an optional embodiment, adhesive is filled between the positioning rod 3 and the two connected laser tubes 1. The adhesive contacts the sidewalls of the positioning rod 3 and the laser tubes 1 respectively, which can further enhance the structural stability of the laser tubes 1 and improve their vibration resistance. The positioning rod 3 can be fixedly connected to the laser tubes 1 by adhesive or by sintering.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, the positioning rod 3 is made of glass, which has a dense structure, stable properties, high rigidity and high hardness, and can be solidified with the laser tube 1 through high-temperature sealing technology.

[0037] To achieve the fixation of two adjacent laser tubes 1 that are in contact with each other, as another possible implementation method, the sidewalls of the two adjacent laser tubes 1 that are in contact with each other can also be directly fixed by firing during the production stage. The firing connection position can be set at a fixed point or continuously. By setting the sidewalls of the laser tubes 1 to be in contact with each other along the axial direction, and then setting the connection node of the two laser tubes 1 by firing glass, the stress concentration at the connection node can be reduced and the force transmission can be improved.

[0038] In an optional implementation, all laser tubes 1 can be arranged in a triangular layout. For example... Figure 6 As shown, there are three laser tubes 1 arranged in a triangular pattern; alternatively, six laser tubes 1 can be arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern, such as... Figure 9 , Figure 10 As shown.

[0039] In optional implementations, such as Figure 12 As shown, the folded tubes can also be arranged in a petal shape, and other arrangements are also possible, such as... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 11 Examples are not limited to those mentioned above.

[0040] The folded tube structure design provided in this embodiment can not only double the discharge length to meet the needs of medium and high power applications, but also has the characteristics of compact structure, high rigidity, good stability and excellent vibration resistance.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folded tube comprising multiple laser tubes (1), wherein the multiple laser tubes (1) are arranged side by side and connected in series by U-shaped elbows (2), characterized in that, The number of laser tubes (1) is at least three, and each laser tube (1) is in contact with at least two other laser tubes (1), and the two adjacent laser tubes (1) in contact are fixedly connected.

2. A folded tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, All of the laser tubes (1) are provided with a plurality of positioning rods (3) on their periphery. The positioning rods (3) are located at the angle between two adjacent laser tubes (1) and are fixedly connected to the two laser tubes (1).

3. A folded tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning rods (3) are arranged at intervals along the axial direction.

4. A folded tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning rod (3) is in contact with the two adjacent laser tubes (1), and the positioning rod (3) is fixedly connected to the two adjacent laser tubes (1) by adhesive.

5. A folded tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning rod (3) is made of glass.

6. A folded tube according to claim 5, characterized in that, The laser tube (1) and the positioning rod (3) are sintered together.

7. A folded tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, All the laser tubes (1) are arranged in an equilateral triangle or in a petal shape.

8. A folded tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of laser tubes (1) is 3 to 7.

9. A folded tube according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The sidewalls of two adjacent laser tubes (1) are sintered together.

10. A folded tube according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Each of the laser tubes (1) has an air outlet and an air inlet on its side wall, and both the air outlet and the air inlet are arranged facing outward.

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