Multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of CO2 laser tubes, and in particular, relates to a multi-fold medium-high power CO2 laser tube. In view of the problem in the prior art that the laser tube spot mode and power will undergo significant changes during use, the present invention provides a multi-fold medium-high power laser tube, including a gas storage tube and a discharge tube, and also includes two relatively arranged mounting structures, the two mounting structures are fixedly connected by at least one gas storage tube, and the discharge tube is connected to the mounting structure. The mounting structures located on both sides of the present invention are fixedly connected as a whole through the gas storage tube, and no adhesive with different thermal expansion coefficients is required for gluing, which can ensure that the discharge tube can work stably for a long time without deviation, thereby ensuring that the output laser power and the spot are stable and reliable for a long time, and it is also easier to make high-power laser tubes with more folds.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of CO2 laser tubes, and in particular relates to a multi-fold medium- and high-power CO2 laser tube. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the laser processing market, the market demand for high-power laser tubes is increasing. Under existing technical conditions, only axial fast-flow lasers can output laser powers of more than kilowatts. However, due to the high manufacturing and use costs of axial fast-flow lasers, the popularization and promotion of medium and high-power laser tubes has been affected.

[0003] Since the power of the laser tube is proportional to the total length of the discharge tube, the prior art uses optical lenses to optically connect several discharge branches into a straight line to increase the power of the laser tube, but the bracket used to support the discharge branch tube and the discharge branch tube, as well as the connection between two adjacent discharge branches, are often achieved by gluing. Since the thermal expansion coefficients of the discharge branch tube and the adhesive material are different, and the discharge branch tube generates a large amount of heat during use, the discharge branch tube will be offset during use, and the offset of one discharge branch tube will cause the next adjacent discharge tube to be further offset, that is, the offset will be accumulated on the discharge branch tube, which will cause the laser tube spot pattern and power to change significantly during use.

[0004] For example, a Chinese utility model patent discloses a foldable carbon dioxide laser tube support frame [application number: 200820084635.4]. The utility model patent includes a frame body, a fixing groove corresponding to the carbon dioxide laser tube is provided on the top of the frame body, the fixing groove is in the shape of an inverted trapezoid, and the oblique sides of the trapezoid are tangent to the outer surface of the carbon dioxide laser tube. The tangent part between the fixing groove and the carbon dioxide laser tube is coated with adhesive, and two or more fixing grooves are used.

[0005] The utility model uses adhesive bonding to fix the carbon dioxide laser tube, so there is the problem that the laser tube spot pattern and power will change significantly during use. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube suitable for industrial production.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube comprises a gas storage tube and a discharge tube, and also comprises two relatively arranged mounting structures, the two mounting structures are fixedly connected through at least one gas storage tube, and the discharge tube is connected to the mounting structures.

[0009] In the above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube, the mounting structure includes a mounting side plate made of quartz glass, the gas storage tube is made of quartz glass, and the gas storage tube and the mounting side plate are sintered into one body.

[0010] In the above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube, the discharge tube includes a plurality of discharge branch tubes located between two mounting side plates, two adjacent discharge branch tubes are connected through a connector, an electrode is provided between the discharge branch tube and the connector, an optical lens mounting inclined surface for mounting an optical lens is provided in the connector, and the axis lines of the two adjacent discharge branch tubes are optically connected into a straight line through the optical lens.

[0011] In the above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube, two optical lens mounting bevels are provided in each connector, the axis lines of the discharge branch tubes are parallel to each other and the angle between the optical lens mounting bevels and the axis line of the discharge branch tubes is 45 degrees, the connector is made of quartz glass and the connector and the mounting side plate are sintered as one.

[0012] The above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube also includes a gas return structure arranged between the discharge tube and the gas storage tube, one end of the gas return structure is connected to the connector, and the other end is connected to the gas storage tube.

[0013] In the above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube, the gas return structure includes a plurality of gas return pipes, one end of which is connected to the connector and the other end is connected to the gas storage pipe. A gas return pipe is provided at each end of the discharge branch pipe. The ratio of the total length of the two gas return pipes to the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas return pipes is 2-4 times the ratio of the length of the discharge branch pipe to the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge branch pipe. The discharge branch pipe, the connector, the gas return pipe and the gas storage pipe are connected in sequence to form a gas circulation loop.

[0014] In the above-mentioned multi-fold medium and high power CO2 laser tube, a cooling sleeve is further provided outside the discharge branch tube, and the inner side wall of the cooling sleeve and the outer side wall of the discharge branch tube enclose a cooling cavity, and the cooling medium is located in the cooling cavity.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0016] 1. The mounting structures on both sides of the present invention are fixed and sintered into a whole through the gas storage tube, and no adhesive with different thermal expansion coefficients is required for gluing. This can ensure that the discharge tube works stably for a long time without deviation, thereby ensuring that the output laser power and the light spot are stable and reliable for a long time. At the same time, it is also easier to make high-power laser tubes with more folds.

[0017] 2. The gas storage tube, mounting side plate and connector of the present invention are all made of quartz glass and sintered into one body, which further ensures stability and isolates the linkage relationship between the discharge branches, that is, the offset cannot be accumulated between different discharge branches.

[0018] 3. The present invention designs the discharge tube to be a plurality of discharge branches optically connected in a straight line through an optical lens, thereby extending the electrical excitation length, thereby increasing the total power of the laser tube while ensuring that the overall length of the laser tube is small. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of the present invention;

[0022] In the figure: gas storage pipe 1, discharge tube 2, mounting side plate 3, cooling pipe sleeve 4, cooling cavity 5, return air structure 6, mounting structure 7, discharge branch pipe 21, connector 22, optical lens mounting slope 23, electrode 25, return air pipe 61. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, a multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube includes a gas storage tube 1 and a discharge tube 2, and also includes two relatively arranged mounting structures 7. The two mounting structures 7 are fixedly connected by at least one gas storage tube 1, and the discharge tube 2 is connected to the mounting structures 7.

[0025] The mounting structures 7 on both sides of the present invention are fixedly connected as a whole through the gas storage tube 1, and no adhesive with different thermal expansion coefficients is required for gluing, which can ensure that the discharge tube 2 works stably for a long time without deviation, thereby ensuring that the output laser power and the light spot are stable and reliable for a long time, and it is also easier to make high-power laser tubes with more folds.

[0026] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the discharge tube 2 includes a plurality of discharge branch tubes 21 located between two mounting side plates 3, two adjacent discharge branch tubes 21 are connected through a connector 22, an electrode 25 is provided between the discharge branch tube 21 and the connector 22, an optical lens mounting inclined surface 23 for mounting an optical lens is provided in the connector 22, and the axis lines of the two adjacent discharge branch tubes 21 are optically connected to form a straight line through the optical lens. That is, if a beam of light is emitted from one end of the discharge branch tube 21, after being reflected once or multiple times by the optical lens, it can pass through another discharge branch tube 21, and so on. It is defined that these discharge branch tubes 21 are optically connected to form a straight line through the optical lens.

[0027] Preferably, two optical lens mounting bevels 23 are provided in each connector 22, the axis lines of the discharge branch tube 21 are parallel to each other, and the angle between the optical lens mounting bevels 23 and the axis line of the discharge branch tube 21 is 45 degrees. Preferably, the mounting structure 7 includes a mounting side plate 3 made of quartz glass, the gas storage tube 1 is made of quartz glass, and the gas storage tube 1 and the mounting side plate 3 are sintered as one. The connector 22 is made of quartz glass, and the connector 22 and the mounting side plate 3 are sintered as one. The gas storage tube 1, the mounting side plate 3 and the connector 22 of the present invention are all made of quartz glass and sintered as one, further ensuring stability. At the same time, since the connector 22 is sintered on the mounting side plate 3, the offset of the discharge branch tube 21 will not cause the connector 22 to offset, that is, the linkage relationship between the discharge branch tubes 21 is isolated, so that the offset cannot be accumulated between different discharge branch tubes 21, further ensuring that the laser power and the spot output by the laser tube are stable and reliable for a long time.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, it also includes an air return structure 6 arranged between the discharge tube 2 and the gas storage tube 1, one end of the air return structure 6 is connected to the connector 22, and the other end is connected to the gas storage tube 1.

[0029] Specifically, the air return structure 6 includes a plurality of air return pipes 61, one end of which is connected to the connector 22 and the other end of which is connected to the gas storage pipe 1. A air return pipe 61 is provided at each end of the discharge branch pipe 21. The ratio of the total length of the two air return pipes 61 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the air return pipe 61 is 2-4 times the ratio of the length of the discharge branch pipe 21 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge branch pipe 21. The discharge branch pipe 21, the connector 22, the air return pipe 61 and the gas storage pipe 1 are connected in sequence to form a gas circulation loop.

[0030] Since the laser in the present invention needs to be generated by electrically exciting the gas, when in use, the electrodes 25 located at both ends of the discharge branch pipe 21 discharge, and the electrode 25 at one end is the cathode, and the electrode 25 at the other end is the anode. During the electrical excitation process, the temperature around the cathode will be much higher than the temperature around the anode, resulting in an imbalance in the air pressure at both ends, and the gas will flow under the action of the pressure difference. Therefore, a return air pipe 61 is provided so that the electrical branch pipe 21, the connector 22, the return air pipe 61 and the gas storage pipe 1 are connected in sequence to form a gas circulation loop, and the high-pressure gas in the discharge branch pipe 21 flows into the gas storage pipe 1, and the gas in the gas storage pipe 1 flows into the low-pressure end of the discharge branch pipe 21, thereby achieving gas circulation balance. However, in this way, from one end to the other end of the discharge branch pipe 21, the gas has two circulation paths, which will inevitably lead to two current circulation paths. Therefore, the ratio of the total length of the two return air pipes 61 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the return air pipe 61 is 2-4 times the ratio of the length of the discharge branch pipe 21 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge branch pipe 21, so that the resistance of the discharge branch pipe 21 can be ensured to be much smaller than the resistance of the flow path formed by the return air pipe 61 and the gas storage pipe 1.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the discharge branch pipe 21 is also sheathed with a cooling sleeve 4, and the inner wall of the cooling sleeve 4 and the outer wall of the discharge branch pipe 21 enclose a cooling cavity 5, and the cooling medium is located in the cooling cavity 5. The cooling medium is preferably a liquid medium, for example, water. When the gas in the discharge branch pipe 21 is electrically excited to generate laser, the temperature in the discharge branch pipe 21 will increase, and the cooling medium in the cooling cavity 5 can exchange heat with the discharge branch pipe 21, thereby reducing the temperature in the discharge branch pipe 21.

[0032] The specific embodiments described herein are merely examples of the spirit of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described or replace them in similar ways, but they will not deviate from the spirit of the present invention or exceed the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0033] Although the present invention uses the terms such as gas storage tube 1, discharge tube 2, mounting side plate 3, cooling tube sleeve 4, cooling cavity 5, return air structure 6, mounting structure 7, discharge branch pipe 21, connector 22, optical lens mounting inclined surface 23, electrode 25, return air pipe 61, etc., it does not exclude the possibility of using other terms. The use of these terms is only for more convenient description and explanation of the essence of the present invention; interpreting them as any additional limitation is contrary to the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube, comprising a gas storage tube (1) and a discharge tube (2), characterized in that: The invention also comprises two mounting structures (7) arranged opposite to each other, the two mounting structures (7) being fixedly connected via at least one gas storage tube (1), the discharge tube (2) being connected to the mounting structure (7), the mounting structure (7) comprising a mounting side plate (3) made of quartz glass, the gas storage tube (1) being made of quartz glass and the gas storage tube (1) and the mounting side plate (3) being sintered into one body, the discharge tube (2) comprising a plurality of discharge branch tubes (21) located between the two mounting side plates (3), two adjacent discharge branch tubes (21) being connected via a connector (22), an electrode (25) being provided between the discharge branch tubes (21) and the connector (22), an optical lens mounting inclined surface (23) for mounting an optical lens being provided in the connector (22), and the axis lines of the two adjacent discharge branch tubes (21) being optically connected to form a straight line via the optical lens.

2. The multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two optical lens mounting bevels (23) are provided in each connector (22), the axis lines of the discharge branch tube (21) are parallel to each other, and the angle between the optical lens mounting bevels (23) and the axis line of the discharge branch tube (21) is 45 degrees. The connector (22) is made of quartz glass, and the connector (22) and the mounting side plate (3) are sintered into one piece.

3. The multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an air return structure (6) arranged between the discharge tube (2) and the gas storage tube (1); one end of the air return structure (6) is connected to the connector (22), and the other end is connected to the gas storage tube (1).

4. The multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The air return structure (6) comprises a plurality of air return pipes (61) one end of which is connected to a connector (22) and the other end of which is connected to a gas storage pipe (1). A air return pipe (61) is provided at each end of the discharge branch pipe (21). The ratio of the total length of the two air return pipes (61) to the cross-sectional area of ​​the air return pipe (61) is 2 to 4 times the ratio of the length of the discharge branch pipe (21) to the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge branch pipe (21). The discharge branch pipe (21), the connector (22), the air return pipe (61) and the gas storage pipe (1) are connected in sequence to form a gas circulation loop.

5. The multi-fold medium-to-high power CO2 laser tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharge branch pipe (21) is also sheathed with a cooling pipe sleeve (4), the inner side wall of the cooling pipe sleeve (4) and the outer side wall of the discharge branch pipe (21) enclose a cooling cavity (5), and the cooling medium is located in the cooling cavity (5).

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