A method for calibrating an optical path in a high-power CO2 laser

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser, relating to the field of laser calibration technology. The method includes: connecting a CCD camera to a collimating telescope and displaying the image in real-time on a computer; installing a first fixture on the output window mount and a second fixture on a first corner mount, illuminated by an LED light source; focusing the fixture, using coarse and fine adjustments on the telescope support to simultaneously align the crosshairs with the centers of the two fixtures; sequentially transferring the second fixture to the second and third corner mounts, and adjusting the upper corner mount to align the crosshairs with the center of the transferred second fixture; installing a third fixture on the tail mount and illuminating it, adjusting the third corner mirror and the tail mount to align the crosshairs with the center of the third fixture, then removing the third fixture and installing the tail mirror; removing the first fixture and installing the output window mirror, adjusting the output window mount to align the crosshairs with its imaging center to complete the calibration. This method achieves rapid and high-precision calibration, ensuring calibration consistency and obtaining optimal light output performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser calibration technology, specifically to a method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser. Background Technology

[0002] High-power lasers are commonly used in industrial processing and other applications to obtain stable and repeatable laser output. The optical path within the resonant cavity of such lasers typically consists of multiple reflecting / transmitting optical elements. The beam undergoes multiple reflections within the cavity to form a stable oscillation before exiting at the output end. To ensure output power, beam quality, and intracavity oscillation stability, the position and angle of each optical element in the internal optical path need to be calibrated after assembly, maintenance, or lens replacement. A typical internal optical path configuration includes multi-stage corner mirrors (corner mirror frame + corner mirror), a tail mirror (tail mirror frame + tail mirror), and an output window mirror (output window mirror frame + output window mirror). The optical path is adjusted by rotating the horizontal / vertical knobs on each frame to adjust the mirror angles.

[0003] In the existing technology, there is a lack of unified standardized methods and supporting materials for the internal optical path calibration of CO2 lasers, which makes the calibration process and judgment criteria dependent on the operator's experience, and makes it difficult to guarantee calibration consistency and reproducibility.

[0004] In practice, operators often need to observe for a long time at the collimating telescope end to determine the alignment status, which increases the labor intensity of the calibration process and may also lead to adverse effects on the eyes from prolonged exposure to the light source.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a calibration method for the internal optical path of high-power CO2 lasers, which can provide clear operating steps and judgment criteria for the calibration process, maintain consistency of calibration results under different operators and different calibration stages, and thus achieve better light output performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide an internal optical path calibration method for a high-power CO2 laser to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for calibrating the optical path within a high-power CO2 laser, comprising: Connect a CCD camera to the collimating telescope and display the image in real time on a computer. Install the first fixture on the output window frame and the second fixture on the first corner frame, and provide illumination to the second fixture using an LED light source; Focus on the first and second fixtures in sequence, and use the coarse and fine adjustments of the telescope bracket to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the first fixture and the center of the second fixture. Repeat until the crosshair coincides with the center of both the first and second fixtures simultaneously. Transfer the second tooling to the second and third corner frames in sequence, and adjust the horizontal or vertical knobs of the upper corner frame to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the transferred second tooling. Install the third tooling on the tail mirror holder and illuminate the third tooling with an LED light source. Adjust the third corner mirror so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Adjust the tail mirror holder so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Keep the tail mirror holder in the same position and remove the third tooling. Install the tail mirror lens on the tail mirror holder. Remove the first fixture and install the output window lens on the output window lens holder. Focus to make the crosshair clear on the output window lens. Adjust the output window lens holder to make the crosshair coincide with its imaging center to complete the calibration.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that the LED light source is a point illumination source with adjustable brightness, and its probe can be inserted into the internal illumination channel of the first tooling, the second tooling and / or the third tooling to form coaxial illumination along the observation direction of the collimating telescope.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that, when focusing on the first tooling, the second tooling, or the third tooling, the brightness of the LED light source is adjusted so that the central area of ​​the tooling in the real-time image on the computer is not overexposed and the central outline boundary is clear, so as to determine the overlap state between the crosshair and the center of the tooling.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that the first tooling, the second tooling and the third tooling are all centrally symmetrical tooling structures, and the center of the tooling is determined by the geometric center of the central hole, the central mark or the central contour, and serves as a reference for the alignment of the crosshairs.

[0011] The invention is further configured such that the coarse adjustment of the telescope bracket is used to adjust the collimating telescope's visual axis direction when the first tooling is in focus, and the fine adjustment of the telescope bracket is used to finely adjust the collimating telescope's visual axis direction when the second tooling is in focus, so as to achieve that the crosshair coincides with the center of both the first and second tooling.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that sequentially transferring the second tooling to the second and third corner frames includes: after removing the second tooling from the current corner frame and installing it to the next corner frame, installing the corresponding corner lens on the current corner frame, and adjusting the horizontal or vertical knob of the current corner frame to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the second tooling at the next corner frame.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that adjusting the third corner lens to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the third tooling includes: after focusing until the third tooling is clear, changing the reflection angle of the third corner lens by using the horizontal knob and / or vertical knob of the third corner lens frame until the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that removing the third tooling and installing the tail lens while keeping the tail lens frame in the same position includes: locking or maintaining the tail lens frame in a positioning state after the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling; removing the third tooling in this positioning state; and installing the tail lens to the mounting position of the tail lens frame without changing the horizontal or vertical adjustment amount of the tail lens frame.

[0015] The present invention is further configured such that, after the output window lens is installed, the output window lens is provided with lateral supplementary lighting, wherein the lateral supplementary lighting is provided by the LED light source located on the side of the output window lens, thereby improving the imaging contrast of the crosshair on the output window lens and used to determine the overlap state between the crosshair and the imaging center.

[0016] The present invention is further configured such that the CCD camera is connected to a computer via a data interface and the computer software displays real-time images, which are used to perform focus judgment, judgment of the coincidence of the crosshair with the tooling center, and judgment of the coincidence of the crosshair with the imaging center of the output window lens.

[0017] This invention provides a method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser. The method involves connecting a CCD camera to a collimating telescope and displaying the image in real-time on a computer; installing a first fixture on the output window frame and a second fixture on a first corner frame, illuminating the second fixture with an LED light source; sequentially focusing on the first and second fixtures, using coarse and fine adjustments on the telescope support to align the crosshairs with the centers of the first and second fixtures, repeating this process until the crosshairs simultaneously align with the centers of both fixtures; sequentially transferring the second fixture to the second and third corner frames, adjusting the horizontal or vertical knobs on the upper corner frame to align the crosshairs with the center of the transferred second fixture; and finally, installing the second fixture on the tail frame. The third fixture is illuminated by an LED light source. The third corner mirror is adjusted so that the crosshair ridge coincides with the center of the third fixture. The tail mirror frame is then adjusted so that the crosshair ridge coincides with the center of the third fixture. The third fixture is removed while maintaining the position of the tail mirror frame. A tail mirror is then installed on the tail mirror frame. The first fixture is removed, and an output window mirror is installed on the output window frame. Focusing is performed to ensure a clear image of the crosshair ridge on the output window mirror. The output window frame is then adjusted so that the crosshair ridge coincides with its image center to complete the calibration. The beneficial effects include: This invention provides a simple and rapid internal optical path calibration method for a CO2 laser. It offers high precision, ensures consistency after internal optical path calibration, and achieves optimal light output. Furthermore, the optical path calibration can be observed in real-time via a computer, which is much more convenient than observing directly with the human eye at the collimating telescope end and avoids the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to the eyes.

[0018] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal optical path calibration structure of the CO2 laser of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the corner lens and corner frame; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram showing the composition of the tail lens, tail frame, output lens, and output frame. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0022] In the following description, numerous details are explored to provide a more thorough explanation of embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail to avoid obscuring embodiments of the invention.

[0023] A method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser, comprising: Connect a CCD camera to the collimating telescope and display the image in real time on a computer. Install the first fixture on the output window frame and the second fixture on the first corner frame, and provide illumination to the second fixture using an LED light source; Focus on the first and second fixtures in sequence, and use the coarse and fine adjustments of the telescope bracket to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the first fixture and the center of the second fixture. Repeat until the crosshair coincides with the center of both the first and second fixtures simultaneously. Transfer the second tooling to the second and third corner frames in sequence, and adjust the horizontal or vertical knobs of the upper corner frame to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the transferred second tooling. Install the third tooling on the tail mirror holder and illuminate the third tooling with an LED light source. Adjust the third corner mirror so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Adjust the tail mirror holder so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Keep the tail mirror holder in the same position and remove the third tooling. Install the tail mirror lens on the tail mirror holder. Remove the first fixture and install the output window lens on the output window lens holder. Focus to make the crosshair clear on the output window lens. Adjust the output window lens holder to make the crosshair coincide with its imaging center to complete the calibration.

[0024] Specifically, the internal optical path calibration structure of a high-power CO2 laser is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the structure of the corner lens and the corner frame is as follows: Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the structure of the tail lens, tail frame, output lens, and output frame is as follows: Figure 3 As shown; Figure 1The system includes a corner mirror 1, which comprises a corner mirror frame 110 and a corner mirror lens 120; a corner mirror 2, which comprises a corner mirror frame 210 and a corner mirror lens 220; and a corner mirror 3, which comprises a corner mirror frame 310 and a corner mirror lens 320. The corner mirror lenses are mounted on the corner mirror frames, and light is reflected after passing through the corner mirror lenses 120, 220, and 320. The angles of the corner mirror lenses 120, 220, and 320 can be adjusted by rotating the vertical and horizontal knobs on the corner mirror frames 110, 120, and 130, thereby adjusting the light path. A tail mirror 4 comprises a tail mirror frame 41 and a tail mirror lens 42; light is reflected after passing through the tail mirror lens 42. The angle of the tail mirror lens 42 can be adjusted by rotating the vertical and horizontal knobs on the tail mirror frame 41, thereby adjusting the light path. An output window mirror 5, comprising an output window frame 51 and an output window lens 52, transmits light through the output window lens 51 and reflects it. The angle of the output window lens 52 can be adjusted by rotating the vertical and horizontal knobs on the output window frame 51, thereby adjusting the optical path. A collimating telescope 6, with a focusing function at its top knob. A collimating telescope support 7, with both coarse and fine adjustment knobs (near end: distance between the first fixture 10 mounted on the output window frame 51 and the collimating telescope 6) for vertical and horizontal adjustment, and fine adjustment knobs (far end: distance between the second fixture 11 mounted on the corner frame 110 and the collimating telescope 6) for vertical and horizontal adjustment, allowing adjustment of the vertical and horizontal angles of the collimating telescope 6. A CCD camera 8, which acquires images of the optical path through the collimating telescope 6. A computer 9, which controls the CCD camera 8 via a USB cable and displays the acquired images on its screen. The first fixture 10 is a centrally symmetrical standard fixture that can be installed on the output window frame 51. The second fixture 11 is a centrally symmetrical standard fixture that can be installed on corner frame 110, corner frame 120, and corner frame 130. The third fixture 12 is a centrally symmetrical standard fixture that can be installed on the tail frame 41. The LED light source 13 is a brightness-adjustable light source whose probe can be inserted into the first fixture 10, second fixture 11, and third fixture 12 to provide suitable brightness illumination for the optical path. The main steps of this method include: Collimating telescope position 6 calibration.

[0025] Secure the collimating telescope 6 to the collimating telescope bracket 7. Mount the CCD camera 8 on the collimating telescope 6, and connect the CCD camera 8 to the computer 9 via a USB cable. Control the CCD camera 8 through the software on the computer 9 to obtain real-time images of the optical path and perform optical path calibration.

[0026] Install the first fixture 10 on the output window frame 51, and install the second fixture 11 on the corner frame 110.

[0027] Insert the probe of LED light source 13 into the second fixture 11. Observe the real-time image on computer 9 and adjust the brightness of LED light source 13 to provide suitable illumination for the light path.

[0028] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus. Observe the real-time image on the computer 9 until the first fixture 10 at the near end is clearly visible. Adjust the coarse vertical and horizontal knobs on the collimating telescope bracket 7 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of the first fixture 10; Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus. Observe the real-time image on the computer 9 until the second fixture 11 at the far end is clearly visible. Adjust the fine vertical and horizontal knobs on the collimating telescope bracket 7 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of the third fixture 12; Repeat the above steps until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the centers of both the first fixture 10 and the second fixture 11, indicating that the collimating telescope 6 has been calibrated.

[0029] Position calibration of corner mirror 1, corner mirror 2 and corner mirror 3: After removing the second fixture 11 from the corner lens 1, it is installed on the corner lens holder 210, and the corner lens 120 is installed on the corner lens holder 110. The probe of the LED light source 13 is inserted into the third fixture 12. By observing the real-time image on the computer 9, the brightness of the LED light source 13 is adjusted to provide suitable illumination.

[0030] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus, and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the second tooling 11 is clearly visible.

[0031] Adjust the vertical and horizontal knobs of the corner mirror holder 110 and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of the second fixture 11, indicating that the position of the corner mirror 1 has been calibrated.

[0032] After removing the second fixture 11 from the corner lens 2, it is installed on the corner lens holder 310, and the corner lens 220 is installed on the corner lens holder 210. The probe of the LED light source 13 is inserted into the second fixture 11. By observing the real-time image on the computer 9, the brightness of the LED light source 13 is adjusted to provide suitable illumination.

[0033] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus, and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the second tooling 11 is clearly visible.

[0034] Adjust the vertical and horizontal knobs of the corner mirror holder 210 and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of the second fixture 11, indicating that the position of the corner mirror 2 has been calibrated.

[0035] Remove the second fixture 11 from the corner lens 2 and install the corner lens 320 on the corner lens holder 310. Install the third fixture 12 on the tail lens holder 41 and insert the probe of the LED light source 13 into the third fixture 12. Observe the real-time image on the computer 9 and adjust the brightness of the LED light source 13 to provide suitable illumination.

[0036] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus, and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the third tool 12 is clearly visible.

[0037] Adjust the vertical and horizontal knobs of the corner mirror holder 310 and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of the third tooling 12. This indicates that the position of the corner mirror 3 has been calibrated. Then install the corner mirror 320 on the corner mirror holder 310.

[0038] Tail mirror 4 position calibration: Remove the third fixture 12 from the tail mirror 4 and install the tail mirror 42 on the tail mirror holder 41. Insert the probe of the LED light source 13 into the first fixture 10. Observe the real-time image on the computer 9 and adjust the brightness of the LED light source 13 to provide suitable illumination.

[0039] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus, and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the third tool 12 is clearly visible.

[0040] Adjust the horizontal and vertical knobs on the tail mirror mount 41 until the standard crosshair on the telescope 6 coincides with the center of the third tooling 12, indicating that the position of the tail mirror 4 has been calibrated. Then install the tail mirror 42 on the tail mirror mount 41.

[0041] Output window mirror 5 position calibration: Remove the probe of LED light source 13 from the second fixture 11 and provide appropriate illumination to the side of the output window mirror 5. Remove the second fixture 11 from the output window mirror holder 51 and install the output window lens 52.

[0042] Rotate the top knob of the collimating telescope 6 to focus, and observe the real-time image from the computer 9 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 is clearly imaged on the output window lens 52.

[0043] Adjust the horizontal and vertical knobs on the output window mount 51 until the standard crosshair on the center of the collimating telescope 6 coincides with the center of its image on the output window lens 52. This indicates that the position of the output window lens 5 has been calibrated. At this point, the optical path calibration of the entire CO2 laser is complete.

[0044] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating the optical path within a high-power CO2 laser, characterized in that, include: Connect a CCD camera to the collimating telescope and display the image in real time on a computer. Install the first fixture on the output window frame and the second fixture on the first corner frame, and provide illumination to the second fixture using an LED light source; Focus on the first and second fixtures in sequence, and use the coarse and fine adjustments of the telescope bracket to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the first fixture and the center of the second fixture. Repeat until the crosshair coincides with the center of both the first and second fixtures simultaneously. Transfer the second tooling to the second and third corner frames in sequence, and adjust the horizontal or vertical knobs of the upper corner frame to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the transferred second tooling. Install the third tooling on the tail mirror holder and illuminate the third tooling with an LED light source. Adjust the third corner mirror so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Adjust the tail mirror holder so that the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling. Keep the tail mirror holder in the same position and remove the third tooling. Install the tail mirror lens on the tail mirror holder. Remove the first fixture and install the output window lens on the output window lens holder. Focus to make the crosshair clear on the output window lens. Adjust the output window lens holder to make the crosshair coincide with its imaging center to complete the calibration.

2. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LED light source is a point-shaped illumination source with adjustable brightness. Its probe can be inserted into the internal illumination channel of the first, second, and / or third fixtures to form coaxial illumination along the observation direction of the collimating telescope.

3. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 2, characterized in that, When focusing on the first, second, or third fixture, the brightness of the LED light source is adjusted so that the central area of ​​the fixture in the real-time image on the computer is not overexposed and the central outline boundary is clear, in order to determine the overlap between the crosshair and the center of the fixture.

4. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first, second, and third fixtures are all centrally symmetrical fixtures. Their fixture centers are determined by the geometric center of the central hole, central mark, or central profile, and serve as a reference for aligning the crosshairs.

5. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coarse adjustment of the telescope bracket is used to adjust the collimating telescope's line of sight when the first fixture is in focus, and the fine adjustment of the telescope bracket is used to finely adjust the collimating telescope's line of sight when the second fixture is in focus, so as to achieve the crosshair aligning with the center of both the first and second fixtures.

6. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of sequentially transferring the second tooling to the second and third corner frames includes: removing the second tooling from the current corner frame and installing it to the next corner frame, installing the corresponding corner lens on the current corner frame, and adjusting the horizontal or vertical knob of the current corner frame to make the crosshair coincide with the center of the second tooling at the next corner frame.

7. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, Adjusting the third corner lens to align the crosshair with the center of the third tooling includes: after focusing until the third tooling is in focus, changing the reflection angle of the third corner lens using the horizontal and / or vertical knobs of the third corner lens holder until the crosshair coincides with the center of the third tooling.

8. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, Removing the third tooling and installing the tail lens while keeping the tail lens frame in the same position includes: locking or maintaining the tail lens frame in a fixed position after the crosshair is aligned with the center of the third tooling; removing the third tooling in this fixed position; and installing the tail lens into the mounting position of the tail lens frame without changing the horizontal or vertical adjustment of the tail lens frame.

9. The method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, After installing the output window lens, lateral supplementary lighting is applied to the output window lens. The lateral supplementary lighting is provided by the LED light source located on the side of the output window lens, which improves the imaging contrast of the crosshairs on the output window lens and is used to determine the overlap between the crosshairs and the imaging center.

10. A method for calibrating the internal optical path of a high-power CO2 laser according to claim 1, characterized in that, The CCD camera is connected to the computer via a data interface and real-time images are displayed by the computer software. The real-time images are used to perform focus judgment, judgment of the coincidence of the crosshair with the tooling center, and judgment of the coincidence of the crosshair with the imaging center of the output window lens.

Images