Gas laser with cooled coaxial electrode tubes
AssigneeTrumpf Lasertechnik GmbH
InventorThomas Zeller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser has at least two coaxial electrode tubes spaced apart to provide a laser cavity therebetween and a cooling system including cooling coils about the outer surface of the outer electrode and about the inner surface of the inner electrode and in heat exchange contact therewith. Support pipes are provided about the outside of the outside cooling coil and about the inside surface of the inner cooling coil. The cooling coils are deformed into improved heat exchange contact with the electrode tubes by internal pressure and may be softened by annealing or the like before the application of the deformation pressure.
Claims20
A coaxial laser tube assembly comprising
- (a) at least two rectilinear coaxial electrode tubes spaced apart to provide an annular space in between the inner and outer electrode tubes to serve as the discharge cavity for the lasing gas;
- (b) at least one coolant line extending about the surface of at least one of said electrode tubes spaced from the discharge cavity, said at least one coolant line having a first surface portion deformed into surface contact and thereby in heat transfer assembly with the electrode tube;
- and
- (c) a support device about a second surface portion of said at least one coolant line.
A process for producing a coaxial laser tube assembly comprising the steps of:
- (a) assembling coaxially two rectilinear electrode tubes in spaced apart relationship to provide an annular space in between the inner and outer electrode tubes to serve as the discharge cavity for the lasing gas;
- (b) providing a cooling device including at least one coolant line with a first surface extending about the surface of at least one of said electrode tubes spaced from the discharge cavity;
- (c) providing a support device about a second surface of said at least one coolant line spaced from the associated electrode tube, said at least one cooling line having a plastically deformable wall;
- and (d) providing a fluid under pressure in said at least one coolant line to deform the wall of said at least one coolant line plastically into surface contact and thereby in heat exchange contact with the assigned electrode tube or a surface that has a heat transfer connection with it.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.