Cooling of laser parts

Claim 2

An air cooled laser apparatus comprising: a laser resonator including a structure for confining a lasable medium and defining a lasing region between laser mirrors positioned in opposition to one another at spaced locations along a laser beam path; a plurality of thermally conductive cooling fins supported in a thermal conducting relationship with the structure of the laser resonator that confines the lasing medium to define air flow paths between adjacent ones of said fins, each of said cooling fins encircling said laser resonator structure and extending transverse to the laser. beam path; an air duct extending from an intake port to an exhaust port to enclose the cooling fins and define air flow paths transverse to the laser beam path that pass between said cooling fins; and air supply means coupled to at least one of the ports of the air duct for establishing an air flow from the intake port, between the cooling fins and to the exhaust port, said air flow having air distributed therein in the direction of the laser beam path so that a greater volume of air flows through regions located about ends of the lasing region and a midpoint therebetween than elsewhere.

Claim 3

The air cooled laser apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air duct defines a straight line air flow path extending transverse to the laser beam path from the intake port to the exhaust port, the air supply means includes two motor driven axial flow fans coupled in air flow communication with one of said ports side-by-side in the direction of the laser beam path with their air flow axes facing in the direction of extent of the cooling fins, and each of said fans having a plurality of blades having tips that scribe a bath aligned with the regions located about the midpoint and end of the lasing region.

Claim 4

The air cooled laser apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the blades of each of the motor driven fans are spaced from the cooling fins a distance less than the diameter of the path scribed by the tips of said blades.

Claim 5

The air cooled laser apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said resonator is provided by a laser assembly having: an elongated body of electrically insulating material defining an elongate bore along a laser beam path for enclosing a lasable gas medium; electrodes secured to the electrically insulating body at opposite ends of the elongated bore for coupling to a voltage source to initiate and maintain lasing action in a lasing region within said elongated bore; hermetic seals joined to the electrically insulating body at opposite ends of the elongated bore to form an enclosure for the lasable gas medium hermetically sealed from the atmosphere ambient to said electrically insulating body; and laser mirrors supported in opposition to one another at spaced locations along the laser beam path with the electrodes therebetween to define a resonant cavity for sustaining lasing action; the laser apparatus further comprising a support assembly for supporting the laser assembly and having: a plurality of rods spaced from the elongated : body of the laser assembly to extend in the direction of said elongated body; support members secured to the plurality of rods at spaced locations therealong for supporting the laser apparatus, and mounting members securing the laser assembly to the plurality of rods; the said thermally conductive cooling fins being supported in a thermal conducting relationship with the elongated body and the electrodes of the laser assembly, and encircling said elongated body and said electrodes; the air flow established by the air supply means having air distributed therein in the direction of the laser beam path so that a greater volume of air flows through regions located about the electrodes of the laser assembly and about a midpoint therebetween than elsewhere.

Claim 6

5 . An air cooled coherent radiation generating apparatus comprising: a resonator including a structure for confining a resonating medium and defining a resonating region between reflectors positioned in opposition to one another at spaced locations along a coherent radiation beam path; a plurality of thermally conductive cooling fins supported in a thermal conducting relationship with the structure of the resonator that confines the resonating medium to define air flow paths between adjacent ones of said fins, each of said cooling fins encircling said resonator structure and extending transverse to the coherent radiation beam path; an air duct extending from an intake port to an 2 exhaust port to enclose the cooling fins and define air flow paths transverse to the coherent radiation beam path, these air flow paths being substantially confined to the air flow paths between said cooling fins; and air supply means coupled to at least one of the ports of the air duct for establishing an air flow from the intake port, between the cooling fins and to the exhaust port.

Claim 7

5 . An air cooled coherent radiation generating apparatus comprising: a resonator including a structure for confining a resonating medium and defining a resonating region between reflectors positioned in opposition to one another at spaced locations along a coherent radiation beam path; a plurality of thermally conductive cooling fins supported in a thermal conducting relationship with the structure of the resonator that confines the resonating medium to define air flow paths between adjacent ones of said fins, each of said cooling fins encircling said resonator structure and extending transverse to the coherent radiation beam path; an air duct extending from an intake port to an 2 exhaust port to enclose the cooling fins and define air flow paths transverse to the coherent radiation beam path, these air flow paths being substantially confined to the air flow paths between said cooling fins; and air supply means coupled to at least one of the ports of the air duct for establishing an air flow from the intake port, between the cooling fins and to the exhaust port.

Claim 8

Structure for supporting a laser apparatus, comprising: a resonator support assembly for supporting a laser resonator so that radiation generated by lasing action in a confined lasable medium is directed along a selected laser beam path; a support member secured to the resonator support assembly for supporting the laser apparatus; a chassis; and flexible coupling means supporting the chassis at the support member.

Claim 9

Structure for supporting a laser apparatus, comprising: a resonator support assembly for supporting a laser resonator so that radiation generated by lasing action in a confined lasable medium is directed along a selected laser beam path; a support member secured to the resonator support assembly for supporting the laser apparatus; a chassis; and flexible coupling means supporting the chassis at the support member.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 6 wherein the support member secured to the resonator support assembly includes means for securing said support member to an exterior reference member, and a flexible part permitting movement between said reference member and said resonator support assembly in orthogonal directions along the laser beam path and transverse to a line extending between said laser beam path and said exterior reference member.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 6 or claim 7 further comprising: means for cooling the laser apparatus, the said cooling means being supported at the chassis by means of a plurality of first shock absorbing coupling means fastened between said chassis and said cooling means.

Claim 12

A structure according to claim 6 or claim 7 for supporting a gas laser apparatus, said gas laser apparatus including a plasma tube supported along a selected laser beam path between opposing laser mirrors, the said resonator support assembly comprising: a resonator support structure extending in the direction of the selected laser beam path; and mounting members secured to the resonator support structure for supporting the plasma tube and opposed laser mirrors so that the radiation generated by lasing section of the gas laser apparatus is directed along the selected laser beam path; the flexible coupling means supporting the chassis at the support member being shock absorbing coupling means secured to the support member and supporting the chassis therefrom.

Claim 13

A gas laser apparatus which includes an envelope for containing a lasable gas medium, a window for passage of laser radiation from said envelope along a laser beam path, and a mirror positioned outside said envelope to intercept laser radiation passing through said window along said laser beam path characterised by a mounting assembly for said window and mirror, comprising: an enclosure for joining to the envelope of said gas laser apparatus to extend therefrom and surround the laser beam path, said enclosure having a window located to intercept the laser beam path for passage of laser radiation from the interior,to the exterior of said enclosure along said laser beam path, and said enclosure having an opening located to intercept the laser beam path for passage of laser radiation from said envelope to the interior of said enclosure along said laser beam path; a hermetic seal means joined to the enclosure for hermetically sealing said enclosure to the envelope of said laser apparatus with the opening of said enclosure aligned with an opening through said envelope whereby the interiors defined by said enclosure and envelope are isolated from the surrounding atmosphere; a rigid housing defining a passage extending along the laser beam path, said housing having a seat supporting the mirror in said passage; a flexible sealed joint coupling the rigid housing to the enclosure with the window of said enclosure in the passage defined by said rigid housing, said flexible sealed joint inhibiting flow into said passage of contaminants from the exterior while permitting relative movement between said rigid housing and said enclosure generally in the direction of the laser beam path; a seal coupled between the said mirror and the rigid housing for inhibiting flow into the passage of contaminants from the exterior; and a mounting structure for securing the rigid housing to the envelope of said laser apparatus.

Claim 14

A gas laser apparatus which includes an envelope for containing a lasable gas medium, a window for passage of laser radiation from said envelope along a laser beam path, and a mirror positioned outside said envelope to intercept laser radiation passing through said window along said laser beam path characterised by a mounting assembly for said window and mirror, comprising: an enclosure for joining to the envelope of said gas laser apparatus to extend therefrom and surround the laser beam path, said enclosure having a window located to intercept the laser beam path for passage of laser radiation from the interior,to the exterior of said enclosure along said laser beam path, and said enclosure having an opening located to intercept the laser beam path for passage of laser radiation from said envelope to the interior of said enclosure along said laser beam path; a hermetic seal means joined to the enclosure for hermetically sealing said enclosure to the envelope of said laser apparatus with the opening of said enclosure aligned with an opening through said envelope whereby the interiors defined by said enclosure and envelope are isolated from the surrounding atmosphere; a rigid housing defining a passage extending along the laser beam path, said housing having a seat supporting the mirror in said passage; a flexible sealed joint coupling the rigid housing to the enclosure with the window of said enclosure in the passage defined by said rigid housing, said flexible sealed joint inhibiting flow into said passage of contaminants from the exterior while permitting relative movement between said rigid housing and said enclosure generally in the direction of the laser beam path; a seal coupled between the said mirror and the rigid housing for inhibiting flow into the passage of contaminants from the exterior; and a mounting structure for securing the rigid housing to the envelope of said laser apparatus.