Laser device provided with function of predicting occurrence of condensation

• US 10,461,488 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: Nishio, Akihiko, Nishikawa, Yuji, Yoshida, Hiroyuki, Machida, Hisatada
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Roy, Tod T
• Application Number:
  US15/151,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0014 Monitoring arrangements not otherwise provided for photometry G01J1/00, e.g. G01J1/4257; radiation pyrometry G01J5/00; measuring coherence of light G01J9/00; measuring wavelength of light G01J9/00, e.g. G01J9/0246; measuring optical pulses G01J11/00; calorimetrically measuring power of laser beams G01K17/003
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0407 Liquid cooling, e.g. by water
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1317 by controlling the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0014 Measuring characteristics or properties thereof measuring techniques per se G01J, G01K, G01N, G01R
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02423 Liquid cooling, e.g. a liquid cools a mount of the laser

Abstract

A laser device provided with the function of predicting occurrence of condensation and preventing occurrence of condensation in advance. The laser device is provided with a controlling part calculating a reference temperature for judging whether a cooling water feed device may feed cooling water based on a temperature measured by a thermometer and a humidity measured by a hygrometer, and a comparing part comparing a reference temperature and a cooling water temperature. The cooling water feed device is configured to stop the feed of cooling water after a command for starting up the laser oscillator has been output and the cooling water temperature is lower than the reference temperature and to start or continue the feed of cooling water when the cooling water temperature is the reference temperature or more.

Claims

1. A laser device comprising:

a laser resonator generating laser light,

a cooling water feed device feeding cooling water to the laser resonator for cooling the laser resonator,

a water temperature gauge measuring a temperature of cooling water fed to the laser resonator,

a temperature/humidity adjusting device adjusting at least one of a temperature and humidity of a space in which the laser resonator is set,

a thermometer measuring a temperature of air adjusted by the temperature/humidity adjusting device,

a hygrometer measuring a humidity of air adjusted by the temperature/humidity adjusting device,

a controlling part determining a control target temperature of cooling water which is fed to the laser resonator and calculating a reference temperature or a reference humidity for judging if the cooling water feed device may feed cooling water based on the temperature measured by the thermometer and the humidity measured by the hygrometer,

wherein the reference temperature is a dew point in the space in which the laser resonator is placed, or a value calculated based on the dew point, and

wherein the cooling water feed device is configured to repeat the following steps a plurality of times until the temperature of cooling water reaches the control target temperature;

1) start or continue the feed of cooling water after a command for starting up the laser resonator has been output and when;

a) the temperature of the cooling water is greater than the control target temperature, and

b) the temperature of the cooling water is greater than or equal to the reference temperature, and

2) stop the feed of cooling water when;

a) the temperature of the cooling water is less than or equal to the control target temperature, or

b) the temperature of the cooling water is less than the reference temperature.

2. A laser device according to claim 1, wherein the value calculated based on said dew point is said dew point plus a predetermined margin.

3. The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling part is configured to intermittently:

control the laser resonator to stop generating laser light when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the reference temperature, and control the laser resonator to start or continue generating laser light when the temperature of the cooling water is the reference temperature or more.