TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER FOR GAS LASER

• US 20130294470A1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc. (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: WATANABE, Yukio, HAYASHI, Hideyuki, KAKIZAKI, Kouji, SHINOZAKI, Michio, HOSHINO, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/35
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/06 Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/02 for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/03 of gas laser discharge tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0407 Liquid cooling, e.g. by water
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/041 for gas lasers H01S3/0401 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/22 Gases

Abstract

A temperature controller for a gas laser which controls temperatures of a plurality of temperature-controlled apparatuses including a first temperature-controlled portion requiring a high-precision temperature-control and a second temperature-controlled portion requiring a low-precision temperature-control as compared with the first temperature-controlled portion and allowing a temperature-control with a low or high temperature as compared with the first temperature-controlled portion, comprises a first temperature control portion generating a cooling agent or a heating agent for adjusting a temperature of each first temperature-controlled portion, a second temperature control portion generating a cooling agent or a heating agent for adjusting a temperature of each second temperature-controlled portion, a first piping system connecting the first temperature control portion and each first temperature-controlled portion in parallel, and a second piping system connecting the second temperature control portion and each second temperature-controlled portion in parallel.

Claims

1. A temperature controller for a gas laser which controls temperatures of a plurality of temperature-controlled apparatuses including a first temperature-controlled portion requiring a high-precision temperature-control and a second temperature-controlled portion requiring a low-precision temperature-control as compared with the first temperature-controlled portion and allowing a temperature-control with a low or high temperature as compared with the first temperature-controlled portion, the temperature controller for a gas laser comprising:

a first temperature control portion generating a cooling agent or a heating agent for adjusting a temperature of each first temperature-controlled portion;

a second temperature control portion generating a cooling agent or a heating agent for adjusting a temperature of each second temperature-controlled portion;

a first piping system connecting the first temperature control portion and each first temperature-controlled portion in parallel; and

a second piping system connecting the second temperature control portion and each second temperature-controlled portion in parallel.

2. The temperature controller for a gas laser according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flow controller adjusting a flow rate of the agent flowing with respect to each first temperature-controlled portion and/or each second temperature-controlled portion.

3. The temperature controller for a gas laser according to claim 1, wherein

diameters of pipes with respect to the first temperature-controlled portions and/or the second temperature-controlled portions are different depending on temperature-control capacities of the first temperature-controlled portions and/or the second temperature-controlled portions.

4. The temperature controller for a gas laser according to claim 1, wherein

the first temperature control portion and the second temperature control portion are a single temperature control unit,

a rear anchor of an output pipe directed to each second temperature-controlled portion of the second piping system is connected to the single temperature control unit, and

the single temperature control unit delivers the agent inside a return pipe of the first piping system to each second temperature-controlled portion.

5. The temperature controller for a gas laser according to claim 1, wherein

the cooling agent is the existing cooling water, and

the first temperature control portion and/or the second temperature control portion output the cooling water as it is to each first temperature-controlled portion and/or each second temperature-controlled portion.

6. The temperature controller for a gas laser according to claim 1, wherein

the existing cooling water is generated in one lump within an upstream cooling system.

7-21. -21. (canceled)