TURBOBLOWER FOR LASERS AND LASER OSCILLATOR

Abstract: This invention relates to a turboblower for lasers, adapted to forcibly circulate a laser gas in a gas laser processing unit and a laser oscillator. The turboblower is constituted of a shaft (26) having a turbo-vane (16) at the front end thereof, a pair of bearings (19,20) supporting the shaft (26), and motors (17,18) for rotating the shaft (26). Non-contacting seals (35,36,37,38) for preventing the outflow of grease are provided, and grease holding spaces (31,32,33,34) are formed on both sides of the bearings (19,20). The grease in the bearings which is urged by the centrifugal force of the rotating shaft (26) in the scattering direction thereof does not flow out of the interior of the spaces (3I,32,33,34) owing to the non-contacting seals (35,36,37,38). This enables the lifetime of the bearings to be prolonged, and the reliability and the efficiency of maintenance of the apparatuses according to the present invention to be improved.

Description: The present invention relates to a turbo blower for a laser device for forcibly circulating a laser gas in a gas laser device used for machining and the like and a laser oscillator device, and more particularly, to a turbo blower for a laser device and a laser oscillator device, in which the life of bearings therein is lengthened to improve the reliability and maintenance efficiency of the device. Modern carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser oscillator devices provide high output and high-quality laser beams, and are now widely used for laser beam machining, such as the cutting of metallic or nonmetallic materials and the welding of metallic materials or the like. The development of these devices has been rapid, especially of CNC laser machining devices combined with a CNC (numerical control device), in the field of a high-speed, high-accuracy cutting of intricate configurations. A conventional carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser oscillator device will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the general arrangement of the prior art carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser device. As shown in the Figure, an optical resonator composed of an output coupling mirror 2 and a total reflection mirror 3 is disposed at either end of a discharge tube 1, and metal electrodes 4 and 5 are mounted on the outer periphery of the discharge tube 1. The metal electrode 4 is grounded, while the metal electrode 5 is connected to a high-frequency power supply 6, and a high-frequency voltage from the high-frequency power supply 6 is applied between the metal electrodes 4 and 5, whereby a high-frequency glow discharge occurs in the discharge tube 1 and a laser excitation is effected. Numerals 13 and 14 denote a laser beam axis in the discharge tube 1 and a laser beam axis taken out from the output coupling mirror 2. When starting a gas laser oscillator device constructed in this manner, gas in the whole apparatus is first exhausted by a vacuum pump 12 and, then a valve 11 is opened to allow a predetermined amount of laser gas to be introduced from a gas cylinder 10 until the gas pressure in the apparatus reaches a specified value. Thereafter, the exhausting by the vacuum pump 12 and the resupply of gas by the valve 11 are continued, whereby part of the laser gas is continually replaced with fresh gas while the gas pressure in the apparatus is kept at the specified value, and thus gas pollution in the device can be prevented. As shown in Fig. 4, the laser gas is circulated in the apparatus by a blower 9, for cooling the laser gas. In the carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser, about 20% of the injected electrical energy is converted into a laser beam, and the remainder is used for heating the gas. Theoretically, however, the laser oscillation gain is proportional to the minus (3/2)th power of the absolute temperature T, and thus the laser gas must be forcibly cooled in order to raise the oscillation efficiency. In the shown device, the laser gas flows through the discharge tube 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows, at a flow rate of about 100 m/sec, and is introduced into the cooling unit 8, to remove heat, mainly attributable to the electric discharge, from the laser gas. The blower 9 compresses the cooled laser gas, and the compressed laser gas is passed through a cooling unit 7 before being fed into the discharge tube 1. This is necessary in order to remove compression heat produced in the blower 9, by the cooling unit 7, before the gas is again fed into the discharge tube 1. These cooling units 7 and 8 are well known in the art, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted. Figure 5 shows the construction of a turbo blower used as the blower 9. As shown in the Figure, an impeller 16 and a shaft 26 are mechanically connected, and a rotor 17 is mounted on the shaft 26. The rotor 17 and a stator 18 constitute a motor by which the impeller 16 is rotated at a high speed of about 100,000 rpm. In contrast with a low-speed rotation Roots blower, therefore, the reduction of the volume is inversely proportional to the rotational frequency. Further, rolling-contact bearings 19 and 20 are used for supporting the shaft 26, and since the turbo blower rotates at high speed, the rolling-contact bearings 19 and 20 are lubricated by an oil-jet or oil-air lubrication method in such a manner that oil is supplied to the bearings at predetermined intervals. In the oil supply unit 21 shown in Fig. 5, the oil is atomized by gas and supplied to the rolling-contact bearings 19 and 20 through passages 22 and 23. With this arrangement, the laser gas is sucked from the cooling unit 8 into the turbo blower, as indicated by an arrow 81, and is discharged from the turbo blower into the cooling unit 7, as indicated by an arrow 71. The conventional laser oscillator device shown in Figs. 4 and 5 has the following problems. First, since oil is used as a lubricant, oil components are mixed with the laser gas, and accordingly, optical parts are polluted and an output drop or mode transformation occurs. In a high-output carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser, therefore, the laser gas is continually replaced, which accounts for a large part of the running cost. Nevertheless, the optical parts still must be periodically replaced or cleaned, and thus the maintenance work is labor-consuming. Second, if too much oil is supplied, the efficiency of the bearings may be lowered due to disturbances in the flow of the oil in the bearings, and further, the temperature thereof is affected. Accordingly, the oil supply unit requires intensive control, which entails a substantial increase in costs. Third, the bore of the oil passage is very small, and therefore, is easily blocked by clogging, whereby it becomes impossible to supply oil to the bearings, resulting in bearing seizure. Accordingly, the present inventors previously filed an application (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-148918) in which a grease lubrication method was proposed, to prevent a pollution of the laser gas by oil mist. The use of grease for the lubrication ensures that only an irreducible minimum amount of oil escapes, and therefore, optical parts and the like are not polluted by oil. Accordingly, the laser output and beam characteristics will not be deteriorated, and only a predetermined amount of grease need be sealed in the bearings at the time of the assembling thereof. Accordingly, the need for a continual supply of lubricant, and maintenance work, such as oiling, becomes unnecessary. If the turbo blower is rotated at a high speed (e.g., a DmN value of 800,000 or more), however, the grease is expelled and forced out of the bearings by the centrifugal force created by the rotation of the inner race, retainer, and rolling members thereof, since the amount of grease sealed therein accounts for 30% to 50% of the space inside the bearings. Accordingly, the amount of grease retained between the rolling-contact surface of the inner or outer race and the rolling members is greatly reduced and cannot withstand a prolonged operation, and thus the grease must be periodically replaced or resupplied. During this replacement or resupply, the laser oscillator device must be stopped to allow the turbo blower to be removed and disassembled. Moreover, when the amount of grease retained becomes too small, the fatigue life of the bearings is shortened due to an increased friction between the rolling-contact surfaces attributable to an insufficient lubrication, which friction produces heat, and thus the bearings themselves must be replaced. In the grease lubrication method, therefore, the amount of grease sealed therein must be strictly controlled. If this is not done, the grease cannot produce the intended lubrication effect, and further, the above problems arise. The present invention has been created in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a turbo blower for a laser device and a laser oscillator device, in which reduction of the grease for lubrication sealed between the rolling-contact surfaces of an inner or outer race and the rolling members can be prevented, and the service life of the bearings can be lengthened without periodically resupplying or replacing the grease. JP-A-58-14589 discloses a turbo blower for a laser device comprising a shaft having an impeller on the extreme end thereof, a pair of bearings supporting the shaft, and a motor for rotating the shaft; and according to the present invention, such a blower is characterised in that the axis of rotation of the shaft is, in use, parallel to the ground; spaces for retaining grease are formed on either side of the bearings, whereby non-contact seal portions are provided for preventing the grease from flowing out of the spaces; and the spaces and spaces inside the bearings are filled with the grease. This blower is preferably used in a gas circulating device for a laser oscillator. Preferably an inner race, a retainer, and rolling members, etc. rotate as the shaft rotates, and the grease in the bearings is urged away from the bearings by the centrifugal force of the rotation. Nevertheless, the grease is prevented from flowing out of the inside spaces by the non-contact seal portions on either side of the bearings, and thus the amount of grease held between the rolling-contact surfaces of the inner and outer races and the rolling members is not reduced. In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the construction of a turbo blower for a laser output of about 1 kW, according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the construction of a turbo blower for a laser device with a laser output of about 2 kW, according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the construction of a turbo blower for a laser according to still another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the general arrangement of a conventional carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser oscillator device; and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a conventional turbo blower for a laser device. One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the construction of a turbo blower for a laser device with a laser output of about 1 kW, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note, like numerals refer to like components in Figs. 1 and 5, and therefore, a description of those components is omitted. Although a centrifugal impeller is illustrated as an impeller 16 in this case, it may be replaced with a mixed-flow impeller or axial-flow impeller. The arrangement of the present embodiment differs essentially from the conventional turbine in that non-contact seal portions 35, 36, 37 and 38 for preventing a run-off of grease are arranged on either side of rolling-contact bearings 19 and 20, and that spaces 31, 32, 33 and 34 for grease retention are defined by these non-contact seal portions. These spaces and the inside spaces of the bearings are approximately packed full with the grease. The non-contact seal portions 35, 36, 37 and 38, which utilize the high-speed rotation of a shaft 26, function with a non-contact gap of about 0.2 mm, and the grease used may be a lithium grease or sodium grease. With this arrangement, the inside spaces of the bearings are always filled with the grease. In the present embodiment, moreover, the axis of rotation of the shaft 26 extends in parallel to the ground, i.e., the turbo blower is installed horizontally, and thus the grease is efficiently collected in the spaces 31, 32, 33 and 34. The service life of a turbo blower having a conventional construction ranges from 500 to 1,000 hours. According to the turbo blower of the present embodiment, however, a service life of 5,000 to 15,000 hours can be obtained. Also, a resupply or replacement of the grease, which is conventionally performed at regular intervals, is not required, and thus the reliability and maintenance efficiency of the turbo blower are greatly improved. The turbo blower of Fig. 1, which is applied to a laser oscillator device with an output of about 1 kW, may use a large-sized impeller to obtain a higher output. From the viewpoint of cost, however, it is advisable to use the same impeller. Figure 2 shows a turbo blower for a laser device with an output of about 2 kW. In this drawing, the bearings of the turbo blower, which are identical to those shown in Fig. 1, are omitted. In Fig. 2, arrows 82 and 83 indicate directions in which a laser gas flows from a cooling unit 8 to the turbo blower. Two impellers 16a and 16b are attached to the right and left ends, respectively, of a shaft, and in this arrangement, the two impellers 16a and 16b can be rotated by bearings and a drive motor as one set, so that the cost performance is high. The motor is composed of a rotor 17 and a stator 18. In this case, the impellers are mounted on the same shaft, so that fluctuations of load in the thrust direction cancel one another, the thrust load becomes very small, the stability is improved, and the service life is considerably lengthened. Referring to Fig. 3, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, an oil film damper is mounted around the bearings of the turbo blower, whereby vibration of the bearings is absorbed. The oil film damper is composed of sleeves 39 and 40, oil filled between a housing 42 and the sleeves 39 and 40, and O-rings 43, 44, 45 and 46. The respective inner races of the rolling-contact bearings 19 and 20 are fixed to a shaft 26, and the outer races are fixed to the sleeves 39 and 40, respectively. A gap of 10 to 100 µm, formed between the housing 42 and the sleeves 39 and 40, is filled with grease or oil. The O-rings 43, 44, 45 and 46 serve to block the ingress of the grease or oil filling the gap into the laser gas. The sleeves 39 and 40 are provided with non-contact seal portions 47 and 48, respectively, which are similar to those shown in Fig. 1, and further, non-contact seal portions 49 and 50 are arranged on a part of the housing 42. With this arrangement, vibration produced when an impeller 16 and the shaft 26 rotate is damped by a hydrodynamic damping effect of the oil film damper, and the grease is prevented from flowing out of spaces on either side of the bearings by the non-contact seal portions 47, 48, 49 and 50. These non-contact seal portions alternatively may be provided on either side of the sleeves 39 and 40. Although rolling-contact bearings have been described in connection with the aforementioned embodiments, they may be replaced with ball bearings or roller bearings. Further, ceramic bearings formed of a ceramic material may be used for this purpose. The non-contact seal portions of the present embodiment may be composed of labyrinth seals since, although the labyrinth seals are complicated in construction, they are an efficient means of grease sealing. As described above, the bearings of the blower are of a grease-lubrication type such that the spaces on either side of the bearings are filled with grease, and thus a periodical inspection and replacement of the grease or a replacement of the bearings is not required. Moreover, it is unnecessary to control the amount of sealed grease at the time of grease filling. Accordingly, a turbo blower having an improved reliability and maintenance efficiency can be provided for a laser device. Furthermore, as is obvious, a supply unit is not required, and accordingly, the cost of the device is reduced.

Claims: A turbo blower for a laser device comprising a shaft (26) having an impeller (16) on the extreme end thereof, a pair of bearings (19,20) supporting the shaft, and a motor (17,18) for rotating the shaft; characterised in that the axis of rotation of the shaft is, in use, parallel to the ground; spaces (31,32,33,34) for retaining grease are formed on either side of the bearings, whereby non-contact seal portions (35,36,37,38) are provided for preventing the grease from flowing out of the spaces; and the spaces and spaces inside the bearings are filled with the grease. A turbo blower according to claim 1, wherein the shaft (26) is provided with two impellers (16a,16b) so that a reverse thrust load is applied to the shaft. A turbo blower according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the bearings are provided with an oil film damper (39,40). A turbo blower according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bearings (19,20) are ball bearings. A turbo blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bearings are roller bearings. A turbo blower according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bearings are ceramic bearings. A laser oscillator device comprising a discharge tube (1) for effecting laser excitation by means of a gas discharge, an optical resonator for laser oscillation, and a gas circulating device for a forced cooling of a laser gas by means of a cooling unit (7,8) and a blower according to any one of the preceding claims. A laser oscillator device according to claim 7, wherein the laser excitation is caused by a high-frequency gas discharge.

Inventors: FUNAKUBO TSUTOMU SHIMOYOSHIDA, KARUBE NORIO, FUNAKUBO, TSUTOMU 2894, SHIMOYOSHIDA, KARUBE, NORIO
Applicants: FANUC LTD, FANUC LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H01S3
IPC codes: F04D29, H01S3, F16C33