Inventors:
Yefim P. Sukhman - Scottsdale AZ
Christian Julian Risser - Phoenix AZ
Mikhail E. Ryskin - Phoenix AZ
Assignee:
Universal Laser Systems, Inc. - Scottsdale AZ
International Classification:
H01S 322
Abstract:
A gas laser design (10) includes, an elongated sealed tube (21) filled with a gas, a power supply for exciting the gas, an optical resonator (24,25) for producing directional optical energy, and a fan/electronics package assembly (50), all of which are surrounded and enclosed by an external housing (30,70,90) forming a passageway in the space between the tube and the housing for providing cooling air therethrough. The passageway is divided into two physically separated cooling air paths by a horizontal surface (21a or 41). The lower space is a dual L-shaped path defining the first cooling air path downwardly at the inlet end of the tube in the vertical air channels (31,32) formed by the contoured shape of the tube and rearwardly (33) through the spaces (27,29) between the horizontal fins (26,28) of the tube to an outlet (101) at the rear of the tube. The upper space defines the second cooling air path from the inlet end of the tube horizontally rearwardly (64) around and over the electronics package (50) mounted in that portion of the passageway in a U-shaped finned heatsink channel (53), through the spaces (61,63) between the fins (62,64) to the atmosphere at the rear end. The zone (44) under the fan (52) is common to both cooling air paths.