Amusement devices – Rockable animal simulation having rider seat means – Having animal sound simulation
Patent
1992-02-06
1994-04-26
Scott, Jr., Leon
Amusement devices
Rockable animal simulation having rider seat means
Having animal sound simulation
372108, 372106, 372 99, 372 93, 372 27, 372 9, H01S 308
Patent
active
053073673
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a high-output laser oscillating apparatus used for cutting metals or nonmetals, and more particularly, to a laser oscillating apparatus emitting a circularly polarized output beam.
2. Background Art
It is well known that the use of a circularly polarized beam is advantageous in laser beam cutting, and thus 7ays must be found of producing a circularly polarized beam. Conventionally, a beam emitted directly from a laser resonator is a linearly polarized beam, which is converted to a circularly polarized beam by using an external optical part.
FIG. 4 shows the structure of a conventional laser oscillating apparatus equipped with such an external optical part. According to this prior art, a circularly polarized beam is produced by first oscillating a linearly polarized beam in a resonator, and then converting the oscillated beam into a circularly polarized beam by using an external optical system as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows only an optical system, and well-known laser exciting parts such as a discharge tube are omitted. In FIG. 4, the laser resonator consists of a rear mirror 1, reflecting mirrors 2 and 3, and an output coupling mirror 4.
Based on a well-known principle, a laser beam in the resonator is emitted as a linearly polarized beam, E vector of which orthogonally intersects a plane specified by the optical axes 7a, 7b and 7c. In FIG. 4, the plane has been rotated around the straight line 7a by .pi./4, and accordingly, the beam 8 emitted from the resonator is a linearly polarized beam inclined by .pi./4 with respect to the ground surface.
The emitted beam 8 is then guided by a pair of .pi./2 phase retarders 5 and 6, and then, based on a well-known principle, a beam 9 emitted from the retarders 5 and 6 is converted into a circularly polarized beam.
Nevertheless, the conventional method shown in FIG. 4 has problems.
The large number of optical parts involved makes the system expensive, and further, the system becomes large and complicated.
Furthermore, unless the external optical system is manufactured with the same high precision as the laser resonator, the pointing stability of the resulting laser beam is unsatisfactory, and accordingly, the cutting capability is poor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to solve the foregoing problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a laser oscillating apparatus by which a circularly polarized beam is directly emitted, and thus the use of an external optical system can be eliminated.
To fulfill the aforementioned object, the present invention provides a laser oscillating apparatus equipped with a folded resonator which, in addition to an output coupling mirror and a rear mirror, uses a reflecting mirror to fold the optical axis. The laser oscillating apparatus comprises the rear mirror, which consists of a roof reflector having a ridge set at an angle of .pi./4 with respect to a plane produced by the reflected optical axes, and the reflecting mirror or mirrors producing a .pi./2 phase retardation with respect to parallel and vertical polarizing components.
The rear mirror is composed of the roof reflector having a ridge set at an angle of .pi./4 with respect to the plane generated by the reflected optical axes. With regard to the rear mirror, the reflectance of the linearly polarizing component having the electric-field vector parallel to the direction of the ridge is higher than that of the component orthogonally intersecting the direction of the ridge. Therefore, the laser beam in the resonator is linearly polarized in the direction of the ridge in the optical path running between the rear mirror and the reflecting mirror closest to the rear mirror. The linearly polarized beam is reflected by the reflecting mirror or mirrors to give the parallel and vertical polarizing components a total .pi./2 phase retardation. Thus, the emitted beam, obtained by a well-known optical principle, becomes a circularly polarized beam.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
REFERENCES:
patent: 4340969 (1982-07-01), Hamilton et al.
patent: 4634831 (1987-01-01), Martinen et al.
patent: 4977574 (1990-12-01), Karube
patent: 5023886 (1991-06-01), Hobart et al.
patent: 5148443 (1952-09-01), Du et al.
Fanuc Ltd.
Jr. Leon Scott
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