초록 ▼

There is disclosed herein several gas resupply valves for replenishment of lost gas in gas lasers in general and argon ion lasers in particular. The first embodiment uses a valve which controls flow of gas into a metering volume. The metering volume has an aperture therein which is microscopically s

There is disclosed herein several gas resupply valves for replenishment of lost gas in gas lasers in general and argon ion lasers in particular. The first embodiment uses a valve which controls flow of gas into a metering volume. The metering volume has an aperture therein which is microscopically small and which has a diffusion constant for gas moving through the aperture which is less than the time the valve is held open. The second embodiment uses the same general structure, but separates the soft sealing member of the valve from the solenoid core which moves to open and close the valve. The soft sealing member is attached to the valve body and supported above a valve seat surrounding the opening of the metering volume. The third embodiment uses a thin diaphragm which overlies a flat surface of the valve body in which are formed an input port and an output port. A solenoid applies pressure against the diaphragm to cause it to flatten against the flat surface thereby sealing the valve.

대표청구항 ▼

A gas resupply apparatus for a gas laser having a gas therein comprising: a valve body; a metering volume formed in said valve body having an opening and having a valve seat formed integrally with a wall forming a circumference of said opening and having at least one wall which has an aperture forme

A gas resupply apparatus for a gas laser having a gas therein comprising: a valve body; a metering volume formed in said valve body having an opening and having a valve seat formed integrally with a wall forming a circumference of said opening and having at least one wall which has an aperture formed therein; a gas storage chamber for storing said gas and formed in said valve body so as to surround said opening of said metering volume; a sealing member formed of a material having elasticity and capable of cold flow and capable of forming a seal with said valve seat, said sealing member for deforming so as to form a seal with said valve seat when force is applied to said sealing member and, when force is removed, for moving out of sealing engagement with said valve seat under the influence of the elasticity of said sealing member, thereby allowing said gas from said sealed gas storage chamber to enter said metering volume; a sealing member support surrounding said valve seat and sized for supporting said sealing member in a position such that when external force is not applied to said sealing member, said sealing member is not in sealing engagement with said valve seat, but such that, when external force is applied to said sealing member, said sealing member is close enough to said valve seat to deform under the influence of said force so as to come into sealing engagement with said valve seat; means for applying force to said sealing member to cause it to stay deformed and in sealing engagement with said valve seat, and, upon receipt of a control signal, for removing force from said sealing member to allow said sealing member to unseat itself from said valve seat thereby allowing said metering volume to fill with said gas from said gas storage chamber, said control signal for removing said force so as to unseal said metering volume for a predetermined time interval; said aperture in said metering volume having a size relative to said diffusion constant of said gas and the gradient of concentration between gas molecules in said metering volume and said laser such that no appreciable amount of said gas escapes from said metering volume during said predetermined time interval when said metering volume is being filled; and a fluid communication path means formed in said valve body for providing a path for said gas in said metering volume to leave said metering volume through said aperture and to be guided into said laser.