초록

An air cooled laser includes a laser housing with a laser module and heat sinks therein connected to a high pressure blower structure for causing an airflow to remove heat from the heat sinks and maintain the laser module at a stable operating temperature.

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We claim: 1. An air cooled laser comprising: a laser module including a lasing medium having a longitudinal axis and an external heat sink having a rectilinear opening attached to said laser module, wherein said heat sink has fins extending longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a laser

We claim: 1. An air cooled laser comprising: a laser module including a lasing medium having a longitudinal axis and an external heat sink having a rectilinear opening attached to said laser module, wherein said heat sink has fins extending longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a laser housing containing said laser module, said laser housing having an air intake structure for admitting air into said laser housing and an air outlet structure for permitting removal of air from said laser housing, said laser housing defining a pathway for the passage of air from said air intake structure, over said heat sink and out of said air outlet structure; and a high pressure blower structure connected at said laser housing for causing an airflow in which air is moved in the direction of said longitudinal axis from said air intake structure, over said heat sink, and out of said air outlet structure to remove heat from said heat sink. 2. The laser of claim 1, wherein said blower structure is connected to said air outlet structure and the airflow is in a direction toward said blower structure. 3. The laser of claim 2, wherein said blower structure is connected to a duct that is connected to said air outlet structure to receive air output through said air outlet structure, the air received in said duct being withdrawn therefrom by said blower structure. 4. The laser of claim 3, wherein said duct is a flexible hose. 5. The laser of claim 2, wherein said blower structure is directly connected to said laser housing to receive air output through said air outlet structure. 6. The laser of claim 2, wherein said blower structure includes one high pressure vacuum blower. 7. The laser of claim 2, wherein said blower structure includes a plurality of high pressure vacuum blowers. 8. The laser of claim 1, wherein said blower structure operates with a fixed blower speed. 9. The laser of claim 1, wherein said blower structure operates with a variable blower speed. 10. The laser of claim 9, further comprising a temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature indicative of a current operating temperature of said laser module, wherein the variable blower speed is actively controlled with feedback from said temperature measuring device to maintain any desired operating temperature for said laser module. 11. The laser of claim 1, wherein said blower structure is connected to said air intake structure and the airflow is in a direction away from said blower structure. 12. The laser of claim 11, wherein said blower structure is connected to a duct that is connected to said air intake structure to force air through said air intake structure into said laser housing and out of said air outlet structure. 13. The laser of claim 12, wherein said duct is a flexible hose. 14. The laser of claim 11, wherein said blower structure is directly connected to said laser housing to force air through said air intake structure into said laser housing and out of said air outlet structure. 15. The laser of claim 11, wherein said blower structure includes one high pressure blower. 16. The laser of claim 11, wherein said blower structure includes a plurality of high pressure blowers. 17. The laser of claim 1, wherein said laser is one of a gas laser and a solid state laser. 18. A method of air cooling a laser, where the laser includes a laser module including a lasing medium having a longitudinal axis and an external heat sink having a rectilinear opening attached to said laser module, wherein said heat sink has fins extending longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis, the laser further including a laser housing containing the laser module, the laser housing having an air intake structure for admitting air into the laser housing and an air outlet structure for permitting removal of air from the laser housing, the laser housing defining a pathway for the passage of air from the air intake structure, over the heat sink and out of the air outlet structure, said method comprising: a first step of connecting a high pressure blower structure at the laser housing; and a second step of using the blower structure for causing an airflow in which air is moved in the direction of said longitudinal axis from the air intake structure, over the heat sink, and out of the air outlet structure to remove heat from the heat sink. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said first step connects the blower structure to the air outlet structure and said second step causes an airflow in a direction toward the blower structure. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first step connects the blower structure to a duct that is connected to the air structure to receive air output through the air outlet structure, the air received in the duct being withdrawn therefrom by the blower structure in said second step. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein said first step connects the blower structure directly to the laser housing to receive air output through the air outlet structure. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein said second step uses one high pressure vacuum blower. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein said second step uses a plurality of high pressure vacuum blowers. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein said second step operates with a fixed blower speed. 25. The method of claim 18, wherein said second step operates with a variable blower speed. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising a temperature measuring step of measuring a temperature indicative of a current operating temperature of the laser module, and a control step of actively controlling the variable blower speed with feedback from said temperature measuring step to maintain a desired operating temperature for the laser module. 27. The method of claim 18, wherein the blower structure is connected to the air intake structure and the airflow is in a direction away from the blower structure. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein said first step connects the blower structure to a duct that is connected to the air intake structure to force air through the air intake structure into the laser housing and out of the air outlet structure. 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the blower structure is directly connected to the laser housing to force air through the air intake structure into the laser housing and out of the air outlet structure. 30. The method of claim 27, wherein said second step uses one high pressure vacuum blower. 31. The method of claim 27, wherein said second step uses a plurality of high pressure vacuum blowers. 32. An air cooled laser, comprising: a laser module having a lasing medium and a heat sink including a rectilinear opening and fins extending longitudinally along the lasing medium, wherein the lasing medium is received in the rectilinear opening to transfer heat from the lasing medium to the heat sink; a laser housing containing the laser module, the laser housing having an inlet through which air passes into the laser housing and an outlet through which air flows out of the housing, wherein the laser housing is configured to direct an airflow through the inlet, over the heat sink, and out of the outlet; and a high pressure blower coupled to the housing for producing the airflow in the housing to dissipate heat from the heat sink. 33. The laser of claim 32, further comprising: a blower housing spaced apart from the laser housing, wherein the blower is located in the blower housing; and a duct between the blower housing through which the airflow moves. 34. The laser of claim 33 wherein the duct comprises a flexible hose. 35. The laser of claim 32 further comprising a blower housing connected to the laser housing, and wherein the blower is located in the blower housing. 36. The laser of claim 32 wherein the lasing medium has a longitudinal axis and the housing defines a flow path from the inlet to the outlet having a common direction extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lasing medium. 37. An air cooled laser, comprising: a laser module having a lasing medium with a longitudinal axis and a heat sink having a rectilinear opening attached to the lasing medium, wherein the heat sink has fins extending parallel to the longitudinal axis; a laser housing containing the laser module, the laser housing having an inlet through which air passes into the laser housing and an outlet through which air flows out of the housing, wherein the housing defines a flow path from the inlet to the outlet having a common direction extending along the fins of the heat sink parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lasing medium; and a high pressure blower coupled to the housing for producing the airflow in the housing to dissipate heat from the heat sink. 38. The laser of claim 37, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature related to the lasing medium and a controller operatively coupled to the temperature sensor and the blower, wherein the controller is configured to control the speed of the blower to maintain the sensed temperature within a desired range. 39. The laser of claim 37, further comprising: a blower housing spaced apart from the laser housing, wherein the blower is located in the blower housing; and a duct between the blower housing thorough which the airflow moves. 40. The laser of claim 39 wherein the duct comprises a flexible hose. 41. The laser of claim 37 further comprising a blower housing connected to the laser housing, and wherein the blower is located in the blower housing.