摘要:
The known reflecting mirror for a laser beam conisting of a mirror base member and a high-reflectivity metal coating layer formed on the mirror base member for reflecting a laser beam, is improved so as to maintain a high mirror reflectivity without necessitating a cooling facility. The improvements reside in that a coating layer having a small diffusion coefficient is provided on the back surface side of the high-reflectivity metal coating layer, and/or in that at least one layer of dielectric coating layer or layers are provided on the surface of the high reflectivity metal coating layer. Also, an improved laser beam welding apparatus for an inner circumferential surface of a tube is provided by employing the aforementioned improved reflection mirror as a reflecting mirror in an optical condensing system included in a laser beam welding apparatus for an inner circumferential surface of a tube, which apparatus comprises a flexible tube including an optical fiber extended therethrough for transmitting a welding laser beam, said flexible tube being insertable into a work tube, a position detector for detecting a relative position of the flexible tube with respect to the work tube and fixing means of internally expansible type for fixing the flexible tube within the work tube, respectively provided at the front end portion of the flexible tube, a rotary cylinder rotatably supported from the flexible tube, guide support means mounted to the rotary cylinder in a relatively rotatable manner and being able to be held in contact with the inner wall surface of the work tube for holding the rotary cylinder concentrically with the work tube, rotary drive means having its output shaft disposed coaxially with said rotary cylinder for rotationally driving the rotary cylinder, an optical condensing system disposed within said rotary cylinder for leading the welding laser beam emanating from the front end of the optical fiber to the inner wall surface of the work tube in a condensed state, gas scavenging means for discharging metal vapor produced upon welding of the work tube, and gas cooling means for cooling the optical condensing system.