METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPRINTING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN INTO A SYNTHETIC MATERIAL

• US 20110293887A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Sommerfeld, Timothy James
• Application Number:
  US12/789,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20110293887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/141
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/228 by laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/24 Pressing or stamping ornamental designs on surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

A method, product, and apparatus for imprinting a three-dimensional design into a textured surface of a synthetic material includes laser-ablating the design into the synthetic material and then imprinting the design. The design is laser-ablated into the textured surface of the synthetic material by vaporizing a portion of the material in an x-y shape of the design to a predetermined z-depth. The vaporized portions of the material form a design-shaped void that extends a prescribed distance into the textured surface of the synthetic material. In one implementation, the design is imprinted by inserting a tool in the design-shaped void of the laser-ablated design. The tool has a substantial conformance fit with the void, thereby forming a substantially distortion-free imprint of the design on the synthetic material.

Claims

1. A method for imprinting a three-dimensional design into a textured surface of a synthetic material, the method comprising:

laser-ablating the design into the textured surface of the synthetic material by vaporizing a portion of the material in an x-y shape of the design to a predetermined z-depth and thereby forming a design-shaped void that extends a prescribed distance into the textured surface of the synthetic material; and

inserting into the ablated design-shaped void a tool having a substantial conformance fit therewith and thereby forming a substantially distortion-free imprint of the design on the synthetic material.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time and the temperature being less than the melting temperature of the synthetic material.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce permanent plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time extending less than five seconds.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a sheet of synthetic material having a textured surface characterized by peaks and valleys and during the ablation, extending the design-shaped void into the textured surface of the synthetic material at least as deep as valleys crossed by the void.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a polymer sheet having a leather appearance comprising a textured surface characterized by peaks and valleys and during the ablation, extending the design-shaped void into the textured surface of the synthetic material at least as deep as valleys crossed by the void.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a single layer polymer sheet of substantially uniform synthetic material into which the design-shaped void extends after ablation.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

applying less than one kilogram of force upon the inserted tool for less than five seconds and then removing the tool from the void.

9. A three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material comprising:

a textured surface having an ablated-then-stamped, distortion-free impression of a three-dimensional design that is substantially without z-dimension displaced material adjacent x-y dimension boundaries of the design at the textured surface.

10. The imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 9, wherein the textured surface is an exterior surface of a sheet of synthetic material characterized by peaks and valleys and the three-dimensional design has a depth at least as deep as valleys crossed by the design.

11. The imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 9, wherein the textured surface is an exterior surface of a polymer sheet having a leather appearance comprising a textured surface characterized by peaks and valleys and the three-dimensional design has a depth at least as deep as valleys crossed by the design.

12. The imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 9, wherein the textured surface is an exterior surface of a single layer polymer sheet of substantially uniform synthetic material.

13. A three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material manufactured by the method comprising:

laser-ablating the design into a textured surface of the synthetic material by vaporizing a portion of the material in an x-y shape of the design to a predetermined z-depth and thereby forming a design-shaped void that extends a prescribed distance into the textured surface of the synthetic material; and

inserting into the ablated design-shaped void a tool having a substantial conformance fit therewith and thereby forming a distortion-free impression of the three-dimensional design that is substantially without z-dimension displaced material adjacent x-y dimension boundaries of the design at the textured surface.

14. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce permanent plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time.

15. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time and the temperature being less than the melting temperature of the synthetic material.

16. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

heating the tool to a temperature sufficient to induce plastic deformation in the synthetic material when contact-engaged by the tool for a prescribed period of stamp-time extending less than five seconds.

17. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a sheet of synthetic material having a textured surface characterized by peaks and valleys and during the ablation, extending the design-shaped void into the textured surface of the synthetic material at least as deep as valleys crossed by the void.

18. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a polymer sheet having a leather appearance comprising a textured surface characterized by peaks and valleys and during the ablation, extending the design-shaped void into the textured surface of the synthetic material at least as deep as valleys crossed by the void.

19. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

positioning in the strike zone of an ablating laser, prior to the laser-ablation, a single layer polymer sheet of substantially uniform synthetic material into which the design-shaped void extends after ablation.

20. The three-dimensional design imprinted synthetic material as recited in claim 13, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises:

applying less than one kilogram of force upon the inserted tool for less than five seconds and then removing the tool from the void.