Laser marking of plant material

• US 6,172,328 B1
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CIGAR KING, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Foliar Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Vaughn, William Earl, Harrell, Roy A., Jones, Ronald Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US09/105,665
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.68, 219/121.69, 219/121.82
• US Class Current: 219/121.68
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 1/42 Marking, printing, or decorating cigars
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 5/38 Machines combined with printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 5/601 Marking, printing or decorating cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/32 Material from living organisms, e.g. skins
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/066 by using masks
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0838 by using an endless conveyor belt
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00

Abstract

Methods are provided for etching, cutting and/or altering, the surface of a flower, plant, cut foliage, or foliage incorporated into consumable products such as cigars (hereinafter referred to as foliage, leaf, or product) with computer controlled laser energy to affect a desired artistic or utility design or marking on the foliage. The laser energy source is operative to provide an optical beam having power and optical wave length characteristics effective to thermally disrupt plant tissue to produce a permanent mark on the foliage surface or, alternatively, cut through the foliage. Additionally, methods are provided for the automatic transfer of leaves stacked in a container into the laser marking/cutting field and for depositing said leaves in a separate container after processing by laser. A method is described that provides for rapid, safe, and accurate manual placement of a leaf into a laser marking/cutting system. A method is provided for efficiently storing multiple designs in a database from which an individual design can be recalled by an operator and implemented by the system. A method for quality control of the process is provided through machine vision inspection of the leaf prior to and after laser processing. A method is included for providing designers with the hardware and software tools needed to develop new product designs and translate these designs into efficient formats for use by production equipment.

Claims

1. A method for marking a leaf with a laser comprising the steps of:

a) supporting a leaf in a substantially flattened position such that a surface of said leaf is normal to a laser source to provide a uniform distance between said laser source and said leaf; and

b) applying laser energy from said laser source at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf wherein said predetermined intensities are established by at least one of laser power, laser pulse rate, and laser translation speed to provide variable contrast between marked and unmarked areas of said leaf.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of supporting comprises clamping said leaf with clamping means.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of supporting comprises applying vacuum means to an underside of said leaf.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of applying said laser energy comprises affecting relative motion between said laser energy and said leaf.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of applying laser energy comprises modulating the intensity of said laser energy.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of applying laser energy comprises the steps of:

inserting a stencil with a predetermined design pattern between a stationary laser energy source and said leaf; and

focusing optics between said stationary laser energy source and said leaf to burn said predetermined design pattern with said laser energy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of supporting said leaf comprises supporting said leaf on a plate which allows dissipation of laser energy.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of pre-processing said leaf prior to applying laser energy with the application pre-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of post-processing said leaf after to applying laser energy with the application post-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically adjusting placement of said leaf prior to applying said laser energy.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a template of the desired marking to assist in positioning said leaf prior to apply said laser energy.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity of said laser energy, such that said adjusted intensity can accommodate for varying surfaces and densities on said leaf and can provide different levels of contrast within a particular design.

13. A system for marking a leaf with a laser comprising:

a) means for supporting said leaf in a substantially flattened position such that a surface of said leaf is normal to a laser source to provide a uniform distance between said laser source and said leaf; and

b) means for applying laser energy from said laser source at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf wherein said predetermined intensities are established by at least one of laser power, laser pulse rate, and laser translation speed to provide variable contrast between marked and unmarked areas of said leaf.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein means for supporting comprises a clamp.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for supporting comprises a vacuum means applied to an underside of said leaf.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein means for applying said laser energy comprises means for affecting relative motion between said laser energy and said leaf.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for applying laser energy comprises means for modulating the intensity of said laser energy.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for applying laser energy comprises means for inserting a stencil with a predetermined design pattern between a stationary laser energy source and said leaf;

and means for focusing optics between said stationary laser energy source and said leaf to burn said predetermined design pattern with said laser energy.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for supporting said leaf comprises a plate which allows dissipation of laser energy.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for pre-processing said leaf prior to applying laser energy with the application preprocessing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.

21. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for post-processing said leaf after to applying laser energy with the application post-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.

22. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for automatically adjusting placement of said leaf prior to applying said laser energy.

23. The system of claim 13 further comprising a template of the desired marking to assist in positioning said leaf prior to apply said laser energy.

24. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for adjusting the intensity of said laser energy, such that said adjusted intensity can accommodate for varying surfaces and densities on said leaf and can provide different levels of contrast within a particular design.

25. A method for marking a leaf wrapped product comprising the steps of:

supporting at least one leaf wrapped product;

applying laser energy at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf wrapped product to mark said leaf wrapped product.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of supporting comprises placing at least one leaf wrapped product in a notched tray which is placed onto an engraving table, said tray registering with means to apply said laser energy.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said leaf wrapped product is a smoking article.

28. A method for marking a leaf comprising the steps of:

a) supporting a leaf in a substantially horizontal position;

b) pre-processing said leaf with the application of pre-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents; and

c) applying laser energy at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf.

29. A method for marking a leaf comprising the steps of;

a) supporting a leaf in a substantially horizontal position;

b) applying laser energy at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf; and

c) post-processing said leaf with the application of post-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.

30. A system for marking a leaf comprising;

a) means for supporting a leaf in a substantially horizontal position;

b) means for pre-processing said leaf with the application of pre-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents; and

c) means for applying laser energy at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf.

31. A system for marking a leaf comprising;

a) means for supporting a leaf in a substantially horizontal position;

b) means for applying laser energy at one or more predetermined intensities to at least one surface of said leaf to mark said leaf; and

c) means for post-processing said leaf with the application of post-processing agents selected from the group consisting of surface chemicals, thermally sensitive pigments, drying agents and preservative agents.