Laser method of scribing graphics

• US 6,252,196 B1
• Filed: 09/07/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RevoLaze LLC (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TechnoLines LP
• Inventors: Costin, Darryl, Colwell, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US09/390,956
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.6, 219/121.61, 219/121.65, 219/121.66, 219/121.67, 219/121.68, 219/121.69, 219/121.72, 219/121.78, 219/121.8, 844/4, 347/253, 430/20
• US Class Current: 219/121.69
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/03 Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/032 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/30 on organic plastics, horn or similar materials recording sheets having a coating to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity B41M5/50; marking or recording on plastic by irradiation with electromagnetic beams, e.g. laser, B41M5/267
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/38 on wooden surfaces, leather, or linoleum printing on matches or match boxes when combined with match manufacture C06F1/18
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 11/0096 to get a faded look
• CPC Class Codes: D06C 23/02 by singeing, teasing, shearing, etching or brushing
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 10/005 Laser beam treatment
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/001 Special chemical aspects of printing textile materials
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/13 Fugitive dyeing or stripping dyes
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/15 Locally discharging the dyes
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/2005 Treatments with alpha, beta, gamma or other rays, e.g. stimulated rays
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/02 Producing patterns by locally destroying or modifying the fibres of a web by chemical actions, e.g. making translucent
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00

Abstract

A laser method scribes graphics on materials. The method relates to the identification and understanding of a new energy measurement called energy density per unit time, and the identification and simultaneous control of the laser operating parameters which influence this energy measurement. Once a range of energy density per unit time is determined for scribing a desired graphic on a given material, the energy density per unit time can be controlled to stay within that range to achieve desired results in a repeatable fashion. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a method of scribing graphics on fabric, leather and vinyl materials. In this embodiment, the energy density per unit time can be controlled to substantially avoid complete carbonization, melting and/or burnthrough of the material.

Claims

1. A system which operates to form a simulated pattern on a material, comprising:

a working surface, having an area for holding the material on which the simulated pattern is to be formed;

a controllable laser, having command elements which command movement of an output of said laser to different locations on said working surface;

a controller, storing a pattern which when output on said material will cause the simulated pattern, said controller operating to produce outputs indicative of the pattern, said outputs controlling said controllable laser to control a position of marking thereof according to said simulated pattern;

wherein said simulated pattern is a simulated pattern of alternating untreated areas and areas which have been written by said laser beam so as to be faded; and

wherein said pattern is a pattern of filled-in outline areas.

2. A system which operates to form a simulated filled-in pattern on a material, comprising:

a working surface, having an area for holding the material on which the simulated filled-in pattern is to be formed;

a controllable laser, having command elements which command movement of said laser and an output of said laser to different locations on said working surface, said laser operating to output a controlled energy density per unit time which energy density per unit time is based on some characteristic of the material;

a controller, storing a computer readable pattern indicative of outlines of areas on said material which are to be formed, which when output on said material will form the simulated pattern, said controller operating to produce outputs indicative of the pattern, said outputs controlling said controllable laser to control a position of marking thereof according to said simulated pattern, and to fill-in within the outside of said simulated pattern.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein said controlled energy density per unit time is preselected to be within a specified range for the specific material.

4. A system as in claim 2, wherein said areas are circles which are filled in to form polka dots.

5. A method of scribing a desired pattern on a material, comprising:

obtaining an indication of the desired pattern;

investigating the pattern to determine if the pattern includes elements which are more likely to cause undesired damage to the material when applied to the material by a laser;

modifying the pattern to change the elements to other elements which are less likely to cause said undesired damage; and

commanding a controllable movable laser based on the modified pattern to write to different locations on a surface of the material.

6. A method as in claim 5, further comprising controlling said laser to produce outputs indicative of the desired pattern to be formed based on said indication, said outputs controlling said controllable laser to control a position of marking thereof, said controller controlling an energy density per unit time that is output from said laser to stay within a controlled range of energy density per unit time for said material.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said energy density per unit time is selected within a range, said range determined based at least on said pattern as determined by said investigating.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said energy density per unit time is also based on both said pattern and said material.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein said investigating comprises checking said pattern for crossing points where said laser would cross a spot on said material at least twice, and wherein said modifying comprises changing said pattern so that said crossing points do not cross.

10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising controlling said laser to produce outputs indicative of the desired pattern to be formed based on said indication, said outputs controlling said controllable laser to control a position of marking thereof, said controller controlling an energy density per unit time that is output from said laser to stay within a controlled range of energy density per unit time for said material.

11. A method of scribing a desired pattern on a material without damaging the material, comprising:

obtaining an indication of a desired pattern to be placed on the material;

determining a position representing a beginning portion of a portion of the desired pattern, where the laser will begin to form the desired pattern on said material,

controlling a controllable movable laser to begin moving relative to the material, and, while moving, to begin outputting its laser beam, said laser beam not being output until after said laser is moving relative to said material, to avoid overetching of the material at startup.

12. A method as in claim 11, further comprising controlling said laser to produce outputs indicative of the desired pattern to be formed based on said indication and based on said determined energy amount, said outputs controlling said controllable laser to control a position of marking thereof, said controller controlling amount of energy per area that is applied from said laser to stay within said controlled range of energy density per unit time selected for said pattern.

13. A method of forming a desired pattern on a material without damaging the material, comprising:

obtaining an indication of a desired pattern to be formed on the material;

determining an energy amount to be applied to each unit area of said material based on at least one characteristic of said pattern;

controlling a relative movement between a marking device that produces a focused beam of radiation which will be used to mark the material, and said material;

controlling the marking device to output the focused beam of radiation toward said material, by commanding said relative movement, and then, while there is said relative movement between said marking device and said material, to begin outputting said focused beam of radiation, such that said beam of radiation is not output until after said beam is moving relative to said material, to avoid overetching of the material at startup.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said marking device is a controllable laser, and said focused beam of radiation is a laser beam.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein said controlling operates to maintain said focused beam of radiation in a specified range of energy density per unit time for said material.

16. A method of scribing a desired pattern on a material without damaging the material, comprising:

obtaining an indication of a desired pattern to be placed on the material;

determining an energy amount to be applied to each unit area of said material based on at least one characteristic of said pattern;

controlling a controllable movable laser to produce an output at a specified energy amount per unit area by controlling at least one of a movement speed of said controllable movable laser and an output power of said controllable movable laser; and

said controlling said controllable movable laser to begin moving relative to the material, and, while moving, to begin outputting its laser beam, such that said laser beam is not output until after said laser is moving relative to said material, to avoid overetching of the material at startup.