Denim design from laser scribing

• US 6,495,237 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RevoLaze LLC (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TechnoLines LP
• Inventors: Costin, Darryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Turner, Archene
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOSS, WENDY L
• Application Number:
  US09/408,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 428/116, 428/195, 219/121.68, 219/121.69, 219/121.6, 219/121.61, 219/121.78, 219/121.79, 219/121.82, 219/121.85, 364/474.08, 844/4, 813/7, 347/253, 430/20, 430/292, 430/295
• US Class Current: 428/116
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 of synthetic resin
• 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: D06P 1/228 Indigo
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/15 Locally discharging the dyes
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/2011 Application of vibrations, pulses or waves for non-thermic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/00 Decorating textiles
• 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: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

A number of new laser patterns are defined by laser scribing the material. This produces new laser patterns which have not previously been known.

Claims

1. A denim material having darker portions and lighter portions forming patterns, said patterns repeating in a cyclical arrangement to form a cyclical pattern which has repeating parts forming the pattern wherein said cyclical pattern is one which also has random parts.

2. A material as in claim 1, wherein said pattern is formed of a plurality of repeating cells, and each of said cells includes at least one of said lighter portions and one of said darker portions.

4. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern is a pattern with a number of stripes where the denim has been lightened.

5. A material as in claim 4 wherein within each stripe has a filled in portion that is shaded.

6. A material as in claim 5 wherein said shaded portion comprises a design with a plurality of offset spirals.

7. A material as in claim 1 further comprising a portion of said cyclical pattern which is shaded by a plurality of offset spiral shapes.

8. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern comprises a plurality of lightened spots.

9. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern comprises a repeating pattern of honeycomb-surrounded shapes.

10. A material as in claim 9 wherein said shapes have a spot within each honeycomb cell.

11. A material as in claim 1 wherein said specified pattern is a plurality of trapezoidal shapes in a specified offset pattern.

12. A material as in claim 11 wherein said trapezoidal shapes are offset relative to one another such that one trapezoidal shape is offset relative to a trapezoidal shape above and below that one trapezoidal shape, and a next trapezoidal shape, adjacent to another trapezoidal shape is in substantially the same position of said one trapezoidal shape, said trapezoidal shapes thereby repeating in an alternately offset pattern.

13. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern forms a zigzag pattern.

14. A material as in claim 13 wherein the material is lightened in areas between a darkened zigzag pattern outline.

15. A material as in claim 14 wherein said lightened portion is filled in by an offset spiral pattern.

16. A material as in claim 7 wherein said cyclical pattern forms a zigzag pattern.

17. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern is a plurality of horizontal lines forming a ladder section, said ladder section forming cells.

18. A material as in claim 17 wherein centers of said cells are filled.

19. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern comprises light stripes on the material.

20. A material as in claim 1 wherein said cyclical pattern comprises alternate light and dark areas on the material.

21. A material as in claim 1, wherein said patterns are formed by portions of said denim which have been processed by a laser beam.

22. A material as in claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a plurality of polygonal shapes, each of which is defined by internal lightened parts which comprise offset spirals.

23. A material as in claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a plurality of light and dark areas that are substantially sinusoidal in shape.

24. A material as in claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a square portion outlined in a darker portion, the interior of said square being defined by a non filled shape.

25. A material as in claim 1 wherein said pattern includes a darker dividing area separating lighter interior portions.

26. A material as in claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a speckled pattern.

27. A material as in claim 1 wherein said material includes lighter spots of faded material interspersed by dark spots of darker material.

28. A material as in claim 1 wherein said repeating pattern comprises a polygonal repeating pattern.

29. A material as in claim 1 wherein said repeating pattern comprises a patterned area that is filled with a wobbled pattern.

3. A denim material having darker portions and lighter portions forming patterns, said patterns repeating in a cyclical arrangement to form a cyclical pattern which has repeating parts forming the pattern, wherein said patterns have both random and repeating parts.

30. A method of processing denim material, comprising:

bringing the denim material into contact with a laser beam; and

controlling operating parameters of the laser beam including controlling at least power of the laser beam and moving speed of the laser beam, and also at least one of the parameters from the group consisting of frequency of the laser beam which controls a pulse duty cycle of the laser, wobble of the laser beam which controls an amount of spiraling of the laser beam, and pattern density of scribing carried out by the laser beam, to form a pattern which repeats in a cyclical arrangement which also has random parts.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein said bringing comprises using a conveyor to move said denim into a path of the laser beam.

34. A method as in claim 31 further comprising defining a cell of a pattern, said cell repeating in specified fashion.

35. A method as in claim 34 wherein said specified fashion is a repeating fashion.

36. A method as in claim 34 wherein said cell has an interior which is partially lightened.

37. A method as in claim 36 further comprising forming a pattern of offset spiral to partially lighten said interior.

38. A method as in claim 34 wherein said cells are square.

39. A method as in claim 30 wherein said cells are arranged in a zigzag shape.

32. A method of processing denim material, comprising:

bringing the denim material into contact with a laser beam by using a conveyor to move said denim into a path of the laser beam;

controlling operating parameters of the laser beam including controlling at least power of the laser beam and moving speed of the laser beam, and also at least one of the parameters from the group consisting of frequency of the laser beam which controls a pulse duty cycle of the laser, wobble of the laser beam which controls an amount of spiraling of the laser beam, and pattern density of scribing carried out by the laser beam, to form a pattern which repeats in a cyclical arrangement, and

after said bringing, using the conveyor to bring the material to a washing station.

33. A method of processing denim material, comprising:

bringing the denim material into contact with a laser beam by using a conveyor to move said denim into a path of the laser beam; and

controlling operating parameters of the laser beam including controlling at least power of the laser beam and moving speed of the laser beam, and also at least one of the parameters from the group consisting of frequency of the laser beam which controls a pulse duty cycle of the laser, wobble of the laser beam which controls an amount of spiraling of the laser beam, and pattern density of scribing carried out by the laser beam, to form a pattern which repeats in a cyclical arrangement;

wherein said patterns are formed with a frequency between 0.009 and 0.015, a wobble of either 0 or 0.02 and a pattern density between 33 and 100%.

40. A denim processing apparatus, comprising:

a conveyer, operating to feed a denim material from a denim source to a first area;

a laser beam, located adjacent said first area, and producing an output beam which impinges on said first area, said laser beam operating with parameters which change a characteristic of said denim material in a specified pattern; and

a rinsing bath, also located in a path of said denim material via said conveyer at a second area, said denim material being conveyed through said rinsing bath by said conveyer, after said conveyer conveys said denim material to said first area.

41. A system as in claim 40 wherein said specified pattern is a repeating pattern.

42. A denim processing apparatus, comprising:

a conveyer, operating to feed a denim material from a denim source to a first area;

a laser beam, located adjacent said first area, and producing an output beam which impinges on said first area, said laser beam operating with parameters which change a characteristic of said denim material in a specified pattern; and

a rinsing bath, also located in a path of said denim material via said conveyer at a second area, said denim material being conveyed through said rinsing bath by said conveyer, after said conveyer conveys said denim material to said first area; and

wherein said specified pattern is a substantially random pattern.

43. A device as in claim 42 further comprising means for controlling said laser according to a prestored control.