Process and apparatus for microreplication
First Claim
1. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
- pressing a patterned tool against the sheet; and
while maintaining the pressing, radiantly heating the sheet, using near-infrared radiant energy from a radiant energy source;
wherein the radiantly heating includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly-transparent solid material in contact with the sheet; and
wherein the heating includes softening at least part of the sheet.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of embossing a sheet material includes: heating at least a portion of the sheet directly or indirectly with radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing a tool against the heated portion of the sheet, thereby patterning a surface of the sheet; and separating the sheet and the tool. The radiant energy may travel through a solid material that is relatively transparent to radiation, on its way to being absorbed by a relatively-absorptive material. The relatively-transparent material may be an unheated portion of the sheet, and the relatively-absorptive material may be either the tool or the heated portion of the sheet. Alternatively, the relatively-transparent material may be the tool, and the relatively-absorptive material may be all or part of the sheet. The method may be performed as one or more roll-to-roll operations.
36 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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pressing a patterned tool against the sheet; and while maintaining the pressing, radiantly heating the sheet, using near-infrared radiant energy from a radiant energy source; wherein the radiantly heating includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly-transparent solid material in contact with the sheet; and wherein the heating includes softening at least part of the sheet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 47)
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10. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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radiantly heating a relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, using radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing a patterned tool against the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, wherein the pressing includes patterning a surface of the sheet; and separating the tool from the surface; wherein the heating includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly-transparent portion of the sheet before absorbing the radiant energy in the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet; wherein the relatively radiantly-transparent portion has a lower absorptivity of the radiant energy than does the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion; wherein the radiantly heating, the pressing, and the separating, are all performed as parts of a roll-to-roll process; and wherein the tool is part of a patterned belt that includes a patterned tool surface and a flexible backing. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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11. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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radiantly heating a relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, using radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing a patterned tool against the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, wherein the pressing includes patterning a surface of the sheet; and separating the tool from the surface; wherein the heating includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly-transparent portion of the sheet before absorbing the radiant energy in the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet; wherein the relatively radiantly-transparent portion has a lower absorptivity of the radiant energy than does the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion; wherein the radiantly heating, the pressing, and the separating, are all performed as parts of a roll-to-roll process; and wherein the radiantly heating includes passing the radiant energy through a radiantly-transparent roller. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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26. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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radiantly heating a relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, using radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing a patterned tool against the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet, wherein the pressing includes patterning a surface of the sheet; and separating the tool from the surface; wherein the heating includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly-transparent portion of the sheet before absorbing the radiant energy in the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet; wherein the relatively radiantly-transparent portion has a lower absorptivity of the radiant energy than does the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion; and wherein radiantly heating includes softening at least part of the relatively radiantly-absorptive portion of the sheet.
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36. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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heating a patterned tool, using radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing the patterned tool against a surface of the sheet, thereby patterning the surface of the sheet; and separating the tool from the surface; wherein the sheet material is relatively radiantly transparent; wherein the heating includes passing the radiant energy through the sheet before absorbing the radiant energy in the patterned tool; and wherein the sheet material has a lower absorptivity, relative to an absorptivity of the patterned tool; further comprising heating an additional patterned tool using the radiant energy from the radiant energy source; wherein the heating the additional patterned tool includes directly heating the additional patterned tool without passing the radiant energy through the sheet material. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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41. A method of embossing a sheet material, the method comprising:
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heating a patterned tool, using radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing the patterned tool against a surface of the sheet, thereby patterning the surface of the sheet; and separating the tool from the surface; wherein the sheet material is relatively radiantly transparent; wherein the heating includes passing the radiant energy through the sheet before absorbing the radiant energy in the patterned tool; wherein the sheet material has a lower absorptivity, relative to an absorptivity of the patterned tool; wherein the heating further includes passing the radiant energy through a relatively radiantly transparent roller; and wherein the passing the energy through the roller includes focusing the radiant energy.
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Specification