Method and apparatus for laser marking objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for laser marking individual objects with indicia at a marking station, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one processor configured to control laser marking of individual objects; and
at least first and second laser marking units controlled at least in part by the at least one processor, the first and second laser marking units positioned adjacent at least one path along which the objects are conveyed, the first and second laser marking units configured to direct at least one laser beam onto the objects to mark the same with indicia as the objects pass through the marking station, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to control the plurality of laser marking units to mark the eggs in such a manner thatfor each said object, a corresponding predetermined time window exists during which the object can be marked;
each of said first and second laser marking units is configured to mark alternate following objects as the objects pass through the marking station; and
a first predetermined time window for marking a first object overlaps with a second predetermined time window for marking a second object so that the first and second objects are simultaneously marked in at least a common portion of the first and second predetermined time windows.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for laser marking individual objects with indicia at a marking station wherein a predetermined window exists during which each object can be marked as the objects are conveyed along at least one path at a predetermined speed. In some embodiments, at least first and second lasers positioned adjacent one or more paths are configured to direct a laser beam onto the objects to mark the same with indicia as the objects pass through the marking station, with each of the first and second lasers marking alternate following objects as they pass through the marking station.
84 Citations
39 Claims
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1. Apparatus for laser marking individual objects with indicia at a marking station, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor configured to control laser marking of individual objects; and at least first and second laser marking units controlled at least in part by the at least one processor, the first and second laser marking units positioned adjacent at least one path along which the objects are conveyed, the first and second laser marking units configured to direct at least one laser beam onto the objects to mark the same with indicia as the objects pass through the marking station, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to control the plurality of laser marking units to mark the eggs in such a manner that for each said object, a corresponding predetermined time window exists during which the object can be marked; each of said first and second laser marking units is configured to mark alternate following objects as the objects pass through the marking station; and a first predetermined time window for marking a first object overlaps with a second predetermined time window for marking a second object so that the first and second objects are simultaneously marked in at least a common portion of the first and second predetermined time windows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for laser marking individual chicken eggs while the eggs travel along at least one path through an egg grading system, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor for controlling the operation of said apparatus; at least one memory for storing digital information defining various graphic representations; and a plurality of laser marking units operatively connected to said at least one processor and configured to mark at least two of said graphic representations on eggs traveling along said at least one path, each of said laser marking units comprising a generator for producing a laser beam at an output and a galvanometer scanning head positioned adjacent the at least one path and configured to receive said laser beam and direct said laser beam onto the eggs as the eggs travel along the at least one path, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to control the plurality of laser marking units to mark the eggs in such a manner that a first predetermined time window exists for marking a first egg using a first laser marking unit, a second predetermined time window exists for marking a second egg using a second laser marking unit, and the first predetermined time window overlaps with the second predetermined time window so that the first and second eggs are simultaneously marked in at least a common portion of the first and second predetermined time windows. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of laser marking individual objects while they travel along at least one path through a marking station at a first predetermined speed, comprising the steps of:
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activating a first laser to begin marking a first object when it enters the marking station and continuing to mark the first object through a first predetermined time window within the station; activating a second laser to begin marking a successive object when it enters the marking station and continuing to mark the successive object through a second predetermined time window within the station; the first and second predetermined time windows overlapping with one another so that both objects are being simultaneously marked for at least a portion of the length of said time windows. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method executed by at least one processor for producing a digital file of a graphic representation that can be rendered on a moving surface by a vector based scanning laser scanning at a predetermined marking speed within a predetermined time window, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a grid representing the general size of the graphic representation to be rendered; establishing a multiplicity of vectors on said grid that illustrate the graphic representation with realistic visual fidelity; cutting long vectors into shorter vectors where the long vectors extend at least more than approximately one third of the width of the grid; determining the total length of vectors to be rendered and simplifying vectors if the total length cannot be rendered within said predetermined time window; determining at least one order of rendering by the laser so that downstream vectors are rendered generally before upstream vectors; and storing in a non-transitory computer readable medium a digital file comprising vector coordinate information for the vectors to be rendered. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. Apparatus for laser marking individual chicken eggs while the eggs travel along at least one path through an egg processing system, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor for controlling the operation of said apparatus; at least one memory for storing digital information defining various graphic representations; and a plurality of laser marking units operatively connected to said at least one processor and configured to mark at least two of said graphic representations on the eggs traveling along said at least one path, each of said laser marking units comprising a generator for producing a laser beam at an output and a galvanometer scanning head positioned adjacent the at least one path and configured to receive said laser beam and direct said laser beam onto the eggs as the eggs travel along the at least one path, wherein said scanning head is mounted on a support that positions said scanning head relative to the at least one path, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to control the plurality of laser marking units to mark the eggs in such a manner that a first predetermined time window exists for marking a first egg using a first laser marking unit, a second predetermined time window exists for marking a second egg using a second laser marking unit, and the first predetermined time window overlaps with the second predetermined time window so that the first and second eggs are simultaneously marked in at least a common portion of the first and second predetermined time windows. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification