Laser methods to create easy tear off materials and articles made therefrom

• US 9,050,686 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RevoLaze LLC (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RevoLaze LLC (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Costin, Darryl J. Sr., Costin, Darryl J. Jr., Ripley, Kimberly L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAFLAME JR, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/884,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.74, 219/121.76, 219/121.85, 219/384, 21912167-12172, 264/400, 264/409, 264/482, 264/156, 264/413, 428/43, 428/130, 428/131, 428/138, 428/571, 131/281, 156250-2728, 216/17, 216/94, 101/226, 438/463
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/34 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/40 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0846 for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/402 involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness

Abstract

A method of creating an easily torn material using laser etching, as well as articles produced therefrom is provided. As opposed to standard perforations, a laser is used to etch a line in a sheet of material. The line allows the material to be easily torn by a user, yet exhibits enough tensile strength to prevent tearing during regular use.

Claims

1. A method of making a tearable sheet comprising:

moving a sheet having a first major surface and an oppositely disposed second major surface relative to a working area of a laser while laser etching with the laser to produce a continuous laser-etched trench in the first major surface, the continuous laser-etched trench forming a continuous tear line of the sheet, and

forming with the laser a plurality of craters within the trench, each crater having an overall diameter less than a diameter of the trench adjacent to each crater, wherein at least one crater extends into but not through the sheet, where the at least one crater has a varying profile along a depth of the at least one crater such that the at least one crater has a first diameter at a portion of the trench closest to the first major surface and a second diameter less than the first diameter at a portion of the trench furthest from the first major surface.

2. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, including the step of selecting the sheet from a material selected from the group comprising a paper material, a plastic material, a leather material, and a metal foil material.

3. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein said laser etching forms the continuous tear line without completely extending through the sheet to the second major surface.

4. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is tearable by hand along the continuous tear line.

5. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein the laser has a field size of 20 inches or more.

6. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein during said laser etching the laser has a power output between 1,000 and 5,000 W, a scan speed between 10 and 50 m/s, and a spot size between 0.05 and 0.3 mm.

7. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein during said laser etching the laser has an EDPUT between 0.28 and 254.77 watts-sec/mm³.

8. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein the continuous tear line is wavy, curved, or zig-zag.

15. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 1, wherein during said laser etching the laser has a power output between 1,000 and 5,000 W, a scan speed between 10 and 50 m/s, and a spot size between 0.05 and 0.3 mm.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of craters are linearly aligned within the trench.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one crater that penetrates through the sheet.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of craters comprises a first crater having a first depth and a second crater having a second depth different from the first depth and wherein the first crater and the second crater do not extend through the sheet.

9. A method of making a tearable sheet comprising:

moving a sheet having a width, a first major surface and an oppositely disposed second major surface relative to a working area of a laser while laser etching with the laser to produce a continuous laser-etched trench in the first major surface, the continuous laser-etched trench forming a continuous tear line extending entirely across the width of the sheet; and

forming with the laser a plurality of craters within the trench each crater having an overall diameter less than a diameter of the trench adjacent to each crater, wherein a plurality of the craters extend into but not through the sheet, where each of the plurality of craters has a varying profile along a depth of each crater such that each crater has a first diameter at a portion of the trench closest to the first major surface and a second diameter less than the first diameter at a portion of the trench furthest from the first major surface.

10. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein the width of the sheet is at least 20 inches.

11. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein the sheet is made of at least one of a paper material, a plastic material, a leather material, and a metal foil material.

12. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein said laser etching forms the continuous tear line without completely extending through the sheet to the second major surface.

13. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein the sheet is tearable by hand along the continuous tear line.

14. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein the laser has a field size of 20 inches or more.

16. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein during said laser etching the laser has an EDPUT between 0.28 and 254.77 watts-sec/mm³.

17. The method of making a tearable sheet according to claim 9, wherein the continuous tear line is wavy, curved, or zig-zag.

21. A method of making a tearable sheet, comprising:

forming a trench in a first surface of a material using a first laser operating parameter, and

forming a plurality of craters within the trench using a second laser operating parameter different from the first laser operating parameter each crater having an overall diameter less than a diameter of the trench adjacent to each crater, wherein each crater formed within the trench has a varying profile along a depth of each crater such that each crater has a first diameter at a portion of the trench closest to a first major surface and a second diameter less than the first diameter at a portion of the trench furthest from the first major surface.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first laser operating parameter is selected from at least one of a first power, a first duty cycle, a first scan speed, a first frequency, a first control factor setting, a first jump speed, and a first objective lens size, and the second laser operating parameter is selected from at least one of a second power, a second duty cycle, a second scan speed, a second frequency, a second control factor setting, a second jump speed, and a second objective lens size.

23. The method of claim 21, including the step of forming the trench with center and side portions, wherein the center has a depth greater than the side portions.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the trench and the plurality of craters are formed using a single laser.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the trench and the plurality of craters are formed without etching completely through the material.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the material is selected from at least one of a paper material, a plastic material, a leather material, and a metal foil material.