Patents Examined by C. L.
  • Patent number: 5393957
    Abstract: The present invention provides microprocessing and the device therefor which is characterized by radiating proessing pulse laser together with trapping laser to perform the modification and processing of particles and micropcapsules.In the case of using such method for implosion, the reaction group is caused to be released by imploding the micro capsule with the reactive goup enclosed to implosion, permitting specified reaction and processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignees: Research Development Corporation of Japan, Masanori Koshioka
    Inventors: Hiroaki Misawa, Keiji Sasaki, Masanori Koshioka, Noboru Kitamura, Hiroshi Masuhara
  • Patent number: 5391856
    Abstract: A cooling drum for use in casting a thin cast strip is rotated about its axis while a laser beam having a wavelength of from 0.30 .mu.m to 1.07 .mu.m is irradiated onto a peripheral surface of the drum to form dimple therein. At this time, at least one of the oscillation period of the laser beam, the laser output and the divergence angle of the beam is controlled to assure that each dimple has a depth of no less than 50 .mu.m and a diameter of less than 500 .mu.m and the distance measured between the centers of each adjacent pair of dimples ranges from 1.05 times to 5 times the dimple diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Minamida, Motoi Kido, Fumihiko Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 5387776
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of separating at least one piece from a super hard material plate having top and bottom surfaces, comprising providing a laser capable of cutting said super hard material plate; making a cut with said laser through the top surface of said plate, said cut defining the shape of the piece to be separated and being to a depth which is less than the overall thickness of said plate; and separating said piece from said plate by applying an effective amount of pressure to said plate along the line of said cut to separate the uncut portion of said plate adjacent said cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Tatyana L. Preiser
  • Patent number: 5386097
    Abstract: A device for machining the surface of a thin-walled hollow cylinder using a laser beam. The laser beam is directed essentially radially onto the surface of the hollow cylinder and can be moved in a longitudinal direction along the cylinder's length as the cylinder is rotated, producing a rotary screen. A support bearing can move along with the laser beam for supporting the hollow cylinder around its circumference. The support bearing is stationary in the circumferential direction of the hollow cylinder, that is to say it cannot rotate around the latter, while in addition the laser beam passes through an opening extending radially in the support bearing. As a result, the vibration of the hollow cylinder can be damped in the immediate vicinity of the point of impingement of the laser beam on the hollow cylinder so that very precise master patterns can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Schablonentechnik, Kufstein, Gesellschaft
    Inventor: Siegfried Ruckl
  • Patent number: 5384446
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the length of chips removed from a workpiece that is being machined. A path is etched into the surface of the workpiece by a laser beam and defines a pattern of chip break points. The material is cut away from the workpiece along a second path which periodically intersects with the first path. At the intersection point a chip will break away from the workpiece. By controlling the distance between intersection points, the present invention allows one to control the length of the chips formed during machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Inventor: Edward D. Rutkowski
  • Patent number: 5382773
    Abstract: An apparatus for fabricating a perforated web comprising an endless masking plate arranged above a continuously conveyed web. The masking plate has a plurality of apertures arranged in a predetermined pattern, the masking plate being adapted so as to be continuously circulated. The light is irradiated to the web via the masking plate so that apertures or slits are formed in the web corresponding to the apertures of the masking plate. The light may be a laser, an infrared light, or an ultraviolet light, and the light from the source is diverged transversely about the web and converged longitudinally about the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignees: Nippon Petrochemicals Company, Limited, Polymer Processing Research Institute, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kurihara, Hiroshi Yazawa, Shoichi Yazawa, Yuki Kuroiwa, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 5382772
    Abstract: The flat stock (7) to be cut by means of a cutting head (8) rests on a grate of supporting arms (5) which are hinged on a shaft (4). By lowering groups of supporting arms (5) or all present supporting arms, cut pieces or residual skeletons, respectively, can be released and are allowed to drop onto a conveyor belt (22) for disposal. Each of said supporting arms (5) is connected to a control rod (11) which is capable of being reciprocated by means of a slider (20) comprising a pneumatic actuating cylinder (21) in order to couple a coupling tooth (18) either to a stationary holding beam (12) or to a coupling ledge (14a) of a vertically displaceable driving beam (14). A common drive for a plurality of supporting arms (5) is thus provided, and merely a coupling unit for each supporting arm is necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Bystronic Laser AG
    Inventor: Ernst Zumstein
  • Patent number: 5382771
    Abstract: To render more economical the manufacture of galvanized bar segments 10 illustratively used for three-dimensional frameworks, the components of the bar segments 10, namely the hollow bar 11 and the end pieces 12, are galvanized before being assembled. The ring welds between the galvanized components 11, 12 are implemented by laser welding. Because of the high energy density of the laser welding beam and on account of the narrow ring-weld seams 18 so formed, a zinc coating 24 supplied from the zinc coats 22 of the adjacent components 11, 12 is created during welding and covers each surface 25 of the ring-weld seams, as a result of which, following welding, the bar segment 10 also is provided with a zinc coating 24 covering the surfaces 25 of the ring-weld seams protecting them against corrosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Mero-Raumstruktur Gmbh & Co.
    Inventors: Helmut Eberlein, Gunther Bruckner, Reinhard Schmidek
  • Patent number: 5382770
    Abstract: A mirror-based laser processing system, e.g., for laser welding, provided with manual control of movements of a laser welding spot W on an object O being treated. The system includes a laser source (10) which generates a laser beam capable of treating the object (O), a mirror-based micromanipulator (14) which consists of a concave mirror (18) and a convex mirror (16) facing each other, and a laser beam splitter (20) which is located on the path of the laser beam reflected from the concave mirror (18). The laser beam splitter (20) has a coating which reflects the laser beam onto the object (O), but is capable of passing visible and infrared light. Movements of the laser-beam splitter are manually controlled from an external terminal, which is made in the form of a joy stick (50). The joy stick is capable of moving the laser welding spot (W) in any direction over the object's surface in the X-Y coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Reliant Laser Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Black, Vladimir Kupershmidt
  • Patent number: 5380978
    Abstract: In the manufacture of car bodies--particularly what is called the "body-in-white" (BIW), the as-welded body without the doors, engine, transmission, etc., and major sub-assemblies thereof. or other "3-D" structures, such as planes, ships, trucks, buildings and the like there is used optically visible datums (in UV, visible, and IR wavelengths) on the part which are either functional (that is used for assembly or other purposes, such as a hole) or simply for the purpose of optically guided positioning, either manually or automatically. These datums, typically holes, painted, engraved, or retroreflective targets, either by themselves, or in combination with other features of the part such as edges, are observed by optical sensor/camera systems in and/or surrounding the work area. One or more positioning means either automatic, semi-auto, or manual, are guided by the signals from the cameras to cause the requisite parts to be positioned in the proper location. The parts are then joined, such as by laser welders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Inventor: Timothy R. Pryor
  • Patent number: 5380977
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a metal tube covered optical fiber cable comprises an assembly of a plurality of roller pairs for forming a metal strip into a metal tube so that both side edge portions abut against each other, a laser (7) for welding the abutment portions with a laser beam to obtain a sealed metal tube (1c), an optical fiber guide for guiding an optical fiber (5) into the formed metal tube (1a), and a traction apparatus including a tension variable element for continuously drawing a sealed metal tube (id). The optical fiber guide is elastically urged against an inner wall opposite to an irradiated surface of the metal tube so that the optical fiber is protected even when the focal point of the laser beam is positioned below the abutment portions of the metal tube. In one embodiment a leaf spring mechanism is used to elastically urge the optical fiber guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Yoshie, Takashi Tsukui
  • Patent number: 5378869
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package, and a method for forming the integrated circuit package, including a single layer or multilayer substrate in which interconnection vias are formed is described. Laser energy is swept across a surface of a mask in which holes have been formed. Laser energy passing through the holes of the mask forms vias in a substrate held in place below the mask. The laser energy is swept at such a speed and is maintained at such an energy level that the laser energy forms vias in the substrate, but does not penetrate a set of leads attached to the substrate. Vias may be formed in this way by either a mask imaging, contact mask or conformal mask technique. The laser energy is emitted from a non-thermal (e.g., excimer) laser. The substrate is formed of an organic (e.g., epoxy) resin. The resin may include reinforcing fibers (e.g., aramid fibers). Substrates may be formed on one or both sides of the set of leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignees: Amkor Electronics, Inc., Teijin Limited
    Inventors: Robert C. Marrs, Tadashi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 5376771
    Abstract: A laser drilling process capable of producing a plurality of holes in a pharmaceutical dosage form, at high speed, is presented. The process utilizes a digital laser marking system (DigiMark.TM. variable marking system) to produce an unlimited number of holes through the surface or coating of a dosage form, at rates up to 100,000 units or more per hour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Roy
  • Patent number: 5376770
    Abstract: A process for precision control of a laser beam for machining workpieces while achieving high surface quality. The actual distance between a reference location and the workpiece surface is determined. A setpoint/actual value deviation between a predetermined setpoint distance and the actual distance measured is also determined. Control parameters are determined by a control unit in accordance with the setpoint/actual value deviation. The resulting control parameter outputs are coupled to a laser control unit to control the beam power of the laser. The disclosure also includes the apparatus for accomplishing the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: MAHO Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Kuhl, Alfred Zwick, Gunter Eberl
  • Patent number: 5374803
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a laser cutting process which can easily obtain a fine cut surface without attaching any dross thereto. The laser cutting process comprises the steps of: applying a piercing to a workpiece by irradiating a laser beam toward a focus thereof adjusted onto an upper surface of the workpiece under as a condition as using air having a relatively low pressure; ejecting air having a high pressure toward a cutting portion of the workpiece from a nozzle main body for emitting the laser beam mounted on a laser processing machine under the condition such that the laser beam is irradiated from the nozzle main body toward a focus thereof adjusted onto a rear surface of the workpiece or the proximity thereof; and cutting the workpiece while blowing off dross generated upon the cutting operation by means of the ejected high pressure air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
    Inventor: Masahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5374805
    Abstract: A novelty item is disclosed comprising a solid block of material having an slug having a first and second finger. The slug is surrounded by the block and adapted to be retained by the block. The first finger has divergent walls cut at a first angle to the top surface of the block. The second finger has convergent walls cut at a second angle to the top surface of the block and the remainder of the slug has walls cut at substantially right angles to the top surface freeing the slug from the block, whereby the thickness of the cut is less than the ratio of the thickness of the block to the tangent of the greater of the first and second angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Inventor: Domenico DiFranco
  • Patent number: 5374804
    Abstract: A laser head device including a nozzle supporting shaft (11) which is formed in the shape of a pipe through which laser beams (LB) pass, characterized in that the shaft is vertically movably supported in a frame of a laser processing apparatus and is rotatable about its axis so that it acts both as a protecting pipe for the laser beams (LB) and as a rotary shaft. The object is to provide a laser head device which is simple, compact and lightweight in comparison with conventional ones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Amada Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yukio Uchino, Konrad Popp
  • Patent number: 5373137
    Abstract: A laser writing apparatus includes a laser light source which directs an expanded beam of laser light onto a two-dimensional phase grating. The phase grating splits the beam into a two-dimensional array of individual bundles of collimated light or beamlets. Each individual row of beamlets is reflected by a single strip mirror toward the surface on which a pattern is to be written. By moving the surface under the beams at a selected angle, multiple parallel lines can be written simultaneously on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph L. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 5373134
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrode for electrolysis, whose front side comprises a plurality of substantially parallel channels (2) defined by substantially parallel threads (1) of electrically conducting material, which are attached to and in electric contact with the underlying electrode structure (10, 11, 12).Moreover, the invention relates to a method of producing an electrode, an electrolytic cell comprising an electrode according to the invention, and the use of such an electrode in electrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Permascand AB
    Inventors: Mikael Tenfalt, Anders Ullman
  • Patent number: 5373140
    Abstract: A system for cleaning molds within presses is disclosed wherein the system utilizes a light source including a laser to clean surfaces within the mold. The light source is aligned with an opening in the mold and light from the laser is directed onto the mold surfaces to vaporize residual material thereon to thereby clean the surfaces. The light source may be formed as a portable unit movable between different presses, or the light source may be in the form of a single laser with a plurality of light paths leading from the laser to individual presses such that light may be selectively conveyed along the light paths to clean the molds within the presses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Vernay Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Nagy, Timothy F. Shelton, Jeffrey L. Milam