EP0538044A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Improved print quality laser marker apparatus
Assignee: Videojet Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1992-10-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-10-15
Abstract
Abstract Laser marker apparatus for marking indicia onto a substrate includes an exit lens having a focal length, a plurality of lasers (20), a plurality of turning mirrors (24), and at least one directing mirror (26). The surface (64) of the substrate to be marked is positioned generally at the focal plane of the lens (40). The plurality of lasers is arranged so that their energy output beams are oriented in a generally parallel relationship. The plurality of turning mirrors are positioned along the beam path of each respective laser and are oriented to reflect the output beams at predetermined angles. The directing mirrors redirect the output beams to form a column of spaced apart spots on the substrate. One of the directing mirrors is then moved in a first direction so as to form another column of spots on the substrate. Movement in another direction forms a third column of spots on the substrate. The columns are interleaved to create a composite column of high resolution for marking Alpha-numeric characters.
Inventors
- 👤 J.James Stone
- 👤 Henry James Bode
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 04:20
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/0604; B23K26/0608; B23K26/064; B23K26/0643; B23K26/0665; G; G06; G06K; G06K1/00; G06K1/12; G06K1/121; G06K1/126
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A laser marker apparatus for marking indicia onto a substrate, comprising: a plurality of lasers arranged to emit output beams, an exit lens having a focal plane, and reflecting means arranged to direct the beams into the exit lens at predetermined angles between the beams to form the beams into a first column of first spots having predetermined separations in the focal plane of the exit lens, Characterised by the reflecting means being movable to at least one additional position, each additional position forming an additional column of spots in the focal plane of the exit lens, the spots formed by all of said columns being interleaved to create a composite column of spots with smaller separations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further characterised by the reflecting means including a plurality of turning mirrors, each positioned in the path of an output beam from a respective laser and oriented to reflect the output beam at a predetermined angle and a directing mirror positioned in the path of all of said output beams.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and further characterised by the directing mirror being movable to at least one additional position, each additional position forming an additional column of spots in the focal plane of the exit lens, the spots formed by all of said columns being interleaved to create a composite column of spots with smaller separations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and further characterised by the directing mirror being arranged to redirect the output beams from the plurality of turning mirrors onto the exit lens at said predetermined angles between the beams.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 and further characterised by at least some of the turning mirrors being movable between a first and a second position in the path of the output beam from its respective laser so as to reflect the output beam at a different predetermined angle such that the column of spots in the focal plane of the exit lens are adjacent when the movable turning mirrors are in their first positions and have a predetermined separation when the movable turning mirrors are in their second positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and further characterised by the directing mirror comprising a plurality of discrete reflective faces interconnected by a flexible material and means for flexing the flexible material to alter the beam paths to produce a predetermined spacing between the spots.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and further characterised by also comprising a delivery tube through which the output beams travel, the exit lens being disposed at the end of the delivery tube remote from the lasers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and further characterised by the substrate moving during marking and the apparatus including means for moving the reflecting means to compensate for misalignment of the columns due to said movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 when dependent on any of claims 2 to 7 in which the directing mirror is rotated to compensate for misalignment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which misalignment is lateral misalignment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which there are two directing mirrors one of which is movable to form an additional column of spots and the other of which is rotated to compensate for misalignment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the substrate is positioned in the focal plane of the exit lens.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are seven lasers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 in which the reflecting means is movable to two additional positions to generate a single interleaved column of twenty-one spots.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 in which some of the turning mirrors can be moved from a first position in the path of the output beam from its respective laser to a second position out of the path of said output beam, wherein additional turning mirrors are provided in the path of said output beams so that the column of spots in the focal plane of the exit lens are adjacent when the movable turning mirrors are in their first positions and have a predetermined separation when the movable turning mirrors are in their second positions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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