Patent US3742853A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3742853A
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Method of forming relief printing plate
Assignee: Applied Biosystems Inc
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Filing: 1972-06-26
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Granted: 1973-07-03
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Expires: 1992-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A relief printing plate is formed by providing a sheet of thermoplastic material that collapses within its own volume when radiant energy, such as infrared radiation, is applied to it, and by shielding areas of the sheet that are to be left in relief with a template made of material, such as aluminum or zinc, which reflects the radiation that will be applied to collapse the sheet. The reflective template may be formed in various ways, as by placing a preformed template on the sheet or by covering a surface of the sheet with a film of the reflective template material and removing selected areas of the film to uncover underlying areas of the sheet and to leave film on other areas in the configuration of the desired template pattern. Then radiant energy which is absorbed by the sheet material and reflected by the template material is applied until the uncovered areas of the sheet collapse below their original surface level and the areas covered by the template remain in relief.
Inventors
- 👤 R Landsman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 08:03
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/20; G03F7/2002; G03F7/2014; G03F7/2016; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/009; B23K26/08; B23K26/18; B29; B29C; B29C44/00; B29C44/34; B29C44/56; B29C44/5627; B29C44/5636; B29C59/00; B29C59/16; B41; B41C; B41C1/00; B41C1/02; B41C1/04; B41C1/05; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C35/08; B29C35/0805; B29C2035/0822; B29C2035/0838; B29C37/00; B29C2037/80; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/04; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/722; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/24; B41N; B41N1/00; B41N1/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 including applying a pressure differential across the sheet while applying said radiant energy for collapsing said unshielded areas of the sheet, the greater pressure being at the surface to which the radiation is applied.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 including preheating the sheet to a temperature close to, but below, its softening temperature prior to the application of said radiant energy for collapsing said unshielded areas of the sheet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 in which the sheet of thermoplastic material provided is of a material from the group consisting of nylon, polypropylene and polyethylene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 4 in which the radiation applied to soften and collapse unshielded areas of the sheet is infrared radiation having a wavelength in the range of from about 2 to about 10 micrometers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 in which the beam of radiant energy applied to vaporize selected areas of the film is a laser beam of a laser of the group consisting of Argon and YAG lasers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 in which the film provided is a film of zinc.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 in which the film provided is a film of aluminum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 in which the sheet provided is a sheet of said thermoplastic material having incorporated therein a minor percentage of material from the group consisting of powdered carbon, powdered graphite and carbon black.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of claim 1 which includes providing on said film a layer of a material that absorbs sufficient heat from a beam of radiant energy having a wavelength of less than 1.1 micrometers to vaporize underlying areas of the film and in which a beam of said radiant energy having an energy density at least approximating the energy density of a laser beam and a wavelength of less than 1.1 micrometers is applied to selected areas of said layer a sufficient length of time to vaporize the immediately underlying areas of the film, and, thereafter removing the areas of said layer remaining on unvaporized areas of the film prior to said application of radiant energy having a wavelength greater than 1.1 micrometers
Claim 10
Independent Claim
227 words
A method of forming a relief printing plate for letterpress or letterset printing and the like comprising: providing a sheet of thermoplastic material that is heat softenable by infrared radiant energy having a wavelength greater than 1.1 micrometers, and that has a multiplicity of small voids substantially uniformly distributed therein; providing on a surface of said sheet a film on the order of 1 microinch thick of a metal that reflects radiant energy having a wavelength greater than about 1.1 and that is from the group of metals consisting of aluminum and zinc; applying to selected areas of said film a beam of radiant energy from a laser of the group of lasers consisting of Argon and YAG lasers producing laser beams and having a wavelength of less than 1.1 micrometers and applying said beam to said selected areas a sufficient length of time to vaporize the film at said selected areas; and thereafter applying said infrared radient energy to the surface of the sheet on which the film was placed, for a sufficient time for the areas of the sheet from the surface of which the film has been vaporized to soften and collapse into said voids, whereby the surface areas of the sheet from which the film has been vaporized collapse below, and leave in relief, the areas shielded by unvaporized areas of the film.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-02 | 1977-01-01 | 1977-07-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-02 | 1981-01-01 | 1981-07-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-02 | 1985-01-01 | 1985-07-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |