Method of forming a line of weakness in a multilayer laminate

Claim 1

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate compressing selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic and one or more of which is oriented in a predetermined direction, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said mostproximate layer without vaporizing one of the underlying layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that, aided by the orientation of one or more of the layers, forms said line of weakness in said laminate at a greater processing speed that if said one or more layers was not oriented.

Claim 2

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate compressing selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic and one or more of which is oriented in a predetermined direction, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said mostproximate layer without vaporizing one of the underlying layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that, aided by the orientation of one or more of the layers, forms said line of weakness in said laminate at a greater processing speed that if said one or more layers was not oriented.

Claim 4

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being fomred in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward sourcE-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and being treated to render it more absorptive of said energy than the rest of said layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the underlying layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 5

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being fomred in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward sourcE-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and being treated to render it more absorptive of said energy than the rest of said layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the underlying layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 7

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate layers one of which is plastic and one of which is an adhesive, said line of weakness being formed in at least the adhesive layer but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer, being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 8

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate layers one of which is plastic and one of which is an adhesive, said line of weakness being formed in at least the adhesive layer but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer, being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 10

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and having the highest coefficient of absorption of said multiple layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to sasid source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 11

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and having the highest coefficient of absorption of said multiple layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to sasid source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 13

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and not being the layer having the highest energy coefficient of absorption, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 14

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material and not being the layer having the highest energy coefficient of absorption, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said line of weakness in said laminate.

Claim 18

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising, selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in two substantially equally absorptive layers but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said bema being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being non-metallic, and being one of said substantially equally absorptive layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that more of said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said substantially equally absorptive layers than by other layers of said laminate, in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, and in a manner that forms said line of weakness in the most proximate of the substantially equally absorptive layers of said laminate.

Claim 19

A method of forming a line of weakness defining a predetermined tear path in a laminate comprising, selecting a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said line of weakness being formed in two substantially equally absorptive layers but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said bema being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being non-metallic, and being one of said substantially equally absorptive layers, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that more of said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said substantially equally absorptive layers than by other layers of said laminate, in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, and in a manner that forms said line of weakness in the most proximate of the substantially equally absorptive layers of said laminate.

Claim 23

A method of forming one or more lines of weakness defining a predetermined tear portion in a packaging comprisng selecting packaging having a seal and formed of a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said lines of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said lines of weakness in said laminate so that one or more of said lines of weakness cooperate with said seal such that one or more sealed layers of said package can be released from their real to adjacent layers of said package in a manner that said package is opened along said released seal.

Claim 24

A method of forming one or more lines of weakness defining a predetermined tear portion in a packaging comprisng selecting packaging having a seal and formed of a laminate having multiple layers one of which is plastic, said lines of weakness being formed in at least one but not all of said layers, effecting at a certain rate of speed along said predetermined path, relative movement between said laminate and at least one theretoward source-directed beam of radiant energy, said beam being directed upon the layer most-proximate to said source, said most-proximate layer being a non-metallic material, said energy being selected to have a particular predetermined wavelength and intensity and being coordinated with the thicknesses and energy coefficients of absorption of the respective layers, such that said energy is selectively relatively absorbed by said most-proximate layer in an amount sufficient to directly preferentially vaporize said most-proximate layer without vaporizing one of the layers not most proximate to said source, in a manner that forms said lines of weakness in said laminate so that one or more of said lines of weakness cooperate with said seal such that one or more sealed layers of said package can be released from their real to adjacent layers of said package in a manner that said package is opened along said released seal.