US3989778A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of heat sealing thermoplastic sheets together using a split laser beam
Assignee: WR Grace and Co
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Filing: 1975-12-17
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Granted: 1976-11-02
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Expires: 1995-12-17
Abstract
Abstract Thermoplastic materials, particularly material in sheet form, may be sealed or thermowelded together using the energy from a single laser beam source by splitting the beam and directing it by mirrors to desired seal areas on the opposed sides of the materials to be sealed. The beam may be split in proportion to the thickness of the respective materials. Heating the opposed sides of materials to be sealed avoids the problem of overheating or burning the side to which energy is applied.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard F. Osborne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:33
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C66/00; B29C66/80; B29C66/82; B29C66/826; B29C66/8266; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/0604; B23K26/0619; B23K26/067; B23K26/14; B23K26/1462; B29C65/00; B29C65/02; B29C65/14; B29C65/16; B29C65/1629; B29C65/1635; B29C65/1638; B29C65/1645; B29C65/1687; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/349; B29C66/40; B29C66/41; B29C66/43; B29C66/70; B29C66/73; B29C66/739; B29C66/7392; B29C66/73921; B29C65/1403; B29C65/1425; B29C65/1603; B29C65/1612; B29C65/1619; B29C65/1664; B29C66/71; B29K; B29K2023/00; B29K2023/04; B29K2023/06; B29K2027/00; B29K2027/06; B29K2031/00; B29K2031/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S264/00; Y10S264/57
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of sealing thermoplastic materials together comprisng the steps of: a. providing a laser beam, said beam having a wavelength which is absorbed in said thermoplastic material; b. placing the areas of said thermoplastic materials which are to be sealed together in intimate contact with each other; c. splitting said laser beam into two components; and, d. directing each of said beam components to impinge coaxially on a respective outer surface of said material whose surface is opposed to the area to be sealed.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of sealing thermoplastic materials together comprisng the steps of: a. providing a laser beam, said beam having a wavelength which is absorbed in said thermoplastic material; b. placing the areas of said thermoplastic materials which are to be sealed together in intimate contact with each other; c. splitting said laser beam into two components; and, d. directing each of said beam components to impinge coaxially on a respective outer surface of said material whose surface is opposed to the area to be sealed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said beam is split into two components so that the energy in each component is proportional to the thickness of the material upon which the respective component impinges.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said laser is a CO 2 laser.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic materials are in sheet form.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic material is flattened tubing.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of sealing thermoplastic sheets together comprising the steps of: a. providing a source of laser energy at a wavelength which is absorbed in thermoplastic material; b. focusing the output radiation of said laser source into a beam; c. dividing said beam into first and second components; d. placing the areas of said thermoplastic sheets which are to be sealed together in intimate contact with each other; e. focusing the first component of said split beam upon the area of contact of said sheets, said first component of the beam passing through one of said sheets; f. reflecting the second component of said beam whereby said second component may be aligned to coincide with the first component from the opposite side of said sheets; and, g. focusing said second component on the area of contact of said sheets whereby the laser energy absorbed by said sheets causes the sheet materials to flow and fuse together in their area of contact.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
161 words
A method of sealing thermoplastic sheets together comprising the steps of: a. providing a source of laser energy at a wavelength which is absorbed in thermoplastic material; b. focusing the output radiation of said laser source into a beam; c. dividing said beam into first and second components; d. placing the areas of said thermoplastic sheets which are to be sealed together in intimate contact with each other; e. focusing the first component of said split beam upon the area of contact of said sheets, said first component of the beam passing through one of said sheets; f. reflecting the second component of said beam whereby said second component may be aligned to coincide with the first component from the opposite side of said sheets; and, g. focusing said second component on the area of contact of said sheets whereby the laser energy absorbed by said sheets causes the sheet materials to flow and fuse together in their area of contact.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said beam is split into two components so that the energy in each component is proportional to the thickness of the material upon which said component impinges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said laser is a CO 2 laser.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said thermoplastic sheets comprise flattened thermoplastic tubing.
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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) | 1979-11-02 | 1980-05-03 | 1980-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-11-02 | 1984-05-03 | 1984-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-11-02 | 1988-05-03 | 1988-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |