US5149938A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods for producing indicia on diamonds
Assignee: Harry Winston SA
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Filing: 1990-10-11
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Granted: 1992-09-22
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Expires: 2010-10-11
Abstract
Abstract A method of producing a marking on a diamond. For producing the marking, the region on the surface of the diamond which is to be marked is irradiated with an argon fluorine excimer laser whose output beam is passed through a mask which defines the marking. The diamond selectively absorbs the excimer laser radiation and undergoes a partial allotropic transformation without losing its diamond crystal lattice configuration.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald H. Winston
- 👤 Necip Alev
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:37
CPC Classifications
B; B44; B44B; B44B7/00; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/064; B23K26/066; B28; B28D; B28D5/00; B41; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/24; B23K2103/00; B23K2103/30; B23K2103/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of producing a marking on a diamond, the method comprising the steps: positioning a mask between an output of an excimer laser and a portion of a surface of the diamond to be marked; and directly irradiating the portion of the surface of the diamond with the excimer laser through the mask so as to permit the radiation of the excimer laser itself to create the mark in a pattern defined by the mask.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of producing a marking on a diamond, the method comprising the steps: positioning a mask between an output of an excimer laser and a portion of a surface of the diamond to be marked; and directly irradiating the portion of the surface of the diamond with the excimer laser through the mask so as to permit the radiation of the excimer laser itself to create the mark in a pattern defined by the mask.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the excimer laser irradiates the diamond with at least one energy pulse at a wavelength of about 193 nm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of irradiating includes passing the excimer laser radiation through cut-out areas in the mask.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of irradiating includes passing the excimer laser radiation through areas of different transmissivities in the mask.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1, said mask being spaced away from the surface of the diamond.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, said mask being directly on or adjacent the surface of the diamond.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, said mask being imaged onto the surface of the diamond at a reduced size through means for optically reducing the mask pattern.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 3, said mask being made of paper.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 4, said mask being made of one of the group of materials which are substantially transmissive at the wavelength of the excimer wavelength radiation, the group including fused quartz, silica and sapphire.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the energy of the excimer laser is adjusted to remove only a thin layer from the surface of the diamond.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said layer removed from said surface has a thickness ranging from approximately several angstroms to several microns.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the entire mark is created while holding the diamond in a single fixed position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, including the step, before irradiating the diamond, of applying a coating of material to the surface to be marked, which material is detectable only under predetermined lighting conditions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13, wherein the material is a fluorescent material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13, wherein the material is a phosphorescent material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1, including the step, before irradiating the diamond, of applying a coating of detectable material to the surface to be marked, wherein the detectable material is optically or electrically or magnetically detectable.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the detectable material is molybdenum carbide, nickel carbide, titanium carbide of iron carbide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16, comprising the further step of similarly directly irradiating at least a second portion of the diamond to form at least a second mark.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the energy of the excimer laser is adjusted to partially transform the diamond from one form of elemental carbon to another form of elemental carbon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the energy of the excimer laser is adjusted to partially graphitize the diamond at the portion being marked.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the darkness of the mark so produced varies with the degree of graphitization caused by the excimer laser radiation.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3527198A
Cited
US4401876A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-22 | 1996-03-23 | 1996-09-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-22 | 2000-03-23 | 2000-09-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-22 | 2004-03-23 | 2004-09-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |