US5804342A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of bar-code printing on ceramic members
Assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
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Filing: 1997-07-29
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Granted: 1998-09-08
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Expires: 2017-07-29
Abstract
Abstract A method of making a printing member for providing an erasable bar-code including providing a polymeric substrate having an insert cavity; forming an insert member having a writing surface composed of a non-porous zirconia ceramic ZrO 2 that is alloyed with a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , a rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof, the non-porous zirconia alloy ceramic having a density of from about 5.6 to about 6.2 g/cm 3 ; and providing an erasable bar-code image on the printing member by imagewise exposing the printing surface to electromagnetic radiation that transforms the printing surface from a stoichiometric to a substoichiometric state, thereby creating a printing surface having both image areas and non-image areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Gustavo R. Paz-Pujalt
- 👤 Dilip K. Chatterjee
- 👤 Syamal K. Ghosh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 01:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K1/00; G06K1/12; G06K1/121; B; B41; B41M; B41M1/00; B41M1/26; B41M1/34; B41M5/00; B41M5/26; B41M5/267; B41M5/28; C; C04; C04B; C04B35/00; C04B35/01; C04B35/48; C04B35/486; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/06009; G06K19/06046; B41M5/262; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S430/00; Y10S430/146
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of making a printing member for providing an erasable bar-code, comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymeric substrate having an insert cavity; b) forming an insert member having a writing surface composed of a non-porous zirconia ceramic ZrO 2 that is alloyed with a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , a rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof, the non-porous zirconia alloy ceramic having a density of from about 5.6 to about 6.2 g/cm 3 ; and c) providing an erasable bar-code image on the printing member by imagewise exposing the printing surface to electromagnetic radiation that transforms the printing surface from a stoichiometric to a substoichiometric state, thereby creating a printing surface having both image areas and non-image areas.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of making a printing member for providing an erasable bar-code, comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymeric substrate having an insert cavity; b) forming an insert member having a writing surface composed of a non-porous zirconia ceramic ZrO 2 that is alloyed with a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , a rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof, the non-porous zirconia alloy ceramic having a density of from about 5.6 to about 6.2 g/cm 3 ; and c) providing an erasable bar-code image on the printing member by imagewise exposing the printing surface to electromagnetic radiation that transforms the printing surface from a stoichiometric to a substoichiometric state, thereby creating a printing surface having both image areas and non-image areas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: d) erasing the bar-code image on the printing surface and forming another bar-code image on such surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the bar-code image is two dimensional.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the erasable bar-code image is provided by exposing the printing surface to a Nd:YAG laser beam so that the bar-code is black on a white background.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the black bar-code is erased by heating the printing surface to a temperature in a range of 200° C. to 400° C. for a time sufficient to erase the black bar-code.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the black bar-code is erased by subjecting the printing surface to a CO 2 laser beam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the printing surface is exposed to a Nd:YAG laser beam so that at least a portion of the printing surface is black in color and then exposing the blackened surface portion to an argon laser beam to print white bar-codes on a black background.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the printing surface is exposed to a Nd:YAG laser beam so that at least a portion of the printing surface is black in color and then exposing the blackened surface portion to a carbon dioxide laser beam to print white bar-codes on a black background.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the bar-codes are formed by exposing the printing surface to a laser beam which ablates or melts material from the printing surface.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
152 words
A method of writing and rewriting bar-codes on a printing member comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymeric substrate having an insert cavity; b) forming an insert member having a writing surface composed of a non-porous zirconia ceramic ZrO 2 that is alloyed with a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , a rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof, the non-porous zirconia alloy ceramic having a density of from about 5.6 to about 6.2 g/cm 3 ; c) providing an erasable bar-code image on the printing member by imagewise exposing the printing surface to electromagnetic radiation that transforms the printing surface from a stoichiometric to a substoichiometric state, thereby creating a printing surface having both image areas and non-image areas; and d) erasing the bar-code and rewriting a different erasable bar-code on the surface of the printing member.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
152 words
A method of writing and rewriting bar-codes on a printing member comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymeric substrate having an insert cavity; b) forming an insert member having a writing surface composed of a non-porous zirconia ceramic ZrO 2 that is alloyed with a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y 2 O 3 , Sc 2 O 3 , a rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof, the non-porous zirconia alloy ceramic having a density of from about 5.6 to about 6.2 g/cm 3 ; c) providing an erasable bar-code image on the printing member by imagewise exposing the printing surface to electromagnetic radiation that transforms the printing surface from a stoichiometric to a substoichiometric state, thereby creating a printing surface having both image areas and non-image areas; and d) erasing the bar-code and rewriting a different erasable bar-code on the surface of the printing member.
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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) | 2001-09-07 | 2002-03-09 | 2002-09-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-09-07 | 2006-03-09 | 2006-09-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-09-07 | 2010-03-09 | 2010-09-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |