Christopher J Frank

US Patent:

20040130057, Jul 8, 2004

Filed:

Aug 4, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/634104

Inventors:

Reza Mehrabi - Tujunga CA, US
David Edwards - La Canada Flintridge CA, US
Robert Fermin - La Verne CA, US
Ali Mehrabi - Los Angeles CA, US
Chunhwa Wang - Diamond Bar CA, US
Rishikesh Bharadwaj - Arcadia CA, US
Ronald Sieloff - Chardon OH, US
Hsiao Chuang - Arcadia CA, US
Dennis Couzin - Evanston IL, US
Karen Spilizewski - Euclid OH, US
William Buttermore - Painesville Township OH, US
Donald Davis - Conneaut Lake PA, US
Christopher Frank - Stow OH, US
Barbara Hyde - Chardon OH, US
Michael Lang - Chagrin Falls OH, US
Keith Lutz - Lakewood OH, US
Austin Short - Mentor OH, US
Mark Wisniewski - Mentor OH, US

International Classification:

H05B006/00
B29C059/04
B29C047/06
B29C071/00

US Classification:

264/171130, 156/209000, 156/220000, 156/553000, 156/583500, 156/581000, 264/481000, 264/284000, 264/173160, 264/348000, 425/373000

Abstract:

A method of embossing a sheet material includes: heating at least a portion of the sheet directly or indirectly with radiant energy from a radiant energy source; pressing a tool against the heated portion of the sheet, thereby patterning a surface of the sheet; and separating the sheet and the tool. The radiant energy may travel through a solid material that is relatively transparent to radiation, on its way to being absorbed by a relatively-absorptive material. The relatively-transparent material may be an unheated portion of the sheet, and the relatively-absorptive material may be either the tool or the heated portion of the sheet. Alternatively, the relatively-transparent material may be the tool, and the relatively-absorptive material may be all or part of the sheet. The method may be performed as one or more roll-to-roll operations.