US 10,376,989 B2Granted

Under material air purge

AssigneePresco, Inc.

InventorsAustin Dando, Daniel B. Miller, Joshua Butz, Donald R. Sloan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An assembly and method of reducing discoloration of a foam material resulting from laser processing the material comprising an assembly configured for positioning below the material being processed and for directing air into open cells of the open-cell foam material to pressurize the material during laser processing. The assembly comprises an air delivery mechanism comprising one or more apertures for an air chamber positioned directly below the material travel path. Aligning the one or more apertures with the axis of the laser beam and its focal point when the material is positioned above the one or more apertures and pressurizing or filling of the open cells with air in the direct vicinity of the target area reduces processing related discoloration of the material. The cells are laser processed concurrently with pressurization thereby substantially reducing settling of debris and smoke on the material and reducing discoloration.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method of reducing discoloration of a porous material resulting from laser processing the porous material, comprising:

providing a laser processing system having a forced air delivery mechanism and air chamber comprising one or more apertures;
positioning the air delivery mechanism below a material travel path in the laser processing system;
aligning the one or more apertures with an axis of the laser beam with the porous material positioned between the one or more apertures and a focal point of the laser beam;
feeding the porous material through the laser processing system and over the air delivery mechanism;
and
delivering air through the one or more apertures and directly into the porous material wherein the porous material is an open cell material, the air directed through the one or more apertures to pressurize the cells of the porous material within a target area of the porous material while directing the laser beam to the target area for processing the porous material while reducing discoloration resulting from laser processing.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/266,852Filed 15 Sep 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Jun 2016
Published: US 2017/0348799 A17 Dec 2017
Granted: 13 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B23K 26/142
Using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beam; Nozzles therefor: for the removal of by-products
B23K 26/0846
By using an endless conveyor belt: for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material
B23K 26/1462
Using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beam; Nozzles therefor: nozzles; Features related to nozzles
B23K 26/402
Taking account of the properties of the material involved: involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators