System and method for forming an image on a substrate
AssigneeViavi Solutions Inc.
InventorsVladimir P. Raksha, Curtis R. Hruska, Neil Teitelbaum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scanning laser having a wavelength compatible with a coating binder so as to cure it as the laser scans and irradiates the coating on a moving web. A system and method for curing flakes by providing a scanning laser which scans across a moving coated substrate in a magnetic field allows images to be formed as magnetically aligned flakes are cured into a fixed position. The images have regions of cured aligned flakes. The scanning laser cures the magnetically aligned flakes within it region it irradiates. Alternatively an array of lasers can be used wherein individual lasers can be switched on and off to fix irradiated coating as a moving web is moved at a high speed.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- moving a substrate on a path that is between a first magnetic assembly and a second magnetic assembly,
- wherein the substrate includes at least one coating region including magnetically alignable flakes,
- wherein the first magnetic assembly is above the substrate, and
- wherein the second magnetic assembly is below the substrate;
- applying a magnetic field to the substrate to align the magnetically alignable flakes;
- and
- curing a sub-region of the substrate as the substrate is moving along the path and while the sub-region is between the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly.
A method comprising:
- moving a substrate on a path that is between a first magnetic assembly and a second magnetic assembly,
- wherein the first magnetic assembly is above the substrate, and
- wherein the second magnetic assembly is below the substrate;
- applying a magnetic field to a sub-region of the substrate while the sub-region of the substrate is between the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly;
- and
- curing, while the magnetic field is being applied, the sub-region of the substrate by converting a beam to a line of light that is focused within a window corresponding to a width of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.