Substrate treatment device and method and encoder scale treated by this method
AssigneeRenishaw PLC
InventorsAlexander David Scott Ellin, James Reynolds Henshaw, David Roberts McMurtry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a substrate treatment method and apparatus. Embodiments show a substrate in the form of a rotary encoder ring having a pattern of marks producable by means of a laser treatment device controllable to produce the pattern in the correct manner whilst there is continuous relative displacement between the ring and the laser treatment device.
Claims19
A method of forming an encoder scale on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- (i) taking a laser;
- (ii) taking a substrate carrying an etch-resistant film;
- and
- (iii) using the laser to remove parts of the etch-resistant film thereby forming a pattern on the substrate, the pattern defining an encoder scale.
A method of forming an encoder scale on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
- (a) taking a substrate having a surface;
- (b) darkening the surface;
- and
- (c) using a laser to mark bright lines onto the surface.
A method of treating a substrate to produce a pattern thereat comprising the following steps in any suitable order:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a substrate treatment device;
- providing a control system;
- providing a displacement mechanism which provides a displacement signal indicative of displacement;
- operating the displacement mechanism so as to cause continuous relative displacement between the substrate and treatment device;
- operating the control system so as to monitor that displacement signal and cause the treatment device to treat the substrate at intervals so as to produce the pattern whilst the continuous displacement takes place, wherein;
- the control system is further operated so as to perform a timing comparison step for synchronizing the displacement signal and the intervals,
- wherein the substrate comprises a surface that has previously been darkened by at least one of etching and anodizing, wherein the substrate treatment device comprises a laser that marks bright lines onto the surface of the substrate.
A method of treating a substrate to produce a pattern thereat comprising the following steps in any suitable order:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a substrate treatment device;
- providing a control system;
- providing a displacement mechanism which provides a displacement signal indicative of displacement;
- operating the displacement mechanism so as to cause continuous relative displacement between the substrate and treatment device;
- operating the control system so as to monitor that displacement signal and cause the treatment device to treat the substrate at intervals so as to produce the pattern whilst the continuous displacement takes place, wherein;
- the control system is further operated so as to perform a timing comparison step for synchronizing the displacement signal and the intervals,
- wherein the substrate comprises an etch-resistant film and the substrate treatment device treats the substrate by removing parts of the etch-resistant film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.