US 2020/0047281 A1Published application

Complex laser folding and fabrication

AssigneeU.S. Army Research Laboratory

InventorsNathan S. Lazarus, Gabriel L. Smith

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Abstract

Provided, among other things, is a method of cutting and folding a planar substrate with a focused laser beam, directed from above the substrate, to form a shape with features in 3-dimensions, the method comprising: (a) executing from above laser cuts to the planar substrate so as to provide one or more a releasable segments; (b) executing from above one or more laser-executed upward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment; and (c) executing from above one or more laser-executed downward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment; wherein the cuts and folds are structured so that precursors to the 3D shape remain attached to the substrate while sufficient cuts and folds are made to form the 3D shape, and wherein the planar substrate is immobile during said steps (a) through (c), or is only moved in the plane of the substrate.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of cutting and folding a unpatterned substrate that defines a plane with a focused laser beam, directed from above the substrate, to form a shape with features in 3-dimensions, the method comprising:

(a) executing from above laser cuts to the planar substrate so as to provide one or more a releasable segments;
and
(b) executing one or more folds to form the 3D shape by performing one or more of:
(i) from above one or more laser-executed upward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment;
and
(ii) from above one or more laser-executed downward folds to bend all or a portion of a releasable segment;
wherein the cuts and folds are structured so that precursors to the 3D shape remain attached to the substrate while sufficient cuts and folds are made to form the 3D shape;
wherein the planar substrate is immobile during said steps (a) through (c), or is only moved in the plane of the substrate;
and
wherein one or more of the following applies:
(1) one or more substrate regions distinct from releasable regions are laser folded such that their edges adjacent to releasable segments are above or below the plane, thereby removing these regions from interfering in the formation of the shape;
(2) both (b)(i) and (b)(ii) are executed;
or
(3) a reflector shape is cut and folded from one or releasable segments to provide a reflector to direct the focused laser beam to cut, etch or fold a portion of one of the releasable segments that would otherwise be inaccessible to the focused laser beam.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/059,591Filed 9 Aug 2018
Published: 13 Feb 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

B23K 26/0093
Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring: combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K
B21D 5/008
Bending sheet metal along straight lines, e.g. to form simple curves: combined with heating or cooling of the bends
B21D 11/203
Bending sheet metal, not otherwise provided for: round bending
B21D 11/22
Bending not restricted to forms of material mentioned in only one of groups B21D5/00, B21D7/00, B21D9/00; Bending not provided for in groups…:…