Plastic molding of articles including a hologram or other microstructure
AssigneeAmerican Bank Note Holographics, Inc.
InventorsSalvatore F. D'Amato, Donald W. Mallik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique for forming a mold to replicate large numbers of plastic articles, such as by injection or blow molding, wherein the mold contains a hologram or other microstructure for transfer to an outside surface of the molded article. The mold is made by electrodepositing a metal on a model of the article to be molded. Before this deposition, the hologram or other microstructure is formed on a surface area of the model by any one of several techniques. The result is a unitary mold piece in the shape of the article and having the hologram or other microstructure integrally formed on its inside surface.
Claims38
A method of mass producing an item, comprising the steps of:
- making a model of the outside surface of said item including a relief pattern over at least a portion of its surface that corresponds to an interference pattern formed from two intersecting beams of coherent optical radiation,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern,
- separating the model and surface relief pattern from the hard material layer, whereby a replica of the model surface and said relief pattern is made,
- forming from said replica at least one wall portion of a cavity of a mold in a manner that the replicated surface relief pattern forms an integral portion of at least a portion of said wall, and
- repetitively forming a copy of said item by flowing molten material into said cavity, allowing the material to harden, and subsequently removing the hardened item from said cavity, whereby said item is mass produced with the surface relief pattern replicated over at least a portion of its surface.
A method of mass producing a three-dimensional item having at least a portion of its outside surface in a non-planar shape, comprising the steps of:
- making a model of the outside surface of said item that includes a micro surface relief pattern on at least a portion of its said non-planar outside surface portion,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern,
- separating the model and surface relief pattern from the hard material layer, whereby a replica of the model surface and said relief pattern is made,
- forming from said replica at least one wall portion of a cavity of a mold in a manner that the replicated surface relief pattern forms an integral portion of at least a portion of said wall, and
- repetitively forming a copy of said item by flowing molten material into said cavity, allowing the material to harden, and then removing the hardened item from the cavity, whereby said item is mass produced in with the surface relief pattern replicated over at last a portion of its surface.
A method of making at least a piece of a wall of a cavity for plastic molding of articles in the shape of said cavity, comprising the steps of:
- making a model of the outside surface of aid item including a relief pattern over at least a portion of its surface that corresponds to an interference pattern formed from two intersecting beams of coherent optical radiation,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern, and
- separating the model from the hard material layer, whereby said hard material layer is useable to form an element of a molding cavity wherein the replicated surface relief pattern is integrally formed as part of at least a portion of a wall of said cavity.
A method of making a wall of a cavity for plastic molding of articles in the shape of said cavity wherein said article is three-dimensional and includes at least a portion of its outside surface in a non-planar shape, comprising the steps of:
- making a model of the outside surface of said item that includes a micro surface relief pattern on at least a portion of its said non-planar outside surface portion,
- electrodepositing a layer of hard material over at least a portion of the model outside surface including the surface relief pattern, whereby said hard material conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern, and
- separating the model from the hard material layer, whereby said hard material layer is useable to form an element of a plastic molding cavity wherein the replicated surface relief pattern is integrally formed as part of at least a portion of a wall of said cavity.
A method of mass producing an item, comprising the steps of:
- forming on a flexible film a surface relief pattern corresponding to an interference pattern resulting from an interference of two beams of coherent optical radiation,
- making a model of the outside surface of said item,
- attaching said film to at least a portion of the outside surface of said model in a manner that the surface relief pattern faces outward of said model,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern,
- separating the model and film from the hard material layer,
- forming from said replica at least one wall of a cavity of a mold in a manner that the replicated surface relief pattern forms an integral portion of at least a portion of said wall, and
- repetitively forming a copy of said item by flowing molten plastic into said cavity, allowing the plastic to harden, and subsequently removing the hardened item from said cavity, whereby said item is mass produced in plastic with the surface relief pattern replicated over at least a portion of its surface.
A method of mass producing a three-dimensional item having at least a portion of its outside surface in a non-planar shape, comprising the steps of:
- forming a micro-surface relief pattern on a flexible substrate,
- making a model of the outside surface of said item,
- attaching said flexible substrate to at least a portion of the non-planar outside surface portion of said model in a manner that the surface relief pattern faces outward of said model,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern,
- separating the model and substrate from the hard material layer,
- forming from said replica at least one wall of a cavity of a mold in a manner that the replicated surface relief pattern forms at least a portion of said wall, and
- repetitively forming a copy of said item by flowing molten plastic into said cavity, allowing the plastic to harden, and subsequently removing the hardened item from said cavity, whereby said item is mass produced in plastic with the surface relief pattern replicated over at least a portion of its surface.
A method of making at least piece of a wall of a cavity for injection plastic molding of articles in the shape of said cavity, comprising the steps of:
- forming on a flexible film a surface relief pattern corresponding to an interference pattern resulting from an interference of two beams of coherent optical radiation,
- making a model of the outside surface of said article,
- attaching said film to at least a portion of the outside surface of said model in a manner that the surface relief pattern faces outward of said model,
- forming a layer of hard material over the model outside surface, including the surface relief pattern, in a manner that said hard material layer conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern, and
- separating the model and film from the hard material layer, whereby said hard material layer is useable to form an element of an injection molding cavity wherein the replicated surface relief pattern is an integral part of said at least a portion of a wall of said cavity.
A method of making a wall of a cavity for injection plastic molding of articles in the shape of said cavity wherein said article is three-dimensional and includes at least a portion of its outside surface in a non-planar shape, comprising the steps of:
- forming on a flexible substrate a micro-surface relief pattern,
- making a model of the outside surface of said article,
- attaching said film to at least a portion of the nonplanar outside surface portion of said model in a manner that the surface relief pattern faces outward of said model,
- electrodepositing a layer of hard material over at least a portion of the model outside surface including the surface relief pattern, whereby said hard material conforms to the shape of the surface and said pattern, and
- separating the model and substrate from the hard material layer, whereby said hard material layer is useable to form an element of a plastic molding cavity wherein the replicated surface relief pattern is an integral part of said at least a portion of a wall of said cavity.
A method of making a wall of a cavity for injection plastic molding of three-dimensional articles in the shape of said cavity, comprising the steps of:
- making a model corresponding to a shape of at least a portion of a non-planar outside surface of said article,
- coating said at least a portion of the model outside surface with a photosensitive material layer,
- exposing said photosensitive material layer to at least two interfering beams of coherent light,
- processing the exposed photosensitive material layer to develop a surface relief pattern corresponding to a pattern of light interference between said at least two coherent light beams,
- electrodepositing a layer of metal over at least a portion of the model outside surface including the surface relief pattern, whereby said metal conforms to the shape of the model surface and said pattern,
- separating the model and substrate from the metal layer, and
- utilizing said metal layer to form an element of a plastic molding cavity in a manner that the replicated surface relief pattern is an integral part of said at least a portion of a wall of said cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.