Method and apparatus for texturizing disks

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, said spindle mounted on the base member for translational movement with respect to the base member;
• an oscillating mechanism cooperating synchronously with the spindle to impart translational oscillation to the spindle with respect to the base member;
• a controller communicating with said oscillating mechanism adapted and configured to control at least the translational movement of said spindle in accordance with a predetermined disk texturizing pattern;
• and
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held and rotated by the spindle.

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, mounted on the base member;
• a motor cooperating with the spindle to rotate the spindle;
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held on and rotated by the spindle;
• an oscillating mechanism to impart relative translational oscillation between the spindle and the texturizing medium;
• means for monitoring the translational relative position between the spindle and the texturizing medium;
• means for monitoring the speed of rotation and angular position of the spindle;
• a controller communicating with said rotation monitoring means and said translation monitoring means, said controller controlling the motor and oscillating mechanism in response to the monitored translational positions and the rotational speeds and positions.

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, said spindle mounted on the base member for translational movement with respect to the base member;
• a motor cooperating with the spindle to rotate the spindle;
• means for monitoring the speed of rotation and angular position of the spindle;
• an oscillating mechanism cooperating synchronously with the spindle to impart translational oscillation to the spindle with respect to the base member;
• means for monitoring the translational speed of oscillation and translational position of the spindle;
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held on and rotated by the spindle;
• a user-interactive processor for generating a texturizing pattern;
• and
• a controller communicating with said rotation monitoring means and said translation monitoring means, said controller controlling the motor and oscillating mechanism in response to the monitored rotational and translational speeds and positions in accordance with the user generated texturizing pattern.

A method of visually displaying, on a display area, items of information stored in a computer memory representing a disk texturizing pattern, comprising:

• storing a disk texturizing pattern in said computer memory, said disk texturizing pattern defining rotational positions of a disk to be texturized and defining linear positions of the disk with respect to a texturizing medium to be brought into contact with the disk;
• graphically displaying at least a portion of said disk texturizing pattern in said display area;
• modifying said disk texturizing pattern in accordance with user commands;
• and
• storing said modified disk texturizing pattern in said computer memory.

An apparatus for visually displaying items of information regarding the generation of disk texturizing patterns, comprising:

• a computer programmed to generate a disk texturizing pattern, said disk texturizing pattern defining rotational positions of a disk to be texturized and defining relative linear positions of the disk with respect to a texturizing medium to be brought into contact with the disk;
• a computer memory in communication with said computer adapted to store said disk texturizing pattern and to store at least one predetermined parameter which is to be used for generating said disk texturizing pattern, wherein said computer permits user modification of said disk texturizing pattern if said pattern is not in accordance with the at least one predetermined parameter;
• and
• a display in communication with said computer for graphically displaying at least a portion of said disk texturizing pattern.

For use in connection with a disk texturizing apparatus, a method for generating a disk texturizing pattern comprising the steps of:

• determining at least one parameter which is to be used for generating said disk texturizing pattern;
• generating parabolic and triangular sections of said disk texturizing pattern in accordance with said at least one parameter;
• blending said sections to form said disk texturizing pattern;
• and
• storing said disk texturizing pattern in a computer memory;
• whereby said disk texturizing apparatus is controllable to texturize disks according to said disk texturizing pattern.

An apparatus for visually displaying, on a display area, items of information stored in computer memory relating to the generation of disk texturizing patterns, comprising means for practicing the following steps:

• generating a disk texturizing pattern on a computer programmed to generate said disk texturizing pattern, said disk texturizing pattern defining rotational positions of a disk to be texturized and defining relative linear positions of the disk with respect to a texturizing medium to be brought into contact with the disk;
• storing said disk texturizing pattern in said computer memory;
• displaying at least a portion of said disk texturizing pattern in said display area;
• and
• modifying said disk texturizing pattern in accordance with user commands.

For use in connection with a disk texturizing apparatus, an apparatus for creating a disk texturizing pattern comprising means for practicing the following steps:

• determining at least one parameter of said disk texturizing pattern;
• generating said disk texturizing pattern from said at least one parameter;
• displaying said disk texturizing pattern;
• and
• verifying that said disk texturizing pattern is in accordance with said at least one parameter;
• whereby said disk texturizing apparatus is controllable to texturize disks according to said disk texturizing pattern.

For use in connection with a disk texturizing apparatus, an apparatus for generating a disk texturizing pattern comprising:

• means for determining at least one parameter of said disk texturizing pattern;
• means for generating parabolic and triangular sections of said disk texturizing pattern in accordance with said at least one parameter;
• means for blending said sections to form said disk texturizing pattern;
• and
• means for storing said disk texturizing pattern in a computer memory;
• whereby said disk texturizing apparatus is controllable to texturize disks according to said disk texturizing pattern.

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, said spindle mounted on the base member for translational movement with respect to the base member;
• an oscillating mechanism cooperating synchronously with the spindle to impart translational oscillation to the spindle with respect to the base member;
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held on and rotated by the spindle;
• means for monitoring the speed of translational oscillation and translational position of the spindle;
• and
• a controller communicating with said translation monitoring means, said controller controlling the oscillating mechanism in response to the monitored translational speed and position.

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, said spindle mounted on the base member for translational movement with respect to the base member;
• an oscillating mechanism cooperating synchronously with the spindle to impart translational oscillation to the spindle with respect to the base member;
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held on and rotated by the spindle;
• a motor cooperating with the spindle to rotate the spindle;
• means for monitoring the speed of rotation and angular position of the spindle;
• and
• a controller communicating with said rotation monitoring means, said controller controlling the motor in response to the monitored rotational speed and position.

An apparatus for texturizing a disk, comprising:

• a base member;
• a rotatable spindle adapted to hold a disk for rotation, said spindle mounted on the base member for translational movement with respect to the base member;
• an oscillating mechanism cooperating synchronously with the spindle to impart translational oscillation to the spindle with respect to the base member;
• a texturizing assembly mounted on the base member and configured and dimensioned to position a texturizing medium in contact with a disk held on and rotated by the spindle;
• means for monitoring the speed of translational oscillation and translational position of the spindle;
• a motor cooperating with the spindle to rotate the spindle;
• means for monitoring the speed of rotation and angular position of the spindle;
• and
• a controller communicating with said rotation monitoring means and said translation monitoring means, said controller controlling the motor and oscillating mechanism in response to the monitored rotational and translational speeds and positions.

A method of visually displaying, on a display area, items of information stored in computer memory relating to the generation of disk texturizing patterns, comprising:

• storing a disk texturizing pattern in said computer memory;
• displaying at least a portion of said disk texturizing pattern in said display area;
• modifying said disk texturizing pattern in accordance with user commands;
• identifying at least one physical limitation of an associated disk texturizing apparatus to be used to texturize disks;
• storing said at least one physical limitation in computer memory;
• and
• generating a warning signal if said texturizing pattern is incompatible with said at least one physical limitation of said disk texturizing apparatus.