Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080283509 | Method and apparatus for scoring and separating a brittle material with a single beam of radiation - A method and an apparatus for both scoring and separating a brittle material, and in particular a glass sheet or substrate, using only a single laser beam. A radiation zone created by the beam incident on the glass substrate, and the radiation zone is effectively formed into two portions by a coolant jet incident on the radiation zone. The radiation zone is separated into a leading portion, which generates a vent crack partially through a thickness of the substrate, and a trailing portion that propagates the vent crack through the remainder of the substrate, thereby separating the substrate. | 11-20-2008 |
20090085254 | Laser scoring with flat profile beam - Disclosed are systems and methods for scoring glass sheets. A laser beam can be generated having a substantially uniform peak energy density along at least a portion of its length. The laser beam is moved across the glass sheet to create a score line. Further, the glass sheet can be separated along the score line. In some aspects, the laser beam is bimodal and comprises approximately 60-70% TEM00 mode and approximately 30-40% TEM01* mode. | 04-02-2009 |
20090178298 | Device for fluid removal after laser scoring - An apparatus for drying a surface of a substrate during laser scoring. During the laser scoring process, a narrow cooling liquid jet follows the laser beam to create and propagate a partial vent. Precision of the scoring and overall stability of the process depend upon the accuracy of the alignment of the beam and the fluid stream. In one aspect, the apparatus has a conduit with at least one interior chamber in communication with at least one nozzle orifice. The conduit is configured to be in communication with a pressurized gas source to introduce the pressurized gas into the chamber. The pressurized gas forms a curtain of gas that is used to clean the cooling fluid therefrom the surface of the substrate. | 07-16-2009 |
20090272149 | LASER SCORING WITH CURVED TRAJECTORY - Disclosed are systems and methods for scoring and separating a glass sheet along a curved trajectory using a laser and optics. The system includes a laser that generates a laser beam, a focusing lens, and a conical optical component such as a conical lens or a reflective conical milTor. The laser directs the laser beam through the focusing lens and conical lens to create a curved score line that is projected onto a glass sheet to create a curved score line, along which the glass sheet can be separated. Optionally, the laser directs the laser beam through the focusing lens towards a conical mirror, off of which the laser beam is reflected toward the glass sheet to create a curved score line. | 11-05-2009 |
20090294419 | Scoring of non-flat materials - Disclosed are systems for scoring non-flat materials including non-flat glass sheets ( | 12-03-2009 |
20090294420 | Laser Cutting of Glass Along A Predetermined Line - Disclosed are systems and methods for separating a glass sheet along a predetermined line. Laser beams are generated and shaped into elongated laser beams. Arm members are provided that are pivotally coupled together to form a chain of arm members. Each elongated laser beam is directed therefrom a respective laser beam toward the glass sheet to form a contiguous chain of elongated laser beams thereon a surface of the glass sheet. The arm members can be moved to move the contiguous chain of elongated laser beams along the predetermined line to scoring the glass sheet along the predetermined line. | 12-03-2009 |
20090320524 | Glass sheet cutting by laser-guided gyrotron beam - Disclosed are systems and methods for separating a sheet of glass by directing a microwave beam and a laser beam at a sheet of glass to propagate a crack across the sheet. A laser beam spot formed on the glass sheet by the laser at least partially overlaps a microwave beam spot produced on the sheet by the microwave beam and can be used to generate an increased power density in the overlap region, thereby forming a preferential direction for crack propagation. | 12-31-2009 |
20100078417 | LASER SEPARATION OF GLASS SHEETS - Methods of using a laser to separate a glass sheet is presented that employs an elongated and, preferably, asymmetrically-truncated laser beam. The methods allow glass sheets suitable for use in modern display applications to be separated at speeds up to about 200 mm/s with low levels of residual stress, e.g., levels of residual stress which are less than or equal to 100 psi, and preferably less than 50 psi. Glasses with high coefficients of thermal expansion (e.g. greater than about 35×10 | 04-01-2010 |
20100210442 | METHOD OF SEPARATING STRENGTHENED GLASS - A method is provided for separating or dividing strengthened glass articles, particularly strengthened glass sheets, into at least two pieces, one of which has a predetermined shape and/or dimension. A flaw is initiated in the glass at a depth that is greater than the depth of the strengthened surface layer of the glass, and a vent extending from the flaw is created at a vent depth that is greater than the depth of and outside the strengthened surface layer to at least partially separate the glass. In one embodiment, the vent is generated by treating the glass with a laser to heat the glass to a temperature in a range from about 50° C. below the strain point of the glass up to a temperature between the strain point and the anneal point of the glass. A glass article having at least one strengthened surface and at least one edge having an average edge strength of at least 200 MPa is also described. | 08-19-2010 |
20100212361 | METHOD FOR SCORING A SHEET OF BRITTLE MATERIAL - A method of cutting glass that prevents uncontrolled crack propagation when high background stress is present, either in the form of thermal residual stress, external mechanical stress or a combination thereof. The method includes masking an edge of the glass by blocking the beam using highly reflective or absorptive material located near the glass surface, or deposited on the surface in a form of a thin film (or highly reflective paint) to prevent uncontrolled crack initiation and propagation starting from the glass edge. The initiation of the laser scoring is located at a predetermined distance from the glass edge. Yet another aspect of the invention embodies stopping propagation of the vent at the exiting end of the score line. | 08-26-2010 |
20110017713 | Methods and Apparatus for Initiating Scoring - Methods and apparatus are provided for forming an initiation flaw ( | 01-27-2011 |
20120000894 | PRECISION LASER SCORING - Method and apparatus for laser scoring a sheet material. An elongated laser beam having S-mode intensity profile in the width direction and a flat-top-mode profile in the length direction is used to achieve high precision scoring. The invention can be used for scoring large-size glass substrates for LCD displays. | 01-05-2012 |
20120216570 | LOCAL STRENGTHENING OF GLASS BY ION EXCHANGE - This disclosure describes a process for strengthening, by ion-exchange, the edges of an article separated from a large glass sheet after the sheet has been ion-exchanged to strengthen by exposing only the one or a plurality of the edges of the separated article to an ion-exchange medium (for example without limitation, a salt, paste, frit, glass) while the glass surface is maintained at temperatures less than 200° C. | 08-30-2012 |
20120247154 | METHODS OF FABRICATING A GLASS RIBBON - Methods of fabricating a glass ribbon comprise the step of bending a glass ribbon in a cutting zone to provide a bent target segment with a bent orientation in the cutting zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of the bent target segment within the cutting zone. Further methods are provided including the step of bending a glass ribbon in a bending zone downstream from a downward zone, wherein the glass ribbon includes an upwardly concave surface through the bending zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of a target segment within the bending zone. | 10-04-2012 |
20130323469 | METHODS OF CUTTING GLASS USING A LASER - A method of cutting a glass article includes translating a laser beam relative to a first surface of the glass article. The laser beam includes a beam waist having a center. The center of the beam waist of the laser beam is positioned at or below a second surface of the glass article. The laser beam creates a plurality of defects along a score line in the glass article such that the plurality of defects extends a distance into the glass article, and at least some individual defects of the plurality of defects are non-orthogonal to the first surface of the glass article and are biased in a direction of translation of the laser beam. Glass articles having edge defects are also disclosed. | 12-05-2013 |
20140041503 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INITIATING SCORING - Methods and apparatus are provided for forming an initiation flaw ( | 02-13-2014 |