Patent Application
20060117548
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to holographic images and, more particularly to a holographic image machining process and/or product.
2. Description of Related Art
Holographic images are three-dimensional images visible from an oblique angle. They appear to float in space and can change perspective. Numerous techniques for producing products with holographic images are known in the art. For example, a layer of plastic can be passed through a machine which imparts an image within the covering or upper strata of the plastic layer. A powdered metallic constituent or component is then applied thereon by a metalizing process. After metalizing, a holographic or three-dimensional image is imparted on the metalized layer of plastic. Such a holographic image is widely used within the credit card and security industries since the resulting image is difficult to duplicate and thus assists in the prevention of fraud by counterfeiting, for example.
Another example involves laminating the holographic image to a polymeric support by contacting the holographic image on the polymeric support to a substrate such as tissue paper or foil via an adhesive, and delaminating the polymeric support, thereby transferring the holographic image from the polymeric support to the tissue paper or foil substrate. The image cannot be directly applied to a substrate having a rough surface because the rough surface of the substrate will refract light and will not have a highly reflective finish, thereby disrupting the holographic image.
Currently, no processes are available which produce holographic images on the surface of a material by cutting material out of the surface of the material. As such, a need exists for a holographic image machining process and/or product.
The present invention is a holographic image machining process and/or product. For the holographic image machining process a material and a cutting tool are provided. The material is contacted by the cutting tool. The cutting tool is rotated to cut the material at a predetermined rotational speed and depth. The cutting tool is moved to cut the material at a predetermined travel speed and depth. A holographic image is produced in the material through the above described contacting, rotating, and moving steps. A light source can be provided to emit light on the produced holographic image.
A product with a holographic image has a surface with rotational cuts effected therein to create the holographic image. The holographic image has an effect based on a rotational speed of a cutting tool effecting the cuts, a travel speed of a cutting tool effecting the cuts, and a depth of the cuts. A light source can be used to emit light on the surface of the product.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
The present invention is a holographic image machining process and/or product. The invention disclosed herein is, of course, susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. Shown in the drawings and described herein below in detail are preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and does not limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.
Referring now to the drawings,
As used herein, “holographic image” means a three-dimensional image visible from an oblique angle. They appear to float in space and can change perspective. The “holographic image” can be in any geometric form, any non-geographic form, or any combination of geometric or non-geometric forms, such as alphanumeric characters, shapes, patterns, images, circles, ovals, triangles, squares, rectangles, octagonals, etc. Additional forms can be icons, pictures, slogans, logos, signs, cartoon characters, flowers, etc.
The light element 32 is preferably one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) or halogen lights, but can be any type of incandescent source with varying effects on the visual effects of the holographic image. Such incandescent sources can be candle-luminescent sources (e.g., gas mantles, carbon arch radiation sources, etc.), cathode luminescent sources using electronic satiation, electro-luminescent sources (e.g., electro-luminescent lamps, filament lamps, etc.), fluorescent sources, lasers, phosphorescence sources, photo-luminescent sources (e.g., gaseous discharges, etc.), and/or pyro-luminescent sources (e.g. flames, etc.). Additional miscellaneous luminescent sources include crystallo-luminescent sources, galvano-luminescent sources, kine-luminescent sources, radioluminescent sources, sonoluminescent sources, thermo-luminescent sources, and/or triboluminescent sources. The light element 32 can also include luminescent polymers capable of producing primary colors.
The light element 32 emits light 40 to illuminate the holographic image with a color on the surface 20 of the material 10. As used herein, “illuminate” means the production of a frequency of radiation by the light element 32, and “color” means any frequency of radiation within a spectrum. More particularly, “color”, encompasses frequencies not only of the visible spectrum, but also frequencies in the infrared and ultraviolet areas of the spectrum, and in other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The material 10 can be any of a variety of material, such as wood, plastic, acrylic, etc., and can be any metal, such as aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, magnesium, stainless steel, and any other ferrous and/or non-ferrous metal, or combinations thereof. The material can also be configured to place on or to integrate with other structures, such as tables, walls, furniture, musical instruments, bicycles, cars, boats, airplanes, etc. (see
The material 10 is processed according to the invention to produce the holographic image on may be carried out on any type of machine that can use a rotating cutting tool. For example, a multi-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine having a cutting tool that is configured to operate upon a workpiece can be used, or a manually operated machine. The cutting tool is preferably a type of end mill with a number of flutes, such two to eight, etc. (see
The machining tool 200 is controlled by a computer program, called a part program, which serially instructs the machining tool 200 to perform a sequential series of discrete operations in a predetermined sequence so that the cutting tool 240 moves along the programmed tool path determined by the part program. Part programs can be written using G&M code programming which is well known in the art (‘G’ refers to preparatory code and ‘M’ refers to miscellaneous machine functions). Other appropriate programming code can also be used. Each individual instruction is termed a “block” and standard programming blocks include start-up commands for setting particular machine parameters, cutting tool parameters, etc.
Additional blocks set forth the travel speed of the cutting tool 240 across the workpiece W, the rotational of speed of the cutting tool 240, and the depth of cut in the workpiece by the cutting tool 240. The blocks effect commands for each or a combination of controllable axes of the machining tool 200. The blocks, once programmed into the controller 220, either directly or remotely through a wireless and/or non-wireless communicatively interconnected computer, are then fixed in a set sequential order. The whole set of sequential blocks can then be automatically operated by the machining tool 200 which then operates from start to finish of the part program.
Once the machining tool 200 is programmed for a particular workpiece W, the workpiece W is mounted on the machining tool 200 via clamps or the like, and the cutting tool 240 is rotated to cut the workpiece W at a predetermined rotational speed and depth. The cutting tool 240 is also moved to cut the workpiece W at a predetermined travel speed and depth. The rotational speed, travel speed, and depth of cut can be varied during the course of movement of the cutting tool 240 to produce desired holographic image effects on the surface of the workpiece W. The rotational speed of the cutting tool 240 can vary as desired, such as between zero and about 100,000 rpm, and the travel speed can vary as desired, such as between zero and about 100,000 inches per minute (for example, 4,000 rpm and 100 inches per minute).
Examples of products machined according to the process are shown in
In summary, to carry out the holographic image machining process according to the invention. A material and a cutting tool are provided. The material is contacted by the cutting tool. The cutting tool is rotated to cut the material at a predetermined rotational speed and depth. The cutting tool is moved to cut the material at a predetermined travel speed and depth. A holographic image is produced in the material through the above described contacting, rotating, and moving steps. A light source can be provided to emit light on the produced holographic image.
A product with a holographic image has a surface with rotational cuts effected therein to create the holographic image. The holographic image has an effect based on a rotational speed of a cutting tool effecting the cuts, a travel speed of a cutting tool effecting the cuts, and a depth of the cuts. A light source can be used to emit light on the surface of the product.
While the invention has been described with references to its preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teaching of the invention without departing from its essential teachings.
