BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus employing the present invention with an anti-fray instrument attached to a beam.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with a cutter attached to the beam in place of the anti-fray instrument.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an apparatus having a first and a second beams with the anti-fray instrument attached to the first beam and the cutter attached to the second beam.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an apparatus with the anti-fray instrument and the cutter both attached to the same beam.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of such apparatus in which the anti-fray instrument is an anti-fray substance applicator in form of an airbrush.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of such apparatus in which the cutter is a rotary-blade.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of such apparatus in which the anti-fray instrument is an anti-fray substance applicator in form of a roller.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of such apparatus in which the anti-fray instrument is an anti-fray substance applicator in form of a preformed-strip dispenser.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of an area on a textile sheet with an anti-fray path having its opposite edges on opposite sides of a perimeter of the area.
FIG. 10 is a plan view of an area on the textile sheet with the anti-fray path being inside the area and closely adjacent to the perimeter.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of the textile sheet showing an example where cutting is intended to occur.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of the textile sheet showing graphic characteristics including registration marks about areas where cutting is intended to occur.
FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of the anti-fray instrument being a laser device.
FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-section of the textile sheet illustrating the step of inducing the anti-fray state in the textile by applying a laser energy onto the textile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, fray-free cutting apparatus 10 includes a textile-receiving surface 12, a controller 14 having programmed information regarding perimeter 44 of an area 42, a cutter 16 movable with respect to surface 12 as directed by controller 14 to cut a textile sheet 40 at perimeter 44 of area 42, and an anti-fray instrument 18 movable with respect to surface 12 as directed by controller 14 based on the programmed information to form an anti-fray path 46 along perimeter 44. Apparatus 10 may further include a vacuum structure 36 adapted to retain textile sheet 40 in position on textile-receiving surface 12.
As shown in FIGS. 1-8 the fray-free apparatuses include support structure 30 secured with respect to textile-receiving surface 12. Anti-fray instrument 18 is attached to support structure 30 for controlled movement along textile-receiving surface 12.
As best shown in FIG. 1, support structure 30 includes a beam 32 which spans textile-receiving surface 12 and is reversibly movable therealong, anti-fray instrument 18 being reversibly movable along beam 32.
In FIG. 2, cutter 16 is attached to beam 32 for reversible movement therealong in place of anti-fray instrument 18 shown in FIG. 1. Anti-fray instrument 18 and cutter 16 are interchangeable for their respective purposes.
FIG. 3 shows support structure 30 with a second beam 34 spanning textile-receiving surface 12 and reversibly movable therealong independent of beam 32. Cutter 16 is reversibly movable along second beam 34.
FIG. 4 shows anti-fray instrument 18 and cutter 16 both on beam 32, each being movable with and with respect to beam 32.
In certain highly preferred embodiments, the anti-fray instrument is an anti-fray substance applicator, and the anti-fray substance is a liquid. FIGS. 3 and 5-7 illustrate fray-free cutting apparatuses with the applicators being liquid-dispensing devices. FIG. 3 schematically shows liquid-dispensing device as a liquid jet 20. In FIG. 5, the liquid-dispensing device is an airbrush 22. In FIG. 7, the liquid-dispensing device is a roller 24 for contact with textile sheet 40.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cutter which is a rotary blade 26. In certain embodiments in which the cutter is a rotary blade, the applicator may be positioned to apply a flow closely adjacent to the rotary blade such that the anti-fray substance is applied onto the sheet at the time of cutting.
FIG. 8 shows another aspects of the present invention in which the applicator is a preformed-strip dispenser 28.
FIG. 9 illustrates a plan view of area 42 of textile sheet 40 with the opposite edges of path 46 of applied liquid are on opposite sides of perimeter 44, substantially parallel to and substantially equally spaced from perimeter 44. FIG. 10 shows path 46 of applied liquid inside area 42 and closely adjacent to perimeter 44.
FIGS. 1-8 show a sensor 15 positioned to sense specific graphic characteristics of textile sheet 40. FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate graphics along which cutting is intended, with FIG. 12 showing registration marks 48 at and around areas 42.
As noted above in the summary section, the anti-fray instrument in certain embodiments of this invention is a laser device. FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, which as seen above may be regarded as schematically illustrating the anti-fray instrument as a liquid applicator, may also be regarded as schematically illustrating a laser device as the anti-fray instrument. In other words, in such figures the device identified by numeral 18 can also be regarded as a schematic illustration of a laser device. The laser device is controlled by controller 14 based on the programmed information to direct laser energy onto textile 40 to form an anti-fray path 47 along perimeter 44 of area 42.
The laser device identified by numeral 18 in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 when such figures are regarded as showing such embodiment, can be a solid-state laser, which is a preferred form of laser device. An alternative form of laser device is schematically shown in FIG. 13; more specifically, laser device 50 is of the type including a mirror 56.
FIG. 14 schematically illustrates the direction 52 and application of laser energy from the laser device, the laser being set to induce an anti-fray state in less than the full thickness 49 of textile sheet 40, such that the anti-fray-induced portion of textile 40 does not touch textile-receiving surface 12. Thus, FIG. 14 illustrates effective laser penetration to location 54, which is referred to herein for convenience as the focal point.
Precision cutting technology as set forth in various United States and other patents of Mikkelsen Graphic Engineering (MGE) of Lake Geneva, Wis. is applicable to the apparatus and method of this invention. The disclosures of MGE's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,772,661 (Mikkelsen et al.), U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,619,167 (Mikkelsen et al.), U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,619,168 (Alsten et al.) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,672,187 (Alsten et al.), and United States Published Patent Application No. 2004/0083862 (Mikkelsen et al.) are incorporated herein by reference.
In preferred embodiments, the liquid anti-fray composition is a hotmelt composition selected to accommodate the nature of the textile material being cut. A wide variety of hotmelt compositions are available having different physical characteristics and qualities. Suitable hotmelts preferably are applied at a temperature of 150-200° C., have a softening point (Mettler) of 70-130° C. and a medium-fast set rate. They are preferably water-resistant, flexible when set, and stable under variable climate conditions. Preferably, the composition chosen will remain effective even after machine washing of the textiles. Suitable hotmelt materials would be apparent to those skilled in the art who are made familiar with this invention.
Hotmelt compositions typically include a base polymer and a polyolefin. Base polymers may be ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, etc. One highly preferred hotmelt for use in this invention is hotmelt 85000 available from Forbo Adhesives. Such material includes an ethylene vinyl acetate monomer, tackifying resin and paraffin wax. Suitable alternatives for use in various situations would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Other suitable liquid compositions include air-drying compositions and UV-curing compositions; suitable choices will be apparent to a person skilled in the art who is made familiar with the present invention. When UV-curing or air-drying compositions are used, curing and drying can be facilitated by additional apparatus targeting UV energy or air flow (preferably heated) on the applied composition.
While the cutter shown in the drawings is of the rotary-blade type, other types of cutters are also usable, such as regular tangential drag-blade cutters and oscillating tangential cutters. The preferred rotary-blade cutter is a motor-driven device with a spinning multi-edged round blade. The nature of the cutter is not an essential element of the invention.
While the principles of the invention have been shown and described in connection with specific embodiments, it is to be understood that such embodiments are by way of example and are not limiting.
Patent Application
20070234862
