Abrading – Flexible-member tool – per se
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-09-11
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Flexible-member tool, per se
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287184
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention provides abrasive articles, particularly coated abrasive articles, that have a detectable marking on an exposed abrasive surface of these articles. Such detectable markings may be used for a number of different purposes including, but not limited to, source identification, abrasive grit type or size, lot identification, product description, or inventory control.
Coated abrasive articles or products are commercially available in a variety of shapes and sizes. The many shapes and sizes of coated abrasive products are often mechanically cut from a larger, abrasive-coated roll or web. Further, most of these abrasive articles or products are typically marked in some manner in order to provide a user of these products with useful information, such as identifying the manufacturer or listing the abrasive grit size, about the specific article or product.
A common way to mark these products is to print information on the surface of the product opposite to the product's abrading surface. Generally, this printing step occurs before the abrasive product is finally cut into its finished size or shape. This common practice, although widespread, has certain problems. For example, when an abrasive product is being used, the back of that product may not always be visible or accessible. For example, a hook and loop attachment or fastening system may be applied to the back surface of the abrasive product and would cover over any printing or indicia added to the back surface of those products. Further, some of the printing may be worn off or made unreadable as that product is used. Still further, some types of coated abrasive products may be made of materials or having backing materials that are difficult or impossible to legibly print on. In other situations, some of the printed information may be lost, deleted or made unreadable when the product is converted or cut to fits final shape.
In some abrading or finishing applications, ink on an abrading surface of an abrasive product may be transferred to a work piece, even in trace amounts, resulting in contamination of the workpiece in subsequent finishing operations (i.e., reduced adherence of paint to the workpiece). In other abrading or finishing applications, printing on a thin lapping abrasive product may emboss the abrasive coating and cause scratches on a workpiece.
The present invention provides both a marked abrasive article and a method of marking abrasives articles that overcome some of the problems associated with conventional ways to mark these articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of this invention is an abrasive article that has a material or coating, typically made of at least a binder and abrasive particles, selectively removed from a portion of an exposed abrading surface of the article in order to inscribe a detectable marking on the abrasive article.
In another embodiment of the invention, an exposed abrading surface of a coated abrasive article has a portion of the abrading surface selectively removed to inscribe a detectable marking on the coated abrasive article, Suitable coated abrasive articles include both articles that have the binder and abrasive particles sequentially coated on a backing as a make coat and deposited abrasive particles as well as articles that have the binder and abrasive particles simultaneously coated on the backing as a slurry coat. Coated abrasive articles that are particularly preferred include articles that have an exposed abrading or abrasive surface that is a textured, three-dimensional surface.
Another embodiment of this invention is a method of marking an abrasive article having a coated, exposed surface by a step of selectively removing a portion of the coated surface, without contaminating that surface, to inscribe a detectable marking. When a laser is used to perform this procedure or process, this method may be used in both batch processes and as well as in continuous processes.
Still another embodiment of this invention is a method of converting an abrasive web into a marked abrasive article in which the abrasive web is cut to a preselected shape and then a portion of an abrasive surface of the web is selectively removed to inscribe a detectable marking without contaminating exposed surfaces of the abrasive article.
Still another embodiment of this invention is a method of converting an abrasive web into a marked abrasive article in which the abrasive web is cut to a preselected shape and simultaneously a portion of an abrasive surface of the web is selectively removed to inscribe a detectable marking without contaminating the abrasive surface of the abrasive article. This conversion method may be achieved either by using a single laser beam having an extremely short delay time between the cutting and marking steps or by using multiple laser beams.
The term “selective removal” as used in this specification includes, but is not limited to cut through, perforated, score or kiss cut and controlled depth cut segments of an abrasive web that is typically a part of or used to make an abrasive article. Cut through means that both the backing and coated surface of an abrasive web or article have been cut so that a segment of an abrasive web that has been cut through may be separated from a main segment of the web. Perforated means that a segment of the coating and backing have been cut through but sufficient abrasive web adjacent or near the cut through segments have been left intact so that the cut segment may not be separate from a main segment(s) of the abrasive web without first pulling about or breaking the intact segment(s) of the web. Score or kiss cut means that the cut extends to a specific layer or depth of the abrasive article without completely penetrating every layer. Typically, this would entail cutting through a coated layer to a liner, but may also include cutting the coated layer to a specific predetermined depth.
The term “contaminating” refers to the presence of debris, swarf, or other foreign material on the exposed surface of an abrasive article and is generally associated with or caused by removing portions of materials or coatings that make up an abrasive article. In particular, to be free of contamination means that the exposed surface of the abrasive article does not include residual material, or material oriented in such a manner that it would detrimentally affect the intended abrading performance of that article.
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Carpentier Louis R.
Daul Thomas J.
Dimberg Alan P.
Dobrzynski Steven J.
Kent David A.
3M Innovative Properties Company
Allen Gregory D.
Banks Derris H.
Ojini Anthony
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