The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 17, 1987
Filed:
May. 15, 1986
John H Hunter, Ottawa, CA;
Lumonics Inc., Kanata, CA;
Abstract
In a character imaging system, a selected one of a plurality of different characters (letters, numerals, symbols etc.) arrayed as windows in an otherwise opaque mask, is projected optically onto a selected location on a working surface. In this manner, laser light can be used to burn an impression into a workpiece, with successive characters spelling out words and sentences. Alternatively, the system can be used to project non-coherent light onto photographic film or onto a screen. The improvement in this type of system provided by the invention resides in the avoidance of a need to move the mask, or the working surface, or the final lens that projects the light beam onto such surface. And yet the improved system nevertheless enables sequential selection of different characters in the mask, as necessary to build up words and sentences on the working surface. This improvement is achieved by scanning a light beam that is projected onto an imaging element (concave mirror or lens), while synchronously scanning mirrors that receive the imaged beam in such a manner that the final beam is projected onto the workpiece at a desired location regardless of which character-defining window in the mask is traversed by the beam.