Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10265745-B2
Application number	US-201414584945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Feb 6, 2010
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seamless sleeve for use with a cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly comprising:
a seamless sleeve having an exterior surface and a coating on the exterior surface, wherein the coating is a spray or paint and is applied using an annular ring coater, a blade system, dip coating, or an application roller system, and is cured on the seamless sleeve; and
a seamless surface relief applied on the coating, the seamless sleeve configured to slide over the cylindrical base in the embossing or casting assembly,
wherein the coating has a thickness of 18-25 microns.

2. The seamless sleeve of claim 1 wherein the surface relief is formed on the coating through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, micro-etching, or ink jet printing.

3. The seamless sleeve of claim 1 wherein the coating is laser-ablatable.

4. The seamless sleeve of claim 3 wherein the laser ablatable coating is UV or EB curable.

5. The seamless sleeve of claim 3 wherein the laser ablatable coating is a polyimide or gelatin coating.

6. The seamless sleeve of claim 1 wherein an exterior surface of the coating is directly laser-ablatable.

7. The seamless sleeve of claim 1 wherein the seamless sleeve is formed of a metal.

8. The seamless sleeve of claim 7 wherein the sleeve is nickel.

9. The seamless sleeve of claim 1 wherein the seamless sleeve is formed of a ceramic or polymeric material.

10. A seamless sleeve for use with a cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly comprising:
a hollow sleeve body having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the hollow sleeve body having an inner diameter configured to fit around the cylindrical base;
a coating on the exterior surface, wherein the coating is uniformly applied having a thickness of 18-25 microns; and
a seamless surface relief formed on the coating by rotating the hollow sleeve body while simultaneously advancing by an ablating mechanism.

11. The seamless sleeve of claim 10 , wherein the hollow sleeve body is cylindrical.

12. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate in an embossing or casting assembly comprising:
expanding a diameter of the seamless sleeve of claim 1 having a seamless surface relief formed thereon;
sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base;
allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base; and
conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Spoto Louis M
• Randazzo Dean J
• Deschner Matthew J
• Herring William A
• Crawford-Taylor Shannon K
• Sangkaratana Suwit
• Jelonek Paul R
• Varacins Alan J

Classifications

• Y10T428/24521

  with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface · CPC title

• B29C59/04

  using rollers or endless belts · CPC title

• B44B5/0052

  by pressing (B44B5/0061 and B44B5/0076 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49563

  with coating or casting about a core · CPC title

• Y10T428/13

  Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.] · CPC title