IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0077876
(2008-03-21)
|
등록번호 |
US-8536483
(2013-09-17)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Thomas, James W.
- Cargill, Robert L.
- Wool, Mitchell R.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- General Lasertronics Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
106 |
초록
▼
A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scannin
A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scanning with a uniform scanning pattern. Further, a surface roughness is determined by measuring specular and scattered reflections at various angles. For composite surfaces, the apparatus utilizes UV laser radiation and a controlled atmosphere to remove coating and alter the chemical characteristics at the surface.
대표청구항
▼
1. A laser-based coating removal system to remove a coating from a surface, the system comprising: a. a laser source to provide a laser light; andb. a scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the laser light onto the surface according to a uniform scanning pattern, wherein
1. A laser-based coating removal system to remove a coating from a surface, the system comprising: a. a laser source to provide a laser light; andb. a scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the laser light onto the surface according to a uniform scanning pattern, wherein the scanning head is configured to move in a first direction substantially parallel to the surface at a constant speed thereby applying a first scanning pattern component to the laser light, further wherein the scanning head includes a first single-axis laser scanner configured to align the laser light along the first direction thereby applying a second scanning pattern component to the laser light, and a second single-axis laser scanner configured to align the laser light along a second direction thereby applying a third scanning pattern component, wherein the second scanning pattern component is equal and opposite in magnitude to the first scanning pattern component during sequential periods of time. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the scanning pattern comprises a series of rows, each row oriented parallel to the second direction. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first single-axis laser scanner is configured to rotate within a first plane, wherein rotation within the first plane corresponds to movement of the laser light in the first direction on the surface. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second single-axis laser scanner is configured to rotate within a second plane, wherein rotation within the second plane corresponds to movement of the laser light in the second direction on the surface. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein between each period of time, the first single-axis laser scanner is configured to rotate a first amount in the first plane, the first amount corresponds to a separation distance between each row. 6. The system of claim 2 where each row within the series of rows is uniformly spaced from one another. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the third scanning pattern component comprises a first repeating pattern of first moving in the positive second direction at a second constant speed for the period of time and second moving in the negative second direction at the second constant speed for the period of time. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second scanning pattern component comprises a second repeating pattern of starting at a first position in the first direction, moving in the negative first direction at the constant speed for the period of time, and resetting to the first position. 10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control logic circuit coupled to the scanning head and configured to provide control signals to implement the first scanning pattern component, the second scanning pattern component, and the third scanning pattern component. 11. The system of claim 10 further comprising actuating means coupled to the scanning head and the control logic circuit, wherein the actuating means are configured to receive the control signals and to move the scanning head, the first single-axis laser scanner, and the second single-axis laser scanner according to the control signals. 12. A laser-based coating removal system to remove a coating from a composite surface, the system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse; andb. a scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on the composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position, wherein the entire scanning head is movable relative to the composite surface while the laser source is providing the ultraviolet laser pulse. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the ultraviolet laser source comprises one of the group consisting of an excimer laser, a diode-pumped solid-state laser, and a fiber laser. 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the scanning head is configured to direct a series of laser pulses to various positions on the composite surface according to a scanning pattern. 15. The system of claim 14 wherein the series of laser pulses generates a series of ablated portions of the composite surface, thereby forming a textured surface. 16. The system of claim 12 wherein the composite surface comprises a fiber-reinforced polymer composite. 17. The system of claim 12 wherein the portion of the composite surface is ablated to a depth with a resolution of about one micrometer to about two micrometers. 18. The system of claim 12 further comprising a gas delivery system configured to provide a gas flow over the position on the composite surface. 19. The system of claim 18 wherein the gas delivery system is configured to provide the gas flow at a continuous rate. 20. The system of claim 18 wherein the gas flow comprises one of the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, helium, and any combination thereof. 21. The system of claim 18 wherein the gas flow comprises one of the group consisting of reactive gases, non-reactive gases, and a combination of reactive gases and non-reactive gases. 22. The system of claim 18 wherein a chemical composition of a plasma is determined according to a composition of the gas flow. 23. The system of claim 18 wherein the gas delivery system is configured to provide the gas flow according to a dynamic gas shielding technique. 24. The system of claim 18 further comprising a vessel coupled to the gas delivery system and to a second portion of the composite surface that includes the position on the composite surface, wherein the vessel and the second portion of the composite surface are configured to form a closed chamber into which the gas flow is provided by the gas delivery system. 25. The system of claim 24 wherein at least a portion of the vessel is optically transparent such that the ultraviolet laser pulse passes therethrough. 26. The system of claim 12 further comprising scanning optics configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse along a laser path to the position on the composite surface. 27. The system of claim 26 wherein the scanning optics include one or more reflecting scanners. 28. The system of claim 26 wherein the scanning optics include one or more refracting scanners. 29. The system of claim 26 wherein the scanning optics include focusing optics. 30. The system of claim 26 further comprising an optical fiber coupled between the ultraviolet laser source and the scanning optics to provide the laser pulse from the laser source to the scanning optics. 31. A laser-based coating removal system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse;b. a laser scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on a composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position that issues as a gas or a plasma; andc. a closed-loop control means that measures the photoablation effects from the ultraviolet laser pulse on the composite surface and provides feedback to the laser scanning head based on the measured photoablation effects. 32. The system of claim 31 wherein the ultraviolet laser source comprises one of the group consisting of an excimer laser, a diode-pumped solid-state laser, and a fiber laser. 33. The system of claim 31 wherein the laser scanning head is configured to direct a series of laser pulses to various positions on the composite surface according to a scanning pattern. 34. The system of claim 33 wherein the series of laser pulses generates a series of ablated portions of the composite surface, thereby forming a textured surface. 35. The system of claim 31 wherein the composite surface comprises a fiber-reinforced polymer composite. 36. The system of claim 31 wherein the portion of the composite surface is ablated to a depth with a resolution of about one micrometer to about two micrometers. 37. The system of claim 31 further comprising a gas delivery system configured to provide a gas flow over the position on the composite surface. 38. The system of claim 37 wherein the gas delivery system is configured to provide the gas flow at a continuous rate. 39. The system of claim 37 wherein the gas flow comprises one of the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, helium, and any combination thereof. 40. The system of claim 37 wherein the gas flow comprises one of the group consisting of reactive gases, non-reactive gases, and a combination of reactive gases and non-reactive gases. 41. The system of claim 37 wherein a chemical composition of the plasma is determined according to a composition of the gas flow. 42. The system of claim 37 wherein the gas delivery system is configured to provide the gas flow according to a dynamic gas shielding technique. 43. The system of claim 37 further comprising a vessel coupled the gas delivery system and to a second portion of the composite surface that includes the position, wherein the vessel and the second portion of the composite surface are configured to form a closed chamber into which the gas flow is provided by the gas delivery system. 44. A laser-based coating removal system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse;b. a laser scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on a composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position that issues as a gas or a plasma; andc. a closed-loop control means including one or more fluorescence sensors to detect and measure a laser-induced fluorescence of the gas or the plasma at the position on the composite surface and to provide feedback to the laser scanning head based on the measured laser-induced fluorescence. 45. A laser-based coating removal system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse;b. a laser scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on a composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position that issues as a gas or a plasma, wherein the entire scanning head is movable relative to the composite surface while the laser source is providing the ultraviolet laser pulse;c. one or more secondary ultraviolet light sources configured to provide an ultraviolet light illumination, the ultraviolet light illumination impinging the position on the composite surface, thereby inducing a fluorescence; andd. a closed-loop control means including one or more fluorescence sensors to detect and measure the fluorescence at the position on the composite surface and to provide feedback to the laser scanning head based on the measured fluorescence. 46. A laser-based coating removal system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse;b. a laser scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on a composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position that issues as a gas or a plasma, wherein the entire scanning head is movable relative to the composite surface while the laser source is providing the ultraviolet laser pulse;c. one or more light illuminators configured to provide a light illumination, the light illumination impinging the position on the composite surface; andd. a closed-loop control means including one or more sensors to detect and measure light reflected from the position on the composite surface as a result of the impinging light illumination, and to provide feedback about the surface to the laser scanning head based on the measured reflected light. 47. A laser-based coating removal system comprising: a. an ultraviolet laser source configured to provide an ultraviolet laser pulse;b. a laser scanning head coupled to the laser source and configured to direct the ultraviolet laser pulse onto a position on a composite surface, wherein the ultraviolet laser pulse impinges the position on the composite surface thereby ablating a portion of the composite surface at the position that issues as a gas or a plasma, wherein the entire scanning head is movable relative to the composite surface while the laser source is providing the ultraviolet laser pulse;c. a closed-loop control means that measures one or more characteristics of the position on the composite surface and to provide feedback to the laser scanning head based on the measured one or more characteristics; andd. a gas delivery system configured to provide a gas flow over the position on the composite surface.
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