| United States Patent | 5,827,391 |
| Carriere, et. al. | Oct. 27, 1998 |
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and a machine for marking an electric cable that comprises a conductive core, an insulating coating, and a varnish comprising an outer layer and an inner layer of contrasting colors, with the marking being performed by ablating the outer layer of said varnish with a laser, the outer layer of varnish being based on polytetrafluoroethylene and being 10 mum to 20 mum thick. According to the invention the machine comprises:
a pulsed CO(2) laser (2) whose power is adjusted to obtain an energy density lying in the range 8 J/cm(^2) to 15 J/cm(^2) at the outer layer of the cable varnish;
drive means (9) for driving the cable (4) so as to cause it to run past the laser beam (5);
guide means (13, 14, 15) for guiding the cable (4) in the vicinity of the point of impact of said beam (5) on the cable; and
computerized control means (6).
| Inventors: | Carriere; Pierre (Toulouse, FR); Dabadie; Vincent (Toulouse, FR); Record; Philippe (Blagnac, FR); Ballenghien; Jean-Luc (Blagnac, FR). |
| Assignee: | Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle (Paris, FR). |
| Appl. No.: | 729,744 |
| Filed: | Oct. 7, 1996 |
| Continuation of (including streamline cont.) Ser. No. 518,308, Aug. 23, 1995, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No 389,727, Feb. 15, 1995, Pat. No. 5,474,627, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 197,559, Feb. 17, 1994, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 836,281, Mar. 3, 1992, abandoned. |
| Oct. 11, 1990 [FR] | 9012535 |
| Intl. Cl. : | B32B 31/00 |
| Current U.S. Cl.: | 156/272.8; 156/277; 156/379.6; 156/380.9; 219/121.68 |
| Field of Search: | 156/47, 268, 272.8, 277, 379.6, 379.7, 380.9; 219/121.68 |
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