| United States Patent | 5,853,955 |
| Towfiq | Dec. 29, 1998 |
Abstract
Substrates suitable for being marked by light energy from a laser are disclosed. Such substrates include a base substrate component and a filler pigment component coupled to the base substrate component and including a combined metal component and a glass forming component other than the combined metal component. The filler pigment component is present in an amount effective to, as a result of exposing the substrate to light energy from a laser, produce a colored glass-like pigment component coupled to the base substrate component having a contrasting color relative to the filler pigment component. Markings, for example, on electrical wire insulation, having higher contrast and greater durability are advantageously provided.
| Inventors: | Towfiq; Foad (Oceanside, CA). |
| Assignee: | McDonnell Douglas Corp. (Long Beach, CA). |
| Appl. No.: | 570,634 |
| Filed: | Dec. 11, 1995 |
| Intl. Cl. : | G02B 6/44 |
| Current U.S. Cl.: | 430/270.12; 219/121.67; 219/121.68; 219/121.7; 430/945 |
| Field of Search: | 430/945, 270.12; 219/121.67, 121.68, 121.7 |
| 3,314,795 | Apr., 1967 | Dorion et al. | 430/947 |
| 3,859,089 | Jan., 1975 | Chambers | 430/947 |
| 3,861,919 | Jan., 1975 | Stein | 430/947 |
| 4,188,214 | Feb., 1980 | Kido et al. | 430/270.12 |
| 4,334,933 | Jun., 1982 | Abe et al. | 106/305 |
| 4,375,373 | Mar., 1983 | Abe et al. | 106/308.B |
| 4,383,029 | May, 1983 | Yamada et al. | 430/270.12 |
| 4,808,966 | Feb., 1989 | Ferlier et al. | 219/121.68 |
| 5,030,551 | Jul., 1991 | Herren et al. | 430/945 |
| 5,091,284 | Feb., 1992 | Bradfield | 430/945 |
| 5,111,523 | May, 1992 | Ferlier et al. | 430/945 |
| 5,130,721 | Jul., 1992 | Sukhman | 219/121.68 |
| 860802 | Apr., 1986 | ZA |
Colour Index Third Ed., vol. 4, pp. 4651-4689 and 5376, 1971.