JP7639313B2 - Pattern forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pattern forming device .

Conventionally, there is known a pattern forming device that irradiates a laser beam to form a pattern on a substrate such as a resin material. Also disclosed is a method of forming a pattern on a substrate by one-dimensionally scanning a pulsed laser beam (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

However, in the method of Patent Document 1, if the substrate conveying speed is fast, the time required for pattern formation becomes short, and the pattern cannot be formed on the substrate being conveyed. If the substrate conveying speed is slowed to a level at which a pattern can be formed, the productivity of pattern formation may decrease.

The objective of the present invention is to ensure the productivity of pattern formation on the transported substrate.

A pattern forming device according to one aspect of the present invention is a pattern forming device that irradiates scanning light onto multiple substrates transported in a predetermined transport direction to form a pattern, and has multiple irradiation units including a first irradiation unit and a second irradiation unit, and the first irradiation unit includes a first light source unit that emits a first laser light, a first transport direction light scanning unit that scans the first laser light in the transport direction, a first intersecting direction light scanning unit that scans the scanned light by the first transport direction light scanning unit in a direction intersecting the transport direction, and a first light irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with the first scanned light by the first intersecting direction light scanning unit. the second irradiation unit has a second light source unit that emits a second laser light, a second transport direction light scanning unit that scans the second laser light in the transport direction, a second intersecting direction light scanning unit that scans the scanned light by the second transport direction light scanning unit in the intersecting direction, and a second light irradiating unit that irradiates the base material with the second scanned light by the second intersecting direction light scanning unit, and the first light irradiating unit irradiates the first scanned light to a base material among the plurality of base materials, which is different from the base material to which the second light irradiating unit irradiates the second scanned light, at a position different from that of the second light irradiating unit in the transport direction , and satisfies the following formula:
d=(L+2・T・tanθ+b')/N
(d represents the distance in the transport direction between the central axis of the first light irradiation unit and the central axis of the second light irradiation unit, L represents the length in the transport direction of the pattern formation region of the substrate, T represents the distance between the irradiation unit and the substrate, θ represents a half angle of the maximum optical scanning angle of each of the first transport direction optical scanning unit and the second transport direction optical scanning unit, b′ represents a predetermined waiting section in which each of the first intersecting direction optical scanning unit and the second intersecting direction optical scanning unit waits for scanning, and N represents the number of the plurality of irradiation units.)

The present invention ensures productivity in forming patterns on transported substrates.

1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment; 1 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment; 3 is a view of the container as viewed from the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 2. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the operation of a galvanometer mirror, in which FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example of scanning in the positive direction of the X-axis, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of scanning in the negative direction of the X-axis. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a first example of an operation of a pattern forming apparatus according to a comparative example. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a second example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the comparative example. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a third example of the operation of a pattern forming apparatus according to a comparative example. 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a first example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a second example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a third example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating a fourth example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the embodiment. 1 is a top view of a configuration example of a pattern forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; 1 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of a pattern forming device according to a first embodiment; 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a first example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a second example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a third example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a first example of the operation of a pattern forming apparatus according to a comparative example; 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a second example of the operation of a pattern forming apparatus according to a comparative example. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of a pattern forming apparatus according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a container manufacturing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a laser irradiation unit according to a second embodiment. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating irradiation of pulsed laser light by a processed laser beam array. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control unit according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a manufacturing method according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of pattern data. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table between types of first patterns and processing parameters; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of processing parameters. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing data. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of irradiation with a processed laser beam, in which (a) shows a state in which there is a gap between the beams in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, (b) shows the high-speed scanning state of (a), (c) shows a state in which the beams overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, (d) shows the high-speed scanning state of (c), (e) shows a state in which the beams are in contact with each other in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and (f) shows the high-speed scanning state of (e). 1A to 1D are diagrams showing examples of changes in the properties of the base material of a container, where (a) is a diagram of shape change due to evaporation, (b) is a diagram of shape change due to melting, (c) is a diagram of change in crystallization state, and (d) is a diagram of change in foaming state. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a container according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a first pattern and a second pattern. This is a cross-sectional view of A-A in Figure 33. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing various examples of the machining depth, where (a) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth is shallower than the non-machined portion depth, (b) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth is deeper than the non-machined portion depth, (c) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth and the non-machined portion depth are approximately the same, and (d) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth and the non-machined portion depth are changed. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a container according to an embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of gradation expression using a second pattern. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of gradation expression using a second pattern, in which (a) is a diagram showing processing data of a second pattern having no periodicity, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the second pattern formed by crystallization, and (c) is a plan view of the second pattern formed by crystallization. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a container according to a third embodiment.

Below, a description will be given of a mode for carrying out the invention with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted.

The embodiments shown below are illustrative of a pattern forming apparatus for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

In the figures of the embodiment, the transport direction of the substrate is the X-axis direction, the intersecting direction with the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction, and the direction of gravity that intersects with both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is the Z-axis direction.

The pattern forming device according to the embodiment is a pattern forming device that irradiates scanning light onto multiple substrates transported in a predetermined transport direction to form a pattern. The pattern forming device according to the embodiment also has multiple irradiation units including a first irradiation unit and a second irradiation unit.

The first irradiation unit has a first transport direction light scanning unit that scans the first laser light emitted by the first light source unit in the transport direction, a first intersecting direction light scanning unit that scans the scanning light from the first transport direction light scanning unit in a direction intersecting the transport direction, and a first light irradiation unit that irradiates the base material with the first scanning light from the first intersecting direction light scanning unit.

The second irradiation unit also has a second transport direction light scanning unit that scans the second laser light emitted by the second light source unit in the transport direction, a second cross direction light scanning unit that scans the scanning light from the second transport direction light scanning unit in the cross direction, and a second light irradiation unit that irradiates the second scanning light from the second cross direction light scanning unit onto the substrate.

Then, the first light irradiation unit irradiates the first scanning light to a substrate among the multiple substrates that is different from the substrate to which the second light irradiation unit irradiates the second scanning light, at a position different from that of the second light irradiation unit in the transport direction.

By scanning the first scanning light in the transport direction, the time during which the first scanning light can be irradiated onto the substrate is increased, and the pattern formation time is increased, compared to when the first scanning light is scanned at one position in the transport direction. This makes it possible to maintain the substrate transport speed at a desired speed and ensure productivity in pattern formation.

In addition, by irradiating the first scanning light to a substrate different from the substrate irradiated with the second scanning light at a position different from that of the second scanning light in the transport direction, it becomes possible to form patterns in parallel on the different substrates. This further improves the productivity of pattern formation on multiple substrates.

Here, the substrate refers to the material part of the object. An example of the object is a container for holding a beverage. Another example of the container is a PET bottle that contains a resin such as PET and holds a beverage. However, there is no particular limit to the object, and it can be anything. There is also no limit to the shape and material of the container, and it can be a container of any shape and made of any material.

The surface of the substrate means the surface of the material that is in contact with the outside air, etc. In the embodiment, the term "substrate surface" is used as a term that is symmetrical to the interior of the substrate, so that, for example, in the case of a plate-shaped substrate, both the front and back surfaces of the substrate correspond to the substrate surface. In addition, in the case of a cylindrical substrate, both the outer and inner surfaces of the substrate correspond to the substrate surface.

The pattern may include characters, codes such as barcodes, figures, images, etc., and may display information about the container or the contents contained therein, such as the name, identification number, manufacturer, and manufacturing date and time of the container or the contents contained therein, such as a beverage.

In containers such as PET bottles, this information may be displayed by attaching a recording medium (label) on which this information is recorded to the surface of the container. In an embodiment, a pattern indicating this information is formed on the surface of the substrate that constitutes the container, making it possible to display the above information on the substrate in a so-called label-less manner, without using a recording medium.

[Embodiment]
<Configuration example of pattern forming apparatus 200>
First, a pattern forming apparatus 200 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a top view for explaining an example of the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 200, Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is a view of the container as viewed from the direction of arrow D in Fig. 2.

The pattern forming device 200 irradiates a container 1, such as a PET bottle, transported in the direction of arrow A with a scanning beam 202 of pulsed laser light to form a pattern on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate constituting the container 1.

The pattern forming device 200 can form a pattern by changing the properties of at least one of the surface or interior of a substrate through so-called laser processing using scanning light 202 of pulsed laser light in the direction of arrow C. Here, the direction of arrow A corresponds to the transport direction, and the direction of arrow C corresponds to the intersecting direction that intersects with the transport direction.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the pattern forming device 200 has a pulsed laser 21, a beam expander 22, a galvanometer mirror 221, a polygon mirror 231, and an fθ lens 241.

The pulsed laser 21 is a light source that emits pulsed laser light. The pulsed laser 21 emits a nearly parallel pulsed laser beam in the positive direction of the Y axis in FIG. 1. The pulsed laser 21 can also switch between emitting pulsed laser light of three oscillation wavelengths: a fundamental wave with an oscillation wavelength of 1064 nanometers, a second harmonic with an oscillation wavelength of 532 nanometers, and a third harmonic with an oscillation wavelength of 355 nanometers.

For all oscillation wavelengths, the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 15 picoseconds or less. The repetition frequency of the pulsed laser light can be appropriately selected within a range from single shot to 200 kHz. The beam diameter of the pulsed laser light is approximately 2.0 mm for the fundamental wave, approximately 1.4 mm for the second harmonic, and approximately 1.3 mm for the third harmonic.

For example, a fiber laser-based Talisker Ultra355-4 manufactured by Coherent Corporation can be used as the pulse laser 21. However, this is not limited to this, and other pulse lasers can also be used.

The pulsed laser 21 can also be switched between emission (on) and non-emission (off) based on the pattern data of the pattern to be formed in the container 1.

The pattern forming device 200 places a beam expander 22 on the positive Y-axis side of the pulsed laser 21. The beam expander 22 is an optical system that emits a substantially parallel laser beam in the positive Y-axis direction, the beam diameter of the pulsed laser light emitted by the pulsed laser 21 being expanded by a predetermined expansion factor.

The pattern forming device 200 places a galvanometer mirror 221 on the positive Y-axis side of the beam expander 22. The galvanometer mirror 221 deflects the pulsed laser light, the beam diameter of which has been expanded by the beam expander 22, toward the positive Z-axis side. The galvanometer mirror 221 can also be swung in the direction of arrow B using a motor as a drive source, and this swinging motion allows the pulsed laser light from the beam expander 22 to be scanned in the transport direction.

Polygon mirror 231 scans the pulsed laser light in the direction of arrow C. Polygon mirror 231 is a rotating polygonal mirror that can be rotated using a motor or the like as a drive source, and includes multiple (six in this case) reflective surfaces. In pattern forming device 200, polygon mirror 231 is disposed on the positive Z-axis side of galvanometer mirror 221. Polygon mirror 231 can scan the pulsed laser light incident from galvanometer mirror 221 in the direction of arrow C by rotating around an axis parallel to the X-axis (in the direction of arrow B') to change the angle of the reflective surfaces.

The polygon mirror 231 scans the scanning light from the galvanometer mirror 221 in the direction of arrow C in the transport direction, thereby making it possible to scan the pulsed laser light in the direction of arrow C at multiple positions in the transport direction.

The fθ lens 241 irradiates the scanning light 202 from the polygon mirror 231 of the pulsed laser light onto the base material constituting the container 1. The fθ lens 241 is a lens designed and manufactured so that the scanning speed of the scanning light 202 that passes through the peripheral and central parts of the fθ lens 241 is approximately constant. The fθ lens 241 is also designed and manufactured so as to focus the pulsed laser light on the base material that constitutes the container 1 and is placed at a predetermined position. In FIG. 1, the fθ lens 241 composed of one lens is illustrated as an example, but the function of the fθ lens 241 may be realized by combining multiple lenses, or the function of the fθ lens 241 may be realized by a configuration including optical elements other than lenses such as mirrors.

The pattern forming device 200 places the container 1 on the positive Y-axis side of the fθ lens 241, and irradiates the scanning light 202 onto the irradiated surface 400 of the container 1 that faces the fθ lens 241. The pattern forming device 200 also places the container 1 on a transport unit such as a belt conveyor, and transports it in the direction of arrow A (transport direction) perpendicular to the Y-axis.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pattern forming device 200 is provided with a transport detection unit 300 on the upstream side in the direction of arrow A, which detects the container 1 being transported. The transport detection unit 300 has a transport detection light emitting element 301 and a transport detection light receiving element 302, and detects the timing when the container 1 blocks the light irradiated by the transport detection LD 301 toward the transport detection PD 302. Based on this light blocking timing and distance information between the irradiation position of the scanning light 202 and the transport detection unit 300, the pattern forming device 200 detects the timing when the container 1 being transported enters the irradiation position of the scanning light 202, and determines the start timing of pattern formation in the transport direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, a synchronization detection unit 25 is provided near the polygon mirror 231. The synchronization detection unit 25 has a synchronization detection LD (Laser Diode) 251 and a synchronization detection PD (Photo Diode) 252. The synchronization detection LD 251 emits laser light toward the polygon mirror 231, and the synchronization detection PD 252 receives the reflected light from the polygon mirror 231. The pattern forming device 200 determines the start timing of pattern formation in the intersecting direction based on the light receiving signal of the synchronization detection PD 252.

The pattern forming device 200 uses the start timing of pattern formation in the transport direction and the cross direction as a trigger, and controls the on/off of the pulse laser 21 based on the pattern data, while irradiating the container 1 transported in the direction of arrow A with a line-shaped scanning light 202 extending in the direction of arrow C. This makes it possible to form a desired two-dimensional pattern 401 (two-dimensional pattern) on the irradiated surface 400 of the container 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

The pattern forming device 200 can also sequentially form patterns on the substrate of each of a number of containers 1 that are sequentially transported by a transport unit such as a belt conveyor.

<Productivity of Pattern Formation by Pattern Forming Apparatus 200>
Here, the productivity of pattern formation by the pattern forming apparatus 200 will be described. If the container size is W [mm], the distance between the multiple containers 1 in the transport direction is d [mm], and the productivity of pattern formation is X [pieces/min], the transport speed V [mm/s] of the container 1 is calculated by the following formula. Note that the distance between the multiple containers 1 in the transport direction is equal to the distance between the multiple substrates in the transport direction.

Also, assuming that the pixel density is a [dpi], the time T allowed per scan by the polygon mirror 231 to ensure productivity X is calculated using the following formula:

Furthermore, if the pattern formation area in the intersecting direction is Lz [mm], the time Δt [s] allowed per dot in the intersecting direction to ensure productivity X is calculated using the following formula:

Next, the fluence of the pulsed laser light will be described.
The fluence F of the pulsed laser light can be expressed as follows:
P = E v
F = E/S
where P [W] represents the average output (light intensity) of the pulsed laser, E [J] represents the pulse energy per pulse of the pulsed laser light, ν [Hz] represents the repetition frequency of the emission of the pulsed laser light by the pulsed laser, F [J/cm ² ] represents the fluence, and S [cm ² ] represents the area of the laser beam spot.

The fluence F corresponds to the value obtained by dividing the pulse energy by the area of the laser beam spot. The fluence at the substrate constituting the container 1 is the value obtained by dividing the pulse energy of the pulsed laser light emitted by the pulsed laser 21 by the area of the laser beam spot on the substrate constituting the container 1.

When using pulsed laser light with a nanosecond-scale pulse width, the pattern forming device 200 performs pattern formation (laser processing) by thermal denaturation according to the absorption spectrum of the substrate. On the other hand, when using pulsed laser light with a picosecond-scale pulse width, the pattern forming device 200 performs pattern formation (laser processing) by thermal denaturation according to the absorption spectrum and multiphoton absorption.

Multiphoton absorption is a nonlinear phenomenon in which, when irradiated with pulsed laser light, a material is excited by light with a wavelength corresponding to 1/2 or 1/3 of the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser light, and multiple photons are absorbed, causing the state of electrons and atoms to transition to a higher energy level. By using pulsed laser light with a pulse width on the picosecond scale, it is possible to sublimate the substrate from a solid state without passing through a molten state, and to form processing marks on the substrate.

In this case, if a pulsed laser 21 is selected that is capable of forming a pattern of one dot per pulse, the fluence required to form a pattern on the substrate of the container 1 will be the repetition frequency ν [Hz].

On the other hand, if the fluence of the pulsed laser 21 is small and N pulses are required to form a one-dot pattern, the pattern formation frequency is ν/N [Hz], and the time required to form one dot pattern is N/ν [s].

In this case, only values greater than N/ν [s] are allowed for Δt, and the container 1 cannot be transported at a speed faster than the speed allowed for pattern formation in one scan. In other words, the time allowed for pattern formation of one dot becomes the rate limiting factor for productivity.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the polygon mirror 231 scans the laser light in the intersecting direction at multiple positions in the transport direction of the container 1. The more multiple positions in the transport direction there are, the slower the apparent transport speed of the container 1 becomes, and the longer the pattern formation time can be.

<Example of pattern forming device operation>

Figure 4 is a diagram explaining an example of the operation of the galvanometer mirror. Figure 4(a) shows an example of scanning in the positive direction of the X-axis, and Figure 4(b) shows an example of scanning in the negative direction of the X-axis. By swinging the galvanometer mirror along arrow B, the scanning light 202 by the polygon mirror 231 can be scanned in the direction of arrow A. In Figure 4(a), the scanning light 202 is scanned in the positive direction of the X-axis, and in Figure 4(b), the scanning light 202 is scanned in the negative direction of the X-axis. In other words, the polygon mirror 231 scans the scanning light 202 in the intersecting direction at two positions in the transport direction.

Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200X according to the comparative example will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 is a top view showing a first example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200X, Figure 6 is a top view showing a second example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200X, and Figure 7 is a top view showing a third example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200X. For convenience, components of the pattern forming apparatus 200X that have the same functions as those of the pattern forming apparatus 200 are given the same part numbers.

As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the pattern forming device 200X has a Z-axis deflection mirror 221X. The Z-axis deflection mirror 221X deflects the pulsed laser light, the beam diameter of which has been expanded by the beam expander 22, toward the Z-axis positive side on the Y-axis positive side of the beam expander 22. The Z-axis deflection mirror 221X does not have a swinging function like the above-mentioned galvanometer mirror 221, and the position at which the polygon mirror 231 scans the pulsed laser light in the transport direction is only one fixed position.

Figures 5 to 7 show the pattern forming device 200X irradiating scanning light 202 while multiple containers, container 1 and container 1', are transported in the direction of arrow A. In Figure 5, the pattern forming device 200X irradiates scanning light 202 on the side of container 1 that is furthest in the positive direction of the X-axis. In Figure 6, the pattern forming device 200X irradiates scanning light 202 on the side of container 1 that is furthest in the negative direction of the X-axis, and in Figure 7, the pattern forming device 200X irradiates scanning light 202 on the side of container 1' that is furthest in the positive direction of the X-axis.

In Figures 5 to 7, the unpatterned area 402 indicates an area in the container 1 or 1' where a pattern has not yet been formed, and the patterned area 403 indicates an area in the container 1 or 1' where a pattern has already been formed.

As shown in FIG. 7, between container 1 and container 1' in the transport direction, there is a non-pattern-forming section 404 that corresponds to the distance between container 1 and container 1' in the transport direction. In the pattern forming device 200X, while the scanning light 202 is irradiating the non-pattern-forming section 404, patterns cannot be formed on the substrate of container 1 and container 1', resulting in wasted productivity.

Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 11. Figure 8 is a top view showing a first example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200, Figure 9 is a top view showing a second example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200, Figure 10 is a top view showing a third example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200, and Figure 11 is a top view showing a fourth example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200.

As with FIGS. 5 to 7, FIGS. 8 to 11 show how the pattern forming device 200 irradiates scanning light 202 while multiple containers, container 1 and container 1', are transported in the transport direction.

In FIG. 8, the galvanometer mirror 221 scans (deflects) the scanning light 202 from the polygon mirror 231 toward the negative X-axis direction, so that the pattern forming device 200 irradiates the scanning light 202 to the most positive X-axis side of the container 1 before the container 1 reaches a position opposite the fθ lens 241.

In FIG. 9, the pattern forming device 200 irradiates the center of the container 1 with the scanning light 202 at a position where the container 1 faces the fθ lens 241. In FIG. 10, the pattern forming device 200 irradiates the scanning light 202 on the most negative side of the container 1 in the X-axis direction after the container 1 passes the position where it faces the fθ lens 241 by scanning (deflecting) the scanning light 202 in the positive X-axis direction with the galvanometer mirror 221.

Containers 1 and 1' are transported at a transport speed V', and the pattern forming device 200 forms a pattern on the substrate constituting container 1 while the angle of the galvanometer mirror 221 changes in accordance with the transport. In the state shown in FIG. 8, pattern formation is started on the unpatterned region 402 of the substrate, and in the state shown in FIG. 9, a pattern is formed on half of the unpatterned region 402, forming a patterned region 403. In the state shown in FIG. 10, pattern formation on the substrate is complete, and the entire substrate forms the patterned region 403.

Then, in FIG. 11, the pattern forming device 200 changes the angle of the galvanometer mirror 221 so that the scanning light 202 is irradiated to a position shifted in the positive direction of the X-axis by the non-pattern formation section 404' from the position on the most positive side of the X-axis of the next container 1'. The pattern forming device 200 then transports the container 1' in the positive direction of the X-axis, and starts pattern formation on the container 1' when it reaches the state shown in FIG. 8.

If the transport speed of the container 1 in the pattern forming apparatus 200X is V and the non-pattern formation section is b, and the transport speed of the container 1 in the pattern forming apparatus 200 is V' and the non-pattern formation section is b', the following equation is established.
A'/A=b/b'

The smaller the non-pattern-formation section 404' is, the higher the productivity can be. However, if the following condition is satisfied, the productivity improvement effect of this embodiment can be achieved.
0.4<Lx/(Lx+S)<1
Here, Lx represents the size of the pattern in the transport direction, and S represents the distance between the container 1 and the container 1' in the transport direction. In this embodiment, S corresponds to the length of the non-pattern formation section 404 in the transport direction. Under conditions of 0.4 or less, the productivity is the same as in the comparative example. The pattern forming device 200 can perform tracking control under conditions of more than 0.4, and can perform pattern formation with high accuracy.

<Functions and Effects of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200>
Next, the effects of the pattern forming apparatus 200 will be described.

Conventionally, there is known a pattern forming device that irradiates a laser beam to form a pattern on a substrate such as a resin material. Also disclosed is a method of forming a pattern on a substrate by one-dimensionally scanning a pulsed laser beam. However, in order to form a pattern on a substrate, it is necessary to irradiate the substrate with pulsed laser light for a period of time necessary for the substrate to be sufficiently modified.

In a method of forming a pattern on a substrate by one-dimensionally scanning a pulsed laser beam, if the substrate is transported too fast, the time required for pattern formation becomes too short, making it impossible to form a pattern on the substrate being transported. Slowing the substrate transport speed to a level where a pattern can still be formed can reduce productivity in pattern formation.

In this embodiment, the galvanometer mirror 221 scans the laser light in the transport direction, and the polygon mirror 231 scans the laser light in the intersecting direction at multiple positions in the transport direction.

This allows the time during which the laser light can be irradiated onto the substrate to be longer, and the pattern formation time to be longer, compared to when the laser light is scanned at one position in the transport direction. As a result, the substrate transport speed can be maintained at a desired speed, ensuring productivity in pattern formation.

In place of the polygon mirror 231, a galvanometer mirror, an acousto-optical element, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) mirror, etc. may be used. However, it is preferable that the mirror is durable against the pulse energy of the pulsed laser light.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which the laser light after the galvanometer mirror 221 has scanned in the transport direction is scanned by the polygon mirror 231 in the intersecting direction, but a configuration in which the galvanometer mirror 221 scans in the transport direction the laser light after the polygon mirror 231 has scanned in the intersecting direction may also be used. Also, a two-axis driven galvanometer mirror, a MEMS mirror, or an acousto-optical element capable of scanning the laser light in both the transport direction and the intersecting direction may also be used.

However, it is more preferable to have the galvanometer mirror 221 scan in the transport direction and the polygon mirror 231 scan in the intersecting direction, since this allows for high-speed scanning while ensuring durability against pulsed laser light.

[First embodiment]
Next, a pattern forming apparatus 200a according to the first embodiment will be described. The same components as those described in the above embodiment will be given the same part numbers, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. This also applies to the following embodiments.

In the above-described embodiment, the pattern forming device 200 is exemplified as having a single irradiation unit including a pulsed laser 21, a beam expander 22, a galvanometer mirror 221, a polygon mirror 231, and an fθ lens 241.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the pattern forming device 200a has two or more irradiation units, each including a pulsed laser 21, a beam expander 22, a galvanometer mirror 221, a polygon mirror 231, and an fθ lens 241. Each irradiation unit forms parallel patterns on different substrates at different positions in the transport direction, thereby further improving the productivity of pattern formation on multiple substrates.

<Configuration example of pattern forming apparatus 200a>
Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus 200a. As shown in Fig. 12, the pattern forming apparatus 200a has an irradiation unit 30a and an irradiation unit 30b. The irradiation units 30a and 30b are arranged at different positions in the direction of the arrow A (transport direction). Here, the irradiation unit 30a is an example of a first irradiation unit, and the irradiation unit 30b is an example of a second irradiation unit.

The irradiation unit 30a includes a pulsed laser 21a, a beam expander 22a, a galvanometer mirror 221a, a polygon mirror 231a, and an fθ lens 241a.

The pulsed laser 21a is an example of a first light source unit that emits a pulsed laser beam (first laser beam). The galvanometer mirror 221a is an example of a first transport direction light scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser beam in the direction of the arrow A (transport direction). The polygon mirror 231a is an example of a first intersecting direction light scanning unit that scans the scanning beam from the galvanometer mirror 221a in the Z-axis direction (intersecting direction). The fθ lens 241a is an example of a first light irradiation unit that irradiates the first scanning beam 202a from the polygon mirror 231a onto the base material that constitutes the container 1a.

The configuration and function of the pulsed laser 21a is the same as that of the pulsed laser 21, the configuration and function of the beam expander 22a is the same as that of the beam expander 22, and the configuration and function of the galvanometer mirror 221a is the same as that of the galvanometer mirror 221. The configuration and function of the polygon mirror 231a is the same as that of the polygon mirror 231, and the configuration and function of the fθ lens 241a is the same as that of the fθ lens 241.

The irradiation unit 30b also includes a pulsed laser 21b, a beam expander 22b, a galvanometer mirror 221b, a polygon mirror 231b, and an fθ lens 241b.

The pulsed laser 21b is an example of a second light source unit that emits a pulsed laser beam (second laser beam). The galvanometer mirror 221b is an example of a second transport direction light scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser beam in the direction of the arrow A. The polygon mirror 231b is an example of a second intersecting direction light scanning unit that scans the scanning beam from the galvanometer mirror 221b in the Z-axis direction (intersecting direction). The fθ lens 241b is an example of a second light irradiation unit that irradiates the second scanning beam 202b from the polygon mirror 231b onto the base material that constitutes the container 1b.

The configuration and function of the pulsed laser 21b is the same as that of the pulsed laser 21, the configuration and function of the beam expander 22b is the same as that of the beam expander 22, and the configuration and function of the galvanometer mirror 221b is the same as that of the galvanometer mirror 221. The configuration and function of the polygon mirror 231b is the same as that of the polygon mirror 231, and the configuration and function of the fθ lens 241b is the same as that of the fθ lens 241.

Container 1b is transported in the direction of arrow A at a distance q from container 1a. This distance q is an example of a predetermined distance between multiple substrates in the transport direction.

The fθ lens 241a irradiates the first scanning light from the polygon mirror 231a onto the substrate of the container 1a, which is one of a number of substrates that are transported with adjacent substrates spaced apart by a distance P in the direction of the arrow A.

The fθ lens 241b irradiates the second scanning light from the polygon mirror 231b onto the substrate in the container 1b, which is one of a number of substrates transported with adjacent substrates spaced apart by a distance P in the direction of the arrow A.

Irradiation unit 30a and irradiation unit 30b have the same configuration and function, except that they differ in their positions in the direction of arrow A and in the containers to which the scanning light is irradiated.

Note that, although FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a configuration in which the pattern forming device 200a includes two irradiation units 30a and 30b, the pattern forming device 200a may include two or more irradiation units. In this case, each of the two or more irradiation units has the same configuration and function, except that the positions in the direction of the arrow A and the containers to which the scanning light is irradiated are different.

13 is a diagram for explaining an example of the arrangement of the pattern forming device 200a. As shown in FIG. 13, the pattern forming device 200a is arranged so as to satisfy the following formula (1).
d=(L+2・T・tanθ+b')/N...(1)
By satisfying this formula (1), the period during which the pattern forming apparatus 200a does not form a pattern on the substrate constituting the container can be shortened, thereby improving the productivity of pattern formation.

Here, d represents the distance between the central axis 31a of the fθ lens 241a and the central axis 31b of the fθ lens 241b in the direction of the arrow A. The central axis 31a of the fθ lens 241a corresponds to the optical axis of the fθ lens 241a, and the central axis 31b of the fθ lens 241b corresponds to the optical axis of the fθ lens 241b.

L represents the length in the direction of the arrow A of the pattern-formed area on the substrate constituting the container. In FIG. 13, pattern-formed area 32a represents the pattern-formed area on the substrate of container 1a, and pattern-formed area 32b represents the pattern-formed area on the substrate of container 1b. L is the length in the direction of the arrow A of each of pattern-formed areas 32a and 32b.

T represents the distance between the irradiation unit 30a or 30b and the substrate constituting the container 1a. The substrate constituting the container 1a corresponds to the substrate that is located at the shortest distance from the irradiation units 30a and 30b in the Y-axis direction among the substrates constituting the container 1a. In addition, since the irradiation units 30a and 30b are arranged at approximately equal positions in the Y-axis direction, the distance between the irradiation unit 30a and the substrate and the distance between the irradiation unit 30b and the substrate are approximately equal. Therefore, either the distance between the irradiation unit 30a and the substrate or the distance between the irradiation unit 30b and the substrate may be T. Alternatively, the average value of the distance between the irradiation unit 30a and the substrate and the distance between the irradiation unit 30b and the substrate may be T.

θ represents the half angle of the maximum optical scanning angle of each of the galvanometer mirrors 221a and 221b.

b' represents a predetermined waiting section where each of the polygon mirrors 231a and 231b waits for scanning. Here, the waiting section refers to a section where the irradiation unit 30a waits after completing pattern formation on the substrate of the container 1a and before starting pattern formation on the substrate of the container 1a', which is the next target for pattern formation. In other words, the waiting section corresponds to the distance that the containers 1a and 1a' are transported during the waiting period where the irradiation unit 30a waits after completing pattern formation on the substrate of the container 1a and before starting pattern formation on the substrate of the container 1a', which is the next target for pattern formation.

N represents the number of irradiation units including irradiation unit 30a and irradiation unit 30b. In this embodiment, the number of irradiation units is two, so N=2. However, the number of irradiation units is not limited to two, and the pattern forming device 200a may have three or more irradiation units.

<Operation Example of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200a>
Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200a will be described with reference to Fig. 14 to Fig. 16. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining a first example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200a, Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining a second example, and Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining a third example.

Figure 14 shows the front surfaces of containers 1a, 1b, 1a', and 1b' being transported in the direction of arrow A. Irradiation unit 30a irradiates the base material of container 1a and the base material of container 1a' with a first scanning light to form a pattern. Irradiation unit 30b irradiates the base material of container 1b and the base material of container 1b' with a second scanning light to form a pattern.

Unpatterned area 402a, indicated by dashed and dotted lines, indicates an area on the substrate of container 1a where a pattern has not yet been formed. Unpatterned area 402b, indicated by dashed and dotted lines, indicates an area on the substrate of container 1b where a pattern has not yet been formed.

Next, FIG. 15 shows the state in which containers 1a, 1b, 1a', and 1b' have been transported further in the direction of arrow A from the state in FIG. 14. In container 1a, pattern formation has progressed in an area up to 1/2 of the pattern-formed area in the direction of arrow A, and in container 1b, pattern formation has progressed in an area up to 1/2 of the pattern-formed area in the direction of arrow A.

The pattern-formed region 403a indicates the region in the container 1a where a pattern has already been formed, and the unpatterned region 402a indicates the region in the container 1a where a pattern has not yet been formed.

The pattern-formed region 403b indicates the region in container 1b where a pattern has already been formed, and the unpatterned region 402b indicates the region in container 1b where a pattern has not yet been formed.

Galvanometer mirror 221a changes the position of the first scanning light in the direction of arrow A to follow the transport of container 1a, and galvanometer mirror 221b changes the position of the second scanning light in the direction of arrow A to follow the transport of container 1b.

Next, FIG. 16 shows the state where containers 1a, 1b, 1a', and 1b' have been further transported in the direction of arrow A from the state shown in FIG. 15. In container 1a, pattern formation has been completed over the entire area to be patterned in the direction of arrow A, and in container 1b, pattern formation has been completed over the entire area to be patterned in the direction of arrow A.

After the pattern formation is completed, the galvanometer mirror 221a changes the position of the first scanning light in the direction of the arrow A so as to return to the state shown in FIG. 14, and the galvanometer mirror 221b changes the position of the second scanning light in the direction of the arrow A so as to return to the state shown in FIG. 14.

In this way, the two irradiation units 30a and 30b perform pattern formation in parallel, which improves the productivity of pattern formation compared to when there is only one irradiation unit. The more irradiation units that perform pattern formation in parallel, the more the productivity can be improved.

Here, FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a first example of the operation of the pattern forming device 200aX according to the comparative example, and FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining a second example of the operation of the pattern forming device 200aX.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the pattern forming device 200aX includes two irradiation units 30aX and 30bX. Neither irradiation unit 30aX nor 30bX has a first transport direction optical scanning unit or a second transport direction optical scanning unit such as a galvanometer mirror that scans the pulsed laser light in the direction of arrow A.

The container 1a being transported enters the irradiation position of the scanning light by the irradiation unit 30bX, and as it is transported, pattern formation progresses and eventually ends. After that, the container 1a enters the irradiation position of the scanning light by the irradiation unit 30aX. Since a pattern has already been formed in the container 1a, pattern formation cannot be performed during the period when the container 1a passes the irradiation position of the scanning light by the irradiation unit 30aX. This reduces the productivity of pattern formation.

To increase the productivity of pattern formation using the pattern forming device 200aX, it is necessary to increase the number of pattern forming devices 200aX. This increases the area required by the device and also increases costs.

<Operation Example of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200b According to Modification>
Next, the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200b according to the modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the pattern forming apparatus 200b.

The pattern forming device 200b forms a pattern in a container that is smaller than the container that is the target of pattern formation by the pattern forming device 200a according to the first embodiment. The pattern forming device 200b also has irradiation units 30a, 30b, and 30c, and forms a pattern in a container group that includes two containers within a period of one scan in the direction of arrow A.

For example, in the example of FIG. 19, the irradiation unit 30a has already formed a pattern in the pattern-formed region 403a, and next performs pattern formation in the unpatterned region 402a. At this time, when the irradiation unit 30a finishes pattern formation in the pattern-formed region 403a, the pattern-formed regions 403b and 403c enter the range of the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit 30a. The irradiation unit 30a skips these pattern-formed regions 403b and 403c and starts pattern formation in the unpatterned region 402a.

The irradiation unit 30b has already formed a pattern in the pattern-formed region 403b, and next performs pattern formation in the unpatterned region 402b. At this time, when the irradiation unit 30b finishes pattern formation in the pattern-formed region 403b, the pattern-formed region 403c and the unpatterned region 402a enter the range of the laser light irradiation by the irradiation unit 30b. The irradiation unit 30b skips the pattern-formed region 403c and the unpatterned region 402a, and starts pattern formation in the unpatterned region 402b.

The irradiation unit 30c has already formed a pattern in the pattern-formed region 403c, and next performs pattern formation in the unpatterned region 403c'. At this time, when the irradiation unit 30c finishes pattern formation in the pattern-formed region 403c, the unpatterned regions 402a and 402b enter the range of the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit 30c. The irradiation unit 30c skips these unpatterned regions 402a and 402b and starts pattern formation in the unpatterned region 402c.

In other words, the range of laser light irradiation by each irradiation unit, including the placement or standby time of each irradiation unit, is determined by the interval (distance) at which the container on which the pattern is to be formed is transported within the range of laser light irradiation by one irradiation unit.

If the number of irradiation units is N and the number of containers contained in the container group is M, the distance between adjacent containers in the container group in which one irradiation unit forms a pattern is (N-1) x M.

<Functions and Effects of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200a>
As described above, the pattern forming device 200a according to this embodiment includes the irradiation unit 30a and the irradiation unit 30b. In the irradiation unit 30a, the galvanometer mirror 221a (first transport direction optical scanning unit) scans the pulsed laser light (first laser light) emitted by the pulsed laser 21a (first light source unit) in the transport direction. The polygon mirror 231a (first intersecting direction optical scanning unit) scans the scanning light by the galvanometer mirror 221a in a direction intersecting the transport direction, and the fθ lens 241a (first optical irradiation unit) irradiates the substrate with the first scanning light by the first intersecting direction optical scanning unit.

In the irradiation unit 30b, the galvanometer mirror 221b (second transport direction light scanning unit) scans the pulsed laser light (second laser light) emitted by the pulsed laser 21b (second light source unit) in the transport direction, the polygon mirror 231b (second intersecting direction light scanning unit) scans the scanning light by the galvanometer mirror 221b (second transport direction light scanning unit) in the intersecting direction, and the fθ lens 241b (second light irradiation unit) irradiates the substrate with the second scanning light by the polygon mirror 231b (second intersecting direction light scanning unit).

The fθ lens 241a then irradiates the first scanning light onto a substrate among the multiple substrates that is different from the substrate onto which the fθ lens 241b irradiates the second scanning light, at a position different from that of the fθ lens 241b in the transport direction.

By scanning the first scanning light in the transport direction, the time during which the first scanning light can be irradiated onto the substrate is increased, and the pattern formation time is increased, compared to when the first scanning light is scanned at only one position in the transport direction. This allows the substrate transport speed to be maintained at a desired speed, ensuring productivity in pattern formation.

In addition, by irradiating a substrate different from the substrate irradiated with the second scanning light with the first scanning light at a position different from that of the second scanning light in the transport direction, patterns can be formed in parallel on the different substrates. This can further improve the productivity of pattern formation on multiple substrates.

In addition, in this embodiment, the components of the pattern forming device 200a are arranged so as to satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1). This shortens the period during which the pattern forming device 200a does not form a pattern on the substrate constituting the container, thereby improving the productivity of pattern formation.

In this embodiment, the fθ lens 241a irradiates a first scanning light onto a plurality of substrates that are transported with a gap q between adjacent substrates in the transport direction, and the fθ lens 241b irradiates a second scanning light onto a plurality of substrates that are transported with a gap q between adjacent substrates in the transport direction.

When adjacent substrates are transported with a gap q between them in the transport direction, a configuration that does not include galvanometer mirror 221a or galvanometer mirror 221b cannot perform pattern formation in the section with gap q, resulting in reduced productivity of pattern formation.

In this embodiment, the irradiation positions of the first scanning light and the second scanning light can be changed in the transport direction by the galvanometer mirrors 221a and 221b, making it possible to form a pattern on the substrate even in a section with a spacing of q. This can improve the productivity of pattern formation.

In this embodiment, the galvanometer mirrors 221a and 221b scan the pulsed laser light in the transport direction, and the polygon mirrors 231a and 231b scan the first and second scanning lights in a direction intersecting the transport direction. This allows high-speed scanning while ensuring durability against the pulsed laser light.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a manufacturing device and a manufacturing method for a container will be described. Here, the manufacturing device for the container corresponds to an example of a pattern forming device. In addition, since the manufacturing device for the container forms a pattern by processing the base material constituting the container with a pulse laser, it corresponds to an example of a laser processing device. The manufacturing device according to each embodiment shown below has the configuration and function of any one of the above-mentioned pattern forming devices 200, 200a, or 200b, and can obtain the same action and effect as the pattern forming device 200, 200a, or 200b.

<Configuration example of manufacturing apparatus 100>
First, the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 100. The manufacturing apparatus 100 changes the properties of the base material constituting the container, thereby forming a first pattern composed of an aggregate of second patterns on at least one of the surface or interior of the base material. Here, the properties of the base material refer to the nature or state of the base material.

As shown in FIG. 20, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a laser irradiation unit 2, a rotation mechanism 3 for recovering the workpiece, a holding unit 31, a moving mechanism 4, a dust collection unit 5, and a control unit 6. The manufacturing apparatus 100 holds the container 1, which is a cylindrical container, via the holding unit 31 so that it can rotate around the cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. Then, the laser irradiation unit 2 irradiates the container 1 with pulsed laser light to change the properties of the base material that constitutes the container 1, thereby forming a first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns on the surface of the container 1. In the following, to simplify the explanation, the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns may be referred to as the first pattern as appropriate.

The laser irradiation unit 2 scans the pulsed laser light emitted from the pulsed laser in the Y direction of FIG. 20, and irradiates the processing laser beam 20 toward the container 1 arranged in the positive Z direction. The laser irradiation unit 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 21.

The rotation mechanism 3 holds the container 1 via the holding part 31. The holding part 31 is a coupling member connected to the motor shaft of a motor serving as a drive part of the rotation mechanism 3, and one end is inserted into the mouth of the container 1 to hold the container 1. The rotation of the motor shaft rotates the holding part 31, causing the container 1 held by the holding part 31 to rotate around the cylindrical axis 10.

The moving mechanism 4 is a linear stage equipped with a table, and the rotation mechanism 3 is placed on the table of the moving mechanism 4. The moving mechanism 4 moves the table back and forth in the Y direction, thereby moving the rotation mechanism 3, the holding part 31, and the container 1 together in the Y direction.

The dust collection unit 5 is an air suction device arranged near the portion of the container 1 where the processing laser beam 20 is irradiated. By collecting the plume and dust that are generated when forming the first pattern by irradiating the processing laser beam 20 with air, contamination of the manufacturing device 100, container 1, and surrounding areas due to the plume and dust is prevented.

The control unit 6 is electrically connected to each of the pulse laser 21, the scanning unit 23, the rotation mechanism 3, the movement mechanism 4, and the dust collection unit 5 via cables or the like, and controls the operation of each by outputting a control signal.

Under the control of the control unit 6, the manufacturing apparatus 100 rotates the container 1 using the rotation mechanism 3 while irradiating the container 1 with a processing laser beam 20 scanned in the Y direction using the laser irradiation unit 2. Then, a first pattern is formed two-dimensionally on at least one of the front and back surfaces or inside of the substrate in the container 1.

Here, the scanning area in the Y direction of the processing laser beam 20 by the laser irradiation unit 2 may be limited in range. Therefore, when forming the first pattern in a range wider than the scanning area, the manufacturing apparatus 100 shifts the irradiation position of the processing laser beam 20 on the container 1 in the Y direction by moving the container 1 in the Y direction with the movement mechanism 4. Then, while rotating the container 1 again with the rotation mechanism 3, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans the processing laser beam 20 in the Y direction to form the first pattern on at least one of the surface or interior of the base material in the container 1. This allows the first pattern to be formed in a wider area of the container 1 (any area from the mouth to the bottom of the bottle).

<Configuration example of laser irradiation unit 2>
Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the laser irradiation unit 2. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the laser irradiation unit 2. As shown in Fig. 21, the laser irradiation unit 2 includes a pulse laser 21, a beam expander 22, a scanning unit 23, a scanning lens 24, and a synchronization detection unit 25.

The pulsed laser 21 is, for example, a laser light source that emits pulsed laser light. The pulsed laser 21 emits pulsed laser light with an output (light intensity) suitable for changing the properties of at least one of the surface and the interior of the substrate in the container 1 irradiated with the pulsed laser light.

The pulsed laser 21 is capable of controlling the on/off of the emission of the pulsed laser light, the emission frequency, and the light intensity. As an example of the pulsed laser 21, a pulsed laser having a wavelength of 532 nm, a pulse width of the pulsed laser light of 16 picoseconds, and an average output of 4.9 W can be used. The diameter of the pulsed laser light in the region in the container 1 where the properties of the base material are changed is preferably 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less.

The pulse laser 21 may be composed of one pulse laser or multiple pulse lasers. When multiple pulse lasers are used, the on/off control, emission frequency control, light intensity control, etc. may be performed independently for each pulse laser, or may be shared.

The parallel pulsed laser light emitted from the pulsed laser 21 has its diameter expanded by the beam expander 22 and enters the scanning unit 23.

The scanning unit 23 includes a scanning mirror that changes the reflection angle by a driving unit such as a motor. By changing the reflection angle of the scanning mirror, the incoming pulsed laser light is scanned in the Y direction. This scanning mirror can be a galvanometer mirror, a polygon mirror, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) mirror, or the like.

In this embodiment, the scanning unit 23 performs one-dimensional scanning in the Y direction with the pulsed laser light, but the present invention is not limited to this. The scanning unit 23 may perform two-dimensional scanning in the X and Y directions with the pulsed laser light using a scanning mirror that changes the reflection angle in two orthogonal directions.

However, when irradiating the surface of the cylindrical container 1 with pulsed laser light, two-dimensional scanning in the XY directions causes the beam spot diameter on the surface of the container 1 to change in response to scanning in the X direction, so one-dimensional scanning is preferable in such cases.

The pulsed laser light scanned by the scanning unit 23 is irradiated as a processing laser beam 20 onto at least one of the surface or the interior of the substrate in the container 1.

The scanning lens 24 is an fθ lens that keeps the scanning speed of the processing laser beam 20 scanned by the scanning unit 23 constant and converges the processing laser beam 20 to a predetermined position on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate in the container 1. It is preferable that the scanning lens 24 and the container 1 are arranged so that the beam spot diameter of the processing laser beam 20 is minimized in the area in the container 1 where the properties of the substrate are changed. The scanning lens 24 may be composed of a combination of multiple lenses.

The synchronization detector 25 outputs a synchronization detection signal used to synchronize the scanning of the processing laser beam 20 and the rotation of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3. The synchronization detector 25 includes a photodiode that outputs an electrical signal according to the intensity of the received light, and outputs the electrical signal from the photodiode to the control unit 6 as a synchronization detection signal.

Figure 21 shows an example of scanning a processed laser beam, but it is also possible to provide multiple processed laser beams within the range of the printing width to form a processed laser beam array, and rotate the container 1 to scan the container 1 in one direction with multiple laser beams. Figure 22 shows an example of this, showing a processed laser beam array consisting of multiple laser beams in parallel on the container 1.

<Example of Hardware Configuration of Control Unit 6>
Next, a description will be given of a hardware configuration of the control unit 6 included in the manufacturing apparatus 100. Fig. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control unit 6. The control unit 6 is constructed by a computer.

As shown in FIG. 23, the control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a HD (Hard Disk) 504, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, and a display 506. The control unit 6 also includes an external device connection I/F (Interface) 508, a network I/F 509, a data bus 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I/F 516.

Of these, the CPU 501 is a processor that controls the operation of the entire control unit 6. The ROM 502 is a memory that stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader).

RAM 503 is a memory used as a work area for CPU 501. HD 504 is a memory that stores various data such as programs. HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from HD 504 under the control of CPU 501.

The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, text, or an image. The external device connection I/F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external devices are the pulse laser 21, the scanning unit 23, the synchronization detection unit 25, the rotation mechanism 3, the movement mechanism 4, and the dust collection unit 5. However, other devices such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer can also be connected.

The network I/F 509 is an interface for data communication using a communication network. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, etc. for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 23.

The keyboard 511 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving the cursor, etc.

The DVD-RW drive 514 controls the reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R or the like. The media I/F 516 controls the reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

<Example of functional configuration of control unit 6>
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the control unit 6. Fig. 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 24, the control unit 6 includes a first pattern data input unit 61, a second pattern parameter designation unit 62, a storage unit 63, a processing data generation unit 64, a laser irradiation control unit 65, a laser scanning control unit 66, a container rotation control unit 67, a container movement control unit 68, and a dust collection control unit 69. The material data for the processed material stores processing parameter information corresponding to the material, such as resin.

Of these, the functions of the first pattern data input unit 61, the second pattern parameter designation unit 62, the processing data generation unit 64, the laser irradiation control unit 65, the laser scanning control unit 66, the container rotation control unit 67, the container movement control unit 68, and the dust collection control unit 69 are all realized by the CPU 501 in FIG. 23 executing a predetermined program and outputting a control signal via the external device connection I/F 508. However, an electronic circuit or an electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) may be added to the hardware configuration of the control unit 6, and some or all of the functions of each of the above components may be realized by the electronic circuit or the electric circuit. The function of the storage unit 63 is realized by the HD 504, etc.

The first pattern data input unit 61 inputs pattern data of the first pattern to be formed on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate in the container 1 from an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or scanner. The pattern data of the first pattern is electronic data including information indicating a pattern such as a code such as a barcode or QR code (registered trademark), a character, a figure, or a photograph, and information indicating the type of the first pattern.

However, the pattern data is not limited to data input from an external device. A user of the manufacturing apparatus 100 can also input pattern data of the first pattern generated using the keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of the control unit 6.

The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs the input pattern data of the first pattern to each of the processing data generation unit 64 and the second pattern parameter specification unit 62.

The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 designates processing parameters for forming the second pattern. As described above, the second pattern is a line or a dot having a smaller length or width than the first pattern, or a smaller length and width than the first pattern, and acts to increase the contrast of the first pattern and improve visibility.

The processing parameters of the second pattern are information that specifies the type, length, thickness, and processing depth of the lines as the second pattern, or the spacing or arrangement, density, etc. between adjacent lines in a collection of lines. Or, they are information that specifies the type, size, and processing depth of the points as the second pattern, or the spacing or arrangement, density, etc. between adjacent points in a collection of points.

The line type is information indicating a straight line, a curve, etc. The point type is information indicating the shape of the point, such as a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, a diamond, etc. In a collection of second patterns, the second patterns may be configured to have periodicity or may be configured to be non-periodic. However, configuring the second patterns to have periodicity is preferable because this simplifies the specification of parameters.

The processing parameters of the second pattern suitable for improving visibility corresponding to the type of the first pattern, such as characters, codes, figures, or photographs, are determined in advance through experiments and simulations. The storage unit 63 stores a table showing the correspondence between such types of first patterns and processing parameters. The outer frame of the first pattern may or may not be processed. Processing makes the outline clearer. Not processing improves drawing efficiency.

The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 can refer to the storage unit 63 to acquire and designate processing parameters for the second pattern based on information indicating the type of the first pattern input from the first pattern data input unit 61.

However, the method of designation by the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 is not limited to the above. The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 may receive a user instruction via the keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of the control unit 6, and refer to the storage unit 63 based on this instruction to obtain the processing parameters of the second pattern.

The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 may also acquire processing parameters for the second pattern generated by a user of the manufacturing apparatus 100 using the keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of the control unit 6.

The processing data generation unit 64 generates processing data for forming a first pattern composed of a collection of second patterns based on the pattern data of the first pattern and the processing parameters of the second pattern.

The processing data includes rotation condition data for the rotation mechanism 3 to rotate the container 1, scanning condition data for the laser irradiation unit 2 to scan the processing laser beam 20, and irradiation condition data for the laser irradiation unit 2 to irradiate the processing laser beam 20 in synchronization with the rotation of the container 1. It also includes movement condition data for the movement mechanism 4 to move the container 1 in the Y direction, and dust collection condition data for the dust collection unit 5 to perform a dust collection operation.

The processing data generation unit 64 outputs the generated processing data to each of the laser irradiation control unit 65, the laser scanning control unit 66, the container rotation control unit 67, the container movement control unit 68, and the dust collection control unit 69.

The laser irradiation control unit 65 includes a light intensity control unit 651 and a pulse control unit 652, and controls the irradiation of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1 by the pulse laser 21 based on the irradiation condition data. The laser irradiation control unit 65 also controls the timing of irradiation of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1 in synchronization with the rotation of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3 based on a synchronization detection signal from the synchronization detection unit 25.

When the pulse laser 21 is composed of multiple pulse lasers, the laser irradiation control unit 65 performs the above control independently for each of the multiple pulse lasers.

The light intensity control unit 651 controls the light intensity of the processing laser beam 20, and the pulse control unit 652 controls the pulse width and irradiation timing of the processing laser beam 20.

The laser scanning control unit 66 controls the scanning of the processing laser beam 20 by the scanning unit 23 based on the scanning condition data. Specifically, it controls the on/off of the driving of the scanning mirror, controls the driving frequency, etc.

The container rotation control unit 67 controls the on/off, rotation angle, rotation direction, rotation speed, etc., of the rotation drive of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3 based on the rotation condition data. The container rotation control unit 67 may continuously rotate the container 1 in a predetermined rotation direction, or may rotate (rock) the container 1 back and forth within a predetermined angle range, such as ±90 degrees, while switching the rotation direction.

The container movement control unit 68 controls the on/off, movement direction, movement amount, movement speed, etc. of the container 1 movement drive by the movement mechanism 4 based on the movement condition data.

The dust collection control unit 69 controls the on/off of dust collection by the dust collection unit 5, the amount of air flow or the flow speed to be sucked, etc., based on the dust collection condition data. Note that a mechanism for moving the dust collection unit 5 may be provided, and the movement of the dust collection unit 5 by the mechanism may be controlled so that the dust collection unit 5 is positioned near the position where the processing laser beam 20 is irradiated.

<Example of manufacturing method using manufacturing apparatus 100>
Next, a description will be given of a manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 100. FIG 25 is a flow chart showing an example of the manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 100.

First, in step S51, the first pattern data input unit 61 inputs pattern data of the first pattern from an external device such as a PC or a scanner. The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs the input pattern data of the first pattern to each of the processing data generation unit 64 and the second pattern parameter designation unit 62.

Next, in step S52, the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 designates processing parameters for forming the second pattern. The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 refers to the storage unit 63 and acquires and designates processing parameters for the second pattern based on the information indicating the type of the first pattern input from the first pattern data input unit 61.

The order of steps S51 and S52 may be reversed as appropriate, and these steps may be performed in parallel.

Next, in step S53, the processing data generation unit 64 generates processing data for forming a first pattern composed of a collection of second patterns based on the pattern data of the first pattern and the processing parameters of the second pattern. Then, the generated processing data is output to each of the laser irradiation control unit 65, the laser scanning control unit 66, the container rotation control unit 67, the container movement control unit 68, and the dust collection control unit 69.

Next, in step S54, the laser scanning control unit 66 causes the scanning unit 23 to start scanning the processing laser beam 20 in the Y direction based on the scanning condition data. In this embodiment, in response to this start of scanning, the scanning unit 23 continues scanning the processing laser beam 20 in the Y direction until an instruction to stop is given.

Next, in step S55, the container rotation control unit 67 causes the rotation mechanism 3 to start rotating the container 1 based on the rotation condition data. In this embodiment, in response to the start of the rotation drive, the rotation mechanism 3 continues to rotate the container 1 until an instruction to stop it is given.

Next, in step S56, the container movement control unit 68 causes the movement mechanism 4 to move the container 1 to an initial position in the Y direction based on the movement condition data so that the processing laser beam 20 is irradiated to a predetermined position of the container 1. After the container 1 has been moved to the initial position, the container movement control unit 68 stops the movement mechanism 4.

The operations from step S54 to step S56 may be performed in a different order, or these steps may be performed in parallel.

Next, in step S57, the laser irradiation control unit 65 starts controlling the irradiation of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1.

Specifically, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans one line along the Y direction and irradiates the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20. The rotation mechanism 3 then rotates a predetermined angle around the cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. After rotating by the predetermined angle, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans the next line and irradiates the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20. The rotation mechanism 3 then rotates a predetermined angle around the cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. By repeating such operations, the first pattern is sequentially formed on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate in the container 1.

Next, in step S58, the laser irradiation control unit 65 determines whether formation of the first pattern has been completed for a specified area of the container 1 in the Y direction.

If it is determined in step S58 that the process has not ended (step S58, No), the process from step S56 onwards is repeated again.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S58 that the process has ended (step S58, Yes), in step S59, the rotation mechanism 3 stops the rotational drive of the container 1 in response to a stop command from the container rotation control unit 67.

Next, in step S60, the scanning unit 23 stops scanning the processing laser beam 20 in response to a stop command from the laser scanning control unit 66. The pulsed laser 21 stops irradiating the processing laser beam 20 in response to a stop command from the laser irradiation control unit 65.

The order of steps S59 and S60 may be changed as appropriate, and these steps may be performed in parallel.

In this way, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can form a first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate in the container 1.

<Examples of various data>
Next, an example of various data used in the manufacture of the container 1 will be described.

(Example of pattern data)
FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of the pattern data of the first pattern input by the first pattern data input unit 61. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 26, pattern data 611 includes character data 612, "labelless," and character data 612 is to be formed on container 1 as the first pattern. A set of multiple lines that make up the five characters of "labelless" corresponds to data for the first pattern. Data in pattern data 611 other than character data 612 is not to be formed on container 1.

The pattern data 611 is provided as an image file such as a bitmap, for example. The header information of the image file that provides the pattern data 611 includes information indicating the type of the first pattern. In this example, the type of the first pattern is "character."

The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs pattern data 611 including information indicating "characters" to each of the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 and the processing data generation unit 64.

(Example of a correspondence table between types of first patterns and processing parameters)
Fig. 27 shows an example of a correspondence table stored in the storage unit 63. The correspondence table 631 shown in Fig. 27 shows the correspondence between the type of the first pattern, such as a character, a code, a figure, or a photograph, and the processing parameters for the second pattern suitable for improving the visibility of the first pattern. This correspondence is determined in advance by experiments and simulations.

The numbers shown in the "Identification information" column of the correspondence table 631 indicate information that indicates the type of the first pattern, and the information shown in the "Type" column indicates the type of the first pattern. In addition, the information shown in the "Parameter" column indicates the file name in which the processing parameters corresponding to the type of the first pattern are recorded.

The second pattern parameter specification unit 62 refers to the correspondence table 631, reads the file corresponding to the information indicating the type of the first pattern, and acquires the processing parameters. In the example of FIG. 26, since the type of the first pattern is "character", the second pattern parameter specification unit 62 reads the file "para1" corresponding to the identification information "1" indicating "character", acquires the processing parameters, and outputs them to the processing data generation unit 64.

(Example of processing parameters)
28 is a diagram showing an example of processing parameters acquired by the second pattern parameter designation unit 62. The parameters are shown in the "Parameter" column according to the items in the "Item" column of the processing parameters 621.

(Example of processed data)
29 is a diagram showing an example of the processing data generated by the processing data generating unit 64. The character data 642 in the processing data 641 is composed of a plurality of straight line data corresponding to the second pattern. The black area in the processing data 641 corresponds to the area where the property of the base material of the container 1 is changed by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

<Example of processing laser beam 20>
Next, FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of irradiation of the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20, and shows three examples of irradiation.

Figure 30 also shows the beam spot 201 of the processing laser beam 20 on the surface of the container 1, and also shows the state in which three beam spots 201 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (Y direction) of the processing laser beam 20 are scanned in the Y direction.

These three beam spots 201 can be obtained by arranging three pulsed lasers 21 side by side in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction and having each of the three pulsed lasers 21 irradiate the processing laser beam 20.

Figures 30(a) and (b) show the first example, where there are gaps between the beam spots 201 in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. Figure 30(a) shows a state where there are gaps between the beam spots 201 in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and Figure 30(b) shows a state where the beam spots 201 in Figure 30(a) are scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scanning lines are formed by the three beam spots 201, and there are gaps between the scanning lines in the Y direction. By irradiating the beam spots 201 in the arrangement shown in Figures 30(a) and (b), the efficiency of pattern formation can be improved.

Figures 30(c) and (d) show the second example, where the beam spots 201 overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. Figure 30(c) shows a state where the beam spots 201 overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and Figure 30(d) shows a state where the beam spot 201 of Figure 30(c) is scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scanning lines are formed by the beam spot 201, and the scanning lines in the Y direction overlap. By irradiating the beam spot 201 in the arrangement of Figures 30(c) and (d), the contrast of the pattern can be increased.

Figures 30(e) and (f) show a third example, where the beam spots 201 are in contact with each other in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. Figure 30(e) shows a state where the beam spots 201 are in contact with each other in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and Figure 30(f) shows a state where the beam spot 201 of Figure 30(e) is scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scanning lines are formed by the beam spots 201, and the scanning lines in the Y direction are in contact with each other. By irradiating the beam spots 201 in the arrangements shown in Figures 30(e) and (f), it is possible to achieve a balance between the efficiency of pattern formation and the contrast.

By combining these three examples of irradiation with the processing laser beam 20, a first pattern consisting of a collection of second patterns can be formed in the container 1. Note that the number of processing laser beams 20 is not limited to three, and may be one or may be increased. The more the number of processing laser beams 20 is increased, the more the time required for pattern formation can be shortened.

The diameter of the beam spots 201 is, for example, 42.3 μm, and the gap between the beam spots 201 in the direction perpendicular to the Y direction in Figures 30(a) and (b) is, for example, 21.2 μm.

In addition, while Figure 30 shows an example in which the processing laser beams are arranged periodically, this is not limiting and non-periodic arrangement is also possible.

<Examples of changes in the properties of the substrate>
Next, a description will be given of the change in the properties of the base material of the container 1 due to irradiation with the processing laser beam 20. Fig. 31 is a diagram showing an example of the change in the properties of the base material of the container 1 due to irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

Figure 31(a) shows a recess shape formed by evaporating the base material on the surface of the container 1, and Figure 31(b) shows a recess shape formed by melting the base material on the surface of the container 1. In the case of Figure 31(b), the periphery of the recess is raised compared to Figure 31(a).

Figure 31(c) shows the change in the crystallization state on the surface of the substrate of container 1, and Figure 31(d) shows the change in the foaming state inside the substrate of container 1.

In this way, by changing the shape of the surface of the container 1, or by changing the properties such as the crystallization state of the substrate surface or the foaming state inside the substrate, a first pattern composed of an aggregate of second patterns can be formed on the surface or inside the container 1.

As a method for evaporating the base material on the surface of the container 1 to form a recessed shape, for example, a pulsed laser with a wavelength of 355 nm to 1064 nm and a pulse width of 10 fs to 500 nm or less is irradiated. This causes the base material in the area irradiated with the laser beam to evaporate, forming minute recesses on the surface.

It is also possible to melt the substrate and form recesses by irradiating it with a CW (Continuous Wave) laser with a wavelength of 355 nm to 1064 nm. Furthermore, if the laser continues to be irradiated even after the substrate has melted, the interior and surface of the substrate can be foamed and clouded.

To change the crystallized state, for example, the substrate is made of PET, and a CW laser with a wavelength of 355 nm to 1064 nm is irradiated to raise the temperature of the substrate in one go, and then the power is reduced to allow it to slowly cool, thereby bringing the PET substrate into a crystallized state and making it opaque. Note that if the substrate is cooled rapidly after the temperature is raised, for example by turning off the laser beam, the PET will become amorphous and transparent.

The change in the base material properties of the container 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 31. The properties of the base material may be changed by yellowing of the base material made of a resin material, oxidation reaction, surface modification, etc.

<One example of container 1 according to the second embodiment>
Next, a container 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of the container 1. The container 1 is a cylindrical bottle made of a resin (transparent resin) that is transparent to visible light. FIG. 32 shows the container 1 placed in front of a black screen as a background. The black screen in the background is visible through the transparent container 1. Alternatively, it may be considered that a black liquid is contained in the container 1, and the black liquid in the container 1 is visible through the transparent container 1.

The word "labelless" 11 is formed on the surface of the container 1. The character 11 appears opaque against the black background or the black color of the liquid inside the container 1 due to the diffusion of ambient light by the character 11. The collection of multiple lines that make up the five characters of "labelless" corresponds to the character 11, and the character 11 is an example of the first pattern and an example of the first region. The region of the container 1 where the character 11 is not formed is an example of the other region.

The resin that can be used as the base material of the container 1 includes polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polybutylene adipate/terephthalate (PBAT), polyethylene terephthalate succinate, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyurethane, epoxy, bio-polybutylene succinate (PBS), polylactic acid blend (PBAT), starch blend polyester resin, polybutylene terephthalate succinate, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate/hydroxyhexanoate (PHBH), polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA), Bio-PET 30, Bio-polyamide (PA) 610, 410, 510, Bio-PA 1012, 10T, Bio-PA 11T, MXD 10, Bio-polycarbonate, Bio-polyurethane, Bio-PE, Bio-PET 100, Bio-PA 11, Bio-PA 1010, etc.

Of these, biodegradable resins such as polyvinyl alcohol, polybutylene adipate/terephthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate succinate are suitable because they reduce the environmental impact. It is desirable for the resin to be 100% biodegradable, but a portion of the resin may be sufficient. For example, a combination of 5%, 10%, or 30% biodegradable resin with other proportions of normal resin can also be expected to reduce the environmental impact.

Figure 33 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the first pattern and the second pattern formed on the container 1. The enlarged view 111 in Figure 33 is an enlarged view of a portion of the character 11. As shown in Figure 33, the character 11 "Labelless" is formed on the surface of the container 1, and as shown in the enlarged view 111, the character 11 is composed of a number of straight lines 12. In other words, the character 11 is composed of a collection of straight lines 12. Note that in Figure 33, the straight lines 12 are shown only in the area corresponding to the enlarged view 111, but the entire character 11 is composed of a collection of straight lines 12.

The white area in the collection of straight lines 12 indicates an area where the properties of the base material have changed, and straight line 12 corresponding to one of the multiple straight lines shown in the white area is an example of a second pattern and also an example of a second area. The multiple straight lines 12 are an example of a collection of straight lines 12. Straight lines 12 are a pattern that are smaller than character 11. More specifically, straight lines 12 are a pattern in which the area of the straight line portion is smaller than the sum of the areas of the multiple line portions that make up character 11. In this way, character 11 is formed including a collection of straight lines 12 that are smaller (fine) than character 11.

Figure 34 is a cross-sectional view showing the A-A cross-sectional shape in the enlarged view 111 of Figure 33. The outer surface portion 121 indicates the substrate surface on the outside of the container 1. The recessed portion 122 indicates the portion formed by the evaporation of the substrate surface of the container 1 by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20, and corresponds to the straight line 12. The inner surface portion 123 indicates the substrate surface on the inside of the container 1 (the interior side of the container 1).

The thickness t indicates the thickness of the base material of the container 1, and the processing depth Hp indicates the depth of the recess 122. The non-processed portion depth Hb indicates the depth of the non-processed portion. The depth of the non-processed portion is the depth obtained by subtracting the processing depth Hp from the thickness t of the base material of the container 1.

Here, the spacing between adjacent second patterns refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent second patterns. In FIG. 34, spacing P indicates the spacing between adjacent straight lines 12. Furthermore, width W indicates the thickness of straight lines 12. In this embodiment, straight lines 12 are formed with periodicity, so spacing P also corresponds to the period at which straight lines 12 are formed.

Here, it is preferable that the spacing P is 0.4 μm or more and 130 μm or less. By making the spacing P 0.4 μm or more, it is possible to diffuse ambient light without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, and it is possible to improve the contrast of the character 11 composed of a collection of straight lines 12.

Furthermore, by setting the spacing P to 130 μm or less, a resolution of 200 dpi (dots per inch) is guaranteed, the straight lines 12 themselves are prevented from being seen, and the characters 11 are made visible with high contrast as a clouded pattern. Setting the spacing P to 50 μm or less is more preferable, as it can reliably prevent the second pattern itself from being seen.

In the above example, the preferred values for the spacing P were described, but if the second pattern has periodicity, the preferred values above can also be applied to the period. In FIG. 34, an example is shown in which the spacing P is constant, but there may be multiple types of spacing P that are not constant. For example, P1 = 50 μm, P2 = 30 μm, P3 = 60 μm, and P4 = 100 μm.

Note that compared to the processed data for the second pattern shown in FIG. 29, FIG. 33 shows an example of a second pattern with narrower spacing. In other words, character data 642 in FIG. 29 does not correspond to character 11 in FIG. 33.

In addition, while the enlarged view 111 shows a collection of straight lines 12 that are evenly spaced and formed with periodicity, the collection of the second pattern is not limited to this. The collection of the second pattern may be made up of a plurality of straight lines 12 that are non-periodically formed at different intervals, or may be made up of a plurality of dots that are periodically or non-periodically formed. If the second pattern is a dot pattern, the dot pattern is made smaller than the first pattern such as the characters 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, the second pattern is formed in an uneven shape including the outer surface portion 121 and the recessed portion 122 corresponding to the protrusions. When forming the second pattern in an uneven shape like this, it is preferable to set the difference in depth between the outer surface portion 121 and the recessed portion 122 to 0.4 μm or more. By setting it to 0.4 μm or more, it is possible to diffuse ambient light without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, and improve the contrast of the character 11 composed of a collection of straight lines 12. Note that although the outer surface portion 121 is shown as an example of a protrusion, the part of the outer surface of the container 1 that is evaporated by irradiating it with the processing laser beam 20 may be the protrusion, as long as it is shallower than the recessed portion 122.

Next, Figure 35 shows various examples of processing depth Hp.

Figure 35 (a) shows the case where the processing depth Hp is shallower than the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate. More specifically, the ratio of processing depth Hp to non-processed portion depth Hb is from 1 to 9 or less to 3 to 7. In this case, the rigidity (mechanical strength) of the second pattern is improved. As an example, when the thickness of the substrate of the container 1 is 100 μm to 500 μm, the processing depth Hp is 10 μm.

Figure 35 (b) shows the case where the processing depth Hp is deeper than the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate. More specifically, this is the case where the ratio of processing depth Hp to non-processed portion depth Hb is from 7:3 to 9:1 or more.

Figure 35 (c) shows the case where the processing depth Hp and the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate are approximately the same. More specifically, this is the case where the ratio of processing depth Hp to non-processed portion depth Hb changes from 4:6 to 6:4.

Figure 35 (d) shows the results when the processing depth Hp and the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate are changed.

The machining depth Hp as shown in Figures 35(a) to (d) can be adjusted by controlling the light intensity of the pulsed laser light emitted by the pulsed laser 21 with the light intensity control unit 651 in the laser irradiation control unit 65.

In the case of a bottle (container 1) for a carbonated drink, strength is required compared to a bottle (container 1) for a non-carbonated drink, so the thickness of the base material may be thicker than that of a bottle (container 1) for a non-carbonated drink. In such cases, it is preferable to ensure a sufficient non-processed portion depth Hb in order to obtain sufficient strength. For example, it is preferable to set the non-processed portion depth Hb to 200 μm to 450 μm. Furthermore, when a processing depth Hp that ensures drawing ability is required, it is preferable to further increase the thickness of the resin to ensure a sufficient non-processed portion depth Hb and processing portion depth Hp.

<Example of pulse laser and processing parameters>
The pulse laser 21 used in the manufacturing apparatus 100 is, for example, a pulse laser having a wavelength of 355 nm, a wavelength of 532 nm, or a wavelength of 1064 nm, and has a pulse width of several tens of fs to several hundreds of ns. A CW laser can also be used, and is used by modulating the CW laser.

The shorter the wavelength of the pulsed laser 21, the smaller the beam spot diameter can be, which is suitable for forming a first pattern composed of a collection of finer second patterns.

<Actions and Effects of Container 1>
Containers such as PET bottles are widely used due to their various advantages, such as preservation properties during distribution and sale of beverages. Containers distributed on the market are often affixed with labels indicating the product name, ingredients, expiration date, barcode, QR code, recycle mark, logo mark, etc. for management and sales promotion. Labels can provide useful information to consumers. In addition, displaying designs to appeal to consumers on the label can help to demonstrate the individuality of the product and increase its competitiveness.

On the other hand, in recent years, the issue of marine plastic waste has come under scrutiny, and there has been a growing global movement to eliminate environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. This is no exception for containers such as PET bottles, and measures to reduce plastic waste are being implemented with an eye to reducing waste in an environmentally friendly way.

In this situation, there is an increasing demand for closed-loop recycling of containers. Here, closed-loop recycling of containers means that recyclers convert used containers that have been separated and collected into flakes that can be used as the raw material for containers, and then remanufacture the containers.

To facilitate this type of circular recycling, it is preferable to thoroughly separate and collect base materials made of different materials, such as container bodies such as PET bottles, labels, and caps, during the recycling process. To do so, consumers must separate the caps and labels from each container, and since removing the labels is a manual task, this is particularly troublesome for general consumers and local government resource recovery companies. For this reason, the task of removing labels from containers is one of the constraints to thoroughly separate and collect containers.

In response to this, technology is being considered to provide containers without labels. For example, methods are being considered to eliminate labels by printing patterns that display information on the container body using an inkjet method.

However, if the ink applied by printing remains in the recycling process after the bottles are collected, impurities will increase, which may not be desirable. Also, if the ink is removed from the container body during the recycling process to reduce impurities, the management information will be lost, which may not be desirable.

Another method being considered is to use a CO2 laser (carbon dioxide laser) to create a pattern that displays information on the container body.

However, because the wavelength of pulsed lasers such as CO2 lasers is long, the beam spot diameter becomes large, which reduces the resolution of the pattern formed on the container body. As a result, when a pattern with a large amount of information, such as an image, is formed on the container, the contrast of the pattern decreases, which may reduce visibility.

In contrast, in this embodiment, a container 1 is provided in which a first pattern constituted by a second pattern is formed on at least one of the front and back surfaces or the interior of the base material.

The first pattern formed by the second pattern has a higher diffusion of ambient light compared to a first pattern formed in a single stroke. Note that "single stroke" here refers to drawing a line or figure while continuously irradiating the pulsed laser light without interruption. As a result, the contrast of the first pattern is improved in the area of the container 1 where the first pattern is not formed. In this embodiment, due to the light diffusion effect of the second pattern, the first pattern appears clouded in the area where the first pattern is not formed, and the improved contrast makes the clouded area appear whiter.

As a result, even if the first pattern is a pattern with a large amount of information including fine lines, characters, etc., the first pattern can be clearly seen with high contrast, and a container 1 can be provided in which a pattern with a large amount of information is formed with good visibility. In addition, a base material on which images, drawings, etc. are formed with good visibility can be provided in the material that serves as the base material for the container 1.

In addition, since the first pattern can be formed without applying impurities such as ink to the container 1 body, the process of removing impurities is unnecessary during the circulatory recycling process, and the loss of management information caused by removing ink as an impurity can also be prevented.

In addition, by coloring, whitening, or opacifying the first pattern, the first pattern can be viewed with good contrast even when transparent plastic or transparent glass that is transparent to visible light is used as the base material of the container 1.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a first pattern composed of a collection of second patterns is formed by using a processing laser beam 20, but this is not limited to this, and other processing methods such as mechanical cutting can also be applied.

In addition, by changing at least one of the properties of the substrate, such as the shape, crystallization state, or foaming state, a laser processing method in which a laser beam is irradiated can be applied as a means for changing the properties of the substrate. Laser processing allows for high-speed processing and can suppress the generation of cutting powder, etc., making it possible to form the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns in a cleaner environment.

In addition, in this embodiment, the processing depth Hp of the second pattern is adjusted by controlling the light intensity of the processing laser beam 20 based on the irradiation condition data. This allows the contrast of the first pattern or the rigidity of the second pattern to be optimized.

It is also preferable to set the diameter of the processing laser beam 20 in the area on the surface or inside of the container 1 where the properties of the base material are to be changed to 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less. This can improve the diffusion of ambient light by the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns, and also ensure the efficiency of forming the first pattern.

If the beam spot diameter is smaller than 1 μm, it becomes close to the wavelength of visible light, and in that case, the structure processed with that beam spot diameter will not be able to scatter light and will not be able to become cloudy. Also, if it is larger than 200 μm, the structure will be visible to the human eye. Due to the above usage, it is preferable to set the diameter of the processing laser beam 20 to 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less. Furthermore, to ensure that even people with good eyesight cannot see the structure, it is even more preferable to set the diameter of the processing laser beam to 1 to 100 μm or less.

In addition, it is preferable that the distance between adjacent second patterns is 0.4 μm or more and 130 μm or less. By making the distance 0.4 μm or more, it is possible to diffuse ambient light without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, thereby improving the contrast of the first pattern. Furthermore, by making the distance 130 μm or less, it is possible to ensure a resolution of 200 dpi (dots per inch), prevent the second pattern itself from being visible, and make the first pattern visible with high contrast as a clouded pattern.

Furthermore, if the second pattern is formed at a predetermined period, the period information can be used as a processing parameter, which is advantageous because it simplifies the processing parameters for forming the second pattern.

In addition, when the second pattern is configured with a concave-convex shape, it is preferable that the difference in depth between the concave and convex parts in the concave-convex shape is 0.4 μm or more. In this way, the second pattern can ensure the diffusion of ambient light, and the contrast of the first pattern can be improved.

It is also more preferable to form an assembly containing two or more and five or less second patterns, since this allows for good whitening by the second patterns.

Furthermore, using a biodegradable resin as the base material for the container 1 is more preferable since it does not produce resin waste and reduces the environmental impact. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of biodegradable resin in the resin that constitutes the container 1 is 100%, but even if it is around 30%, the environmental impact is significantly reduced.

The embodiment also includes a container that includes a container 1 and an object contained in the container 1. FIG. 36 is a diagram showing an example of such a container 7. The container 7 includes the container 1, a sealing member 8 such as a cap, and an object 9 such as a liquid beverage contained in the container 1. The words "labelless" 11 are formed on the surface of the container 1.

The contained object 9 is often black, brown, yellow, or other color. The mouth of the container 7 is provided with a threaded portion for screwing and fixing to the sealing member 8. In addition, the inside of the sealing member 8 is provided with a threaded portion for screwing and engaging with the threaded portion provided to the mouth of the container 7.

The method for manufacturing the container 7 includes the following three modes.
Aspect 1: A manufacturing method of a container 7 in which a pattern is formed on a container 1 , an object to be contained 9 is contained therein, and then the container 7 is sealed with a sealing member 8 .
Aspect 2: A method for manufacturing a container 7 in which an object to be contained 9 is contained, and then sealed with a sealing member 8, and a pattern is formed on the container 1.
Aspect 3: A method for manufacturing a container 7 in which a pattern is formed on a container 1 while containing an object 9 to be contained therein, and then the container 1 is sealed with a sealing member 8.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described.

In the third embodiment, the first pattern formed on the container 1 is an image, and each of the multiple pixels that make up this image is composed of a collection of second patterns. In addition, by making the spacing of the second patterns different between pixels, it becomes possible to express the image as the first pattern in multiple gradations.

Figure 37 is a diagram explaining an example of gradation expression by varying the spacing of the second pattern between pixels, and shows processed image data 112 of an image corresponding to the first pattern to be formed on the container 1. The pixels 1121 shown as squares in Figure 37 indicate the pixels that make up the processed image data 112. The processed image data 112 is made up of a plurality of pixels 1121.

In this embodiment, the second pattern is a dot pattern, and each of the multiple pixels 1121 is composed of a collection of point data 1122. The point data 1122 shown as a black area in the processing image data 112 corresponds to an area where the properties of the base material are changed by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

In addition, in FIG. 37, the spacing between adjacent point data 1122 becomes wider as you move upward along the arrow shown in the figure, and the spacing between adjacent point data 1122 becomes narrower as you move downward. The wider the spacing between adjacent point data 1122, the lower the diffusion of the ambient light when a dot pattern is formed on the container 1, and the lower the density of the clouded first pattern. On the other hand, the narrower the spacing between adjacent point data 1122, the higher the diffusion of the ambient light when a dot pattern is formed on the container 1, and the higher the density of the clouded first pattern.

In this way, the gradation (shade) of the image is expressed by varying the spacing of the second pattern between pixels.

Here, Figure 37 shows an example of expressing gradation by the spacing of a periodic dot pattern, but the method of expressing gradation is not limited to this. For example, gradation can be expressed by making the uneven shape at an angle to the surface of the container rather than perpendicular to it. Processing of such an uneven shape can be performed by irradiating the processing laser beam 20 at an angle to the surface of the container 1 rather than perpendicular to it. This maintains the strength of the container 1 and allows the pattern to be emphasized depending on the angle (viewing direction).

In addition to performing inclination processing in one direction for one container 1, inclination processing in multiple directions (processing of the shoulder portion and processing of the side surface, etc.) may be performed. Processing to tilt in multiple directions may be performed in one processing step.

Figure 38 is a diagram illustrating another example of gradation expression using the second pattern. Figure 38(a) is a diagram illustrating processing data for a non-periodic second pattern. In Figure 38(a), pixel 180 represents one pixel, and pixel 180 is composed of rectangular point data that is arranged non-periodically. The direction of the illustrated arrow indicates the shading of pixel density, and the greater the number of point data within pixel 180, the darker the density.

The intervals Pd1 to Pd4 in FIG. 38(a) indicate the intervals between adjacent point data in the arrangement of various point data within pixel 180, and correspond to the intervals between point patterns when a point pattern is formed on container 1.

On the other hand, FIG. 38(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the second pattern formed by changing the crystallization state. FIG. 38(c) is a plan view of FIG. 38(b).

Figures 38 (b) and (c) show an example in which the diffusion of ambient light by the second pattern is changed by changing the crystallization depth D at which the base material of the container 1 is crystallized, thereby changing the density of the first pattern. The deeper the crystallization depth D, the higher the diffusion of ambient light becomes, and the denser the white of the clouding becomes (the whiter it becomes).

Next, FIG. 39 is a diagram showing an example of a container 1a according to this embodiment. Images 13 and 14 expressed in multi-level gradations are formed on container 1a. Also, image 15 is formed with overlapping characters.

Each of images 13, 14, and 15 is composed of a number of pixels, and each pixel is composed of a collection of dot patterns as a second pattern. Gradation is expressed by varying the spacing between adjacent dot patterns between pixels. Each of such images 13, 14, and 15 is an example of a first pattern.

As described above, in this embodiment, the first pattern formed on the container 1 is an image, and each of the multiple pixels that make up this image is composed of a collection of the second pattern, and the spacing between the second patterns is made different between the pixels. This changes the diffusivity for each pixel, thereby changing the density of the first pattern formed on the container 1 for each pixel, and the first pattern can be expressed in multiple gradations.

The diffusion of ambient light is improved in the area other than the characters 220a, and the area other than the characters 220a is perceived as being clouded. In the area of the characters 220b, the black color of the background screen or the black color of the liquid in the container 1 is perceived. In this way, the first pattern such as the characters 220b can also be perceived.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which the container is cylindrical is shown, but the container is not limited to this and may be a box-shaped container, a cone-shaped container, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns is formed on the surface of the container, but the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns can also be formed inside the base material that constitutes the container.

In addition, for the object contained in the container 1, by increasing the contrast of the first pattern with respect to the color of the object contained in the container that is transparent to visible light, it is possible to provide a pattern that is highly visible and has a large amount of information. For example, if the object is black, forming a cloudy first pattern on the container makes the first pattern easier to see, and if the object is white, forming a blackened first pattern on the container makes the first pattern easier to see.

The container may have any shape, such as a cylinder or a square prism without shoulders or inclined parts. The contents of the container may be any color, and may be anything that fits in the container, such as cold or hot, carbonated, or colloidal (such as yogurt). The contents may be, for example, coffee, tea, beer, water, juice, carbonated, milk, etc., but are not limited to these, and may be anything that fits in the container.

The processing state can also be changed depending on the contents of the container. For example, the processing state can be changed by adjusting the laser intensity, etc., to whiten or opaque the contents of the container, and the shade can be controlled.

The second pattern may also be formed to match the shape of the embossed PET bottle. Furthermore, the above-mentioned inclined processing may also be used in combination to process the contours, interior, and outer periphery of the unevenness.

Note that all ordinal numbers, quantities, and other numbers used in the description of the embodiments are provided as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the exemplified numbers. In addition, the connections between the components are provided as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the connections that realize the functions of the present invention are not limited to these.

The division of blocks in the functional block diagram is just one example, and multiple blocks may be realized as one block, one block may be divided into multiple blocks, and/or some functions may be transferred to other blocks. Furthermore, the functions of multiple blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-shared manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

1 Container 10 Cylinder shaft 11 Character 112 Processing image data 1121 Pixel 12 Straight line 121 Outer surface portion 122 Concave portion 2 Laser irradiation portion 20 Processing laser beam 21 Pulse laser 21a Pulse laser (first light source portion)
21b Pulse laser (second light source unit)
22 Beam expander 221 Galvanometer mirror 221a Galvanometer mirror (first conveying direction optical scanning unit)
221b Galvano mirror (second conveying direction optical scanning unit)
23 Scanning unit 231 Polygon mirror 231a Polygon mirror (first intersecting direction optical scanning unit)
231b Polygon mirror (second intersecting direction optical scanning unit)
232 mark 233 rotation origin sensor 24 scanning lens 241 fθ lens 241a fθ lens (first light irradiation unit)
241b fθ lens (second light irradiation unit)
25 Synchronization detection unit 3 Rotation mechanisms 30a, 30b Irradiation unit 4 Movement mechanism 5 Dust collection unit 6 Control unit 61 First pattern data input unit 62 Second pattern parameter designation unit 621 Processing parameters 63 Storage unit 631 Correspondence table 64 Processing data generation unit 641 Processing data 65 Laser irradiation control unit 651 Light intensity control unit 652 Pulse control unit 66 Laser scanning control unit 67 Container rotation control unit 68 Container movement control unit 69 Dust collection control unit 7 Container 8 Sealing member 9 Container 100 Manufacturing device (an example of a pattern forming device)
101 Mouth 102 Shoulder 103 Body 104 Bottom 200 Pattern forming device 300 Transport detection unit 400 Irradiated surface W Width Hp Processing depth Hb Non-processed portion depth t Thickness of substrate D Crystallization depth d Distance L Length M Number of containers included in container group T Distance θ between irradiation unit and substrate Half angle b' of maximum light scanning angle Waiting section q Interval (an example of a predetermined interval)
N Number of irradiation units

Patent No. 5632662

Claims (4)

A pattern forming apparatus that irradiates a scanning light onto a plurality of substrates transported in a predetermined transport direction to form a pattern,
The imaging device has a plurality of irradiation units including a first irradiation unit and a second irradiation unit,
The first irradiation unit is
a first light source unit that emits a first laser light;
a first transport direction light scanning unit that scans the first laser light in the transport direction;
a first intersecting direction optical scanning unit that scans the scanning light from the first transport direction optical scanning unit in a direction intersecting the transport direction;
A first light irradiation unit that irradiates the base material with a first scanning light by the first cross direction light scanning unit,
The second irradiation unit is
a second light source unit that emits a second laser light;
a second transport direction light scanning unit that scans the second laser light in the transport direction;
a second intersecting direction optical scanning unit that scans the scanning light from the second transport direction optical scanning unit in the intersecting direction;
A second light irradiation unit that irradiates the base material with the second scanning light by the second cross direction light scanning unit,
the first light irradiating unit irradiates, at a position different from the position of the second light irradiating unit in the transport direction, the first scanning light onto a substrate, among the plurality of substrates, that is different from the substrate onto which the second light irradiating unit irradiates the second scanning light;
A pattern forming device that satisfies the following formula :
d=(L+2・T・tanθ+b')/N
(d represents the distance in the transport direction between the central axis of the first light irradiation unit and the central axis of the second light irradiation unit, L represents the length in the transport direction of the pattern formation region of the substrate, T represents the distance between the irradiation unit and the substrate, θ represents a half angle of the maximum optical scanning angle of each of the first transport direction optical scanning unit and the second transport direction optical scanning unit, b′ represents a predetermined waiting section in which each of the first intersecting direction optical scanning unit and the second intersecting direction optical scanning unit waits for scanning, and N represents the number of the plurality of irradiation units.) The first light irradiation unit irradiates the first scanning light onto the plurality of substrates that are transported with a predetermined interval between adjacent substrates in the transport direction,
The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second light irradiating section irradiates the second scanning light onto the plurality of substrates that are transported in the transport direction with a predetermined interval between adjacent substrates. the first transport direction optical scanning unit and the second transport direction optical scanning unit each include a galvanometer mirror,
3. The pattern formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first intersecting direction optical scanning unit and the second intersecting direction optical scanning unit include a polygon mirror. 4. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base material is a base material that constitutes a container.

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