Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: AUTOMATED SMALL VOLUME PRODUCTION OF
INSTRUMENT FACES
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There are many organizations and individuals who want small
quantities of specially faced instruments, such as clocks, thermometers,
air speed indicators, barometers, and the like. However there
presently does not exist a cost effective technique for producing small
volumes of customized instrument faces in a quick and high quality
manner, especially if a multicolor face is desired. Attempts have been
made to produce instrument faces electronically using a high quality
color printer. While clock faces produced in that manner have
impressive aesthetics, a slow print speed and ink fading when exposed
to sunlight made such a method of producing custom clock dials
impractical. Also, it was difficult to quickly and conveniently cut out the
clock dial, utilizing a knife.
Traditional methods of producing high quality multicolored
instrument faces are not applicable to small volumes (e.g. between 1
and 500 units) because of the large set up costs. Using traditional screen
printing methods, a screen must be made to print each color. After
printing the instrument faces have to be die cut on a large press using a
steel rule die, having large set up costs and usually involving significant
amounts of waste.
According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are
provided which allow the cost effective production of multicolor
instrument faces of high quality, and in small runs. While the invention
is particularly applicable to the production of functional multicolor
instrument faces, having numerical and other indicia thereon, it is also
applicable to the production of other functional multicolor elements,
which can be used to produce a functioning object. All of the apparatus
necessary for practicing the invention is off the shelf equipment, but it
is configured in a unique manner according to the present invention to
solve a long standing problem in the art.
According to one aspect of the present invention apparatus for
producing multicolor instrument faces is provided. The apparatus
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comprises the following elements: A computer. A color photocopier or
like color printer. Interface means for controlling the color photocopier
with the computer to effect printing of a multicolor instrument face on
a sheet of paper from electronic signals transmitted to the color
5 photocopier from the computer. And automatic cutting means
operatively connected to the computer for cutting an instrument face
shape from a sheet of paper on which it has been printed by the color
photocopier. The automatic cutting means preferably comprises a laser
cutter. Also, there preferably is provided a laminator for laminating a
10 sheet of paper on which an instrument face is printed to a sheet of
more rigid material. A scanner or CD ROM may also be provided for
inputting data into the computer.
Utilizing the apparatus described above, a method producing an
instrument face having functional indicia thereon is provided. The
15 method comprises the following steps: (a) Creating the instrument face
with functional indicia thereon in the computer in electronic format. (b)
Under the control of the computer, transmitting electronic signals from
the computer to the printer (e.g. color photocopier) to control the
printer to print the instrument face with functional indicia on a piece of
20 sheet material. And (c) cutting the appropriate shape and size of the
instrument face from the piece of sheet material on which it is printed.
The method also preferably comprises the further step of
assembling the instrument face with other functional components,
such as clock hands and a clock movement, to produce an operable
25 instrument having a face with functional indicia thereon. Step (c) is
typically practiced automatically, using a laser cutter. Step (b) may be
practiced to print the instrument face on a sheet of paper and then
there is the further step (d), between steps (b) and (c), of laminating the
sheet of paper onto a piece of more rigid material, such as acrylic or
30 plexiglass if self-supporting, or these materials or styrene or cardboard
if it is to be mounted in a casing. Numerical indicia may be part of the
functional indicia, in multiple colors, on the instrument face, and the
method may be employed as to produce 1-500 instrument faces of a
particular type in a cost effective manner.
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More generally, the invention relates to a method of
constructing a functional multicolor element having indicia thereon
utilizing a computer and a color photocopier. The method comprises
the following steps: (a) Electronically creating or providing in the
5 computer an electronic simulation of the desired functional multicolor
element, with indicia thereon. (b) Under the control of the computer,
transmitting electronic signals from the computer to the photocopier
so that the photocopier transforms the electronic simulation of the
desired functional multicolor element onto a piece of sheet material.
10 And (c) using the functional multicolor element with other elements to
produce a functioning object.
There is also typically the further step (d), between steps (b) and
(c), of cutting the sheet material into a different shape containing
substantially only the functional multicolor element, and step (d) is
15 typically practiced automatically under the control of the laser cutter.
The steps (a) and (b) may be practiced to produce an instrument face
which is assembled with mechanical and electrical components at the
instrument to produce an operable instrument with multicolor
functional instrument face, such as clock, thermometer, air speed
20 indicator, altimeter, barometer, horizon indicator, etc. Other functional
objects that could be created according to the invention include
customized plaques, trophies, or like awards.
A simplified procedure for making multicolor instrument faces
can be employed if a color photograph (as is, or doctored, as with an
25 air brush) is used to provide the basis for the artwork on the
instrument face. In this case the method comprises the following steps:
(a) Superimposing functional indicia for an instrument face on a
transparent substrate over the color photograph. (b) Copying the
color photograph with superimposed functional indicia, using a color
30 photocopier, onto a sheet of paper. (c) Laminating the sheet of paper
to a piece of sheet material more rigid than the piece of paper to
provide a laminate; and (d) cutting the instrument face out of the
laminate. Step (b) is typically practiced to simultaneously enlarge or
reduce the photograph with superimposed functional indicia when
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making the copy on the sheet of paper to insure the proper size for the
instrument face.
The invention also may be used to produce self-supporting
instruments. That is, the instrument face itself provides the support for
5 the instrument (rather than being mounted in a casing), either the
sheet material on which photocopying has been practiced, or more
typically a piece of acrylic or plexiglas to which that sheet is laminated.
According to this aspect of the present invention a method is provided
comprising the following steps: (a) Making a color copy of a geometric
10 design having functional instrument indicia thereon, and at least one
color besides black and white, on a piece of paper. (b) Laminating the
piece of paper on a piece of rigid, self supporting material with the
functional indicia facing outwardly, to provide a laminate. (c) Cutting
the geometric design from the laminate to form a self-supporting
15 design element comprising the instrument face and back, the face
having the functional indicia thereon; and (d) connecting the
mechanism to back of the self-supporting design element, with the
indicator visible on the front of the design element and cooperating
with the functional indicia on the instrument face. The geometric
20 design may be an irregular geometric design, and the instrument may
be a clock and the at least one functional moving indicator at least an
hour and a minute hand.
It is the primary object of the present invention to cost
effectively produce high quality, even multicolor, instrument faces in
25 short runs. This and other objects of the invention will become clear
from inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from
the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a control schematic illustrating the various pieces of
apparatus for the practice of the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the various steps
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that may be utilized to practice the method according to the present
invention;
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of paper
5 printed with an instrument face utilizing the apparatus of FIGURE 1
according to the method of FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 4 is a side view, with the components greatly
exaggerated in thickness for clarity of illustration, of the sheet of paper
10 FIGURE 3 after it has been laminated to a more rigid sheet;
FIGURE 5 is a front perspective view, with portions cut away
for clarity of illustration, of the instrument face of FIGURE 3 shown in
an assembled instrument (clock);
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view illustrating matching of a
transparent material with instrument indicia thereon with a color
photograph for the practice of a simplified method of producing
instrument faces according to the invention;
FIGURE 7 is a front view of an instrument face made utilizing
the components of FIGURE 6, according to the invention;
FIGURE 8 is a schematic side view of the face of FIGURE 7 with
25 the components greatly exaggerated in thickness for clarity of
illustration;
FIGURE 9 is a front perspective view of a self-supporting clock
face produced according to another exemplary method according to
30 the invention; and
FIGURE 10 is a rear view of the clock of FIGURE 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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Exemplary apparatus according to the present invention is
schematically illustrated in FIGURE 1, with the dotted line arrows
between components indicating electronic controller feed, while the
solid lines indicate movement of tangible objects.
One of the most basic components of the apparatus of FIGURE
1 is a computer 11. The computer 11 preferably is an IBMTM PC or an
APPLETM PC, although a wide variety of other computers may be
utilized. A second major component of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 is a
10 printer, preferably a color photocopier 12. Exemplary color
photocopiers that may be utilized with success to achieve the desired
results according to the invention are a CANONTM CLC-300 color
laser photocopier, a CANONTM CLC-500, a KODAKTM 1550, a
KODAKTM 1525, and XEROXTM 5775. In order for the PC 11 to
15 properly control the color photocopier 12, a suitable
interface/controller 13 must be provided. One suitable interface 13 for
CANONTM photocopiers is a CANONTM PS-IPU; another, generic,
interface is a FIERYTM controller, or a FIERYTM LITE controller, both
made by EFI.
The artwork that will be used to create the instrument face, with
functional indicia thereon, is created in electronic format in the
computer 11. Information may initially be inputted into the computer
11 for this purpose from a conventional scanner 14 or a CD ROM 15.
Typical commercially available software programs which may be
25 utilized in the computer 11 in order to produce almost any design
desired on an instrument face include CORELDRAWTM (combined
with Micrographics Picture Publisher to do photoediting), HARVARD
DRAWTM, MICROGRAPHICS DESIGNERTM, VENTURA DESKTOP
PUBLISHINGTM, QUARK EXPRESSTM, or ALDUS PAGEMAKERTM.
30 The appropriate electronic version of the instrument face is
electronically transmitted from the computer 11 software through the
interface 13 to the color photocopier 12, and is printed out on a sheet of
paper, or if desired and practical for a particular situation, a slightly
heavier sheet material.
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After an instrument face has been printed out on a sheet of
paper with the photocopier 12 (e.g. see the sheet of paper 17 in
FIGURE 3, with the instrument facc clock dial 18--thereon) may be
laminated onto a more rigid piece of material which may serve as the
5 base for the instrument itself, or be combined with other casing
components. A typical other piece of material that may be utilized is a
sheet of styrene, cardboard, acrylic, or plexiglass if the instrument face
produced is to be mounted in a casing (e.g. FIGURE 5), or acrylic or
plexiglass if it will be self-supporting (e.g. FIGURE 10). A laminator 20
10 for performing the laminating function may be of any suitable
conventional type. FIGURE 4 schematically illustrates the sheet 17 of
FIGURE 3, having the toner or ink making up the clock dial illustrated
at 18, laminated with adhesive 21 onto a piece of more rigid material
(e.g. styrene) 22, the various components illustrated greatly
15 exaggerated in thickness for clarity of illustration.
After laminating to produce the laminate 23 (see FIGURE 4), or
if lamination will not be employed, utilizing just the sheet 17, the
instrument face 18 is cut out. That is, face 18 is separated from the rest
of the sheet material 17, 22. This is preferably accomplished
20 automatically, utilizing a laser cutter 25. One particular laser cutter that
may be utilized for this purpose is made by Universal Laser Systems,
Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona, Model #ULS, containing a twenty five watt
carbon dioxide laser. In general, the smallest and least expensive laser
cutter 25 that will cut the particular material that will be supplied
25 should be selected. The laser cutter 25 may be controlled directly by
the PC 11, or through the interface 13, as necessary for the particular
components selected.
FIGURE 2 schematically illustrates an exemplary method
according to the present invention. The first box 27 indicates that the
30 artwork for the instrument face is created or selected. If the creation or
selection is external of the computer, rather than created within the
computer itself by a suitable software package such as
CORELDRAWTM, it is then entered into the computer as indicated by
the dotted line box 28 in FIGURE 2, such as utilizing a scanner 14 or a
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CD ROM 15. Ultimately, within the computer 11--indicated by box
29--the instrument face, in electronic format, is revised, and once it is
in an appropriate form, an electronic control signal is sent from the PC
11, through the interface 13, to the color photocopier 12 to print the
5 desired number of copies (e.g. 1-500) of instrument faces typically on
sheets of paper, as indicated by box 30.
After printing out the paper sheets with the multicolor
instrument dials thereon, the sheets may be laminated--indicated by
optional box 31--to a more rigid sheet, and then ultimately they are
10 cut to the correct geometric shape (e.g. circle, octagon, etc.) and size of
the instrument face, as indicated at 32 in FIGURE 2. Then the
instrument face is assembled with the ultimate instrument to be
produced, as indicated at box 33. Typically, the face is assembled with
hands, movements, casings, and other mechanical or electrical
15 elements, to produce the final operable instrument.
In one exemplary procedure according to the invention, e.g. for
making an instrument such as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the sheet of
paper 17 from printer (e.g. photocopier) 12 is affixed to a piece of
styrene 22 about 0.02-0.03 inches thick, having a suitable adhesive 21
20 (typically used for silk screening), such as DECOCHEMTM W
photoboard acrylic adhesive, on one face thereof, e.g. covered by a
release sheet. The release sheet is removed from the styrene 22, and
then the sheet 17 is pressed into contact with the adhesive 21 by hand,
and perhaps lightly rolled, forming the laminate 23 (see FIGURE 4).
25 The laminate 23 is then used with the laser cutter 25 to produce a clock
dial, which is then secured by another adhesive to a blank face of a
hard plastic clock, the styrene isolating the art work on paper 17 from
the adhesive securing the dial 18 to the clock casing.
FIGURE 5 illustrates an exemplary instrument, shown generally
30 by reference numeral 35, produced according to the invention. In this
particular case, the instrument face 18 has been laminated to a 0.02 inch
thick styrene sheet 22 (if the face 18 is printed onto cardboard, the
more rigid sheet 22 is not necessary), and it is placed within the plastic
casing 36 and secured thereto, e.g. with adhesive. In this particular
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case, the instrument face 18 has numerical functional indicia thereon, in
this case the hour symbols of a clock. Also, various decorative indicia
are also provided, in this case the clock face simulating an altimeter,
and therefore having the nonfunctional but decorative indicia such as
5 39. Also, a unique logo or design is provided as indicated generally by
reference numeral 40, and the design 40 (as well as the other printed
indicia 38, 39 or the background therefor, if desired) is multicolored.
For example, the colors yellow, blue, and red are indicated for the
design 40 in FIGURE 5 by suitable hatching/stippling.
The instrument 35 also comprises operable mechanical and
electrical components, including the hour hand 42, minute hand 43, and
clock movement 44, which is mounted to the back of the sheet 22 in a
conventional manner, and has a shaft 45 extending outwardly through
a central opening 46 in the face 18 so as to provide for movement of
15 the clock hands 42, 43.
While a clock is illustrated at 35 in FIGURE 5, the invention is
applicable to virtually any type of instrument, including thermometers,
altimeters, barometer, air speed indicators, horizon indicators, etc. Also
while a circular instrument face 18 has been illustrated, it need not be
20 circular but can be any polygonal shape, or even an geometric
irregular shape since the laser cutter 25 can cut almost any shape that
the computer 11 can generate. Also, while the invention is particularly
applicable to instrument faces (dials), it may also be utilized to create
other functional multicolor elements having indicia thereon, including
25 trophies, plaques, or other aesthetic structures that are attached to or
incorporated in otherwise functional objects, such as machines,
appliances, and the like.
The invention has been actually practiced to cost effectively
produce a wide variety of clock and thermometer dials having unique
30 artwork and designs thereon. The cost of producing instrument dials
according to the invention is only about 10-50% greater than
producing instrument dials by conventional mass production
techniques despite the fact that the invention produces the instrument
faces in small quantities (typically 1-500 units). The instrument faces
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are also of extremely high quality, long-lasting, and allow uniquely
designed instruments or the like to be produced in a matter of hours.
According to a simpler method, the invention can be practiced
to make instrument faces directly from color photographs (e.g. prints),
5 either untouched, or modified (e.g. by using an airbrush). As seen in
FIGURES 6-8, a transparent substrate (e.g. plastic, such as MYLARTM)
50 with an instrument face 51 inked thereon, having functional indicia
52, is superimposed on a color photo 48 with a physical object or being
49 illustrated thereon. The substrate 50 may be held in place with
10 transparent tape. lt is then photocopied with a color photocopier, such
as of the types earlier described, and normally will be enlarged (or
sometimes reduced) in size so as to produce an instrument dial of
desired size.
The piece of paper on which the photocopy is produced may
15 then be laminated and laser cut, as described above with respect to
FIGURES 1 and 2, to produce the instrument face 54 (FIGURE 7),
having the same object or being 49 as the photo 48. The instrument
face 54 has a circumferential periphery 55 defined by the cutter, and a
central hole 56. As seen in FIGURE 8, typically the face 54 comprises a
20 laminate, a top sheet of paper 59 having the color representation 49
thereon, a substrate 60 (e.g. styrene, cardboard, acrylic, plexiglas, etc.)
and adhesive 61 holding them together.
FIGURES 9 and 10 illustrate an instrument 63 according to the
invention in which the face is self-supporting, there being no
25 requirement for a casing, such as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Here, a rigid
substrate 64 (e.g. plexiglas or acrylic) has a colored paper sheet made
as described in any of the above described methods, laminated on the
front thereof, having functional indicia 66. The instrument 63 includes
at least one functional moving indicator 68, such as the clock minute
30 and hour hands 69, 70, respectively (FIGURE 9) visible on the front and
cooperating with indicia 66. The instrument electrical and mechanical
components (e.g. clock movement) 72 are mounted on the rear of the
sheet 64 (FIGURE 10), and may include a power source (e.g. battery)
73, and a mounting flange 74 with a mounting opening 75 therein.
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Opening 75 may be received by a hook or nail in a wall, or the like,
supporting the geometrically shaped laminate 64, 65 so that the
instrument 63 is readily visible.
While the invention has been herein shown and described, no
5 one has presently conceived to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment thereof it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art that many modifications may be made thereof within the scope of
the invention, which scope is to be accorded the broadest
interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent
10 methods and apparatus.
