Device for marking a transparent element of a vehicle and related process

Abstract

A device for marking a transparent element of a vehicle comprises an infrared laser emitter head (26) and an electronic control unit (30) connected to the laser head (26) to control the emission of a laser beam for marking a transparent element (34, 36). The laser head (26) can be supported by an articulated arm (18) having a first end connected to a base body (12) and a second end connected to the laser emitter head (26). The marking device operates according to a process that includes the steps of bringing the laser head (26) into contact with the selected marking area of ​​the transparent element (34, 36), holding the position of the laser head (26) fixed, selecting the type of element to be marked (34, 36) via the control unit (30), and performing the marking operation by directing a laser beam from the laser head (26) toward the transparent element (34, 36).

Description

Device for marking a transparent element of a vehicle and related process The present invention relates generally to the personalization of vehicle components by imprinting a security mark or code on them, in order to deter theft of the vehicle or its components. More particularly, the invention relates to a marking process by which it is possible to impart an indelible and therefore permanent code to any transparent component of a vehicle, regardless of the material from which it is made. Document CN 105033463 A discloses a device for marking a transparent vehicle component, comprising an emission head for emitting a YAG-aWave infrared laser beam, and an electronic control unit operatively connected to the laser emission head for controlling the emission of said laser beam in order to mark said transparent component. The same document also describes a process for marking a transparent vehicle component carried out by means of the aforementioned marking device, comprising the step of placing the vehicle in a prepared preparation area, positioning the laser emission head in contact with a preselected marking region of said transparent component, and performing the marking operation by sending a laser beam from the laser emission head towards said transparent component. The object of the invention is, therefore, to propose a marking process that is capable of very effectively printing a personalization code on a transparent element of a vehicle. This objective is achieved through the invention by virtue of a marking process of the type defined in the attached claims. More specifically, according to the invention, the marking process comprises the following steps: - clean the outer surface of the item to be marked; Perform an operator authentication procedure through instructions displayed on the electronic control unit and initiate the electronic control unit to select the type of item to be marked, in order to automatically activate software in the laser emission head to adjust the wavelength, intensity, and number of passes of the laser beam for the selected item type; - carry out the marking operation by directing a laser beam from the laser emission head towards said transparent element, keeping the position of the laser emission head fixed with respect to the element to be marked; and - wait for the automatic interruption of the laser beam emission at the end of the marking operation. Due to its characteristics, the marking process is capable of carrying out a physical transformation of the surface of the element to be marked, by emitting a YAG-aWave type infrared laser beam that penetrates the component material to a depth that prevents its mechanical and / or chemical erasure. In particular, the use of the aforementioned infrared laser allows for photographic-level clarity and resolution of the code line, leaving the component surface completely intact and smooth, at least when marking a polycarbonate component. Furthermore, this type of laser has the advantage of not reacting upon contact with organic tissue, so in the event of accidental laser exposure to an operator, there is no risk to the operator. According to a preferred feature of the invention, the process comprises the step of supporting the laser emission head by means of a support at least during the execution of a marking of said transparent element. This feature makes the process of the invention safer and more efficient. According to another preferred feature of the invention, said support consists of a base body that can be stationary or a movable base body on wheels. This makes the process easy and practical to carry out. According to another preferred feature of the invention, the process comprises the step of providing the base body with an articulated arm, said articulated arm comprising a first portion and a second portion articulated to each other at a first joint, said first portion of the arm being articulated to the base body at a second joint and said second portion of the arm being articulated to the laser emission head at a third joint, each of said joints being associated with respective adjustable locking means which preferably comprise a locking button or the like. According to another preferred feature of the invention, the base body comprises two pairs of wheels, a first pair of wheels that rotate about a common axis of rotation and are provided with braking means, and a second pair of independently pivoting wheels. In this way, the base body is easily maneuverable and can be locked in a stable position for the marking process, without allowing inadvertent movements or vibrations. According to another preferred feature of the invention, the laser emission head emits a laser beam substantially only in the horizontal and downward direction. In this way, it is possible to prevent the laser beam from being directed towards an operator's head, for greater safety. According to another preferred feature of the invention, the process comprises the steps of preparing the anchoring means for the electronic control unit in said base body and fixing the electronic control unit to the base body by means of said anchoring means. In this way, the base body and the control unit form a single unit together, for greater convenience. Furthermore, the process of the invention comprises the steps of remotely connecting the electronic control unit to a database containing a storage of previously performed marking operations and the codes usable for future marking operations, equipping the laser emission head with software to manage its operation, and providing said electronic control unit with resident software for LAN communication with the laser emission head operation management software. This allows for easy and quick management of the laser emission head marking operation through said electronic control unit. According to another preferred feature of the process of the invention, when the laser emission head is supported by a base body, it preferably comprises the steps of: - position the base body of the marking device near the transparent element of the vehicle to be marked; - adjust the position of the articulated arm and lock the position of the articulated arm by means of said adjustable locking means associated with the joints of said arm. According to another preferred feature of the process of the invention, at the end of the marking operation, the electronic control unit prompts the operator to place the laser emission head on another element of the vehicle to be marked. This makes it easier to mark a series of transparent elements of the same vehicle. According to another preferred feature of the process of the invention, the electronic control unit comprises a list of a plurality of transparent elements to be marked and, for each of them, an indication of a wavelength, an intensity and a number of passes of the laser beam to control the operation of the laser emission head during the marking operation. Due to these characteristics, the invention process can be carried out in a fully automatic manner once the vehicle element to be marked has been determined. According to another preferred feature of the process of the invention, when the transparent element to be marked is a polycarbonate element, such as a front or rear headlight unit of the vehicle or the transparent portion of the fairing of a motorcycle, the laser emission head is arranged on the surface of said transparent element to be marked outside the vehicle, and the mark, starting from the outer contact surface, extends to a depth of approximately 4 / 5 of the thickness of said polycarbonate element, without removal of material.According to another preferred feature of the process of the invention, when the transparent element to be marked is a glass panel of the vehicle, such as a windshield, rear window, or side window of the vehicle, the laser emission head is arranged on the surface of said element to be marked located outside the vehicle, a screen of reflective material for said laser beam is arranged in contact with the inner surface of the glass panel, and the marking from the inner contact surface of the reflective material protection extends to a depth of approximately 2 tenths of a millimeter from the inner surface of said glass panel, with removal of material. Other features and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, provided by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a base body of a device for carrying out the process of the invention equipped with a YAG-aWave type infrared laser beam emission head. Figure 2 is a schematic view showing the device for carrying out the process of the invention during the marking of the optical unit of a motor vehicle headlight. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a detail of the mark obtained for a polycarbonate element of the vehicle, Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the device for carrying out the process of the invention during the marking of a glass panel of a motor vehicle, and Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a detail of the mark obtained for a glass element of the vehicle. With reference to the figures, a device for marking a transparent element of a vehicle, according to a preferred embodiment for carrying out the process of the invention, is indicated by the number 10 as a whole. The device 10 comprises a movable base body 12, preferably formed from a robust structure of folded sheet metal and supported by two pairs of front wheels 14 and rear wheels 16, the front wheel pair 14 being generally of the rotating or pivoting type, while the rear wheel pair 16 is rotatably mounted about its own axis of rotation and is provided with braking means (not shown because they are of a known type). An articulated arm 18 extends from one side of the base body 12, comprising a first and a second rod 20, 22 articulated to each other at 24, one end of the first rod 20 being articulated to the base body 12 and a free end of the second rod 22 being articulated to a head 26 for emitting a YAG-aWave infrared laser beam. The various joints of the arm 18, i.e., the joint of rod 20 with the body 12, the joint of rod 22 with the laser emission head 26, and the joint 24 interposed between rods 20 and 22, are associated with relatively adjustable locking means (not shown in the figures), preferably comprising for each joint a locking button or nut or the like. The laser emission head can preferably be placed only in a series of positions where the laser beam emitted from it does not constitute a potential danger to the operator or to structures placed near the device 10, for example, to emit a laser beam substantially only in the horizontal direction, with the possibility of small angular adjustments of the position for better adaptation to the profile of an element to be marked, and downwards, to avoid directing the laser beam upwards, so as not to interfere with the operator's head. Since the laser emission head 26 is positioned off-center with respect to the body 12, the structure of the base body 12 is provided with counterweight means (not shown) to balance the weight of the head 26, which is approximately 7 kg, the counterweight means preferably consisting of cast iron blocks welded to the floor of the body 12. The upper part of the body 12 has a shelf 28 arranged to receive an electronic control unit 30, which conveniently consists of a laptop PC that can be fixed to the shelf 28 by means of anchoring devices (not shown). The unit 30 is connected via LAN to the laser emission head 26 to interact, through communication software, with control software already residing in the latter, in order to control the functionality of the head 26, in particular its laser marking function, by means of the unit 30. In addition, the control unit 30 is remotely connected to a database that contains a storage of the marking operations previously performed by device 10 and also the codes usable for future marking operations. The resident control software in head 26 prevents the end user from modifying the basic settings of the control unit 30 and can operate according to a simplified procedure in which all machine setting parameters are preset and cannot be modified, so that the operator only has to communicate to head 26 via the communication software which element should be marked and, according to the choice, head 26 operates with the preset optimal parameters for the selected element. In particular, the control unit 30 allows a list of items to be marked on several vehicles to be displayed, and for each of them it contains the indication of a wavelength, a laser beam intensity and a number of laser beam supply passes, in order to use the related data to automatically control the operation of the head 26 during a marking operation. Device 10 is used to perform a marking process on a transparent element of a vehicle by reproducing a code using the infrared laser beam emitted from the head 26. For example, the polycarbonate cover lens of an optical unit of a headlight or taillight of a vehicle, or the transparent polycarbonate portion of the fairing of a motorcycle, or the tempered or laminated glass panel of a windshield, rear window or side window of a motor vehicle. The laser beam, regardless of the material of the transparent element to be marked, acts on a surface of it, transforming it as a result of its penetration into the material to reproduce the marking code at a depth that prevents its mechanical and / or chemical erasure, in order to produce an indelible marking. In particular, the use of a YAG-aWave infrared laser beam allows for photographic-level clarity and resolution in the marking, leaving the outer surface of the transparent element completely intact and smooth relative to the vehicle. Furthermore, this type of laser does not react upon contact with organic tissue, thus posing no danger in the event of accidental laser beam projection onto the operator's body. In the operation of device 10, the main steps described below are carried out with reference to the marking of a transparent element of a motor vehicle indicated by C in the drawings. Initially, the motor vehicle C is placed in a specially designed preparation area, where the outer surface of the marking element, which, for example, can be a front optical unit 34 or a side window 36, is cleaned using specific cleaning products provided with the device 10 (not shown) and contained, for example, in a compartment of the base body 12. With reference to Figures 2 and 3, the marking can be carried out on the front optical unit 34 which has an optical-grade transparent polycarbonate outer cover lens. After the cleaning stage, the base body 12 is positioned near the optical unit 34 and the print head 26 is brought into contact with a region of the assembly 34 as a result of adjusting the position of the rods 20 and 22 of the articulated arm 18 and locking the rods 20 and 22, as well as the print head 26, in position by means of the adjustable locking means associated with the relative joints. The operator performs a procedure for their own authentication by means of the instructions shown on the electronic control unit 30, which comprises at least one or more of the following operations: - declare your own identifier, such as a name or an identification code, - declare your own authorization code, - sign a waiver of your own liability, - sign a declaration of diligent use and compliance with safety regulations, and / or - confirm that the transparent element to be marked corresponds to the chosen element, in this case a front optical unit 34 of the vehicle. The electronic control unit 30 then selects the possible items to be marked from a storage list. The selected item type, in this case an optical unit 34, is then automatically activated in the laser head 26. This software performs an adjustment stage for the laser beam's wavelength, intensity, and the number of marking steps required, specific to the selected item type. The marking operation then begins by sending a laser beam via the laser emission head 26 toward the front optical unit 34, while maintaining the position of the laser head 26 fixed relative to the optical unit 34. At the end of the marking operation, which occurs due to the automatic interruption of the laser beam supply when the marking code has been completed, in the case of transparent elements to be marked arranged on both sides of the vehicle, the electronic control unit 30 may issue a message proposing or requiring the continuation of the marking of a symmetrical transparent element located on the other side of the vehicle, so that an additional marking operation takes place after placing the laser emission head 26 on the other symmetrical element of the vehicle to be marked, in this case, the front optical unit located on the other side of the same motor vehicle C. A similar process is carried out, for example, to mark the rear lights of motor vehicle C and for other possible polycarbonate elements, as well as to mark the transparent polycarbonate portion of a motorcycle fairing (not shown), with possible minor variations within the reach of the expert in the field. The marking carried out in this way preferably consists of a seven-character alphanumeric code whose impressions 40 extend from the outer surface of contact with the laser emission head 26 to a depth of approximately 4 / 5 of the thickness of the polycarbonate element, without removal of material. With reference to Figures 4 and 5, the marking can be carried out on a panel made of tempered or laminated glass, for example, a side window 36 of motor vehicle C. Once the motor vehicle C has been placed in the preparation area and the cleaning stage has been carried out, the base body 12 is positioned near the motor vehicle C by placing the head 26 in contact with a preselected region of the outer surface of the window 36, adjusting the position of the rods 20 and 22 of the articulated arm 18 and locking the rods 20 and 22 and the head 26 in position by means of the adjustable locking means associated with the relative joints. The operator carries out a procedure for his own authentication, entirely similar to that described above with reference to the marking of the optical unit 34, and applies a screen of reflective material 38 for the laser beam, for example, a plate of metallic material or similar, in contact with the inner surface of the window 36 in the area to be marked. After starting the electronic control unit 30 to select the type of element selected for marking, in this case a side window 36, software is automatically activated in the print head 26 which carries out a stage of adjusting the wavelength of the laser beam, its intensity and the number of passes required for marking, specific to the type of element selected. The marking operation then begins, which involves the emission of a laser beam by the laser emission head 26, which is held in a fixed position towards the window 36 that is crossed by the laser beam to be reflected back towards the window 36 by the screen 38 of reflective material. In this case as well, the laser beam emission is automatically interrupted at the end of the marking operation, and if there is a symmetrical transparent element to mark on the other side of the vehicle, the electronic control unit 30 will issue a message proposing or requiring that the marking of the symmetrical transparent element be continued. A similar process is carried out for marking other glass panels of motor vehicle C, such as the other windows or a front windshield or a rear window of motor vehicle C, with possible minor variations within the reach of the person skilled in the art. The marking made on a glass panel preferably consists of a seven-character alphanumeric code whose impressions 42 extend from the inner surface of the glass panel or window glass 36 in contact with the reflective screen 38 to a depth of approximately 2 tenths of a millimeter, in this case with removal of material. The alphanumeric marking code characters may comprise two initial letters (e.g., "NX") followed by five numeric characters, the code of which is then combined with the corresponding motor vehicle and its owner, or seven numeric characters corresponding to the last seven digits of the motor vehicle chassis number. According to another embodiment of the invention not shown in the drawings, the base body for supporting the laser emission head is a stationary base body, consisting, for example, of a support such as a tripod, which can be moved as required to the most suitable position for carrying out the step of marking a transparent element of the vehicle, or fixedly positioned so that the vehicle moves with the transparent element to be marked as required close to the stationary base body. In this case, the electronic control unit can be supported by the stationary base body or placed at a distance from it and operatively connected to the laser emission head by known means. According to another embodiment of the invention, not shown in the drawings, the laser emission head does not have a dedicated support and an operator can hold it by means of support, which consist, for example, of a shoulder strap to keep the laser emission head in a stable position in contact with the transparent element to be marked during the marking operation, the electronic control unit being placed at a certain distance and operationally connected to the laser emission head by means of communication, for example, Bluetooth, or a wired connection.

Claims

1. A method for marking a transparent element of a vehicle, carried out by means of a marking device (10) comprising: - a YAG-aWave type emission head (26) for emitting an infrared laser beam, and - an electronic control unit (30) operatively connected to the laser emission head (26) for controlling the emission of said laser beam in order to mark said transparent element (34, 36), said method comprising the steps of: - placing the vehicle (C) in a prepared preparation area; - positioning the laser emission head (26) in contact with a preselected marking region of said transparent element (34, 36); and - carrying out the marking operation by sending a laser beam from the laser emission head (26) towards said transparent element (34, 36); characterized in that the method includes the steps of: - cleaning the outer surface of the element to be marked (34,36); - carrying out an operator authentication procedure through instructions displayed on the electronic control unit (30) and initiating the electronic control unit (30) to select the type of element to be marked (34, 36), in order to automatically activate software in the laser emission head (26) to adjust the wavelength, intensity, and number of passes of the laser beam for the selected element type (34, 36); - carrying out the marking operation by sending a laser beam from the laser emission head (26) towards said transparent element (34, 36) while maintaining the position of the laser emission head (26) fixed with respect to the element to be marked (34, 36); and - waiting for the automatic interruption of the laser beam emission at the end of the marking operation.

2. Marking process according to claim 1,characterized in that it comprises the step of supporting the laser emission head (26) by means of a support (12) at least during the execution of a marking of said transparent element (34, 36).

3. Marking process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said laser emission head (26) emits a laser beam substantially only in the horizontal and downward direction.

4. Marking process according to claim 2, characterized in that said support (12) consists of a stationary base body.

5. Marking process according to claim 2, characterized in that said support (12) consists of a base body movable on wheels (14, 16).

6. Marking process according to claim 5, characterized in that the base body (12) comprises two pairs of wheels (14, 16), a first pair of wheels (16) that can rotate about a common axis of rotation and is provided with braking means,and a second pair of independent swivel casters (14).

7. Marking process according to any of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that it comprises the step of providing said base body (12) with an articulated arm (18) to support the laser emission head (26), said articulated arm (18) comprising a first portion (20) and a second portion (22) articulated to each other at a first joint (24), said first portion of the arm (20) being articulated to the base body (12) at a second joint and said second portion of the arm (22) being articulated to the laser emission head (26) at a third joint, each of said joints being associated with respective adjustable locking means, which preferably comprise a push button or the like.

8. Marking process according to any of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the step of cleaning the outer surface of the element to be marked (34,36) is carried out by using specific products for cleaning the element to be marked, supplied with the base body (12).

9. Marking process according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - placing the base body (12) of the marking device (10) near the transparent element to be marked (34, 36) of the vehicle (C); - adjusting the position of the articulated arm (18) and locking its position by means of said adjustable locking means associated with the joints of said arm (18).

10. Marking process according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that said marking consists of an alphanumeric code, preferably of seven characters.

11. Marking process according to any of claims 4 to 10,characterized in that it comprises the step of preparing the anchoring means for the electronic control unit (30) in said base body (12) and fixing the electronic control unit (30) to the base body (12) by means of said anchoring means.

12. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises the step of remotely connecting said electronic control unit (30) to a database containing a storage of previously performed marking operations and the codes usable for future marking operations.

13. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises the step of equipping the laser emission head (26) with software for managing its own operation,and the step of providing said electronic control unit (30) with resident software that communicates via LAN with the software that manages the operation of the laser emission head (26).

14. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the electronic control unit (30) prompts the operator, at the end of the marking operation, to place the laser emission head (26) on another element of the vehicle (C) to be marked.

15. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the electronic control unit (30) comprises a list of a plurality of transparent elements to be marked and, for each of them, the indication of a wavelength, an intensity, and a number of passes of the laser beam to control the operation of the laser emission head (26) during the marking operation.

16. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 15,characterized in that said operator authentication procedure comprises at least one or more of the following operations: - declaring an operator identifier, such as their name or an identification code, - declaring an operator authorization code, - approving an operator liability waiver, - approving a declaration of diligent use and compliance with safety regulations by the operator, and / or - confirming that the transparent element to be marked (34, 36) corresponds to the element indicated by the operator.

17. Marking process according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the transparent element to be marked is a polycarbonate element, such as a front (34) or rear (C) light assembly of the vehicle or the transparent portion of a motorcycle fairing,characterized in that the laser emission head (26) is arranged on the surface outside the vehicle (C) of said transparent element to be marked (34), and in that the marking, starting from the outer contact surface, extends to a depth of approximately 4 / 5 of the thickness of said polycarbonate element (34), without material removal.

18. Marking process according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the element to be marked is a glass panel (36) of the vehicle (C), such as a windshield, a rear window, or a side window of the vehicle, characterized in that the laser emission head (26) is arranged on the surface outside the vehicle (C) of said element to be marked (36), a reflective screen (38) for said laser beam being arranged in contact with the inner surface of the glass panel (36), and in that the marking,which begins from the inner contact surface of the reflective material screen (38) and extends to a depth of approximately 2 tenths of a millimeter from the inner surface of said glass panel (36), with removal of material.

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