Patent ID: 7070406
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: B29C,B82Y,G03F

Abstract:
1. An embossing apparatus, comprising: a flexible substrate including a coated side and a base side; a coating unit for depositing a photopolymer material having a first thickness on the coated side; an embossing belt comprising an optically transparent belt material and an optically transparent compliant media connected with the belt material, the compliant media including an optically transparent imprint stamp having an imprint pattern therein; a plurality of transport rollers connected with the belt material and operative to support the embossing belt; a drive unit for imparting a drive motion to the embossing belt and the flexible substrate; a backing drum wrapped by a portion of the base side and by a portion of the compliant media so that a tension is imparted in the embossing belt and the tension generates a pressure between the flexible substrate and the embossing belt, the drive motion is operative to transport the base side over the backing drum and to urge the imprint stamp and the coated side into contact with each other so that the imprint pattern is embossed in the photopolymer material and forms a replicate pattern in the photopolymer material; and an ultraviolet light source for irradiating the replicate pattern with an ultraviolet light, the ultraviolet light source is positioned so that the ultraviolet light first passes through the optically transparent belt material, then passes through the optically transparent compliant media, and finally passes through the optically transparent imprint stamp to irradiate the replicate pattern in the photopolymer material, and the ultraviolet light source is positioned so that the irradiating occurs contemporaneously with the embossing of the replicate pattern in the photopolymer material.