ORNAMENT HAVING DOT PATTERN ORNAMENTAL INDICIA THEREON, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING SAME

摘要

An ornament (10) includes a hollow ornament body (11) having an inner coating layer (16) in which a pattern is formed, to form an ornamental indicia (15) for the ornament (10). The pattern in the inner coating layer (16) may be a pattern of openings (18) or a pattern of discolorations (19). Dot patterns may be formed to produce an ornamental half-tone indicia. The pattern in the inner coating layer (16) may be formed by directing a laser beam (46) through the hollow ornament body (11) into the inner coating layer in a predetermined pattern. The laser beam (46) may vaporize the inner coating layer (16) or discolor the inner coating layer (16) without harming the body of the ornament (10). The laser (42) may be an Nd:YAG marking laser. Input patterns are provided to the laser (42) after conversion from planar to spheroidal coordinates so that a pattern may be produced in the inner coating layer (16) without distortion. Raster scanning or vector scanning techniques may be used to control the laser (42) to form the dot pattern (93) half-tone indicia. When illuminated from within, the ornament (10) produces a unique appearance because the ornamental indicia (15) is illuminated due to the removal or discoloration of the inner coating layer (16).