Decorative film, method for producing decorative film, and method for decorating target substrate

Abstract

The invention relates to a decorative film, a method for producing a decorative film and a method for decorating a target substrate. The decorative film, in particular a laminating film, a cold embossing film or a hot embossing film, comprises a carrier film (42) and an overall lacquer layer (41), wherein the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a decorative film, in particular a laminating film, a hot stamping film (hot stamping film) and / or a cold stamping film, a method for producing the decorative film and a method for decorating a target substrate using the decorative film. Background Art

[0002] It is known to use decorative films to apply a total paint layer on security documents (such as passports, credit cards or banknotes). For this purpose, laminating films, hot embossing films and / or cold embossing films are used in particular. Here, a total paint layer of the decorative film is transferred to a target substrate and then the carrier film of the decorative film is peeled off. When the total paint layer of the decorative film is transferred from a carrier film to a target substrate in this way, the total paint layer is torn along a boundary line, which defines the partial area of ​​the total paint layer to be transferred. This partial area can be defined in particular by an adhesive layer applied to the target substrate and connecting the total paint layer to the target substrate. The applied adhesive layer is in particular only partially applied here and can be, for example, formed in a pattern. In an ideal case, the decorative film breaks at the outer edge of the adhesive layer. However, depending on the structure and composition of the decorative film, it may also lead to, for example, undefined breaks of the total paint layer away from the outer edge of the adhesive layer, resulting in an untidy decoration. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved decorative film, an improved method for producing a decorative film, and an improved method for decorating a target substrate.

[0004] This object is achieved by a decorative film, in particular a laminating film, a cold embossing film or a hot embossing film, comprising a carrier film and an overall lacquer layer, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm.

[0005] Furthermore, this object is achieved by a method for producing a decorative film, wherein the method comprises the following steps (particularly carried out in the following order):

[0006] a) preparing a carrier film, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm,

[0007] b) Applying a total lacquer layer to at least one region of at least one surface of the carrier film, thereby forming a decorative film.

[0008] Preferably, provision is made for at least one partial region of the at least one region to be arranged on at least one of the at least one surfaces of the carrier film, wherein this partial region at least partially covers at least one of the at least one surfaces of the carrier film.

[0009] Furthermore, this object is also achieved by a method for decorating a target substrate, wherein the method comprises the following steps, which are carried out in particular in the following order:

[0010] d) Prepare a decorative film,

[0011] e) preparing a target substrate,

[0012] f) applying a decorative film to at least one area of ​​at least one surface of a target substrate.

[0013] Preferably, provision is made that at least one partial region of the at least one region is arranged on at least one of the at least one surfaces of the target substrate, wherein this partial region at least partially covers at least one of the at least one surfaces of the target substrate.

[0014] In studies, it has surprisingly been shown that, compared with conventional decorative films, with the invention, improved covering power and a neater impression of the decoration are achieved, since the cracking and tearing forces are reduced due to the reduced thickness of the carrier film and these cracking and tearing forces are decisive for a high-quality decoration of the target substrate. When the carrier film is removed from the overall paint layer, the carrier film is bent, so that stresses occur in particular over the entire cross section of the decorative film. By reducing the thickness of the carrier film, these stresses can be reduced and the resulting cracking and tearing forces are likewise reduced. In addition, the fluctuations in the force amplitude of the tearing force are significantly reduced, which further improves the separation / peeling properties and contributes to a neat decoration.

[0015] Furthermore, by means of a decorative film having a carrier film thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm, the amount of plastic waste is reduced compared to conventional decorative films.

[0016] In addition, the following advantage further results: longer film rolls can be wound up while the diameter of the film roll remains unchanged. This is particularly advantageous in terms of logistics and transportation.

[0017] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0018] In particular, it is provided that the total paint layer has a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, in particular 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm. It has been shown that, with such a layer thickness, the total paint layer breaks particularly well at a previously defined edge defined by the outer edge of the adhesive layer. This makes it possible to achieve a neat decoration of the decorative film on the target substrate.

[0019] Preferably, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, and / or the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:1, preferably 4.4:1 to 8.3:1, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm. Such a ratio is conducive to good separation properties of the carrier film from the total paint layer. This is because, with such a ratio, less stress is generated when removing / peeling off the carrier film from the total paint layer than with conventional decorative films. This also improves the decorative quality.

[0020] When using decorative films with the listed ratios of carrier film thickness to total paint layer thickness, it has been shown in particular that the embossing quality and embossing performance are significantly improved compared to decorative films with a ratio of carrier film thickness to total paint layer thickness outside the listed range.

[0021] In particular, the carrier film comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of: PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PC (polycarbonate), PE (polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PS (polystyrene), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PU (polyurethane), PBS (polybutylene succinate), PLA (polylactic acid), PAN (polyacrylonitrile) and / or glass.

[0022] In particular, it is provided that the overall paint layer has at least one separating layer and / or at least one protective paint layer and / or at least one decorative layer and / or at least one primer layer and / or at least one adhesive layer and / or at least one color layer.

[0023] Preferably, at least one of the at least one separating layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of wax, silicone, polyurethane and / or polymers, preferably acrylate copolymers, polyester copolymers, polystyrene copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers.

[0024] The tear force represents the force used to separate two layers from each other; there is a positive correlation between the tear force required to tear a first layer from a second layer and the adhesion between the first and second layers.

[0025] The adhesion of at least one of the at least one color layer to at least one region of the total paint layer of the decorative film which has been transferred to the target substrate is determined by means of the following Tesa test at room temperature immediately after printing and one day after printing:

[0026] A test sample, in the form of a target substrate having a total paint layer applied thereto and at least one color layer printed on at least one area of ​​the total paint layer, is placed in a material testing machine of model Z005 manufactured by ZwickRoell GmbH & Co. KG. A strip of 13 to 16 cm long and 19 mm wide tesa tape of the tesa brand type 4104 is affixed to the test sample in such a way that about 5 cm to 7 cm of the tesa tape protrudes beyond the edge of the substrate. The tesa tape is then pressed three to four times with the thumb and finally removed from the test sample at a removal angle of 90° at a speed of 500 mm / min and the force required to tear the at least one of the at least one color layer off the total paint layer is measured simultaneously. The test is considered to have been passed if 90% of the printed ink remains on the test sample or if the test sample itself tears.

[0027] The total paint layer print with conventional printing inks, in particular printing inks cured with the above-mentioned UV (ultraviolet) rays, UV-curing paints, mixed pigments or mixed coatings and / or oxidatively cured printing inks and / or low migration pigments (LMI pigments or MGA pigments, LMI = low migration, MGA = migrationsarm), adheres very well to the transfer layer, so that the test can be assessed as very well passed.

[0028] Preferably, it is provided that the total paint layer has at least one color layer on at least one surface, wherein the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer is at least 25 cN, preferably at least 30 cN.

[0029] Preferably, at least one of the at least one separating layer has a thickness in the range of 0.01 μm to 0.50 μm, preferably 0.10 μm to 0.30 μm. This small thickness of the separating layer makes it possible to peel the total paint layer off the carrier film with sharp edges and neatly. The simultaneously achievable precision and simultaneously achievable resolution can correspond relatively precisely to the layout of the at least one partially applied adhesive layer of the at least one adhesive layer, preferably on the target substrate, without significant deviations, so that a high registration accuracy of the film layout with a possibly existing print layout consisting of conventional printing ink can be achieved.

[0030] Register or alignment or register accuracy or alignment accuracy preferably refers to the positional accuracy of two or more elements and / or layers.

[0031] The register accuracy should fluctuate within a predetermined tolerance, and the tolerance should preferably be as small as possible. At the same time, the register accuracy of multiple elements, layers, and sub-regions relative to one another is an important feature for increasing process reliability.

[0032] In this case, the position-accurate positioning is achieved in particular by markings, in particular by alignment marks or register marks which are detected by sensors and are preferably optically detectable. These markings, in particular alignment marks or register marks, preferably either represent specific individual elements or areas or layers or are preferably themselves components of the elements or areas or layers to be positioned.

[0033] During this sharp-edged, local separation, due to the small separation layer thickness, only very small and few so-called flakes are produced, i.e. small layer residues of the overall paint layer of the decorative film, which can be destructive in subsequent process steps and / or can impair the optical appearance of the coated target substrate. With a small separation layer thickness, a resolution that is lower than the resolution capability of the human eye can be achieved.

[0034] In particular, it is advantageous if at least one of the at least one separating layer is designed to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent.

[0035] Preferably, at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from polymers, in particular acrylate copolymers, polyester copolymers, polystyrene copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers and / or SMA copolymers (SMA=styrene-maleic anhydride).

[0036] It is particularly advantageous to achieve a high covering power if the layers of the total paint layer have long-chain, in particular high-molecular polymers. However, it is preferably advantageous to achieve a clean embossing if the layers of the total paint layer have short-chain, in particular low-molecular polymers. In order to combine both advantages, it is particularly provided that the polymer of the total paint layer, in particular an acrylate copolymer, a polyester copolymer, a polycarbonate copolymer, a polystyrene copolymer and / or an SMA copolymer and / or a combination thereof, has a molar mass in the range of 1000 g / mol to 100,000 g / mol, preferably 3000 g / mol to 35,000 g / mol.

[0037] The covering power is a unit of measure for the number of defects of a target substrate that is decorated over a continuous, full surface. Thus, with a covering power of 100%, no defects or holes are produced over the entire surface of the decorated target substrate. The defects that occur can be microscopic, i.e. not discernible to the human eye, or macroscopic, i.e. discernible to the human eye. Low and uniform tearing forces enable high covering power of the decoration.

[0038] Preferably, at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer has a thickness in the range of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, in particular 0.8 μm to 1.3 μm.

[0039] The protective lacquer layer provides, in particular, protection for the overall lacquer layer on the target substrate against mechanical and / or chemical stresses.

[0040] It is preferably possible for at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent.

[0041] In particular, it is provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layer comprises at least one metallic layer and / or at least one dielectric layer.

[0042] Preferably, at least one of the at least one decorative layer has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 500 nm, preferably 8 nm to 60 nm, particularly preferably 10 nm to 30 nm. In order to achieve the desired high UV permeability (ultraviolet permeability) of the decorative film when a UV adhesive (ultraviolet adhesive) is used as cold glue, even if the decorative layer is in the form of a metal layer, it is particularly preferred that the metal layer has only a layer thickness in the range of 8 nm to 60 nm, preferably 10 nm to 30 nm. This achieves a combination of good visibility and decorative effect of the metal layer with high permeability to UV rays (OD=optical density, optical density about 1.2).

[0043] In order to achieve sufficient curing of the UV adhesive, it is particularly provided that the decorative film has a permeability to UV light in the range of 250 nm to 400 nm in the range of 5% to 70%, in particular 10% to 40%. In this way, a cold glue based on an adhesive that crosslinks under UV radiation (ultraviolet radiation) can be cured particularly quickly and particularly fully on the target substrate, thereby further improving the adhesion of the total paint layer on the target substrate. Since the adhesive that crosslinks under UV radiation is completely crosslinked and cured and a high adhesion is achieved only at a sufficiently high radiation dose, the total paint layer area transferred to the target substrate is reliably prevented from detaching from the target substrate. In this case, the layer of the decorative film that has the lowest UV permeability among all the layers present is decisive for the UV permeability of the decorative film.

[0044] In particular, it is provided that at least one of the at least one metal layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel, chromium and / or alloys comprising at least two of these metals.

[0045] Preferably, at least one of the at least one dielectric layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, polymers, lacquers and / or HRI materials (HRI=High Refractive Index), in particular MgO, TiO n , Al2O3, ZnO, ZnS and / or SiO n , wherein the variable n is preferably in the range of greater than or equal to 0 to less than or equal to 3.

[0046] In particular, it is provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layer is also composed of an HRI material (HRI=High Refractive Index), which is particularly radiation-transmissive at least for a part of the spectrum in the UV range, such as CdSe, CeTe, Ge, HfO2, PbTe, Si, Te, TiCl or ZnTe.

[0047] It has proven to be effective if the decorative layer has a diffractive and / or refractive relief structure for producing an optically variable effect and / or a macrostructure for producing a three-dimensional effect or depth effect. By means of a diffractive and / or refractive relief structure, in particular formed in a transparent lacquer layer or replicating lacquer layer, different optical effects can be achieved depending on the viewing angle, so-called optically variable effects, such as holograms, three-dimensional views with dynamic effects that are dependent on the viewing angle, etc.

[0048] To improve the visibility of relief structures, these are usually arranged close to a highly reflective metal layer and / or a dielectric HRI layer (HRI=High Refractive Index) with a high to very high refractive index, in particular composed of a metal oxide. Such a highly reflective layer is preferably formed over the entire surface or with a pattern.

[0049] It is therefore particularly provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layer has at least one replica lacquer layer having a surface structure molded into at least one of the at least one replica lacquer layer, the surface structure being particularly selected from: a diffractive surface structure, a refractive surface structure, a lens structure, a matte structure and / or a blazed grating.

[0050] In particular, there is a further possibility that at least one of the at least one decorative layer has at least one layer which produces an optically variable effect.

[0051] Preferably, at least one of the at least one decorative layer comprises at least one reflective layer, in particular at least one reflective layer which is patterned in the form of the first information.

[0052] It is also preferably possible that at least one of the at least one decorative layer has at least one color layer which is patterned in the form of second information.

[0053] In particular, at least one of the at least one decorative layer comprises at least one thin-film layer element for producing a viewing-angle-dependent color shift effect.

[0054] In addition, it is preferably provided that at least one decorative layer of the at least one decorative layer having an optically variable coating, a luminescent substance, a magnetic substance or a conductive substance, a paint layer, a thin film stack having an interference color effect dependent on the observation angle, a liquid crystal layer or a combination of the above layers including a metal layer, a dielectric layer, etc. constitutes at least one decorative layer of the at least one decorative layer.

[0055] Preferably, it is provided that at least one of the at least one primer layer has a thickness in the range of 0.1 μm to 2 μm, particularly preferably 0.2 μm to 0.8 μm.

[0056] In particular, at least one of the at least one primer layer is designed to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent. In particular, if at least one of the at least one primer layer is designed to be at least partially colored and / or colored, the contrast with the target substrate is enhanced and a particularly high-quality optical impression or effect is thus produced.

[0057] It is further preferably provided that at least one of the at least one primer layer has a surface roughness in the range of 100 nm to 200 nm, preferably 120 nm to 160 nm. The surface roughness is primarily determined by the coating method and the formulation of the primer layer. It has been found that a lower surface roughness of the primer layer, but surprisingly also a higher surface roughness, leads to a reduction in the achievable adhesion between the cold glue and the transfer layer or the total paint layer. The surface roughness of the primer layer is determined by an interference microscopy method.

[0058] Furthermore, it is possible, for example, for the total paint layer to include a plurality of primer layers which differ in their chemical and / or physical properties in order to achieve an optimal bond to the adjacent layers. Thus, it is possible, for example, to achieve an optimal bond to at least one of the at least one decorative layer on one side and to achieve an optimal bond to at least one of the at least one adhesive layer on another side.

[0059] In particular, a tesa-strength (tesa test, see above) bond is achieved between the transfer layer and the substrate, where the tesa test can be passed after a few minutes when using conventionally drying cold glues and immediately after irradiation with UV light when using UV adhesives. More than 90% of the transfer layer remains on the target substrate.

[0060] In particular, it is provided that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer covers at least partly or over the entire surface of at least one first region of the total paint layer.

[0061] Preferably, at least one of the at least one adhesive layer does not cover at least one second region of the total paint layer, in particular at least one of the at least one second region does not overlap with or at least partially or completely overlaps with at least one of the at least one first region.

[0062] It is preferably provided that at least one of the at least one first area and / or at least one of the at least one second area comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric symbols, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, linear grids, decorative patterns.

[0063] Preferably, it is also possible that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer is composed of a hot melt adhesive and / or a thermoplastic adhesive and / or a cold glue and / or a radiation-curable adhesive, in particular an adhesive that can be cured by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by ultraviolet light and / or an oxidatively curable adhesive and / or a low migration adhesive (LMI adhesive and / or MGA adhesive, LMI=low migration, MGA=migrationsarm).

[0064] As already explained in the prior art, in an ideal case, the total paint layer breaks at the outer edge of at least one of the at least one adhesive layer, in particular at the leading edge along the feed direction. The force that must be used to break / crackle the total paint layer is called the cracking force. The force that must be used to tear the total paint layer at the trailing edge of at least one of the at least one adhesive layer along the feed direction is called the tearing force.

[0065] After the total paint layer has been torn or broken at a previously defined position, the desired surface is then decorated by peeling the total paint layer off the carrier film. The force required for this is called the tearing force. The tearing force is therefore the force required to separate the total paint layer from the carrier film or similarly to separate the carrier film from the total paint layer adhering to at least one of the at least one adhesive layers. A small and uniform tearing force over the entire surface or area to be decorated enables high coverage and clean embossing.

[0066] In particular, it is therefore provided that the tear force for peeling the overall lacquer layer off the carrier film is in the range from 2 cN to 8 cN.

[0067] The tear force is usually constant on average, but fluctuations in the tear force may occur due to inhomogeneities in the layer structure of the total paint layer. The fluctuations in the force amplitude of these tear forces should be kept as small as possible, so that a uniform tear force can be achieved and a high covering force can be achieved. For this reason, it is particularly suitable if the tear force has a force amplitude that fluctuates about its average value in the range of greater than or equal to -0.5 cN to less than or equal to 0.5 cN.

[0068] In addition, the decoration quality can be improved by a small and uniform tearing force. It can also be called point perception here. Point perception is preferably an indicator of a film decoration that is precisely determined for each adhesive point applied separately. In this context, "precise determination" means that the decoration covers the entire adhesive point and does not exceed the adhesive point at the same time. Therefore, preferably, the total paint layer has a covering power greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, in the case of decorating a continuous entire surface, and has a decoration or point perception greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, in the case of decorating a 10% halftone area. In the case of a 10% halftone area, an adhesive point is set for an arbitrary face of the target substrate so that 10% of the arbitrary face of the target substrate is covered by the adhesive point. Preferably, each adhesive point is arranged to be equidistant, patterned, grid-like and / or spaced apart from each other.

[0069] For the method for producing the decorative film, it is particularly provided that the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, and / or the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:1, preferably 4.4:1 to 8.3:1, wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm.

[0070] Furthermore, it is preferably possible for the total paint layer in step b) to have a thickness in the range from 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, preferably from 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

[0071] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the overall paint layer in step b) comprises at least one separating layer and / or at least one protective paint layer and / or at least one decorative layer and / or at least one primer layer and / or at least one adhesive layer and / or at least one color layer.

[0072] Preferably, in step b), at least one of the at least one separation layer and / or at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer and / or at least one of the at least one decorative layer and / or at least one of the at least one primer layer and / or at least one of the at least one adhesive layer and / or at least one of the at least one color layer are applied by gravure printing and / or screen printing and / or relief printing and / or pad printing and / or inkjet printing and / or offset printing and / or flexographic printing and / or casting technology.

[0073] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that in step b) the at least one adhesive layer is applied as a hot melt adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a cold glue, a radiation-curable adhesive, in particular an adhesive curable by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by UV light, or an oxidatively curing adhesive and / or a low-migration adhesive.

[0074] In particular, it is possible that step b) further comprises the following steps and / or the following steps are further performed after step b):

[0075] c) applying at least one of the at least one adhesive layer in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer at least partially or completely covers at least one first area of ​​the total paint layer and / or does not cover a second area of ​​the total paint layer, in particular at least one of the at least one second area does not overlap with or at least partially or completely overlaps with at least one of the at least one first area.

[0076] For example, the area not covered by the adhesive layer is then not decorated by the decorative film. This can, for example, produce reverse lettering and / or reverse patterns.

[0077] In particular, at least one of the at least one first area and / or at least one of the at least one second area comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric symbols, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, linear grids, decorative patterns.

[0078] As regards the method for decorating a target substrate, it is preferred that the method comprises the following steps (particularly carried out in the following order):

[0079] d) Prepare a decorative film,

[0080] e) preparing a target substrate,

[0081] f) Applying the decorative film to the target substrate.

[0082] Furthermore, it is particularly provided that before step f), the following steps are carried out:

[0083] g) applying at least one adhesive layer on the decorative film in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer at least partially or completely covers at least one first area of ​​the total paint layer and / or does not cover at least one second area of ​​the total paint layer, in particular at least one of the at least one second area does not overlap with or at least partially or completely with at least one first area of ​​the at least one first area, and / or applying at least one adhesive layer on the target substrate in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer at least partially or completely covers at least one third area of ​​the target substrate and / or does not cover at least one fourth area of ​​the target substrate, in particular at least one of the at least one fourth area does not overlap with or at least partially or completely with at least one third area of ​​the at least one third area.

[0084] The first and second regions are preferably located in a plane spanned by the total paint layer. In this case, it is particularly provided that the spanned plane includes at least one surface of the total paint layer. The third and fourth regions are preferably located in a plane spanned by the target substrate. In this case, it is particularly provided that the spanned plane includes at least one surface of the target substrate.

[0085] Preferably the first and second regions can be arranged side by side, spaced side by side, partially overlapped and / or fully overlapped. In addition, particularly also stipulate that the third and fourth regions are arranged side by side, spaced side by side, partially overlapped and / or fully overlapped.

[0086] In addition, it is particularly provided that at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth areas comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric symbols, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, linear grids, decorative patterns.

[0087] Preferably, at least one of the at least one adhesive layer in step g) consists of a hot melt adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a cold glue, a radiation-curable adhesive, in particular an adhesive that can be cured by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by UV radiation and / or an oxidatively curable adhesive and / or a low migration adhesive.

[0088] Preferably, in step g) at least one of the at least one adhesive layer is applied by gravure printing and / or screen printing and / or relief printing and / or pad printing and / or inkjet printing and / or offset printing and / or flexographic printing and / or casting technology.

[0089] In particular, it is possible that at least one of the at least one first and / or third area is decorated with an overall paint layer and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth area is not decorated with an overall paint layer.

[0090] Furthermore, it is preferably possible to decorate at least one of the at least one first and / or third regions which is at least partially or completely covered by the at least one adhesive layer of the at least one adhesive layer with the overall lacquer layer.

[0091] Advantageously, it is preferably possible to apply at least one color layer on at least one surface of the total paint layer after step f), so that the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer is at least 25 cN, preferably at least 30 cN.

[0092] It is preferably provided that after step f), the total paint layer has a covering power greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when the continuous entire surface is decorated, and has a decorative or point feel greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when 10% of the halftone area is decorated.

[0093] In addition, it is particularly provided that after step f), the following steps are further performed:

[0094] The carrier film is removed from the overall paint layer, wherein the removal angle between the carrier film and the overall paint layer is in the range of 0° to 120°, preferably in the range of 0° to 90°.

[0095] In particular, it is possible to further carry out the following steps during step f) and / or after step f):

[0096] h) pressing the decorative film with at least one pressing head and / or at least one pressing roller.

[0097] In addition, it is preferably provided that at least one of the at least one pressure head and / or at least one of the at least one pressure roller in step h) is configured as a heated flat head and / or forming head and / or as a heating roller, wherein this flat head and / or forming head and / or heating roller at least partially and / or in at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas activates at least one of the at least one adhesive layer and connects the decorative film to the target substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0098] The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments shown are therefore not to be understood as limiting.

[0099] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a decorative film;

[0100] Figure 2 Another cross-sectional view of a decorative film is shown;

[0101] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a target substrate, wherein at least one adhesive layer is applied to the target substrate;

[0102] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a decorated target substrate;

[0103] Figure 5 another cross-sectional view of a decorated target substrate is shown;

[0104] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing a decorative film;

[0105] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a method of decorating a target substrate;

[0106] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing a method of decorating a target substrate;

[0107] Figure 9a shows the tear force measurement of a decorative film with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm;

[0108] Figure 9b shows the tear force measurement of a decorative film with a carrier film thickness of 12 μm;

[0109] Fig.10a A decorated 10% halftone area of ​​a decorative film having a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm is shown;

[0110] Fig.10b Shown is a decorated 10% halftone area of ​​a decorative film having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm;

[0111] Fig.11a A schematic diagram of a decorative film having a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm is shown, wherein a zero axis is marked;

[0112] Fig.11b A schematic diagram of a decorative film having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm is shown, wherein a zero axis is marked. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0113] Figure 1 A sectional view of a decorative film 40 (in particular a laminating film, cold embossing film or hot embossing film) is shown, which comprises a carrier film 42 and an overall lacquer layer 41 , wherein the carrier film has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm.

[0114] In particular, it is possible for the total paint layer 41 to have a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, in particular 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

[0115] In this variant embodiment, the total paint layer 41 includes a separation layer 43, a protective paint layer 44, a decorative layer 45 and a primer layer 46. In an alternative variant embodiment, it is preferably provided that the total paint layer 41 has at least one separation layer 43 and / or at least one protective paint layer 44 and / or at least one decorative layer 45 and / or at least one primer layer 46 and / or at least one adhesive layer 47 and / or at least one color layer.

[0116] Preferably, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, wherein the carrier film 42 has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm and / or the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:1, preferably 4.4:1 to 8.3:1, wherein the carrier film 42 has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm.

[0117] It is particularly advantageous if the decorative film 40 has a transmittance of 5% to 70%, particularly 10% to 40%, to ultraviolet light in the wavelength range of 250 nm to 400 nm.

[0118] Preferably, the carrier film 42 comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of: PET, PMMA, PC, PE, PVC, PS, ABS, PU, ​​PBS, PLA, PAN and / or glass.

[0119] Preferably, at least one of the at least one separation layer 43 has a thickness in the range of 0.01 μm to 0.50 μm, preferably 0.10 μm to 0.30 μm.

[0120] Preferably, at least one of the at least one separating layers 43 comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of: wax; silicone; polyurethane and / or polymers, preferably acrylate copolymers, polyester copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers, polystyrene copolymers.

[0121] Preferably, at least one of the at least one separating layer 43 is designed to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent.

[0122] The protective lacquer layer 44 is an optional layer which is used in particular to protect the decorative layer 45 from mechanical and / or chemical loads. The protective lacquer layer 44 is in particular a lacquer layer based on nitrocellulose and acrylate polymers, polyester copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers, polystyrene copolymers and / or SMA copolymers.

[0123] Preferably, at least one of the at least one protective varnish layer 44 has a thickness in the range of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, preferably 0.8 μm to 1.3 μm.

[0124] Preferably, at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer 44 is designed to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent.

[0125] It is preferably possible for at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer 44 to include a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of polymers, in particular acrylate copolymers, polyester copolymers, polystyrene copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers and / or SMA copolymers.

[0126] Preferably, the polymer of the total coating layer 41 , in particular acrylate copolymers and / or SMA copolymers, polyester copolymers, polycarbonate copolymers, polystyrene copolymers or combinations thereof, has a molar mass in the range of 1000 g / mol to 100,000 g / mol, preferably 3000 g / mol to 35,000 g / mol.

[0127] It is provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 comprises at least one metal layer and / or at least one dielectric layer.

[0128] Furthermore, it is provided in particular that at least one of the at least one metal layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel, chromium and / or an alloy comprising at least two of these metals.

[0129] It is preferably possible that at least one of the at least one dielectric layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, polymers, lacquers and / or HRI materials, in particular MgO, TiO n , Al2O3, ZnO, ZnS and / or SiO n , wherein the variable n is preferably in the range of greater than or equal to 0 to less than or equal to 3.

[0130] Preferably, it is provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layers 45 has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 500 nm, preferably 8 nm to 60 nm, particularly preferably 10 nm to 30 nm. In particular, at least one of the at least one metal layer has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 60 nm, preferably 10 nm to 30 nm. This layer thickness ensures that a high permeability to UV rays is achieved for at least one of the at least one metal layer. This is important in particular when using cold glue and / or adhesives that can be cured by electromagnetic radiation, particularly adhesives that can be cured by UV rays, because it can be ensured that the UV rays of the UV-emitting light source penetrate, in particular, at least one of the at least one metal layer, so that the UV adhesive located thereunder can be cured. At the same time, good visibility and a decorative effect of at least one of the at least one metal layer are achieved.

[0131] In particular, it is possible that at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 has at least one layer that produces an optically variable effect. In this way, particularly high-quality optical properties of the decorative film 40 can be achieved. In addition, it is possible that this is a security element that is preferably anti-counterfeiting.

[0132] Furthermore, preferably, at least one of the at least one decorative layers 45 has at least one replica lacquer layer having a surface structure molded into at least one of the at least one replica lacquer layer, the surface structure being in particular selected from: a diffractive surface structure, a refractive surface structure, a lens structure, a matte structure and / or a blazed grating.

[0133] It is particularly advantageous if at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 comprises at least one reflective layer, in particular at least one reflective layer which is patterned in the form of the first information.

[0134] It is further preferably provided that at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 has at least one color layer patterned in the form of second information.

[0135] In particular, it is possible for at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 to have at least one thin-film layer element for producing a viewing-angle-dependent color shift effect.

[0136] Furthermore, it is provided in particular that at least one of the at least one primer layer 46 has a thickness in the range of 0.1 μm to 2 μm, particularly preferably 0.2 μm to 0.8 μm.

[0137] It is preferably possible for at least one of the at least one primer layer 46 to be transparent and / or translucent and / or opaque and / or colored and / or at least partially colored and / or glass-transparent. In particular, if at least one of the at least one primer layer 46 is at least partially colored and / or colored, the following advantages result: the contrast with the target substrate 10 is enhanced and thus a particularly high-quality optical impression or effect is achieved.

[0138] Preferably, at least one of the at least one primer layer 46 has a surface roughness in the range of 100 nm to 200 nm, preferably 120 nm to 160 nm.

[0139] Furthermore, it is possible, for example, that the total paint layer 41 comprises a plurality of primer layers 46 with different chemical and / or physical properties, so as to form an optimal adhesion to the adjacent layers. Thus, it is possible, for example, to achieve an optimal adhesion to at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 on one side and to achieve an optimal adhesion to at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 on the other side.

[0140] exist Figure 2 4 shows a decorative film 40 (which has the same structure as in FIG. 4 except that an adhesive layer 47 covers one surface of the total paint layer 41 in the first area 21 and does not cover it in the second area 22). Figure 1 The same structure as shown in .

[0141] In particular, it is provided that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 covers at least one first region 21 of the total lacquer layer 41 at least partially or over the entire surface.

[0142] In addition, it is also stipulated that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 does not cover at least one second area 22 of the total paint layer 41, in particular, at least one of the at least one second area 22 does not cover or at least partially or completely covers at least one of the at least one first area 21.

[0143] In particular, it is possible that at least one of the at least one first area 21 and / or at least one of the at least one second area 22 comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric characters, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, line grids, decorative patterns. Thus, it is possible to achieve individual design possibilities that leave a particularly high-quality impression on the observer.

[0144] Furthermore, it is preferably possible that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 consists of a hot melt adhesive and / or a thermoplastic adhesive and / or a cold glue and / or a radiation-curable adhesive (in particular an adhesive curable by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by UV) and / or an oxidatively curable adhesive and / or a low migration adhesive. Thus, for example, in the case of using cold glue and / or an adhesive curable by UV, the decorative layer 40 can be applied to the target substrate 10 by cold embossing, or, for example, in the case of using a thermoplastic adhesive, by hot stamping / hot embossing, by activating the at least one adhesive layer 47 comprising a thermoplastic adhesive by means of a heated embossing head and / or a embossing roller.

[0145] exist Figure 3 , a cross-sectional view of a target substrate 10 is shown, wherein one surface of the target substrate 10 is covered with at least one adhesive layer 47 in the third region 23 and is not covered in the fourth region 24. In particular, it is provided that before the decorative film 40 is applied to the target substrate 10, at least one adhesive layer 47 of the at least one adhesive layer 47 is applied in at least one of the at least one third region 23, while no adhesive layer is applied in at least one of the at least one fourth region 24.

[0146] It is also possible that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 covers at least one surface of the target substrate 10 entirely.

[0147] For this variant embodiment, Figure 4 , a cross-sectional view of a decorated target substrate is shown in FIG. In particular, at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 is arranged on a target substrate 10 in such a way that the adhesive layer completely covers a surface of the target substrate 10. Furthermore, the decorated target substrate comprises a total paint layer 41 of a decorative film 40, wherein the carrier 42 has been removed from the decorative layer 40. Preferably, it can also be provided that the carrier 42 remains on the decorative film 40.

[0148] In the embodiment shown, the separation layer 43 is transferred to the target substrate 10 and does not remain or only partially remains on the carrier film 42. In an alternative embodiment not shown in detail, it is also possible for the separation layer 43 to remain on the removed carrier film 42 or for only a few areas of the separation layer 43 to be transferred to the target substrate 10.

[0149] exist Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of another alternative of the decorated target substrate is shown in . In this case, at least one third region 23 of the at least one third region 23 is decorated by the total paint layer 41, while at least one fourth region 24 of the at least one fourth region 24 is not decorated by the total paint layer 41.

[0150] However, it is also possible that at least one of the at least one first and / or third regions 21 , 23 is decorated by the total paint layer 41 , and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth region 22 , 24 is not decorated by the total paint layer 41 .

[0151] In particular, it is provided that the total paint layer 41 has at least one color layer on at least one surface, wherein the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer 41 is at least 25 cN, preferably at least 30 cN.

[0152] exist Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a decorative film 40 is shown in FIG. 4 , wherein the method comprises the following steps (particularly implemented in the following order):

[0153] a) preparing a carrier film 42, wherein the carrier film 42 has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm,

[0154] b) Applying a total lacquer layer 41 to at least one region of at least one surface of a carrier film 42 , thereby forming a decorative film 40 .

[0155] It is preferably possible for the total paint layer 41 in step b) to have a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, preferably 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

[0156] In particular, it is provided in this case that the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, wherein the carrier film 42 has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, and / or the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:1, preferably 4.4:1 to 8.3:1, wherein the carrier film 42 has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm.

[0157] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the total paint layer in step b) has at least one separating layer 43 and / or at least one protective paint layer 44 and / or at least one decorative layer 45 and / or at least one primer layer 46 and / or at least one adhesive layer 47 and / or at least one color layer.

[0158] In particular, it is also possible to apply at least one of the at least one separation layer 43 and / or at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer 44 and / or at least one of the at least one decorative layer 45 and / or at least one of the at least one primer layer 46 and / or at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 and / or at least one of the at least one color layer by gravure printing and / or screen printing and / or relief printing and / or pad printing and / or inkjet printing and / or offset printing and / or flexographic printing and / or casting technology.

[0159] In particular, it is provided that in step b), the at least one adhesive layer 47 is applied as a hot melt adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a cold glue (cold-hardening adhesive), a radiation-curable adhesive, in particular an adhesive curable by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by UV light, or an oxidatively curing adhesive and / or a low-migration adhesive. In addition, it is also possible to apply the adhesive layer 47 at least partially to a surface of the overall paint layer 41.

[0160] In particular, it is also possible that step b) further comprises the following steps and / or the following steps are further performed after step b):

[0161] c) applying at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 at least partially or completely covers at least one first area 21 of the total paint layer 41 and / or does not cover a second area 22 of the total paint layer 41, in particular at least one of the at least one second area 22 does not cover or at least partially or completely covers at least one of the at least one first area 21.

[0162] In particular, it is also possible that at least one of the at least one first area 21 and / or at least one of the at least one second area 22 comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric symbols, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, linear grids, decorative patterns.

[0163] exist Figure 7 A method for decorating a target substrate 10 is schematically shown in FIG. 1 , wherein the method comprises the following steps (particularly implemented in the following order):

[0164] d) preparing a decorative film 40;

[0165] e) preparing a target substrate 10;

[0166] f) applying the decorative film 40 on the target substrate 10 .

[0167] As in Figure 8 As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , it is particularly provided that the following steps are performed before step f):

[0168] g) applying at least one adhesive layer 47 to the decorative film 40 in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 at least partially or completely covers at least one first area 21 of the total paint layer 41 and / or does not cover at least one second area 22 of the total paint layer 41, in particular at least one of the at least one second area 22 does not overlap with or at least partially or completely overlaps with at least one of the at least one first area 21, and / or applying at least one adhesive layer 47 to the target substrate 10 in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 at least partially or completely covers at least one third area 23 of the target substrate 10 and / or does not cover at least one fourth area 24 of the target substrate 10, in particular at least one of the at least one fourth area 24 does not overlap with or at least partially or completely overlaps with at least one of the at least one third area 23.

[0169] In addition, it is also stipulated that at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas 21, 23 and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth areas 22, 24 include at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: alphanumeric symbols, characters, logos, miniatures, images, photographs, icons, portraits, pictograms, patterns, in particular continuous patterns, grids, in particular periodic grids, amplitude modulated grids, dot grids, linear grids, decorative patterns.

[0170] Preferably, at least one of the at least one adhesive layers 47 in step g) is composed of a hot melt adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a cold glue, a radiation-curable adhesive, in particular an adhesive that can be cured by electromagnetic radiation and / or electron radiation and / or by ultraviolet rays and / or an oxidatively curable adhesive and / or a low migration adhesive.

[0171] In particular, it is further provided that in step g) at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 is applied by gravure printing and / or screen printing and / or relief printing and / or pad printing and / or inkjet printing and / or offset printing and / or flexographic printing and / or casting technology.

[0172] It is also possible to decorate at least one of the at least one first and / or third regions 21 , 23 which is at least partially or completely covered by at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 by the overall paint layer 41 .

[0173] Furthermore, it is advantageous to apply at least one color layer on at least one surface of the total paint layer 41 after step f), so that the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer 41 is at least 25 cN, preferably at least 30 cN.

[0174] It is also advantageous that after step f), the total paint layer 41 has a covering power greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when decorating a continuous entire surface and a decorative or point feel greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when decorating a 10% halftone area.

[0175] It is also possible to preferably consider that the following steps are further performed in step f) and / or after step f):

[0176] h) Pressing the decorative film 40 with at least one pressing head and / or at least one pressing roller.

[0177] In addition, it is preferably possible that at least one of the at least one pressure head and / or at least one of the at least one pressure roller in step h) is configured as a heated flat head and / or forming head and / or as a heating roller, wherein this flat head and / or forming head and / or heating roller at least partially and / or in at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas 21, 23 activates at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 and connects the decorative film 40 to the target substrate 10.

[0178] In particular, it is also possible to carry out the following further steps after step f):

[0179] The carrier film 42 is removed from the overall paint layer 41 , wherein the removal angle between the carrier film 42 and the overall paint layer 41 is in the range of 0° to 120°, preferably in the range of 0° to 90°.

[0180] When the carrier film 42 is removed from the overall paint layer 41, it is particularly provided that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 has been applied to at least one of the at least one first and / or third regions 21, 23 and the decoration is carried out in this region. In order to carry out the decoration only in said region, the so-called cracking force must be overcome. The cracking force is the force that must be overcome when transferring to a surface or region to be decorated, so that the overall paint layer 41 of the decorative film 40 breaks in a defined local manner and enables a sharp-edged decoration of the surface or region to be decorated.

[0181] The outer edge of at least one adhesive layer 47, in particular the leading edge in the feed direction, of the at least one adhesive layer 47 is referred to as the breaking edge. In particular, it is provided that the total paint layer 41 breaks precisely and definedly at this breaking edge, so that the at least one adhesive layer 47 applied in at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas 21, 23 of the at least one adhesive layer 47 predefines or defines the decoration.

[0182] The edge of the adhesive layer 47 located on the outside and rearward in the feed direction is called the tear edge. In particular, it is provided that the overall paint layer 41 is also broken precisely and defined at this tear edge, so that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer 47 applied in at least one of the at least one first and / or third areas 21, 23 defines the decoration in advance.

[0183] After the cracking of the total paint layer 41 is completed, the surface to be decorated or the area to be decorated is decorated by peeling the total paint layer 41 from the carrier film 42. The force required for this is called the tearing force and is usually smaller than the cracking force, because it is not necessary to break the total paint layer 41. In general, a small and uniform tearing force ensures a high covering power over the entire area to be decorated and reduces the number of decorative defects.

[0184] exist Figure 9a and 9b The decorative film 40 of the present invention having a thickness of 5.7 μm is shown in FIG. Figure 9a ) and the prior art decorative film 40 ( Figure 9b ), wherein the tear force in cN is shown over a distance in mm. The two tested decorative films 40 have the same layer structure and the same material composition, except for the different carrier film thicknesses.

[0185] To obtain the measured values, a material testing machine (model Z005) manufactured by ZwickRoell GmbH & Co. KG was used. The carrier film 42 to be removed had a width of 13.5 mm and a length of 41 mm in both tests. The carrier film 42 was peeled off at a speed of 100 mm / min in the longitudinal direction.

[0186] The average tearing force of the decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm is about 2.75 cN (see Figure 9a ), while the average tear force of the decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 12 μm is about 4.5 cN (see Figure 9b ).

[0187] The force amplitude fluctuation of the decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm ( Figure 9a ) (in particular, the fluctuation of the tear force around its average value) is less than the decorative film 40 ( Figure 9b ). In absolute terms, the force amplitude fluctuation of the decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm is less than ±0.5 cN, whereas the force amplitude fluctuation of up to ±1 cN around the average value occurs in the decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 12 μm.

[0188] Overall, therefore, it can be said that not only is the absolute tear force lower in the case of a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm than in the case of a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 12 μm, but also the fluctuation of the force amplitude about its mean value is much lower in the case of a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm than in the case of a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 12 μm. With a carrier film 42 having a decorative film 40 with a thickness in the range of 3 μm to 10 μm, the tear force is particularly uniform, resulting in improved decoration and improved covering power.

[0189] A further series of tests confirmed the above advantages. First, a plurality of target substrates 10 of the same type were prepared, wherein an adhesive layer 47 was applied to the target substrate 10 on a halftone area with an area coverage of 10%, that is, 10% of the area of ​​the target substrate 10 was covered with adhesive dots. The 10% halftone area had a resolution of 100 lpi (lpi = "lines per inch"), was amplitude modulated and had a grid point angle of 45°.

[0190] To determine the maximum number of adhesive dots per target substrate 10, a scanner with a resolution of 1200 dpi was used to scan the target substrate 10 without the decorative film 40 and count the number of adhesive dots. The resulting image is also referred to as an adhesive image.

[0191] The same method is also performed for a decorated target substrate 10, wherein a decorative film 40 (A) having a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm and a decorative film 40 (B) having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm are previously decorated for one target substrate 10, and after the adhesive layer 47 is cured, the carrier film 42 is torn off the total paint layer 41.

[0192] This process is also carried out for a plurality of target substrates 10 to which the adhesive layer 47 is applied in full-tone areas, ie, with 100% surface coverage.

[0193] The results of this series of tests are shown in the following table:

[0194]

[0195] In 10% of the dots, all 8240 adhesive dots were decorated by means of a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm, also in Fig.10a This is shown in FIG. 40 . However, with a decorative film 40 having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm, only 62% of the adhesive dots are decorated, as also shown in FIG. Fig.10bThus, for a decorative film 40 with a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm, a clean embossing or a high point feel can be achieved, since 100% of the adhesive points are decorated and the overall lacquer layer 41 is thus perfectly broken at the crack edge and / or at the tear edge.

[0196] Furthermore, 100% coverage of the full-tone area was achieved with the decorative film 40 having a carrier film thickness of 5.7 μm, and 99% coverage of the full-tone area was achieved with the decorative film 40 having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm.

[0197] Thus, for a decorating film 40 with a carrier film thickness in the range of 3 μm to 10 μm, the advantages result in clean embossing and high covering power.

[0198] For illustration, it is further shown Fig.11a and 11b , wherein the carrier film thickness is 5.7 μm and the decorative film 40 ( Fig.11a ) and a decorative film 40 having a carrier film thickness of 12 μm ( Fig.11b ) marks a zero axis 50. The zero axis 50 extends along the geometric center plane or center line of the decorative film 40. The zero axis 50 is the axis whose length does not change during rotation and / or bending, that is, no tensile stress or compressive stress acts on the zero axis 50. In addition, the distance x between the zero axis and the total paint layer 41 is shown. The smaller the thickness of the carrier film of the decorative film 40, the smaller the distance x. As the distance x becomes smaller, the normal stress of the total paint layer 41 caused by bending also decreases. For decorative films 40 with a carrier film thickness in the range of 3μm to 10μm, the reduced normal stress of the total paint layer 41 ensures that undefined and / or accidental local breaks do not occur in the total paint layer 41 before the carrier film is peeled off. Therefore, neat embossing or a very high point feel can be achieved.

[0199] In particular, it is provided that the tearing force has a force amplitude which fluctuates about its mean value in a range from greater than or equal to −0.5 cN to less than or equal to 0.5 cN.

[0200] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the total paint layer 41 has a covering power of greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when decorating a continuous entire surface, and has a decorative or point feel of greater than or equal to 99.5%, preferably 100%, when decorating 10% of the halftone area.

[0201] In particular, it is possible for the tear force for peeling the overall lacquer layer 41 off the carrier film 42 to be in the range of 2 cN to 8 cN.

[0202] Reference numerals list

[0203] 10 Target substrate

[0204] 21. Area 1

[0205] 22 Second Area

[0206] 23 Third Area

[0207] 24 Fourth Area

[0208] 40 Decorative film

[0209] 41 Total paint layers

[0210] 42 Carrier film

[0211] 43 Separation layer

[0212] 44 Protective paint layer

[0213] 45 Decorative layer

[0214] 46 Primer layer

[0215] 47 Adhesive layer

[0216] 50 Zero axis

[0217] x Spacing

Claims

1. A decorative film (40), comprising a carrier film (42) and a total paint layer (41), characterized in that: The carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm, and the total paint layer (41) has a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, and the total paint layer (41) has at least one decorative layer (45), and the at least one decorative layer (45) has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 500 nm, When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:

1.

2. The decorative film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total paint layer (41) has a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

3. The decorative film according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, and when the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.4:1 to 8.3:

1.

4. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The carrier film (42) comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of: PET, PMMA, PC, PE, PVC, PS, ABS, PU, ​​PBS, PLA, PAN, and glass.

5. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The decorative film (40) has a transmittance within a range of 5% to 70% for ultraviolet rays within a wavelength range of 250 nm to 400 nm.

6. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The tearing force for peeling the overall paint layer (41) off the carrier film (42) has a force amplitude that fluctuates around its mean value in a range from greater than or equal to -0.5 cN to less than or equal to 0.5 cN.

7. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The total paint layer (41) has at least one color layer on at least one surface, and the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer (41) is at least 25 cN.

8. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The total paint layer (41) has a covering power of greater than or equal to 99.5% when the continuous entire surface is decorated, and has a decorative or point feeling of greater than or equal to 99.5% when 10% of the halftone area is decorated.

9. The decorative film according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall paint layer (41) comprises at least one separating layer (43) and / or at least one protective paint layer (44) and / or at least one primer layer (46) and / or at least one adhesive layer (47) and / or at least one color layer.

10. The decorative film according to claim 9, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one separating layer (43) comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of wax, silicone, and polyurethane.

11. The decorative film according to claim 9, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one separating layers (43) comprises a material or a material combination selected from polymers.

12. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one separation layer (43) has a thickness in the range of 0.01 μm to 0.50 μm.

13. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one separating layer (43) is designed to be transparent or translucent or opaque.

14. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer (44) comprises a material or a combination of materials selected from polymers.

15. The decorative film according to claim 10, characterized in that: The polymer of the total coating layer ( 41 ) has a molar mass in the range from 1000 g / mol to 100,000 g / mol.

16. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer (44) has a thickness in the range of 0.8 μm to 1.3 μm.

17. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer (44) is designed to be transparent or translucent or opaque.

18. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The tear force for peeling the total paint layer (41) from the carrier film (42) is in the range of 2 cN to 8 cN.

19. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one decorative layer (45) of the at least one decorative layer (45) comprises at least one layer producing an optically variable effect.

20. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one decorative layers (45) comprises at least one replication lacquer layer having a surface structure molded into at least one of the at least one replication lacquer layer.

21. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one decorative layer (45) has at least one reflective layer patterned in a first information form.

22. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one decorative layers (45) comprises at least one thin-film layer element for producing a viewing-angle-dependent color shift effect.

23. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one decorative layer (45) has at least one color layer patterned in the form of second information.

24. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one decorative layer (45) of the at least one decorative layer (45) comprises at least one metal layer and / or at least one dielectric layer.

25. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one decorative layer (45) has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 60 nm.

26. The decorative film according to claim 24, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one metal layer comprises a material or a material combination selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel, chromium, and alloys comprising at least two of these metals.

27. The decorative film according to claim 24, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one dielectric layer comprises a material or a combination of materials selected from: metal oxides, polymers.

28. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one primer layer (46) has a thickness in the range of 0.1 μm to 2 μm.

29. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one primer layer (46) is designed to be transparent or translucent or opaque.

30. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) at least partially covers at least one first region (21) of the overall paint layer (41).

31. The decorative film according to claim 30, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) does not cover at least one second region (22) of the total paint layer (41).

32. The decorative film according to claim 31, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one first area (21) and / or at least one of the at least one second area (22) comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: characters, images.

33. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) is composed of hot melt adhesive or cold adhesive.

34. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) consists of a radiation-curable adhesive.

35. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) is composed of an oxidatively cured adhesive.

36. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) is composed of a low migration adhesive.

37. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) is composed of a thermoplastic adhesive.

38. The decorative film according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one separating layer (43) is at least partially colored, or at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer (44) is at least partially colored, or at least one of the at least one primer layer (46) is at least partially colored.

39. The decorative film according to claim 24, characterized in that: At least one of the at least one dielectric layer comprises a material or a combination of materials selected from lacquers.

40. The decorative film according to claim 24, wherein: At least one of the at least one dielectric layer comprises a material or a combination of materials selected from HRI materials.

41. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Decorative films are laminated films.

42. The decorative film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The decorative film is a cold embossing film or a hot embossing film.

43. A method for manufacturing a decorative film, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) preparing a carrier film (42) having a thickness in the range of 3.0 μm to 10.0 μm, b) applying a total paint layer (41) to at least one area of ​​at least one surface of a carrier film (42), wherein a decorative film (40) is formed, and in step b) the total paint layer (41) has a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 2.5 μm, and in step b) the total paint layer (41) has at least one decorative layer (45), and the at least one decorative layer (45) has a thickness in the range of 8 nm to 500 nm, When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 1.8:1 to 7.0:1, When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm, the ratio of the carrier film thickness to the total paint layer thickness is in the range of 4.1:1 to 10.0:

1.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein: The total paint layer ( 41 ) in step b) has a thickness in the range of 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

45. The method according to claim 43 or 44, characterized in that: When the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than or equal to 3 μm to less than or equal to 7 μm, the ratio of the thickness of the carrier film (42) to the thickness of the total paint layer (41) is in the range of 2.5:1 to 5.8:1, and when the carrier film (42) has a thickness in the range of greater than 7 μm to less than or equal to 10 μm, the ratio of the thickness of the carrier film (42) to the thickness of the total paint layer is in the range of 4.4:1 to 8.3:

1.

46. ​​The method of claim 43 or 44, wherein: The overall paint layer (41) in step b) comprises at least one separating layer (43) and / or at least one protective paint layer (44) and / or at least one primer layer (46) and / or at least one adhesive layer (47) and / or at least one color layer.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), at least one of the at least one separating layer (43) and / or at least one of the at least one protective lacquer layer (44) and / or at least one of the at least one decorative layer (45) and / or at least one of the at least one primer layer (46) and / or at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) and / or at least one of the at least one color layer is applied by gravure printing, screen printing, relief printing, pad printing, inkjet printing, offset printing, flexographic printing or casting technology.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), the at least one adhesive layer (47) is applied as a hot melt adhesive or a cold glue.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), the at least one adhesive layer (47) is applied as a radiation-curable adhesive.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), the at least one adhesive layer ( 47 ) is applied as an oxidatively curing adhesive.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), the at least one adhesive layer (47) is applied as a low migration adhesive.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein: In step b), the at least one adhesive layer ( 47 ) is applied as a thermoplastic adhesive.

53. The method of claim 46, wherein: Step b) further comprises the following steps and / or the following steps are further performed after step b): c) applying at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) at least partially covers at least one first area (21) of the total paint layer (41) and / or does not cover at least one second area (22) of the total paint layer (41).

54. The method of claim 53, wherein: At least one of the at least one first area (21) and / or at least one of the at least one second area (22) comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: characters, images.

55. A method for decorating a target substrate, wherein the method comprises the steps of: d) preparing a decorative film (40) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 42, e) preparing a target substrate (10), f) applying the decorative film (40) on the target substrate (10).

56. The method of claim 55, wherein: Prior to step f), the following steps are performed: g) applying at least one adhesive layer (47) on the decorative film (40) in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) at least partially covers at least one first area (21) of the total paint layer (41) and / or does not cover at least one second area (22) of the total paint layer (41), and / or applying at least one adhesive layer (47) on the target substrate (10) in such a way that at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) at least partially covers at least one third area (23) of the target substrate (10) and / or does not cover at least one fourth area (24) of the target substrate (10).

57. The method of claim 56, wherein: At least one of the at least one first and / or third regions (21, 23) and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth regions (22, 24) comprises at least one of the following design elements or a combination of the following design elements: characters, images.

58. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in step g) is composed of hot melt adhesive or cold glue.

59. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: In step g) at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) is applied by gravure printing or screen printing or relief printing or pad printing or inkjet printing or offset printing or flexographic printing or casting technology.

60. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one of the at least one first and / or third regions (21, 23) is decorated by the overall paint layer (41), and / or at least one of the at least one second and / or fourth regions (22, 24) is not decorated by the overall paint layer (41).

61. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one of the at least one first and / or third regions (21, 23) at least partially covered by the at least one adhesive layer (47) is decorated by an overall paint layer (41).

62. The method according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that: After step f), at least one color layer is applied on at least one surface of the total paint layer (41), so that the adhesion between at least one of the at least one color layer and the total paint layer (41) is at least 25 cN.

63. The method according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that: After step f), the total paint layer ( 41 ) has a covering power of greater than or equal to 99.5% when the continuous entire surface is decorated, and a decorative or point feeling of greater than or equal to 99.5% when 10% of the halftone area is decorated.

64. The method according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that: After step f), the following steps are further performed: The carrier film (42) is removed from the overall paint layer (41), wherein the removal angle between the carrier film (42) and the overall paint layer (41) is in the range of 0° to 120°.

65. The method according to any one of claims 55 to 57, characterized in that: In step f) and / or after step f), the following steps are further performed: h) pressing the decorative film (40) using at least one pressing head and / or at least one pressing roller.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein: At least one of the at least one pressing heads in step h) is configured as a heated flat head and / or at least one of the at least one pressing roller is configured as a heated roller, which at least partially activates at least one of the at least one adhesive layers (47) and connects the decorative film (40) to the target substrate (10).

67. The method of claim 65, wherein: At least one of the at least one pressing heads in step h) is configured as a heated forming head, which at least partially activates at least one of the at least one adhesive layer (47) and connects the decorative film (40) to the target substrate (10).

68. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in step g) consists of a thermoplastic adhesive.

69. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in step g) consists of a radiation-curable adhesive.

70. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in step g) consists of an oxidatively cured adhesive.

71. The method of claim 56 or 57, wherein: At least one adhesive layer (47) of the at least one adhesive layer (47) in step g) consists of a low migration adhesive.

Images