Method of applying a mark or decoration in colour(s) onto a substrate, and resulting products.

Abstract

The process consists of producing the color mark or decoration(s) which can reach photographic color quality(s) on plastic support (2, 2') by means of a color copier(s) and / or a color printer(s) and / or a color phototypesetter(s) and / or a color offset printer(s) and / or special pens for plastic and / or paints, and of bonding the resulting color-decorated plastic(s) to the substrate (1, 1'), by gluing at a temperature lower than the degradation temperature of the substrate and / or the plastic support, and / or sewing and / or riveting and / or stapling and / or heat-sealing with crystallized plastic.

Description

The present invention relates to a method of applying a mark or decoration in colour(s) on a flexible or rigid substrate capable of undergoing frequent hot washing, as well as the products resulting from the implementation of this method. The types of substrates concerned are, for example, fabrics, knits, leather, "skin", metals, pvc, wood, concrete, glass, horn, ivory, and all their derivatives. Currently, such marks or decorations are applied by printing the substrate, by direct or indirect screen printing, by direct or indirect flocking, by engraved metal plates, by direct or indirect painting, by sticker, by direct embroidery on the substrate, by sewing an embroidered decoration onto the substrate, or by direct or indirect thermal transfer of a decoration carried on a protective sheet from which it can be detached. Except for the specific heat transfer technique known as "plastisol," known transfer methods do not allow for attractive decorations on very dark, colorfast textiles because this type of fabric absorbs the dye, nor do they offer a color definition greater than 399 dots per inch, nor do they provide a wide range of colors. Furthermore, the resistance of the decoration to machine washing with detergent is poor, especially with indirect heat transfer, while the decorated items—most often t-shirts and sweatshirts—require frequent washing. Furthermore, all known transfer techniques, including the "plastisol" method, involve relatively intense heating, which prohibits their use on fragile substrates, such as ties. Finally, and this is no small drawback, the known techniques basically involve high costs for creating print mock-ups, resulting in mandatory minimum orders. The present invention aims to overcome these various drawbacks by providing an economical method for applying, possibly at room temperature, decorations of up to photographic color quality, highly resistant to washing, onto flexible substrates that may have a certain texture inherent to their manufacturing process (weaving, knitting) or their nature (leather, hide). This aim is achieved in that the invention provides a method of the aforementioned type characterized by applying the mark or color decoration(s) to a plastic support and bonding it to the substrate. The colour(s) decoration on plastic film can be done using a colour copier(s) and / or a colour printer(s) and / or a phototypesetter and / or by hand (using special pens for plastic and / or paints). The unit cost for small runs, even for a single item, is extremely low. For large runs, color offset printing can be used. These various methods of applying color decoration to plastic film can be combined. In one embodiment of the invention, the process consists of using, as a plastic support, at least one film of a long-chain hydrocarbon polymer comprising ester functions. Preferably, the polymer is a polyester-polyalkylene-polyterephthalate terpolymer in which the alkylene term comprises 1 to 4 carbon atoms, said terpolymer being loaded with 0 to 4% sodium carbonate and / or glass fibers. The ester-functioning polymer film may belong to a multilayer composite film, in particular a sandwich film, also comprising at least one thin film of poly(vinyl chloride). These films are known and used in rear projection or as superimposed slides, for example by insertion into educational books. Given the existing applications of color decorations executed on such films, it was hardly obvious that they would withstand repeated washings, for example at 600°C, in a detergent environment, since it goes without saying that such applications do not assume that the decorated plastic films have been subjected to corresponding tests. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic support is opaque in mass or lined with an opaque layer (obtained by copier, printer, phototypesetter, offset, paint, screen printing, pens for plastic) or with an opaque sheet (preferably self-adhesive), a characteristic which is obviously not found in known applications since the interest of decorations on transparent plastic support is precisely that the support is transparent. The invention presupposed the identification of means of bonding between the substrate and the plastic support which, on the one hand, do not harm either one, in particular by retaining at least some flexibility to the area of ​​the substrate marked or decorated and, on the other hand, which resist washing. In one variant, the colored (or decorated) plastic film is attached to the substrate by sewing. It was unexpectedly observed that the plastic support could withstand the needle perforations. In a second variant, the colour(s) decorated plastic film is attached to the substrate by riveting. In a third variant, the colour(s) decorated plastic film is bonded to the substrate by gluing at a temperature lower than the degradation temperature of the substrate and / or the plastic support. In a fourth variant, the colour(s) decorated plastic film is attached to the substrate by stapling. In a first method of implementing this third variant, the bonding is done by interposing, between the substrate and the plastic support, a so-called "one-component" composition that hardens at cold on contact with ambient humidity or under the effect of radiation, and by exposing the whole, as the case may be, to said humidity or said radiation. It may be, for example, a cyanoacrylate type composition of alkyl, for example methyl or ethyl, or of alkylene, for example allyl, or of nitrile rubber type, respectively marketed under the brands Cyanolit, Super Glue, Sader Top, Bison, etc... on the one hand, and Bostik Nitril 1220, on the other. In another implementation of the third variant, bonding is achieved by interposing, between the substrate and the plastic support, a so-called "two-component, cold-curing" composition, the two components of which—a crosslinkable polymer and a catalyst or activator—are mixed extemporaneously. This category includes certain methacrylic adhesives, such as those marketed under the brands Prolixt 4000 and Multi-Bond. In yet another form of implementation, the bonding can be done by interposing, between the substrate and the plastic support, a so-called "one-component" thermosetting composition and by heating the whole, provided that the heating temperature required to harden the composition is lower than the degradation temperature of the substrate and / or the plastic support. The bonding can also be done by covering the plastic support with an overhanging piece made of a fusible crystalline thermoplastic material and hot welding the overhanging periphery of said piece onto the substrate. Naturally, the four variants – sewing, riveting, stapling, gluing – can be combined with each other. The invention is described in more detail in the following non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the thickness of the materials has been exaggerated for clarity of drawing. In these drawings - Figure la is a schematic cross-section taken, along line II of figure lb, through a substrate decorated according to the invention, in one of the embodiments, - Figure lb is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1, - Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section taken through a substrate decorated according to the invention, in another embodiment, - Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section taken through a substrate decorated according to the invention, in another embodiment, - Figures 4 to 8 show respectively the infrared absorption spectrum of five plastic supports usable according to the invention. Referring to figures 1a and 1b, we see a substrate 1, for example a textile material, onto which is applied a piece of plastic film 2 decorated with a design 3. To create this design, one can use, for example, a color copier. Equipment marketed by las The CANON company is well suited for this purpose. Film 2 can have a composition such that its IR absorption spectrum corresponds to the representation shown in one of Figures 4 to 8. Part 2 is glued, at room temperature, along its periphery, to the textile 1, for example, using instant adhesive 4, known by the brand name Super Glue. If desired, the bond can be reinforced by stitching and / or riveting and / or stapling around the perimeter (not shown). It is understood that, in the case of the interposition of an adhesive between the substrate and the plastic support, the adhesive could be applied, not along the periphery of said support, but over the entire surface of the latter or in cross lines. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a piece of plastic film 2' decorated with colour(s) is sewn by stitching stitches 5. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the plastic film piece 2" is covered with a film 6 of fusible crystalline plastic material, the periphery 7 of which extends beyond the boundaries of the piece 2". Appropriate heating of this periphery 7 causes it to melt with superficial penetration into the texture of the substrate 1". Upon cooling, the material of the periphery 7 of the film 6 is retained within said texture, so that the decorated piece 2" is trapped between the film 6 and the substrate 1". It is possible to leave the periphery of the plastic support partially unbonded in order to create a decorated "pocket". The decorated plastic substrate can be applied, according to the invention, with equal success to both dark and light-colored substrates. The decoration can be of photographic quality. Its wash resistance is excellent. The unit cost for small runs (even for a single copy) is extremely low, except when using offset printing due to setup costs. Therefore, the need for a minimum number of copies to be profitable disappears (except for offset printing), and the cost of the materials involved is low. The original image can be a variety of media (non-limiting examples below: paper, plastic, photo, video, computer, scanner and even a real object exposed in the image capture field of the system). In the absence of a support, the image can be created on a computer with image software and printed onto plastic film using the color printer(s) and / or the color copier(s) and / or a phototypesetter. The image can be created by hand directly onto plastic film using special plastic pens or paints. The image can be modified at will before being printed onto plastic film. The image can be printed onto plastic film by copier, printer, phototypesetter, offset. It is possible to combine these various decoration systems to achieve the final decoration on plastic film. Consider the following non-exhaustive example: suppose a top athlete wants to launch a clothing brand featuring their portrait and signature on the garment. The decoration can be done in two stages: - the athlete's portrait is reproduced on plastic film - the athlete signs each portrait reproduced on plastic film. by hand with special plastic pens, which gives the garment a higher market value. The colour(s) decoration can be done on different types of plastic film. For example, it could be 1- of a transparent plastic film, decorated in colour(s) and lined with a sheet of opaque plastic (preferably self-adhesive) or lined with an opaque layer (obtained by copier, printer, phototypesetter, offset, paint, screen printing, plastic pens), with two variants of use: a) The decorated side, referred to as the "front," is in contact with the opaque backing. The decoration is sandwiched between the transparent plastic film and the opaque backing, thus providing complete protection. Installation is carried out with the front side of the decorated transparent plastic film facing the substrate. b) The decorated side is exposed to the air. The installation is done with the reverse side of the decorated transparent plastic film facing the substrate. It is possible to apply, for example, a transparent plastic film (preferably self-adhesive) or a varnish over the decoration to protect it. 2- of a decorated transparent plastic film, not lined with an opaque layer, with two variations in use: a) The decorated (front) side of the transparent plastic film is exposed to the air. The back side is then placed facing the substrate. For example, a transparent plastic film (preferably self-adhesive) or a varnish can be applied over the decoration to protect it. b) The decorated side (front) of the transparent plastic film is in contact with the substrate. Installation is done with the front side facing the substrate. 3- An opaque plastic film decorated on the front side. The back side is applied to the substrate. For protection, a transparent plastic film (preferably self-adhesive) or varnish can be applied over the decoration. These front or back poses are possible thanks to the mirror effect which exists, for example, on the CANON CLC 500 camera. To give a textured effect to the colored decorated plastic, you can use the texture mode which exists, for example on the CANON CLC 500 camera. Note that the opaque layer and / or the protective transparent plastic film can also be decorated. In the case of using opaque self-adhesive plastic film and / or transparent self-adhesive plastic film (protective), it is possible to pierce the self-adhesive layer(s) with countless tiny holes to avoid any possible air bubbles during application. If the opaque plastic film and / or the transparent (protective) plastic film are not self-adhesive, there is a risk of condensation after washing. To remedy air bubbles and / or condensation, one can use, for example, paint to obtain opacity and one can use, for example, varnish to protect the decoration.

Claims

DEMANDS 1 - Claim according to claim 2 of main patent no. 89 17462 Process characterized in that it consists of using as a substrate a material chosen from among metals and derivatives, glass and derivatives, PVC, plastics, rubber, foam, polyester, wood and derivatives, tableware, porcelain, earthenware, enamel, marble, stone, brick, concrete, ceramics, coral, paper, cardboard, horn, ivory, enamel, felt and derivatives, canvas and derivatives. 2 - Claim according to claim 6 of main patent no. 89 17462 A process characterized in that the plastic support (2, 2', 2") is lined with a sheet of opaque plastic (preferably self-adhesive) or lined with an opaque layer obtained by copier, printer, phototypesetter, offset, paint, screen printing, plastic pens. 3 - Claim according to claim 6 of main patent no. 89 17462 A process characterized in that it consists of protecting the decorated side, which is exposed to the air, with a varnish.