Microprism reflector

Abstract

To solve the problem that a conventional reflection tape has flexibility, but reflection performance is inferior to that of a prism type; and the reflection tape is mounted on and integrated with clothing from the beginning and becomes conspicuous, and accordingly there is resistance to wearing the clothing during the day.SOLUTION: In a microprism reflector 1, a prism collection surface 15 is formed on the side of a surface single layer sheet 7. In a rear face single layer sheet 9, a recessed surface part 11 where the prism collection surface 15 is settled is closed. Accordingly, the microprism reflector 1 exhibits reflection performance equivalent to that for vehicle body attachment. the prism collection surface 15 is protected with the rear face single layer sheet 9, which prevents adhesion of water and dust. The side of the rear face single layer sheet 9 does not affect reflection, and accordingly can be colored. It can be colored, and accordingly can be matched with the color of a cloth of clothing. A silicone resin as a base material is flexible, and accordingly can be also matched with a three-dimensional shape of a mounting destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible microprism reflector that can be attached to clothing, hats, helmets, bags, shoes, etc., to ensure safe and smooth traffic. [Background technology]

[0002] It is mandatory for automobiles to be fitted with reflective materials on their bodies in order to alert others to their presence at night by reflecting light. Reflective materials with a prism-type retroreflective structure on their surface are widely used for this purpose, as they have a higher retroreflective efficiency than those that use glass spheres. This reflective member is thermally transferred by pressing a thermoplastic plastic against a mold, and a prism-type retroreflective structure is formed on the surface, i.e., a prism aggregate surface with a large number of microprisms formed thereon.

[0003] This mold is produced by electroforming using a matrix, and the applicant has previously proposed a matrix in which a plurality of extremely small matrix pins, each having a rod-shaped body and a triangular pyramidal prism portion formed at one end of the rod-shaped body, are arranged in Patent Document 1. If a mold is produced using this matrix, it is possible to impart specularity to each inclined surface constituting the prism and form the prism angle with high precision, which not only improves the reflection performance but also makes it possible to vary the reflection angle by a desired degree and form the prism assembly surface not limited to a flat surface but also on an inclined or curved surface, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in design. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-349737 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-86720 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Reflective tapes have been provided for attaching to clothing, bags, shoes, etc. to ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorcyclists and bicycle riders at night. As described in Patent Document 2, this type of reflective tape has a structure in which a large number of transparent microspheres are attached to a reflective layer with some of them exposed, and although it is flexible for easy attachment, its reflective performance is inferior to that of the above-mentioned prism-type retroreflective structure. In addition, reflective tape itself is a marker with a strong presence and is easy to attract people's attention even during the day. Therefore, if reflective tape is attached to clothing, which is an important part of showing off your fashion sense, rather than being attached each time, many people will feel quite reluctant to wear it during the day.

[0006] The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to provide a new and useful microprism reflector that is designed to form a prism-type retroreflective structure on the surface so that, even if the entire reflector is flexible, it can fully demonstrate its reflective performance when needed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful microprism reflector that can be balanced with the part to which it is attached, such as clothing, and that can reduce the sense of incongruity in appearance even during the day. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a microprism reflector that is composed of a concave portion, a prism assembly surface that is molded integrally with the concave portion and has a large number of prisms protruding upward from the inner bottom side of the concave portion, and a lid surface portion that closes the concave portion, wherein the concave portion and the lid surface portion are made of a rubber-like material and the tops of the prisms are set at a height that does not contact the lid surface portion.

[0008] Preferably, the sheet is in the form of a laminate, with one sheet layer being recessed to form a concave surface portion and the other sheet layer forming a lid surface portion. Preferably, the concave portion is made of silicone resin. Preferably, the cover surface is colored. Preferably, the top surface of the cover portion can be configured as an adhesive surface that can be attached to an attachment target.

[0009] A microprism reflector can be easily manufactured by bundling together a number of minute master mold pins to form a master mold, using that master mold to create a metal mold by electroforming, pressing a rubber-like material against the metal mold, and forming a prism assembly surface by thermal transfer to make it part of the prism reflector. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The microprism reflector of the present invention has both high flexibility and reflective performance, and therefore, while exhibiting reflective performance comparable to that of a car body, it can deform itself and be wrapped directly around an arm or leg, or molded to fit the shape of clothing, hats, helmets, bags, shoes, etc. and attached integrally from the beginning. Furthermore, the microprism reflector of the present invention can be colored to match the surface to which it is attached, so that it can be balanced with the surface to which it is attached, such as clothing, and the appearance can be reduced to minimize discomfort even during the day. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a surface view of a microprism reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention and an enlarged view of a portion thereof. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the microprism reflector of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the flexibility of the microprism reflector of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a deformed image diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the microprism reflector of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a surface view of another example of a microprism reflector of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 6 is a specific example of the microprism reflector of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5. [Figure 7]6 is a specific example of the microprism reflector of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A microprism reflective sheet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, this microprism reflector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "reflector 1") is made of a sheet of silicone resin, which is a type of rubber-like material. Silicone resin is not only flexible and highly transparent, but also has excellent heat and cold resistance, making it suitable for outdoor use, and also has excellent thermal transferability, which will be described later. Therefore, in the present invention, silicone resin is currently the most recommended material for forming prisms by exposure. Specific silicone resin products include translucent materials such as product number KE-1950-40A / B (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), and transparent materials such as various types of two-component liquid rubber (RTV rubber) (for molding), typically product number KE-1606 (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.).

[0013] The main part 3 of this reflector 1 is approximately square with its four corners rounded, and a similar rectangular part in the center is the reflective element part 5. The main part 3 has a two-layer sheet structure in which two single-layer sheets are laminated and integrated with an adhesive, one of which is the front single-layer sheet 7 and the other is the back single-layer sheet 9. Therefore, the surface of the main portion 3 is the exposed surface 7a of the front single-layer sheet 7, and the other is the exposed surface 9a of the back single-layer sheet 9, with the exposed surface 7a being exposed in FIG. 1 and the exposed surface 9a being exposed in FIG. If an adhesive having good adhesion to both the silicone resin and the material to which it is to be attached, such as clothing fabric, is applied to the exposed surface 9a, it can be easily attached by adhering it to clothing or the like. The exposed surface 7a side is a reflective side that reflects light.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 3, the reflector 1 has flexibility and can be easily folded. An adhesive 17 is interposed between the front single-layer sheet 7 and the back single-layer sheet 9, so that they remain integrated even when folded. The dimensions are just an example, but the length (=width) is approximately 6 cm and the thickness is approximately 2 mm.

[0015] FIG. 4 is an image diagram in which the cross-sectional structure of the reflecting element section 5 of the reflector 1 in FIG. 1 is deformed, and the outlines and dimensional relationships of each section do not correspond to those of the reflector 1 in FIG. As shown in this conceptual diagram, the central portion of the opposing surface 7b of the surface single-layer sheet 7 is recessed into a rectangular shape similar to that of the main portion 3, forming a concave portion 11. This concave portion 11 has a base 11a on the inner bottom surface side, from which a large number of tiny prisms 13 rise toward the concave open end. These many prisms 13, 13, ... form a prism assembly surface 15. The prisms 13 are molded integrally with the base 11a side. Note that in this diagram, the prisms 13 are significantly larger and deformed compared to the size of the concave portion 11.

[0016] As shown in the enlarged view of Figure 1, all of the prisms 13, 13, ... are hexagonal pyramids of the same shape and size, and many of the prisms 13, 13, ... are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, with adjacent prisms 13, 13 sharing bases 13a. As the prism 13 is a regular hexagonal pyramid, its six adjacent inclined surfaces in the circumferential direction are the same isosceles triangles, and the apex 13b is the shared apex of the six triangles. The triangular inclined surface 13d is surrounded by the side edges 13c, 13c. In the surface single layer sheet 7, the portion where the prism assembly surface 15 is formed corresponds to the reflecting element portion 5 in FIG.

[0017] 4, the outline of prism 13 is shown by base 13a, apex 13b, and sides 13c, 13c. Since the height of base 11a is constant, the height positions of apex portions 13b, 13b, ... of prisms 13, 13, ... are also constant. The height of apex corner 13b of prism 13 is adjusted so as to be accommodated inside concave portion 11, and the length dimension of the long side of the inclined surface of prism 13 is about 1 mm.

[0018] The opposing surface 9b of the back surface single layer sheet 9 is overlapped with the opposing surface 7b of the front surface single layer sheet 7 with their edges aligned, and the back surface single layer sheet 9 serves as a lid surface, closing the concave portion 11. The opposing surface 9b of the back surface single layer sheet 9 is bonded via an adhesive 17 to the entire surface of the opposing surface 7b, which annularly surrounds the concave edge of the concave portion 11. Specific examples of adhesive products include a primer type with product number GC-04S (manufactured by Soft99 Corporation) and an adhesive silicone rubber type with product number KE45T (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.).

[0019] The prisms 13, 13, ... are arranged in an airtight space closed by the rear single layer sheet 9 through the above-mentioned adhesion. The apex corners 13b, 13b, ... are also separated from the opposing surface 9b of the rear single layer sheet 9 and do not come into contact with each other, so that air is interposed between the entire prism 13 and the rear single layer sheet 9. The inclined surface is a mirror surface, and all parts, including the base part 13a and the apex corners 13b, are reflective, so that wherever light enters, it is reflected.

[0020] The prism assembly surface 15 has a retroreflective structure due to the prisms 13, 13, ... described above. Retroreflection means reflecting light from a light source in the direction of the incident light over a wide irradiation angle. In the case of a car body, when light is applied to the headlight, the light is reflected and appears to be emitted, and this can also be reproduced with this reflector 1. Therefore, as shown by the arrows in Figure 4, the light that is directed toward any part including apex corner 13b returns along the same direction after being reflected. Note that the arrows are distorted for ease of viewing.

[0021] Prism assembly surface 15 is exposed when front single-layer sheet 7 is used alone, but is closed and protected from the outside by back single-layer sheet 9, preventing water and dust from adhering and reducing reflective performance. Prism assembly surface 15 can also be protected by evaporating metallic aluminum, but in that case, it will be constantly shining and will be noticeable. For this reason, it is preferable to protect it with back single-layer sheet 9. Although the exposed surface 9a of the back surface single-layer sheet 9 is a plane parallel to the exposed surface 7a of the front surface single-layer sheet 7, this is not necessarily required in terms of reflective performance, and it may be shaped to any desired contour to match the shape of the surface to which it is attached.

[0022] Furthermore, the back single layer sheet 9 side does not affect reflection, so it can be colored. It can be colored by adding existing coloring agents to the silicone resin material. It can also be substituted with another colored rubber-like material. FIG. 5 shows the back single layer sheet 9 side colored black. By coloring it in this way, it can be matched to the color of the fabric to which it is attached, for example, clothing, without disrupting the overall visual balance of the garment.

[0023] The prism assembly surface 15 can be easily formed by utilizing the method described in Patent Document 1. That is, a matrix is ​​formed by bundling a plurality of micro-mold forming pins, and a flat silicone resin sheet is pressed against the prism-shaped portions provided at the tips of the pins for thermal transfer. If a mold is manufactured using this matrix, the reflection angle of each prism 13 can be varied to a desired degree, and the base 11a is not limited to being flat but can be tilted or even curved. Therefore, the arrangement and design of the prism assembly surface 15, which affects the reflection performance, can be optimally designed according to the application.

[0024] Furthermore, since the reflector 1 is flexible overall, it can be easily curved, folded, or rolled, and even if it is deformed to fit the installation location, it can be made to conform more flexibly to the three-dimensional shape of the installation location than existing somewhat rigid reflective sheets. Therefore, even if it is attached later using an adhesive or the like, it will not easily fall off.

[0025] 6 and 7 show examples in which the reflector 1 is embodied as reflectors A, B and C having different shapes and sizes. Figure 6 shows an example of a black jacket to which reflector A, which is colored black as in Figure 5, is attached. Note that the jacket and reflector A are shown in gray, not black, for ease of visual recognition of their outlines. Reflector A is the same color as the jacket, so it is not conspicuous. Also shown is a wristband made by forming it into a thin strip and joining both ends of the reflector B. The material is rubber-like, so it can not only bend but also be stretched elastically to fit the arm, so it can be made into a ring shape that fits the arm.

[0026] In FIG. 6, a reflector C is attached to a bicycle helmet that is worn when riding a bicycle. This reflector C is curved to follow the curved surface of the helmet. By attaching it to the helmet with adhesive or the like, it can be easily attached to a commercially available helmet after purchase. Moreover, since it adheres tightly with rubber, it is difficult to peel off even when exposed to wind while riding. Therefore, it has better durability as well as better reflective performance than conventional reflective tape.

[0027] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the surface single layer sheet 7 is colorless and transparent in the above embodiment, but it is acceptable if it is transparent and can be colored as long as it can exhibit the desired reflecting performance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1...Microprism reflector 3...Main part 5...Reflective element section 7...Single-layer surface sheet 7a...Exposed surface 7b...Opposing surface 9... Back single layer sheet 9a... Exposed surface 9b... opposing surface 11... concave portion 11a...Base 13...Prism 13a...base portion 13b...apex portion 13c...Side part 13d...Slope surface 15...Prism assembly surface 17...Adhesive

Claims

1. The prism assembly surface is integrally formed with the concave surface and has a number of prisms protruding upward from the inner bottom side of the concave surface, and a cover surface that closes the concave surface. The concave surface portion and the cover surface portion are made of a rubber-like material, A microprism reflector, characterized in that the apex of the prism is set at a height such that it does not come into contact with the cover surface.

2. 2. The microprism reflector according to claim 1, The microprism reflector is in the form of laminated sheets, one sheet layer being recessed to form a concave surface portion, and the other sheet layer being a cover surface portion.

3. 3. The microprism reflector according to claim 1, A microprism reflector, wherein the concave portion is made of silicone resin.

4. 3. The microprism reflector according to claim 1, A microprism reflector characterized in that the cover surface is colored.

5. 3. The microprism reflector according to claim 1, A microprism reflector characterized in that the top surface of the cover portion can be configured as an adhesive surface to be attached to a target object.

6. 2. The method for producing a microprism reflector according to claim 1, This manufacturing method is characterized in that a master mold is formed by bundling a plurality of micro-master mold component pins, a metal mold is produced by electroforming using the master mold, a rubber-like material is pressed against the metal mold, and a prism assembly surface is formed by thermal transfer to form a part of the prism reflector.

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