Decorative mirror manufacturing method and decorative mirror

Abstract

To provide a decorative mirror that has a high-quality image printed in color on the surface of glass.SOLUTION: A decorative mirror comprises: a transparent or translucent primer layer 3 printed on a glass substrate 1; an ultraviolet-curable white ink layer 4 partially printed on the primer layer 3; an ultraviolet-curable color ink layer 5 laminated on the entire surface of the white ink layer 4 and the exposed-state primer layer 3; and a reflective layer 2 provided on the entire back surface of the glass substrate. The glass substrate 1 contains silicon dioxide of 60-80 wt.% and calcium oxide of 2-20 wt.% as constituent materials, and has a nominal thickness of 0.3 mm to 8 mm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a decorative mirror having a high-quality image printed in color on the glass surface, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] American cafes and bars often have decorative items called pub mirrors. Pub mirrors are decorative items with pictures or letters painted on the surface of a mirror, and they are hung on the wall or displayed on a shelf to create a stylish atmosphere in the bar.

[0003] Meanwhile, in Japan, this type of product is becoming more popular, and is not only used to decorate restaurants and izakayas, but is also attracting attention from individuals as a product featuring their favorite anime characters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-142971 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-106674 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-127449 [Patent Document 4] Utility Model Registration No. 3182102 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-030832 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, fixing pictures or letters to glass is not easy, and ink on the glass surface is prone to peeling off, so generally, the technique of printing pictures or letters on the backside of the glass (Patent Documents 1 and 2) or attaching a printed sheet to the glass surface is used (Patent Documents 3 and 4).

[0006] There is also a document that describes a technology for thermally transferring an image onto the glass surface (Patent Document 5). However, in this invention, in order to leave the exposed glass area where the mirror surface is exposed, it is necessary to partially apply a masking film coated with an adhesive to the glass surface prior to the primer step, and due to the nature of the masking film, it is not possible to create fine patterns such as letters.

[0007] Furthermore, in this invention, the image thermally transferred from a transfer sheet on which an image of wood grain or stone grain is printed is merely a simple repeated decoration that decorates the periphery of the mirror surface, lacking impact, and does not utilize the thickness of the mirror to create a three-dimensional effect.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a decorative mirror having a high-quality image printed in color on the glass surface, and a method for manufacturing such a decorative mirror. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the decorative mirror according to the present invention has a reflective layer on the back surface. A transparent or semi-transparent primer layer is provided on the surface. The substrate is a glass substrate with a reflective layer or an auxiliary substrate with a reflective layer. 、 The aforementioned A primer layer was provided In the decorative mirror formed by integrating with a glass substrate, the glass substrate contains 60 to 80 wt% of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and 2 to 20 wt% of calcium oxide (CaO) as constituent materials, and has a nominal thickness of 0.3 to 8 mm and is polished to an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.0007 to 0.0025 μm. After that, the primer layer was provided.The glass substrate has a key area in the design and a non-key area in the design, and when the design is viewed from the viewing direction, a color ink layer made of ultraviolet curable ink and a white ink layer made of ultraviolet curable ink behind it are formed in the key area, while the color ink layer is formed in the non-key area without the white ink layer being laminated thereon.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a glass substrate that typically contains 60 to 80 wt% silicon dioxide (SiO2) and 2 to 20 wt% calcium oxide (CaO) as constituent materials and has a nominal thickness of 0.3 mm to 8 mm. The aforementioned a polishing step of polishing the surface of the glass substrate to an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.0007 to 0.0025 μm; After the polishing step, A primer step of forming a transparent or translucent primer layer on the surface of the glass substrate; After the primer step, A base process in which white ink is printed in certain areas and then cured with ultraviolet light to turn the key areas of the design white; Other than the main area the primer layer of surface and the surface of the main area that has undergone the undercoating process. and a color printing process in which color ink is printed and cured with ultraviolet light.

[0011] Although not particularly limited, in the present invention, the base printing step and the color printing step are preferably performed using one or more inkjet printers. Furthermore, more preferably, the primer step is also performed using an inkjet printer.

[0012] By inkjet printing the primer, it is possible to arbitrarily form exposed areas of the glass mirror surface where no primer layer exists (i.e., exposed glass areas). In other words, by inkjet printing the primer, it is possible to form exposed glass areas of any shape, even with fine and complex patterns such as letters or logos.

[0013] In general, inkjet printers apply pressure and heat to turn ink into fine particles, which are then sprayed onto a printing substrate. However, in the present invention, it is preferable to employ a configuration in which an ultraviolet curing process is performed immediately after the printing process. After ultraviolet curing, the ink preferably has a pencil hardness of about 3H based on JIS K-5400 8.4.

[0014] In any case, in the present invention, since the glass substrate is polished in a polishing step, even slight oil stains and fingerprints that are not visible to the naked eye can be reliably removed, and the quality of the final finish is significantly improved. However, if the polishing step is not provided, stains that are not visible to the naked eye may be lifted by the influence of the ink that is printed thereafter.

[0015] Furthermore, in the present invention, a priming process is carried out prior to the color printing process in which key areas of the design are painted white, so that a silhouette of the key areas of the design is formed on the back surface of the glass through the thickness of the glass plate, resulting in the effect that the key areas appear to be slightly raised.

[0016] Here, when forming a decorative mirror from a single glass substrate, as in the first, second, and fourth embodiments, if the glass plate thickness is thinner than the nominal value of 2 mm (actual measured value approximately 1.7 to 2.3 mm), the floating effect will be somewhat lacking and there will be strength problems, while if the glass plate thickness is 8 mm or more, it will be heavy and will look somewhat unnatural.

[0017] Therefore, when forming a decorative mirror using a single glass substrate, a glass plate thickness of nominal value 3 mm (actual value 2.7 mm to 3.3 mm) or nominal value 5 mm (actual value 4.7 mm to 5.3 mm) is suitable, and a glass plate thickness of nominal value 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm, and optimally a nominal value of about 3 mm should be selected.

[0018] On the other hand, when a decorative mirror is formed by laminating a first substrate and a second substrate, as in the third and fifth embodiments, the first substrate reinforces the second substrate, so from the perspective of reducing weight, the thickness of the glass substrate should be 2 mm or less (preferably 1 mm or less), and the thickness can be reduced to around 0.3 mm.

[0019] The white ink is not particularly limited, but is preferably one containing 40 to 60 wt% of a photosensitive resin, 10 to 20 wt% of an acrylic ester, and 5 to 10 wt% of a phosphine oxide derivative. Suitable examples of the acrylic ester include ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate.

[0020] Furthermore, the white ink should preferably contain titanium oxide as a pigment. However, since a white ink of this composition has poor adhesion to glass, it is essential to provide a primer layer on the glass substrate to prevent peeling. Note that poor adhesion to glass is not limited to white ink, but applies to other color inks as well.

[0021] The primer is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent adhesion to glass, but preferably, a primer containing acrylic esters, photosensitive resin, and phosphine oxide derivatives in a total amount of 98 to 99.9 wt % is selected. It is also preferable that the primer further contains a polymerization inhibitor.

[0022] In either case, the primer layer should be transparent or translucent, and since the primer layer is transparent or translucent, it is possible to create a difference in transparency between the main area of ​​the design drawn on the base layer and the background area of ​​the design where no base layer is provided. In other words, the slightly transparent background area and the opaque main area are clearly distinguished visually, so the main area is more clearly appealing. The main area is, for example, a display area for an anime character, and is preferably located approximately in the center of the glass surface, with the surrounding area being the background.

[0023] The thickness of the white ink film is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm to 50 μm, and more preferably about 30 μm. By providing a film thickness of this order, the colors of the subsequent color inks are prevented from showing through the glass, and the finished color printed surface can be made more natural.

[0024] Although it is generally preferable to print white ink directly on the primer layer, it is not prohibited to print it over a black or color layer printed on the primer layer. When white ink is printed directly on the primer layer, a white silhouette is formed on the back surface of the glass, but by printing black ink on the primer layer, a black silhouette can be formed on the back surface of the glass.

[0025] However, if color inks are printed using the inkjet method on top of the black ink layer that forms the black silhouette to achieve the original design, the color ink particles will get caught between the fixed black ink particles, making the color dull and resulting in an unsatisfactory finish. Therefore, in this case, one or two white ink layers with a thickness of about 30 μm should be placed on top of the black ink layer, and then color inks should be printed to achieve the original design.

[0026] Similarly, by printing color ink on the primer layer, a silhouette similar to that on the front side can be formed on the back side of the glass. However, even if the same design is used, printing color inks on top of each other will make the image outline unclear, so it is recommended that one or two white ink layers with a thickness of about 30 μm be placed on top of the color print layer printed on the primer layer, and then color inks be printed to achieve the original design.

[0027] As described above, in the present invention, in addition to the embodiment in which a white silhouette is formed on the rear surface of the glass by directly printing a white ink on the primer layer, a black silhouette can be formed by printing a black ink on the primer layer, and a silhouette similar to that on the front surface can also be formed by printing a colored ink on the primer layer. However, when a comprehensive evaluation of manufacturing costs and finish is made, it is generally optimal to print a layer of white ink directly on the primer layer.

[0028] In any case, in the present invention, a color image is printed on the glass surface, excluding the exposed glass portion, through a color printing process. That is, when the glass surface is viewed in plan before color printing, the glass surface is divided into a primer layer, a base layer in which white ink or the like is printed on the primer layer, and the exposed glass portion where no primer is present, and the color image is printed on the primer layer and the base layer, excluding the exposed glass portion.

[0029] Here, the film thickness of the color ink should also be 20 μm to 50 μm, and more preferably, about 30 μm.

[0030] The color inks used in the color printing process include at least cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks. These inks are not particularly limited as long as they are ultraviolet (UV) curable inks. A cyan ink is preferably selected that contains 1-20 wt% of a photosensitive resin, 60-90 wt% of an acrylic acid ester, and 1-20 wt% of a phosphine oxide derivative as its main components, and 1-5% of a pigment. The pigment is preferably a copper compound. The ink should also contain a photopolymerization initiator and a polymerization inhibitor.

[0031] The photopolymerization initiator is a component that generates active species upon receiving light and initiates the polymerization reaction of the photopolymerizable monomer, and examples thereof include radical photopolymerization initiators, cationic photopolymerization initiators, etc. In addition, in the present invention, by including a polymerization inhibitor, it is possible to suppress the polymerization of the photopolymerizable monomer to a high level, thereby improving the storage stability and durability of the ink.

[0032] The same applies to magenta ink and yellow ink, and these inks should also preferably contain a photopolymerization initiator and a polymerization inhibitor. Furthermore, the magenta ink is preferably selected from inks whose main components are 1-20 wt% of a photosensitive resin, 60-90 wt% of an acrylic acid ester, and 1-20 wt% of a phosphine oxide derivative, with the magenta ink containing 1-5% of a magenta colorant, and the yellow ink containing a nickel compound pigment.

[0033] The black ink contains 1 to 5% carbon black as a coloring material, and preferably contains a photopolymerization initiator and a polymerization inhibitor, and preferably contains 1 to 10 wt% photosensitive resin, 60 to 90 wt% acrylic esters, and 5 to 10 wt% phosphine oxide derivatives.

[0034] After the color printing process, the glass surface may be covered with an appropriate protective layer or anti-reflection layer. However, to enhance the overall color and luster of the design, it is effective to print a 30 μm thick glossy material over the entire glass surface, which acts as a protective layer. It is preferable that the glossy material be UV-curable, and that the hardness after UV curing be approximately 3H pencil hardness based on JIS K-5400 8.4.

[0035] The glass substrate is not particularly limited as long as its constituent materials are 60 to 80 wt% silicon oxide (SiO2) and 2 to 20 wt% calcium oxide (CaO), but it is preferable to use a glass material with a total of 60 to 80 wt% silicon oxide (SiO2), 0 to 7 wt% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), 2 to 18 wt% calcium oxide (CaO), 0 to 8 wt% magnesium oxide (MgO), and 5 to 25 wt% sodium oxide (Na2O) and potassium oxide (KO).

[0036] Here, the content of iron oxide (Fe2O3) should be kept below 1 wt%, and if the content is kept below 0.05 wt%, it is possible to produce a product with high transparency and an even more luxurious feel.

[0037] To enhance the sense of luxury, it is preferable to provide a transfer process following the color printing process, in which metal foil is thermally transferred to the required location. In this case, a metal foil sheet with a uniformly applied metal foil is placed over the color ink layer, and the metal foil is thermally transferred by irradiating the metal foil sheet with a spot-like laser beam. It is also preferable to transfer the metal foil using heat and pressure instead of laser beam. In these cases, the color ink layer is already laminated on the glass substrate, so the metal foil can be thermally transferred. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention described above, it is possible to realize a decorative mirror having a high-quality image printed in color on the glass surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The manufacturing method of the decorative mirror of the embodiment will be described in more detail below, but the specific description does not limit the present invention in any way. First, Fig. 1(a) is a flow chart showing the manufacturing method of the first embodiment, and Fig. 1(b) and Fig. 1(c) are cross-sectional views of a glass substrate showing the manufacturing process.

[0041] Fig. 1(a) shows the manufacturing process after a reflective layer of aluminum or silver is formed on the rear surface of the glass. The reflective layer is formed by, for example, vacuum deposition, and Fig. 1(b) shows a glass substrate 1 provided with a reflective layer 2.

[0042] The thickness of the glass substrate 1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably selected to have a nominal value of 3 mm (actual measurement is approximately 2.7 mm to 3.3 mm). Such a glass substrate is brush-washed with warm water to remove surface dirt (ST10), and then cut to an appropriate size (ST11). The cut size is not particularly limited, but is preferably selected to be approximately A2 (420 × 594 mm), A3 (297 × 420 mm), A4 (210 × 297 mm), or B5 (182 × 257 mm).

[0043] After the cutting process (ST11) is complete, the glass surface to be printed is polished and cleaned using cesium (ST12). Specifically, the glass surface to be printed is polished using cerium oxide particles with a particle size of approximately 1.2 to 1.4 μm. As a result of this polishing process, all glass powder generated during the cutting process, including any adhesions to the glass surface, is completely removed. Fingerprints and other oily contaminants are also completely removed.

[0044] The arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of the glass surface after polishing is about 0.0007 to 0.0025 μm, preferably 0.0011 to 0.0020 μm, and more preferably 0.0011 to 0.0016 μm.

[0045] Next, a transparent primer layer 3 is formed on the flattened glass substrate to a thickness of about 30 μm (ST13). The primer may be formed by coating or spraying a primer liquid onto the glass surface, but in order to leave a fine pattern on the exposed glass, it is preferable to inkjet print the primer. In this embodiment, steps ST13 to ST15 and step ST17 are performed using an inkjet printer.

[0046] Next, the color image original depicting the anime characters or the like is subjected to appropriate color correction, and the main area depicting the characters or the like is extracted from the color-corrected image original. Then, image data specifying the main area is supplied to the printer, and an instruction is given to print this main area in white ink.

[0047] As a result, a white underlayer 4 of about 30 μm is formed in the essential area of ​​the glass surface on which the primer layer 3 is provided (ST14). In the process of this step ST14, ultraviolet-curable white ink is used, and after the essential area is inkjet-printed in white, ultraviolet light is irradiated, causing the essential area to be quickly ultraviolet-cured.

[0048] Next, the image data of the color-corrected image original, which is made up of the main area and the background area, is supplied to the printer, and the original image is color-printed on the glass surface (excluding the exposed glass area) divided into the base layer 4 and the primer layer 3 (ST15). In the color printing, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks are used, all of which are UV-curable inks.

[0049] After each part is inkjet printed in the appropriate color, the color ink is quickly cured by irradiating it with ultraviolet light. This color ink layer 5 also has a thickness of about 30 μm. Figure 1(c) shows a cross section of the glass substrate after processing in step ST15.

[0050] Next, the metal foil is thermally transferred onto the UV-cured color ink (ST16). Specifically, the glass substrate processed in step ST15 is placed in a thermal transfer machine, and a metal foil sheet is placed where the metal foil is to be transferred. Then, position data indicating the transfer position is sent from a personal computer, and laser light is irradiated onto the required location, thermally transferring the metal foil of the metal foil sheet onto the color ink (ST16).

[0051] Although not particularly limited, letters, symbols, logos, etc. are printed close to any of the four corners of the glass surface by thermal transfer of metal foil.

[0052] Finally, an inkjet printer is used to print a glossy material to increase the gloss (ST17). If gloss is not required, an appropriate protective layer can be provided instead of the glossy layer. The hardness of the glossy layer and the protective layer is approximately 3H in pencil hardness based on JIS K-5400 8.4.

[0053] As described above, in the first embodiment, the primer process (ST13) and the undercoat process (ST14) are carried out prior to the color printing process (ST15), so that the silhouette of the key areas of the design is formed on the back surface of the glass through the thickness of the glass sheet, resulting in the effect that the key areas appear to be slightly raised. In addition, the polishing process (ST12) is carried out first, so there is no risk of unintended patterns appearing.

[0054] Although the above has been described as an example in which the base layer 4, which is the main region, is white, it is also preferable to make the base layer black or its original color. Figure 2 is a flow chart explaining this second example.

[0055] The processing of steps ST10 to ST13 is the same as in the first embodiment, but in the base printing step (ST14), the base layer, which is the main area, is divided into a silhouette layer 6 and a white layer 4.

[0056] That is, first, black or color ink is printed on the main areas where characters and the like are drawn to form a silhouette layer 6, and then white ink is printed to cover this silhouette layer 6, forming a white layer 4. Note that when each ink layer is about 30 μm thick, white ink particles get into the gaps between the black or colored ink particles, resulting in a dull color such as gray. For this reason, it is preferable to form a double white layer 4 to form a clear, complete base layer.

[0057] After the white base layer 4 has been formed in this way, the image data of the color-corrected image original, which is composed of the essential area and the background area, is supplied to a printer, and the image original is color-printed on the glass surface (excluding the exposed glass area) divided into the base layer 4 and the primer layer 3 (ST15). The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the effect is that a black or natural color silhouette of the essential area of ​​the design is formed on the back surface of the glass through the thickness of the glass plate.

[0058] In the first and second embodiments described above, a single glass substrate is provided with a reflective layer 2 on its rear surface and a color printed layer (3, 4, 5, 6, etc.) on its front surface, but this is not particularly limited.

[0059] For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a first substrate BS1 (see Fig. 3(a)) having a reflective layer 2 on its front or back surface and a second substrate BS2 (see Fig. 3(b)) having no reflective layer may be prepared, and a color printed layer (3-5 or 3-6, etc.) may be provided on the front or back surface of the second substrate BS2. In this third embodiment, the second substrate BS2 is made of a glass material, but the first substrate BS1 is not necessarily limited to a glass material and may be made of a plastic material.

[0061] In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first substrate BS1 and the second substrate are preferably made of the above-mentioned preferred glass material, that is, a glass material containing 60 to 80 wt% silicon oxide (SiO2), 0 to 7 wt% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), 2 to 18 wt% calcium oxide (CaO), 0 to 8 wt% magnesium oxide (MgO), and a total of 5 to 25 wt% sodium oxide (Na2O) and potassium oxide (KO).

[0062] However, the first substrate BS1 and the second substrate BS2 may be made of glass materials with compositions other than those described above, and a plastic material may be used for the first substrate BS1 instead of the glass material. Using a plastic material for the first substrate BS1 makes it lighter than using a glass substrate, and also has the advantage of being less likely to break because the glass second substrate BS2 is reinforced by the plastic first substrate BS1.

[0063] Therefore, when using a glass material, it is preferable that the thickness of the second substrate BS2 and / or the first substrate BS1 is about 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0064] In the third embodiment, when a plastic material is used for the first substrate BS1, it is preferable to use a plastic material with a film mirror attached to one of the front and back surfaces, or a plastic material with a specular reflective layer 2 vapor-deposited on one of the front and back surfaces. Here, the film mirror means, for example, a polyester film that has been subjected to a mirror finish.

[0065] Suitable examples of plastic materials include ABS resin (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), which has excellent rigidity, chemical resistance, and heat resistance; PET resin (Polyethylene terephthalate), which has excellent transparency, toughness, rigidity, and heat resistance; and PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate), which has particularly excellent transparency and durability, as well as acrylic resin.

[0066] Furthermore, regardless of whether the first substrate BS1 is made of glass or plastic, the contact surfaces of the first substrate BS1 and the second substrate BS2 do not necessarily need to be fixed by adhesive or other means. If they are not fixed, the edges of the two overlapping substrates BS1 and BS2 may be held in place by an appropriate holding member FIX. They may also be held directly by a frame or other member. In either case, when using a glass material for the first substrate BS1, it is preferable to make the thickness t1 of the first glass substrate BS1 thinner than the thickness t2 of the second glass substrate BS2, thereby keeping the total glass thickness t1 + t2 to approximately 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0067] Incidentally, although not within the scope of the present invention, from the viewpoint of weight reduction, it is also preferable to use a mirror-finished polyester film (film mirror) as the first substrate BS1, and to ultimately reduce weight and increase breakage strength, a plastic material such as acrylic resin may also be used for the second substrate BS2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1. Glass substrate 2 reflective layer 3 Primer layer 4 White ink layer 5 color ink layers

Claims

[Claim 1] A decorative mirror is constructed by a glass substrate having a reflective layer on the back surface and a transparent or semi-transparent primer layer on the front surface, or by integrating an auxiliary substrate having a reflective layer with the glass substrate having the primer layer, The glass substrate contains 60 to 80 wt % of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and 2 to 20 wt % of calcium oxide (CaO) as constituent materials, and has a nominal thickness of 0.3 to 8 mm; The glass substrate, which has been polished to an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.0007 to 0.0025 μm and then provided with the primer layer, is provided with a design essential region and a design non-essential region, When the design is viewed from the viewing direction, A decorative mirror characterized in that a color ink layer made of ultraviolet curable ink and a white ink layer made of ultraviolet curable ink behind it are formed in the essential area, while the color ink layer is formed in the non-essential area without the white ink layer being laminated thereon.

Images