Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Physical dimension specified
Patent
1996-11-25
1998-09-08
Nakarani, D. S.
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Physical dimension specified
428201, 428203, 428205, 428327, 428332, 428412, 428517, 428519, 428520, C08J 518, C08L 3306
Patent
active
058042873
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an acrylic-laminated injection molded article which is adhesively laminated with a specific acrylic film, and to an acrylic film used to produce the molded article.
BACKGROUND ART
Methods for creating decoration on the surfaces of plastic articles are largely classified as direct printing methods or transfer methods. Direct printing methods are used for direct printing of molded articles, and include pad printing, curved silk printing and electrostatic printing which, however, are unsuitable for producing molded articles with complex shapes and do not allow easy creation of elaborate designs. Transfer methods include the heat transfer method and water transfer method, but these have disadvantages of relatively high cost.
An additional method which allows creation of designs in molded articles at low cost is the in-mold method. This method involves first molding a sheet or film made of a printed polyester resin, polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin into a three-dimensional shape by vacuum molding or the like, or without molding if desired, and then inserting it into an injection mold and injection molding the resin which is to serve as the base material, in which case the resin sheet or film is sometimes integrated with the base resin and sometimes only the printing is transferred.
Acrylic films are used as surface protectors for polycarbonates and vinyl chloride because of their excellent transparency and weatherability. However, their thickness of 300 .mu.m or less renders it difficult to form films unless they are flexible, and therefore low surface hardness has been a problem.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-77963, for example, discloses an acrylic resin composition with excellent transparency, weatherability and film formability. However, the particle size of the rubber-containing polymer is not mentioned, while the particle sizes of the rubber-containing polymers obtained in the examples are 0.15 .mu.m or smaller. Also, since the amount of rubber-containing polymer added is substantially 28% or greater, its surface hardness is inferior.
Using polyester resins or polycarbonate resins for in-mold decorating wherein only the print is transferred results in drawbacks such as a lack of high quality feel and depth of the appearance, as well as insufficient weatherability.
Problems of higher cost are associated with providing appearances having depth and high quality on the surfaces of molded articles designed by these processes, and with processes involving painting steps. Efforts are also being made to improve the poor workability in painting steps which handle large volumes of solvents.
Painting requires the skill of trained workers, and satisfactory surface appearances with depth and high quality can only be obtained by repeated application from a few times to as many as 20 to 30 times, which thus greatly increases costs and reduces productivity.
In recent years, painting steps involving the use of large volumes of organic solvents have become problematic from the viewpoint of improving the working environment.
On the other hand, although molded articles laminated by in-mold decorating of acrylic films have excellent depth and quality appearance similar to painted molded articles, acrylic films generally have inadequate surface hardness and heat resistance, are very prone to damage once molded, and acquire a poor surface appearance when exposed to high temperatures.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
As a result of diligent research conducted with the aim of overcoming the problems described above, the present inventors have completed the present invention upon the finding that acrylic films with excellent surface hardness may be obtained by using a rubber-containing polymer with a specific particle size which is larger than that of rubber-containing polymers used for conventional acrylic films, and in a smaller amount than conventionally used.
In other words, the gist of the present invention lies in an acrylic resin film with a thickness of 300
REFERENCES:
patent: 5409778 (1995-04-01), Patel
Hatakeyama Hiroki
Nakagawa Kazuhiko
Terasawa Tomonori
Mitsubishi Rayon Company Ltd.
Nakarani D. S.
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