Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Layer or component removable to expose adhesive – Release layer
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-24
2003-09-02
Chen, Vivian (Department: 1773)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
Release layer
C428S346000, C428S352000, C428S349000, C428S347000, C428S3550EN, C428S3550AC, C428S3550EN, C428S042300, C428S042100, C428S040100, C428S483000, C428S913000, C428S914000, C428S423100, C428S424200, C428S424400, C428S515000, C428S520000, C428S522000, C428S334000, C428S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06613412
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to carriers and laminates used in the production and application of decorative graphics to be adhesively applied and methods of making and using the same. More particularly, the invention provides a substantially transparent carrier for graphics to be applied to a substrate, the carrier having a film with an adhesive thereon which has a peel strength which decreases with increasing temperature and which allows the carrier to be immediately removed from just-adhered graphics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Quick, easy and inexpensive methods of applying decorative graphics to a variety of substrates have long been desired. Examples of known methods of attaching decorative emblems and letters include sewing and the use of adhesives. The use of adhesives has been particularly practiced in the application of decorative graphics to fabric substrates of the type commonly found in sportswear and athletic garments such as team uniforms, jerseys, jackets and caps. Other examples of suitable garments capable of decoration with adhesively applied graphics are shorts, pants, T-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. Although the decorated garments must be highly durable and resistant to rough use, the cost of applying the graphics per garment must be low in terms of both time and money because of the large number of garments typically involved.
In general, the prior art has been unable to provide a single carrier capable of multiple advantages, i.e. (1.) holding a material from which a graphic may be cut securely enough to permit the cutting of intricate shapes therefrom with a computer guided blade, (2.) being adapted to retain a graphic thereon for transfer to a substrate on which the graphic is to be adhered, (3.) providing quick and easy registration of the graphic with respect to the desired location and orientation of the graphic on the substrate and (4.) simultaneously providing the capability of immediate removal of the carrier from the just-adhered graphic and underlying substrate without any damage to either. The later feature requires a minimization of the force required to remove the carrier from the graphic adhered substrate. Just-adhered graphics may be vulnerable to distortion and disruption from ripping or pulling forces employed to remove prior art carrier.
Thus, prior art carriers and laminates for use in the production and application of adhesively appliable graphics have generally been incapable of use with intricate cutting means and/or must be allowed to cool prior to removal from a graphic adhered substrate. While some paper coated release sheets do allow for immediate removal, they are limited to use with particular types of graphics. These paper carriers are often referred to as being capable of immediate or ‘hot peel’ removal because adherence of the graphic carried thereon to the substrate almost always requires the application of both heat and pressure. Thus, the graphic and underlying substrate are still hot when the paper carrier is immediately removed. Hot peel release of these paper carriers is generally facilitated by a change in the graphic material not the paper carrier. These paper carriers are opaque, however, making registration of the graphic to the substrate difficult. Also, they are generally incapable of serving as the carrier for a laminate from which intricate shapes can be cut with a computer controlled blade.
Several prior art patents have addressed these separate problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,212, issued to Liebe, Jr. and herein incorporated by reference, discloses heat applied athletic lettering having two layers of polyvinyl chloride bonded to each other. One of the layers of polyvinyl chloride is releasably adhered to a high gloss release paper sheet. Graphics are cut from the laminate and heat applied to the release coated paper sheet to cause one of the polyvinyl chloride layers to melt and encapsulate a desired fabric substrate.
However, the graphic material is generally not held securely enough to permit the formation of intricate detailed graphics.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,423 to Leibe, Jr. discloses an alignment maintaining plastic lettering material having three layers. The first layer is comprised of a pigmented display layer of a particular vinyl composition having first and second surfaces. On the first surface of the vinyl layer is a translucent release sheet of heat stabilized polyester onto which the vinyl layer has been solution cast. On the second surface of the vinyl lies a layer of non encapsulating thermoplastic adhesive, which is used to adhere the graphic to the substrate. It is believed that the release sheet of the Leibe, Jr. invention may not be removed until it has cooled to approximately room temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,106 issued to Mahn discloses a laminated web consisting essentially of a polyester adhesive bonded to an extruded and rolled polyurethane lettering layer. The polyester layer is covered with a removable release sheet. The paper cover is removed, characters are die cut out of the web, the polyester adhesive layer is placed against a fabric substrate, a release coated paper cover is placed over the polyurethane layer and heat and pressure are applied. The melting point of the polyester adhesive is lower than of that of the polyurethane, so the polyester melts into the fabric to adhere the polyurethane graphic to the substrate.
Thus, despite the teachings of the prior art there remains the problem of being able to (1.) make decorative graphics from a laminate wherein the graphics are retained on the carrier of the laminate in an orientation which is a reverse or mirror image of the intended orientation of the graphic on the substrate, (2.) subsequently use the same laminate carrier to apply the graphic in a manner which allows the user of the carrier to see just how the graphics will appear on the substrate before they have been adhered thereto, and (3) have the option of immediately removing the same laminate carrier from the just applied graphic. The prior art has failed to resolve these problems while simultaneously providing a carrier for decorative graphics which is highly efficient in terms of production volume, has significant economic advantages and provides high quality decorative graphics.
Finally, the prior art has failed to provide a carrier which can provide these advantages as part of a laminate and also prove advantageous in other embodiments. It would be desirable to have a substantially transparent carrier with an adhesive upon which pre-formed graphics could be arranged in an orientation reverse from that intended on the substrate, which could provide easy registration with the substrate, could be removed immediately after adherence of the graphic and could be removed with a minimum amount of upwardly applied force so as to not damage the just-adhered graphic or substrate.
Because such characteristics would provide significant commercial advantages in terms of ease of use, efficiency and economy, it is an object of this invention to provide a carrier for decorative graphics capable of providing these advantages.
In particular, it is an object of this invention to provide a carrier for adhesively applied graphics which is capable of adequately securing the graphic during the graphic formation and application processes but which may be immediately removed from a graphic adhered substrate, wherein the removal of the carrier is effected with substantially little or no damage to the just applied graphic.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a laminate from which decorative graphics may be cut where the laminate enjoys the same advantage of the carrier of the invention.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of applying a graphic to a substrate wherein a preformed graphic may be applied to the carrier of the invention and retained thereon for quick and accurate registration on the substrate but wherein the carrier may be immediately removed from the graphic adhered substrate without the appl
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Chen Vivian
Stahl's Inc.
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