Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2002-06-18
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S235000, C156S240000, C156S249000, C156S257000, C156S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06406582
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based upon provisional 60/050,857 filed Jun. 26, 1997.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of applying a predetermined pattern onto a support means of a sign, which pattern is to form the decoration and/or information on the sign, utilising a foil comprising a pattern layer and a carrier layer with an adhesive layer uniting them, wherein parts to be included in said pattern are cut out in the pattern layer of the foil by means of a cutting device which is controlled by an electronic control unit that is pre-programmed in accordance with the predetermined pattern, after which the foil is placed on a laminating table having a flat laying-out surface in an application device with the pattern layer facing upwards.
The invention also relates to a device for applying a predetermined pattern onto a support means of a sign, which pattern is to form the decoration and/or information on the sign, utilising a foil comprising a pattern layer and a carrier layer with an adhesive layer uniting them, wherein parts to be included in said pattern are cut out in the pattern layer of the foil by means of a cutting device which is controlled by an electronic control unit that is pre-programmed in accordance with the predetermined pattern, said device comprising a laminating table having a flat laying-out surface on which the foil is placed with the pattern layer facing upwards.
A traditional stretch-fabric sign generally consists of a stand with a pair of parallel support elements anchored in said stand, a support means in the form of a flexible stretch-fabric extending in a plane between said support elements, and some form of attachment means to secure the stretch-fabric to the support elements. Two parallel edge portions of the fabric are folded around a strip enabling the edges of the fabric to be detachably connected to the support elements through said attachment means. The stretch-fabric, intended to carry and expose information, particularly advertisements, by means of one or more self-adhesive lengths of the pattern layer of a decorative foil, also known as decor film, being applied on the sign surface of the stretch-fabric, is suitably manufactured from some weatherproof, durable material such as plastic sheeting. The lengths of decor film are produced by cutting out a desired pattern in the form of information, e.g. text, or decoration, e.g. graphics, in the upper layer of said decor foil consisting of said decor film with a thin adhesive layer facing a second layer, the backing, normally consisting of a waxed paper, without the waxed paper beneath being perforated. Cutting is effected by a foil cutter when the desired pattern has first been either entered into or created in an electronic control unit, usually a computer connected to the foil cutter. The decor foil cut in this way is then placed on a table, together with the stretch-fabric. A transfer film with a self-adhesive, non-permanent layer of adhesive on one surface of the transfer film is applied over the entire surface of the pattern layer so that a laminate is formed consisting of the foil and the transfer film. Said transfer film is generally rolled up with the adhesive layer facing in towards the centre of the roll so that the outside of the roll is always free from adhesive. The wax paper of the foil is then removed so that the permanent adhesive surface of the pattern layer is exposed either by removing all the wax paper at once, as is the case if the pattern to be applied covers only a small surface, or, in the case of larger pattern areas, by the permanent adhesive surface being gradually exposed as the pattern layer is applied on the surface of the support means. During removal of the wax paper the cut-out parts of the pattern layer which are to form the desired pattern are pressed out manually from said foil using a hand tool, e.g. a spatula, so that they adhere to the surface of the transfer film. The parts of the pattern layer not forming the desired pattern will thus remain on the waxed paper and are discarded together with the paper. When the wax paper has been entirely or partially removed in the manner described above, a short length of the pattern layer adhered to the transfer film is applied on the surface of the support means, i.e. the stretch-fabric, application being performed with the aid of the spatula, while new strips of adhesive surface are applied, at the same time smoothing the whole with the spatula. When the entire pattern layer has been applied the transfer film is finally removed from the now decorated stretch-fabric.
If the finished sign is to consist of several fields of different colours, each colour must be cut out in a separate foil and then each foil must be applied individually, one after the other on the stretch-fabric. First securing and then smoothing out all the components in the sign under production has hitherto entailed extremely complicated and laborious processes. Furthermore, the less than stimulating nature of the work, has often resulted in carelessness and thus incorrect mounting of the pattern layer. The spatula may also cause scratches and even tears in the pattern layer or the stretch-fabric.
To facilitate application a lubricant, e.g. water, is generally used on the support means so that less friction is obtained between spatula and transfer film during the spatula work. A serious problem that may then arise is the formation of bubbles or blisters between the pattern layer and the stretch-fabric, caused by water or air becoming trapped between them. A hole must be made in the pattern layer to remove these blisters, allowing the enclosed liquid or air to be pressed out manually. Even if application of the pattern is performed most carefully, a few blisters containing moisture may still remain. When the sign is subsequently hung and is heated by the sun, the moisture enclosed is converted to water vapour and the bubbles gradually cause the adhesive agent to release its adhesion to the stretch-fabric, resulting in an ugly, uneven surface and a shorter service life for the sign. Furthermore, the present application method requires two people, one to apply the pattern with the spatula while the other holds the foil in position. For a sign with an area of 16 m
2
the total time required for the method described is estimated at about 8 hours, i.e. 4 hours per man for a work team comprising two fitters.
In another known method of applying pattern layers on stretch-fabric, an application reel-up is used where the layers are passed in together, one on top of the other, through a nip between two rubber-clad press rolls, thereby effecting adhesion between the necessary layers. However, placing the pattern layer in the press nip so that it is always correctly positioned in relation to the stretch-fabric beneath during the adhesion process is extremely complicated since the adhesive layer is exposed. Even a minute error is sufficient to cause serious lateral displacement after only a few meters of the sign-matter has passed through the press nip. This is particularly so when more than one panel of pattern layer is to be applied next to or on top of another. There is thus currently no real chance of quickly, reliably and cost-efficiently producing stretch-fabric signs with a pattern which is both detailed and in several colours.
The application reel-up described above cannot be used when working with backings for large signs since it does not allow application of pattern layers on backings larger than the width of the press rolls in the reel-up. The width of the signs is thus limited to only about 1200 mm which is the width of the rolls normally used. However, foil cutters now available can manage a foil width of up to 1372 mm and since for marketing reasons it is desirable to manufacture larger stretch-fabric signs by combining several panels of pattern layer, the reel-up method is now out of date.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and d
Johansson Göran
Johansson Patrick
Crispino Richard
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Shortsle Kevin
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