Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Patent
1998-05-22
2000-09-05
Ball, Michael W.
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
156245, 156285, 156500, 425175, 425440, 264225, 264316, 368226, 368232, 968153, 968156, 968215, B32B 3120, B28B 114, B28B 1304, G04B 1910
Patent
active
06113726&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of fixing elements to supports and relates more particularly to a process for molding and applying three-dimensional indications to a surface such as a timepiece dial which acts as a support.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Processes for fixing elements to supports, such as the processes of transfer printing by means of an etched block and a pad, have been known for a long time and give very good results when the indications to be reproduced are flat and thin, but these processes becomes [sic] more difficult to use when it is desired to obtain more substantial thicknesses. Other techniques such as insertion or adhesive coating have hitherto enabled three-dimensional indications to be fixed by placing them individually.
Other processes exist in which the indications to be affixed, for example to a dial, are produced by cutting a sheet consisting of a compound possibly containing luminescent material, the indications obtained having a flat shape. However, this process, on the one hand, does not allow the production of indications of elaborate shape and, on the other hand, presupposes a manipulation carried out by an operator in order to place them on the support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to overcome all these drawbacks and more particularly to allow the creation of indications of any shape and/or thickness, while eliminating the manipulation of the indications by an operator during the procedure of laying them on the support. The process for transferring indications to a surface according to the invention is characterized in that an elastomer is applied to a pattern having at least one indication in relief to be reproduced, this elastomer, after having cured, being intended to form a membrane-mold and to reproduce in negative the indication in relief on the pattern, in that the membrane-mold is separated from the pattern, in that the membrane-mold is filled with a compound capable of curing and in that the membrane-mold containing the indication filled with the cured compound, or the compound in the process of curing, is applied to a support so as to transfer the indication after having precoated the place or the visible surface of the indication with adhesive.
The invention also relates to a tool for implementing this process, characterized in that it comprises a retaining piece having at least one orifice, the piece having at least one indexing notch or perforation, molding pieces gripping the retaining piece and the pattern for producing the membrane-mold by molding.
The subject of the invention is also the support obtained by implementing the process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The appended drawing shows, by way of non-limiting examples, an embodiment and variants of the process according to the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a top view of an initial pattern for a dial, comprising indications in relief which it is desired to reproduce and affix to a surface, the initial pattern being in the form of a disk with an indexing notch.
FIG. 2 is a cross section on the line II--II of the pattern in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 represents a ring having the same external dimension as the pattern in FIG. 1, also with an indexing notch.
FIG. 4 is a cross section on the line IV--IV of the ring in FIG. 3, on an enlarged scale, in which may be seen a rectangular channel on the outside and a dovetail machined cut on the inside.
FIG. 5 shows a device for producing a membrane-mold intended to reproduce the indications in relief.
FIG. 6 details the connection between the membrane-mold and the ring.
FIG. 7 shows one way of manually filling the mold using a filling nozzle.
FIG. 8 gives another alternative way of filling, by deposition and scraping of the upper surface of the mold with a blade.
FIG. 9 represents said membrane-mold filled with the molded compounds.
FIG. 10 represents a device used for transfer printing and coating the surface intended to receive the molded compounds with adhesive, using an inverted block, a pad and a sliding s
REFERENCES:
patent: 1607822 (1926-11-01), Granger
patent: 3197846 (1965-08-01), Vogt
patent: 3351510 (1967-11-01), Harris
Ball Michael W.
Promatec Systems S.A.
Tolin Michael A
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