Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-26
2001-04-10
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S230000, C156S238000, C156S241000, C156S277000, C427S146000, C427S147000, C428S195100, C428S914000, C430S199000, C439S893000, C101S033000, C101S034000, C101S038100, C445S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06214150
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transfer sheet and a method of transferring a figuration of a single or different colorations on a ceramic product from the transfer sheet. The ceramic product directs to a spark plug insulator, semiconductor base plate, rice bowl, dish plate, flower vase, pottery, toilet stool and the like, while the figuration concerns to a geometric figure, letter, numeral, ideogram, symbol, denotation, mark, pattern and the like.
2. Description of Prior Art
In a method in which a design pattern of a single or plurality of colorations is printed on a ceramic product, the following have been introduced.
(i) A transfer sheet is prepared on which a pigment layer is deposited to draw an appropriate design. The transfer sheet thus prepared is dipped into water to separate the pigment layer from the transfer sheet. After desiccating the pigment layer thus separated, the pigment layer is printed on a ceramic product at the time of sintering the ceramic product.
In this instance, it is supposed that this process invites cracks on the ceramic product after finishing the sintering procedure due to a residual aqueous component, and at the same time, inviting a degeneration in the design due to the heat provided during the sintering procedure, thus restricting the use practically to a tableware such as a rice bowl, tea bowl, dish plate and the like.
(ii) An ink is prepared with a chromophoric pigment while preparing a rubber stamp in which a merchandize mark is sculptured. After dipping the stamp into the ink, the stamp is pressed on an outer surface of a ceramic product (e.g., spark plug insulator) to impress the mark on it.
This process has advantages in that it generally invites no cracks on the ceramic product upon finishing the sintering procedure, and at the same time, inviting no adverse affect on the design due to the heat produced during the sintering procedure.
However, the process has drawbacks in that it is physically difficult to produce the design of different colorations in addition to the merchandize mark being blurred.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
In order to obviate the drawbacks, the present invention is made with the inventor's concept as mentioned below in mind.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, pigment layers
102
,
103
are screen printed on a mount sheet
101
to provide a transfer sheet
100
on which an appropriate design is made.
The transfer sheet
100
enables to clearly imprint the design of different colorations on the outer surface of the ceramic product in the following manner.
Firstly, the transfer sheet
100
is tightly pressed on the heated ceramic product. While pressing the transfer sheet
100
on the product, the pigment layers
102
,
103
are thermally melt to transfer them to the ceramic product from the sheet
100
. The ceramic product is sintered at a temperature of over 600° C. to thermally imprint the pigment layers
102
,
103
on the ceramic product.
However, the pigment layers
102
,
103
may partly remain on the mount sheet
101
to invite an insufficient transfer with the pigment layers
102
,
103
unfavorably blotted due to a poor separability between the mount sheet
101
and the pigment layers
102
,
103
. This is all the more true when the transfer temperature falls outside of an optimal temperature range.
In order to facilitate the separation, it is supposed to conceptually provide a separable layer
101
A between the mount sheet
101
and the pigment layers
102
,
103
as shown in FIG.
11
.
However, an undulating surface of the ceramic product defoliates a part of the pigment layers
102
,
103
to result in transfer defections during transferring procedure generally at the rate of about ten out of one hundred products.
In order to eliminate the transfer defections, it is suggested to minutely grind the outer surface of the ceramic product, otherwise smoothing it by applying an enamel over it. It is, however, costly to treat additionally with the time-consuming procedures.
In each of the above transfer processes, it often occurs that the pigment layers fail to completely adhere to the outer surface of the ceramic product. This is especially the case with an outer periphery of the pigment layers.
Therefore, it is a first object of the invention to provide a transfer sheet which is capable of positively transferring a figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of the ceramic product.
In this instance, the figuration concerns to a geometric figure, letter, numeral, ideogram, symbol, denotation, mark, pattern and the like, and any ceramic product can be used herein whether it is in the form of revolving body or flat body.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a method of transferring a figuration which is capable of positively transferring the figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of the ceramic product.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a transfer film which is capable of positively transferring a figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of the ceramic product.
It is a fourth object of the invention to provide a transfer sheet which is capable of positively transferring a figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of the ceramic product within a wide range of transfer temperature when the transfer sheet is pressed on the ceramic product to transfer the figuration to it.
It is a fifth object of the invention to provide a transfer sheet which is capable of positively transferring a figuration of different colorations to the ceramic product with no defection without grinding it or smoothing it by applying an enamel layer thereon.
It is a sixth object of the invention to provide a transfer sheet which is capable of positively transferring a figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of the ceramic product without remaining an outer periphery of the pigment layer on the transfer sheet upon separating the mount sheet from the pigment
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an ink is provided by mixing a chromophoric pigment for expressing one coloration, a vitreous powder and thermoplastic resin. An appropriate figuration is screen printed on a sheet of paper or plastic film to form a pigment layer by using the ink. Then, a discrete chromophoric pigment is printed on the same sheet to form another pigment layer. The same procedures are repeated to provide a transfer sheet on which several pigment layers are deposited.
With the use of the transfer sheet, it is possible to definitively transfer a figuration of different colorations to an outer surface of a ceramic product.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the transfer sheet is tightly pressed on the outer surface of the ceramic product to transfer the figuration thereto while a ceramic product is heated at a first temperature, the figuration from the transfer sheet is printed on the ceramic product at a second temperature.
With the use of the transfer sheet, it is possible to positively transfer a figuration of different colorations on the outer surface of the ceramic product.
According to other aspect of the present invention, when the ceramic product is in the form of revolving body, it is possible to readily transfer the figuration of different colorations to the ceramic product while revolving the ceramic product around its central axis.
According to other aspect of the present invention, the ceramic product is sintered at 600° C. or more so as to concurrently print the figuration ink on the product after the transfer sheet is pressed on the ceramic product while heating the ceramic product to 60~150° C. It is possible to positively and definitively transfer a figuration of different colorations to the outer surface of the ceramic product.
It is to be observed that when the heating temperature of the ceramic product is short of 60° C., the thermoplastic material is not satisfactorily thermoplasticized, thus failing to fully transfer the figuration to leave the possibility that figuration
Ito Hirohito
Sugimoto Makoto
Crispino Richard
Lorengo J. A.
NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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