Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-16
2004-02-10
Sanders, Kriellion A. (Department: 1714)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C524S413000, C524S430000, C524S432000, C524S501000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689824
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sets of prepaints, a method of preparing road-marking paint lines from the sets of prepaints and to a method of preparing a range of road-marking paints from the sets of prepaints.
2. Description of Related Art
Paint formulation involves the process of selecting and admixing appropriate paint ingredients in the correct proportions to provide a paint with specific cost, processing and handling properties, as well as the desired final dry paint film properties. The major ingredients of many paint formulations are a binder, an opacifying pigment, an optional pigment extender, and a fluid medium, e.g., water if the paint is a water-borne paint such as a latex paint or a solvent if the paint is a solvent-borne paint such as an oil-based paint. Typically, optional ingredients are included such as defoamers, coalescents, plasticizers, thickeners, non-thickening rheology modifiers, solvents, driers, anti-skinning agents, surfactants, mildewcides, biocides, and dispersants. After the paint is formulated and applied to a surface, the paint dries by evaporation of the water and/or solvent, with or without the application of heat or radiation, and the binder forms a film containing therein the pigment and the extender particles, if any.
Formulating paints is complex. It is not simply a matter of mixing a few paint ingredients in different ratios. Rather, it involves the selection and mixing of different paint ingredients in different ratios depending on the type of paint desired. This requires paint manufacturers to store many different paint ingredients and change paint ingredients during manufacture depending on the specific paint type being prepared.
Furthermore, it requires those involved in the supply chain and, in particular, paint retailers to carry a large inventory of paints in order to offer a range of paints having various sheen levels, tint bases, particular end uses (i.e., exterior or interior), and various qualities. It would be desirable to make paints, either at a relatively large-scale industrial plants or on a relatively smaller-scale, at point-of-sale or at point-of-use locations using a limited number of paint ingredients to prepare all of these different paint formulations, thus minimizing the number and type of paint ingredients required to make a range of paints.
In general, road-marking paint formulations are less complex than architectural paint formulations and typically are only tinted to a limited range of colors (white, yellow, light blue, red and black) rather than to the extremely wide palette of colors available for many architectural paint formulations. However, a number of different ingredients must be combined to form the final road-marking paint. Road-marking paint formulations may also require quick-setting which further complicates their formulation because the manufacturer, seller, or use must balance the advantages of quick-setting with the inherent limited pot-life that such paints exhibit. In addition, road-marking paints may need to be applied, due to road safety requirements, under different conditions than are typically experienced when an architectural paint is applied. For example, road-marking paints may need to be applied over a temperatures range of from just above 0° C. to greater than 40° C. and in different humidities. In addition, road-marking paints are exposed to rigorous conditions immediately after application, such as heavy traffic flow and deteriorating and unexpected weather conditions.
Thus, there is a need for a road-marking paint which can be used at the point of application under the ambient conditions, including temperature, humidity, traffic flow and the like, in addition to the other benefits offered by delayed product differentiation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Paint manufacturers and retailers typically offer a range of paints, which includes at least two paint lines. As used herein, “the range including at least two paint lines” is meant that discrete elected levels of an observable property defining a first paint line are combined with discrete elected levels of an observable property defining a second paint line to define the paints in the range of paints. For example, to prepare a range of paints including four paint lines it may be necessary to prepare paints encompassing four sheen levels, four tint bases, two use areas—interior use and exterior use, and three quality levels, and preferably all combinations thereof which means 96 different paint formulations (4×4×2×3) may be needed. Also encompassed, however, is a range of paints in which certain of the defined paints, up to 10-60% of the total number of paints, are selected to be omitted, for example, for commercial reasons. Further contemplated is a range of paints in which the observable properties of the dried paint films substantially, but not exactly, fulfill the definition herein; for example, the sheen of a dried outdoor mid-tone gloss paint in the standard, better, and premium lines may differ by a few points without departing from the meaning of a range of paints of this invention.
A “paint line,” as used herein, includes at least two different paints which offer dried film properties which differ materially from each other in at least one observable property such as color and outdoor durability.
As used herein, prepaints are “mutually compatible” if the paints formed by admixing the prepaints do not evidence signs of colloidal instability such as flocculation. Preferably, prepaints, as well as the paints formed from the prepaints, exhibit less than 5 g of residue such as gel and grit per liter of paint when the paint is passed through a 200 mesh screen, more preferably less than 1 g of residue.
The present invention provides a set of different, but mutually compatible, fluid prepaints sufficient to formulate at least one paint line useful for road-marking applications. The prepaints include at least one fluid prepaint including at least one opacifying pigment, at least one fluid prepaint including at least one extender pigment, and at least one fluid prepaint including at least one polymeric binder. Preferably, the number of prepaints is 3-15.
Also provided is a method of forming at least one paint line useful for road-marking applications, which method comprises the steps of:
(a) providing a set of different, but mutually compatible, fluid prepaints sufficient to formulate at least one paint line, which set comprises (i) at least one opacifying prepaint comprising at least one opacifying pigment; (ii) at least one extender prepaint comprising at least one extender pigment, and (iii) at least one binder prepaint comprising at least one polymeric polymer binder; and
(b) dispensing a predetermined amount of each of the prepaints into containers or an applicator to form the paint line.
Further provided is a method of forming a range of paints, which range includes at least two paint lines useful for road-marking applications, which method comprises the steps of:
(a) providing a set of different, but mutually compatible, fluid prepaints sufficient to formulate a range of road-making paints, which set comprises (i) at least one opacifying prepaint comprising at least one opacifying pigment; (ii) at least one extender prepaint comprising at least one extender pigment; (iii) at least one binder prepaint comprising at least one polymeric binder; and (iv) at least one additional different prepaint selected from the group consisting of prepaints (i), (ii), and (iii); and
(b) dispensing a predetermined amount of each of the prepaints into containers or applicators to form the paints. The total number of prepaints is preferably 4-15.
The above methods may further include the step of mixing the prepaints before, while, or after they are dispensed into the containers or before or while they are dispensed into the applicators.
In another embodiment, the above goal is achieved by employing a set of different, but mutually compatible, fluid prepaints sufficient to formulate
Friel John Michael
Hermes Ann Robertson
Hook, III John William
Lieser Bernhard Helmut
Lorah Dennis Paul
Bakule Ronald D.
Rohm and Haas Company
Sanders Kriellion A.
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