Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-07
2001-04-17
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S413000, C428S423100, C428S480000, C428S913000, C428S914000, C473S351000, C473S371000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217985
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer printing film and a golf ball marked by the same. More particularly, it relates to a transfer printing film capable of thermally printing patterns on golf balls at a relatively low temperature and a golf ball marked by the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A transfer printing film for transfer printing patterns comprising any combination of logo, words, numbers, etc. on pattern receive surfaces, such as surfaces of plastic articles and the like, generally includes a strip-shaped substrate film and an ink layer disposed on one side of the substrate film so as to form the pattern by means of gravure or screen printing. In the operation of applying pattern to article, the transfer printing film is so placed that the pattern thereof is positioned in a predetermined printing area of a surface of the article, and the film is sandwiched between a thermal pad and the article under a certain pressure, whereby the heated ink layer is transferred from the substrate film to the article.
In case of printing patterns on golf balls, taking into consideration how they are used, it is particularly desired that transferred ink layer is hardly removed.
Generally, the golf balls are, after the pattern is printed, subjected to urethane finish, which is substantially carried out by spraying a two-component urethane paint or two-pack urethane paint, to form a clear top coat covering the golf ball and the printed pattern in order to improve appearance of them as well as to protect them from dirt, scratch, etc. However, when an adhesion between the urethane layer of the finish coat and the ink layer of the printed pattern is weak, the ink layer tends to be easily removed.
In order to enhance the adhesion between the two layers, a transfer printing film is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.89214/95, that a urethane resin having a desired hydroxyl value is incorporated in the ink. Accordingly, when spraying the two-component urethane paint to the golf ball, the hydroxyl-functional urethane resin in the ink layer, which has been already transferred to the surface of the golf ball, reacts with the isocyanate functional resins existing in one of the two components of the paint to form urethane bondings. As a result strong chemical cross links and adhesion between the urethane finish layer and the ink layer are realised.
On the other hand, it is known to the art that a lower transfer temperature is preferable because a higher one costs more thermal energy as well as it may give rise to a heat damage of the article, the damage of distortion of dimples or golf ball itself in case the article is a golf ball, for example. The higher transfer temperature may also tend to cause a shrinkage of the substrate film consisting of synthetic resin such as polypropylene and the like, and the shrinkage of the substrate film further causes a crease or a distortion of pattern transferred to the surface of article. In this aspect, the transfer printing film according to the above-mentioned Patent Publication has a drawback that it is likely to need essentially a higher transfer temperature, for the ink layer of which comprises as a main vehicle urethane resin whose softening temperature is relatively high. In fact, the Publication teaches that the transfer temperature required in the operation using the above transfer printing film is about 130° C.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer printing film capable of printing a pattern, which is hardly removed from the article and superior in hitting durability, at a lower transfer temperature, and to provide a golf ball marked by the transfer printing film.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention.
The present invention is, accordingly, directed to a transfer printing film which comprises a urethane resin having a predetermined hydroxyl value, and a polyester resin and/or an epoxy resin having an another predetermined hydroxyl value in its ink layer.
The present invention is further directed to a golf ball which has been marked with an ink layer comprising a urethane resin having a predetermined hydroxyl value, and a polyester resin and/or an epoxy resin having an another predetermined hydroxyl value.
The ink layer disposed on one side of the substrate film of the transfer printing film according to the present invention has not only a urethane resin but also a polyester resin and/or an epoxy resin. Because a softening temperature of a polyester resin and epoxy resin is lower than that of urethane resin, a transfer temperature of the ink layer as a whole becomes low, and thus, the heat damage of distortion of dimples, golf ball, and the pattern are respectively decreased as well as the required thermal energy being lowered.
Furthermore, because not only the urethane resin but also the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin has a hydroxyl value, when spraying the two-component urethane paint, the hydroxyl-functional urethane resin and polyester resin and/or epoxy resin in the ink layer on the golf ball surface reacts respectively with the isocyanate functional resins existing in the sprayed paint so as to form respectively urethane bondings. Consequently, the strong adhesion between the urethane clear top coat layer and the ink layer are realised, and the transferred pattern becomes to be hardly removed from the golf ball surface and to be superior in hitting durability.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The substrate film used in preparation of the transfer printing film of the present invention may be a conventional film used as the substrate film, such as a biaxially oriented or a non-oriented polypropylene film, a laminated film composed of polypropylene film and a glassine, and the like.
Applying method for the ink layer onto the substrate film used in preparation of the transfer printing film of the present invention may be a conventional printing method, such as gravure printing or screen printing method.
The hydroxyl value of the urethane resin is controlled as small as possible including null, preferably less than 0.2.
The hydroxyl value of the urethane resin of over 0.2 may give rise to a remarkable increase of the transfer temperature of the ink due to an intermolecular power of hydrogen bond.
The hydroxyl value of the urethane resin may be null because, as described hereinafter, the hydroxyl value of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin, which is incorporated in the ink layer together with the urethane resin, is high enough to form sufficient urethane bondings between the urethane finish layer and the ink layer.
On the contrary, the hydroxyl value of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin is so controlled that sufficient urethane bondings are formed between the urethane finish layer and the ink layer to realise the strong adhesion, preferably 60 to 250.
The hydroxyl value of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin of less than 60 may give rise to a decrease of the adhesion between the two layers, and the hydroxyl value of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin of over 250 may give rise to a remarkable increase of the transfer temperature of the ink due to the intermolecular power of hydrogen bond. The hydroxyl value of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin is more preferably 140 to 210.
The ink layer of the transfer printing film of the present invention may further comprise a polyethyleneimine resin. The polyethyleneimine resin enhances an adhesion between the ink layer and the surface of the article including golf ball.
The typical composition of these resins in the ink layer is, for example, 100 parts by weight of the urethane resin, 5 to 10 parts by weight of the polyester resin and/or epoxy resin, and 0.5 to 2.0 parts by weight of the polyethyleneimine resin.
The polyester resin and/or epoxy resin of less than 5 parts by weight may give rise to an increase of the transfer temper
Hirukawa Masaru
Kametani Ryuhei
Muta Susumu
Ohira Takashi
Hess Bruce H.
Kabushiki Kaisha Showa Ink Kogyosho
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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