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US 10,759,207 B2Granted
Curved acrylic decorated article
AssigneeConde Systems, Inc.
InventorPaul Andrew Ramsden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A curved acrylic photographic article and process for making same comprising of an optically clear acrylic layer and an adjacent synthetic organic polymer containing both light scattering particulate and diffused disperse dyes. The layered article being thermodynamically formed into a curved or other shape immediately subsequent to receiving a graphic decoration by dye diffusion thermal transfer.
Claims20
A curved decorated article, comprising:
- a. a planar plastic substrate having a light scattering, dye receptive composite coating applied to at least one face of said plastic substrate, wherein said composite coating includes a mixture of urethane polymer and light scattering particles, wherein said light scattering particles comprise an average size of between 60 nm to 200 nm and are combined with said urethane at a loading level of between 10% and 30% by weight of solids;
- b. through the application of heat and pressure to sublimate a disperse dye image held by a transfer medium biased against said composite coating, a human discernable image diffused into and bonded to molecules below the surface of said composite coating;
- and,
- c. after the heating of said plastic substrate and placing said substrate onto a jig, causing said substrate to form under the influence of gravity into a curved shape such that said formed article is capable of self-standing on a flat surface along one of its curved edges.
1 more element
A curved decorated article, comprising:
- a. means for providing a planar plastic substrate, said substrate means having its shape altered from a first planar state to a second curved state, wherein said substrate means includes a coating means applied on a portion of its surface for receiving a dye sublimated image for diffusion therein, wherein said coating means comprises light scattering particles having an average size of between 60 nm to 200 nm;
- b. means for diffusing a human discernable image into said coating means through the application of heat and pressure to said image means biased against said composite means;
- and,
- c. after the heating of said substrate means and placing said substrate means onto a jig, causing said substrate means to form under the influence of gravity into a curved shape such that said formed article is capable of self-standing on a flat surface along one of its curved edges.
1 more element
A curved decorated article, comprising:
- a. an acrylic substrate having a substantially rectangular block form, said substrate being thermoformable and of substantially high optical clarity;
- b. a dye receptive, polymer coating applied to at least one face of said substrate, said coating including nano-sized, light scattering particles suspended in an acrylic bondable base, wherein said particles impart a refractive index higher than said base, and wherein said coating is curable upon the application of heat;
- c. through the application of heat and pressure to sublimate a disperse dye image held by a transfer medium biased against said coating, a human discernable image diffused into and bonded to molecules within and below the surface of said coating;
- and,
- d. after the heating of said acrylic substrate and placing said substrate onto a jig, causing said substrate to form under the influence of gravity into a curved shape such that said formed article is capable of self-standing on a flat surface along one of its curved edges.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.