Method of making a thermoplastic ink decorated, polymer coated glass article
AssigneeAnchor Hocking Corporation
InventorHerbert C. Shank, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A glass article is decorated with a thermoplastic ink which contains no frit. A finely divided heat fusible polymeric coating material is applied to the article over the ink. The article is heated to a temperature at which the particles of coating material fuse to form a smooth continuous film over the ink while the latter is in melted, semi-liquid condition. The melted ink diffuses into (but not through) the polymer film over it, thereby forming a melt-melt bond. The polymeric film imparts a serviceability to the ink which it would not otherwise display.
Claims17
A method for decorating a previously formed article of glassware, comprising,
- applying to a glass surface area of the previously formed article a decoration of a thermoplastic ink which is solid at room temperature but which becomes semi-fluid upon heating, said ink being applied by silk screening it onto the article at a temperature at which the ink is semi-fluid, the article being at a lower temperature at which the ink solidifies rapidly on the glass surface area, when it contacts the article,
- coating a layer of finely divided polymeric coating material onto the decorated article and over the ink thereon, said coating material being a resin which is fusible at a temperature above the temperature at which the ink becomes semi-fluid,
- heating the article with the ink decoration and resin layer thereon to a temperature at which the ink again becomes semi-liquid and the resin fuses to form a smooth continuous protective film on said article and melt-unites to said decoration,
- and cooling the coated, decorated article, thereby providing a final decorated article of glassware wherein said film provides a permanent outer coating which covers and protects said decoration on said glass surface area, the decoration being in solid but thermoplastic remeltable condition under the said outer coating.
A method for decorating a previously formed article of glassware, comprising,
- applying to a glass surface area of the previously formed article a thermoplastic ink which is solid at room temperature but which becomes semi-liquid upon heating, said ink being silk screened onto the article as a semi-liquid but solidifying rapidly by cooling on the article,
- heating the article to a temperature at which the ink on it becomes semi-liquid,
- coating a layer of finely divided particulate polymeric coating material onto the heated article and over the semi-liquid ink thereon, said coating material being a heat fusible resin,
- heating the article with the ink decoration and resin layer thereon to a temperature at which said resin fuses to form a smooth continuous film over said article and melt-unites to said ink decoration,
- and cooling the coated, decorated article, thereby providing a final decorated article of glassware wherein said film provides a permanent outer coating which covers and protects said decoration on said glass surface area, the decoration being in solid but thermoplastic remeltable condition under the said outer coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.