Preprinted retroreflective highway sign and method for making the sign
AssigneeStimsonite Corporation
InventorsRobert M. Pricone, Richard Zanotti, Alex A. Szopinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retroreflective unitary laminate material having an acrylic layer on which a sign legend is printed and which is covered by an ultraviolet absorbent overlay that has poor affinity for paint and low surface tension thus protecting the printed sign from deterioration due to weathering and enabling the sign to be readily cleansed without damaging the printed signs, and minimizing water beading on the sign front face.
Claims13
A method of making a unitary preprinted retroreflective sheeting material for use in making signs, comprising the steps of:
- printing a desired legend on one surface of a resinous sheeting material;
- permanently bonding an ultraviolet absorbent overlay over the surface of the resinous material having the printed legend thereon to protect the printed legend;
- then
- embossing a precise optical pattern consisting of an array of cube-corner type retroreflective elements on the other surface of the resinous sheet material to form a unitary retroreflective material for use in making signs;
- and applying a rear surface overlaying the cube-corner optical pattern to permit later application of the retroreflective sheeting material to an underlying sign substrate.
A method of making a preprinted retroreflective sign material, comprising the steps of:
- printing a desired legend on one surface of a resinous sheeting material;
- placing an ultraviolet absorbent overlay over the surface of the resinous material having the printed legend thereon to protect the legend from ultraviolet radiation;
- imposing a removable layer of film over the ultraviolet absorbent overlay;
- embossing the unprinted opposite surface of the resinous sheeting material with a precise optical pattern of cube-corner type retroreflective elements to form a unitary sheet of retroreflective materials, while bonding the overlay to the printed surface;
- adding a layer of hydrophobic granular silica material to the embossed side of the unitary sheet over at least a portion of the retroreflective material;
- providing a back coating over the silica layer and any remaining exposed embossed areas;
- placing an adhesive on the exposed side of the back coating;
- and
- adding a removable release sheet to the adhesive.
A method of making a unitary preprinted retroreflective sheeting material, for use in sign-making comprising the steps of:
- printing a desired legend on one surface of a resinous sheeting material;
- placing an ultraviolet absorbent overlay over the surface of the resinous material having the printed legend thereon to protect the legend from ultraviolet radiation;
- imposing a removable layer of film over the ultraviolet absorbent overlay;
- embossing the unprinted reverse surface of the resinous sheeting material with a precise optical pattern of cube-corner type retroreflective elements to form a unitary sheet of retroreflective material, while essentially concurrently bonding the overlay to the printed surface side of the sheeting material;
- providing a backing layer over at least a portion of the embossed retroreflective material;
- placing an adhesive on the exposed side of the backing layer;
- and
- adding a removable release sheet to the adhesive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.