# US 5,702,790 A · Water-added evaporation process for making thin plastic lettering webs

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- Number: US 5,702,790 A
- Document ID: US5702790A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/513,388
- Filed: 1995-08-10
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1991-01-02
- Inventors: Robert James Liebe, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702790A

## CPC

- B44C 1/162: {Decalcomanias with a transfer layer comprising indicia with definite outlines such as letters and with means facilitating the desired fitting to the permanent base}
- B44C 1/1733: {Decalcomanias applied under pressure only, e.g. provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive}
- Y10S 428/914: Transfer or decalcomania
- Y10T 156/1064: Partial cutting [e.g., grooving or incising]
- Y10T 156/1075: of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
- Y10T 156/108: Flash, trim or excess removal
- Y10T 428/1405: Capsule or particulate matter containing [e.g., sphere, flake, microballoon, etc.]
- Y10T 428/1462: Polymer derived from material having at least one acrylic or alkacrylic group or the nitrile or amide derivative thereof [e.g., acrylamide, acrylate ester, etc.]
- Y10T 428/15: Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
- Y10T 428/162: Transparent or translucent layer or section
- Y10T 428/24802: Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
- Y10T 428/24901: including coloring matter
- Y10T 428/24942: including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
- Y10T 428/2813: Heat or solvent activated or sealable
- B44C: PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS (processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general B05D; shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; printing processes to produce transfer pictures B41M3/12; thermographic duplication or marking methods B41M5/00); MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK (imitation of mosaic or tarsia work patterns B44F11/04); PAPERHANGING {(labels G09F; multi-step processes for making paper labels or tags B31D1/02)}
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A water-evaporation process for making thin one-color plastic lettering, as used in sets for computer-cutting and application in spaced array. Water-based plastics, particularly urethanes and acrylics are used instead of polyvinyl chloride. These more flexible films are opaque, resulting from use of large amounts of water-dispersed pigments. After spreading, the water is evaporated, causing the spread mixture to coalesce into a thin tough well-pigmented opaque film. Films less than two mils thick may be formed, free from migratory plasticizers which might cause pigments to migrate or to damage adjacent the flanking layers of adhesives and release films. The water evaporation process, at only about 220.degree. F., requires minimal workplace or environmental safeguards compared to the use of solvent containing systems.

## Claims

### Claim 1

For use as thin flexible signage-lettering material adapted for computerized cutting, the process of making a pigmented display layer, comprising the steps of:
mixing water-based polymers of polyurethane or acrylic composition, or mixtures thereof, with water-soluble or water-dispersible pigment and functional additives in a predetermined quantity to form a substantially non-flowing mixture, together with such amount of water as renders the resultant mixture substantially fluid and such amount of viscosity-increasing agent as makes it machine-spreadable,
then machine-spreading such resultant mixture on a transparent release sheet or preliminary foundation sheet at such spread depth as will, on subsequent drying, shrink, coalesce and harden to a chosen film thickness, such machine spread depth being determined according to the equation ##EQU2## and evaporating all water therefrom,
whereby to shrink and coalesce the mixture into a thin, pigmented polymer display layer on such foundation sheet or release sheet, and by such coalesce, to cause preliminary adherence to a sheet, all without substantially exceeding the evaporation temperature of water.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the functional additives are dispersents.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the functional additives are wetting agents.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the functional additives are flow control additives.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the functional additives are anti-foam additives.