Retroflective article having a colored layer containing reflective flakes and a dye covalently bonded to a polymer
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorRobert J. Fleming
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Exposed lens retroreflective article 10 that comprises a colored layer 14 and a layer of optical elements 12 that are partially embedded in the colored layer 14. The colored layer 14 comprises reflective flakes 16 and a dye that is covalently bonded to a polymer 18. The articles can retain their color after multiple industrial wash cycles. The use of a reactive dye, reflective flakes, and/or polymer precursor during the preparation of the colored layer enables a launderably-durable colored retroreflective article to be made without the use of a solvent and without the use of a temporary carrier.
Claims6
A method of making a colored retroreflective article, which method comprises:
- contacting a precursor color coating with optical elements, wherein the precursor color coating comprises a reactive dye, reflective flakes, and a polymer precursor;
- and
- curing the precursor color coating to form a colored layer that contains the reflective flakes, that has the dye covalently bonded to a polymer, and that has the optical elements supported by the colored layer,
- wherein the precursor color coating does not contain solvent, and
- wherein the precursor color coating is applied to release paper, and then the optical elements are applied over the precursor color coating wherein the optical elements are not disposed in a carrier layer.
A solventless method of making a retroreflective article, which method comprises:
- applying a solventless precursor color coating layer on the surface of a substrate, wherein the precursor color coating layer comprises a dye, reflective flakes, and a polymer precursor;
- applying optical elements onto the precursor color coating layer, wherein the optical elements are not disposed in a carrier layer;
- and
- curing the precursor color coating to form a colored layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.