Method of protecting ink and providing enhanced bonding during molding of lenticular lens sheets in plastic objects

A method of manufacturing a plastic product with a Lenticular insert that thermally protects the Lenticular insert, comprising:

• providing a Lenticular insert comprising a Lenticular lens layer having a first surface of optical ridges and a second surface and an ink layer bonded to the second surface of the Lenticular lens layer and encapsulated with a thermal protective substrate;
• positioning the Lenticular insert in a mold cavity of a plastic molding assembly defined by an outer mold body and a center die and configured to define dimensions of the plastic product with the first surface adjacent an insert contacting region of the mold body;
• operating the plastic molding assembly to at least partially fill the mold cavity with liquid plastic at a plastic processing temperature, whereby the center die is heated to a first operating temperature;
• and
• at least partially concurrent with the operating, cooling the insert contacting region of the mold body to a second operating temperature, wherein the second operating temperature is less than about a predetermined deformation temperature of the optical ridges and is less than the first operating temperature.

A Lenticular insert for use in fabricating plastic objects with molten plastic, comprising:

• a lens layer comprising an optic ridge surface and a transparent lens layer with a planar surface opposite the optic ridge surface;
• an image layer comprising ink arranged to define an image when viewed through the lens layer;
• and
• a thermal protective substrate adjacent the image layer, wherein the thermal protective substrate comprises ink.