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US 7,413,581 B2Granted
Process for printing and molding a flocked article
AssigneeHigh Voltage Graphics, Inc.
InventorLouis Brown Abrams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The processes and articles of the present invention use thermally stable and loft retentive polymers in sublimation printed flock fibers, which are particularly attractive for forming molded articles. A preferred polymer is poly(cyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate.
Claims61
A method for forming an article, comprising:
- providing a flock fiber-containing surface, wherein the fibers of the fiber-containing surface comprise at least about 25 wt. % of a terephthalate polymer or copolymer having a repeating unit having the formula:
- where “R” represents hydrogen or independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group and “S” is an aromatic or nonaromatic cyclic residue which can include one or more heteroatoms;
- and
- sublimation printing the fiber-containing surface to form a printed article, wherein the fibers are at least one of drawn and heat set at a temperature at or above the maximum fiber temperature during sublimation printing.
1 more element
A method for providing a molded article comprising:
- providing a flock fiber-containing surface, the fiber-containing surface comprising at least about 25 wt. % of a terephthalate polymer or copolymer having a repeating unit of the formula:
- where “R” represents hydrogen or independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group and “S” is an aromatic or nonaromatic cyclic residue which can include one or more heteroatoms;
- sublimation printing the fiber-containing surface to form a printed article;
- forming the printed article into a three dimensional shape;
- positioning the formed printed article in a mold;
- and
- introducing a resin into the mold to form a molded article, wherein fibers in the fiber-containing surface are at least one of drawn and heat set at a temperature at or above the maximum fiber temperature during sublimation printing.
4 more elements
A method for forming a molded article, comprising:
- providing a sublimation printed flock fiber-containing surface, the fiber-containing surface comprising a terephthalate polymer having a repeating unit of the formula:
- where “R” represents hydrogen or independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group and “S” is an aromatic or nonaromatic cyclic residue which can include one or more heteroatoms;
- forming the fiber-containing surface into a three dimensional shape;
- positioning the formed fiber-containing surface in a mold;
- and
- introducing a resin into the mold to form a molded article.
3 more elements
A method for providing a printed article comprising:
- providing a fiber-containing surface having a plurality of flock fibers, the fibers comprising at least about 25 wt. % of a terephthalate polymer or copolymer having a repeating unit of the formula:
- where “R” represents hydrogen or independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group and “S” is an aromatic or nonaromatic cyclic residue which can include one or more heteroatoms;
- and
- sublimation printing the fiber-containing surface to form a printed article, wherein during sublimation printing the fiber-containing surface is heated to a sublimation printing temperature and wherein the polymer has a melting point greater than the maximum sublimation printing temperature, and wherein at least one of the drawing temperature and the heat set temperature of the polymer is at or above the maximum sublimation printing temperature.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.