US 8,784,932 B2Granted

Glass panels partially printed with ceramic ink layers in substantially exact registration

AssigneeContra Vision Ltd.

InventorsGeorge Roland Hill, Howard Quinn

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Abstract

A glass panel is partially printed with a plurality of layers in the form of a print pattern which subdivides the panel into a plurality of discrete printed areas and/or a plurality of discrete unprinted areas, the layers being in substantially exact registration. Exact registration is achieved by the application of a plurality of superimposed layers to a sheet of glass. One layer contains-ceramic ink comprising glass frit. The glass sheet and layers are subjected to a heat treatment process which causes the glass frit to fuse to the glass and bind at least one other layer of ink within the print pattern. Ink outside the print pattern is burnt off and/or vaporised during the heat treatment process and/or removed by a subsequent finishing process, to leave the desired layers in substantially exact registration within the print pattern.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A method of making a glass panel that is partially printed with a plurality of layers in the form of a print pattern which subdivides the panel into a plurality of discrete printed areas and/or a plurality of discrete unprinted areas, said layers being in substantially exact registration, said method comprising:

(i) applying a plurality of layers to a sheet of glass, wherein said applying comprises printing one of said layers comprising a ceramic ink comprising glass frit in the form of said print pattern, and printing another of said layers both within and outside said print pattern, wherein the another of said layers comprises first and second parts, wherein the first part is disposed within the print pattern, wherein the second part is disposed outside the print pattern, wherein the first and second parts each comprise pigment, wherein said printing comprises (a) printing the one of said layers in the form of said print pattern onto the sheet of glass such that said sheet of glass is devoid of said one of said layers outside said print pattern, or (b) printing the one of said layers in the form of said print pattern onto a decal carrier material and transferring said one of said layers in the form of a decal from said decal carrier material onto said sheet of glass such that said sheet of glass is devoid of said one of said layers outside said print pattern,
(ii) subjecting said sheet of glass and said plurality of layers to a heat treatment process wherein said glass frit in said one of said layers melts and fuses with said sheet of glass and binds at least a portion of the pigment of the first part of the another of said layers within said print pattern, and
(iii) removing at least a portion of the pigment of the second part of said another of said layers outside said print pattern by (a) burning off during said heat treatment process, and/or (b) vaporizing during said heat treatment process, and/or (c) a subsequent finishing process.

(i) applying a plurality of layers to a sheet of glass, wherein said applying comprises printing one of said layers comprising a ceramic ink comprising glass frit in the form of said print pattern,
wherein said printing comprises (a) printing the one of said layers in the form of said print pattern onto the sheet of glass, or (b) printing the one of said layers in the form of said print pattern onto a decal carrier material and transferring said one of said layers in the form of a decal from said decal carrier material onto said sheet of glass, and
wherein said applying comprises applying another of said layers both within and outside said print pattern, wherein the another of said layers comprises first and second parts, wherein the first part is disposed within the print pattern, wherein the second part is disposed outside the print pattern, wherein the first and second parts each comprise pigment;
and
(ii) subjecting said sheet of glass and said plurality of layers to a heat treatment process that melts said glass frit, fuses said glass frit with said sheet of glass and the first part of said another layer, and binds at least a portion of said first part of said another of said layers to said sheet of glass within said print pattern more strongly than the second part of said another of said layers binds to said sheet of glass outside said print pattern, and
(iii) removing at least a portion of the second part of said another of said layers outside said print pattern.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/529,367Filed 29 Sep 2003
Priority: GB 0222765.02 Oct 2002
Published: US 2006/0150680 A113 Jul 2006
Granted: 22 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B41M 3/12
Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns: transfer pictures or the like, e.g. decalcomanias
B32B 17/10247
Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing: laminated safety glass or glazing containing decorations or patterns for aesthetic…
B41M 1/34
Printing on other surfaces than ordinary paper: on glass or ceramic surfaces
B44C 1/1712
Dry transfer: decalcomanias applied under heat and pressure, e.g. provided with a heat activable adhesive

Family

US 2006/0150680 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Jul 2006
US 8,784,932 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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