U.S. patent application number 11/469352 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-03 for image transfer medium and process for producing same.
Invention is credited to Chih-Lung Chang, Yu-Chih Cheng, Yen-Feng Lin, Hong-Che Yen.
Application Number | 20070095462 11/469352 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32653861 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070095462 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Chih-Lung ; et
al. |
May 3, 2007 |
IMAGE TRANSFER MEDIUM AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME
Abstract
An image-transfer medium includes a transparent substrate and a
transferable material formed on a first surface of the substrate. A
selected portion of the transferable material can be transferred in
an arbitrary shape to an article to form a personalized image by a
cold transfer-printing operation. Moreover, the remaining hollowed
portion after the removal of the selected portion, including the
transparent substrate, can be adhered to the same or another
article having a light-transmitting surface to exhibit special
lightening effect.
Inventors: |
Chang; Chih-Lung; (Taipei,
TW) ; Cheng; Yu-Chih; (Taipei, TW) ; Yen;
Hong-Che; (Taipei, TW) ; Lin; Yen-Feng;
(Taipei, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BERKELEY LAW & TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLP
1700 NW 167TH PLACE
SUITE 240
BEAVERTON
OR
97006
US
|
Family ID: |
32653861 |
Appl. No.: |
11/469352 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10735322 |
Dec 12, 2003 |
7118644 |
|
|
11469352 |
Aug 31, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
156/235 ;
156/234; 428/343; 428/354 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B44C 1/105 20130101;
B44C 5/00 20130101; B44C 1/1733 20130101; Y10T 428/2848 20150115;
B44F 1/066 20130101; Y10T 428/28 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/235 ;
156/234; 428/343; 428/354 |
International
Class: |
B44C 1/17 20060101
B44C001/17; B32B 7/12 20060101 B32B007/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 12, 2002 |
TW |
091135917 |
Claims
1. A method for applying an image onto an article, said article
comprising a light transmissible surface and a light source
disposed under said light tranmissible surface, said method
comprising steps of: providing an image-transfer medium comprising
a transparent substrate and a transferable material formed on a
first surface of said substrate; removing a selected portion of
said transferable material to obtain a hollowed transferable
material with a specific pattern vacancy; and adhering the
remaining transferable material onto said light transmissible
surface of said article, thereby allowing light emitted by said
light source to penetrate through the specific pattern vacancy.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable
material comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and said
step of removing said selected portion of said transferable
material is performed by applying a depressing force onto a second
surface of the substrate with a writing tool or stamping tool.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said remaining
transferable material is adhered to said article along with said
transparent substrate.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable
material is formed as a continuous layer.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable
material is formed with a plurality of said transferable dots, each
of which has a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle,
an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle and a honeycomb.
6. A use of an image-transfer medium for applying an image onto an
article, said image-transfer medium comprising a transparent
substrate, a transferable ink layer and a pressure-sensitive
adhesive layer, said use comprising: cold transfer-printing a first
selected portion of said transferable ink layer onto the article
when an ink pattern image is required; and removing a second
selected portion of said transferable ink layer, and adhering the
remaining transferable ink layer along with said transparent
substrate onto the article when a hollowed pattern image is
required.
7. The use according to claim 6 wherein said cold transfer-printing
operation is performed by applying a depressing force directly onto
said transparent substrate at positions corresponding to said first
selected portion of said transferable ink layer with a writing tool
or stamping tool so that said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
adheres said first selected portion of said transferable ink layer
to the article.
8. The method according to claim 6 wherein said second selected
portion of said transferable ink layer is removed by applying a
depressing force onto said transparent substrate at positions
corresponding to said second selected portion of said transferable
ink layer so that said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres
said second selected portion of said transferable ink layer away
from said transparent substrate.
9. The use according to claim 6 wherein said image-transfer medium
further comprises an isolation layer containing a tack reducing
agent for decreasing adhesion between said transferable ink layer
and said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
10. The use according to claim 6 wherein said transferable ink
layer is a continuous layer.
11. The use according to claim 6 wherein said transferable ink
layer is formed with a plurality of said transferable dots, each of
which has a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle, an
ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle and a honeycomb.
12. An apparatus, comprising: an transparent film substrate; and a
transferable laminated material, said transferable laminated
material comprising: an inklayer; a pressure-sensitive adhesive
layer; and an isolation layer disposed between the ink layer and
the pressure-sensitive layer.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said transparent
film substrate comprises a biaxially oriented propylene type
material.
14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said ink layer
comprises black powder, copolymer resin, dioctylphosphate,
sophorone, SOLVESSO, or solvent, or combinations thereof.
15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said ink layer
comprises silver powder, copolymer resin, dioctylphosphate,
isophorone, SOLVESSO, or solvent, or combinations thereof.
16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the isolation
layer is transparent.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the isolation
layer comprises a tack reducing agent capable of decreasing
adhesion between the ink layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesion
layer.
18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ink layer
comprises a continuous layer, or a number of units, or combinations
thereof.
19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least a portion
of the ink layer is capable of being transferred to a surface via
application of force to said transparent film substrate.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an image-transfer medium
and how to use this image-transfer medium, and more particularly to
an image-transfer method and the use of an image-transfer medium
for providing an arbitrary light-transmissible image onto an
article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Transfer-printing operation is widely used for printing
images onto surfaces of selected articles such as cards, clothes,
papers, cups or equipments. In general transfer-printing
operations, a plurality of predetermined images are first printed
onto a transparent film, and then desired images are selected to be
transfer-printed onto the target article from the transparent
film.
[0003] FIG. 1(a) illustrates a conventional image-transfer medium.
The image-transfer medium 10 comprises a transparent film substrate
11 and a transferred material 12. The transferable layer 12 further
comprises an ink layer 121 and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
122. The transferable layer 12 is laminated onto a surface 112 of
the transparent film substrate 11, facing the target article (not
shown).
[0004] Take an image-transfer medium with alphabetic letters for
example. When an image "PRIMAX" is to be printed on a target
article such as a card, the image-transfer medium 10 is put on the
target article with the transferable layer 12 in contact with the
surface of the target article. Then, the selected letters, i.e. P,
R, I, M, A and X in the transferable layer of FIG. 1(b), are
stripped from the image-transfer medium 10 and simultaneously
adhered to the target article one by one by applying a depressing
force to the other surface 111 the transparent film substrate 11 at
each of the corresponding positions of the selected letters.
[0005] In the prior art, the images to be transfer-printed are
predetermined by manufactures. Consequently, for transfer-printing
a personalized image such as signatures, favorite signs or
handwritings, the desirable image should be printed in advance by
the manufacturers and included in the ink layer 121 of the
transferable layer 12 of the image-transfer medium 10. Since people
tend to like the new and loathe the old, the uniform image-transfer
mediums are no longer satisfying.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a use of
an image-transfer medium allowing the user to transfer-print
personalized images.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
use of an image-transfer medium allowing an article to be decorated
with not only colored but also transparent patterns.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
method for applying an image-transfer medium to an article to
create a personalized image with particular visual effect. A first
aspect of the present invention relates to a method for applying an
image onto an article. The article comprising a light transmissible
surface and a light source disposed under the light transmissible
surface. The method comprises steps of: providing an image-transfer
medium comprising a transparent substrate and a transferable
material formed on a first surface of the substrate; removing a
selected portion of the transferable material to obtain a hollowed
transferable material with a specific pattern vacancy; and adhering
the remaining transferable material onto the light transmissible
surface of the article, thereby allowing light emitted by the light
source to penetrate through the specific pattern vacancy.
[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a use
of an image-transfer medium for applying an image onto an article.
The image-transfer medium comprises a transparent substrate, a
transferable ink layer and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The
use comprises cold transfer-printing a first selected portion of
the transferable ink layer onto the article when an ink pattern
image is required; and removing a second selected portion of the
transferable ink layer, and adhering the remaining transferable ink
layer along with the transparent substrate onto the article when a
hollowed pattern image is required.
[0010] Preferably, the cold transfer-printing operation and/or the
ink-layer removing operation is performed by applying a depressing
force directly onto the transparent substrate at positions
corresponding to the first selected portion of the transferable ink
layer with a writing tool or stamping tool so that the
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres the selected portion of
the transferable ink layer away from the transparent substrate.
[0011] Preferably, the image-transfer medium further comprises an
isolation layer containing a tack reducing agent for decreasing
adhesion between the transferable ink layer and the
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
[0012] In accordance with the present invention, the transferable
ink layer can be a continuous layer or formed with a plurality of
the transferable dots. Each of the dots has a shape selected from a
group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle
and a honeycomb.
[0013] The above objects and advantages of the present invention
will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in
the art after reviewing the following detailed description and
accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the lamination of a
conventional image-transfer medium;
[0015] FIG. 1(b) is a schematic diagram exemplifying a general
transferable pattern of the conventional image-transfer medium in
FIG. 1(a);
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the lamination of an
image-transfer medium according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0017] FIGS. 3(a)-3(c) are three examples of patterns in the ink
layer of FIG. 2 according to the present invention;
[0018] FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) exemplify the use of the image-transfer
medium according to the present invention; and
[0019] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) exemplify alternative use of the
image-transfer mediums according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring to FIG. 2, an image-transfer medium 30 according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a
transparent film substrate 31 and a transferable laminated material
32. For example, the transparent film substrate 31 is made of a
flexible and transparent material such as biaxially oriented
polypropylene (BOPP). The transferable laminated material 32
comprises an ink layer 321, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323
and an isolation layer 322 sandwiched between the ink layer 321 and
the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323. The transferable
laminated material 32 is attached onto a surface 312 of the
transparent film substrate 31, and directly contacts with the
target article (not shown) while using.
[0021] The ink layer 321 is constituted of one or more pigments and
some additives. The composition is appropriately selected in order
to achieve optimal transfer-printing effect. For example, for black
ink, the composition of the ink layer 321 comprises 5.about.20 wt %
black powder, 25.about.55 wt % copolymer resin, 2.about.8 wt %
dioctylphosphate, 10.about.40 wt % sophorone, 5.about.35 wt %
SOLVESSO.TM. (an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent from Imperial Oil
Limited) and 5.about.35 wt % solvent. On the other hand, for silver
ink, the composition of the ink layer 321 comprises 5.about.35 wt %
silver powder, 20.about.50 wt % copolymer resin, 2.about.8 wt %
dioctylphosphate, 5.about.35 wt % isophorone, 5.about.35 wt %
SOLVESSO.TM. and 5.about.35 wt % solvent. The isolation layer 322
is also transparent, and contains a tack reducing agent for
decreasing adhesion between the ink layer 321 and the
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323 in order that the ink
patterns can be stripped and transferred neat.
[0022] For transfer-printing personalized image onto an article,
the ink of the image-transfer medium should be strippable as any
arbitrary pattern. In order to achieve this purpose, the ink layer
321 is preferably a continuous layer or consists of a number of
very close small units, e.g. dots.
[0023] FIGS. 3(a).about.3(c) are schematic diagrams showing two
examples of ink layer patterns, which can achieve the
above-mentioned purposes. In the embodiment of FIG. 3(a), the ink
layer 321 is a continuous layer. Alternatively, the ink layer 321
comprises a plurality of transferable dots P discretely arranged at
regular interval d, as shown in FIG. 3(b) or 3(c). The interval d
between two adjacent dots is not particularly limited, but it is
preferably not too small to be produced or not too big in
consideration of visual effect. For example, the density of the
transferable dots P is at least 20 dots per inch, and preferably in
a range of 80.about.200 dots per inch. The transferable dots P of
the ink layer 321 can be formed by a known halftone printing
technology.
[0024] The shape of each single transferable dot can be arbitrary.
In addition to the circular shape and the honeycomb shape as shown
in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c), it can also be an ellipse, a triangle, a
rectangle, etc.
[0025] In order to impart proper dot size and density to the ink
layer 321, the halftone technique with proper meshes is applied
hereto. Firstly, the ink layer 321 is applied onto the surface 312
of the transparent film substrate 31 by 100 mesh/inch. Then, the
isolation sub-layer 322 is applied onto the ink layer 321 by 150
mesh/inch. Afterward, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323 is
applied onto the isolation layer 322 by 200 mesh/inch. In such way,
an image-transfer medium having a transferable dot density of 100
dots per inch is obtained.
[0026] The use of the image-transfer medium of the present
invention will be described in more details with reference to the
following examples. A peripheral mouse device is used as the target
device where a desired pattern is to be attached. The desired
pattern can be arbitrarily designed as mentioned above, and the
letter "A" is exemplified herein as the desired pattern.
[0027] In FIG. 4(a), the surface 312 of the image-transfer medium
30 is firstly placed in contact with a surface 41 of the mouse 40.
Then, a cold transfer-printing operation is performed. That is, a
depressing force is exerted onto the opposite surface 311 the
transparent film substrate 31 to track the letter pattern "A". By
this way, the portion T1 of the ink layer 321, which receives the
depressed force and corresponds to the letter pattern "A", is
stripped from the image-transfer medium 30 and adhered to the mouse
40 via the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323. After the
remaining portion except the portion T1 is removed from the mouse
40, the appearance of the mouse 40 is as shown in FIG. 4(b). For
example, the cold transfer-printing operation can be performed
through a writing operation using a writing tool 42 such as a pen,
a stick or a pencil. The cold transfer-printing operation can also
be performed with a stamp tool (not shown) to stamp the desired
pattern onto the target article.
[0028] The above embodiment is illustrated by referring to a mouse
device. Nevertheless, the present invention can be applied to any
other suitable articles such as cards, clothes, papers, cups or
equipments.
[0029] An alternative use of the image-transfer medium 30 of the
present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). In this
example, the desired letter pattern "A" is first removed from the
ink layer by being transfer-printed onto a non-target article or
another position of the target article (not shown). Then, the
remaining portion T3 is adhered to the mouse device 50 having a
light transmissible housing along with the transparent film
substrate 31. Through the light emitted by a light source 52 inside
the mouse 50 and penetrating the transparent top surface 51, the
hollowed letter pattern "A" can be exhibited with special
lightening effect.
[0030] From the above description, the image-transfer medium of the
present invention is capable of transfer-printing a personalized
image according to the user's requirement.
[0031] While the invention has been described in terms of what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be
limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
* * * * *