EP0535036B1

EP0535036B1 - Adhesive, fluorescent foil

Info

Publication number: EP0535036B1
Application number: EP91910845A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henry Gordon Osthassel
Original assignee: NeoSign AS
Current assignee: NeoSign AS
Priority date: 1990-06-21
Filing date: 1991-05-24
Publication date: 1996-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-24
Also published as: DE69117060T2; NO172369B; WO1991020070A1; NO902755L; NO172369C; DE69117060D1; EP0535036A1; JPH05508030A; NO902755D0; AU8066291A

Abstract

Adhesive, fluorescent foils in strip form or cut into letters, figures or the like adhered onto panes of glass and, then, illuminated by means of so-called 'invisible light' ('black light'), thereby - as sign and/or advertisement - to create a glowing neon-like effect. In order to enable indoor adhesion of such foils having a similar effect on both sides and such that the lighting source may be positioned indoor, the foil is made of translucent foil material (3) admixed colouring matter and fluorescent substance. The foil material (3) is joined to a translucent layer (2) of adhesive substance.

Description

This invention rerlates to an fluorescent foil, especially for use within the sign and advertising trade, of the Kind defined in the preamble of accompanying Claim 1, and disclosed in US-A- 4 213 153. Such foils may be cut in the form of e.g. letters and/or figures and adhered to e.g. windows, in order to serve as sign and/or advertisement. In order to give the desired neon-like effect, the fluorescent letters/figures etc. must be illuminated by means of socalled "black light" ("invisible light").
There exist adhesive fluorescent foil of this kind. On one side face of the white, non-translucent foil thereof, they are provided with a layer of fluorescent material, the opposite side face carrying the adhesive layer protected by an externally located, removable backing paper. When adhered onto e.g. a pane of glass, these foils exhibit a front face (the fluorescent layer) and a rear face (at the adhesive layer), the white foil preventing through-going illumination when the front face is illuminated by means of "black light". The sign/advertisement has the same shape on the rear side, but a pleasing "advertising effect" cannot be achieved there. This is, of course, an obvious disadvantage.
Likewise, it represents a serious disadvantage and limitation of application and use that the illuminant for black light must be placed on that side to which the fluorescent layer faces. With such an external positioning, the lighting fixture is subjected to theft and wilful damage, and its arrangement on cars is practically out of the question.
With outdoor sign/advertisement, the absolutely necessary external positioning of the fluorescent layer will cause the deterioration, wearing-down and damage thereof through the influence of external forces, sun, weather and wind.
The object of this invention has been to overcome these deficiences, disadvantages and limitations in prior art technique and, thus, provide a foil of the introductorily defined kind having the same "advertising effect" on both sides, and wherein the lighting fixture for the illumination of the sign/advertisement on the pane of glass may be placed internally in the room, the car etc.
In accordance with the invention, this object is realized through a foil exhibiting the features indicated in the characterizing part of the following claims, thereby obtaining new technical effects and advantages of great importance.
An adhesive, fluorescent foil according to the invention is made from ordinary, preferably dull, transparent foil material admixed colouring matter and fluorescent substance. The adhesive surface formed by clear (bright) adhesive substance may, as known per se, be provided with a removable backing paper being wax-coated in order to protect the adhesive substance.
An adhesive foil to which is applied a layer of fluorescent colored ink is known from US-A-4 913 946.
A foil according to the invention comprises one layer less than common foils of the kind in question, which involves productional advantages, resulting in a lower price, which is further reduced through the admixture of colouring substance and fluorescent substance into the foil material itself, instead of having to apply these substances at a later process stage.
The most important advantage of the novel foil according to the invention, consists in that it is translucent so that the fluorescent effect may be observed from both sides of the foil when it has been adhered to a pane of glass.
This involves further advantages as such a through-going fluorescent, through-coloured foil permits its adherence to the inner side of the glass as well as illumination from the inside of the room, the car etc. This protects partly the foil itself, partly the lighting source developing the invisible light ("black light"), so that the foil as well as the lighting source attain a prolonged useful life. Thus, for indoor use, it is possible to use a less strong and rigid and, consequently, cheaper lighting fixture design than with outdoor use. Moreover, such an indoor lighting fixture is far better protected against theft and wilful damage.
When illuminating using invisible light ("black light"), letters, figures or the like cut from such foils, will "glow" at both sides of the foil with a neon-like effect.
Without illumination (at day-time), the through-coloured foil will act as an ordinary translucent foil; yet it will, from the adhesive side as well, exhibit clearer colours than conventional fluorescent decor foils and tapes.
An example of an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the attached diagrammatic drawing figure, showing a foil according to the invention as seen from one edge, i.e. in a direction parallel to the plane of the foil.
In the figure of the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a protective backing paper, known per se, which advantageously may be coated with wax on the inner side thereof; 2 denoting an adhesive substance layer of a translucent, e.g. bright/clear, adhesive, while 3 indicates the foil itself. According to the invention, the foil is made from translucent, preferably dull, transparent foil material admixed colouring matter and fluorescent substance as defined in Claim 1.

Claims

Fluorescent foil, especially for use within the sign and advertising trade, made from a translucent foil material (3) with an admixed fluorescent substance, characterized in that the foil material (3) is also with an admixed colouring matter and is adhesive.
Fluorescent foil as set forth in Claim 1, characterized in that the foil is made from preferably dull transparent foil material, provided with a translucent layer (2) of adhesive substance.