EP0936080A2 - Process for decorating skis or similar - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves printing onto a flat substrate (1) and joining the substrate to the object, printing onto a substrate already joined to the object or printing onto a pre-substrate and transferring the print to a substrate already joined or yet to be joined to the object. A digital printing technique is used to print at least the motif (3), and can also be used for the background.

Description

The invention relates to a method for decorating skis or the like Preamble of claim 1.

Skis usually consist of a multi-layer structure of different materials. one or both surfaces being decorative. The application of the The method according to the invention relates in particular to skis that have multiple layers are built up. This also includes snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, etc.

For the purpose of decoration, according to the current state of the art in ski construction usually flat substrates for both alpine and cross-country skis thermoplastic plastic films are used on which the decoration is applied. It but thermosetting materials can also be used. Instead of foils also used nonwovens for printing, which before or after printing with the decorating object connected, preferably glued over the entire ski surface become. Gluing over the entire ski surface has the advantage that it is a All-round design of the ski from edge to edge allows. A ski with one after conventional textile printing techniques printed non-woven underlayer under one Transparent glass fiber layer is described in DE 36 36 645 A1.

As a method for decorating the flat substrates, common printing methods such as e.g. Screen printing process in positive or negative printing - i.e. on the slide or on the Back of a transparent film - used. Screen printing processes are relatively complex, since a screen has to be made for each print for each decor, which is also serviced after a certain number of prints or must be replaced. This printing process is accordingly inflexible, since at If the motif changes, the equipment must also be changed. Become frequent the surfaces to be printed before printing electrically, chemically or physically pretreated to increase the adhesion of the paint to the surface.

With the thermal diffusion process, the color pattern is first applied to a flat pre-substrate applied by known printing processes such as screen printing, offset printing or gravure printing and then using a sublimation process at high pressure and high temperature Transfer color samples to a corresponding surface film on the ski. By the The sublimation process diffuses the colors from the flat pre-substrate to a certain one Depth into the final surface material.

For example, EP 0 033 776 A2 describes a method for decorating sheet-like objects, in particular ski coverings, in which the to be printed Base is in the melt state and the color of a print carrier on the film is transmitted. The fact that the ink diffuses into the film, the Adhesive connection between the printed side of the covering and the underlying surface of the ski body is not impaired. This can include pre-treatment of the printing objects can be avoided, which clearly the manufacturing effort reduced.

In addition to screen printing and thermal diffusion processes, printing processes such as gravure printing are also used and offset printing is used for the decoration of the surface material.

Another method of decorating items, such as skis under The use of a sublimation printing method is known from AT 396 345 B. When printing by sublimation, the pigment and binder are used Printing ink applied to the back of a transparent layer.

A ski and a method for its production are known from US Pat. No. 4,270,768 by the appropriate design and material selection of the tread of the ski decorative design of the same a gravure process instead of the usual Screen printing process can be used.

The object of the present invention is to create a more economical, i.e. faster and cheaper method for decorating objects, especially skis which has a high print quality and a high flexibility with regard to the Variation of motifs can be achieved. The quality of the should decorating object, especially the adhesiveness of the layers of the object not be significantly affected by the decoration. The ones described above Disadvantages of known methods are to be reduced.

The object of the invention is achieved by a method of the type described in the introduction, in the case of printing at least the motif that forms the decoration, if necessary also one Background, on the substrate or pre-substrate, a digital printing process is used. Digital printing processes, such as inkjet printing processes are characterized by special flexibility, since for the purpose of printing no additional resources such as e.g. Sieves for screen printing or etched or relief-processed rollers for Offset printing, must be made for every motif. Instead, e.g. at the Inkjet process the ink sprayed onto the surface without any additional tools. The ink consumption is correspondingly low, since it really only works on the desired one Make material is applied. The digital printing process is mostly without Intermediate stages controlled directly by a computer. This means that the printing on the Substrate, which forms the decorative material for the ski, or the pre-substrate, from which the color pattern is transferred to the substrate by means of the computer-controlled Application of drops of paint or dots of color is accomplished. The decoration is in Computer graphics created and can be changed very quickly and relatively easily and printed directly on the substrate or pre-substrate of the article, without that e.g. new screens have to be made for screen printing. To increase the Printing speed, it is advantageous to use only the motif that forms the decoration digital printing process and the mostly larger background with others Printing process. Because with the help of an inkjet printer, for example, none Metallic colors can be realized because the metal particles contained in the nozzle of the printhead could clog according to the inventive method for example, the background can be printed in metallic colors using other methods, while the motif itself is printed using the digital printing process.

In contrast to the colors used in the screen printing process, for example The inks are made of pigments, binders and solvents Inkjet printers are only made up of pigments and solvents. That’s the result Problem that the ink does not adhere well to all substrates. For example, ink sticks of inkjet printers very bad on thermoplastic plastic films. On the other hand are more adhesive substrates, such as plexiglass (PMMA: polymethyl methacrylate) more difficult to process and only suitable as a decoration for a ski. An application on skis on which a plastic film or a plastic surface is printed is out For this reason it has failed to this day, since the printed film easily detaches from the ski body. Each Depending on the area of application and motif, printing can be carried out using digital printing processes of the type described above may be sufficient. For higher requirements, such as in ski production, where the best possible adhesion of the decoration is necessary, can the measures described below in combination with the inventive methods are used.

According to a further feature of the invention, the color containing the motif is a Adhesion of the color of the motif on the substrate-increasing substance or substances added. Such a substance can be used, for example, for specific solvents which attach the substrate to the Swell surface. The additions may have the function of the digital printing process do not interfere.

To increase the adhesion of the color of the motif on a preferably transparent According to an alternative feature of the invention, the substrate becomes the substrate before printing with a tie layer, e.g. provided with a color pigment-free screen printing ink. The preferably transparent binding layer advantageously contains the same Binder, such as the opaque color printed after the motif is printed, which the Background of decoration forms. The color of the motif is between the adhesion-promoting color of the binding layer and the subsequently applied top coat embedded and sealed accordingly. The adhesive bridge to the ski body underneath is achieved in a known manner with the top coat.

Alternatively, you can print a motif on a transparent substrate Top layer are applied, which the adhesion between the motif and the Substrate increased. The top layer, which forms the background of the decoration, must be a combination of materials that the color used for the motif by Cover color "wanders" or is chemically absorbed and thus the adhesive bridge between ski body and substrate (transparent plastic film).

Inkjet printing processes are particularly suitable for the process according to the invention, for printing at least the motif, and possibly also the background. Inkjet printing processes are characterized by their particular economy Material consumption and relatively high resolution. The inks usually dry very quickly, thereby accelerating the manufacturing process compared to the methods below Slow drying varnishes or the like can be achieved. The Print speed is partly due to the number of juxtaposed Printheads set. Color prints are preferably made by four-color printing (colors yellow, red, blue and black).

According to a further feature of the invention, at least the motif can be printed, if at all an airbrush printing process is also provided in the background. With the help of Airbrushing can show certain types of motifs better than with other methods.

A thermoplastic film is preferably used as the flat substrate, since this can be processed well and offers good protection for the underlying decoration.

The method according to the invention is also suitable for the one described at the beginning Thermal diffusion process. In this case, a flat pre-substrate with a digital Printing process printed. The color pattern is then applied to the final decor material transferred.

Plastic films or paper are suitable as a pre-substrate.

The features of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings Process explained in more detail.

Fig. 1a bis 1d

schematisch die Verfahrensschritte eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zum Dekorieren eines Skier gemäß Anspruch 3, und

Fig. 2a bis 2c

schematisch die Verfahrensschritte einer Variante des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zum Dekorieren eines Skier gemäß Anspruch 4.

Show in it

1a to 1d

schematically the process steps of a method according to the invention for decorating a ski according to claim 3, and

2a to 2c

schematically the method steps of a variant of the method according to the invention for decorating a skis according to claim 4.

1a, a substrate 1 is, for example, a transparent thermoplastic film a likewise transparent binding layer 2.

According to FIG. 1b, the motif 3 forming the decoration is made with the aid of a digital one Printing process applied to the underside of the substrate 1 in negative printing. Without Binding layer 2 would not ensure sufficient adhesion to the substrate 1. It it is quite conceivable that for some applications a lack of adhesion is none Would cause problems. This will be particularly the case if the subject 3 is applied very sparsely on the substrate 1 and therefore only very small areas low adhesiveness are present. If the adhesion is to be strengthened, is According to the invention, the binding layer 2 is provided, which act in two different ways can. On the one hand, the binding layer 2 can be the bridge between the substrate 1 and the motif 3 form in that the bonding layer 2 adheres both well to the substrate 1 and at the same time forms a good adhesive base for the motif 3. On the other hand, the Binding layer 2 be such that it takes up the color of the motif 3, so that this in the binding layer 2 penetrates.

According to FIG. 1c, a cover layer 4 is applied over the motif 3, which covers the Motif 3 background forms. For this purpose, the cover layer 4 usually consists from an opaque color. The cover layer 4 is used to accelerate the Decoration process usually not with the help of a digital printing process applied. Therefore, the top coat can contain binders in the usual way, which the Increase adherence.

Finally, according to FIG. 1d, the decorative layer is bonded to the underlying ski body 6 connected.

2a to 2c, the decoration method of a Skie according to claim 4 shown, in which a substrate 1 first with the motif 3 with the help of a digital Printing process is printed and then with a cover layer forming the background 7 is provided. The cover layer 7 has the due to the materials used Property to "wander" through the color of the motif 3 and thus provides a good connection to the substrate 1. As shown in Fig. 2c, the decoration with the help of a Adhesive layer 5 on the object, in the present case on the ski body 6 upset.

Decisive for the invention is the applicability of a digital printing process, that can be improved by the measures according to claims 2 to 4.

Claims (9)

Process for decorating skis or the like by printing on a flat Substrate and connecting the printed substrate to the object, or Printing on a substrate already connected to the object or printing a pre-substrate and transferring the pressure to one already with the object bonded or still to be connected to this substrate, characterized in that that for printing at least the motif forming the decoration, if necessary also one Background, on the substrate or pre-substrate uses a digital printing process becomes. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the one containing the motif Color a substance or the strength of the color of the motif on the substrate Substances are added. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate before the Printing with a binding layer, e.g. a color pigmentless screen printing ink for Increase the adhesiveness of the color of the motif on the substrate. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that after printing the motif a cover layer is applied to a transparent substrate, which Adhesion between the motif and the substrate increased. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that for printing an inkjet printing process, at least of the motif, if necessary also of the background is used. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that for printing an airbrush printing process, at least of the motif, if necessary also of the background is used. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that as a flat Substrate a preferably thermoplastic plastic film is used. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a Pre-substrate is printed and the color pattern by means of thermal diffusion on the substrate is transmitted. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that as a pre-substrate Plastic film or paper is used.

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