EP3132944A1 - Printed decorative composite material - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a printed decorative composite body which is composed of several layers. The layer sequence is characterized by the fact that it contains a printed substrate (A) and printed gemstones (D). To ensure the adhesion of the gems (D) on the substrate (A), an adhesive layer (C) is provided. The print motif (B) on the carrier material and the print motif (E) on the gemstones together form an optically three-dimensional motif. The invention also relates to products made by this method.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for producing a printed decorative composite body. The composite is composed of several layers. The sequence of layers is characterized among other things by the fact that it contains a printed carrier material as well as printed gemstones.

STATE OF THE ART

Surfaces of textiles, handbags, shoes, furniture and other objects are often decorated for aesthetic reasons. Gemstones are suitable for decoration in a variety of ways. Composite bodies containing gemstones and printed motifs open up many aesthetic design possibilities. A combination of printed substrate and printed gemstones enables new effects.

In the US 7,931,954 B2 (DAI NIPPON) describes composites containing at least one printed layer. They serve to artificially reproduce a wood grain, for example, in furniture. Composite bodies with gemstones are used in the US 7,931,954 B2 do not describe. In the US Pat. No. 6,450,540 B1 (TECHNOLOGY TREE) describes a printed composite with a three-dimensional effect. This effect is realized by a printed carrier material and a lens-like structure. Three different colors are used depending on the viewing angle. It is not the subject of US Pat. No. 6,450,540 B1 to provide a composite body containing more than one printed layer and gemstones, and which produces a three-dimensional effect with depth effect.

Object of the present invention is to realize a printed decorative composite body containing gemstones and in which the printed motif has a three-dimensional depth effect.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Surprisingly, it has been found that a printed decorative composite body can be produced by the method according to the invention, whose three-dimensional effect is formed by superposition of a printed substrate and printed gemstones. The combination of a three-dimensional motif and gemstones opens up a variety of aesthetic design possibilities.

1. (a) Druck eines vorgegeben Motivs auf ein Trägermaterial,
2. (b) Aufbringen einer Klebstoffschicht,
3. (c) Aufbringen einer Vielzahl von Schmucksteinen,
4. (d) Druck eines zweiten vorgegeben Motivs und
5. (e) optionales Aufbringen einer Schutzschicht.

The subject of the present application is therefore a process for producing a decorative composite body, comprising the following steps:

1. (a) printing a given motif on a substrate,
2. (b) applying an adhesive layer,
3. (c) applying a plurality of gemstones,
4. (d) printing a second predetermined motif and
5. (e) optional application of a protective layer.

STEP A

In illustration 1 The composite body includes an optional adhesive layer (A1), a substrate (A), a printed motif on the substrate (B), an adhesive layer (C), gems (D), a second printed one Motif (E) and the optional protective layer (F).

As support material (A) in illustration 1 is suitable for a variety of materials. The support materials are well known to those skilled in the art. The carrier material can be rigid or flexible and can be selected depending on the field of application. As a carrier material is, for example, wood, plastic, metal, glass, paper or ceramics. As metallic support materials, for example, aluminum or steel are suitable. Plastics are preferably used according to the invention.

Plastics are materials that consist mainly of macromolecules. Suitable support material is, for example: acrylic glass (polymethylmethacrylate), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyphenylene ether, polyethylene, poly (N-methylmethacrylimide).

Also glass, a frozen supercooled liquid which forms an amorphous solid, is possible in various embodiments as a carrier material; Both metallic and non-metallic glasses are suitable for this purpose.

Paper, which consists essentially of fibers of mostly vegetable origin and is formed by dewatering a fiber suspension, can also be used as a carrier material. The support materials are well known to those skilled in the art.

As a carrier material according to the invention preferably a plastic film is used. On one side of the plastic film is optionally an adhesive layer (= self-adhesive plastic film), see A1 in illustration 1 , The adhesive layer serves to adhere to an object to be decorated. The plastic film is versatile applicable because of their flexible nature. The following plastic films may be used, among others: plastic films of polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and its copolymers, polyesters, polycarbonate, cellophane and polyamide. Also bio-based plastics such as polylactide or cellulose acetate can be processed into films. Polyethylene terephthalate is also suitable for the production of films.

In order to be able to apply plastic films to the object to be decorated, synthetic rubber and acrylate adhesives (vide infra) are frequently used as adhesive layer in their case.

According to the invention, thermoplastic polymer films are preferably used as the carrier material. Thermoplastic plastic films are flexible, in particular self-adhesive, plastic films which adhere to the object to be decorated by thermal treatment. Thermoplastic polyurethane films are, for example, suitable as thermoplastic polymer films. Polyurethanes are formed by polyaddition of isocyanates and polyols. They are characterized by a high elasticity, which is variable depending on the composition. Purely aliphatic polyurethanes are resistant to yellowing and are preferably suitable. Polyurethanes are also characterized by a high chemical resistance.

Thermoplastic ethylene vinyl acetate films are also suitable as a carrier material. Ethylene vinyl acetate is a copolymer of polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate having good heat resistance and aging resistance. Depending on the proportion of the copolymerized vinyl acetate, the elongation at break property of the material can be varied over a wide range. The thermoplastic ethylene vinyl acetate support film may, for example, be the film 20,500 from Collano and the film ev-guard transparent from the company Folienwerk Wolfen.

Alternatively, thermoplastic polyamide films are also usable. Films based on polyamides, which are polycondensation products of carboxylic acids and amines, are highly resistant to abrasion and chemically resistant. However, in textile applications repeated washings may cause clouding of the polyamide. Thermoplastic polyamide films are, for example, the film POLI-MELT 701 from Polytape and the film sold by Collano 34.208.

Thermoplastic polyester films are also suitable as a carrier material. Examples of these are polycarbonate, polylactide or polyethylene terephthalate. They are characterized by resistance to water, dilute mineral acids and aliphatic organic solvents. However, polyesters have no good resistance to alkaline solutions and chlorinated solvents. Thermoplastic polyester films, such as, for example, the film POLI-MELT 700 from Polytape and the film PKF 130 from Gluetex. Can be used as carrier film.

The thermoplastic films are given by way of example only and are well known to those skilled in the art.

According to the invention, the support material on the visible side of the decorative composite body has a white cover layer in order to emphasize the effect of the motif. The white cover layer can be applied, for example, by printing on a white ink (vide infra).

In step (a) of the method, a motif (B) is printed on the carrier material ( Fig. 1 ). As printing motifs are any characters, numbers, symbols or other visual representations. The print motif on the carrier material is a partial motif of an overall motif that forms an overall motif with the second partial motif in method step (d).

For printing, ink is preferably used. An ink is a colored liquid. Ink usually comprises a solution or dispersions of dyes or pigments in water or other solvents containing little or no binder. For printing, for example, UV inks, solvent inks, water-based resin inks or so-called nanoinks are suitable.

UV inks do not dry in the ambient air but are cured with ultraviolet light immediately after application. In UV inks, the color pigments are bound in a mixture of acrylate monomers, oligomers and photoinitiators. Upon exposure of the UV rays to photoinitiators, polymerization is initiated and thereby the applied UV ink is cured. When printing on glass adhesion promoters are necessary. UV inks have the advantage that they allow high production speeds due to UV curing.

Alternatively, water-based resin ink can be used. The ink is mixed with resin and dissolved in water. The resin binds the color pigments and ensures adhesion to the surface of the printed material. The water evaporates during and after applying the water-based resin ink.

Electro Inc inks are also usable. These inks contain electrically charged particles. A roller is electrically charged at predetermined locations and moves past an ink reservoir. The roller picks up the ink at the charged points, continues to move and delivers the ink to the material to be printed. These inks can only be printed on flat substrates.

Solvent inks are preferred. Solvent inks are solvent inks that have no water base. They are resistant to mechanical erosion (scratches) and water. The solvent inks contain solvents such as alcohol, ethyl acetate or other carboxylic acid esters, toluene or xylene. These solvents evaporate very quickly during printing. This achieves rapid drying and strength. Solvent inks usually have very good resistance.

Preferably, a mixture of UV inks and solvent inks, UV-solvent inks, usable. UV solvent inks have a higher resistance to mechanical erosion (scratches) compared to UV inks.

Other preferred inks are nanoinks. Nano inks are solvent inks that contain particles the size of which is in the nanometer range. As a result, this ink has excellent adhesion to the surface of the printed material. Nano inks are available, for example, from ESC.

For example, ECO Solvent inks from the company Contento, UV inks from Swissqprint or Eco UV inks from the company Contento are also suitable as inks. The inks are given by way of example only and are well known to those skilled in the art.

Preferably, inks and printers are used by the same manufacturer because they are matched.

Various printing methods are suitable for printing the substrate with an ink, for example screen printing or stencil printing in general. Stencils mask the motif for printing. According to the invention, the printing is preferably carried out by means of a digital printer. Digital printers are printing devices where the printed image directly from a computer to the printing device without using a static printing form. This has the advantage that very flexible and very efficient motives can be printed. Inkjet printers are particularly preferably used for printing. Inkjet printers are matrix printers in which a printed image is created by the targeted shooting or the deflection of small ink droplets. A matrix printer generates its print image by setting individual small pixels. The inkjet printers belong to the group of non-impact printers. Non-impact printers have the advantage that they work without impact and do not exert any mechanical pressure on the material to be printed. This advantage is particularly important when printing the gemstones (vide infra). The printing techniques are well known to those skilled in the art.

For the purposes of the invention is suitable as an inkjet printer for example by the company Contento the flatbed printer CPD 640 - 1.4 XJ or the flatbed printer CDP 640 - 1.4 LEJ or the roll printer RHO 1012 the company Durst, the web printer GS3250 EFI, the flatbed printer Impala 2 from Swissprint, Muchcolours MIG 64 from ESC or HP Indigo from HP. The printers are given by way of example only and are well known to those skilled in the art.

STEP B

On the printed carrier material, for example a thermoplastic film, an adhesive layer (C) is applied to the printed side of the carrier material in process step (b) ( Fig. 1 ). The adhesive is essential for the adhesion of the gemstones in process step (c). The adhesive layer is preferably transparent and preferably has a transparency of at least 50%, more preferably of at least 80%, most preferably of at least 90%. Due to the transparency of the adhesive layer, the imprinted motif is more effective.

There is a distinction between physically and chemically curing adhesives. Physically curing systems are solvent adhesives and hot melt adhesives. Solvent adhesives are polymers dissolved in a solvent which form a solid layer at room temperature due to the evaporation of the solvent. Hotmelt adhesives are solvent-free and solid at room temperature adhesives, which are applied in a molten state on a sticky surface, and on the still in the molten state, the gemstones are applied. Upon cooling, a solid, non-sticky layer forms, which encloses the gemstones in a form-fitting or cohesive manner. So-called pressure-sensitive adhesives can be applied to the carrier material as solvent-based adhesives or else as hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesives, to which the gemstones are then applied. Chemically curing adhesives are called reaction adhesives. The chemical reactions may be polymerization, polycondensation or polyaddition reactions. Basically, a distinction is made between two-component adhesives or one-component adhesives in the case of chemically curing adhesives. The adhesives mentioned are well known to the skilled person.

Preferred adhesives according to the invention are epoxy adhesives. They are obtainable by polyaddition between oxiranes and nucleophiles, for example, amines, sulfides or anhydrides. They are available as one- or two-component adhesives and are characterized by a high chemical and mechanical resistance. A disadvantage may be the known yellowing tendency of many epoxy compounds. As epoxy adhesive for example owl ^® Plus from owl ^® DP190 or transparent 3M is Endfest 300th

Preferably used is the class of compounds of acrylate adhesives. They arise u.a. by radical polymerization. Acrylic adhesives have a very high transparency depending on the composition. Acrylate adhesives, such as PMMA or cyanoacrylates, are often applied in liquid form.

As the adhesive, ethylene vinyl acetate is also usable. Ethylene vinyl acetate is a copolymer of polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate having good heat resistance and aging resistance. Depending on the proportion of the copolymerized vinyl acetate, the elongation at break property of the material can be varied over a wide range. Ethylene vinyl acetate is used primarily as an aqueous pressure-sensitive adhesive dispersion or hot melt adhesive.

Likewise, polyamides are usable. They are often used as a film or granules. Polyamides are polycondensation products of carboxylic acids and amines. Polyamides are very resistant to abrasion and chemically resistant. In textile applications, repeated washing may cause the polyamide to become cloudy.

Polyester is another class of adhesives which can be used according to the invention. Examples are polycarbonate, polylactide or polyethylene terephthalate. They are characterized by resistance to water, dilute mineral acids and aliphatic organic solvents.

Silicones may be useful as adhesives in certain applications. They are polycondensation products of various protected siloxane oligomers. Silicones are preferably applied in liquid form and harden to a solid.

Polyolefins may also be used for bonding. They are applied in particular in the form of hot melt adhesive films. Polyolefins are, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene and polyisoprene. Polystyrene and its copolymers / block copolymers as well as polybutadienes or cellulose acetate can also be used as adhesives.

Particular preference is given according to the invention to adhesives from the group of polyurethanes. Polyurethanes are formed by polyaddition of isocyanates and polyols. They are characterized by a high elasticity. Purely aliphatic polyurethanes are resistant to yellowing, but may be sensitive to moisture in the uncured state due to the reactivity of the isocyanates. Polyurethane adhesives are preferably applied liquid, but can also be melted depending on the composition as an additional film layer. Kleiberit 701.6 from Kleiber, Sikamelt 9675 from Sika, DP610 from 3M or Araldite 2028 from Huntsman, for example, are suitable as polyurethane adhesives.

Preferably, the adhesive layer has a layer thickness of about 50 to 500 microns in order to achieve a good embedding of the gemstones in the adhesive layer. Depending on the type of adhesive, the most varied methods are suitable for applying the adhesive, for example painting by means of a doctor blade which resembles a rectangular spatula. The adhesive is painted onto the substrate with a squeegee. Another possibility is spraying with the help of spray nozzles. For example, for adhesives used in the form of films, lamination is suitable. During lamination, a carrier material is usually thermally or by means of press connected to an adhesive film. An alternative method of applying the adhesive is dip-coating, in which the printed side of the substrate is dipped in the adhesive. However, adhesives can also be applied by means of printing processes, for example jet printing. Preferably, the extrusion is used to apply the adhesive. In extrusion, viscous adhesives are continuously extruded under pressure from a forming orifice, such as a slot die, and applied to the substrate. The methods are well known to those skilled in the art.

STEP C

In step (c) of the process, a plurality of gemstones are applied to the uncured thermoplastic adhesive layer, see layer (D) in FIG illustration 1 , The gemstones can be sprinkled onto the adhesive layer, for example, and are often arranged close together. Preferably, the gems are made of transparent or translucent glass or plastic. Glass is particularly preferred. Other materials, such as cubic zirconia or other gemstones, are also suitable. The gemstones can be mirrored or coated to allow additional visual effects.

The gemstones are not limited in their shape, they can be round or square, for example. According to the invention, the gemstones are preferably faceted. Faceted gemstones support the decorative appearance.

Gemstones may also differ in size. The use of differently sized gemstones results in an improved decorative appearance that supports the three-dimensional effect of the printed motif. Therefore, according to the invention, gemstones which have different sizes are preferably applied to the adhesive layer.

As gemstones are, inter alia, products of the company D. Swarovski KG, for example, the faceted article A.3498 made of glass with about 1 mm, with about 2 mm or about 2.8 mm in diameter. Plastic gemstones with a diameter of approx. 2.8 mm are available as article 5355-28 from the company Pracht ^® . Under the item number A.3499 obtained from the company D. Swarovski KG a mixture of gemstones of different shape: about 10% of the faceted article A.3498 with about 1 mm in diameter and about 90% of the Ballotini ^® glass ball A.3497 with approx. 1 mm diameter.

STEP D

In process step (d), the gemstones and optionally the adhesive layer in the interstices of the gems are printed with a motif (layer E in illustration 1 ). The partial print motif on the carrier material and the partial print motif on the gemstones or the adhesive layer form the overall motif. The superposition of the two print motifs results in a three-dimensional effect.

According to the invention, digital printers are preferred for printing on the gemstones, particularly preferably ink-jet printers. The plurality of gemstones on the adhesive layer often forms, for example, by the gemstone shape or the different gemstone sizes, an uneven surface. Inkjet printers do not require direct contact with the material to be printed (vide supra) and are therefore preferably suitable for printing on the gemstones. For the purposes of the invention, other printing methods, such as screen printing, are suitable. According to the invention, different printer types and different types of ink can be used for the printing on the carrier material in process step (a) and on the gemstones in process step (d).

Suitable inkjet printers are, for example, the flatbed printer CPD 640-1.4 XJ or the flatbed printer CDP 640-1.4 LEJ from Contento or the roller printer RHO 1012 from Durst, the roller printer GS3250 from EFI, the flatbed printer Impala 2 from Swissqprint , the inkcolour MIG 64 of the company ESC or the HP indigo of the company HP. The printers are given by way of example only and are well known to those skilled in the art.

Suitable inks are, for example, ECO Solvent inks from the company Contento, UV inks from Swissqprint or Eco UV inks from the company Contento. The inks are given by way of example only and are well known to those skilled in the art.

Preferably, inks and printers are used by the same manufacturer because they are matched.

STEPS

In process step (e) optionally a protective layer, F in Fig. 1 , applied to protect the decorative composite from environmental influences, skin swelling or mechanical erosion, such as scratches. A protective lacquer is applied as the protective layer. The protective lacquers preferably have a transparency of at least 50%, particularly preferably of at least 80%, very particularly preferably of at least 90%.

According to the invention, varnish is understood as meaning a liquid or pulverulent coating material which is applied thinly to objects and is built up by chemical or physical processes, for example evaporation of the solvent, to form a continuous, solid layer. Paints often contain binders, fillers, pigments, solvents, resins and / or acrylates and additives. For the purposes of the invention, for example, acrylic lacquers, epoxy lacquers or polyurethane lacquers are suitable.

Acrylic paints are manufactured on the basis of acrylic resins. Acrylic resins are synthetic resins and are considered particularly durable. Acrylic resins are based on polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and their esters. They are often copolymerized with other unsaturated monomers, such as styrene or acrylonitrile. Acrylic paints are either dissolved in solvents or dispersed in water and applied to the coated gemstone mount. Acrylic coatings have a high weather resistance and are UV-resistant and are therefore preferred. As acrylic lacquer, for example, the 09852 Carbamid Clear from Lächler is suitable.

Epoxy paints often contain the two components epoxy resin and hardener. Epoxy resins are polyadducts of epichlorohydrin with bisphenol derivatives, for example A, F or S. These are crosslinked with a hardener. Usually, the two components epoxy resin and hardener are mixed shortly before processing. Epoxy resin coatings are characterized by a high chemical and mechanical resistance, but are often not sufficiently lightfast.

Polyurethane paints are commercially available as one-component and multicomponent coatings; for example, in the one-component coating the curing agent is already mixed with the master paint, and in the two-component paint hardener and master paint are separated. Polyurethane paints are abrasion resistant and resistant to water, oils and chemicals. Preference is therefore given to using polyurethane coatings as a protective coating, for example Berlacryl 2K-PUR clearcoat 042.928.100 High abrasion resist from Berlac or Pigmotop G100 from Adler. The protective coatings are applied by spraying, for example.

GENERAL PROCEDURE DESCRIPTION

In method step (a), an arbitrary motif is printed on a thermoplastic film with an inkjet printer or a part of an overall motif. The thermoplastic film has a side with a white topcoat and the motif is printed on the white topcoat. The specification of the motif is done by computer.

In step (b) of the method, an adhesive layer is applied to the printed side of the substrate. The adhesives are applied by means of a doctor blade, spray nozzle or extrusion with a layer thickness of about 50 to 500 μm.

On the uncured adhesive layer, a plurality of gemstones is applied in step (c) of the method. The gemstones are sprinkled on the adhesive layer and optionally applied to thermoplastic adhesives under light pressure. The gemstones can have different shape and different size.

In method step (d), a motif or second partial motif is printed on the gemstones or on the gemstone layer with an inkjet printer. The print motif in process step (a) and the print motif in process step (d) yield the overall motif. The specification of the print motif is done by computer.

In process step (e), a protective varnish is optionally applied as a protective layer. The protective lacquer is applied by spraying.

PRODUCTS AND THEIR USE

1. (a) ein bedrucktes Trägermaterial,
2. (b) eine Klebstoffschicht;
3. (c) eine bedruckte Schmucksteinschicht und eine
4. (d) optionale Schutzschicht.

A further subject of the application are products, especially decorative composite bodies obtainable by the process according to the invention. The preferred embodiments of the process lead to inventively preferred products. Preferred according to the invention are decorative composite bodies comprising

1. (a) a printed substrate,
2. (b) an adhesive layer;
3. (c) a printed gemstone layer and a
4. (d) optional protective layer.

Under printed gemstone layer according to the invention any arrangement of a plurality of gemstones on the adhesive layer understood, both the gemstones and the adhesive layer can be printed in the interstices.

Another object of the application is the use of the decorative composite body according to the invention for decorating textiles, handbags, shoes, furniture, bracelets, spectacle frames, packaging or Handycovers.

Claims (11)

A method of making a decorative composite body comprising the following steps (a) printing a given motif on a substrate, (b) applying an adhesive layer, (c) applying a plurality of gemstones, (d) printing a second predetermined motif and (e) optional application of a protective layer. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier material is made of a plastic film. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the visible side of the carrier material contains a white covering layer. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gemstones are made of transparent or translucent glass or plastic. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gemstones are faceted. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gemstones have different sizes. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive layer contains an adhesive selected from the group of polyurethanes. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the printing takes place by means of a digital printer. A decorative composite obtainable by a process according to any one of the preceding claims. A decorative composite according to claim 9, comprising (a) a printed substrate, (b) an adhesive layer; (c) a printed gemstone layer and a (d) optional protective layer. Use of the decorative composite according to claim 10 for decorating textiles, handbags, shoes, furniture, bracelets, spectacle frames, packaging or cellphone covers.

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