FR2695874A2 - Colour decoration of substrates such as fabrics, leather, etc. - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for decorating a substrate comprises replacing part of the substrate (1) with a colour decorated film (2) of the back projection type which has been rendered opaque with flexible opaque plastic film, with paint, with self-adhesive opaque plastic film, by colouring or by opacifying in bulk, or by applying the decorated film (2) onto the substrate. The substrate (1) is a material liable to be subjected to frequent hot washes in a washing agent. The colour decoration may have a definition up to the quality of a colour photograph, and is applied with a high definition colour reproduction appts. such as a copier, printer, phototypesetter or offset printer, by painting or with special pens of the type used for back projection film (famous people can use the pens or paint to sign their own artwork). The substrate (1) can be combined with the film (2) by sewing, with a false hem, with a sliding clasp fastener, by adhesive bonding, stapling or rivetting, and the film (2) may be applied to the substrate (1) to form a decorated pocket.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method of applying a mark or a decoration in color (s) on a flexible or rigid substrate capable of undergoing frequent hot washing, as well as the products resulting from the use of this process.

 The types of substrates concerned are, for example, fabrics, knits, leather, "skin", metals, pvc, wood, concrete, glass, horn, ivory, and all their derivatives. .

 At present, such marks or decorations are applied by printing the substrate, by direct or indirect screen printing, by direct or indirect flocking, by engraved metal plates, by direct or indirect painting, by sticker, by direct embroidery on the substrate, by sewing on the substrate an embroidered decoration or by direct or indirect thermal transfer of a decoration carried on a protective sheet from which it can be detached.

 Except in the particular technique of thermal transfer known as "plastisol", the known transfer modes do not allow for either beautiful decorations on very dark complexion textiles because this type of textile "swallows" the colors, or to obtain a definition coloration greater than 399 dots / inch, nor to be able to have a large choice of colors. In addition, the resistance of the decoration to machine washing with detergent is low, especially when it is an indirect heat transfer, while the items thus decorated - most often T-shirts and sweatshirts require frequent washing.

 In addition, known transfer techniques, including that of "plastisol", all involve relatively intense heating which prohibits their use on fragile substrates, such as ties.

 Finally, and this is not the least drawback, the known techniques assume, at the base, high costs of creation of printing models, with the consequence of obligatory minimum orders.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy these various drawbacks by providing an economical method making it possible to apply, possibly at room temperature, decorations which can go as far as photographic quality color (s) -, highly resistant to washing, on flexible substrates having for example a certain relief inherent in their manufacturing process (weaving, knitting) or in their nature (leather, skin). This object is achieved in the sense that the invention provides a process of the aforementioned type characterized in that it consists in producing the mark or the color decoration (s) on plastic support and securing it to the substrate.

 The color decoration (s) on plastic film can be carried out using a color copier (s) and / or a color printer (s) and / or a photocomposer and / or by hand (to using special pens for plastic and / or paints).

The unit cost for small series, even for a single copy, is extremely reduced. For large series it is possible to use a color offset (s). It is possible to combine these various means of obtaining the color decoration (s) on plastic film.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the method consists in using, as plastic support, at least one film of a long-chain hydrocarbon polymer comprising ester functions.

 Preferably, the polymer is a polyester-polyalkylene-polyterephthalate terpolymer in which the term alkylene comprises from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, said terpolymer being loaded with 0 to 4% sodium carbonate and / or glass fibers.

 The polymer film with ester functions can belong to a multilayer composite film, in particular a sandwich film, also comprising at least one thin film of poly (vinyl chloride).

 These films are known and used in overhead projection or in superimposed plates, for example by insertion in educational books. Taking into account the existing applications of the color decor (s) executed on such films, it was hardly obvious that they would resist repeated washing, for example at 600C, in a washing medium because it goes without saying that such applications do not do not assume that the decorated plastic films have been subjected to corresponding tests.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic support is opaque in the mass or lined with an opaque layer (obtained by copier, printer, photocomposer, offset, painting, serigraphy, pens for plastic) or a opaque sheet (preferably self-adhesive), a characteristic which is obviously not found in known applications since the advantage of decorations on transparent plastic support is precisely that the support is transparent.

 The invention presupposes the identification of means of attachment between the substrate and the plastic support which, on the one hand, do not harm either, neither in particular by retaining at least a certain flexibility in the area marked or decorated substrate and, on the other hand, which resist washing.

 In a first variant, the colored decorated plastic film (s) is secured to the substrate by sewing. It was found, in fact, unexpectedly, that the plastic support supported the perforations of the needle.

 In a second variant, the colored decorated plastic film (s) is secured to the substrate by riveting.

 In a third variant, the colored decorated plastic film (s) is secured to the substrate by bonding at a temperature below the degradation temperature of the substrate and / or of the plastic support.

 In a fourth variant, the colored decorated plastic film (s) is secured to the substrate by stapling.

 In a first embodiment of this third variant, bonding is done by interposition, between the substrate and the plastic support, of a so-called "one-component" composition which is hardenable under cold conditions in contact with ambient humidity or under the effect of radiation, and by exposure of the assembly, as the case may be, to said humidity or to said radiation It may be, for example, a composition of alkyl cyanoacrylate type, for example of methyl or ethyl, or alkylene, for example of allyl, or of the nitrile rubber type, respectively marketed under the brands Cyanolit, Super Glue, Sader Top, Bison, etc. on the one hand, and Bostik Nitril 1220 , on the other hand.

In another embodiment of the third variant, bonding takes place by interposition, between the substrate and the plastic support, of a composition known as "with two components, cold hardenable, of which the two components - crosslinkable polymer and catalyst or activator - are mixed extemporaneously. This category includes certain methacrylic adhesives, such as those sold under the brands Prolixt 4000 and
Multi-Bond.

 In yet another form of implementation, the bonding can be done by interposition, between the substrate and the plastic support, of a so-called "one-component" thermosetting composition and by heating the whole, provided that the temperature heating required for curing the composition is lower than the degradation temperature of the substrate and / or the plastic support.

 Bonding can also be done by covering the plastic support with an overhanging part made of a fusible crystallized thermoplastic material and hot welding of the overhanging periphery of said part on the substrate.

 Naturally, the four sewing, riveting, stapling and gluing variants can be combined with one another.

 The invention is described in more detail in the following nonlimiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the thickness of the materials has been exaggerated for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

In these drawings
FIG. 1a is a schematic section taken, along line II of FIG. 1b, through a substrate provided with a decoration according to the invention, in one of the embodiments,
FIG. 1b is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1,
FIG. 2 is a schematic section taken through a substrate furnished with a decoration according to the invention, in another embodiment,
FIG. 3 is a schematic section taken through a substrate provided with a decoration according to the invention, in another embodiment,
- Figures 4 to 8 respectively show the infrared absorption spectrum of five plastic supports usable according to the invention.

If we refer to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, we see a substrate 1, for example of a textile material, to which is applied a piece of plastic film 2 provided with a decoration 3. To make this decoration, it is possible to use , for example, a color copier (s). Equipment marketed by las
CANON Company is well suited for this purpose.

 The film 2 may have a composition such that its IR absorption spectrum corresponds to the representation which is given in one of FIGS. 4 to 8. The part 2 is bonded, at ambient temperature, along its periphery, on textile 1 for example using instant glue 4 known under the brand Super Glue. If desired, the connection can be reinforced by a seam and / or a riveting and / or a peripheral stapling not shown.

 It is understood that, in the case of the interposition of an adhesive between the substrate and the plastic support, the adhesive could be applied, not along the periphery of said support, but on the entire surface of the latter or in crossed lines.

 In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a piece of plastic film 2 ′ furnished with a colored decoration (s) is sewn by stitching 5.

 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the piece of plastic film 2 "is covered with a film 6 of fusible crystallized plastic, the periphery 7 of which extends beyond the limits of the piece 2". Appropriate heating of this periphery 7 causes its fusion with surface penetration into the texture of the substrate 1 ". On cooling, the material of the periphery 7 of the film 6 is retained in said texture so that the decorated piece 2" is trapped between the film 6 and the substrate 1 ". It is possible not to completely secure the periphery of the plastic support in order to create a decorated" pocket ".

The decorated plastic support can be applied, according to the invention, with the same success both to dark substrates and to light shades. The definition of the decoration can go up to the photographic quality color (s).

The washing resistance is excellent.

The unit cost for small series (even for a single copy) is extremely reduced except in the case of the use of offset due to the preparation costs. So the need for a minimum number of copies to be profitable disappears (except for offset) and the price of the materials involved is low.

The original image can be a various medium (nonlimiting examples below: paper, plastic, photo, video, IT, scanner and even a real object exposed in the image capture field of the system).

In the absence of support, the image can be created on a computer with image software and printed on plastic film using the color printer (s) and / or the color copier (s) and / or a photocomposer.

You can create the image by hand directly on plastic film with special pens for plastic or paints.

The image can be modified at will before being printed on plastic film.

The image can be printed on plastic film by copier, by printer, by photocomposer, by offset.

It is possible to combine these various decoration systems to achieve the final decoration on plastic film. Let us take the following nonlimiting example: let us suppose a high level sportsman who wishes to launch a brand of clothing with for decoration on the clothing his portrait and his signature.

The decoration can be done in two stages: - the portrait of the sportsman is reproduced on plastic film - the sportsman signs each portrait reproduced on plastic film,
by hand with special plastic pens, which
gives the garment a higher market value.

The color decoration (s) can be produced on different types of plastic film.

It can be for example
1- a transparent plastic film, decorated in color (s) and lined with an opaque plastic sheet (preferably self-adhesive) or lined with an opaque layer (obtained by copier, printer, photocomposer, offset, paint, screen printing, pens for plastic), with two variants of use:
a) the decorated face, called "front", is in contact with the opaque lining the decoration is trapped between the transparent plastic film and the opaque lining, which completely protects it. The installation is done with the front side of the decorated transparent plastic film facing the substrate.

 b) the decorated side is in the open air. The installation is done with the back side of the decorated transparent plastic film facing the substrate. It is possible to apply for example a transparent plastic film (preferably a sticker) or a varnish on the decoration in order to protect the decoration.

2- a transparent plastic film decorated and not lined with an opaque layer with two variants of use:
a) the decorated side (front) of the transparent plastic film is in the open air. The installation is done with the back side facing the substrate. It is possible to apply for example a transparent plastic film (preferably a sticker) or a varnish on the decoration in order to protect the decoration.

 b) the decorated face (front) of the transparent plastic film is in contact with the substrate. The installation is done with the front side facing the substrate.

 3- an opaque plastic film decorated on the so-called front side. The installation is done with the back side facing the substrate. It is possible to apply for example a transparent plastic film (preferably a sticker) or a varnish on the decoration in order to protect the decoration.

 These poses front or back are achievable thanks to the mirror effect which exists, for example, on the CANON CLC 500 device.

 To give a texture effect to the plastic decorated with color (s), you can use the texture mode that exists, for example on the CANON CLC 500 device.

 Note that the opaque layer and / or the protective transparent plastic film can also be decorated.

 When using self-adhesive opaque plastic film and / or self-adhesive transparent plastic film (protective), it is possible to puncture the self-adhesive layer (s) with countless tiny holes to avoid possible air bubbles during the 'application.

 If the opaque plastic film and / or the transparent (protective) plastic film are not self-adhesive, there is a risk of condensation after washing.

 To remedy air bubbles and / or condensation, it is possible to use, for example, paint to obtain opacity and one can use, for example, varnish for protecting the decor.

Claims (3)

1 - Claim according to claim 2 of main patent n ° 89 17462 Process characterized in that it consists in using as a substrate a material chosen from metals and derivatives, glass and derivatives, PVC, plastics, rubber, foam, polyester, wood and derivatives, tableware, porcelain, earthenware, enamel, marble, stone, brick, concrete, ceramic, coral, paper, cardboard, horn, ivory, enamel, felt and derivatives, canvas and derivatives.  2 - Claim according to claim 6 of main patent n ° 89 17462 Process characterized in that the plastic support (2, 2 ', 2 ") is lined with an opaque plastic sheet (preferably self-adhesive) or lined with an opaque layer obtained by copier, printer, photocomposer, offset, paint, screen printing, pens for plastic. 3 - Claim according to claim 6 of main patent n ° 89 17462 Process characterized in that it consists in protecting the decorated face, being in the open air, with a varnish.