GB1574667A - Flexible reflective articles - Google Patents

Description

(54) FLEXIBLE REFLECTIVE ARTICLES (71) We, VISTA DISPLAY SIGNS LIMITED, a British Company of Vista House, West Street, Hucknall, Nottinghamshirt, NG15 7BW, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to flexible reflective articles.

According to the present invention a flexible reflective article comprises a flexible backing layer, a reflective layer comprising a retroreflective material and a transparent flexible layer, said layers being secured together over substantially their entire surfaces by an adhesive, pureferably a heat activated adhesive.

The flexible backing layer may be adapted to be secured to an article or may comprise parts of the body of an article. Examples of articles which can be provided with such reflective surfaces include flexible road signs, flexible marker cone sleeves and reflective clothing such as jackets, aprons, belts, braces, bandoliers and trousers.

Conveniently, the flexible -backing layer comprises a flexible pastics material such as plasticised PVC. In addition the transparent flexible layer is also conveniently a plastics material such as plasticised PVC.

Hitherto, flexible reflective 'articles have been made from reflective layers of the open lens type. These reflective layers comprise a large number of glass beads adhered to a backing layer. The reflective layer is normally retained in an envelope of PVC which is welded around the edges of the reflective layer. Such reflective articles have a number of disadvantages in that they are of a relatively low reflectivity and the glass beads tend to become dislodged in use so that over a relatively short time the article becomes unserviceable. Furthermore, any puncturing of the plastic envelope allows ingress of moisture which also adversely affects the functioning of the article.

Retroreflective material is commer'ciafl? available in sheet form but such layers tend to be frangible or otherwise hav a loaf tolerance to bending stresses. For this reason retroreflective material has previously been employed only for providing reflectivity od rigid articles.

We have found, surprisingly, that When such frangible reflective layers are employed in articles according to the present invention then they perform satisfactorily and have a good tolerance to bending stresses. Furthet- more they have a -reflectivity which is' 'con siderably improved over the reflectivity of known flexible articles incorporating open lens type reflective layers.

The retroreflective material may be of thd enclosed-lens type or of the encapsulated-, lens type. Enclosed lens sheets comprise spherical lens elements embedded within a transparent plastics material having å smooth flat outer surface., Encapsulated, lens' sheets comprise spherical lens elements adhered to a synthetic resin and encapsulated by a flexible, transparent, weatherprdof plastics material having a smooth outer surface.

The heat activated adhesive may be. of any suitable type provided that its heat adiva- tion temperature is such as to permit its activation without damaging . the flexible layers.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a method of producing a flexible reflective article comprises superimposing on a flexible backing layer a layer of retroreflective sheet material having a coating of heat activated adhesive and a transparent flexible layer having a coating of heat activated adhesive, urging said layers into contact with one another and heating the assembled layers to activate the adhesive coatings.

In a preferred method a vecuum applicator is employed in which air is evacuated from the assembled layers beneath a rubber diaphragm and the assembly is then heated, to a temperature of 17e-250"F where PVC flexible layers are employed.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic side elevation of an assembly for producing a reflective article according to the invention.

The assembly comprises a PVC backing layer 10 having superimposed thereon a layer of enclosed-lens reflective material 11 having a coating of heat activated material 12.

The upper layer comprises a transparent PVC film 13, e.g. of 50 microns thickness, having a coating of heat activated adhesive 14.

In order to produce a reflective article the assembly is disposed on the bed 15 and a vacuum applicator covered with a rubber diaphragm 16 and evacuated whereby the rubber diaphragm 16 urges the assembly into contact with the bed 15. The assembly is then heated by means of the heaters 17 until bonding of the layers has taken place.

The articles according to the present invention are particularly suitable for use as flexible road signs. cone sleeves and for reflective clothing. Reflective layers of high reflectivity can be employed and the bonding between the upper and lower flexible layers enables a reflective article to be produced which is relatively hardwearing and can be repeatedly rolled and creased without undue damage occurring to the reflective layer. Furthermore the article is relatively resistant to puncturing since the bonded nature of the layers prevents dirt and moisture from spreading as is the case with articles comprising a reflective layer within an envelope.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A flexible reflective article comprising a flexible backing layer, a reflective layer comprising a retroreflective material, and a transparent flexible layer, said layers being secured together over substantially their entire surfaces by an adhesive.

2. An article according to Claim 1 in which the flexible backing layer comprises plasticised PVC.

3. An article according to claim 1 or 2 in which the transparent flexible layer is a plasticised PVC.

4. An article according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the adhesive is a seat activ- ated adhesive.

5. An article substantially as herein des cribed with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. An article as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of a flexible road sign.

7. An article as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of a marker cone sleeve.

8. An article according to any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of or adapted to be secured to clothing.

9. A method of producing a flexible reflective article comprising superimposing on a flexible backing layer a layer of retroreflective sheet material having a coating of heat activated adhesive and a transparent flexible layer having a coating of heat activated adhesive, urging said layers into contact with one another and heating the assembled layers to activate the adhesive coatings.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the layers are urged into contact with one another using a vacuum technique.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, the assembly is heated to a temperature of 17(2500F.

12. A method of producing a flexible reflective article according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to a temperature of 17e-250"F where PVC flexible layers are employed. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic side elevation of an assembly for producing a reflective article according to the invention. The assembly comprises a PVC backing layer 10 having superimposed thereon a layer of enclosed-lens reflective material 11 having a coating of heat activated material 12. The upper layer comprises a transparent PVC film 13, e.g. of 50 microns thickness, having a coating of heat activated adhesive 14. In order to produce a reflective article the assembly is disposed on the bed 15 and a vacuum applicator covered with a rubber diaphragm 16 and evacuated whereby the rubber diaphragm 16 urges the assembly into contact with the bed 15. The assembly is then heated by means of the heaters 17 until bonding of the layers has taken place. The articles according to the present invention are particularly suitable for use as flexible road signs. cone sleeves and for reflective clothing. Reflective layers of high reflectivity can be employed and the bonding between the upper and lower flexible layers enables a reflective article to be produced which is relatively hardwearing and can be repeatedly rolled and creased without undue damage occurring to the reflective layer. Furthermore the article is relatively resistant to puncturing since the bonded nature of the layers prevents dirt and moisture from spreading as is the case with articles comprising a reflective layer within an envelope. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A flexible reflective article comprising a flexible backing layer, a reflective layer comprising a retroreflective material, and a transparent flexible layer, said layers being secured together over substantially their entire surfaces by an adhesive.

2. An article according to Claim 1 in which the flexible backing layer comprises plasticised PVC.

3. An article according to claim 1 or 2 in which the transparent flexible layer is a plasticised PVC.

4. An article according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the adhesive is a seat activ- ated adhesive.

5. An article substantially as herein des cribed with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

6. An article as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of a flexible road sign.

7. An article as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of a marker cone sleeve.

8. An article according to any of claims 1 to 5 in the form of or adapted to be secured to clothing.

9. A method of producing a flexible reflective article comprising superimposing on a flexible backing layer a layer of retroreflective sheet material having a coating of heat activated adhesive and a transparent flexible layer having a coating of heat activated adhesive, urging said layers into contact with one another and heating the assembled layers to activate the adhesive coatings.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the layers are urged into contact with one another using a vacuum technique.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, the assembly is heated to a temperature of 17(2500F.

12. A method of producing a flexible reflective article according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.