JPH07308627A - Method for coloring lamp-lens and resin for color coating - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the restoration or color change of a lamp-lens by coloring the lens by coating at least one side of the lens with a light transmitting resin for color coating the film of which can be stripped off freely. CONSTITUTION:At least one side of a lamp-lens 4 covering a light source is coated with a light transmitting resin for color coating the film of which can be stripped off freely in order to color the lens 4. Brushing or spraying, for example, is adopted for the coating. The coating layer 5 formed in this way, which is adequately integrated into the lens 4, can be stripped off easily. The color change of the lens 4 can be conducted easily by replacing the coating layer 5 with another one with a different color.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for coloring a lamp lens of a vehicle or the like and a colored coating resin material therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to color a lamp lens (such as a smoke lamp lens) of a vehicle or the like, a general acrylic paint or the like is applied to the lamp lens by spraying or the like. There is also a method in which the lamp lens is placed in a heated solvent and kept in that state for a predetermined time to dye the lamp lens.

However, in any of the methods, once it is colored, it cannot be corrected. That is, it is not easy to remove the paint from the lamp lens, and if the paint is forcibly removed, the lens surface will be damaged. Further, in a lamp lens dyed by immersing the lamp lens in a solvent, there is no room for removing the colored layer by peeling.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for easily returning the lamp lens to its original state or changing its color.

[0005]

According to the method of the present invention, at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the lamp lens covering the light source portion from the outside can be peeled off from the surface in the form of one sheet. It is characterized in that a colored coating resin material having a light-transmitting property is applied, and thereby the lamp lens is colored. The application can be performed by brushing or spraying, for example. According to the method of the present invention, the colored coating layer applied to the lamp lens is
Since it can be easily peeled off into a sheet, it is easy to restore the lamp lens to its original state, and after peeling, the color can be easily changed by applying another coloring. .

Further, such a colored coating resin material suitable for coloring is applied to at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the lamp lens that covers the light source portion from the outside, while keeping the lamp lens transparent. 1 after coloring and applying
It is a colored coating resin material that can be peeled off in the form of one sheet, and contains 20 to 60% by weight of a urethane resin.
It is characterized by containing ˜80% by weight of alcohol and a pigment or dye necessary for the coloring.

By using a colored coating resin material containing urethane resin and alcohol in the above range, a light-transmitting colored layer is formed on the surface of the lamp lens, and it is easily peeled off into a sheet. can do. When the urethane resin content is less than 20% by weight, it is difficult to form a coating layer having a sufficient thickness for coloring, and the releasability from the lens surface is insufficient. On the other hand, when it exceeds 60% by weight, the coating property for coloring is poor and it becomes difficult to form a coating layer having a uniform thickness. If the amount of alcohol is less than 40% by weight, the coatability is poor, and if it exceeds 80% by weight, the thickness of the colored layer tends to be insufficient. Therefore, although it is necessary to set each component within the above range, it is particularly desirable that the urethane resin is 25 to 35% by weight and the alcohol is 55 to 75% by weight.
Is.

On the other hand, the coating resin material can also be configured to contain 2 to 50% by weight of acrylic resin, 40 to 95% by weight of alcohol, and a pigment or dye necessary for coloring. Acrylic resin has excellent translucency and is easy to be colored, and by setting the range as described above, peeling from the lens surface becomes possible. If the acrylic resin content is less than 2% by weight, it is difficult to form a coating layer having a sufficient thickness for coloring, and the releasability from the lens surface is insufficient.
On the other hand, when it exceeds 50% by weight, the coating property for coloring is poor and it becomes difficult to form a coating layer having a uniform thickness. Also,
If the amount of alcohol is less than 40% by weight, the coatability is poor, and if it exceeds 95% by weight, the thickness of the colored layer tends to be insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to set each component within the above range, but it is particularly desirable to use acrylic resins 4 to 35.
% By weight and 55 to 90% by weight of alcohol.

Lamp lenses for automobiles, motorcycles, etc.
Recently, most transparent resin such as acrylic resin is used. Since alcohol is used as a solvent in the coating resin material of the present invention, even when it is applied to such a lamp lens, it has an advantage that the resin forming the lens is not damaged. As the alcohol, monohydric alcohols such as isopropanol, ethanol and methanol, dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, polyhydric alcohols having higher alcohols, and mixtures thereof can be used. Here, in order to increase the solubility of the acrylic resin in alcohol, 0.5 to 5% by weight of an acetic acid ester solvent such as methyl acetate, ethyl acetate or butyl acetate can be added to the coating resin material. .

The acrylic resin comprises a repeating unit containing at least one of an acrylic ester and a methacrylic ester as a main component (hereinafter referred to as an acrylic repeating unit),
A copolymer composed of a repeating unit containing a vinyl-based monomer as a main component (hereinafter referred to as a vinyl-based repeating unit) can be used. Specifically, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, a repeating unit containing at least one of ethyl methacrylate as a main component,
A copolymer composed of a repeating unit containing vinyl chloride or vinyl acetate as a main component can be used. here,
As the acrylic repeating unit, those having methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate as a main component in terms of excellent translucency and coating strength of the coating film to be formed, and vinyl repeating units include those of the coating film. Those containing vinyl chloride as the main component can be particularly preferably used because of their excellent strength and water resistance. The acrylic repeating unit may be a complex of different types of acrylic acid ester or methacrylic acid ester.

In the above-mentioned copolymer, the main chain composed of a repeating unit containing at least one of acrylic acid ester and methacrylic acid ester as a main component has a side chain composed of a repeating unit containing a vinyl monomer as a main component. Branched graft copolymers can be used. The coating film formed by using the above resin material has a structure in which a vinyl side chain is entangled with an acrylic ester or methacrylic ester main chain. Such a film has a strength sufficient to overcome the bonding force between the lens surface and the coating film when peeled from the lens, and has appropriate flexibility, so that the film is not cracked or torn. It is not particularly likely to occur, and is particularly excellent in the property of peeling into a sheet. Such a property becomes particularly remarkable when the main chain is mainly composed of methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate and the side chain is mainly composed of vinyl chloride. The strength and flexibility of the coating can be appropriately adjusted by changing the copolymerization ratio of the acrylic or methacrylic acid ester and the vinyl monomer.

The above-mentioned copolymer is not limited to a graft polymer, but a random alternating polymer in which acrylic repeating units and vinyl repeating units are alternately arranged, and repeating units of the same kind are long and continuous. It may be a block copolymer or the like.

The colored coating resin material can be applied by brushing, or by filling a spray can and spraying it onto the lamp lens. That is, the colored coating resin material can be filled in a container together with a pressure gas such as air, nitrogen, or argon gas, and the resin agent can be sprayed and applied from a nozzle provided in the container. This makes it easier to obtain a uniform coating, simplifies the coating operation, and is convenient for carrying. In this case, a colored coating resin material suitable for spraying can be obtained by adding a spray medium component for atomizing the colored coating resin material described above. As the spray medium component, a known spray medium such as dimethyl ether can be used. When the spray medium component is added, the colored coating resin material should be at least 10
It is desirable that the content be within the range of 70% by weight. If the ratio is less than 10% by weight, the thickness of the coating film formed will be insufficient, and if it exceeds 70% by weight, the atomization efficiency will be reduced. The ratio of the colored coating resin material is preferably 30 to 60% by weight.

When the solvent or spray medium component is rapidly evaporated from the resin material coating after spray coating, bubbles may be generated in the coating due to evaporation, and the coating may become white and opaque, resulting in a decrease in translucency. In this case, by adding an ethylene glycol monoether (cellosolve) -based solvent (eg, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, etc.) or ketones (eg, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, etc.) to the coating resin material, evaporation of the solvent or the spray medium component is performed. Slow down,
Whitening of the coating can be suppressed. The addition amount is 1
It is desirable to set it in the range of about 6% by weight. If the amount added is less than 1% by weight, the above-mentioned effects cannot be sufficiently obtained, and if the amount added exceeds 6% by weight, it takes too long for the lamp lens to be used because the coating film after drying becomes too slow. Problems can arise.

When the coating resin material is applied by brushing, or when the high pressure gas is sprayed and applied by an air gun or the like, it is not always necessary to add the above spray medium component. .

[0016]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) In FIG. 1, a vehicle body 1 is provided with a lamp lens 4 for covering a light bulb 3 which is a light source of a lamp unit (for example, a smoke lamp) 2 from the outside, and for example, an outer surface thereof has a light-transmitting property. The lamp lens 4 is colored by integrally forming the colored coating layer 5.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the coloring method. The liquid or fluid colored coating resin material 6 is applied to at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the lamp lens 4 by a brush 7 or a spray 8. Alternatively, the lamp lens 4 may be dipped in a bath containing such a colored coating resin material. After such application, if dried (natural drying or heat drying), the above-mentioned colored coating layer 5 is formed.

The coating layer 5 is a lamp lens 4
It has sufficient integrity with, but as shown in FIG.
It can be easily peeled into a sheet, and the original lens surface appears after peeling. When it is desired to change the color of the coloring, a coating resin material of another color may be applied by the method shown in FIG.

A colored coating resin material suitable for such coloring is a urethane resin as a main component, to which alcohol is added to provide appropriate fluidity, and a pigment or dye for coloring is added. is there. As the alcohol, various alcohols such as primary alcohol, divalent alcohol, and trivalent alcohol, including methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol, can be used.

One example of the composition ratio of these components will be shown. Urethane resin 30% by weight, alcohol 70% by weight
A pigment or dye for coloring was dissolved or dispersed in the coating material of 1. to obtain a fluid colored coating resin material.

The coating resin material was uniformly applied to the surface of the lamp lens with an appropriate thickness and dried. This lamp lens 4 is attached to the lamp unit 2 and the bulb 3 is attached.
When turned on, sufficient translucency was obtained. Also,
As shown in FIG. 3, when the coating layer 5 was peeled off from the end portion, it could be neatly peeled into one sheet, and no coating layer remained on the lens surface.

(Example 2) of a colored coating resin material,
Another example of the composition ratio of the components will be shown below. Acrylic ester-based main chain graft copolymerized with vinyl chloride-based side chains 8% by weight of acrylic resin, 85% by weight of alcohol, 2% by weight of acetic acid ester, and a cellosolve solvent 3 for preventing whitening of the coating. A pigment or dye for coloring was dissolved or dispersed in a coating material containing wt% to obtain a fluid colored coating resin material. Dimethyl ether was mixed with this coating resin material as a spray medium component, and this was filled in a spray can together with compressed air. The content ratio of the coating resin material in the mixture was about 45% by weight. Then, as shown in the upper right part of FIG. 2, the coating resin material was sprayed from the nozzle toward the surface of the lamp lens and dried to form the coating layer 5 having an appropriate thickness. When the lamp lens 4 was attached to the lamp unit 2 and the electric bulb 3 was turned on, the light transmittance was good. Also, as shown in FIG.
When the coating layer 5 was peeled off from the end, it could be peeled off neatly into one sheet, and no coating layer remained on the lens surface.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing an example of a lamp lens.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a coloring method.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view conceptually showing how a colored coating layer is peeled off.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Car Body 2 Lamp Unit 3 Light Bulb (Light Source) 4 Lamp Lens 5 Colored Coating Layer 6 Colored Coating Resin Material

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location C09D 5/20 PQT 133/06 PFY F21M 3/25 F21Q 1/00 E F21V 9/08 Z G02B 1 /Ten

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A surface of at least one of an outer side and an inner side of a lamp lens that covers a light source section from the outside, and 1 from the surface.
A method of coloring a lamp lens, which comprises applying a light-transmitting colored coating resin material having a light-transmitting property to a sheet of a sheet, and coloring the lamp lens by this. 2. A lamp lens that covers the light source portion from the outside is coated on at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the lamp lens, and the lamp lens is colored while maintaining translucency, and then peeled off into a single sheet after coating. A flexible colored coating resin material, which contains 20 to 60% by weight of a urethane resin and 40 to 40% by weight.
A colored coating resin material comprising 80% by weight of alcohol and a pigment or dye necessary for the coloring. 3. A lamp lens that covers the light source portion from the outside is coated on at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface, the lamp lens is colored while maintaining translucency, and after application, it is peeled into a single sheet. A flexible colored coating resin material, which contains 2 to 50% by weight of acrylic resin, and 40 to 9
A colored coating resin material comprising 5% by weight of alcohol and a pigment or dye necessary for the coloring. 4. The colored coating resin material according to claim 3, further comprising 0.5 to 5% by weight of an acetic ester solvent. 5. The acrylic resin is a copolymer comprising a repeating unit containing at least one of an acrylic ester and a methacrylic ester as a main component and a repeating unit containing a vinyl monomer as a main component. Item 5. The colored coating resin material according to Item 3 or 4. 6. The acrylic resin has a main chain composed of a repeating unit containing at least one of an acrylic ester and a methacrylic ester as a main component, and a side chain composed of a repeating unit containing a vinyl monomer as a main component. 6. The colored coating resin material according to claim 5, wherein is a graft copolymer having a branched bond. 7. The main chain is composed mainly of at least one of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate, and the side chain is composed mainly of vinyl chloride. The colored coating resin material according to claim 6. 8. A colored coating resin material according to any one of claims 2 to 7 in an amount of 10 to 70% by weight, and a spray medium component for atomizing the colored coating material. Colored coating resin material. 9. The colored coating resin material according to claim 8, a container accommodating the colored coating resin material, a pressure gas filled in the container, and the container, which is provided in the container and sprays the coating resin material with the pressure gas. A spray can, comprising: 10. The colored coating resin material according to claim 2 is applied to at least one of the outer and inner surfaces of the lamp lens that covers the light source portion from the outside, and the lamp lens is colored thereby. A method for coloring a lamp lens, which is characterized in that