KR20090007381A - Laminate for eyeglass frame with embedded decorative design pattern and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A laminate with internal decorative patterns (100) for eyeglass frames is formed by the application of heat and pressure, and comprises: a plurality of core layers of thermoplastic sheets (120) printed with patterns (121) by transfer printing; a first overlay layer of thermoplastic sheet (110); and a second overlay layer of thermoplastic sheet (130); wherein the core layers (120) are sandwiched between the first overlay layer (120) and the second overlay layer (130); the core layers may further enclose three dimensional articles or fluids for decorative.

Description

Laminate for glasses frame with decorative design patterns and manufacturing method thereof {LAMINATE FOR EYEGLASS FRAME WITH EMBEDDED DECORATIVE DESIGN PATTERN AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF}

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application 60/824, 782. In addition, the present application claims priority to Chinese Utility Model Application No. 200620113601.4 and Italian Patent Application No. MI2006A001693, filed on Sep. 5, 2006, filed on Apr. 30, 2006.

The present invention relates generally to laminates with patterns, in particular laminates with patterns for spectacle frames.

Eyewear manufacturers have continued to design a variety of eyeglasses to meet consumer needs and preferences. Glasses correct eye defects such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism; Or it can protect eyes against bright sunlight and ultraviolet rays from the sun, making it a necessity in daily life. It is desirable that the design of the glasses be aesthetic when worn on the face, which is increasingly provided as part of the fashion accessory and symbol of any celebrity. The decoration of the glasses is available in a wide range of styles, materials, and high-end designs to meet the tastes of different consumers, and is decorated with a selection of colors and patterns on the frame including the glasses legs, glasses fronts, rims, and bridges.

In conventional techniques, the decorative design is two-dimensional patterns and graphics. Such a pattern is generally transferred to the material surface and coated with a protective plastic layer to produce a spectacle frame with a decorative pattern. The protective layer peels off after prolonged use and ultimately eliminates the transferred pattern.

Thus, the laminate material for the spectacle frame was developed and manufactured by the following known method: The first plastic sheet is first adhered to the glue layer and the predetermined pattern is printed by silk screen printing. The intermediate laminate is pasted with another glue layer and glued to the second plastic sheet and then hot pressed to bond together. The final laminate has an inherent decorative pattern between the two plastic sheets and is difficult to peel off during use. However, such laminates are complex in their form and manufacturing process and have a long production cycle. In addition, when several patterns are printed, several silk screens are required, which lowers productivity and increases manufacturing costs.

Cellulose acetate is the most common thermoplastic material applied to eyewear. This allows the pattern to be transferred onto the thermoplastic sheet to overcome the limitations of the injection plastic.

In conventional techniques, the spectacle thermoplastic sheet must be coated with a glue layer and the pattern printed by silk screen printing. When the ink is dry, another glue layer is coated and adhered to the second plastic sheet by a compression or thermal process. However, this technique is particularly expensive and time consuming to produce multicolored patterns.

First of all, silk screen printing requires one mask for each monochrome and only one monochrome can be printed at each time. In addition, several sets of silk screens are required to make products with different patterns. The production cycle is extended because it takes a long time to confirm the effect on the silk screen pattern and the sheet material. Also, the pattern cannot be very precise because ink is applied to the back of the image carrier and pushed through the voids or openings.

Conventional methods are also limited to producing two-dimensional patterns and graphics.

Accordingly, there is a need to improve current manufacturing methods to provide high density, patterned cellulose acetate or thermoplastic laminates incorporating materials such as three-dimensional articles or fluids.

Brief Description of the Invention

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a laminate having an interior decoration design for a spectacle frame. This laminate comprises a core layer of a plurality of thermoplastic sheets, printed with a pattern by transfer printing; A first overlap layer of thermoplastic sheet; A second overlap layer of thermoplastic sheet, wherein the core layer is sandwiched between the first overlap layer and the second overlap layer.

The core layer may further have particles or three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional article included in the core layer can be dried flowers, rhinestones, dried leaves or metal foil logos. The core layer may comprise at least one type of fluid which does not mix with each other. The fluid in the core layer can be colored or colorless water, oil based fluid or liquid silicone. Transfer printing can be heat pressing transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer, screen printing or stencil printing. The thermoplastic material can be cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, TPE or nylon. The core layer and overlapping layers can be glued together by application, heating or pressing of the adhesive material. The core layer and adhesive layers can be bonded together by thermoforming or lamination. The pattern printed on the core layer can be monochromatic or multicolored.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing a laminate having an interior decorative pattern for a spectacle frame. The method comprises: a) preparing a plurality of core layers, a first overlap layer and a second overlap layer from a thermoplastic sheet, b) printing a pattern on the core layer by transfer printing, and c) the first from top to bottom. Overlapping the overlap layer, the core layer and the second overlap layer, and d) bonding the sheet layers from step c).

The bonding step can be the application, heating or pressing of the adhesive material. The bonding step may be a thermal deformation or lamination step. The conjugation step may comprise applying a pressure starting at a temperature of 0-300 ° C. and zero atmosphere. The method may further comprise inserting particles onto the core layer prior to bonding the composite layer of the sheet.

The method further includes a) creating a space in the core layer prior to applying heat to the composite layer of the sheet to include a three-dimensional article or fluid, and b) placing or filling the article or fluid in the space. . The thermoplastic material can be cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, TPE or nylon. Transfer printing can be thermal compression transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer, screen printing or stencil printing. Thermal pressurization transfer may be a process at a temperature in the range of 0-300 ° C. The three-dimensional article included in the core layer can be dried flowers, rhinestones, dried leaves or metal foil logos. The fluid contained in the core layer may be colored or colorless water, oil based fluid or liquid silicone. Other aspects of the invention are also described.

One or more embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings.

1 is an exploded view of a laminate incorporating a planar pattern;

2A is an exploded view of a three-dimensional article and a laminate incorporating a fluid;

2B is a cross sectional view of a laminate embedded with a three-dimensional article;

3 is an exploded view of a laminate containing particles;

4 is a perspective view of a laminate incorporating non-mixable fluids.

5 is a perspective view of a laminate incorporating an immiscible fluid and suspended matter;

Where reference is made to steps and / or features having the same reference numerals in one or more of the accompanying drawings, the steps and / or features have the same actions and acts for purposes of explanation unless otherwise noted.

The preferred method described herein provides a laminate with an internal pattern for the spectacle frame, which pattern and color are not affected by external conditions during use, and this method provides the advantages of simple form, low cost and short manufacturing cycle. Provide more. The glyph may be in the form of a two-dimensional art, a three-dimensional article, a fluid, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the laminate with internal patterns is assembled into a top layer, at least one intermediate layer or core layer and a bottom layer. Bonded between the inner surface of the upper and lower layers is a core layer consisting of a thermoplastic sheet having a decorative pattern printed by transfer printing. The top layer is a transparent thermoplastic sheet while the middle and bottom layers can be a transparent, semi-transparent, opaque thermoplastic sheet. The thermoplastic sheet may be made of an industrially common thermoplastic such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, TPE or nylon.

The core layer is printed by the printing pattern and adhered to the inner surface of the upper layer or the inner surface of the lower layer. The thermoplastic layers are joined together by heating and pressurization.

The method of transfer printing can be selected from techniques common in the industry, including thermocompression transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer screen printing, and stencil printing.

The layers may be bonded by methods common in the industry, such as the use of adhesive materials, heat deformation or lamination.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that the printed pattern is not affected by external conditions. Compared with conventional silk screen printing techniques, the present invention provides a simple manufacturing process, a short manufacturing cycle, and a simple manufacturing aspect.

Described in FIG. 1 is a laminate for an eyeglass frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The laminate 100 includes an upper layer 110, a core layer 120, and a lower layer 130. Lower layer 130 is a thermoplastic sheet, and upper layer 110 is a transparent thermoplastic sheet, which may be colored or colorless. Attached to the upper layer 110 and the lower layer 130 is a core layer 120 printed with a high density pattern 121 by transfer printing. The bonding of these three layers can be carried out with an adhesive such as UV glue or acetone, thermal deformation or any form of lamination. More layers of patterned thermoplastic sheets can be glued or sandwiched as a stack of thermoplastic materials between the top and bottom layers for complex glyphs or special glyph effects.

The thermoplastic material used for the top layer 110, core layer 120 and bottom layer 130 is a material that can resoften and deform from a shape formed when heated above a critical temperature specific to the material. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the thermoplastic is cellulose acetate.

During transfer printing, certain patterns having a mirror image from the medium are transferred to the core layer 120 by one of the following methods: thermal compression transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer, screen printing or any form of stencil printing. The medium may be a film, paper, fabric or material on which the pattern can be printed. Thermal compression transfer includes processes in the temperature range of 0-300 ° C. The pattern to be transferred to the core layer 120 may be monochromatic or multicolored.

2A and 2B have a three-dimensional article or fluid inherent in the laminate, and a space 210 is created in the core layer 120 prior to adhering the top layer 110 to insert the three-dimensional article 220 or fluid 230. The laminate according to the invention is described. The size and shape of the space 210 is created in a manner that matches the article 220 or contains the fluid 230. This process can be carried out by drilling or grinding depending on the size and shape of the desired space. After the space 210 is created, the core layer 120 is bonded to the lower layer 130. The article is located in the space of the core layer 120. In the case of a fluid, it is filled in the space by an injection device or a dropper.

3 describes a laminate according to the invention with particles inherent in the laminate. Since the size of the particles 310 is small compared to the thickness of the thermoplastic layer, no space is required to be made in the core layer 120. Particles 310 are positioned on the core layer to form the desired pattern.

After placing particles or three-dimensional articles or filling fluid into the core layer 110, the top layer 110 is adhered to the core layer 120 as a coating for the pattern. The composite structure is subjected to a pressure starting at 0 atmosphere and a temperature in the range of 0-300 ° C. to bond the layers together and form a patterned laminate 100.

Particles or fluids inherent in the spectacle frame may be provided for decorative or functional purposes. The three-dimensional article to be inserted into the laminate can be selected from articles including dried flowers, rhinestones, dried tree leaves and metal foil logos. The fluid included in the laminate may be selected from colored or colorless water, oil-based fluids and fluids containing liquid silicone.

4 illustrates a laminate according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which non-mixable fluids 410 and 420 of one form of different color may be embedded in the thermoplastic layer.

FIG. 5 illustrates a laminate according to another embodiment, wherein the article 510 suspended in fluid 520 or the surface of the fluid is suspended or suspended at the boundary between two layers of fluid 520, 540. The article 530 may be further embedded in the space.

The foregoing description has described only a few embodiments of the invention, which are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive and modifications and / or changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments but, on the contrary, covers various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It should be understood that.

Claims (21)

A laminate having an interior decoration design for a spectacle frame, A core layer of a plurality of thermoplastic sheets, pattern-printed by transfer printing; A first overlap layer of thermoplastic sheet; A second overlap layer of thermoplastic sheet, And the core layer is sandwiched between the first overlap layer and the second overlap layer. 2. The laminate of claim 1, wherein said core layer further comprises particles or three-dimensional articles. 3. The laminate of claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional article contained in the core layer is selected from the group of articles consisting of dried flowers, rhinestones, dried leaves, and metal foil logos. 2. The laminate of claim 1, wherein said core layer further comprises at least one type of fluid, said fluid being incompatible with each other. 4. The laminate of claim 3, wherein the fluid contained in the core layer is selected from the group of articles consisting of colored or colorless water, oil based fluids and liquid silicone. The laminate with an interior decoration pattern according to claim 1, wherein the transfer printing is selected from the group consisting of thermal compression transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer, screen printing and stencil printing. The laminate with an interior decoration pattern according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group of thermoplastics consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, TPE and nylon. The laminate with an interior decoration pattern according to claim 1, wherein the core layer and the superimposition layer are bonded together by a bonding method step selected from the group consisting of application, heating and pressing of an adhesive material. The laminate with an interior decoration pattern according to claim 1, wherein the core layer and the overlapping layer are bonded together by heat deformation or lamination. The laminate with an interior decoration pattern according to claim 1, wherein the pattern printed on the core layer is monochromatic or multicolored. A method for producing a laminate having an interior decorative pattern for a spectacle frame, a) preparing a plurality of core layers, a first overlapping layer and a second overlapping layer from a thermoplastic sheet, b) printing a pattern on the core layer by transfer printing, c) superimposing the first overlapping layer, the core layer and the second overlapping layer from top to bottom; d) bonding the sheet layers from step c) A method for producing a laminate having an interior decoration pattern, comprising a. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said bonding step comprises a step selected from the group consisting of application, heating or pressing of an adhesive material. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said bonding step comprises a step of thermal deformation or lamination. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bonding step comprises applying a temperature starting from 0-300 [deg.] C. with a temperature in the range of 0-300 [deg.] C. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising inserting particles on the core layer prior to bonding the composite layer of the sheet. The method of claim 11, a) create a space in the core layer before applying heat to the composite layer of the sheet to contain a three-dimensional article or fluid, b) placing or filling the article or fluid in the space A method for producing a laminate having an interior decoration pattern, characterized in that it further comprises. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group of thermoplastics consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, polycarbonate, TPE, or nylon. Way. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transfer printing is selected from the group consisting of thermal compression transfer, water transfer, vapor transfer, screen printing or stencil printing. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal press transfer is a process at a temperature in the range of 0-300 ° C. 17. The laminate of claim 16, wherein the three-dimensional article included in the core layer is selected from the group of articles consisting of dried flowers, rhinestones, dried leaves, and metal foil logos. 17. The laminate of claim 16, wherein the fluid contained in the core layer is selected from the group of articles consisting of colored or colorless water, oil based fluids or liquid silicone.

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