RU2298493C2 - Identification sign - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: production of various kinds of identification signs using various processes.

SUBSTANCE: method involves moving transparent sheet material, comprising opaque material coming into contact with its one basic side, to printing station; providing reverse printing of symbols on other basic surface of sheet material; attaching printed sheet material to substrate having light-reflecting surface so that printed surface is contacting with light-reflecting surface or at least is facing said surface.

EFFECT: increased efficiency and simplified manufacture process.

48 cl, 14 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to identification plates and, in particular, to plates (signs) that reflect the origin of the object to which they are attached. Such plates (signs) are usually called license plates when they are attached to cars.

Starting September 1, 2001, each number plate in the United Kingdom must comply with British Standard BSAU 145d, which establishes, inter alia, impact resistance and minimum reflectivity of the mark. Similar, although in some cases less stringent, provisions exist throughout the European Community, as well as in most other countries of the world.

Patent application GB 2126386 A describes a method of manufacturing a license plate for a vehicle, according to which the characters are printed on a medium. The carrier can be either a reflective surface or a plastic coating, such as a relatively thick transparent plastic sheet, to give the mark structural strength.

Patent application EP 0806752 A1 describes an identification mark and a method for manufacturing such a mark, according to which the characters are printed on a hard transparent medium. The resulting printed character is then glued to an opaque lining so that the characters are visible through a transparent sheet.

A known method is according to which printing is carried out on a nominally reflective surface and then a lens is glued to this surface, for example, a layer of a transparent polymer to impart a reflective character to this surface. The lens may be a transparent relatively thick acrylic layer deposited on a reflective surface, or a relatively thin layer with a relatively thick substrate layer to provide support, as described in WO 94/19769 A2.

The reflective sheet material is typically a granular material that has an uneven surface. Therefore, it is difficult to print on it, and therefore requires special compositions of sheet materials that are able to "accept" printing ink, special printing materials, such as ribbons, in combination with the use of elevated temperatures of the print head. Both factors increase costs. The rough surface structure of reflective sheet materials of a special composition can shorten the life of the print head, and elevated temperatures of the print head can also shorten its life. It has also been discovered that print quality is affected by the elevated temperatures of the print head and such rough surfaces.

The aim of the present invention is to obtain identification marks (plates), which can be manufactured both during the in-line process and individually. A more specific objective of the invention is to provide production methods that are simpler than the methods known from the prior art, and provide a more efficient assembly of the necessary components, and which reduce costs compared to known methods. Another objective of the invention is to obtain methods of production that provide the manufacturer with a greater degree of flexibility of production, allowing the manufacture of signs to order.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing an identification mark is obtained, comprising:

- advancing a transparent sheet material having an opaque material coming into contact with its first main surface to a printing point;

- inverted printing of characters on the second main surface of the sheet material;

- attaching the printed sheet material to a substrate having a reflective surface, so that the printed surface comes into contact with or at least faces it.

A more specific aspect of the invention provides a method for manufacturing an identification mark comprising:

- advancing a piece of transparent sheet material, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions of the substrate, to the printing point, the sheet material having an opaque material coming into contact with its main surface;

- optical detection of the passage of the leading edge of a segment of a transparent sheet material, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions of the substrate, due to the attenuation of the light beam by an opaque material;

- inverted printing of characters on another main surface of the sheet material;

- attaching the printed transparent sheet material to a substrate having a reflective surface, so that the printed surface is in contact with or at least facing the reflective surface; and

- removal of opaque material from a transparent sheet material.

Another aspect of the invention provides an identification mark comprising a support substrate having two opposing main surfaces, the entire first main surface being a reflective, transparent sheet material having characters printed on it, the transparent sheet material being glued to the first main surface so that the symbols facing the first main surface.

Due to the fourth aspect of the invention, an identification mark is obtained comprising a support substrate having a reflective main surface and a transparent sheet material, the entire main surface of which has a coating material applied thereon, while the transparent sheet material is adhered to the reflective main surface so that the painting material is included in contact with the reflective main surface or at least facing it.

A fifth aspect of the invention provides a method for manufacturing an identification mark, comprising:

- promotion of a transparent sheet material to a printing medium;

- optical detection of the passage of a transparent sheet material as it advances to a specified printing medium;

- activating the printing means with the specified passage of a transparent sheet for eversion printing characters on another main surface of the sheet material; and

- attaching the printed sheet material to a substrate having a reflective surface, so that the printed surface comes into contact with or at least faces it.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, an identification mark is obtained comprising a multilayer structure of a base and a transparent sheet material having characters imprinted on its surface, the base containing a binder material in which a plurality of reflective particles are held, wherein the characters come into contact with the main surface of the base or, at least facing it, and the transparent sheet material forms a lens for reflective particles located on this main surface, thus both sintering receipt of a mark with reflective properties.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method for manufacturing an identification mark comprising the following operations:

- obtaining a base having reflective particles distributed in a binder material, the particles being at least in the first surface of the base;

- inverted printing of characters on the surface of a transparent sheet material;

- gluing the sheet material to the first surface of the base so that the characters are between them;

whereby the sheet material acts as a particle lens, imparting reflective properties to the mark.

Reflective particles may be uniformly distributed over the base, or may be uniformly and / or, preferably, distributed on or near its surface.

The base can be formed by molding a material containing reflective particles. The base may be formed by applying reflective sheet material to the substrate. The base may have a protruding part, for example, an elongated edge. The base may contain one or more fragile parts.

Technical methods are known for the preferred distribution of particles at the surface of a molded product. Such technical methods include the step of gravitational separation while the binder is in a liquid state, which can be based on the density difference of the liquid binder and particles, or the preferred drying of one or the other surface of the mold by the energy of the microwave currents.

Reflective particles may be formed of glass, for example, in the form of glass balls or spheres, or they may be formed of mineral or plastic material.

The base may be formed from a plastic material, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene, Nylon (registered trademark) or other wear-resistant, impact-resistant and / or bend-resistant plastic materials. In some embodiments of the invention, the substrate may be formed of a metal or alloy, such as aluminum or steel.

Preferably, the transparent sheet material is a polymer, which may preferably be polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene and the like.

Preferably, the sign (plate) has a main text portion for primary characters. You can use the protruding part for additional characters. The protruding part may extend along one of the longer sides of the sign (plate).

Suitable reflective sheet materials may or may not be coated. In such coated sheet materials, a thin acrylic layer is applied to the grain surface, thereby forming a lens for reflective particles and imparting reflective characteristics to the sheet material. In non-coated reflective materials, surfaces are given a reflective character only by applying a lens to it. When such uncoated reflective sheet materials are used according to the methods described above, the lens forms a transparent material, and only when this material is applied to the reflective material, the entire three-layer structure acts as a reflective. Although uncoated reflective materials are typically less expensive than coated materials, and may therefore be preferred, both types can be used according to the methods described herein.

The transparent sheet material may be supplied on a roll or as separate pieces having dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the substrate. If the transparent sheet material is delivered on a roll, it may have a pattern of repeating patterns, with each repeating pattern corresponding to a segment with dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the substrate.

The opaque material may be a removable sheet, which in one embodiment of the invention is a paper removable sheet. Alternatively, the opaque material may be a plastic removable sheet, such as a polypropylene sheet. The sheet to be removed may be provided with a layer of self-adhesive emulsion glue, while the transparent material may have a silicone layer that comes into contact with the adhesive layer on the sheet to be removed and facilitates the separation of the sheet to be removed from the sheet material. The silicone layer and the adhesive layer provide releasable bonding of the sheet to be removed and the sheet material so that the sheet to be removed can be re-applied to the transparent material.

The specified printing means may be adapted to print on part, most or all of the transparent sheet material.

The transparent sheet material may be provided with secondary and / or other information printed on another primary surface prior to its advancement to the printing point. Printing on a transparent sheet material of any secondary and / or other information can be completed "offline", that is, information can be printed, and a transparent sheet material can be stored or stored for future use. Printing of secondary and / or other characters can be completed immediately before printing the main characters or after it.

Said printing means may preferably comprise a thermal transfer printer or an inkjet printer.

Another aspect of the invention provides a symbol carrier for use in an identification mark (plate), the carrier comprising a transparent plastic film carrying silicone material on its first main surface, and an opaque lining carrying self-adhesive adhesive material on its main surface; the second main surface of the transparent plastic film is intended to be printed on it, wherein the silicone layer and the adhesive layer come into contact with each other, and the opaque lining and the transparent film can be separated from each other and reconnected due to the separation between the silicone layer and the layer sticky substance.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, it will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 - schematic representation of the method corresponding to the invention;

figure 2 - schematic representation of a variant of the method corresponding to the invention;

figure 3 is a cross section of a recording medium in accordance with the invention;

figure 4 is a detail of a part of the method described in connection with figure 2;

5 is a cross section of an identification mark made in accordance with the invention;

6 is a cross section of another identification mark made in accordance with the invention;

Fig.7 is a vertical view of an identification mark made in accordance with the invention;

Fig is a vertical view of another identification mark made in accordance with the invention;

Fig.9 is a detail of a printer;

figure 10 is a vertical view of another another identification mark made in accordance with the invention;

11 is a cross section of the sign shown in Fig;

Fig - vertical rear view of the sign shown in Fig;

Fig.13 is a vertical view of the sign shown in Fig.8, after its use; and

Fig.14 is an embodiment of the device shown in Fig.2.

As shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the substrate 1 on which printing is carried out comprising a portion of the transparent film 2 having an opaque removable patch 3 in contact with one of its main surface is advanced in the direction shown by arrow A. Along with other advantages, which will be understood, the removable pad 3 gives the piece of film 2 some rigidity, making it easier to handle. The transparent film 2 is preferably a polyester film about 70 microns thick. The opaque removable pad 3 is preferably made of paper or polypropylene with a thickness of about 80 microns.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the carrier 1. The removable patch 3 has a self-adhesive emulsion adhesive layer 3a deposited on it 3 typically with a thickness of 10 to 15 μm. The transparent polyester film 2 has a silicone layer 2a deposited on it, typically about 3-5 microns thick. The silicone layer 2a comes into contact with the adhesive layer 3a. The silicone layer 2a prevents full adhesion between the adhesive layer 3a and the transparent film 2 and allows you to remove the removable lining 3 and re-lay it on the transparent film 2. This makes it possible to check the completed sign and re-lay the removed lining 3 to protect the surface during transportation to the point of use or storage.

The print medium 1 is fed into a printer 5, which is a thermal transfer printer of the coloring matter, having a printhead 6 and a ribbon 7. Either optical detection means 8 is installed on the outside or inside the printer 5, containing a light beam generator 9 and a sensor 10 located on opposite sides of the media feed line 1.

The output signal of the light beam generator 9 is conventionally detected by the sensor 10, and any light-tight material that interrupts the beam causes a weakening of the signal detected by the sensor 10. The signal detected by the sensor 10 can be used to control the operation of the print head 6. For example, if the detected signal rapidly weakens due to beam attenuation, signal attenuation is detected by signal processing means 11, such as a computer, which, in turn, controls the print head 6 to printing on film 2. Obviously, the speed at which the carrier 1 is supplied should be monitored and adjusted. The current control of the period of time between the moments of reception of the maximum signals and the speed at which the media 1 is supplied, provides precise control of the location of the printed characters.

When the recording medium 1 passes through a beam of light, the signal detected by the sensor 10 weakens due to the presence of an opaque removable cover 3. The signal processing means 11, in response to attenuation of the detected signal, controls the print head 6 to start and complete the eversion printing of the necessary characters on the transparent film 2. That is, the printer 5 prints on the underside of the transparent film 2, as shown in FIG. An opaque overlay 3, which has a rougher surface than the transparent sheet material 2, and gives an additional working thickness, allows the printer rollers to capture the media 1 and hold it with precise alignment and thus print on the transparent film 2.

A computer, which may be the same as the specified signal processing means 11, or another, stores in memory the characters that need to be printed on the medium 1. The information is transmitted to a printer 5, which preferably formats the necessary characters. The most suitable and preferred printer is the QLS-4100 series printer supplied by Astro-med Incorporated of Rhode Island, USA. The print speed of such a printer can reach 20.4 cm / s, but in a more typical case, it operates at a speed of 7.6 cm / s. Thus, using such an optical-controlled printer, it is possible to automatically produce up to 1200 British standard car license plates (51.1 × 11.2 cm) per hour.

The resulting printed medium 15 is advanced to the lamination point 17. A section of substrate 20, molded from ABS with a reflective surface 22, is also fed to the lamination point 17. The substrate 20 typically has a thickness of 2.5 to 3.8 mm, preferably 3.2 mm. The substrate has a removable sheet 23 covering a layer of self-adhesive adhesive (not shown). A layer of glue is applied beforehand, that is, outside this production line, although its application may be part of the implementation of the method. The removable sheet 23 is removed by advancing the substrate 20 to the lamination point 17.

A printed medium 15 comprising a transparent film 2 and an opaque removable backing 3 and a length of substrate 20 are shown as having a rectangular shape with right angles. It is possible to use angles of a different configuration, for example, each of the components 2, 3, 20 can have smooth or rounded corners.

The thus formed multilayer composite structure 30 is advanced to the next point, where the opaque removable liner 3 is removed from the transparent film 2, thereby obtaining a completed identification mark 40. Removing the removable liner 3 can be carried out before installing the sign 30 on the vehicle or after installation, as a result bringing the surface of the mark 30 to use will be protected. Silicone layer 2a will be removed by exposure to environmental elements, precipitation, wind, etc.

The transparent film 2 acts as a lens for an uncoated reflective surface 22 having reflective characteristics. Since the lens for the reflective surface 22 is simply a thin film 2, and not a thick transparent substrate, as is the case with some known technologies, it was found that the characters are more clearly visible, and the sign 40 has a high reflective ability (due to a much shorter path for the incident and reflected light), which is desirable for vehicle license plates. When using a reflective surface 22 having a coating, the thin film 2 does not impart a reflective character to the surface 22.

The above description has focused on what can be called individual or "one-way" printing. However, you can also apply the method, which can be called continuous, "group" or roll printing, according to which a segment of the substrate 1 'for printing, containing the canvas of the transparent film 2, provided with a layer 3 of the removable lining, is divided into sub-segments corresponding to the size of the substrates, transverse perforations 4 as shown in FIG. Individual segments have a configuration with rounded corners 18.

In figures 2 and 4, the substrate 1 'for printing (figure 2) is shown as a separate segment for clarity, but, as will be understood, the carrier 1' is a continuous strip or web. The substrate 1 'is advanced towards the printer 5 in the direction shown by arrow A. When the strip passes over the light beam generator 9, the received signal reaches its maximum value when the “window” 12 formed by the rounded corners 18 of adjacent individual segments of the substrate 1 ′ is directly on the line of a ray of light. The maximum value of the received signal will correspond to the moment when between the generator 9 of the light beam and the sensor 10 is the minimum amount of interrupting the beam of material, that is, when the perforations 4 are in line with the light beam. The minimum value of the received signal will correspond to the moment when between the generator 9 of the light beam and the sensor 10 is the maximum amount of interrupting the beam of material. Both extreme values are shown in FIG. Due to preliminary calibration, the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the signals can be used to control the print head 6 for inverting printing on the main surface of the transparent film 2.

The resulting printed carrier 15 'has an adhesive substance deposited on its lower surface, that is, the surface on which it is printed, in paragraph 16 applying the adhesive substance. Then, in step 19a of applying the removable liner, a removable liner may be applied to this surface to protect the adhesive from contamination.

Next, the printed medium 15 ′ carrying the removable liner is advanced to the lamination point 17. A section of the substrate 20 molded from ABS with a reflective surface 22 is also delivered to the lamination point 17. The substrate 20 typically has a thickness of 2.5 to 3.8 mm, preferably 3.2 mm.

Immediately prior to aligning the printed medium 15 'with the substrate 20, the additional removable backing, if pre-applied, is removed from the adhesive-bearing surface of the printed medium in step 19b to remove the removable backing. The printed medium 15 'and the substrate 20 are connected to each other using a press, as shown by arrows B in paragraph 17, thereby enclosing the printed characters between the reflective surface 22 and the transparent film 2. The adhesive is self-adhesive, that is, it binds the two components 15 ', 20 when pressure is applied to them. Suitable acrylic adhesive is S2001 supplied by MACtac Europe SA. The removable liner may have transverse perforations corresponding to perforations 4 in the carrier 1 '.

The leading edge of the first printed portion comes into close contact with a portion of the substrate 20 having a reflective surface 22. Either before or after the printed portion has been completely applied to the substrate 20, the perforations are torn to obtain a separate identification mark 40.

Alternatively, the carrier 1 'having a configured transparent film 2 with a suitably configured opaque removable overlay 3 is not previously divided by transverse perforations 4, while line 4 is the intended location for the cut line or perforation line along which individual segments will be obtained . The printer 5 is driven in accordance with the results of optical tracking of the passage of the carrier 1 'through the optical sensor means 8, as in the previous embodiment of the invention. The adhesive is applied to the printed surface of the transparent film 2, onto which an additional removable backing is then applied to protect the adhesive from contamination.

The support 15 'thus formed can be cut into segments, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions of the substrate, along the intended cut line 4 before removing the additional removable backing in step 19b or after removing this additional removable backing in step 19b, the latter being the most preferred.

The substrate can be formed in many ways. The first consists in simple molding or pressing of ABS or cutting out the substrate of the required configuration and size from a sheet of material and gluing by laminating a reflective film to one of its main surface. Suitable reflective film materials are Diamond Grade and Engineer Grade reflective sheet materials supplied by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) of St. Pauls, Minnesota, USA, although others may be used. It is often useful to mold the substrate 20 with a slightly textured or roughened surface to facilitate the bonding of reflective material to it.

Other reflective materials that can be used are formed as a composite material from a reflective sheet material with an adhesive applied to both of its main surfaces, the adhesive being coated with removable sheets. The surface intended to be the lowest surface of the reflective sheet material is glued to a predetermined configured portion of the substrate by lamination after removal of the lower removable sheet. The substrate coated with reflective sheet material can be stored for later use or it can be used immediately by removing the top sheet to be removed and thus opening the reflective surface coated with the adhesive. Then, the printed surface of the transparent sheet is applied to it and laminated. Such a retroreflective composite material eliminates the need to use clue 16 for applying an adhesive or to apply an adhesive to a reflective surface.

Alternatively, ABS or other plastic material from which the substrate 20 is molded comprises a piece of retro-reflective material that is molded together with it and corresponding in size to the substrate. To carry out such molding, the leading edge of a piece of reflective sheet material is placed, drawn in or otherwise inserted into the mold, where it is fixed in place. One part of the mold is then closed on top of the sheet. While one main surface of the reflective material comes into contact with the upper part of the mold, a cavity is formed between the other main surface of the reflective material and the bottom of the mold. A plastic material such as ABS is injected into the cavity. Since the mold is closed, the reflective material binds to the substrate 20. The length of the reflective material may be the same size as the mold, or it may be slightly larger. If it is oversized, excess material will be cut.

This method eliminates the need for the formation of a segment 20 of the substrate with a roughened surface and subsequent lamination on it of a reflective sheet material, thereby reducing costs.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the sign 40, made according to the method described above. Substrate 20 is a molded piece of plastic material, such as ABS, that contains a plurality of reflective glass balls 21 held therein, which form a reflective surface 22. A transparent plastic film 2 having the characters 43 printed on it is adhered to the substrate 20.

The substrate 20 shown in FIG. 5 is formed by molding a plastic material in which reflective elements such as glass spheres with a diameter of up to 15 μm are distributed. When the plastic material is injected into the mold, the glass spheres are allowed to settle by gravity (if their density is higher than the density of the liquid plastic material) or float to the surface (if their density is less than the density of the liquid plastic material). Alternatively, you can use selective drying by microwave currents to facilitate the preferred movement of the balls 21 to one surface. Specialists in the art will know how to achieve this result.

Figure 6 shows a sign 40 'having a substrate 20' to which a film 2 is attached having characters 43 printed on it. In this substrate 20 ', the reflecting particles 21 are substantially uniformly distributed throughout its thickness. The number of particles 21 per unit volume may exceed that shown to achieve the necessary reflective ability of the completed sign 50.

In this case, the particles 21 were not able to settle or float to the surface. Alternatively, the concentration of particles 21 within the plastic material 20 'may be so high that they are not preferably able to settle to one surface, or they may have a density substantially equivalent to the density of the liquid plastic material, thereby preventing any settling one component relative to another.

When a transparent plastic film 2 is applied to a substrate 20, 20 ', it has reflective properties. Although glass beads and other reflective particles do not have such high reflectivity as custom-made reflective materials, since film 2 is too thin compared to a 3.2 mm thick lens made from acrylate sheet (as provided in some embodiments of the prior art) The reflectivity of 40, 40 'signs is sufficient to meet the required standards.

7 shows an identification mark 40a, which can be manufactured using the methods described above. Sign 40a has a main body 44 with visible characters 43.

On Fig shows a sign 40b with a protruding portion 41 located along intended for this lower edge, for tertiary symbols 42. Primary symbols 43 are visible. Secondary characters (not shown) can be printed on the transparent film 2 and can stand out against the background of the main body 44 'of the sign 40b. Tertiary symbols 42 may contain advertising or other personalizing symbols and may be printed off-line or may be printed simultaneously with or after primary symbols 43. To form a background for tertiary characters 42, a background layer of white or another color can be applied to the substrate 20 along the protruding portion 41. In another embodiment, the tertiary symbols 42 may be printed in a color that is visible against the background of the substrate 20. The transparent film 2 can be applied to the entire protruding part 41, part of it or not to be applied to it at all. The reflective surface 22 may extend along part or all of the protruding part 41.

It is clear that using computer control of the printer 5, different characters can be printed on successive sections of the medium 1, 1 ′. In the case of license plates for vehicles, you can print two identical groups of characters in successive sections: one for the front and one for the back, and then print two other identical groups of characters, etc.

On the print medium 1, 1 ′, general information can be pre-printed as secondary characters. Such information may relate to the manufacturer, supplier or other persons, safety information, etc. Such pre-printing provides a greater degree of flexibility for the manufacturer with a small turnover of identification characters, since any general information is pre-printed, and printer 5 can only be used to print the necessary specific primary characters 43, such as the number on the character. Thus, the manufacturer can store the supplied pre-printed material 1, 1 'and print the primary characters 43 when identification marks 40 are required.

By using process-controlled printing, as possible with the Astromed QLS 4100 series printer, it is possible to further simplify and reduce the cost of license plate production in proportion to this.

One of the requirements of the aforementioned British Standard is that the retro-reflective material of the rear license plate intended for vehicles must have a certain yellow tint. In Greece, for example, one of the background colors of the signs should be blue. An additional requirement in Europe is that when moving from the country of residence to another European country, the vehicle’s license plate must show the regional identifier of the country, as well as the European flag (Council Regulation 2411/98 [3] of the European Community). Since usually the country identifier is delivered printed on reflective sheet material, costs increase. In addition, yellow and other color reflective materials that meet the required standards are relatively expensive.

Using the operation control of the printer 5, it is possible to print a translucent coloring material on a transparent film 2. In addition, you can print the image of the blue "European" flag on a transparent film 2 and the country identifier, as well as primary characters 43 and any secondary and tertiary characters 42. Printer 5 prints primary 43, secondary and tertiary 42 characters, as well as translucent coloring material on a transparent film 2 with special printing ribbons 7. None of the corresponding coloring materials are applied camping on the other thanks to a clear and precise computer control of the print head 6.

Obviously, if (as in the UK) the rear (yellow) and front (white) license plates of a vehicle must have different colors, two production lines will usually be used. An alternative is the alternation of colored characters, that is, yellow and white, on the production line. This approach can lead to problems when one or a couple of characters, for example, are damaged or, for example, two white or two yellow substrates are mistakenly placed on the production line. Thus, by printing while controlling the operation of the printer, inventory levels can be reduced according to the number of production lines that may be required.

The colored translucent material applied to the film 2 makes it possible to use a white reflective surface 22, while the colored translucent coloring material gives the desired color in this way to the mark. Such white reflective sheet materials are significantly cheaper than those that have the required shades of yellow and other colors. The thickness of the color coating material applied to the film 2 is such that it only minimally affects the reflective nature of the reflective material. This approach can also be used to give the necessary color to the reflective surface of the signs 40, 40 'shown in figure 3 and 4.

Figure 9 shows a detail of a printer 5 having a thermal printhead 6 and a ribbon 7 '. When the carrier 1, 1 ′ having the transparent sheet 2 and the removable liner 3 extends above the tape 7 ′, the print head 6 is actuated to transfer part of the pigmented wax and / or resin contained on the tape 7 ′ to the transparent sheet 3 by application heat and pressure.

Some colors, such as black and red, lie on the transparent film 2 so that the reflective surface 22 is invisible through such characters. For these colors, a conventional single-layer tape 7 is used, in which one layer of the coloring material from wax and / or resin is located on the foil and transferred to the film 2 by applying heat and pressure to the print head 6.

However, in some circumstances and with some colors, it is necessary to ensure that the characters printed in this way are sufficiently clear and visible when the transparent sheet 3 is adhered to the reflective surface 22. In these cases, a multilayer tape 7 ′ is used.

The multilayer tape 7 'contains two layers of wax and / or resin, the first layer 72, which is intended to come into contact with the transparent sheet material 2, is the paint of the desired color, and the second layer 71, which is adjacent to the reflective surface 22 of the substrate 20 in The completed mark 40, 40 ', is usually an opaque layer of white color. The use of single-layer as well as multi-layer ribbons 7 'ensures that the printed primary, any secondary and / or any tertiary symbols 42, 43 are visible, and also that the reflective surface 22 located under the symbols 42, 43 will not be visible through them when using a sign.

Another advantage of molding the substrate 20, 20 'is that it can be formed with a cavity in its rear surface. The cavity may be sized and shaped so that an electrical device can be placed in it. Such devices may be sensors, alarms or transponders. An example would be a transponder used to track traffic, for example, on toll roads with automatic charging. Alternatively, an alarm may be installed in it to give an alarm, for example, in the case of theft of vehicle license plates. In this cavity, you can place a group of devices. In signs known from the prior art in which a transparent overlay is placed on top of the reflective material, despite the fact that the characters are located between them, it is impossible to make such a cavity, since any device placed in such a cavity could obscure the reflective material.

Figure 10 shows a specific version of the license plate 100, made in accordance with the methods described above. The license plate 100, having the characters 43, is designed to exclude its illegal use and has a first part 102 located between the two second parts 103. On the front side of the sign 100, a clear distinction between the parts 102, 103 shown in Fig. 10 is not visible.

11 shows a side view of the license plate 100. The license plate 100 is formed from an elongated substrate 20 made of ABS, having opposite first and second sides 106, 107.

The first side 106 is reflective and has either a reflective sheet material adhered thereto or reflective particles embedded therein. A translucent sheet material 2 having characters 43 printed on it is glued to the reflective surface 106.

The substrate 20 has attenuation lines 110 formed on the second surface 107. They are in the form of channels or grooves cut or molded in the substrate 20.

As shown in FIG. 12, lines 110 extend across the width of the second surface 107.

Adhesive pads 111 are glued to the surface 107, each of which is covered by a removable layer known in the prior art. Gaskets 111 are located on either side of each line 110. Gaskets do not extend across the entire width of surface 107.

To install the license plate 100 on the vehicle, a removable layer is removed from each gasket 111 and the sign is pressed against the vehicle. The gaskets contain contact adhesive that adheres the license plate 100 to the vehicle.

If the substrate 20 is molded, lines 110 are formed as part of the molding process. As one alternative, lines 110 could be cut in the substrate 20.

A thief or other attacker who is trying to remove the number plate 100 from the vehicle will be forced to tear off the sign 100 from the vehicle. The most convenient points for this are the ends of the sign 100. The force required to tear off the adhesive pads 111 from the vehicle bumper is substantial, while the force required to break the number plate 100 along the weakening line 110 is less. Accordingly, if you try to tear the sign 100 from the vehicle, the sign will be destroyed along the weakening line 110. Upon destruction, peeling of the film 2 occurs near the line of destruction, which spoils the appearance of the license plate 100, as shown in Fig. 13, and ensures that the license plate 100 can no longer be used.

In addition, if someone tries to remove the film 2 with characters 43 from the license plate 100, the binding force of the film 2 with the surface 106 of the license plate 100 will stretch the film 2 when it is removed, which violates the appearance of the characters and film 2.

As an added benefit, the weakening line 110 can provide electrical contact so that if you try to remove the license plate 100 from the vehicle, the contact will be broken and an alarm will sound. The contact can be integrated directly into the vehicle's on-board alarm system.

In front, the number plate 100 looks like a “normal” number plate, and thus the unsuspecting license plate thief cannot know that he cannot remove it intact until the number plate 100 breaks in his hands.

Vehicles for which it is useful to use license plates that are safe, not stolen or protected from illegal use are vehicles for the army, police, diplomatic service, security service, etc. However, it will be appreciated that it may be beneficial for any vehicle to have such license plates 100 protected against illegal use.

Although the above methods are described using a thermal transfer printer, FIG. 14 shows an inkjet printer 5 ′ having an ink jet print head 67 with an ultraviolet lamp 66 for drying the applied ink, which could be used in place of the thermal transfer printer. The point of application of the additional removable layer may be located after paragraph 16 of the application of the adhesive.

Other changes and modifications to the device may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the signal processing means 11 can be used to control each operation of the method, i.e. moving, printing, laminating, perforating, etc. The light beam generator and the sensor can be a duplex system in which the output light signal is constantly monitored by an additional sensor, the signal used by the signal processing means 11 is the ratio of the two detected signals, thereby normalizing the fluctuations of the beam strength. The light beam generator may be a simple light source, such as a small light bulb contained in the tube, a diode, or any other radiation source that could suitably be attenuated by the removable overlay 3. An adhesive that is used to laminate the printed material 15 on the substrate 20 can be applied to the reflective surface 22 of the substrate 20.

The methods described here can be used to make license plates for vehicles, as well as others: warning signs, direction signs, room signs, etc. Fragile parts can be used to ensure that any such signs cannot be removed from their destination without destroying them or the appearance of another clear sign of their movement.

Claims (53)

1. A method of manufacturing an identification mark, containing the advancement of a relatively thin transparent sheet material having a removable opaque overlay coming into contact with its first main surface at a printing point, inverted printing of characters on the second main surface of the sheet material, attaching the printed sheet material to a relatively thick a substrate having a reflective surface, so that the printed surface comes into contact with the reflective surface or, at least she was facing her. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: optical detection of the passage of the leading edge of the relatively thin transparent sheet material when it is advanced to the printing point due to the weakening of the light beam by the opaque removable overlay and removing the opaque removable overlay from a relatively thin transparent sheet material after attaching a relatively thin transparent sheet to a relatively thick substrate. 3. A method of manufacturing a vehicle identification mark, comprising conveying a relatively thin transparent sheet material to a printing medium, optically detecting the passage of a relatively thin transparent sheet when conveying it to a specified printing medium, actuating the printing medium as a result of said detection of the passage of a relatively thin transparent sheet material for inverted printing characters on the second main surface relative Tel'nykh thin transparent sheet material, and attaching the printed relatively thin transparent sheet material to a relatively thick substrate having a continuous reflective surface, so that the printed second main surface into contact with a continuous reflective surface, or at least facing thereto. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a preliminary operation of attaching the reflective sheet material to the main surface of a relatively thick substrate to form a continuous reflective surface. 5. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that it comprises a preliminary operation of placing the reflective sheet material inside the mold and forcing the plastic material into the mold, thereby forming a relatively thick substrate with a continuous reflective surface. 6. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that it contains a preliminary operation of the location of the reflecting particles in the molten plastic material to form a plastic binder base and pressing this binder base to form a substrate having a continuous reflective surface. 7. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that they carry out printing at a printing point on the entire main surface of the transparent sheet material. 8. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that they carry out the preliminary printing of some markings on a relatively thin transparent sheet material, which is intended for printing on its main surface. 9. The method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that they print at a printing point in different colors and shades on different parts of a relatively thin transparent sheet material, which is intended for printing on its main surface. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 3, characterized in that it comprises the step of supplying a relatively thin transparent sheet material from a roll of relatively thin transparent sheet material. 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the roll of relatively thin transparent sheet material is configured so that it contains a repeating pattern, and each repeating pattern is a segment corresponding to the size of the substrate. 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 3, characterized in that it comprises the step of supplying a relatively thin transparent sheet material in the form of individual segments corresponding to the dimensions of the substrate. 13. A vehicle identification mark comprising a relatively thick support substrate having a continuous reflective main surface and having one or more weakening lines formed in the substrate and / or having a cavity for receiving an electrical or electronic device, and a relatively thin transparent sheet material having characters printed on it, while the transparent sheet material is glued to the reflective main surface so that the characters are located in contact with a reflective main surface or, at least, turned to the specified reflective main surface, while the specified cavity is placed in the back surface of the identification mark. 14. The sign according to item 13, wherein the reflective main surface of the relatively thick substrate contains a reflective sheet material. 15. The sign according to 14, characterized in that the base contains a metal or its alloy, such as aluminum or steel. 16. The sign according to item 13, wherein the relatively thick substrate contains many reflective particles held in a plastic bonding base, while the reflective main surface is reflective due to the fact that at least part of the particles is located in this surface and / or protrudes from it. 17. The sign according to item 13, wherein the substrate contains either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyethylene, or Nylon (registered trademark), or other wear-resistant, impact and / or bending resistant plastic material. 18. The sign according to item 13, wherein the transparent sheet material is a polymer, preferably selected from the group comprising polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene. 19. The sign according to item 13, wherein the transparent sheet material has a thickness of less than 150 microns, preferably less than 100 microns. 20. The sign according to item 13, characterized in that it has a main text part for primary characters and a protruding part for other characters. 21. The sign according to claim 20, characterized in that the protruding part departs from one of the longer sides of the sign. 22. The sign of claim 13, wherein the transparent sheet material has a coloring material applied to part or all of its printed surface. 23. An identification mark comprising a relatively thick support substrate having a reflective main surface and a relatively thin transparent sheet material, the entire main surface of which has a coating material applied thereon, while a relatively thin transparent sheet material is adhered to the reflective main surface so that the coloring material came into contact with, or at least turned to, the reflective main surface. 24. The sign according to item 23, wherein the transparent sheet material has a thickness of less than 150 microns, preferably less than 100 microns. 25. The sign according to item 23, wherein the reflective main surface of the relatively thick substrate contains a reflective sheet material. 26. The sign of claim 23, wherein the relatively thick substrate contains a plurality of reflective particles held in a plastic binder, the reflective main surface being reflective due to the fact that at least a portion of the particles is located on this surface and / or protrudes from it. 27. The sign according to item 23, wherein the substrate contains either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyethylene, or Nylon (registered trademark), or other wear-resistant, impact-resistant and / or bending resistant plastic material. 28. The sign of claim 23, wherein the transparent sheet material is a polymer, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene. 29. The sign of claim 23, wherein the sign has a main text portion for primary characters and a protruding portion for other characters. 30. The sign according to clause 29, wherein the protruding part departs from one of the longer sides of the sign. 31. The sign according to item 23, wherein the transparent sheet material has a coloring material deposited on part or all of its printed surface. 32. The sign of claim 23, wherein it has one or more attenuation lines formed in the substrate. 33. The sign according to item 23, characterized in that it has a cavity in its rear surface to accommodate an electrical or electronic device. 34. An identification mark containing a layered structure of a relatively thick inflexible substrate and a relatively thin transparent sheet material having characters imprinted on its main surface, the relatively thick inflexible substrate containing a plastic binder in which a plurality of reflective particles are held, the symbols being included in contact with the main surface of the substrate, or at least facing it, and a transparent sheet material forms a lens for reflective particles on this surface. novnoy surface, thus providing a plate with reflective properties. 35. The sign according to clause 34, wherein the reflecting particles are uniformly distributed on the substrate. 36. The sign according to clause 34, wherein the reflective particles are preferably distributed on or near the first main surface of the substrate, thereby giving it a reflective property. 37. A sign according to any one of paragraphs 34-36, characterized in that the reflecting particles are formed either from glass, for example, glass balls or spheres, or from a mineral or plastic material. 38. The sign according to clause 34, wherein the transparent sheet material has a thickness of less than 150 microns, preferably less than 100 microns. 39. The sign of claim 34, characterized in that it has one or more attenuation lines formed in the substrate. 40. The sign according to clause 34, characterized in that it has a cavity in its rear surface to accommodate an electrical or electronic device. 41. The sign according to claim 34, wherein the substrate contains either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyethylene, or Nylon (registered trademark), or other wear-resistant, impact-resistant, and / or bend-resistant plastic material. 42. The sign of claim 34, wherein the transparent sheet material is a polymer, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene. 43. The sign of claim 34, wherein the sign has a main text portion for primary characters and a protruding portion for other characters. 44. The sign of claim 34, wherein the transparent sheet material has a coloring material applied to part or all of its printed surface. 45. The sign according to clause 34, wherein the protruding part departs from one of the longer sides of the sign. 46. A symbol carrier for use in an identification mark comprising a transparent plastic film bearing silicone on its first main surface and an opaque overlay carrying self-adhesive adhesive material on its main surface, and printing on the second main surface of the transparent plastic film, wherein silicone the adhesive layer and layer come into contact with each other, and the opaque overlay and the transparent film can be separated from each other and connected again thanks disconnecting the lowering interaction between silicone layer and adhesive layer. 47. The carrier according to claim 46, wherein the transparent plastic film is formed from a plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene or polyethylene. 48. The media according to item 46 or 47, characterized in that the opaque pad is made of polypropylene. Priority on points: 06/15/2001 according to claims 1-4, 10 and 11; 09/12/2001 according to claims 5, 8 and 12; November 12, 2001 according to claims 6, 34 - 37, 41 - 45; 06/17/2002 according to claims 7, 9, 19, 23 - 33, 38, 46-48; 03/14/2002 according to claims 13-18, 20-22, 39, 40.

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