WO1991012600A1

WO1991012600A1 - Advertising board

Info

Publication number: WO1991012600A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000087
Authority: WO
Inventors: Staffan BÖRJESSON
Original assignee: Staffans Bilder Ab
Priority date: 1990-02-16
Filing date: 1991-02-08
Publication date: 1991-08-22
Also published as: AU7308391A; SE9000550D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a board, primarily for advertising purposes, and a method of producing the same. The board consists of a supporting layer (1) on top of which is arranged an image (3), preferably in colour, by way of an adhesive layer (2). The image layer (3) is covered in a protective-layer (4) consisting of a varnish. The image layer enables a simple generation of a motif by way of exposing a negative thereon.

Description

Title: ' Advertising board

Technical field:

The present invention relates to a board, primarily intended for advertising purposes and a method of producing the same. The invention relates mainly to colourated boards of said type.

Technical background and problem:

Today, prior art boards for advertising purposes are usually produced by way of screen-printing, hand painting etc. These methods all have one thing in common, namely that the production costs for the image itself will be high since it demands a great deal of manual work. On a market with a constantly growing potential and a reduced access to professional people, a great demand will inevitably arise, which in turn will lead to an even higher cost for the manual work and an even more expensive product. Such a development will lead to an unfavourable cost-spiral.

The solution:

The object of the present invention is to provide a board and a method of producing the same which will eliminate the above mentioned draw-back and thus enables a cost-effective production of boards primarily intended for advertising purposes.

The above mentioned objective is achieved by providing a device and method according to the content in the claims. Thus, the invention relates to a board, primarily intended for advertising purposes, and preferably colourated ones, comprising at least one support layer to which an image is arranged in a weather-resistant way, at least on one side thereof, characterized in that the image layer comprises a motif developed in a known manner, and preferably includes polymer materials and that the image layer is covered in a substantially impermeable, transparent protective-layer, and a method of producing the same.

The invention will in the following be described in greater detail with reference to a drawing of a preferred embodiment.

The drawing shows a board in cross-section according to the invention. The board consists of a lower support layer 1, which in this particular case is formed of an aluminium sheet. Above this sheet there is arranged an image layer 3 (preferably a colour image) with the help of an adhesive layer 2. The adhesive layer consists in this particular case of a double-sided adhesive tape 2. In order to protect the image layer 3 from outer abrasion, a protective-layer 4 is superposed on the image layer 3. The protective-layer 4 consists in this particular case of a two-component paint coating.

The production of such a board is managed in the following way: a) a negative image is prepared b) the negative image is exposed on a light-sensitive layer 3 to a desired degree of magnification, c) a support layer 1 is cut, d) the light-sensitive, exposed and developed layer 3 is applied to the support layer 1, e) a transparent, substantially impermeable protective-layer 4 is applied at least on the side at which the image layer 3 is arranged.

The negative to the image, which image in an enlarged form will constitute the board, is obtained in the usual way with a camera. It is thus possible for the client to either supply a negative of the image desired, in a board-shape, or to supply a positive image which the client wishes to order a board of. In the latter case, one simply takes a photograph to obtain the necessary negative. By way of a conventional photo development equipment one may then enlarge an image to a desired size from the negative on the film layer 3. This enlargement is then made directly against a, (as is usually the case), photo-sensitive layer, which later on forms the image layer 3 in the board. In the preferred case a product marketed under the trademark DURAFLEX® (KODAK), is used as a stock material for the image layer 3.

When the image layer 3 itself is completed (which in itself is flexible and pliable), or at least when its outer dimensions are set, the support layer 1 may be completed. In the preferred case, aluminium plate is used, from which the support layer 1 is produced by using an appropriate cutting process, for example stamping or shearing. The aluminium sheet 1 may then be provided in the preferred case with a double-sided adhesive tape 2.

The completed image 3 is .placed on top of the aluminium sheet 1 against the double-sided adhesive tape 2, so as to provide a strong bond between the two. Finally, the top face (the image layer) of the board is sprayed with a varnish coating 4, in order to provide the board with desired weather-resistivity. In the preferred case, two varnish layers 4 are applied in order to ascertain extra high weather-resistivity.

A board produced in the above-described way is much more cost-effective than boards produced according to previously known methods, since the method according to the invention will minimize the amount of professional manual work needed. This means that the costs of a so produced board, especially in conjunction with large series, constitute only a fraction of the board cost of a "standard" board, and in some cases as low as 1/10 of the "standard cost".

For a man skilled in the art it is apparent that the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may instead be varied within the scope of the accompanying claims. Thus the different stated selections of materials are mentioned by way of example only and are not in any way to be seen as limiting. Instead of the described varnish layer 4, it is possible to use any adhesive transparent film. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the use of the specifically stated polymer-based film type, and thus paper based films may also be used. The same goes for the bonding layer 2 between the support layer 1 and the film layer 3, namely that this maybe comprised of, for example a hot melt coating, a two-component adhesive, fastening means (such as clips or braces) etc. Finally a man skilled in the art will notice that the support layer may be chosen from a multiplicity of materials such as various metals, various composite-materials, wood fibre-based boards, pure polymer- supports, etc and multiple-layer supports that may consist of combinations of these. The method is not limited to the above described version. Hence, it is possible to complete the outer limits of the support layer 1 after the film layer 3 has been applied to the same with the bonding layer 2. In this way, one avoids the necessity of precision when applying the image layer to the support layer, but one must instead reckon with a certain increase of a waste of support material 1. The method may of course also be used to produce boards provided with twό-sided coating.

Claims

Claims:

1. A board, primarily intended for advertising purposes, and preferably colourated such, comprising at least one support layer (1) on which at least one side there is arranged an image (3) in a weather-resistant way, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the image layer (3) comprises a known developed motif and preferably includes polymer-materials, and that the image layer (3) is covered in a substantially impermeable, transparent protective- layer (4).

2. A board according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, that the image layer (3) is attached to the support layer (1) by way of a bonding layer (2).

3. A board according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, that said bonding layer

(2) consists of an adhesive agent.

4. A board according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, that said layer (2) consists of a double-sided adhesive tape.

5. A board according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, that said layer (2) consists of a hot -melt coating.

6. A board according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in, that said protective-layer (4) consists of a varnish, preferably a two-component varnish or a hot -setting varnish.

7. Method of producing a board according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, the following steps: a) preparing a negative image, b) exposing the negative on a light-sensitive film (3) to a desired degree of magnification, c) cutting of a support layer (1), d) applying the light-sensitive, exposed and developed layer (3) onto the support layer (1), e) applying a transparent, substantially impermeable protective-layer (4), primarily on the side on which the image layer (3) is arranged.

8. Method according to claim 7 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n, that step (d) comprises the arrangement of a bonding layer (2) preferably of an adhesive type, which bonds the image (3) to the support layer (1).