Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
80LOORAPBICALLY TRANSFERABLE IMAC~Bg
CROSS REIpERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to assignee's
issued U. S. Patent No. 5,662,986, September 2,
1997.
H,~rCR~ROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holographic images
formed by a unique process for various security
and decorative purposes. Also, this invention
relates to aluminized roll-stock holographic
images formed on a plastic layer. Further, this
invention relates to elements and process for
transferring holographic images to yet another
substrate. Still further, this invention relates
to a unique process for transferring holographic
images to a relatively inexpensive substrate which
permits a wide-spread use of said holographic
image.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Holographically enhanced materials are well
known in the prior art. These axe usually made by
very proprietary methods which includes passing a
layer of plastic, for example, through a machine
which imparts a variation (e . g . which can be an
image itself) within covering or upper strata of
the plastic layer. This step is somewhat similar
to, but not exactly the same, as embossing. A
powdered metallic element (e. g. aluminum) is then
applied thereon by the so-called metallizing
process. After this step, the element appears to
have a holographic or 3-dimensional image imparted
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on the layer of plastic. This image is extremely
pleasing and is widely used within the credit card
and security industries, for example, to impart an
image particular to that credit card or security
element thereon. The resulting image is difficult
to duplicate and thus these elements assist in the
prevention of fraud by counterfeiting, for
example. The draw-back to the use of these images
is the cost since the machines to produce the
image are complicated and costly in and of
themselves. Additionally, holographic elements
produced by this method (the so-called ~~shim"
method" ) are usually small in size and thus cannot
be imprinted with larger images. Thus, this
material has not been widely used outside of the
credit card and novelty industry.
Within the food packaging industry it is
known use foils and the like for the wrapping of
individual food pieces, for example. Sometimes,
these foils are embossed with decorative or
advertising logos and materials. In addition, it
is known in this industry to laminate with glues
metallized materials to tissue like paper tissues
for the wrapping of individual food pieces such as
candies, gums and the like, for example.
Recently, a process for making large sheets
of holographically enhanced material has been
developed. Thus, the costs of such
holographically enhanced material have been
significantly reduced. However, these large
sheets of material are usually placed on a plastic
surface which is also rather expensive and thus
the use of this material is still rather limited.
If the holographic image could be further
transferred to yet another substrate, one which
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was less expensive and one which had higher utility (e.g. thin
foils and the like), the use of such holographically prepared
images would find wider use in decorative wrappings and in
advertising, for example.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly this invention seeks to provide a holographic
image that can be transferred to another substrate. Further the
invention seeks to utilize a unique transferring process that can
place a holographic image directly on a less expensive foil
substrate, for example. These and yet other aspects are achieved
in a thin foil-like wrapping element, said wrapping element having
a holographic image having imparted thereto by laminating to a
thin foil-like wrapping substrate a holographic image on a
polymeric substrate under elevated temperatures and pressure and
subsequently delaminating said thin foil-like wrapping substrate
from said polymeric substrate.
In yet another embodiment, this invention may be achieved in
a process for transferring a holographic image to a foil substrate
by laminating a holographic image, said image having been imparted
on a polymeric substrate, to said foil substrate at a temperature
greater than 35°C and a pressure greater than 1 pound per square
inch and subsequently delaminating said foil substrate from said
polymeric substrate, whereby said holographic image is transferred
to said foil substrate.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T$E DRAWINt'~S
FIG. 1 is a top view of an actual prior art
holographic image prepared by the process
described above and contained on a polymeric
substrate.
FIG. 2 is a drawing of a side view of FIG. 1.
A foil substrate is shown directly above the
holographic image which is contained on a
polymeric substrate in this Figure.
FIG. 3 is a drawing of a side view of a
holographic image that has been transferred from
the element of FIG. 1 directly to the foil
substrate of FIG. 2
FIG. 4 is a drawing of a schematic process
for the lamination of a prior art polymeric
substrate containing a holographic image to a foil
substrate.
FIG. 5 is a drawing of a schematic process of
direct delamination of the polymeric substrate
from the foil substrate to produce the holographic
image of FIG. 2 directly on the foil substrate.
FIG. 6 is a top view of a drawing showing a
name brand as a holographic image on a foil
substrate, said holographic image having been
transferred from a polymeric substrate. A series
of these images may be prepared and rolled up so
that this holographic image can be used to wrap
and advertise in a flashy method.
DETAILS OF THE INVENTION
Looking now specifically at the drawings
which schematically show the holographic image
which is transferable from a polymeric substrate
to a more useable foil substrate, FIG. 1 is a top
view of an actual holographic image 1 contained on
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a polymeric substrate. The image has that 3-D
holographic look that is well-known in the prior
art, especially in the security art field.
In FIG. 2, a side view drawing of the
5 holographic image 1 from FIG. 1 is shown. In this
figure, the polymeric substrate on which the
holographic image is manufactured, is shown as 2.
A foil substrate 3 is shown located directly above
the image.
In FIG. 3, the holographic image 1 has been
transferred to the foil substrate 3.
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing representing a
novel process of this invention for the transfer
of a holographic image from a polymeric substrate
to a foil substrate. In this figure, a
holographic image 1 (not shown in this figure) on
a polymeric substrate 2 is shown being pulled off
an unwind roll 4 in a nip formed by opposing
rollers 5 and 6. In this view, roll 5 is a
standard gravure coating roll and roll 6 is a
backup roll. A reverse gravure doctor blade (to
control coating weight) ~is shown as 7 and a
coating pan (holding a standard adhesive solution)
is shown as 8. The coated holographic image on a
polymeric substrate is then carried through a
drier which is indicated as 9 and 10 and
subsequently down to heated rolls 11 and 12. In
the nip formed by these last two rolls, a foil
substrate 3 taken from a roll 14 contacts the
surface of the adhesive containing side of the
dried, holographic image 1 contained on a
polymeric substrate 2 and is laminated thereto.
The heated rolls activate the dried adhesive in
order to permit such a lamination to occur. The
resulting sandwich 13 is passed over a chill roll
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14a and then taken up by rewind roll 14.
The process of delamination is shown in FIG.
5. In this schematic drawing, the laminated
sandwich material 13 is drawn off unwind roll 14
and taken through the nip of two delamination
rolls 16 and 17. The polymeric substrate 2 is
then taken up on a film rewind roll 18 (this
material can subsequently be reused and recycled).
The foil substrate 3 now carrying the holographic
image 1 thereon is taken up to coating heads 19
and 20. A protective layer is applied over the
holographic image contained on this foil substrate
in order to protect this image during handling.
This may be applied at the nip of the coating
heads and a pan 21 is graphically shown in this
view. The holographic image on the foil substrate
is then carried into another drier to insure that
the protective coating is hardened prior to be
rolled up on to a final roll 21. The roll of
holographically imaged foil is now ready for use
as a wrap for food products and the like.
In FIG. 6, a top view of a typical foil
substrate 3 having a name brand applied in a
holographic image is shown. This holographic
image (seen here as "Wrigleys") was originally
manufactured on a polymeric substrate in a
conventional manner and then transferred to the
foil substrate 3 in a manner described in Figures
4 and 5. This permits the wide-spread use of a
holographic advertisement on a product such as a
stick of gum. The holographic image, transferred
to the foil substrate, is flashy and eye catching
and this is the first such use thereof.
Although a temperature greater than 35°C can
be used, I prefer temperatures of 35 to 125
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degrees and more preferably at temperatures of
between 60 to 90 degrees at the nip of the
lamination process of this invention. At the same
time, an elevated pressure is applied to the nip
to cause the two substrates, with the holographic
image sandwiched between, to be laminated
together. A pressure greater than 1 pound per
square inch and up to 1,000 pounds per square inch
may be used, although I prefer 5 to 10 pounds per
square inch.
It is most important that the temperature of
any step of this process not be greater than 150°C
in order not to harm or deform the holographic
images in any way. Looking again at FIG. 4, the
conditions in the drier should be such that the
surface of the polymeric substrate 2 carrying the
holographic image 1 and a layer of adhesive
material, be somewhere between 35 and 150 degrees
centigrade and most preferably 60 to 90 degrees
centigrade. One can design a drier which has a
proper length and can emanate the proper degree of
heat to match up with the web speed which is
passing through this drier. The heated nip also
should have a temperature of between 25 and 150
degrees C. The purpose of the chill roll 14a is
to set up the adhesive and insure that the foil
substrate 3 and holographic image 1 on the
polymeric substrate 2 is secured. The adhesive
material is well-known in the coating art and can
be applied at a coating weight of between 0.5 to
8 pounds (dry) per ream of foil, wherein a ream is
500 sheets of foil of 24 inches by 36 inches in
size, and can be applied either to the foil
substrate or to the holographic image layer.
Within the drawings which make up some of the best
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modes as envisioned at the time of filing of this
invention, the adhesive layer is shown being
applied to the holographic image first. Then, the
foil substrate contacts this layer at the heated
nip rolls and is adhered thereto.
The protective layer that is applied over the
top of the holographic image that has been
transferred to the foil substrate by delamination,
as shown in FIG. 5, can be any of a host of
conventional materials such as solvent or water
based acrylics, for example. This protective
layer may be colored or tinted to provide
additional features, for example.
I can use a host of foil substrates within
the limits of this invention. For example,
aluminum foils of 0.00020 to 2.0 mils in thickness
are particularly useful. These foils are well
known in the food industry and are widely used to
wrap up gums, candies, chocolate bars and the
like. In addition to having the novel holographic
image of this invention imparted thereon, these
elements may also have other advertisements and
writing imparted on the surface by conventional
methods.
The conventionally holographically imaged
polymeric substrates include many of the commonly
available plastics, for example. These will
include polyethylenes, polypropylenes,
polyethylene terephthalates, among others, for
example. These substrates are usually 0.03 to 4.0
mils in thickness.
The foil substrates on which the holographic
images have been transferred may be used in a host
of applications including the wrapping of candies
and gums; gifts; store wrappings; decorative
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wrappings; etc. The holographic image may be
altered for the use desired. Advertising and
decorative images are also envisioned within this
invention. Such applications will find wide use
within the various industries that employ
wrappings of this sort.
The ability to dry-bond laminate and then to
delaminate the elements described within this
invention represents a unique process since it was
not widely known that holographic images could be
so transferred. The process as described above
uses some unique equipment that is designed to
hold, laminate and then delaminate some fairly
flimsy material. It is necessary to insure that
all of the elements of the process are carefully
maintained within processing limits. The use of
elements produced within the scope of this
invention greatly increases the utility of
holographic images within a broader scope. This
means that holographic images with larger images,
images that can utilize advertising and logos and
the like, are now possible.
