Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COLOR SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND
METHOD OF MANUFACTURE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel color sample display device
and method for fabricating the same, and more particularly to a color sample
display device produced by employing a color sample transfer sheet to transfer
color samples from a carrier film onto a color sample bearing card or other
color
sample display means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color sample display devices typically comprise colored chips, or
swatches, affixed to display cards to produce arrays of color samples, each
identified so that a consumer may order paint of a particular color after
visually
examining the samples on the cards. According to prior art methods, the
samples
are formed by coating sheets of paper with each of the desired sample colors
and
then cutting each of the paint colored paper sheets into narrow strips having
the
desired width of the samples. Either the display card or the underside of the
samples are coated with a wet (aqueous) adhesive and the pre-cut samples
pressed
against the display card to form an array of samples of different colors. This
process is relatively slow and labor intensive, yielding about 1,000 display
cards
2 0 per hour.
Paint colored ribbons are sometimes employed in lieu of sheets of
paint colored paper, to reduce the process time in applying the color samples
to
the display card. The ribbon process yields about 3,000 display cards per hour
for
an average 11 inch by 17 inch display card. However, this method frequently
2 5 results in misalignment of the color samples on the display card, and in
some
cases, missing color samples. In addition, the set-up time for a ribbon
process is
in some cases so lengthy as to negate its potential advantages.
In both the paint coated paper sheet method and the paint colored
ribbon method a wet (aqueous) adhesive backing must be applied as a separate
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step, before affixing the color sample to the printed sample bearing sheet.
The
separate step of applying a wet adhesive backing introduces undesirable
limitations
in the process.
The requirement of coating a separate paper sheet with paint places
additional constraints on the process. Further, the requirement of cutting
paper
sheets into swatches before application of the swatches to the printed bearing
card
limits the variety of swatch shapes which may readily be produced. In
addition,
the type of finish which can be applied to the paper sheet is limited by the_
properties of the paper itself. For example, there are difficulties associated
with
applying paint containing substantial amounts of water to paper chips or
swatches.
The water component of the paint often causes the paper to rumple or buckle.
Further, when applying latex paint or a paint emulsion with water as the
continuous phase to a paper sheet, the paper to be painted must be sized to
seal the
pores in the paper against the water in the paint. This is time consuming and
increases the cost of the final product.
U.S. Patent No. 4,379,696 to Lerner discloses a paint display
product which comprises a Mylar film base. The Mylar film base is coated with
a
paint coating and the resulting product cut into strips, the strips cut into
swatches
and the swatches adhesively applied to a bearing card. Thus, the Mylar base
may
2 0 impart a high gloss to the paint material when viewed through the base to
the
paint. This approach may overcome one limitation of the prior art, that of
coating
paper with paints containing water. However, the limitations of the; prior art
related to the necessity of cutting sheets into strips, and applying an
adhesive
backing as a separate step, remain to be overcome.
2 5 A need remains for a method of providing a color sample bearing
card with color samples which avoids the above-mentioned problems and provides
a fast, efficient and accurate means of transferring color samples of various
shapes
and finishes, to a printed color sample bearing card or other color sample
display
device.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
novel color sample bearing display card produced by a fast and efficient
method
for affixing color samples to the color sample bearing card. The method allows
a
wide variety of shapes and sizes for the color samples to be displayed, and is
capable of yielding up to about 40,000 color sample bearing cards per hour.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fast and efficient
method for affixing color samples to color sample bearing cards which cards
may
be constructed from a wide variety of sheet stock, and sheet surfaces,
including
surfaces having an ultraviolet radiation protective coating.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fast and efficient
method for providing color samples containing pearl and metallic type pigments
to
a color sample bearing card.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fast and efficient
method for affixing color samples to a color sample bearing card without
applying
a wet adhesive backing to either the color samples or the color sample bearing
card just prior to adhering the color sample to the bearing card.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for
affixing color samples to a printed sample bearing card which can yield up to
2 0 about 40,000 single sample bearing cards per hour.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a mufti-layer color
transfer sheet for use in conjunction with the method of the present
invention,
comprising a carrier portion and a transfer portion. The transfer portion
comprises a heat responsive releasing layer deposited upon the carrier
portion, a
color layer deposited on the heat responsive releasing layer, and a heat
responsive
adhesive layer deposited on the color layer. The carrier portion preferably
comprises a polyethylene or polyester material, and may have a thickness of
about
.00025 inches to about .003 inches. The heat responsive releasing layer is
preferably a wax based material, such as microcrystalline wax or fishertrope
wax
3 0 and may have a thickness of about .00025 inches to about .005 inches when
the
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material is in an aqueous state. The color layer comprises a paint based
material
which may be nitrocellulose paint or an acrylic water base paint, and the
layer
thickness is preferably about .001 inches to about .007 inches. The heat
responsive adhesive layer may comprise a water-borne acrylic emulsion such as
H.B. Fuller #ZL-0558 heat seal coating. The thickness of the heat responsive
adhesive layer preferably ranges from about .00025 inches and about .005
inches.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of making
a multi-layer color transfer sheet comprising the steps of: a) providing a
carrier
layer as a first layer; b) depositing a second layer comprising a heat
responsive
releasing material upon the carrier layer; c) heating the second layer until
the heat
responsive releasing material is substantially dry; d) depositing a third
layer
comprising a color material upon the second layer; e) heating the third layer
until
the color material is substantially dry; f) depositing a fourth layer
comprising a
heat responsive adhesive material upon the third layer; and g) heating the
fourth
layer until the heat responsive adhesive material is substantially dry,
thereby
providing a finished mufti-layer color transfer sheet.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a color sample
display device, comprising the steps of: a) providing a carrier layer as a
first
layer; b) depositing a second layer comprising a heat responsive adhesive
material
2 0 upon the carrier layer; c) heating the second layer until the heat
responsive
adhesive material is substantially dry; d) depositing a third layer comprising
a
color material upon an opposite side of the carrier layer; e) heating the
third layer
until the color material is substantially dry; and f) contacting the adhesive
material
supported on the carrier layer to the color sample bearing card under a heated
2 5 condition to secure the color material to the color sample bearing card
adhered
thereto by the adhesive layer.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a mufti-layer color
transfer sheet and method which can be utilized in existing foil stamping
machines. The color layer of the color transfer sheet can be transferred to a
color
30 sample bearing means with a die fixture having any desired geometric shape.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the present invention
will be better and more completely understood by studying the following
detailed
description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments in conjunction
with
the drawing figures, of which:
FIG. 1 is a partial top plan view of a typical color sample display
means bearing a plurality of color samples or swatches.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a color sample transfer sheet
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a finished color sample bearing
card as it appears after color samples have been transferred from the color
sample
transfer sheet of the present invention according to the methods of the
present
invention.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a color sample transfer sheet
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side elevationa.l view of a finished color sample bearing
card according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 4.
2 0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following description, like structures throughout the various
embodiments have been accorded like numerical designations.
FIG. 1 shows a partial top plan view of a typical color sample
2 5 bearing display device 5. According to methods presently known in the art,
color
samples, or swatches, 40 are affixed to a color sample bearing card 30 where
they
are displayed for viewing by a consumer. Color sample bearing card 30 is
typically made of a flexible paper or fiberboard material suitable for
printing color
samples and associated identifying indicia thereon. Color samples 40, which
are
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typically of different colors, comprise sections of paint coated paper sheets
which
are cut as a separate step and adhesively applied to color sample bearing card
30.
The present invention provides alternative and improved methods
and apparatus for affixing color samples 40 to color sample bearing card 30.
The
methods of the present invention do not require applying paint coated paper
sections and do not involve paint coated ribbons. The method and apparatus of
the
present invention may also be employed to affix color samples to striped,
paint
coated color sample bearing cards. This feature allows more colors per square
inch to be displayed on the card than was possible using the method of the
prior
art.
The present invention employs a hot stamping foil method to
transfer sections of a color layer from a carrier sheet to the color sample
bearing
card or other sample bearing means. In one embodiment, the color sample
transfer sheet of the present invention defines a multi-layer web comprised of
a
backing film carrier, a heat activated release coating, one or more color
coatings,
and a hot melt adhesive, in that order. In the process of the present
invention, the
hot melt adhesive layer of the color sample transfer sheet is pressed against
the
color sample bearing card or other device, with a heated die. The hot melt
adhesive layer adheres to the surface of the color sample bearing card and the
2 0 application of heat also causes the release layer to release the carrier
film from the
color layer leaving the color layer exposed on the surface of the color sample
bearing card.
The release coating is either a wax or wax-like material, or a
thermoplastic material which melts upon application of heat to release the
color
2 5 layer from the carrier layer. Suitable materials for the heat activated
release layer
include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), acrylics, polyvinylchlorides (PVC),
polyamides, or similar thermoplastic materials. The hot melt adhesive can be a
wide variety of substances, and is selected so that it is capable, upon
application of
heat, to adhere to the color sample bearing card to which it is applied.
Generally
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thermoplastic materials such as EVA, PVC, and the like are suitable hot melt
adhesives .
An alternate embodiment of the present invention provides the color
sample transfer sheet as a mufti-layer web comprised of a backing film
carrier, a
heat activated adhesive coating provided on one side of the carrier film and
one or
more color coatings provided on the other side thereof. In the process of this
embodiment, the hot melt adhesive is pressed against the color sample bearing
card with a heated die. The hot melt adhesive adheres the carrier film to the
bearing card, leaving the color layer exposed on the surface of the color
sample
bearing card.
A typical color sample bearing card is shown in FIG. 1 at 30.
Color samples are indicated at 40. Employing the methods of the present
invention, color samples 40 can be deposited anywhere upon color sample
bearing
card 30, and may take a variety of shapes. A color sample applied by the
process
of the present invention may even be placed directly on top of anther color
sample
to achieve various special effects, such as split sheers, glosses, woodgrains,
fingernail, and new colors. These effects have been difficult, if not
impossible to
achieve using the methods of the prior art.
FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of a mufti-layer color sample
2 0 transfer sheet 50 fabricated according to the principles and methods of
one
embodiment of the present invention. Basically, mufti-layer color sample
transfer
sheet 50 comprises a carrier portion 10, and a transfer portion 11 which
includes a
color layer 20. When it is desired to provide a color sample bearing card with
a
color sample, transfer sheet 50 is positioned over the color sample bearing
card
2 5 such that transfer portion 11 is brought into contact with the color
sample bearing
card by means of a die. Heat, as for example from a heated die, is applied to
carrier portion 10 of color sample transfer sheet 50. The die is preferably a
conventional die similar to those used for foil transfer. Such foil stamping
machines are already in existence throughout the world. The dies can be formed
30 having an infinite variety of geometric shapes and sizes. The die may be an
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embossing die, i.e., a three dimensional, or raised die, such that an embossed
color sample is achieved.
Heat from the die causes a portion of color layer 20 (conforming to
the shape of the die) to separate from carrier portion 10 and adhere to the
color
sample bearing card. A more detailed description of the device and method of
the
present invention follows.
As previously stated, the color sample transfer sheet 50 shown in
Fig. 2 comprises as its main components a carrier portion 10, and transfer
portion
11. Carrier portion 10 forms a base, or carrier layer upon which transfer
portion
11 is disposed such that transfer portion 11 substantially completely covers
carrier
portion 10. Carrier portion 10 is preferably a polyethylene and/or polyester
type
filin which preferably has a thickness of about .00025 inches to about .003
inches.
Transfer portion 11 comprises three layers. Deposited upon carrier
portion 10 is a heat responsive releasing layer 15, which is a heat responsive
material for facilitating the separation of color and adhesive layers 20 and
25 from
carrier portion 10 when heat is applied to transfer sheet 50. Heat responsive
releasing layer 15 is deposited upon carrier portion 10 during fabrication of
carrier
portion 10 by the method described hereinbelow. Heat responsive releasing
layer
15 is preferably about .00025 inches to about .005 inches thick, as measured
when
the heat responsive releasing material is in an aqueous state. Heat responsive
releasing layer 15 may comprise any of several materials but preferably
comprises
either a microcrystalline or fishertrope wax. However, as will be readily
apparent
to those skilled in the art, and as discussed earlier, other release coatings
may be
employed while remaining within the scope of the present invention.
2 5 Transfer portion 11 further includes a color layer 20 superposed
over carrier portion 10 and deposited upon heat responsive releasing layer 15
according to the method described hereinbelow. During the color transfer
process
of the present invention, color layer 20 is released from carrier portion 10
whenever heat responsive releasing layer 15 responds to heat from a heated die
3 0 applied to outer side 12 of carrier portion 10. In this manner, color
layer 20
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separates from carrier portion 10 and adheres to the color sample bearing card
(illustrated in FIG. 1), or other color sample bearing device.
Color layer 20 comprises a paint material of the desired display
color. The paint material is preferably a nitrocellulose or an acrylic water-
base
type paint. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, other paint, or
color
imparting materials may be employed as color layer 20 and these remain within
the scope of the present invention.
Transfer portion 11 further includes a top-most layer 25 formed of a
heat responsive adhesive material for adhering the color sample to the color
sample bearing card. The heat responsive adhesive layer 25 is deposited upon
color layer 20 according to the method described hereinbelow. Preferably, the
heat responsive adhesive material is white in color and is a water-borne,
acrylic,
or similar emulsion, as is commonly used for heat seal coating for printed and
unprinted paper, foil, and treated metallized and non-metallized polyester
films.
One prefeured embodiment of the present invention employs H.B. Fuller
#ZL-0558, a commercially available product, as a heat responsive adhesive
material.
Mufti-layer color sample transfer sheet 50 is fabricated by first
providing a carrier portion 10, and delivering the carrier portion to a means
for
2 0 coating carrier portion 10 which may be a typical coating machine adapted
for use
with the present invention, or may be a coating machine designed specifically
for
use with the present invention. Carrier portion 10 is provided to the coating
machine and, in a first coating operation, coated with heat responsive
releasing
layer 15 by known coating means such as Gravure cylinder or reverse roll
coating.
2 5 The coated carrier portion 10 is then passed through an oven which is
preferably
operated at a temperature of about 140oF to 210oF. Or, the oven may be
operated
at any temperature sufficient to substantially dry heat responsive releasing
layer 15
before the next layer is applied.
Disposed upon heat responsive releasing layer 15 is a color layer 20
3 0 of paint material. Color layer 20 may be applied upon heat responsive
releasing
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layer 15 by knife over roll, knife over plate or reverse roll coating
techniques as
are known in the art. The resulting carrier sheet, including layers 15 and 20,
is
again passed through an oven operated at temperatures of about 140~F to 210oF.
The oven should be warmed sufficiently to substantially dry color layer 20
prior to
the subsequent coating operation.
After drying color layer 20, a layer 25 of heat responsive adhesive
material is applied over color layer 20 using either knife over plate, print
Gravure
cylinder, knife over roll, or reverse roll coating techniques as are commonly
known in the art. The resulting transfer sheet, including layers 10, 15, 20
and 25
is passed through an oven operated at temperatures of about 140~F to about
210~F. The oven could be operated at any temperature which causes sufficient
warming to substantially dry layer 25. Finally, the coated carrier portion is
rewound at the end of the coating machine, preferably onto a roll having about
a
three inch core. The coated roll is then slit into the desired widths to
produce
individual slit rolls which are ready to be utilized to transfer color samples
from
the roll to a color sample display card or other color display means.
According to prior art methods, color sample bearing card 30 had
to be of sufficiently heavy weight to withstand the conventional color sample
transfer process without tearing or otherwise degrading. In contrast, a
significant
2 0 advantage of the transfer sheet of the present invention, and its
associated method
of use, is that color sample bearing card 30 can comprise a wide variety of
sheet
stock. Light-weight bearing sheets, which were difficult to handle under prior
art
methods, may be employed successfully in the present invention. Preferably,
the
color sample bearing sheet will be of suitable size and weight for
accommodation
in a standard press. According to the present invention, color sample bearing
card
may include an ultraviolet cured gloss coating. According to prior methods,
this UV coating posed problems in adhering the color samples to the color
sample
bearing card because the prior art wet (aqueouse) adhesives do not readily
adhere
to such glass coatings. That is one of the reasons that the prior art methods
of
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manufacturing color sample bearing cards are prone to misaligned color samples
and color samples that are not completely adhered to the support card.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a color sample 40 as it appears
after being deposited upon a printed bearing card 30 using the method of the
present invention. The heat responsive adhesive material, which formed layer
25
of the color sample transfer sheet (illustrated in FIG. 2), is shown as it
appears
after being deposited upon color sample bearing card 30 by the method of the
present invention. The heat responsive adhesive material adheres color layer
20 to
the surface 31 of color sample printed bearing card 30. As previously
described,
bearing card 30 may be provided with a UV protective coating prior to
implementing the method of the present invention, such that color sample 40 is
deposited on and adhered to the UV treated surface 31 of bearing card 30.
Similarly, the surface 31 of bearing card 30 may be painted prior to employing
the
method of the present invention such that sample 40 is disposed and displayed
against a colored background. If desired, an ultraviolet cured gloss coating
can
also be applied to the color layer 20 to enhance the presentation thereof.
FIG. 4 shows a side elevational view of another embodiment of a
multi-layer color sample transfer sheet 52 fabricated according to the
principles
and methods of another embodiment of the present invention. Mufti-layer color
2 0 sample transfer sheet 52 comprises a carrier portion 10 having a color
layer 20
applied to one side thereof, and an adhesive layer 25 coated on the opposite
side of
the carrier film 10. As shown in Fig. 5, when it is desired to provide the
color
sample bearing card 30 with a color sample, transfer sheet 52 is positioned
over
the color sample bearing card such that the adhesive layer 25 is brought into
2 5 contact with the color sample bearing card 30 by means of a die. Heat, for
example from a heated die, is applied to the color sample transfer sheet 52 to
liquify the adhesive layer 25 so that when the heat is removed, the color
layer 20
supported on the carrier film 10 are adhered to the color sample bearing card,
secured thereto by adhesive 25.
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More specifically and in a similar manner as with the embodiment
of the present invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the carrier portion 10 is
coated
with the heat responsive adhesive layer 25 which is passed through an oven
heated
to a temperature su~cient to substantially dry that layer before further
processing.
Color layer 20 is then applied upon the opposite side of the carrier portion
10.
The resulting laminate including layers 20 and 25 supported on opposite sides
of
the carrier portion 10 is again passed through an oven warmed to a temperature
to
substantially dry color layer 20. The resulted coated carrier portion 52
is_wound
into a roll and slit into the desired widths to produce individual slit rolls
which are
ready to be utilized to transfer color samples to a color sample display card
30.
In a separate operation, the previously described coated carrier
portion 52 slit into rolls is then contacted to the bearing card using a
heated die.
This causes the color layer 20 to adhere to the bearing card, secured thereto
by
adhesive layer 25. The resulting color sample bearing card is shows in Fig. 5.
If
desired, an ultraviolet cured gloss coating can be applied to the bearing card
30
and/or the color layer 20 to enhance the presentation thereof. In all other
respects, such as the materials used for the mufti-layer color sample transfer
sheet
52 and the heating temperatures for curing the various coatings, this
embodiment
is similar to the previously described embodiment of the present invention
shown
2 0 in Figs. 2 and 3.
While the 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 to be limited to the disclosed
embodiment, but
on the contrary is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
