Method for manufacturing a visual display assembly and visual display assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12539712-B2
Application number	US-202117905213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2021
Priority date	Mar 9, 2020
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a visual display assembly, comprising: providing a film of transparent material comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface comprising an array of lenses comprising information that is arranged so as to be capable of providing multiple images when the images are viewed from different predetermined angles through the lenses; placing a screen-printing fabric in proximity to the first surface in order to form a pattern or printed image; applying a layer of ink or varnish to the screen-printing fabric allowing the ink or varnish to pass through for placement on a portion of the first surface; wiping the ink or varnish by means of a squeegee over the screen-printing fabric.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing a visual display assembly, characterized in that the method comprises:
providing a film of transparent material comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein only the film of transparent material is between the first surface and the second surface and wherein the film of transparent material is a single substrate, the first surface comprising an array of lenses arranged so as to be capable of providing multiple images when the multiple images are viewed from different predetermined angles through the lenses; placing a screen-printing fabric in direct contact with the first surface, the screen-printing fabric comprising a deposit portion and a capillary film portion, wherein the screen-printing fabric including between 71 and 120 threads per cm, and wherein the screen-printing fabric is colored to block diffusion phenomena; applying a layer of ink or varnish including at least a gelling agent and a silicone-type tensioning agent to the screen-printing fabric, wherein the deposit portion allows passage of the ink or varnish for placement on a portion of the first surface in order to form a pattern or a printed image on the first surface and the capillary film portion prevents ink or varnish from passing through the screen-printing fabric, wherein the layer of ink or varnish includes a thickness that extends outward from the first surface and away from the second surface, and wherein the second surface is flat and free of ink, varnish, and images; and wiping the ink or varnish by means of a squeegee over the screen-printing fabric so that the pattern or the printed image includes a generally planar top ink surface that is substantially parallel to the second surface.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the squeegee is movable and a viscosity of the ink or varnish decreases as the squeegee moves the ink or varnish.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the squeegee is movable with respect to the screen-printing fabric and/or the film of transparent material such that the ink or varnish displays a viscosity of less than 500 poises under a shear of 100 s-1 while the ink or varnish is moved with the squeegee.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the squeegee is displaced over an ink or varnish passage zone.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the squeegee has a rectangular profile.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the squeegee has a Shore hardness between 70 and 80.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the squeegee is inclined relative to a normal plane of the screen-printing fabric at an angle of between 70° and 80°.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the squeegee is movable with respect to the screen-printing fabric and/or the film of transparent material such that the ink or varnish displays a viscosity of less than 500 poises under a shear of 100 s-1 while the ink or varnish is moved with the squeegee, wherein the squeegee is displaced over an ink or varnish passage zone, and wherein the ink or varnish is thixotropic.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a step of applying an adhesive layer to the second surface of the transparent material.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
providing a flexible support on which a pattern, image, or text is printed, the flexible support being positioned beneath the second surface of the film of transparent material; applying an adhesive layer beneath the flexible support, the adhesive layer being configured such that the flexible support and the adhesive layer can be peeled off together and then re-glued at least once without leaving a trace of the adhesive layer; and applying a silicone support beneath the adhesive layer.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the screen-printing fabric comprises between 71 to 90 threads/cm.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the layer of ink or varnish is between 40 microns and 70 microns.

13 . The method for manufacturing a visual display assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first surface comprises an array of round-based or square-based lenses.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of lenses is round-based.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of lenses is square-based.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink or varnish is thixotropic.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after a period of time, drying the ink or varnish under an ultraviolet tunnel, wherein the ink or varnish an initial viscosity during the period of time, and wherein the period of time is two minutes.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein diffusion phenomena is the bleeding of the ink or varnish after the ink or varnish is applied to the screen-printing fabric.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the deposit portion of the screen-printing fabric includes sharp edges that allow for the ink or varnish to pass through.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the ink or varnish further includes a thixo base type.

21 . A visual display assembly comprising:
a film of transparent material comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein only the film of transparent material is between the first surface and the second surface and wherein the film of transparent material is continuous, the first surface comprising an array of round-based or square-based lenses arranged so as to be capable of providing multiple images when the multiple images are viewed from different predetermined angles through the array of round-based or square-based lenses; and a screen-printed image or a pattern that covers a portion of the first surface, wherein the screen-printed image or the pattern is printed with a layer of ink or varnish by pressing the ink or varnish through a screen-printing fabric, the ink or varnish including at least a gelling agent and a silicone-type tensioning agent, wherein the screen-printed image or the pattern includes a top ink surface that is generally planar and substantially parallel to the second surface of the film of transparent material, wherein the screen-printing fabric is colored to block diffusion phenomena, and wherein the second surface is flat and free of ink, varnish, and images.

Assignees

• SOCIéTé BIC

Inventors

• Thiec Frédéric

Classifications

• G02B3/005

  arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets (G02B3/0043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B42D25/405

  Marking · CPC title

• B41M3/003

  on optical devices, e.g. lens elements; for the production of optical devices (production by thermal imaging means B41M5/265) · CPC title

• B41M1/12 Primary

  Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing · CPC title

• F23Q2/36

  Casings · CPC title