Method for marking a decorative article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021170659-A1
Application number	US-202017065665-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 4, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, the method including the steps of extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, marking the substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of the rollers having an impression forming the negative of a decoration or a texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, this same roller or the other of the rollers including at least one notch allowing to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers. An installation can include in line the extrusion die and the marking device.

First claim

1 . An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, said method comprising the steps of:
extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, marking said substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of said rollers having an impression forming the negative of a decoration or a texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, said same roller or the other of said rollers including at least one notch allowing to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising a forced cooling step between the extrusion step and the step of marking the substrate, said substrate having a temperature greater than or equal to 50° C. at the end of the forced cooling.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising after the marking step, a step of sizing the substrate to produce a decorative article.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the notch has the width of the substrate with said substrate being positioned within the notch.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the notch has a thickness equal to or less than the maximum thickness of the substrate.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the notch has a thickness greater than the maximum thickness of the substrate if the impression is raised.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the notch has a width less than the width of the substrate.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said same roller or the other of said rollers has two notches.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the two notches are respectively disposed on either side of the impression.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the notch has a shape complementary to a relief present on the substrate obtained from the extrusion die.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the substrate is intended to produce a wristlet of a watch or a piece of jewellery and in that the notch has a shape complementary to a hollow tubular structure of the substrate, the recess of the hollow tubular structure forming a through hole intended to receive a bar allowing to hook the horns of a watch case or a buckle.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein said same roller or the other of said rollers includes two notches having a shape complementary to two hollow tubular structures of the substrate.

13 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the impression and the notch are disposed on the same roller with the impression opposite the notch.

14 . An installation comprising a die for extruding a substrate and following the extrusion die a device for marking the substrate, the marking device including two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of said rollers having an impression forming the negative of a decoration or a texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, said same roller or the other of said rollers including at least one notch allowing to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and the marking device.

15 . The installation according to claim 14 , comprising cooling means between the extrusion die and the marking device.

16 . The installation according to claim 14 , wherein the notch has the width of the substrate.

17 . The installation according to claim 14 , wherein the notch has a width less than the width of the substrate.

18 . The installation according to claim 17 , wherein the notch has a shape complementary to a relief intended to be present on the substrate obtained from the extrusion die.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Célérier Yannick
• Lafin Benoît
• Blanc Petiot Catherine
• Rannoux Claire
• Francois Nicolas

Classifications

• B29L2031/743

  Jewellery · CPC title

• B44B5/0047

  by rolling (B44B5/0061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C48/002 Primary

  combined with surface shaping · CPC title

• B29C59/04 Primary

  using rollers or endless belts · CPC title

• B29C48/07

  Flat, e.g. panels · CPC title