Method for forming an article having a decorative surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688063-B2
Application number	US-201615071614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 23, 2006
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The invention refers to a method for forming an article having a decorative surface comprising:
a) screen printing an ink composition comprising a curable composition onto at least one major surface of a thermoformable polymeric sheet;
b) curing said curable composition to obtain a printed sheet having on at least one major surface an ink comprising a cured composition; and
c) thermoforming the printed sheet to obtain a decorated article,
wherein said curable composition comprises a polyisocyanate and a component comprising isocyanate reactive groups and wherein said ink composition contains a solvent or solvent blend in which said curable composition is soluble or miscible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming an article having a decorative surface comprising:
a) screen printing an ink composition comprising a curable composition onto at least one major surface of a thermoformable polymeric sheet;
b) curing said curable composition to obtain a printed thermoformable polymeric sheet having on at least one major surface an ink comprising a cured composition; and
c) thermoforming the ink and the printed thermoformable polymeric sheet together to obtain a decorated article,
wherein said curable composition comprises a polyisocyanate and a component comprising isocyanate reactive groups, and said ink composition contains a solvent or solvent blend in which said curable composition is soluble.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said component having reactive groups comprises an acrylic polymer having hydroxyl groups.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said polyisocyanate comprises a di-isocyanate or tri-isocyanate.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said solvent is selected from ketones, esters, amides, or mixtures thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from cyclohexanone, isophorone, diacetone alcohol, N-methylpyrrolidone, methoxypropyl acetate, isopropoxyethyl acetate, ethoxyethyl propionate, ethyl lactate, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said thermoformable polymeric sheet is made of a material selected from the group comprising polycarbonate, polyethyleneterephthalate glycol (PETG), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), polypropylene, acrylic compounds and mixtures thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said thermoformable polymeric sheet is polycarbonate.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said curing step b) comprises heating of said printed sheet.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method includes the step of allowing the ink composition to partially penetrate into the thermoformable polymeric sheet.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said curing step b) comprises heating the printed thermoformable polymeric sheet before said thermoforming.

12. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said polyisocyanate comprises a di-isocyanate or tri-isocyanate.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said solvent is selected from ketones, esters, amides, or mixtures thereof.

14. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said solvent is selected from ketones, esters, amides, or mixtures thereof.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said solvent is selected from ketones, esters, amides, or mixtures thereof.

16. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the curable ink material further comprises a caprolactone or polycaprolactone compound, optionally having two or more hydroxyl groups.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Muller Carlo A

Classifications

• B29C51/082

  by shaping between complementary mould parts · CPC title

• C08G18/4063

  Mixtures of compounds of group C08G18/62 with other macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C08G18/73

  acyclic · CPC title

• B29C2791/006

  Using vacuum · CPC title

• B29K2055/02

  ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers · CPC title