IMAGE TRANSFER MEDIUM AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME
An image-transfer medium includes a transparent substrate and a transferable material formed on a first surface of the substrate. A selected portion of the transferable material can be transferred in an arbitrary shape to an article to form a personalized image by a cold transfer-printing operation. Moreover, the remaining hollowed portion after the removal of the selected portion, including the transparent substrate, can be adhered to the same or another article having a light-transmitting surface to exhibit special lightening effect.
The present invention relates to an image-transfer medium and how to use this image-transfer medium, and more particularly to an image-transfer method and the use of an image-transfer medium for providing an arbitrary light-transmissible image onto an article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTransfer-printing operation is widely used for printing images onto surfaces of selected articles such as cards, clothes, papers, cups or equipments. In general transfer-printing operations, a plurality of predetermined images are first printed onto a transparent film, and then desired images are selected to be transfer-printed onto the target article from the transparent film.
Take an image-transfer medium with alphabetic letters for example. When an image “PRIMAX” is to be printed on a target article such as a card, the image-transfer medium 10 is put on the target article with the transferable layer 12 in contact with the surface of the target article. Then, the selected letters, i.e. P, R, I, M, A and X in the transferable layer of
In the prior art, the images to be transfer-printed are predetermined by manufactures. Consequently, for transfer-printing a personalized image such as signatures, favorite signs or handwritings, the desirable image should be printed in advance by the manufacturers and included in the ink layer 121 of the transferable layer 12 of the image-transfer medium 10. Since people tend to like the new and loathe the old, the uniform image-transfer mediums are no longer satisfying.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a use of an image-transfer medium allowing the user to transfer-print personalized images.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a use of an image-transfer medium allowing an article to be decorated with not only colored but also transparent patterns.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for applying an image-transfer medium to an article to create a personalized image with particular visual effect. A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for applying an image onto an article. The article comprising a light transmissible surface and a light source disposed under the light transmissible surface. The method comprises steps of: providing an image-transfer medium comprising a transparent substrate and a transferable material formed on a first surface of the substrate; removing a selected portion of the transferable material to obtain a hollowed transferable material with a specific pattern vacancy; and adhering the remaining transferable material onto the light transmissible surface of the article, thereby allowing light emitted by the light source to penetrate through the specific pattern vacancy.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a use of an image-transfer medium for applying an image onto an article. The image-transfer medium comprises a transparent substrate, a transferable ink layer and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The use comprises cold transfer-printing a first selected portion of the transferable ink layer onto the article when an ink pattern image is required; and removing a second selected portion of the transferable ink layer, and adhering the remaining transferable ink layer along with the transparent substrate onto the article when a hollowed pattern image is required.
Preferably, the cold transfer-printing operation and/or the ink-layer removing operation is performed by applying a depressing force directly onto the transparent substrate at positions corresponding to the first selected portion of the transferable ink layer with a writing tool or stamping tool so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres the selected portion of the transferable ink layer away from the transparent substrate.
Preferably, the image-transfer medium further comprises an isolation layer containing a tack reducing agent for decreasing adhesion between the transferable ink layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
In accordance with the present invention, the transferable ink layer can be a continuous layer or formed with a plurality of the transferable dots. Each of the dots has a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle and a honeycomb.
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 3(a)-3(c) are three examples of patterns in the ink layer of
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) exemplify the use of the image-transfer medium according to the present invention; and
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) exemplify alternative use of the image-transfer mediums according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to
The ink layer 321 is constituted of one or more pigments and some additives. The composition is appropriately selected in order to achieve optimal transfer-printing effect. For example, for black ink, the composition of the ink layer 321 comprises 5˜20 wt % black powder, 25˜55 wt % copolymer resin, 2˜8 wt % dioctylphosphate, 10˜40 wt % sophorone, 5˜35 wt % SOLVESSO™ (an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent from Imperial Oil Limited) and 5˜35 wt % solvent. On the other hand, for silver ink, the composition of the ink layer 321 comprises 5˜35 wt % silver powder, 20˜50 wt % copolymer resin, 2˜8 wt % dioctylphosphate, 5˜35 wt % isophorone, 5˜35 wt % SOLVESSO™ and 5˜35 wt % solvent. The isolation layer 322 is also transparent, and contains a tack reducing agent for decreasing adhesion between the ink layer 321 and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323 in order that the ink patterns can be stripped and transferred neat.
For transfer-printing personalized image onto an article, the ink of the image-transfer medium should be strippable as any arbitrary pattern. In order to achieve this purpose, the ink layer 321 is preferably a continuous layer or consists of a number of very close small units, e.g. dots.
FIGS. 3(a)˜3(c) are schematic diagrams showing two examples of ink layer patterns, which can achieve the above-mentioned purposes. In the embodiment of
The shape of each single transferable dot can be arbitrary. In addition to the circular shape and the honeycomb shape as shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c), it can also be an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle, etc.
In order to impart proper dot size and density to the ink layer 321, the halftone technique with proper meshes is applied hereto. Firstly, the ink layer 321 is applied onto the surface 312 of the transparent film substrate 31 by 100 mesh/inch. Then, the isolation sub-layer 322 is applied onto the ink layer 321 by 150 mesh/inch. Afterward, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 323 is applied onto the isolation layer 322 by 200 mesh/inch. In such way, an image-transfer medium having a transferable dot density of 100 dots per inch is obtained.
The use of the image-transfer medium of the present invention will be described in more details with reference to the following examples. A peripheral mouse device is used as the target device where a desired pattern is to be attached. The desired pattern can be arbitrarily designed as mentioned above, and the letter “A” is exemplified herein as the desired pattern.
In
The above embodiment is illustrated by referring to a mouse device. Nevertheless, the present invention can be applied to any other suitable articles such as cards, clothes, papers, cups or equipments.
An alternative use of the image-transfer medium 30 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). In this example, the desired letter pattern “A” is first removed from the ink layer by being transfer-printed onto a non-target article or another position of the target article (not shown). Then, the remaining portion T3 is adhered to the mouse device 50 having a light transmissible housing along with the transparent film substrate 31. Through the light emitted by a light source 52 inside the mouse 50 and penetrating the transparent top surface 51, the hollowed letter pattern “A” can be exhibited with special lightening effect.
From the above description, the image-transfer medium of the present invention is capable of transfer-printing a personalized image according to the user's requirement.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Claims
1. A method for applying an image onto an article, said article comprising a light transmissible surface and a light source disposed under said light tranmissible surface, said method comprising steps of:
- providing an image-transfer medium comprising a transparent substrate and a transferable material formed on a first surface of said substrate;
- removing a selected portion of said transferable material to obtain a hollowed transferable material with a specific pattern vacancy; and
- adhering the remaining transferable material onto said light transmissible surface of said article, thereby allowing light emitted by said light source to penetrate through the specific pattern vacancy.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable material comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and said step of removing said selected portion of said transferable material is performed by applying a depressing force onto a second surface of the substrate with a writing tool or stamping tool.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said remaining transferable material is adhered to said article along with said transparent substrate.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable material is formed as a continuous layer.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transferable material is formed with a plurality of said transferable dots, each of which has a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle and a honeycomb.
6. A use of an image-transfer medium for applying an image onto an article, said image-transfer medium comprising a transparent substrate, a transferable ink layer and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, said use comprising:
- cold transfer-printing a first selected portion of said transferable ink layer onto the article when an ink pattern image is required; and
- removing a second selected portion of said transferable ink layer, and adhering the remaining transferable ink layer along with said transparent substrate onto the article when a hollowed pattern image is required.
7. The use according to claim 6 wherein said cold transfer-printing operation is performed by applying a depressing force directly onto said transparent substrate at positions corresponding to said first selected portion of said transferable ink layer with a writing tool or stamping tool so that said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres said first selected portion of said transferable ink layer to the article.
8. The method according to claim 6 wherein said second selected portion of said transferable ink layer is removed by applying a depressing force onto said transparent substrate at positions corresponding to said second selected portion of said transferable ink layer so that said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres said second selected portion of said transferable ink layer away from said transparent substrate.
9. The use according to claim 6 wherein said image-transfer medium further comprises an isolation layer containing a tack reducing agent for decreasing adhesion between said transferable ink layer and said pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
10. The use according to claim 6 wherein said transferable ink layer is a continuous layer.
11. The use according to claim 6 wherein said transferable ink layer is formed with a plurality of said transferable dots, each of which has a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle and a honeycomb.
12. An apparatus, comprising:
- an transparent film substrate; and
- a transferable laminated material, said transferable laminated material comprising: an inklayer; a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer; and an isolation layer disposed between the ink layer and the pressure-sensitive layer.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said transparent film substrate comprises a biaxially oriented propylene type material.
14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said ink layer comprises black powder, copolymer resin, dioctylphosphate, sophorone, SOLVESSO, or solvent, or combinations thereof.
15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said ink layer comprises silver powder, copolymer resin, dioctylphosphate, isophorone, SOLVESSO, or solvent, or combinations thereof.
16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the isolation layer is transparent.
17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the isolation layer comprises a tack reducing agent capable of decreasing adhesion between the ink layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesion layer.
18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the ink layer comprises a continuous layer, or a number of units, or combinations thereof.
19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the ink layer is capable of being transferred to a surface via application of force to said transparent film substrate.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 31, 2006
Publication Date: May 3, 2007
Inventors: Chih-Lung Chang (Taipei), Yu-Chih Cheng (Taipei), Hong-Che Yen (Taipei), Yen-Feng Lin (Taipei)
Application Number: 11/469,352
International Classification: B44C 1/17 (20060101); B32B 7/12 (20060101);