EXTRUSION-TO-SHEET PRODUCTION LINE AND METHOD
Extrusion-to-sheet production line and method comprise first and second rolls set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness. The sheet passes through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet. The sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surfaces of the sheet. Downstream of the third roll is a cooling area through which the belt passes.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/047,673, filed Feb. 19, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/772,613, filed Feb. 21, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/608,686, filed Mar. 9, 2012, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDIt is known to continuously emboss patterns of micro-prismatic elements on one or more surfaces of sheets or films using one or more embossing bands or belts. However, there is a need to be able to produce thicker polymer sheets of a single material containing a pattern of optical elements at a relatively high rate while maintaining high tolerances on the geometry of the optical elements.
The embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. The figures are not to scale. Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to an exemplary embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combinations with or instead of the features of other embodiments.
As described in detail below, the extrusion-to-sheet production line and method comprise a first roll and a second roll set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness. The sheet is caused to pass through a nip formed between the second roll and a continuous belt looped around a third roll and a fourth roll spaced apart from one another. The nip is where the belt is at its closest point between the second roll and the third roll. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes that is an inverse pattern of a pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet. The sheet remains in contact with the second roll until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surface of the sheet. Downstream of the third roll is a flat cooling area through which the belt passes while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt for cooling the sheet and completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet while the sheet is in a flat configuration. Downstream of the flat cooling area is a separation area where the belt separates from the sheet after completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
The extrusion-to-sheet production line has the advantage that relatively thick polymer sheets of a specified thickness containing a precise pattern of optical element shapes can be continuously produced at a relatively high rate. Typical production rates range from about 1.5 millimeters per second for sheets near the maximum of the thickness range described below to about 500 millimeters per second for sheets near the minimum of the thickness range.
In the example shown in
After passing through the gap 16, the sheet 18 remains in contact with the second roll 14 and rotation of the second roll 14 causes the sheet 18 to pass through a nip 22 formed between the second roll 14 and a continuous belt 24 looped around a heated third roll 26 and a cooled fourth roll 28 in spaced relation from the third roll 26. The nip 22 is where the belt 24 is at the closest point between the second roll 14 and the third roll 26. The first, second and third rolls 12, 14 and 26 are located in order adjacent one another, and the third and fourth rolls 26 and 28 are offset from one another and configured to receive the continuous embossing belt 24. In the example shown in
The belt 24 comprises an embossing pattern 30 of optical element shapes 32 that is an inverse of a pattern 34 of optical element shapes 36 to be embossed at a first major surface 38 of the sheet 18 (see
Rolls 12, 14, 26 and 28 are rotatably driven in the direction of the arrows shown in
In an example, the first roll 12 is cooled and the second roll 14 is heated to a temperature to maintain the extruded sheet 18 near, at or above its glass transition temperature upstream of the nip. In another example, both the first roll 12 and the second roll 14 are cooled to cool the extruded sheet 18 to a temperature at which the plastic material has sufficient structural integrity to form the sheet but is still malleable enough to emboss.
In the example shown in
Downstream of the third roll 26 is a flat cooling area 40 through which the belt 24 passes while the first major surface 38 of the sheet 18 is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt. In the example shown in
The flat cooling area 40 is located between the third and fourth rolls 26 and 28 such that the third roll rotates towards the flat cooling area, which is for cooling the sheet and completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes 36 into the sheet while the sheet is in a flat configuration in order to maintain high geometrical tolerances on the individual optical element shapes of the pattern. In the example shown in
In another example also shown in
In another example also shown in
The carrier film 50 is made of a suitable protective material such as biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate that has a glass transition temperature higher than the temperature of the sheet at the nip so the carrier film will not melt or fuse to the sheet. The carrier film 50 has a surface 55 with a finish that is transferred onto the second major surface 48 of the sheet by pressure asserted by one or more of the pressure rollers.
Exemplary optical element shapes 36 that are set into the first major surface 38 of the sheet 18 (and if desired also into the second major surface 48 of the sheet) include light-scattering elements, which are typically features of indistinct shape or surface texture, such as printed features, ink-jet printed features, selectively-deposited features, chemically etched features, laser etched features, and so forth. Such optical element shapes are typically formed in a master (not shown) by the above-mentioned processes and are transferred from the master to the belt 24 by a suitable process such as electro-forming. Other exemplary optical element shapes include features of well-defined shape such lenticular or prismatic grooves and features of well-defined shape that are small relative to the linear dimensions of the major surfaces of the sheet, which are sometimes referred to as micro-optical element shapes. The smaller of the length and width of micro-optical element shapes is less than one-tenth of the width of the sheet and the larger of the length and width of the micro-optical element shapes is less than one-half of the width of the sheet. The length and width of the micro-optical elements are measured in a plane parallel to the major surfaces of the sheet. Micro-optical elements are shaped to predictably reflect or refract light. However, one or more of the surfaces of the micro-optical elements may be modified, such as roughened, to produce a secondary effect on the light reflected or refracted by the micro-optical elements.
At least one of the size, shape, depth, density and orientation of the optical element shapes 36 set into the sheet 18 may vary across the width and/or the length of the sheet. In the examples shown in
Downstream of the flat cooling area 40 is a separation area 60 where the belt 24 separates from the sheet 18 and the superimposed carrier film 50 after completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
In block 70 the continuously-extruded sheet 18 of molten plastic material passes between the first and second rolls 12 and 14 set to a predetermined gap to calender the sheet to a predetermined thickness (see
In block 72 the sheet passes through the nip 22 formed between the second roll 14 and the continuous embossing belt 24 looped around the heated third roll 26 and cooled fourth roll 28 spaced apart from one another. The nip is where the belt is at the closest point between the second and third rolls. The belt comprises an embossing pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at the first major surface of the sheet.
In block 74 the sheet is kept in contact with the second roll 14 until the sheet passes through the nip, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surface of the sheet.
In block 76 the belt passes through the flat cooling area 40 downstream of the third roll 26 while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern of optical element shapes on the belt to cool the sheet and complete the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet while the sheet is in a flat configuration.
In block 78 the belt separates from the sheet after completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
The orientation of the extrusion-to-sheet production line is merely exemplary and different orientations can be used. For example, the line can be inverted so that the embossed sheet exits the line at an area above the area through which the continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material enters the line or the line can be rotated through a suitable angle.
In this disclosure, the phrase “one of” followed by a list is intended to mean the elements of the list in the alternative. For example, “one of A, B and C” means A or B or C. The phrase “at least one of” followed by a list is intended to mean one or more of the elements of the list in the alternative. For example, “at least one of A, B and C” means A or B or C or (A and B) or (A and C) or (B and C) or (A and B and C).
Although this disclosure has described certain embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will become apparent upon the reading and understanding of the specification. In particular, with regard to the various functions performed by the above-described components, the terms used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the exemplary embodiments. In addition, while a particular feature may have been disclosed with respect to only one embodiment, such feature may be combined with one or more other features as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. An extrusion-to-sheet production line, comprising:
- a first roll and a second roll set to a predetermined gap through which a continuously-extruded sheet of molten plastic material passes;
- a heated third roll;
- a continuous belt looped around the third roll and a fourth roll spaced apart from the third roll, the belt comprising an embossing pattern that is an inverse pattern of a pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet, wherein the second roll and the belt at a closest point between the second roll and the third roll form a nip that transfers the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt to the first major surface of the sheet; and
- a separation area where the belt separates from the sheet after completing the transfer of the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
3. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, additionally comprising a pressure roller downstream of the nip for pressing the sheet against the embossing pattern on the belt.
4. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, wherein the optical element shapes of the pattern that are set into the sheet are micro-optical element shapes.
5. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, wherein the optical element shapes of the pattern that are set into the sheet are lenticular or prismatic.
6. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, wherein the first roll and the second roll are cooled.
7. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, wherein the second roll is heated.
8. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, additionally comprising a supply reel and a guide roller for superimposing a carrier film into direct contact with a second major surface of the sheet.
9. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 8, additionally comprising a pressure roller downstream of the nip for pressing the sheet against the embossing pattern on the belt.
10. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 9, wherein the supply reel and the guide roller are arranged to superimpose the carrier film into direct contact with the second major surface of the sheet upstream of the pressure roller.
11. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 8, wherein a surface of the carrier film that is superimposed into direct contact with the second major surface of the sheet comprises an embossing pattern that is an inverse pattern of a pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at the second major surface of the sheet.
12. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 8, wherein a surface of the carrier film that is superimposed into direct contact with the second major surface of the sheet has a smooth finish.
13. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, additionally comprising a cooling area downstream of the third roll and upstream of the separation area through which the belt passes while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt for cooling the sheet and completing the set of the pattern of optical element shapes.
14. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 13, additionally comprising a pressure roller downstream of the nip and upstream of the cooling area for pressing the sheet against the embossing pattern on the belt.
15. The extrusion-to-sheet production line of claim 2, additionally comprising a gap die through which the sheet of molten plastic material is extruded into the gap between the first roll and the second roll.
16. A method, comprising:
- passing an extruded sheet of molten plastic material between a first roll and a second roll set to a predetermined gap to calender the sheet to a thickness;
- passing the sheet through a nip formed between the second roll and a belt looped around a heated third roll and a fourth roll spaced apart from the third roll, the nip being where the belt is at a closest point between the second roll and the third roll, the belt comprising an embossing pattern that is an inverse of a pattern of optical element shapes to be embossed at a first major surface of the sheet, where the pattern of optical element shapes on the belt is embossed into the first major surface of the sheet;
- separating the belt from the sheet after setting the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
17. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising passing the belt through a cooling area downstream of the third roll while the first major surface of the sheet is still in contact with the embossing pattern on the belt to cool the sheet and set the pattern of optical element shapes into the sheet.
18. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising maintaining the second roll at a temperature such that the sheet remains above the glass transition temperature of the plastic material upstream of the nip.
19. The method of claim 16, additionally comprising superimposing a carrier film into direct contact with a second major surface of the sheet downstream of the nip.
20. The method of claim 19, additionally comprising transferring a finish shape on a surface of the carrier film that is superimposed into direct contact with the second major surface of the sheet onto the second major surface of the sheet during pressing of the carrier film against the sheet.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein a surface of the carrier film that is superimposed into direct contact with the second major surface of the sheet has a smooth finish.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 12, 2017
Publication Date: Feb 8, 2018
Inventor: W. Scott Thielman (North Royalton, OH)
Application Number: 15/619,708