Decals with dimensional offsets

• US 10,696,089 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Aihara, Yuki, Baschak, Kimberly D., Carbo, Jr., Jorge E., Sagan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Catherine A.
• Application Number:
  US15/276,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/00 Clothing anti-ballistic clothing B32B2571/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/085 spaced apart pieces on the surface of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/14 applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/1712 Decalcomanias applied under heat and pressure, e.g. provided with a heat activable adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/1716 Decalcomanias provided with a particular decorative layer, e.g. specially adapted to allow the formation of a metallic or dyestuff layer on a substrate unsuitable for direct deposition
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 3/025 Superimposing layers to produce ornamental relief structures
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/00 Decorating textiles
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/12 by transferring a chemical agent or a metallic or non-metallic material in particulate or other form, from a solid temporary carrier to the textile for uniform treatment D06M23/02

Abstract

Decals with dimensional offsets are disclosed. The decals may be part of a decal kit or may be applied to an article. The decals include an overlay having multiple dimensional spacers. When applied to an article, the decal overlay bonds to the article, securing the dimensional spacers between the overlay and the article creating dimensional offsets. The dimensional offsets are positioned on an interior surface of the article so that contact with a wearer'"'"'s skin is minimized, reducing the perception of cling.

Claims

1. A decal comprising:

a first overlay comprising a first plurality of discrete overlay portions each having a first edge and an opposite second edge, a first surface and an opposite second surface with a first thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface of the each of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions;

a second overlay comprising a second plurality of discrete overlay portions each having a first edge and an opposite second edge, a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the second surface of at least a portion of the second plurality of discrete overlay portions is adjacent to the first surface of at least a portion of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions of the first overlay, and wherein the second edge of the at least a portion of the second plurality of discrete overlay portions is offset inwardly from the second edge of the at least a portion of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions; and

a plurality of dimensional spacers, each of the plurality of dimensional spacers having a first spacer surface and an opposite second spacer surface with a second thickness extending between the first spacer surface and the second spacer surface, wherein;

the first spacer surface of each of the plurality of dimensional spacers is adjacent to the second surface of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions of the first overlay;

the first thickness is less than the second thickness; and

the plurality of dimensional spacers have a greater resilience than the first overlay.

2. The decal of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of dimensional spacers are offset inwardly from the first edge and the second edge of the respective first plurality of discrete overlay portions by a margin of at least 1 millimeter.

3. The decal of claim 1, wherein the second thickness is at least 1.5 millimeters.

4. The decal of claim 1, wherein the first overlay is formed from a heat reactive material.

5. The decal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dimensional spacers are comprised of one of puff ink, reactive foam, 3-D printed foam, cut textile, silicone, laminate, and thermoplastic polyurethane.

6. A decal kit for applying a decal having a plurality of dimensional spacers comprising:

a first carrier sheet;

a first overlay comprising a first plurality of discrete overlay portions, each of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions having a first surface and an opposite second surface with a first thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions, wherein the first surface of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions is temporarily bonded to the first carrier sheet;

a second carrier sheet;

a second overlay comprising a second plurality of discrete overlay portions, each of the second plurality of discrete overlay portions having a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the first surface of the second plurality of discrete overlay portions is temporarily bonded to the second carrier sheet, and wherein the second surface of the second plurality of discrete overlay portions is configured to extend over at least a portion of the first surface of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions of the first overlay;

a third carrier sheet;

a perimeter overlay configured to form a border around the first overlay and the second overlay, the perimeter overlay having a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the first surface of the perimeter overlay is temporarily bonded to the third carrier sheet; and

a plurality of dimensional spacers, each of the plurality of dimensional spacers having a first spacer surface and an opposite second spacer surface with a second thickness extending between the first spacer surface and the second spacer surface, wherein the first thickness is less than the second thickness, and wherein the plurality of dimensional spacers are bonded to the second surface of at least a portion of the first plurality of discrete overlay portions of the first overlay.

7. The decal kit of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of discrete overlay portions of the first overlay form at least one of a number, letter, and logo.

8. An article of apparel having a three-dimensional decal applied thereon, the article of apparel comprising:

a substrate layer that forms the article of apparel, the substrate layer having an inner-facing side and an opposite outer-facing side;

a first overlay having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the second surface of the first overlay comprising a perimeter margin that is coupled to the outer-facing side of the substrate layer;

a plurality of dimensional spacers positioned between the second surface of the first overlay and the outer-facing side of the substrate layer; and

a plurality of protrusions formed from the substrate layer and extending from the inner-facing side of the substrate layer at locations corresponding to the position of the plurality of dimensional spacers wherein;

the plurality of dimensional spacers are aligned such that the perimeter margin of the first overlay extends beyond a perimeter of each of the plurality of dimensional spacers.

9. The article of apparel of claim 8, wherein the first overlay is comprised of a plurality of discrete overlay portions.

10. The article of apparel of claim 8, wherein the substrate layer has a first elastic modulus and the first overlay has a second elastic modulus, and wherein the first elastic modulus is lower than the second elastic modulus.

11. The article of apparel of claim 8, wherein the plurality of dimensional spacers each have a first spacer surface and a second spacer surface, and wherein the first spacer surface of each of the plurality of dimensional spacers is bonded to the second surface of the first overlay.

12. The article of apparel of claim 11, wherein the second spacer surface of each of the plurality of dimensional spacers is bonded to the first side of the substrate layer.