Decorating sheet, decorating molded article and in-mold decorating injection molding

• US 20070026197A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Suga, Kazuhiro, Atake, Hiroyuki, Meiki, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,776,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/172
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/263 with mould wall parts provided with fine grooves or impressions, e.g. for record discs
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0026 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/104 Oxysalt, e.g. carbonate, sulfate, phosphate or nitrate particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2270/00 Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2274/00 Thermoplastic elastomer material thermoplastic elastomer fibres B32B2262/0215, thermoplastic elastomer particles B32B2264/0221, thermoplastic elastomer foam B32B2266/0292
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/4023 on the layer surface, e.g. ink
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/406 Bright, glossy, shiny surface
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/538 Roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/702 Amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2451/00 Decorative or ornamental articles wall paper B32B2607/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/306 comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/308 comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/322 : comprising halogenated polyolefins, e.g. PTFE
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/00 : Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/263 : characterised by a layer having non-uniform thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/28 : characterised by a layer comprising a deformed thin sheet , i.e. the layer having its entire thickness deformed out of the plane, e.g. corrugated, crumpled B32B29/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/0453 : produced by processes involving moulding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 : Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 : with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24529 : and conforming component on an opposite nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 : Composite web or sheet

Abstract

A decorating sheet comprises a transparent resin substrate sheet 1 and a glossy layer 2 laminated to the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet 1, and the front surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet 1 is divided into high-gloss portions H and low-gloss portions L. The transparent resin substrate sheet 1 is thick at the high-gloss portions and thin at the low-gloss portions, and, owing to these portions, the decorating sheet can provide a pattern that is visually sensed as if it were a three-dimensional pattern. This transparent resin substrate sheet 1 is composed of two layers, a crystalline resin layer 11 and a non-crystalline resin layer 12. A decorated molded product Pd can be obtained by laminating this decorating sheet to a resin molded product 5.

Claims

1. A decorating sheet comprising:

a transparent resin substrate sheet, and

a glossy layer formed on the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet,

the front surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet being divided into high-gloss portions with relatively high gloss and low-gloss portions with relatively low gloss,

the thickness of the transparent resin substrate sheet being relatively great at the high-gloss portions and relatively small at the low-gloss portions so that the decorating sheet provides a pattern that is visually sensed as if it were a three-dimensional pattern with protrusions and depressions that correspond to the thickness of the transparent resin substrate sheet on the high-gloss portions and that on the low-gloss portions.

2. The decorating sheet according to claim 1,

further comprising, a decorative layer that does not fully opacify the glossy layer between the transparent resin substrate sheet and the glossy layer.

3. The decorating sheet according to claim 1,

further comprising, a backing sheet made from a thermoplastic resin provided on the back surface of the glossy layer.

4. The decorating sheet according to claim 1, wherein

the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet has protrusions protruding toward the back surface side, in the positions corresponding to the high-gloss portions.

5. The decorating sheet according to claim 1, wherein

the transparent resin substrate sheet is composed of a first transparent resin substrate sheet on the front surface side and a second transparent resin substrate sheet on the back surface side,

the first transparent resin substrate sheet is made from a crystalline resin, the second transparent resin substrate sheet is made from a non-crystalline resin, and the melting point of the first transparent resin substrate sheet is higher than the softening point of the second transparent resin substrate sheet.

6. A decorated molded product comprising:

a decorating sheet, and

a resin molded product produced on the back surface of the decorating sheet,

the decorating sheet comprising;

a transparent resin substrate sheet, and

a glossy layer formed on the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet,

the front surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet being divided into high-gloss portions with relatively high gloss and low-gloss portions with relatively low gloss,

the thickness of the transparent resin substrate sheet being relatively great at the high-gloss portions and relatively small at the low-gloss portions so that the decorating sheet provides a pattern that is visually sensed as if it were a three-dimensional pattern with protrusions and depressions that correspond to the thickness of the transparent resin substrate sheet on the high-gloss portions and that on the low-gloss portions.

7. The decorated molded product according to claim 6, wherein

the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet has protrusions in the positions corresponding to the high-gloss portions of the front surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet, and the high-gloss portions are flat.

8. The decorated molded product according to claim 6, wherein

the back surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet has protrusions in the positions corresponding to the high-gloss portions of the front surface of the transparent resin substrate sheet, and the high-gloss portions are convex.

9. An in-injection-mold decorating method for producing a decorated molded product, in which when a resin is molded into a molded product, a decorating sheet is integrally laminated to the surface of the molded product, comprising:

the sheet-making step (A) in which a laminate of a transparent resin substrate sheet and a glossy layer is heated and embossed so that the transparent resin substrate sheet has, high-gloss portions with relatively high gloss and low-gloss portions with relatively low gloss on the front surface, and the transparent resin substrate sheet is relatively thick at the high-gloss portions and relatively thin at the low-gloss portions, thereby making a decorating sheet,

the vacuum forming step (B) in which the decorating sheet is softened by heating and is vacuum-formed into the desired shape that corresponds to the shape of a decorated molded product to be finally produced, and

the injection molding step (C) in which the vacuum-formed decorating sheet is placed in an injection mold, with the front surface side of the decorating sheet facing the inner face of the injection mold, and a resin is poured into this injection mold and is then hardened, thereby molding the resin into a resin molded product, and, at the same time, integrally laminating the decorating sheet to the surface of the resin molded product.

10. The in-injection-mold decorating method according to claim 9, wherein

the transparent resin substrate sheet in the laminate has a first transparent resin substrate sheet on the front surface side and a second transparent resin substrate sheet on the back surface side, the first transparent resin substrate sheet is made from a crystalline resin, the second transparent resin substrate sheet is made from a non-crystalline resin, and the melting point of the first transparent resin substrate sheet is higher than the softening point of the second transparent resin substrate sheet.

11. The in-injection-mold decorating method according to claim 10, wherein,

in the sheet-making step, embossing is carried out at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the first transparent resin substrate sheet.

12. The in-injection-mold decorating method according to claim 10, wherein,

in the vacuum forming step, vacuum forming is carried out at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point of the second transparent resin substrate sheet and lower than the melting point of the first transparent resin substrate sheet.