Under-glass digital printing method of multilayer synthetic leather

• US 20170320336A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nouman Idris Butt, Riaz-Ud-Din Sheikh
• Original Assignee: Nouman Idris Butt, Riaz-Ud-Din Sheikh
• Inventors: BUTT, NOUMAN IDRIS, Sheikh, Riaz-Ud-Din
• Granted Patent: US 10,124,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/02 Marking of balls
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4078 Printing on textile
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/26 Printing on other surfaces than ordinary paper B41M1/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/30 on organic plastics, horn or similar materials recording sheets having a coating to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity B41M5/50; marking or recording on plastic by irradiation with electromagnetic beams, e.g. laser, B41M5/267
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0041 Digital printing on surfaces other than ordinary paper B41M5/0082 takes precedence; printing on textiles D06P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0052 by thermal printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0027 using protective coatings or layers by lamination or by fusion of the coatings or layers

Abstract

This invention is about a digital printing method of cover sheet of a flexible material of required features of density, flexibility and thickness. This method includes steps of printing a cover sheet of woven or non-woven fabric, by using digital or computerized printing techniques, either direct printing or by transfer paper printing or sublimation printing technique. The printed side of the cover sheet is laminated or coated with a clear film of flexible transparent material like polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylene or polyvinylchloride. This laminated or sealed printed and coated cover sheet may be fixed to different fabric, foam or of outer surface layer of an article at which printing is required. The said article may be sport'"'"'s good, sport'"'"'s wears, dresses, footwear, furniture covering sheets and vehicle items covers etc. The novel method of making cover sheet enables customized printing at required articles at user request with many design printing possibilities. While use of water based ink for digital printing provides an environment friendly, efficient, and durable method of printing the cover sheets of these products.

Claims

1. A printing method of cover sheet of a flexible material for an article at which printing is required, comprising the following steps of:

selecting a cover sheet made up of a flexible substrate including web, woven or non-woven fabric, thin film or paper with specific density, thickness, elasticity, flexibility, transparency and strength, wherein the cover sheet has an outer side and an inner side;

selecting a design pattern or a picture to be printed at the article;

digitally or computerized printing of the outer side of the cover sheet either by direct printing method or by transfer paper or sublimation printing method, using a printing ink with or without applied reflective or florescent or glittering material on the cover sheet to form a printed cover sheet;

applying a layer of transparent coating or fixing a thin film of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyethylene (TPE) or polyvinylchloride (PVC) on the printed side of the printed cover sheet with a roller or machine or with the aid of a transfer paper to form a printed and coated cover sheet as first product, whereas the thin film of PU or TPU or TPE or PVC may be fixed to the printed side of the printed cover sheet by applying a layer of transparent adhesive of material of Reactive Polyurethane (PUR) or Normal Hot-melt Polyurethane;

cutting out of cut-outs from the printed and coated cover sheet of required size and shape before or after fixing of the printed and coated cover sheet to outer surface layer of the article;

fixing the inner side of the printed and coated cover sheet with the outer surface layer of the article at which printing is required by applying a layer of adhesive or applying molding method or stitching between the inner side or non-printed side of the printed and coated cover sheet and to the outer surface layer of the article to form final product.

2. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 1 where the article may be sport'"'"'s items including soccer balls, cricket bats, rackets, hockey sticks, shin guard, shuttle, golf sticks and bags;

sports wears including uniforms, shirts, trousers, helmets, pads, caps, boxing head gears, boxing or Muay Thai gloves and gloves;

footwear including shoes;

sport'"'"'s equipment;

vehicles related items including seat covers and parts covers;

clothes including bed sheet, pillow covers, and bed covers, furniture items including table covers, chair covers, sofa covers;

protective, upholstery items and fashion articles.

3. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 1 where the outer surface layer of the article is a monolayer or multilayer composite sheet made up of different materials including foamy substance, fabric, rubber, or bi-cast leather where the multilayer composite sheet is made up any of aforementioned material or combination of the said materials and are fixed with each other in varying orders.

4. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 1 where the printing ink is water based.

5. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 1 where the printing ink is oil or solvent based.

6. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 1 where the article completely or a part of the article may be made by the printed and coated cover sheet.

11. The cover sheet prepared by the printing method of claim 01.

7. A printing method of cover sheet of a flexible material for sport'"'"'s item, comprising the following steps of:

selecting a cover sheet made up of a flexible substrate including web, woven or non-woven fabric, thin film or paper with specific density, thickness, elasticity, flexibility, transparency and strength, wherein the cover sheet has an outer side and an inner side;

selecting a design pattern or a picture to be printed at the sport'"'"'s item;

digitally or computerized printing of the outer side of the cover sheet either by direct printing method or by transfer paper or sublimation printing method, using water or oil based ink with or without applied reflective or florescent or glittering material on the cover sheet to form a printed cover sheet;

applying a layer of transparent coating or fixing a thin film of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyethylene (TPE) or polyvinylchloride (PVC) on the printed side of the printed cover sheet with a roller or machine or with the aid of a transfer paper to form a printed and coated cover sheet as first product, whereas the thin film of PU or TPU or TPE or PVC may be fixed to the printed side of the printed cover sheet by applying a layer of transparent adhesive of material of Reactive Polyurethane (PUR) or Normal Hot-melt Polyurethane;

cutting out of cut-outs from the printed and coated cover sheet of required size and shape before or after fixing of the printed and coated cover sheet to the outer surface layer of the sport'"'"'s item;

fixing the inner side of the printed and coated cover sheet with the outer surface layer of the sport'"'"'s item at which printing is required by applying a layer of adhesive or applying molding method or stitching between the inner side or non-printed side of the printed and coated cover sheet and to the outer surface layer of the sport'"'"'s item to form final product.

8. The printing method of cover sheet of claim 07 where the sport'"'"'s items may be sport'"'"'s goods including soccer balls, cricket bats, rackets, hockey sticks, shin guards, shuttle cock, golf sticks and bags;

sport'"'"'s wears including uniforms, shirts, trousers, helmets, pads, caps, boxing head gears, boxing or Muay Thai gloves and gloves;

footwear including shoes and sport'"'"'s equipment.

9. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 07 where the outer surface layer of the sport'"'"'s item may be a monolayer or multilayer composite sheet made up of different materials including foamy substance, fabric, rubber, or bi-cast leather where the multilayer composite sheet is made up any of aforementioned material or combination of the said materials and are fixed in varying orders.

10. The printing method of the cover sheet of claim 07 where the sport'"'"'s item completely or a part of the sport'"'"'s item may be made by the printed and coated cover sheet.