Multi-colored material using rainbow grating

• US 5,158,845 A
• Filed: 10/20/1989
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crown Roll Leaf, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crown Roll Leaf, Inc.
• Inventors: Waitts, Robert R., Cueli, Manuel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US07/424,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 428/25, 428/15, 428/38, 430/290, 430/295, 430/1, 430/2, 430/321, 156/63, 359/22, 359/567
• US Class Current: 430/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence

Abstract

A decorative multi-colored material and method of making same using rainbow gratings simultaneously evidence different color patterns which change through the color spectrum. The patterns are formed from separate impressions from different portions of a common rainbow grating to provide color differentiation. The multi-colored material may be used for a variety of applications, for example, decorative package wrappings, stickers, product enhancement and the like.

Claims

1. A multi-colored material created from a multi-color producing rainbow grating comprising a support, a first rainbow grating provided on said support created from a portion of a multi-color producing rainbow grating having a first orientation for producing a first series of different colors viewable through 360°

, a second rainbow grating provided on said support created from a portion of said multi-color producing rainbow grating having a second orientation different from said first orientation for producing a second series of different colors viewable through 360°

, said first rainbow grating evidencing multi-colors of said first series and said second rainbow grating evidencing multi-colors of said second series simultaneously different from each other.

2. The material of claim 1, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings include impressions of different radial portions of a common rainbow grating.

3. The material of claim 2, wherein said different radial portions are in the range of at least about 30°

-60°

from each other.

4. The material of claim 2, wherein said different radial portions are at least about 45°

from each other.

5. The material of claim 1, wherein said first rainbow grating is formed into a first pattern and said second rainbow grating is formed into a second pattern adjacent said first pattern.

6. The material of claim 1, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings are arranged in a common plane.

7. The material of claim 6, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings each evidence a color change upon tilting of said material at increments of about 2.5°

-15°

about an axis of said common plane.

8. The material of claim 1, further including a third rainbow grating having a third orientation different from said first and second orientations.

9. The material of claim 8, further including a fourth rainbow grating having a fourth orientation different from said first, second and third orientations.

10. The material of claim 9, wherein said first, second, third and fourth rainbow gratings include impressions of different radial portions of a common rainbow grating.

11. The material of claim 1, wherein the colors represented by said first series of colors produced by said first rainbow grating are the same as the colors represented by said second series of colors of said second rainbow grating.

12. The material of claim 1, wherein said multicolored material is opaque.

13. A multi-colored material created from a multi-color producing common rainbow grating comprising a support, a first rainbow grating provided on said support created as an impression of a first portion of a multi-color producing common rainbow grating, said first rainbow grating having a first orientation on said support for producing a first series of different colors viewable through 360°

, a second rainbow grating provided on said support created as an impression of a second portion of a multi-color producing common rainbow grating, said second rainbow grating having a second orientation different from said first orientation for producing a second series of different colors viewable through 360°

, said first rainbow grating evidencing multi-colors of said first series and said second rainbow grating evidencing multi-colors of said second series simultaneously different from each other.

14. The material of claim 13, wherein said first and second portions of said common rainbow grating include different radial portions thereof in the range of at least about 30°

-60°

from each other.

15. The material of claim 13, wherein said first and second portions of said common rainbow grating include different radial portions thereof in the range of at least about 45°

from each other.

16. The material of claim 13, wherein said first rainbow grating is formed into a first pattern and said second rainbow grating is formed into a second pattern adjacent said first pattern.

17. The material of claim 13, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings are arranged in a common plane.

18. The material of claim 17, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings each evidence a color change upon tilting of said material at increments about 2.5°

-15°

about an axis of said common plane.

19. The material of claim 13, further including a third rainbow grating obtained from a third portion of said common rainbow grating different from said first and second portions and a fourth rainbow grating obtained from a fourth portion of said common rainbow grating different from said first, second and third portions.

20. The material of claim 18, wherein said first, second, third and fourth rainbow gratings include impressions of different radial portions of said common rainbow grating.

21. The multi-colored material of claim 13, wherein said first and second portions are obtained from a common portion of said multi-color producing common rainbow grating.

22. A method of making a multi-colored material comprising providing a common rainbow grating, creating a first rainbow grating as an impression of a first portion of said common rainbow grating on a first surface portion of a substrate, said first portion of said common rainbow grating having a first orientation on said substrate, creating a second rainbow grating as an impression of a second portion of said common rainbow grating on a second surface portion of said substrate, said second portion of said common rainbow grating having a second orientation on said substrate different from said first portion thereof, and forming an impression of said first and second rainbow gratings on a supporting material, whereby said first rainbow grating on the supporting material evidences a first series of colors viewable through 360°

and said second rainbow grating on the supporting material evidences a second series of colors viewable through 360°

simultaneously different from said first series of colors.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein creating an impression of said first rainbow grating on said first surface portion of said substrate comprises placing said first portion of said common rainbow grating overlying said first surface portion of said substrate, applying heat and pressure thereto, and removing said first portion of said common rainbow grating from contact with said first surface portion of said substrate, whereby an impression of said first rainbow grating is created on said first surface portion of said substrate.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein creating an impression of said second rainbow grating on said second surface portion of said substrate comprises placing said second portion of said common rainbow grating overlying said second surface portion of said substrate, applying heat and pressure thereto, and removing said second portion of said common rainbow grating from contact with said second surface portion of said substrate, whereby an impression of said second rainbow grating is created on said second surface portion of said substrate.

25. The method of claim 24, further including creating an impression of each of said first and second rainbow gratings on a plurality of surface portions of said substrate.

26. The method of claim 25, further including creating a corresponding plurality of first and second rainbow gratings on said supporting material.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings include impressions of different radial portion of said common rainbow grating.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said different radial portions are in the range of at least about 30°

-60°

from each other.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said different radial portions are at least about 45°

from each other.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings each evidence a color change upon tilting of said supporting material at increments of about 2.5°

-15°

about an axis of a common plane containing said first and second rainbow gratings.

31. The method of claim 22, further including a third rainbow grating different from said first and second rainbow gratings and a fourth rainbow grating different from said first, second and third rainbow gratings.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said first, second, third and fourth rainbow gratings include impressions of different radial portions of said common rainbow grating.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein said creating an impressing of said first and second rainbow gratings on said supporting material includes forming a metal layer over said substrate including said first and second surface portions, and removing said metal layer therefrom, whereby said metal layer includes an impression of said first and second rainbow gratings.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said creating an impression of said first and second rainbow gratings on said supporting material further includes creating an impression of said first and second rainbow gratings on said supporting material using said metal layer upon application of heat and pressure thereto.

35. The method of claim 34, further including coating the surface of said supporting material with a metal layer to receive said impression of said first and second rainbow gratings.

36. A multi-colored material having a predetermined pattern created from a multi-color producing rainbow grating, said material comprising a support, a first rainbow grating forming a portion of said pattern provided on said support created as an impression of a portion of said multi-color producing rainbow grating, said first rainbow grating having a first orientation on said support for producing a first series of different visible colors viewable through 360°

, a second rainbow grating forming another portion of said pattern provided on said support created as an impression of a portion of said multi-color producing rainbow grating, said second rainbow grating having a second orientation on said support different from said first orientation for producing a second series of different visible colors viewable through 360°

, said first rainbow grating sequentially evidencing multi-colors of said first series and said second rainbow grating sequentially evidence multi-colors of said second series simultaneously different from each other than viewed through 360°

.

37. The multi-colored material of claim 36, wherein said first and second rainbow gratings from portions of said pattern adjacent one another.

38. The multi-colored material of claim 36, wherein said first and second orientations differ by at least about 2.5°

.