Display card with interactive imagery and method of producing same

• US 5,517,336 A
• Filed: 02/01/1995
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Upper Deck Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Upper Deck Company (Upper Deck Company LLC)
• Inventors: Molee, Warren F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US08/382,123
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 359/2, 359/3, 359/1, 283/86, 283/904, 264/1.3, 264/1.31, 264/1.33, 264/1.34
• US Class Current: 359/1
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/1729 Hot stamping techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/02 Details of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0236 Form or shape of the hologram when not registered to the substrate, e.g. trimming the hologram to alphanumerical shape substrates bearing a hologram G03H1/0272
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/028 by embossing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0055 in advertising or decorative art
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/10 arranged to be transferred onto a carrier body
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/40 Printed information overlapped with the hologram

Abstract

A display card is provided on one surface thereof with two images which appear to an observer to be interacting. One of the images is provided on the card by quality ink printing such as lithography. At least a portion of this image occupies but only a portion of a prescribed field of view on the card. The second image, which occupies substantially all of the remainder of the field of view, is provided by a plastic coating adhered to the card and having a reflection-type hologram embossed therein. The holographic image circumscribes and touches at every possible point that portion of the printed image occupying a portion of the field of view. The method of making the display card comprising ink printing one image and adhering the plastic coating bearing the hologram on the card in a manner to circumscribe that portion of the printed image which occupies the field of view. Adherence of the plastic coating is preferably accomplished with a heated metal die having a relief area corresponding to that portion of the printed image which occupies a portion of the field of view.

Claims

1. A display card depicting a composite image comprising:

a. a substrate having an optically opaque surface adapted to receive within a defined area a composite complementary image having separate, non-intersecting first and second image elements, the first image element having a first area, a perimeter and a contour, the second image element having a second area, a perimeter and a contour, a segment of the perimeter of the first image element coinciding with a segment of the perimeter of the second image element to form a shared perimeter segment having a contour defined by the contour of the first image element;

b. a reproduction of the first image element printed directly on the surface of the substrate within the defined area, the reproduction having an outer surface which remains exposed to ambient light;

c. a hot stamping layer affixed to the substrate surface and having an area, a perimeter and a contour substantially coincident with the area, the perimeter and the contour of the second image element; and

d. an embossed holographic reproduction of the second image element formed on the interior surface of the hot stamping layer, the printed reproduction of the first image element and the hot stamping layer with the embossed second image element being aligned within the defined area of the substrate surface along the shared perimeter segment to form the composite complementary image.

2. The display card of claim 1 wherein the printed reproduction of the first image element represents a lithographic reproduction.

3. The display card of claim 1 wherein the composite image includes a foreground element and a background element and wherein the first image element depicts the foreground element and the second image element depicts the background element.

4. The display card of claim 1 wherein the hot stamping layer includes a transparent coating layer and a metal layer and wherein the metal layer is affixed to the substrate surface by a heat-activated adhesive layer.

5. The display card of claim 4 wherein the embossed holographic reproduction of the second image element represents a reflection-type holographic image.

6. The display card of claim 1 further including a heat-activated adhesive layer disposed between the substrate surface and the hot stamping layer.

7. The display card of claim 1 wherein the second image element depicts a defined field of view and wherein the first image element is positioned within the defined field of view.

8. The display card of claim 1 wherein the composite image depicts a defined field of view and includes a foreground element and a background element and wherein the first image element depicts the foreground element and the second image element depicts the background element.

9. The display card of claim 1 wherein the first image element includes a two-dimensional lithographic reproduction of a selected portion of a character having a contour where the character contour defines the contour of the first image element.

10. A method of producing a display card depicting a composite image comprising the steps of:

a. providing a self-supporting substrate having an optically opaque surface with a defined area adapted to receive within first and second non-intersecting areas a composite complementary image having separate first and second image elements, the first image element having a first area, a perimeter and a contour, the second image element having a second area, a perimeter and a contour, where a segment of the perimeter of the first image element coincides with a segment of the perimeter of the second image element to form a shared perimeter segment having a contour defined by the contour of the first image element, the first area of the substrate surface and the first area of the composite complementary image having substantially coincident areas and contours;

b. reproducing the first image element directly on the surface of the substrate within the first area, the reproduced first image having a two-dimensional image characteristic with an outer surface which remains exposed to ambient light;

c. providing a web of hot stamping foil including a carrier, a heat-activated release layer and a hot stamping layer having interior and exterior surfaces, the release layer securing the interior surface of the hot stamping layer to the carrier;

d. embossing a holographic reproduction of the second image element into a second area of the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer to transfer to the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer a holographic reproduction of the second image element, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer having an area, a perimeter and a contour substantially coincident with the area, the perimeter and the contour of the original second image element;

e. coating the embossed exposed surface of the hot stamping layer with a heat-activated adhesive;

f. providing a hot stamping die having a stamping surface including a raised non-transfer area having a first area, a perimeter and a contour formed within the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the first area of the composite image and an image transfer area having a second area, a perimeter and a contour positioned with respect to the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the second image element of the composite image, the hot stamping die being heated to a temperature suitable to activate both the hot stamping foil release coat and the head-activated adhesive;

g. registering the stamping surface of the stamping die with the hot stamping foil web and with the substrate surface, with the web positioned between the die and the substrate surface such that the image transfer area of the stamping surface, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer and the second area of the substrate surface are aligned; and

h. displacing the hot stamping die toward and away from the substrate surface to transfer the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer from the hot stamping foil to the second area of the substrate surface to yield a substrate bearing the complementary image including the two-dimensional reproduction of the first image element within the first area and the holographic reproduction of the second image element within the second area.

11. The method of claim 10 including the further step of depositing a reflective metal layer on the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer before the embossing step and wherein the metal layer is coated with the heat-activated adhesive.

12. The method of claim 10 including the further step of depositing a reflective metal layer on the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer after the embossing step and wherein the metal layer is coated with the heat-activated adhesive.

13. A method of producing a display card depicting a composite image comprising the steps of:

a. providing a self-supporting substrate having an optically opaque surface with a defined area adapted to receive within first and second non-intersecting areas a composite complementary image having separate first and second image elements, the first image element having a first area, a perimeter and a contour, the second image element having a second area, a perimeter and a contour where a segment of the perimeter of the first image element coincides with a segment of the perimeter of the second image element to form a shared perimeter segment having a contour defined by the contour of the first image element, the first area of the substrate surface and the first area of the composite complementary image having substantially coincident areas and contours;

b. reproducing the first image element directly on the surface of the substrate within the first area, the reproduced first image having a two-dimensional image characteristic with an outer surface which remains exposed to ambient light;

c. providing a web of hot stamping foil including a carrier, a heat-activated release layer and a hot stamping layer having interior and exterior surfaces, the release layer securing the interior surface of the hot stamping layer to the carrier;

d. depositing a reflective metal layer on the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer;

e. embossing a holographic reproduction of the second image element into a second area of the metal layer to transfer to the hot stamping a holographic reproduction of the second image element, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer having an area, a perimeter and a contour substantially coincident with the area, the perimeter and the contour of the original second image element;

f. coating the embossed exposed surface of the metal layer with a heat-activated adhesive;

g. providing a hot stamping die having a stamping surface including a raised non-transfer area having a first area, a perimeter and a contour formed within the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the first area of the composite image and an image transfer area having a second area, a perimeter and a contour positioned with respect to the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the second image element of the composite image, the hot stamping die being heated to a temperature suitable to activate both the hot stamping foil release coat and the heat-activated adhesive;

h. registering the stamping surface of the stamping die with the hot stamping foil web and with the substrate surface, with the web positioned between the die and the substrate surface such that the image transfer area of the stamping surface, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer and the second area of the substrate surface are aligned; and

i. displacing the hot stamping die toward and away from the substrate surface to transfer the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer and the metal layer from the hot stamping foil to the second area of the substrate surface to yield a substrate bearing the complementary image including the two-dimensional reproduction of the first image element within the first area and the holographic reproduction of the second image element within the second area.

14. A method of producing a display card depicting a composite image comprising the steps of:

a. providing a self-supporting substrate having an optically opaque surface with a defined area adapted to receive within first and second non-intersecting areas a composite complementary image having separate first and second image elements, the first image element having a first area, a perimeter and a contour, the second image element having a second area, a perimeter and a contour where a segment of the perimeter of the first image element coincides with a segment of the perimeter of the second image element to form a shared perimeter segment having a contour defined by the contour of the first image element, the first area of the substrate surface and the first area of the composite complementary image having substantially coincident areas and contours;

b. reproducing the first image element directly on the surface of the substrate within the first area, the reproduced first image having a two-dimensional image characteristic with an outer surface which remains exposed to ambient light;

c. providing a web of hot stamping foil including a carrier, a heat-activated release layer and a hot stamping layer having interior and exterior surfaces, the release layer securing the interior surface of the hot stamping layer to the carrier;

d. embossing a holographic reproduction of the second image element into a second area of the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer to transfer to the hot stamping foil a holographic reproduction of the second image element, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer having an area, a perimeter and a contour substantially coincident with the area, the perimeter and the contour of the original second image element;

e. depositing a reflective metal layer on the exterior surface of the hot stamping layer;

f. coating the embossed exposed surface of the metal layer with a heat-activated adhesive;

g. providing a hot stamping die having a stamping surface including a raised non-transfer area having a first area, a perimeter and a contour formed within the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the first area of the composite image and an image transfer area having a second area, a perimeter and a contour positioned with respect to the stamping surface to coincide with the location of the second image element of the composite image, the hot stamping die being heated to a temperature suitable to activate both the hot stamping foil release coat and the heat-activated adhesive;

h. registering the stamping surface of the stamping die with the hot stamping foil web and with the substrate surface, with the web positioned between the die and the substrate surface such that the second transfer area of the stamping surface, the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer and the second area of the substrate surface are aligned; and

i. displacing the hot stamping die toward and away from the substrate surface to transfer the embossed second area of the hot stamping layer and the metal layer from the hot stamping foil to the second area of the substrate surface to yield a substrate bearing the complementary image including the two-dimensional reproduction of the first image element within the first area and the holographic reproduction of the second image element within the second area.