Light-stable colored transparent composite films

• US 6,440,551 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Performance Films, LLC (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Original Assignee: CPFilms Inc. (Eastman Chemical Company)
• Inventors: Enniss, James P., Lawless, Mary E., Barth, Steven A., Port, Anthony B., Packer, Elizabeth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rickman, Holly C.
• Application Number:
  US09/332,527
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 428/323, 428/329, 428/426, 428/480, 428/457, 428/458, 428/430, 428/203, 428/204, 428/205, 428/209
• US Class Current: 428/323
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10018 comprising only one glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10339 Specific parts of the laminated safety glass or glazing being colored or tinted tinted glass sheet B32B17/1011; tinted interlayer B32B17/10651
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10743 containing acrylate (co)polymers or salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/10 on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/007 containing a dispersed phase, e.g. particles, fibres or flakes, in a continuous phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/485 Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0423 with at least one layer of inorganic material and at least one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/043 Improving the adhesiveness of the coatings per se, e.g. forming primers adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by the primer layers between the polymer carriers and the adhesives C09J7/50
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/046 Forming abrasion-resistant coatings; Forming surface-hardening coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/256 : Heavy metal or aluminum or compound thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/257 : Iron oxide or aluminum oxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/266 : of base or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/268 : Monolayer with structurally defined element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 : including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2891 : including addition polymer from alpha-beta unsaturated carboxylic acid [e.g., acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, etc.] Or derivative thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31616 : Next to polyester [e.g., alkyd]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 : Of metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 : Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31692 : Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31725 : Of polyamide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31728 : Next to second layer of polyamide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 : Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

Composite film structures exhibit a predetermined finished color tone comprised of a transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency as compared to the finished color tone, and a pigment which is visually associated with, and satisfies the color deficiency of, the film layer. Most preferably, the pigment is provided as a homogenous dispersion in a transparent color-matching layer positioned adjacent to the film layer. Thus, when the film and color-matching layers are viewed collectively as a unit, the perceived color tone will be that of the finished predetermined color tone. That is, the color-matching layer provides visually an additive effect on the perceived color of the composite film structure.

Claims

1. A transparent film which exhibits a predetermined finished color tone comprising:

a color-deficient dyed transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency in at least one of hue, chroma and value as compared to the predetermined finished color tone; and

a transparent color-matching layer visually associated with said film layer, said color-matching layer including at least one pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m and exhibits a matching color tone satisfying the color deficiency of said film layer to thereby impart to the transparent film the predetermined finished color tone when the color-deficient dyed film layer and the color-matching layer are viewed collectively as a unit.

2. The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said transparent color-matching layer is positioned adjacent said film layer.

3. The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said film layer is a thermoplastic.

4. The transparent film of claim 3, wherein said thermoplastic film layer is polyethylene terephthalate.

5. The transparent film of claim 1, wherein said at least one pigment is homogeneously dispersed as a blend throughout the transparent color matching layer.

6. The transparent film of claim 2, wherein the film layer has a yellow color deficiency, and wherein the color-matching layer includes a dispersion of a yellow-colored pigment.

7. The transparent film of claim 6, wherein the pigment is an iron oxide.

8. The transparent film of claim 1, further comprising a protective coating layer on the film layer.

12. The transparent film of claim 1, 9 or 11, wherein said at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.10 μ

m.

13. The transparent film of claim 1, 9 or 11, wherein said at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.05 μ

m.

9. A transparent film which exhibits a predetermined finished color tone comprising:

a color-deficient dyed transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency in at least one of hue, chroma and value as compared to the predetermined finished color tone; and

a transparent color-marching layer which includes at least one pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m which is visually associated with the film layer, wherein said color-matching layer exhibits a matching color tone satisfying the color deficiency of said film layer to thereby impart to the composite film the predetermined finished color tone when the color-deficient dyed film layer and the color-matching layer are viewed collectively as a unit, and wherein

said film layer includes first and second film layers laminated to one another.

10. The transparent film of claim 9, further comprising a protective coating layer over the film layer.

11. A transparent film which exhibits a predetermined finished color tone comprising:

a color-deficient dyed transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency in at least one of hue, chroma and value as compared to the predetermined finished color tone; and

at least one pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m which is visually associated with the film layer, wherein said at least one pigment exhibits a matching color tone satisfying the color deficiency of said film layer to thereby impart to the composite film the predetermined finished color tone when the color-deficient dyed film layer and the at least one pigment are viewed collectively as a unit, and wherein

said film layer includes a metallized layer.

14. A transparent composite film having a finished gray color tone comprising:

a transparent polyester terephthalate film layer which is dyed to exhibit a selected color tone having a color deficiency in at least one of red, blue and yellow color tones as compared to the finished gray color tone of the composite film; and

a transparent color-matching layer adjacent said film layer containing a pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m which exhibits a matching color tone satisfying the color tone deficiency of said film layer.

15. The transparent composite film of claim 14, wherein said film layer exhibits a yellow color deficiency, and wherein said pigment has a yellow color tone which satisfies the yellow color deficiency of the film layer.

16. The transparent composite film of claim 14, wherein the color-matching layer is comprised of an adhesive with the pigment dispersed homogeneously throughout the adhesive.

17. The transparent composite film of claim 16, further comprising a protective coating adjacent to the film layer on a side opposite to the color matching layer.

18. The transparent composite film of claim 14, wherein the color-matching layer is a protective polymeric layer adjacent to the film layer with the pigment dispersed homogeneously throughout the protective polymeric layer.

19. The transparent composite film of claim 14, wherein the film layer includes first and second thermoplastic film layers, and an adhesive laminating layer positioned between and laminating the first and second thermoplastic film layers to one another.

20. The transparent composite film of claim 19, wherein the adhesive layer comprises said color-matching layer such that said pigment is dispersed homogeneously throughout said adhesive layer.

21. The transparent film of claim 14, wherein the pigment has have an average particle size of less than about 0.10 μ

m.

22. The transparent film of claim 14, wherein the pigment has have an average particle size of less than about 0.05 μ

m.

23. The combination comprising a glass substrate, and affixed thereto, a transparent composite film according to any one of claims 14, 20.

24. A process for making a transparent composite film which exhibits a predetermined finished color tone comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a color-deficient dyed transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency in at least one of hue, chroma and value as compared to the predetermined finished color tone; and

(b) visually associating at least one color matching layer with said film layer, wherein said at least one color matching layer includes at least one pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m and exhibiting a matching color tone satisfying the color deficiency of said film layer to thereby impart to the composite film the predetermined finished color tone when the color-deficient dyed film layer and color-matching layer are viewed collectively as a unit.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein step (b) includes dispersing the at least one pigment homogeneously throughout an adhesive to form an adhesive pigment dispersion, and then forming the color-matching layer of the adhesive pigment dispersion adjacent to the film layer.

26. The process of claim 24, wherein step (b) includes dispersing the pigment homogeneously throughout a curable polymeric coating material to form a coating pigment dispersion, forming the color-matching layer of the curable coating pigment dispersion adjacent to the film layer, and curing the coating pigment dispersion to form a protective hard coating thereon.

27. The process of claim 24, wherein step (a) includes providing first and second film layers, and laminating said first and second film layers to one another with a laminating adhesive, and wherein step (b) includes dispersing the pigment homogeneously throughout the laminating adhesive to form a laminating adhesive pigment dispersion.

28. The process of claim 24, wherein the at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.10 μ

m.

29. The process of claim 24, wherein the at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.05 μ

m.

30. A transparent composite film which exhibits a predetermined finished color comprising a transparent film layer which exhibits a yellow color deficiency, and a color-matching layer adjacent said transparent film layer, wherein said color-matching layer includes yellow-colored pigment particles having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m in an amount sufficient to visually satisfy the yellow color deficiency of said film layer such that said film and color-matching layers collectively exhibit the predetermined finished color when viewed together as a unit.

31. The transparent composite film of claim 30, wherein said yellow-colored pigment particles include iron oxide pigment particles.

32. The transparent composite film of claim 31, wherein said film layer is a polyethylene terephthalate film layer.

33. The transparent composite film of claim 30, wherein the color-matching layer is applied directly onto the film layer.

34. The transparent composite film of claim 30, wherein the color-matching layer includes an adhesive with the pigment particles dispersed homogeneously throughout the adhesive.

35. The transparent composite film of claim 34, wherein the color-matching layer is applied directly onto the film layer.

36. The combination comprised of a glass substrate, and affixed thereto, a transparent film which exhibits a predetermined finished color tone, wherein said transparent film comprises:

a color-deficient dyed transparent film layer which exhibits a color deficiency in at least one of hue, chroma and value as compared to the predetermined finished color tone; and

at least one pigment having an average particle size of less than about 0.50 μ

m which is visually associated with the film layer, wherein said at least one pigment exhibits a matching color tone satisfying the color deficiency of said film layer to thereby impart to the transparent film the predetermined finished color tone when the color-deficient dyed film layer and the at least one pigment are viewed collectively as a unit.

37. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein said film layer is a thermoplastic.

38. The transparent film of claim 37, wherein said thermoplastic film layer is polyethylene terephthalate.

39. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein said at least one pigment is homogeneously dispersed as a blend throughout the transparent film layer.

40. The transparent film of claim 37, wherein the film layer has a yellow color deficiency, and wherein the color-matching layer includes a dispersion of a yellow-colored pigment.

41. The transparent film of claim 40, wherein the at least one pigment includes an iron oxide.

42. The transparent film of claim 36, further comprising a protective coating layer on the film layer.

43. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein said film layer includes first and second film layers laminated to one another.

44. The transparent film of claim 43, further comprising a protective coating layer over the film layer.

45. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein said film layer includes a metallized layer.

46. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein the at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.10 μ

m.

47. The transparent film of claim 36, wherein the at least one pigment has an average particle size of less than about 0.05 μ

m.