Method of producing a reflective design

• US 7,691,281 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmony Fastening Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harmony Fastening Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Collier, Michael Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Shamim
• Application Number:
  US12/074,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20080152796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 427/148, 216/28, 216/65, 216/94
• US Class Current: 216/94
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/00 Decorating textiles
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/02 Producing patterns by locally destroying or modifying the fibres of a web by chemical actions, e.g. making translucent
• CPC Class Codes: D06Q 1/12 by transferring a chemical agent or a metallic or non-metallic material in particulate or other form, from a solid temporary carrier to the textile for uniform treatment D06M23/02

Abstract

A method of producing a reflective design includes the steps of lasering a pattern on an adhesive side of a reflective laminated material. The lasering ablates the adhesive and causes these areas to not adhere. The reflective laminate material is applied to a substrate. A carrier layer of the reflective laminate is removed to produce a reflective design on the substrate. This method allows for highly customized designs at a reasonable cost that are very visually appealing. The substrate may be a textile, paper, or decal material. The textile may be the garment or may be a patch that is sewn onto a garment or applied to the garment with an adhesive.

Claims

1. A method of producing a reflective design, in a reflective laminate having a carrier layer, a reflective film layer, an adhesive layer and an adhesive protective layer, comprising the steps of:

a) removing the adhesive protection layer from a continuous aver of reflective laminate;

b) lasering a pattern on an adhesive layer of a reflective laminate material to remove an adhesive at selected locations, wherein the reflective film layer has plurality of glass beads;

c) applying the reflective laminate material to a substrate; and

d) removing a carrier layer of the reflective laminate material, whereby portions of the reflective film layer are removed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of lasering results in ablating a portion of the adhesive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of lasering including the step of preparing a mirror image of a desired graphic.

4. The method of claim 1, furthering including the step of adjusting an output selling on a laser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the reflective laminate material includes the step of applying heat to the reflective laminate material.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of applying pressure to the reflective laminate.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of

d) patterning a surface of the reflective film.

8. A method of producing a reflective design in a reflective laminate having a carrier layer, a reflective film layer, an adhesive layer and an adhesive protection layer, comprising the steps of:

a) removing the adhesive protection layer from a continuous layer of the reflective laminate;

b) ablating selected portions of an adhesive to form a design in the adhesive layer; and

c) applying the reflective film to a substrate, whereby portions of the reflective film layer are removed with the carrier layer is removed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying the reflective film to the substrate includes the step of selecting the substrate with a heat activated adhesive on one side of the substrate and laminating the reflective film to the substrate to form an iron-on patch.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of applying the reflective film to the substrate includes the step of selecting a paper as the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of applying the reflective film to the substrate includes the step of selecting a decal material as the substrate.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of applying an adhesive to the substrate.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating the design in the reflective film includes the step of lasering a pattern on an adhesive side of a reflective laminate material.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating the design in the reflective film includes the step of lasering a pattern on a top surface of the reflective film.

15. The method of claim 8, further including the step of wrapping a pair of tabs of the substrate around an article and adhering the pair of tabs to each other.