Multi-layer sealing films

• US 9,366,789 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Thakkar, Bimal V., Emslander, Jeffrey O., Feisel, Bryan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US13/701,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 359529-553
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24562 Interlaminar spaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

The present application generally relates to multi-layer sealing films, methods of making such films, materials for inclusion in such films, retroreflective sheeting and articles including such films, and methods of making retroreflective sheeting and articles including such films. The multi-layer sealing film may include two or more layers. One exemplary embodiment of a two-layer film includes a first layer including a thermoplastic polymeric material including reaction products of alkylene and reaction products of at least one non-acidic comonomer and a second layer including one of a polyolefin, a polyester, a polymethyl methacrylate, a polyamide, a polycarbonate, an ethylene-methacrylic acid, and a polyurethane. In some embodiments, at least one of the layers of the multi-layer sealing film has an elastic modulus of at least 3.5×10⁵ kPa and the flexural rigidity of the retroreflective article is less than about 4.0×10⁻⁸ N·m².

Claims

1. A retroreflective article, comprising:

a plurality of cube corner elements; and

a multi-layer sealing film at least a portion of which is adhered to at least some of the plurality of cube corner elements such that the multi-layer sealing film maintains an air interface between the cube corner elements and the multi-layer sealing film, wherein the multi-layer sealing film includes;

a first sealing film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymeric material including reaction products of alkylene in an amount of at least about 50% by weight and reaction products of at least one non-acidic comonomer in an amount of less than about 25% by weight; and

a second sealing film layer including at least one of a polypropylene and high density polyethylene;

wherein at least one of the first sealing film layer and the second sealing film layer has an elastic modulus that is between about 3.5×

10⁵ kPa and about 50×

10⁵ kPa, and wherein the flexural rigidity of the retroreflective article is between about 1.0×

10<sup>−

8</sup> N·

m² and about 4.0×

10<sup>−

8</sup> N·

m².

2. The retroreflective article of claim 1, further including:

a third sealing film layer comprising at least one of

a thermoplastic polymeric material including reaction products of alkylene in an amount of at least about 50% by weight and reaction products of at least one non-acidic comonomer in an amount of less than about 25% by weight; and

a polyolefin, a polyester, a polymethyl methacrylate, a polyamide, a polycarbonate, an ethylene-methacrylic acid, and a polyurethane.

3. The retroreflective article of claim 2, wherein one of the second sealing film layer and third sealing film layer further includes about 5 wt-% to about 30 wt-% of an opacifying agent.

4. The retroreflective article of claim 1, further comprising:

a polymeric, light transmissive body layer having an elastic modulus of less than about 3.5×

10⁸ Pa.

5. The retroreflective article of claim 1, further comprising:

a layer selected from the group consisting essentially of (1) a land layer having a thickness that is between about 0 micrometers and about 250 micrometers and (2) a body layer having a thickness that is less than about 1000 micrometers.

6. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the retroreflective article has a coefficient of retroreflection of at least about 250 cd/lux/m² at a 0.2°

observation angle and a −

4°

entrance angle when subjected to a load of about 53 kg/m.

7. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the retroreflective article has a coefficient of retroreflection of at least about 150 cd/lux/m² at a −

4°

entrance angle, and a 0.2°

observation angle.

8. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the retroreflective article has a curvature of less than about 50 mm in a downweb direction when subjected to residual solvent vapors for at least about 30 minutes.

9. The retroreflective article of claim 8, wherein the curvature is less than about 20 mm.

10. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the retroreflective article has an average curvature of less than about 50 mm when subjected to residual solvent vapors for at least 30 minutes.

11. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymeric material is at least one of acid modified, anhydride modified, carbon monoxide modified, and combinations thereof.

12. The retroreflective article of claim 1, wherein the non-acidic comonomer is at least one of vinyl acetate, alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers, and mixtures thereof.

13. The retroreflective article of claim 1, further including:

a third sealing film layer whose composition is essentially the same as one of the first or second sealing film layers.

14. A multi-layer sealing film, comprising:

a first sealing film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymeric material including reaction products of alkylene in an amount of at least about 50% by weight and reaction products of at least one non-acidic comonomer in an amount of less than 25% by weight; and

a second sealing film layer including at least one of a polypropylene and high density polyethylene;

wherein at least one of the first sealing film layer and the second sealing film layer has an elastic modulus that is between about 3.5×

10⁵ kPa and about 50×

10⁵ kPa, and wherein the multi-layer sealing film is configured to impart a flexural rigidity between about 1.0×

10<sup>−

8</sup> N·

m² and about 4.0×

10<sup>−

8</sup> N·

m² to a retroreflective article comprising the multi-layer sealing film.

15. The multi-layer sealing film of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the multi-layer sealing film is adhered to at least a portion of a microstructured surface including a plurality of cube corner elements, the multi-layer sealing film maintaining an air interface between the cube corner elements and the multi-layer sealing film.

16. The multi-layer sealing film of claim 14, further comprising:

a third sealing film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymeric material including reaction products of alkylene in an amount of at least about 50% by weight and reaction products of at least one non-acidic comonomer in an amount of less than about 25% by weight.