The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for mounting laminates on substrates, and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods including a film mounting tool adapted for mounting window films on transparent substrates, such as windows or the like.
Window films are generally transparent plastic and/or metallized laminates that are applied as a thin layer to transparent panels, such as glass windows. Window films are available, in many different compositions for bringing about varying effects on the optical and mechanical properties, of the underlying transparent panels. Window films can reduce energy costs by minimizing the amount of heat entering a building through sunlight, thereby decreasing the amount of energy needed to cool the building. Window films also act as a filter for reflecting most ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths while allowing passage of visible light. This can result in substantial reductions in cooling costs. As noted, such films reduce the amount of ultraviolet entering a window, and are also often applied to reduce fading of the contents of a room. Other kinds of thin window films include security films that are applied to prevent glass from shattering, as well privacy films for controlling the visible light transmitted for effecting privacy purposes.
It will be appreciated that several factors are considered in selecting the correct film to be installed on a window. Such factors include visible light transmission, properties of solar energy to be reflected, and aesthetic considerations when installed.
Because window films are usually installed by applying them to either or both surfaces of flat finished glass, the resulting laminates are less costly than buying chemically altered specialty glass for bringing about the same desired solutions. Additionally, window films can be applied directly to existing windows for effectuating such solutions retroactively. Because window films provide energy savings and help protect furnishings among other advantages, they are generally considered to be an investment that helps pay for itself. As such, they have gained widespread commercial acceptance.
However, due to the inherent mechanical and chemical properties of these films, their installation can be tedious and subject to several shortcomings particularly in a do-it-yourself context. Generally window films are thin and may be difficult to handle, especially if large window panels are to be laminated. For example, window films are relatively thin, such as up to 4 mils. These thin films have a tendency to fold upon themselves. Measuring and cutting thin films to the correct size before they are directly applied is particularly difficult, especially if irregular window shapes are involved and installation is performed by non-professionals, such as a do-it-yourself installer. Additionally, most window films are covered by a release sheet that must be removed before application of the film oh the window. However, there is a strong tendency for the thin adhesive covered film surface to permanently wrinkle, crumple, or crease as the release sheet is manually removed. Accordingly, these film surfaces may stick to themselves even before the release sheet is completely removed. Creasing, wrinkling, etc. may cause permanent film flaws eventually that lead to discarding the films.
The light and flexible nature of these very thin window films also exhibit a tendency to react to air movements, such as those encountered by while the films are carried and mounted by an installer. As such, their adhesive surfaces may both curl and stick to themselves or other objects that they may inadvertently engage (e.g., furniture, window frame, etc.) during installation. This likelihood is increased as the size of the laminate increases. Accordingly, these factors present further opportunities for the window films to be damaged and perhaps eventually discarded. This results in unnecessary additional costs associated with using extra window film as well as increasing the time and/or labor costs associated with their installation.
Moreover, precisely applying the thin cut films to the windows is relatively difficult because of the noted tendencies of films to fold or drape over on themselves while being installed. In addition, dust particles or the like may be attracted to the exposed adhesive surface during installation. Dust particles or the like may result in a less than perfect transparency following installation. Even minute mistakes will produce an unsightly finish on transparent surfaces.
Due to the number and complexity of steps involved installing thin window films is generally considered time consuming, demanding, as well as potentially costly due to film and time wastage. Because of these issues, professional installers are often employed since homeowners are not equipped to be able to easily perform the installation.
Thus, needs exist for providing low cost, simple, and reliable lamination approaches for mounting laminates, such as window films on substrates, such as windows. These needs include being able to easily and reliably cut the laminates to accurate shapes and sizes of the object to be laminated. These needs further include being able to delaminate release sheets from the laminate to expose adhesive in a manner that avoids or minimizes the likelihood of the exposed surfaces creasing or crumpling, thereby rendering them useless. These needs further include being able to support and control such laminates when they are carried and installed so as to avoid the adhesive surface creasing and sticking together. In addition, needs exist for achieving the foregoing inexpensively and in a time efficient manner that lessens installation time and minimizes costs and or the need for additional or professional installers.
Without such needs being satisfied the true potential of laminating such kinds of laminates, such as window films, on substrates, such as windows will not be fully achieved, especially in a simple, reliable, and less time consuming and costly manner.
The present invention provides enhanced methods, apparatus, methods of making such apparatus, and a kit adapted for installing laminates, such as window films, to corresponding substrates, such as transparent panels, in a manner that represents improvements over prior art approaches.
The foregoing shortcomings are overcome or minimized by a method of installing a laminate on a substrate, wherein the method comprises: generating a film mounting tool by cutting a blank sheet to generally match the size and shape of the substrate, providing a laminate, joining the laminate to the film mounting tool so that mutually opposing major surfaces of both are in a generally juxtaposed and coextensive relationship with each other whereby the mounting tool supports the laminate, cutting the laminate so that its shape and size generally conforms to that of the film mounting tool, and applying the laminate by using the film mounting tool to press the laminate against the substrate.
The present invention provides a method of forming an apparatus adapted for sizing, shaping, and supporting a laminate during installation on a substrate, the method comprises: providing a foldable blank sheet, forming one or more folds in the blank sheet for generally matching a size and shape of a boundary of the substrate, and generating the apparatus by cutting the blank sheet adjacent the one or more folds so that its size and shape generally conform to the boundary of the substrate.
The present invention provides a film mounting tool apparatus adapted for sizing, shaping, and supporting a laminate to be installed on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a blank sheet that is made of a material that is foldable and able to be cut to conform it to the size and shape of a boundary of the substrate, the blank sheet includes one or more adhesive surfaces that are releasably attachable to the substrate to facilitate folding and cutting the blank sheet into the tool apparatus so that the tool apparatus matches generally to the boundary of the substrate, the one or more adhesive surfaces facilitate joining the tool apparatus to the laminate whereby the latter can be more precisely cut to match the size and shape of the tool apparatus, and the blank sheet material supports and controls movement of the cut laminate while the latter is applied to the substrate.
The present invention provides a kit comprising: a blank sheet that is made of a material that is foldable and able to be cut to conform it to the size and shape of a boundary of the substrate, the blank sheet includes one or more adhesive surfaces that are releasably attachable to the substrate to facilitate folding and cutting the blank sheet into a film mounting tool apparatus that matches generally the boundary of the substrate, the one or more adhesive surfaces facilitate joining the tool apparatus to the laminate whereby the latter can be more precisely cut to match the size and shape of the tool apparatus, and the blank sheet material supports and controls movement of the cut laminate while the latter is applied to the substrate, and a thin laminate to be mounted on the substrate and joinable thereto so as to be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the tool apparatus.
An aspect of the invention is the provision of method, apparatus, and kit for improving the lamination of laminates to a substrate.
An aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that minimizes significantly the time of installing laminates, such as window films on substrates, such us transparent panels.
An aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that minimizes significantly the costs of installing laminates, such as window films on substrates, such as transparent panels.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that increases significantly the reliability of installing laminates, such as window films on substrates, such as transparent panels.
An aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that minimizes significantly the time of sizing and shaping laminates, such as window films for use on substrates, such as transparent panels.
An aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that minimizes significantly the costs of sizing and shaping laminates, such as window films for use on substrates, such as transparent panels.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that increases significantly the reliability of sizing and shaping laminates, such as window films for use on substrates, such as transparent panels.
An aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that significantly improves control over movement of the laminates during lamination on a substrate.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that achieve the foregoing in a manner that significantly diminishes damage to laminates by the latter curling or folding upon themselves of engaging other materials during installation.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method, apparatus, and kit that enables delaminating of release sheets from laminates so as to expose adhesive layers thereof in a manner that avoids damage to the adhesive layers.
The aspects described herein are merely a few of the several that can be achieved by using the present invention. The foregoing descriptions thereof do not suggest that the invention must only be utilized in a specific manner to attain the foregoing aspects.
These and other features and aspects of this invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. It should be understood that the foregoing generalized description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are not restrictive of the invention.
As used herein, the term “laminate” can mean a layer of a material on a substrate, using the same or different materials of the substrate being laminated.
As used herein, the term “transparent” means allowing an effective proportion of radiation to pass therethrough.
The words “a”, “an”, and “the” are used interchangeably with “at least one” to mean one or more of the elements being described. By using words of orientation, such as “top”, “bottom”, “overlying”, “front”, “back” and “backing” and the like for the location of various elements in the disclosed articles, we refer to the relative position of an element with respect to a horizontally-disposed body portion. It is not intended that the disclosed articles should have any particular orientation in space during or after their manufacture.
While the present invention provides enhanced installation methodologies for installing window films on corresponding transparent panels, such as windows or the like, it also envisions laminating thin film laminates to any suitable substrate. In addition, the present invention contemplates the utilization of a window laminating kit 70 (
As seen in
The template sheet 10 may be comprised of one or more layers of a pliable material selected from a group consisting of, but not limited to materials, such as paper, non-woven materials, and sheet polymers. The template sheet 10 may have any suitable thickness. Thickness ranges are up to about 20 mils, and more typically between 5 to about 10 mils. The foregoing materials and/or thicknesses are selected so that the template sheet 10, when formed into the mounting tool apparatus 20, is relatively stiffer than the window film laminate 30 to be installed. The relatively higher stiffness diminishes tendencies of the more flexible window film laminate 30 to curl or fold upon itself When the two are carried in juxtaposition to each other. Additionally, the relatively higher stiffness tends to inhibit air currents from moving the window film laminate 30 in a manner that might cause it to bend or behave undesirably while being installed. The mounting tool apparatus 20 also tends to prevent an adhesive surface of the window film laminate contacting other structures, while the latter is conveyed to and mounted on the window.
In
Located adjacent at least one end portion of the template sheet 10 is one or more spaced apart adhesive articles or stripes or layers 12a-n (collectively, 12). Alternatively, a major portion of one entire surface of template sheet 10 can have a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer covering it. The adhesive stripes 12 serve to releasably secure the template sheet 10 to the window 40 so that the film mounting tool 20 can be formed. The adhesive stripes 12 also releaseably secure the template to the window film laminate for the purposes to be described. In one illustrated embodiment, the adhesive articles or stripes 12 are pressure-sensitive type. The adhesive stripes 12 may be of the double-sided type. Also, the pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 may be single-sided. In this latter regard, a substrate of the single-sided type may be permanently affixed or otherwise releaseably attached to the template sheet 10. The pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 are typically positioned adjacent edges of the template sheet 10. However, they may be positioned at other locations depending on the size and shape of the window to be laminated.
As noted, one use of the pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 is to be mounted on the template sheet 10 and then releaseably attached to the window 40 (FIG 2A) during formation of the working tool apparatus. As such this assists in holding the template sheet 10 in a juxtaposed and suspended relationship to the window 40, whereby the template sheet can be easily folded or creased and then cut by a single installer. No other installers need be present. As illustrated in
As seen in
The pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 remain attached to the window film laminate 30 and allow the combination to be moved together. Also, the pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 are capable of allowing delamination of the mounting tool apparatus 20 from the window film laminate 30 following installation of the latter on the window 40.
An installer can first attach the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive stripes 12 to the template sheet 10, for example, after the latter has been unrolled from a web roll 84 (
Reference is made back to the window 40. As noted, it is one of many kinds of substrates that can be laminated according to this invention. The window 40 may be any type made of any suitable material, such as glass, transparent plastics or the like. Additionally, the window 40 can have any number of suitable optical, chemical and mechanical properties. The window 40 is surrounded by a suitable window assembly 50, such as the kind used for residential purposes. It will be appreciated that there exists a wide variety of window assemblies that may be used and the type depicted is for illustration purposes only.
The window film laminate 30 is used for changing the optical properties of the underlying window 40. Window film laminates are generally transparent, plastic and/or metallized laminates that are applied as thin layers to transparent panels, such as glass windows. Window film laminates are available in many different compositions for bringing about varying effects on the optical and mechanical properties of the underlying transparent panels. The present invention is not limited by the kind of window film laminate to be used.
The window film laminate 30 may be made of several layers of polymer materials. One layer is a release sheet 32 and it is removed from the laminate base layer 34 so as to expose a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface layer 36 that is to remain laminated to the window 40. In this embodiment, the release sheet 32 covers a major surface of a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface layer 36 (
The window film laminate 30 in one illustrated embodiment includes a transparent multilayer structure that reflects light in the infrared and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and transmits light in the visible region of the spectrum. The laminate base layer 34 of the laminate 30 may include a layer that effectively reflects up to about 99.9% of infrared and up to about 99% of ultraviolet. Other reflecting ranges for infrared and ultraviolet are contemplated. For instance, the amount of infrared reflected may range from about 0% to about 99%, while the amount of ultraviolet reflected may be in a range of 90-100. It will be appreciated that window film laminate bases 34 can possess other optical and mechanical properties. Window films of the type noted above generally have thicknesses ranging from about 1 to about 6 mils.
Typically, the polymer materials of the release sheet 32 include but are not limited to polyester. Typically, the polymer materials of the laminate base layer 34 that includes the optical properties of the laminate include but are not limited to polyester, vinyl, and other suitable materials. For example, one window film laminate 30 is Prestige™ window film, commercially available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. Another kind of window film that may be used is Scotch® Tint window film, commercially available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. Other kinds of suitable window film laminates may be used, such as solar window film, graphic design window film, privacy window film, security window film, frosted window film, and any combination thereof.
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made back to
Reference is now made to
As seen in
As seen in
Aspects of the window laminating kit 70 are illustrated in various ones of the
It is believed that the process of the present invention is readily understood from the foregoing. However, a brief description is set forth below. The methodology of installing a laminate on a substrate includes sizing and shaping a foldable blank sheet to the size and shape of a substrate, generating a film mounting tool by cutting the blank sheet to the size and shape of the substrate, providing a thin laminate, joining mutually opposing major surfaces of the laminate to the film mounting tool in a close juxtaposed and generally coextensive relation for allowing reliable sizing and shaping of the laminate to the film mounting fool, delaminating a release sheet from the laminate while joined thereto so as to expose an adhesive layer of the laminate, and directly pressing the pressure-sensitive layer to the window by the film mounting tool.
The above embodiments have been described as being accomplished in a particular sequence, it will be appreciated, that such sequences of the operations may change and still remain within the scope of the invention. Also, other procedures may be added.
This invention may take oil various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope. Accordingly, this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but is to be controlled by limitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalents thereof.
This invention also may be suitably practiced in the absence of any element not specifically disclosed herein. All patents and publications noted above, including any in the Background section are incorporated by reference into this document in total.
The present application is related to copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent applications: U.S. patent application (Attorney Docket No. 62687US002) entitled “Window Film Assembly and Method of Installation”; U.S. patent application (Attorney Docket No. 62688US002, entitled “Window Film Frame Assemblies For Installation Over Windows And Methods”; and U.S. patent application (Attorney Docket No. 62689US002) entitled “Apparatus For Mounting Film Structures And Methods”; all of which are filed concurrently herewith.