Patent Application
20130316115
The present disclosure broadly relates to decorative film laminates.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of vehicles such as automobiles, as well as other vehicles (e.g., aircraft, watercraft, and other land based vehicles), have used conformable paint replacement films to cover parts of the vehicle body (e.g., to trim out the body areas around side glass, also known as a Daylight Opening or DLO). These paint replacement films are often colored black to provide a black accent color on those surfaces. The films are typically polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) films with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer that has air bleed capability to facilitate application. The films are offered in various finishes, ranging from a 5 percent gloss textured finish to 30 percent mid-gloss smooth finish to a 90 percent high gloss smooth finish to accommodate OEM design requirements for particular vehicle models/platforms. Textured or mid-gloss finishes are typically preferred in vehicle assembly plants for ease of application because they tend to hide surface defects such as dust or roughness. However, OEM specifications often require a high gloss finish, particularly on premium class vehicles, because it enhances the appearance and provides a higher value perception to the consumer.
One problem that OEMs face in using high gloss films is that roughness in the original body paint surface, referred to generically as “orange peel”, often is apparent through the paint replacement films, especially through the black colored paint replacement films, which yields an unacceptable (non-smooth) surface appearance. Improving the body paint application to reduce orange peel is difficult and adds complexity to the paint shop operation. Finishing techniques can be laborious and the associated dust is not well-suited to a clean-room painting environment.
Some OEMs have resorted to using relatively thick appliqué parts made of hard plastic or metal, which can be applied over the original body paint and attached either mechanically or with pressure-sensitive foam tape to hide the orange peel. Appliqués are more expensive than paint replacement films, more difficult to design for fit and finish on the sheet metal components, more troublesome because gaps in the fit to the vehicle body can cause wind noise and rattling at highway speeds, and more difficult to install in the assembly plant and repair in the field.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a decorative article is provided that comprises a first member and a second member. The first member has an outer surface and a peripheral edge, and comprises a conformable opaque color film backed by a first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The second member comprises a semi-rigid sheet or smoothing layer backed by a second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The semi-rigid sheet has a first edge opposite a second edge and a major surface contacting the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The first member extends beyond the first edge and the second edge, and at least one of the first edge and second edge of the semi-rigid sheet is a rounded edge.
In some embodiments, at least one of the first edge and second edge of the semi-rigid sheet is rounded so as to cause a relatively gradual change in the slope of the first member as it extends beyond the semi-rigid sheet. In some embodiments, at least one of the first edge and second edge of the semi-rigid sheet is a rounded edge with a radius of curvature equal to at least about half the thickness of the semi-rigid sheet.
In some embodiments, the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is disposed on and substantially coextensive with the conformable opaque color film. The second member has a first edge opposite a second edge. The semi-rigid sheet or smoothing layer contacts the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is disposed on the semi-rigid sheet. The second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is substantially coextensive with the semi-rigid sheet.
In some embodiments, the second member has a third edge opposite a fourth edge, and wherein the third edge and the fourth edge are superposed on the peripheral edge. In some embodiments, the second member is disposed within the peripheral edge. In some embodiments, the decorative article comprises a main portion and opposed alignment tabs adjacent the main portion, wherein the alignment tabs are detachable along respective lines of weakness (e.g., lines of perforations).
In some embodiments, the first member further comprises a transparent protective layer disposed on the conformable opaque color film and extending to the peripheral edge. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the first member has a 20 degree gloss of at least 40 gloss units. In some embodiments, the decorative article further comprises a premask releasably adhered to the outer surface of the first member.
In some embodiments, the decorative article is adapted to be adhered to a painted surface of a motor vehicle body. In some of those embodiments, the portion of a painted motor vehicle body comprises an automotive b-pillar (i.e., the show surfaces on the front and rear doors that are parallel to the center pillar between the doors.)
In some embodiments, the semi-rigid sheet comprises a polyester sheet. In some embodiments, the first member and the second member are biaxially coextensive. In some embodiments, the decorative article further comprises a release liner releasably adhered to the first and second pressure-sensitive adhesive layers.
In some embodiments, the semi-rigid sheet comprises a polyester sheet. In some embodiments, the first member and the second member are biaxially coextensive. In some embodiments, the decorative article further comprises a release liner releasably adhered to the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
In another aspect of the present invention, a combination is provided that comprises a decorative article according to the present invention and a substrate having a substrate surface. The substrate surface has undesirable surface defects, the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is adhered to (e.g., adheres the semi-rigid sheet to) the substrate surface, and the semi-rigid sheet is thick enough and rigid or stiff enough to prevent the undesirable surface defects from substantially reading-through to the outer surface of the first member. The undesirable surface defects substantially read through to the outer surface of the first member, when such defects are sufficiently visible with a normal unaided human eye as to be unacceptable. Preferably, the undesirable surface defects cannot be seen on the outer surface of the first member with a normal unaided human eye. The undesirable surface defects can include, but not limited to, surface roughness (e.g., “orange peel”), texture, perforations (e.g., holes through a sheet metal surface), indentations, dirt, other contamination and any combination of such surface defects.
In an additional aspect of the present invention, a method is provided that comprises applying a decorative article according to the present invention so as to cover undesirable surface defects on a surface of a substrate without the surface defects substantially reading-through to the outer surface of the first member. Preferably, the undesirable surface defects cannot be seen on the outer surface of the first member with a normal unaided human eye.
In some embodiments, a decorative article according to the present invention is applied to a painted or primed surface of a substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate comprises at least a portion of a motor vehicle body such as, e.g., an automotive b-pillar.
In some embodiments, decorative articles according to the present disclosure are useful as paint replacement films, and especially black colored paint replacement films.
Advantageously, by including the second member, decorative articles according to the present disclosure exhibit reduced orange peel transmitted through the decorative article when applied over painted or primed metal having an orange peel texture as compared to decorative articles that lack the second member. Also advantageously, decorative articles of the present disclosure can cover dirt and contamination, or defects in the sheet metal surface, which improves the ease of application of the articles as compared to decorative articles that lack the second member. This is especially useful in the case of high gloss decorative articles where read-through of surface texture or dirt/contamination is readily apparent.
Advantages and features of the invention may be more completely understood by consideration of the following figures in connection with the detailed description provided below. The figures are illustrative drawings of various articles and are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Referring now to
Second member 120 comprises semi-rigid sheet or smoothing layer 124 having a first straight cut lateral edge 162 opposite a second straight cut lateral edge 164 and contacting first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 115. Second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 127 is disposed on, and substantially coextensive with, semi-rigid sheet 124. First member 110 extends beyond first edge 162 and second edge 164. Decorative article 100 may further comprise at least one of optional premask 130 and optional release liner 140.
Referring now to
The conformable opaque color film is first of all opaque and conformable (i.e., conforms to the surface of a substrate during application of the decorative article to the substrate. By the term “opaque”, it is meant that an ordinary observer would be unable to see surface coloration of the substrate and the semi-rigid sheet through the conformable opaque color film. Some conformable opaque color films comprise a conformable polymer film containing sufficient colorant (e.g., pigment and/or dye) to render it opaque. Any color of colorant (e.g., white, black red, blue, yellow, silver, or gold) may be used. If intended for use as a paint replacement film, the color of the decorative article is typically black. Examples of suitable polymers for use in the polymer film include plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene and polyethylene), ionomers, ethylene copolymers (e.g., ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), acrylate-urethane interpenetrating polymer networks and combinations thereof. Other useful conformable opaque color films include polymer films having an opaque coating (e.g., a paint) thereon.
The conformable opaque color film is used in combination with first pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer 115. Any pressure-sensitive adhesive may be used. Exemplary PSAs include acrylic PSAs. The pressure-sensitive adhesive may be smooth or textured. In some embodiments, the pressure-sensitive adhesive has air bleed capability to prevent trapped air bubbles during application of the decorative article to the substrate; for example, as a result of a microstructured surface (e.g., channels, ridges, cylindrical prisms, and/or pyramids) formed in the PSA layer; for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,675 (Mikami et al.) and U.S. Pat. Appln. Publ. No. 2008/0105356 A1 (Fleming et al.). The thickness of the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is typically dependent upon several factors including, for example, the adhesive composition, the type of structures used to form the microstructured surface, the type of substrate, and the thickness of the decorative article. Those skilled in the art are capable of adjusting the thickness to address specific application factors. In general, the thickness of the adhesive layer is generally greater than the height of the structures which comprise the microstructured surface. Typically, the thickness of the adhesive layer is within a range from about 10 to about 50 micrometers, although other thicknesses may be used.
The optional protective transparent layer (e.g., a topcoat) typically comprises a polymeric film (e.g., an aliphatic polyurethane or fluoropolymer) that imparts a degree of abrasion resistance, weathering resistance, and/or stain resistance, although its role may be aesthetic (e.g., to provide a “wet” look).
The combination of the conformable opaque color film, PSA layer, and optional protective transparent layer e.g., as in the first member), are commonly included in decorative films that are also known in the art as paint replacement films. Details concerning such films may be found in, for example, U.S. Publ. Pat. Appl. Nos. 2007/0047099 A1 (Clemens et al.) and 2008/0199683A1 (Egashira et al.) and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,034,275 (Pearson et al.); 5,114,789 (Reafler); 5,242,751 (Hartman); 5,268,215 (Krenceski et al.); 5,468,532 (Ho et al.); 5,965,256 (Barrera); 6,399,193 (Ellison); 6,475,616 (Dietz et al.); 7,141,294 (Sakurai et al.); and 7,141,303 (Clemens et al.).
Suitable PSA backed conformable opaque color films are known in the art, and some are commercially available. Examples include those available from 3M Company of Saint Paul, Minn. as 3M PAINT REPLACEMENT FILM WITH COMPLY ADHESIVE PERFORMANCE (e.g., marketed in grades F577, FCW2143J, FCW3143J, FPA2300J, FPA9300J, FPW2001J/S, FPW9000J, FRA0045J, FTA9055J, FTW9953J, FUS 1007, and PB2156). COMPLY ADHESIVE refers to pressure-sensitive adhesives marketed by 3M Company and having microreplicated channels to facilitate air bleed during application to a substrate.
Optionally, a premask (i.e., a releasably adhered protective film or sheet) may be present on the outer surface (e.g., non-PSA coated surface) of the first member. Useful premasks include polymer films and treated paper. Premasks are disposable and are normally discarded during or after application of the decorative article to a substrate.
Decorative articles according to the present disclosure may have any gloss (e.g., low gloss, medium gloss, or high gloss) although the advantages of the present disclosure will typically be most evident in the instance of high gloss decorative articles. In some embodiments, the decorative article may have a 20 degree gloss of at least 30, 40, 50, or even at least 60 gloss units.
The semi-rigid sheet or smoothing layer is semi-rigid, that is it should have sufficient flexibility to conform under pressure to a three-dimensional substrate (e.g., an automotive pillar), yet should be of sufficient rigidity that it substantially inhibits transmission of imperfections on the surface of the substrate to the surface of the first member such as, for example, orange peel texture on the substrate surface, holes formed into or through the substrate, sheet metal defects, imperfections, etc., or combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the semi-rigid sheet may not be flexible enough to be wrapped 180 degrees at a radius of about 3 millimeters without damage. As used herein, the term “sheet” refers to a thin piece of material having width and length that are substantially larger than the thickness of the piece of material. It is desirable for the major surface of the semi-rigid or smoothing sheet to have a maximum long wave smoothness (measured using a Wave-Scan DOI measuring device obtained from BYK Gardner, catalog number 4816) of up to about 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1, depending on the aesthetic requirements of the particular application.
The semi-rigid sheet may be made of any material having the aforementioned properties in sheet form. Preferably, the material used for the semi-rigid sheet is chosen so as to exhibit a coefficient of thermal expansion that is the same or at least comparable to that of the material used to make the underlying substrate. Desirable semi-rigid sheets according to the present invention can have a thickness in the range of from about 50 micrometers up to and including about 1000 micrometers or more, up to and including about 1500 micrometers or more, or up to and including about 2000 micrometers or more.
Examples of materials that can be used to make semi-rigid sheets include papers and polymeric (e.g., plastic) films. Exemplary semi-rigid sheets can have a thickness in the range of from about 0.002 to 0.005 inch (0.05 to 0.12 mm). Exemplary semi-rigid sheets can be made of biaxially oriented, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, and cellulose acetate sheets. Exemplary semi-rigid sheets can also comprise acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate-acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (PC-ABS). The above noted sheet materials and thicknesses are not intended to exclude other materials and thicknesses that also are functional for this intended use. In addition to a semi-rigid sheet, the second member can also include an additional layer having a very smooth top surface attached to the top surface of the semi-rigid sheet to insure that no undesirable surface texture on the semi-rigid sheet reads through to the show surface of the first member. Such a very smooth layer can be particularly useful, when the first member has a high gloss finish.
The second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 127 is disposed (e.g., coated) on the semi-rigid sheet. The second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is substantially coextensive with the semi-rigid sheet, although minor differences can be tolerated under many circumstances. Any pressure-sensitive adhesive may be used. For example, the second PSA layer and the first PSA layer may comprise the same or different adhesive. Exemplary second pressure-sensitive adhesives include acrylic PSAs such as, for example, those marketed by 3M Company. As with first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 115, the second pressure-sensitive adhesive may be smooth or textured. In some embodiments, the second pressure-sensitive adhesive has air bleed capability to prevent trapped air bubbles during application of the decorative article to the substrate; for example, as a result of a microstructured surface. Typically, the thickness of the second PSA layer is within a range from about 10 to about 50 micrometers, although other thicknesses may be used.
Optionally, a release liner may be releasably adhered to either or both of the first and second pressure-sensitive adhesive layers. Examples include silicone-treated papers and silicone-treated polyester films. Release liners are readily available from commercial sources.
Typically, edges of the first and second members are essentially perpendicular to their respective major surfaces; for example, as formed by standard die cutting or knife cutting. However, in some embodiments, peripheral edges of the first and/or second members may be feathered (that is, angled) or rounded; for example, to better hide the edges and provide a smoother visual transition.
When the decorative article 100 is applied to the surface of a substrate, one or both portions of the first member 110 extending beyond the semi-rigid sheet 124 conform to the surface of the substrate. Depending on the configuration (i.e., shape and dimensions) of the underlying substrate, one or both of the straight cut lateral edges 162 and 164 of sheet 124 can telegraph through to be seen as a straight edge or crease on the surface of the decorative article 100 (as shown in
Referring to
If optional alignment tabs 132, 134 are not present, second member 120 has third end edge 172 opposite fourth end edge 174. End edges 172 and 174 are each superposed on a corresponding length of peripheral edge 152 of first member 110. In another embodiment, if tabs 132, 134 are not present, first member 110 can optionally include one or two end portions (not shown) of peripheral edge 152 that are as wide as corresponding end edges 172 and 174 and that extend beyond and wrap around and under a portion of edge 172 and/or edge 174 of second member 120, respectively. In this way, one or both end edges 172 and 174 can be hidden to provide a more finished end edge appearance for decorative article 100, depending on customer preference.
In one exemplary embodiment, the decorative article is a unitary film that consists of a PET film die-cut to the shape of a painted surface of vehicle body, over-laminated with a high gloss first member (e.g., a high gloss 3M PAINT REPLACEMENT FILM as discussed above) that is indexed and die-cut according to the shape of a vehicle body part, but designed with locating holes to allow positioning of the PET film on the vehicle body part, and with first member extensions that can be wrapped around the backside of the vehicle body part to finish the edges and provide a smooth, even transition. Typically, the second member is positioned such that it is within 1 mm of the vehicle body show surface edge, which prevents the edge of the second member from being visually noticeable under the high gloss decorative article, although other configurations are possible, depending on design requirements.
Decorative articles according to the present disclosure may be applied to a substrate by simple hand pressure, typically with the aid of a squeegee (e.g., made of polyethylene, rubber, or felt).
Exemplary substrates include painted or unpainted metal and painted or unpainted molded polymers. More specifically, decorative articles according to the present disclosure may be applied to painted vehicle body parts such as automotive pillars (a, b, c, and d pillars) and vehicle trim (e.g., bumpers, mirror mounts, and spoilers).
Decorative articles according to the present disclosure may be made by various techniques including coating and/or lamination of the various layers, films, and members. In one exemplary method, a 5-mil (125 micron) thick polyethylene terephthalate film is rotary kiss-cut with a one-mil textured pressure-sensitive adhesive on a release liner to the shape of a desired substrate surface, over-laminating with a the 3M FTW9053J film (a black PVC film with polyurethane clear coat and acrylic PSA, and index kiss cutting the laminated article to the final part shape with 2 sets of locating holes (top and bottom of the part) located on tearable tabs.
Objects and advantages of this disclosure are further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples, but the particular materials and amounts thereof recited in these examples, as well as other conditions and details, should not be construed to unduly limit this disclosure.
Unless otherwise noted, all parts, percentages, ratios, etc. in the Examples and the rest of the specification are by weight.
A decorative film laminate similar to that shown in
The film laminate was laminated to a painted steel panel having a high degree of an orange peel appearance as shown in Table 1. The ability of the PET film to reduce the level of orange peel transmitted from the painted panel through the laminate to the visible side of the FTW9053J paint replacement film is reported in Table 1 below. The roughness (Long Wave—LW) of the visible surface of the FTW9053J paint replacement film was measured using a Wave-Scan DOI measuring device obtained from BYK Gardner (catalog number 4816). The data was filtered into two structure size ranges, Longwave LW (structures from 0.2-1.2 mm) and Shortwave SW (structures from 1.2-12 mm) The measurement range goes from 0 (smooth) to 100 (highly structured). Thus, lower units indicate smoother surfaces. The films were laminated to the painted panel, and then heated at 150° F. (65.6° C.) for 20 minutes before measuring orange peel with the Wave-Scan DOI measuring device. A control sample was measured using FTW9053J paint replacement film laminated directly to the painted steel panel without the use of PET film.
A decorative film laminate was prepared as in Example 1 above, except that a 125 micrometer (0.005 in) thick PET film was used to laminate to the FTW9053J paint replacement film. The level of orange peel transmitted from the painted panel through the laminate to the visible side of the FTW9053J paint replacement film is reported in Table 1 below.
All patents and publications referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. All examples given herein are to be considered non-limiting unless otherwise indicated. Various modifications and alterations of this disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure, and it should be understood that this disclosure is not to be unduly limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61427627 | Dec 2010 | US | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US11/66827 | 12/22/2011 | WO | 00 | 8/16/2013 |
