Patent Application
20070036950
1. Techical Field
The invention relates to transfer symbol applications. In particular, this invention relates to carrier sheets carrying dry transfer symbols.
2. Related Art
Dry transfer carrier sheets (“carrier sheets”) typically carry underlaid symbols transferable to a receiving surface. These symbols are commonly referred to as dry transfer symbols because they may be transferred without the use of any liquid. Such carrier sheets may include dry transfer symbols that are letters, numerals, punctuation marks, drawings, shapes, words, phrases, and the like. These carrier sheets are produced in various sheet sizes. Carrier sheet sizes may include 3¼″×5″ or 8¼″×11¼″. Often, carrier sheets include multiple underlaid dry transfer symbols with little spacing between each dry transfer symbol. Any desired underlaid dry transfer symbol on the carrier sheet may be readily transferred to a receiving surface simply by holding the carrier sheet against the receiving surface in a desired position and rubbing over the dry transfer symbol on the carrier sheet.
One problem with existing carrier sheets is that when holding the carrier sheet in place during the transfer of a desired dry transfer symbol, the user's hands often press on other dry transfer symbols elsewhere on the carrier sheet, thereby also transferring other symbols to the receiving surface. Another problem is damage to unused dry transfer symbols during manipulation of the carrier sheet. As users manipulate the carrier sheets, there is a tendency to wrinkle the sheets, thereby damaging or destroying some of the unused dry transfer symbols. Further problems exist when a user attempts to transfer dry transfer symbols removably affixed to larger carrier sheets. It is often difficult to manipulate these larger carrier sheets against receiving surfaces located in confined spaces (such as the pages of a bound book or the inside of a box) or that are awkwardly shaped (such as on model airplanes, cars, or boats).
Therefore, a need exists for a carrier sheet that will simplify the process of transferring dry transfer symbols while reducing the possibility of damaging or inadvertently transferring unused dry transfer symbols.
A carrier sheet with completely or partially detachable perforated units improves the transferability of dry transfer symbols. A carrier sheet of dry transfer symbols may comprise a plurality of dry transfer symbols removably affixed to a plurality of perforated sheet units. At least one dry transfer symbol may be removably affixed to at least one side of each one of the plurality of perforated sheet units.
Alternatively, a carrier sheet of dry transfer symbols may comprise a plurality of sheets linked together by at least one perforated edge. At least one dry transfer symbol may be removably affixed to at least one side of each one of the plurality of sheets.
Alternatively, a book of dry transfer carrier sheets may comprise a front cover, a rear cover affixed to the front cover, and a plurality of dry transfer carrier sheets further comprising a plurality of dry transfer symbols removably affixed to a plurality of perforated sheet units. The dry transfer carrier sheets are disposed between the front and rear cover. Additionally, separator sheets may be disposed between each of the plurality of carrier sheets. At least one dry transfer symbol is removably affixed to at least one side of each of the plurality of perforated sheet units on each carrier sheet.
Additionally, a method of applying dry transfer symbols may comprise the steps of: providing a carrier sheet of dry transfer symbols, the dry transfer symbols removably affixed to a plurality of perforated sheet units of the carrier sheet; separating a first of at least one of the perforated sheet units from the carrier sheet along at least one of a perforated edge; and applying the dry transfer symbol from the first perforated sheet unit to a receiving surface.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.
Dry transfer carrier sheets may be formed with perforated lines that permit a user to tear off an exact dry transfer symbol the user wants to apply. Dry transfer carrier sheets with sheet units separated by perforated lines simplifies the manner in which a user may separate a dry transfer symbol from a dry transfer carrier sheet. By separating the sheet units by perforated lines, the desired dry transfer symbol may be removed from the dry transfer sheet without inadvertently cropping or damaging adjacent dry transfer symbols. This increases the number of dry transfer symbols that may be used per dry transfer carrier sheet.
Additionally, the perforated lines eliminate the inefficient use of time. Now, a user no longer has to spend time manipulating a carrier sheet to separate a dry transfer symbol from the rest of the carrier sheet.
Furthermore, dry transfer carrier sheets with sheet units separated by perforated lines allows a user to apply dry transfer symbols to receiving surfaces that would not have been accessible with the full carrier sheet. These receiving surfaces may include the inside of a book cover, the inside of a box, or model airplanes, boats, cars, etc. Further, the problem of accidentally transferring extraneous dry transfer symbols may be avoided.
Dry transfer carrier sheets may be made from such material as translucent paper, cellulose acetate sheeting, cellulose acetate butyrate sheeting, vinyl polymer (polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl acetate) sheeting, or cellophane. The carrier sheets may be opaque or translucent.
The perforated sheet units 104 may be formed in a variety of shapes. These shapes may include squares, rectangles, circles, triangles, trapezoids, other regular and irregular polygons, enclosed arced shapes, as well as other irregular enclosed shapes. For explanation and without limitation, the perforated sheet units 104 may be arranged in a grid. Alternatively, the carrier sheet 100 may comprise a combination of at least two differently shaped perforated sheet units 104 randomly spaced within the carrier sheet 100. Alternatively, the carrier sheet 100 may comprise a plurality of sheets that are linked together by at least one perforated edge.
Printed on a first side of each of the perforated sheet units 104 is at least one dry transfer symbol 102. The dry transfer symbol 102 may be an upper or lower case alphabetic character, numerical digit, punctuation mark, drawing, shape, word, phrase, or the like. Groups of these symbols 102 may be enclosed by the borders or one or more sheet units 104. The dry transfer symbol may be printed on the perforated sheet units 104 with a removably affixed opaque ink, as represented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,917. Alternatively, other methods of printing or adhering dry transfer symbols 102 may be used. Each dry transfer symbol 102 that is removably affixed to a perforated sheet unit 104 may be affixed such that when viewed through the second side of the perforated sheet unit 104 the dry transfer symbol 102 is in a normal reading position.
Dry transfer symbols 102 may be transferred to a receiving surface by placing the carrier sheet 100 on a receiving surface, with the dry transfer symbol 102 facing the receiving surface, and rubbing over the dry transfer symbol 102 on the exposed side of the carrier sheet 100. The receiving surface may be any surface capable of accepting a dry transfer ink as is known in the art. As shown in
Additionally, multiple perforated sheet units may be detached from a carrier sheet, as illustrated in
An alternate configuration of the dry transfer carrier sheet is illustrated in
Perforated sheet unit 418 has two perforated edges 412 and one non-perforated edge 414. The dry transfer symbols removably affixed to perforated sheet unit 418 may be transferred to a receiving surface by detaching the two perforated edges 412 from the carrier sheet 400, lifting perforated sheet unit 418 up and away from the carrier sheet 400, placing the receiving surface under the perforated sheet unit 418, and then transferring the at least one dry transfer symbol to the receiving surface. Upon completion of the transfer, the perforated sheet unit 418 remains loosely attached to the carrier sheet 400.
Additionally,
A user may flip through the plurality of carrier sheets 500 (e.g. the pages of the book) to locate a desired dry transfer symbol 502. Upon locating the desired dry transfer symbol 502, the user may separate the perforated sheet unit 504, containing the dry transfer symbol 502 from the carrier sheet 500 and transfer the dry transfer symbol 502 to a receiving surface. Separator sheets (not shown) may be interspersed between the carrier sheets to prevent the dry transfer symbols from being inadvertently transferred to adjacent carrier sheet or the rear cover.
At act 606 a dry transfer symbol that is contained on a sheet unit separated from a carrier sheet may be applied to a receiving surface. The dry transfer symbol may be applied by placing the separated sheet unit on a receiving surface, with the dry transfer symbol facing the receiving surface, and rubbing over the dry transfer symbol on the exposed side of the sheet unit. Where a user desires to apply multiple dry transfer symbols acts 604 and 606 may be repeated until all of the desired dry transfer symbols have been applied to the receiving surface. Alternatively, a user may separate multiple sheet units prior to applying any of dry transfer symbols to a receiving surface. After all of the desired sheet units have been separated, the dry transfer symbols may then be applied to a receiving surface. Alternatively, any combination of separating sheet units and applying dry transfer symbols to a receiving surface may be followed.
It should be apparent, that other techniques may be used to create the carrier sheets. Besides a plurality of perforated sheet units, a carrier sheet may comprise a plurality of removable units that are removably affixed to an adhesive sheet. Each removable unit may be removed, as desired, in order to transfer its corresponding at least one dry transfer symbol.
From the forgoing descriptions it should be apparent that the above-described invention provides advantages over existing carrier sheets. Besides reducing the possibility of damaging or inadvertently transferring unused dry transfer symbols, the invention simplifies the process of transferring dry transfer symbols to confined spaces or awkward shaped receiving surfaces. Additionally, the invention provides a compact means of transporting the carrier sheets.
While various embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
