Patent ID: 6059915
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A method of making a substrate retroreflective, comprising:(a) providing a substrate; and(b) applying to the substrate a retroreflective applique in at least one continuous stripe, the retroreflective applique being made by a method that consists essentially of:(c) supporting a first portion of a layer of optical lens elements in a carrier web such that a second portion of the layer of optical lens elements protrudes from the carrier web;(d) applying a coating of a reflective material on the second portion of the layer of optical lens elements;(e) forming over the second portion of the optical lens elements after the reflective material has been applied a supporting structure that has first and second major surfaces and that includes a non-filamentary self-crosslinked acrylic polymer layer, the second portion of the optical lens elements being embedded in the acrylic polymer layer, the supporting structure also including a layer of a heat-activatable adhesive that terminates at the second major surface; and(f) separating the carrier web from the supporting structure to expose the first portion of the optical lens element to produce the self-supported exposed lens retroreflective applique, the separation occurring before the retroreflective applique's supporting structure is secured to the substrate;wherein the non-filamentary self-crosslinked acrylic polymer layer is formed by providing a coating of acrylic copolymer and drying the coating by exposing the coating to consecutively higher temperatures, the self-crosslinking of the acrylic polymer occurring substantially during and as a result of the drying.