Abstract:
A printed article of metallized appearance, and method therefor, includes a matrix of dots on a substrate separated by spaces therebetween, and a matrix of metallization. A three dimensional printed article contoured profile implementation is enabled without the necessity of stretchable metallization.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0001]    The invention relates to printed articles having a metallized appearance. 
         [0002]    Printed articles having a metallized appearance are known in the prior art. A metallization layer is transferred, e.g. by roll leaf or hot stamping, to a substrate before or after printing of one or more ink layers. Challenges arise when it is desired to have a stretchable structure, e.g. to stretch around a non-rectilinear contour or bend of a three dimensional contoured article. The substrate and the printed ink layers are typically stretchable. However, the metallization layer is typically not stretchable, except for some inordinately expensive stretchable metallization materials. 
         [0003]    The present invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward the above challenges, and toward providing a cost-effective solution. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a side view showing a manufacturing step in producing an article in accordance with the invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a portion of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of an article constructed in accordance with the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of another article constructed in accordance with the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a manufacturing step in producing a printed article of metallized appearance, for example as shown in  FIG. 3  at toy race car shell  10 , and as another example as shown in  FIG. 4  at bezel or face plate  12  such as for handheld electronic devices, such as handheld video games, cell phones, palm pilots, and PDA&#39;s (personal digital assistant). A substrate  14 ,  FIG. 1 , is initially provided, which may be a clear or opaque plastic, e.g. styrene, ABS, acrylic, polyester, polycarbonate, vinyl, urethane, and the like, preferably having a thickness in the range of 0.005 to 0.06 inch. A layer  16  is printed on the substrate, and then a matrix of ink dots  18  is printed thereon, the dots being separated by spaces  20  therebetween. The printing steps may be performed by offset printing, silk screen printing, digital printing, flexography, rotogravure printing, roller coating, or pad printing. Printed layer  16  may provide an image layer if desired. In an alternative embodiment, printed layer  16  is omitted, and ink dots  18  are printed directly on substrate  14 , with no ink layer therebetween. A matrix of metallization dots  22  are provided on the ink dots by transferring metallization thereto, e.g. by hot stamping, or by roll leafing as shown from metallization foil roll  24  applied by roller  26 . The matrix of ink dots  18  are provided by foil-receptive ink dots separated by foil-non-receptive spaces  20  therebetween, e.g. by providing the printed ink dots with a higher metallization transfer coefficient (e.g. softer) than the spaces  20  therebetween. The matrix of metallization dots  22  is provided by metallization foil layer  28  transferred to foil-receptive ink dots  18  and not to foil-non-receptive spaces  20  therebetween, whereby to provide metallization dots  22  on ink dots  18 , and leave remaining non-transferred metallization portions  30  on layer  28 ,  FIGS. 1 ,  2 . The right hand portion of  FIG. 1  shows ink dots  18  in elevation, and the left hand portion of  FIG. 1  shows the ink dots in cross-section. After the noted metallization transfer, one or more additional ink or coating layers may be printed on the substrate over the metallization matrix, and the substrate is then formed, e.g. hot or cold, using vacuum forming, bladder forming, pressure forming, matched male/female tool forming, or the like, to the desired three dimensional shape, e.g.  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , providing a printed article of contoured metallized appearance having a three dimensional contoured profile or topography. In further alternatives, one or more additional ink or coating layers may be printed on the substrate under the metallization matrix and/or under the substrate, i.e. on the surface of the substrate opposite dots  18 , e.g. a tinted layer or the like. 
         [0010]    The noted three dimensional printed article of contoured metallized appearance includes the noted matrix of ink dots  18  printed on the substrate including along non-rectilinear contours of the noted three dimensional contoured profile, and a matrix of metallization dots  22  on the ink dots  18 . Ink dots  18  with metallization dots  22  thereon are separated by spaces  20  therebetween along the substrate which spaces and substrate stretch, including along the noted non-rectilinear contours, to alleviate the necessity of metallization at metallization dots  22  having to stretch along such non-rectilinear contours, thus alleviating cracking of the metallization otherwise occurring at non-rectilinear contours. The spaced dot structure and appearance is readily visible close-up,  FIG. 5 , but from a distance appears as a metallized surface,  FIG. 3 . The metallization layer on the matrix of ink dots  18  is actually a non-continuous metallization layer comprising non-stretchable metallization dots  22  separated by non-metallized gaps  21  aligned with spaces  20  between ink dots  18 . The surface area ratio of metallization dots  22  to non-metallized stretchable gaps  21  along the surface of the substrate is preferably in the range of 30% to 70%. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, a printed layer at  16  is provided on the substrate and has a plurality of printed dots thereon of a first metallization transfer coefficient providing the noted ink dots  18 , and leaves the remainder of layer  16  or the substrate exposed at spaces or gaps between such printed dots to provide spaces  20  between ink dots  18 , wherein the noted unprinted spaces have a second metallization transfer coefficient (e.g. harder) than the noted first metallization transfer coefficient (e.g. softer), to facilitate transfer of metallization to ink dots  18  and not to spaces  20  therebetween. In another embodiment, a printed layer is provided at  16  on the substrate and has a plurality of printed dots of a first metallization transfer coefficient providing ink dots  18 , and having printed spaces between the printed dots to provide the noted spaces  20  between ink dots  18 , with the noted printed spaces having a second metallization transfer coefficient less than the noted first metallization transfer coefficient, to facilitate transfer of metallization to ink dots  18  and not to spaces  20  therebetween. Dots  18  and  22  may be circular, rectangular, oval, triangular, diamond-shapes, or other shapes. The dots may be provided in various patterns, and may leave various openings or windows or gaps where there are no dots. During the noted forming to a three dimensional article, the substrate stretches, but the metallized foil at dots  22  does not stretch. It has been found that the present dot construction eliminates the need to use the above noted expensive stretchable metallization material. In the present system, non-stretchable metallization at  22  sits on small islands of ink  18 , and the distance or space  20  between islands  18  grows and stretches, but the dot  18  with metallization foil  22  thereon does not stretch, thus avoiding cracking otherwise occurring when attempting to stretch non-stretchable metallization material. 
         [0012]    In further alternatives, the noted foil-receptors may be reversed, for example such that a matrix of dots is provided on the substrate, the dots being separated by spaces therebetween, and a matrix of metallization is provided along the spaces  20  in gaps  21  and not on dots  18 . Thus, a printed article of metallized appearance is provided including a substrate, a matrix of dots on the substrate, the dots being separated by spaces therebetween, and a matrix of metallization along one of a) the set of dots and b) the set of spaces. In the preferred embodiment, the matrix of dots is a matrix of foil-receptive ink dots printed on the substrate with foil-non-receptive spaces  20  therebetween, and the matrix of metallization is a matrix of metallization dots on the ink dots. In the noted reversed alternative, the areas at dots  18  are foil-non-receptive, and the spaces  20  therebetween are foil-receptive, and the matrix of metallization is provided by metallization along spaces  20  and not along dots  18 . In the noted latter alternative, the areas at dots  18  may be printed with foil-non-receptive ink, with the spaces  20  therebetween being a printed matrix of foil-receptive ink. Alternatively, the areas at dots  18  may be left unprinted or otherwise expose a substrate or surface non-receptive to the metallization foil. In the noted three dimensional printed article of contoured metallized appearance including a substrate of three dimensional contoured profile, both the matrix of dots  18  and the spaces  20  therebetween are along the non-rectilinear contours of the profile, and the matrix of metallization is along one of a) the set of dots  18  and b) the set of spaces  20 , and the other of a) the set of dots  18  and b) the set of spaces  20  are stretchable including along the noted non-rectilinear contours of the profile. One of a) the set of dots  18  and b) the set of spaces  20  comprise foil-receptive areas, and the other of a) the set of dots  18  and b) the set of spaces  20  comprise foil-non-receptive areas, and the matrix of metallization is provided by a metallization foil layer transferred to the foil-receptive areas and not to the foil-non-receptive areas. 
         [0013]    In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. The different configurations, methods, and systems described herein may be used alone or in combination with other configurations, methods and systems. It is to be expected that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.