Patent Publication Number: US-6701652-B1

Title: Molded emblem with encapsulated embossed 3-D graphics

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to emblems such as medallions, tags, logos, and the like, having various uses including decoration, information, and identification. 
     The invention arose during efforts to provide an emblem having a transparent molded layer with encapsulated embossed 3-D graphics viewable therethrough and on the backside thereof. This is accomplished in the present invention in a particularly simple and effective manner. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an emblem in accordance with the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the emblem of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a processing step. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a further processing step. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a further processing step. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a further processing step. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mold for forming the emblem of FIG. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is like FIG.  8  and shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 10 is like FIG.  9  and shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 11 shows a processing step in accordance with a further embodiment. 
     FIG. 12 shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 13 shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 14 shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 15 shows a further processing step. 
     FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the resulting emblem of FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line  17 — 17  of FIG.  16 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an emblem  20  having a substrate  22  with a first or frontside  24  facing upwardly, and an opposite second or backside  26  facing downwardly. An ink pattern  28 , FIG. 2, is printed on second or backside  26  to provide graphics, to be described. A transparent layer  30  is molded on first or front side  24 , and the noted graphics are viewable through such transparent layer. Substrate  22 , FIG. 3, is provided by a thin film transparent base layer  23  preferably of polycarbonate, acrylic or styrene, preferably having a thickness of 0.005 to 0.007 inch. An ink layer  32 , which in one embodiment is provided by chrome, aluminum, or metallic ink, is printed on second surface  26  of the substrate, followed by printing of ink pattern  28  on layer  32 , FIG.  4 . Ink pattern  28  is preferably provided by ultraviolet, UV, radiation hardenable ink, which is then UV hardened, FIG. 5, followed by cutting and trimming of the substrate to yield disc  33 , FIG.  6 . 
     Disc  33  is then placed in a mold  34 , FIG. 7, having an upper mold half  36  and a lower mold half  38  defining a cavity  40  therebetween, FIG.  8 . Disc substrate  22  is placed in the lower mold half  38  with second side  26 , ink layer  32  and ink pattern  28  facing mold surface  42 . The mold is then closed, and hot molding resin, preferably polycarbonate, acrylic, styrene, or the like, is injected or shot through feeder channel  44  into cavity  40  over first side  24  of the substrate. Ink pattern  28  is provided by a plurality of ink areas  46 , FIGS. 4,  8 , separated by gap regions  48  therebetween. Ink layer  32  printed on the substrate is not UV hardenable ink. After the UV hardening of ink pattern  28 , such ink pattern is harder than ink layer  32  and base layer  23 . The softer ink layer  32  and base layer  23  thus deform around ink pattern  28  during molding of molded transparent layer  30 , FIG.  9 . Base layer  23  and ink layer  32  deform around UV hardened ink areas  46  of ink pattern  28  and into gap regions  48 . After cooling and hardening of the injected resin, the mold is opened, and the part removed to yield emblem  20 , FIG.  10 . Ink layer  32  includes portions  50 , FIG. 10, in gap regions  48 . Ink layer  32  has differing depths in base layer  23 , including a first depth at ink areas  46  and a second different depth at gap regions  48 . Base layer  23  has differing depths in transparent layer  30 , including a first depth at the noted first depth of ink layer  32  at ink areas  46 , and a second depth at the noted second depth of ink layer  32  at gap regions  48 . As noted, ink layer  32  and base layer  23  are softer than ink pattern  28  and deform therearound during molding of transparent layer  30 , to provide the noted differing depths of ink layer  32  and base layer  23 . The differing depths provide embossed 3-D graphics, which are encapsulated by molded transparent layer  30  and viewable through the latter from above, FIGS. 1,  10 . 
     FIGS. 11-15 show an alternate embodiment, and use like reference numerals from above where appropriate to facilitate understanding. Substrate  22  is provided by a transparent base layer  23  having first and second ink layers  31  and  32 , FIGS. 12,  13 , printed on second side  26 . Layer  31  may be one or more different colors, and layer  32  is preferably chrome, aluminum or metallic ink as above. Ink pattern  28 , FIG. 14, is printed on ink layer  32  and includes the noted plurality of ink areas  46  separated by gap regions  48  therebetween. Ink layer  31  includes portions such as  52  in gap regions  48 . Ink layer  32  includes portions such as  54  in gap regions  48 . Ink layer  31 , FIG. 12, has a plurality of ink regions  52  separated by a second set of gap regions  56  therebetween. Ink layer  32 , FIG. 13, has a plurality of ink regions  54  separated by a third set of gap regions  58  therebetween. Ink regions  54  of ink layer  32  are in the noted second set of gap regions  56 . Ink regions  52  of ink layer  31  are in the noted third set of gap regions  58 . Ink regions  52  and  54  of each of ink layers  31  and  32  are in the first noted set of gap regions  48 , FIG.  14 . The substrate is then exposed to UV radiation, FIG. 14, as above, to UV harden ink pattern  28 , followed by the noted cutting and trimming, and then molding as in FIGS. 7-9, to yield emblem 20 a , FIG.  15 . Ink layer  32  has differing depths in base layer  23 , including a first depth at ink areas  46 , and a second different depth at gap regions  48 . Base layer  23  has differing depths in molded transparent layer  30 , including a first depth at the noted first depth of ink layer  32  at ink areas  46 , and a second depth at the noted second depth of ink layer  32  at gap regions  48 . Ink layer  31  has a single depth in base layer  23 , without differing depths. As above, ink layer  32  and base layer  23  are softer than ink pattern  28 . 
     FIGS. 16 and 17 show a further embodiment, and use like reference numerals from above where appropriate to facilitate understanding. A second substrate  60 , preferably a thin film layer like layer  23 , is provided on the opposite side of molded transparent layer  30  from substrate  22 . Substrate  60  has a first or frontside  62  facing upwardly, and a second or backside  64  facing downwardly. Second side  64  of substrate  60  faces first side  24  of substrate  22  across molded transparent layer  30 . A second ink pattern  66  is printed on second side  64  of second substrate  60 . Substrate  60  is placed in upper mold half  36  prior to resin injection, and the molding operation is carried out as in FIGS. 7-9, to yield emblem  20   b . In the preferred version of this embodiment, second ink pattern  66  is not formed to a 3-D image. Ink pattern  66  is composed of high temperature resistant ink directly contacted by the injected resin during molding and hence directly contacted by molded transparent layer  30 . In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-15, base layer  23  is transparent and is selected from the group consisting of clear, translucent and tinted materials. Molded layer  30  is transparent and is selected from the group consisting of clear, translucent and tinted materials. In the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, second substrate  60  is also transparent and is selected from the group consisting of clear, translucent and tinted materials. 
     In a desirable aspect, the mold has a smooth nonembossed surface  42 , FIGS. 8,  9 , engaging the noted second surface or backside of substrate  22  without a 3-D or embossed mold-insert. This is desirable because it eliminates the need for such mold-inserts and enables universal application without a custom mold or a custom mold-insert for each pattern desired. Instead, a desired ink pattern  28  is merely printed on second surface  26  to yield the desired embossed 3-D graphic. The same mold may be used for different graphics by merely printing a different ink pattern  28 . This universal application of mold tooling is simple and cost effective. The embossed 3-D graphic is viewable from above in FIGS. 1,  10 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17 , through transparent substrate  60 , if used, and through molded transparent layer  30 . In a further embodiment, a curved mold may be used, including a curved or arcuate mold surface  42 , to provide a curved emblem, which provides a lens effect magnifying the noted embossed 3-D graphic as viewed from above if the curvature is convex as viewed from above. 
     It is recognized that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims which distinctly define the subject matter regarded as the invention.