Patent ID: 12240265

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. As noted elsewhere, the figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

As those of ordinary skill in the art should understand, various features, components, and processes illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features, components, and processes illustrated in one or more other figures to enable embodiments that should be apparent to those skilled in the art, but which may not be explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated are representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations, and should be readily within the knowledge, skill, and ability of those working in the relevant fields of technology.

With reference now to the various figures and illustrations and toFIGS.1and2, and specifically toFIG.1, a schematic diagram of an unassembled arrangement of the materials and constituents of the disclosure is depicted. An erasable writable material is denoted with reference numeral100and is shown unassembled in a schematically illustrated, exploded arrangement105, which enables an exemplary illustration of the constituent materials and elements of erasable writable material100.

FIG.2reflects an assembled arrangement110of the erasable writable material100, whileFIG.3represents an example of the fabricated erasable writable material100in a particular arrangement and application shown as reference numeral and bracket115, as material100is applied, installed, mounted, and/or attached to a large format surface SURF, which may be for purposes of illustration but not limitation, fixed or moveable or mobile walls, room and space dividers, panels, doors, ceilings, floors, billboards, large panel and cargo truck side walls, and similar surfaces. For purposes of further illustration, the phrase large format as used in this disclosure refers to both large format printing and printed material100that exceeds about 24 inches by about 36 inches, or more, such that material100is fabricated to entirely cover large surfaces as described above and elsewhere herein.

With continuing reference toFIG.1, magnetic erasable writable material is a flexible sheet or film, and for further example without limitation, includes and/or may include a cast or calendared, flexible vinyl, polyvinyl, and/or polyvinylchloride (PVC) sheet and/or film substrate or carrier120. For applications requiring increased durability and at sometimes increased cost, a cast polyvinyl may be utilized, while a calendared polyvinyl may be utilized for applications requiring lower costs and decreased lifespan and durability. However, recent technological advances in cast and calendared polyvinyl materials have blurred the distinctions between cost and durability to establish substantial improvements in performance and reductions in cost for both methods of manufacturing. The sheet or film carrier or substrate120is or may be entirely and/or partially opaque, translucent, and/or transparent as may be desired for particular applications. The vinyl or PVC film or sheet120is formed to be substantially planar and includes a mount surface125and an opposite, etched receiver surface130on the other side of the film or sheet substrate or carrier120.

Mount surface125incorporates, includes, is formed with, is coated with, and/or is configured with an unmagnetized ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127and a mount surface adhesive135and/or to receive or be coated with adhesive135, which enables adhering, mounting, attachment, and/or application to large format surfaces SURF. The unmagnetized ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127may be formed integrally with PVC film or sheet120and/or may, for purposes of examples without limitation, further also or instead be bonded to and/or applied to film or sheet120alone, in combination with, in addition to, and/or as part of adhesive135, and/or as part of other elements of the material100as may be suitable and preferred. The material127is preferably utilized in an amount that enables material100to be receptive to temporary magnetization by permanent magnets such as magnet M (FIG.3).

Permanent magnets M may be decorative and/or functional magnets M that further enable material100to receive and carry other objects that are removably held or fastened onto material100by friction created by the force of attraction between magnets M and magnetic erasable writable material100, such as when material100is affixed to SURF. Exemplary magnets M that have been found to suitable for use in fastening items to SURF include neodymium permanent magnets M having a permanent magnetization of between about 10,000 and 13,000 Gauss or higher (1 to 1.3 Tesla or higher), ferrite magnets exceeding 3,500 Gauss or 0.35 Tesla or higher, and similarly high magnetic flux density permanent magnets M, which are selected for compatibility with and according to the construction of the magnetic material100as described elsewhere herein.

In various arrangements, unmagnetized and/or degaussed ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127may be formed from magnetically soft materials, having low remanence, low remanent magnetization, low coercivity, and/or low residual magnetization, which can include electric steel and/or iron powder, particles, filings, and/or shavings forming a layer of approximately between one mil (0.0254 millimeters) and 10 mils (0.254 millimeters), and more preferably approximately between 2 mils (0.0508 mm) and 4 mils (0.1016 mm), or thinner or thicker depending upon preferences for flexibility and magnetic permeability. The particles forming material127includes, for example without limitation, substantially spherical and/or irregularly shaped particles having an average particle size approximately in the range between 18 mesh (1 millimeter) and 500 mesh (0.025 millimeters), and more preferably approximately between 50 and 170 mesh (about 0.297 mm to 0.088 mm), or larger or smaller and depending upon preferred flexibility and magnetic permeability of material100.

Other arrangements contemplate utilization of flexible iron foils or thin sheets that may be bonded with and/or applied to film or sheet120, ranging approximately between one mil (0.0254 millimeters) and 10 mils (0.254 millimeters), and more preferably approximately between 2 mils (0.0508 mm) and 4 mils (0.1016 mm), or thinner or thicker depending upon preferences for flexibility and magnetic permeability of material100. Those knowledgeable in the relevant fields of art should appreciate that permeability is measured in Henries per meter (H/m), or equivalently in newtons (kg·m/s2) per ampere squared (N/A2).

Preferably, the unmagnetized and/or degaussed ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127is formed from iron or another similar material having a permeability of about 0.25 H/m or N/A2, and to be magnetically soft and/or having low coercivity (measured in units of Oersteds, Oe, or kiloamperes/meter, kA/m) of approximately between zero and 2 Oe or kA/m. A number of sources for such particulate, foil, and sheet iron and electric steel include for example American Elements of Los Angeles, California, and Sichuan Jinshi Technology Co., Ltd., Sichuan, China, and Jinjiang AoMing Industrial Co., Ltd., Fujian, China, among others.

Such large format surfaces as contemplated by the disclosure are typically substantially larger than about poster sizes of about 24 inches by about 36 inches, such as for example without limitation, an entire interior or exterior wall of a structure or building or vehicle or billboard, and similarly very large surfaces. In some configurations of material100, mount surface125may not include adhesive135, and may instead be mounted to SURF utilizing another type of adhesive that is applied to either mount surface125and/or SURF during installation of material100.

When incorporated on mount surface125, the mount surface adhesive135may integrally incorporate the contemplated unmagnetized ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127, and may be further configured as at least one of a pressure and/or heat activated adhesive135, which may be formulated, modified, and/or configured to be partially tacky and releasable. This enables repositioning, alignment, and rearrangement during application and installation of erasable writable material100, and until mount surface adhesive135is at least one of pressure and/or heat activated. A number of suppliers offer various polyvinyl film and sheet materials that can be modified according to the disclosure, and include for example the 3M Corporation, Maplewood, Minnesota, USA (www.3 m.com), Dupont Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, USA (www.dupont.com), among others.

In further variations, repositioning capabilities may be additionally enabled on mount surface125and/or with adhesive135, which may also include, incorporate, and/or be configured with a plurality of air channels140, which are or may be formed by at least one of patterns of striations, grooves, furrows, keyways, and/or recesses145that may enable passage of air therethrough and that may be in some adaptations be substantially parallel along a selected direction of mount surface125and/or adhesive135, and which channels140are formed integral with or on mount surface125and/or adhesive135.

In further modifications, air channels140and/or mount surface adhesive135further includes a plurality of frangible hollow pockets, spheres, nodules, and/or other similarly capable elements150spread or dispersed about mount surface125and/or throughout mount surface adhesive135. Such elements150may be sized to function as temporary supports between mount surface125, adhesive135, and/or large format surface SURF during and enabling improved and easier installation, repositioning, alignment, and/or rearrangement. In any of such configurations, air channels140remain intact during installation, repositioning, and alignment upon surface SURF, and thereafter collapse when mount surface125is applied to large format surface SURF by application of heat and/or pressure and activation of mount surface adhesive135.

Collapse of and/or filling of air channels140is and/or may be enabled by the application of pressure and/or heat to sheet or film carrier or substrate120, which is sufficient to cause one or more of mount surface adhesive135to fill channels and/or striations145, and/or hollow elements150to be broken in response to one or more of the application of pressure and/or heat and/or activation of adhesive135. Such collapse of air channels140may be apparent to those having skill in the relevant technology with reference specifically toFIG.3, which schematic depicts erasable writable material100installed against surface SURF, and having only mount surface adhesive135shown, since air channels140are represented here as having been collapsed and subsumed as part of adhesive135, as compared to channels140being visible inFIG.2in the illustration of the assembled but uninstalled erasable writable material100.

The disclosure further contemplates receiver surface130being configured, treated, and/or adjusted to be etched and/or micro-etched to increase surface area and to increase a surface energy thereof to exceed about 38 to about 45 millinewtons per meter (mN/m). The increased surface area and surface energy in turn increases and improves the receptivity and capability of receiver surface130to receive, mount, adhere, and/or carry graphic elements155that can be printable and/or printed on receiver surface130, as well as preformed graphic elements160, either and/or both of which can include for purposes of example without limitation visual media such as images and/or designs and many other elements.

Such printable and/or printed graphic elements155as well as preformed graphic elements160, for further examples, may be and/or include large format images, photographs, designs, logos, trademarks, symbols, and written words, among other types of elements155. The preformed graphic elements160may also further include and/or incorporate cut symbols, designs, lettering, and the like that can be adhered to etched receiver surface130. For purposes of printed and printable graphic elements155, it has been observed that an optimum surface energy of receiver surface130should exceed by about 10 mN/m, the surface energy of the print ink, toner, or other print media, to improve receptivity thereof onto receiver surface130.

As contemplated here, surface energy may be established and measured according to a number of possible standards and procedures, which for example may include ASTM D6105-04 (2012), entitled “Standard Practice for Application of Electrical Discharge Surface Treatment (Activation) of Plastics for Adhesive Bonding.” among other industry accepted practices. Many suppliers are available that offer such surface energy/tension measurement technology and include dyne pens and wetting solutions available from, for further example, TanTec A/S of Denmark and Germany (tantec.com), and Dyne Technology Ltd. of Staffordshire, United Kingdom (www.dynetechnology.co.uk), among others.

Here, for additional illustration purposes but not limitation, various inks such as water and solvent soluble inks, gel inks, latex inks, and/or ultraviolet or UV curable inks are contemplated, such that receiver surface130should be configured to have a surface energy exceeding about 38 mN/m. In further examples where preformed graphic elements160are to be adhered to receiver surface130, it has been observed that good results are also obtained at energies exceeding about 38 mN/m, but that further improved adhesion of preformed graphic elements160is obtained when surface energy of receiver surface130is increased to approximately exceed about 45 mN/m. Various types of such UV curable inks are available from various printer and ink suppliers, and include for example, Roland DGA Corporation, Irvine, California, USA (www.rolanddga.com), among others.

Throughout this description, “approximately exceed” is in one example, for purposes of illustration without limitation, intended to mean approximately exceed a value between: 35 mN/m and 55 mN/m or in another example, about 40 mN/m and 50 mN/m, or in still other exemplary arrangements, about 42 mN/m and 48 mN/m. The phrase “approximately exceed” is also in other examples of exemplary arrangements of this description, for purposes of example without limitation, interpreted to mean, define, and exemplify manufacturing, fabrication, and/or measurement tolerances that range approximately between 1% and 10% or more or less of the specified parameters and according to end use and quality assurance requirements.

The disclosure contemplates a number of such surface energy adjustment and modification treatments that can configure, adjust, and/or modify surface energy of receiver surface130, which include for further example, chemical primer, mechanical abrasion, high-frequency electrical corona discharge, flame plasma, atmospheric plasma, and/or ultraviolet radiation ozone treatment. For purposes of further example without limitation, receiver surface130was treated with a flame plasma treatment method after cast manufacturing, which enabled satisfactory micro-etching to increase surface area, and also an increased surface energy of receiver surface130, which approximately exceeded 45 mN/m, and which surface energy is imparted to dwell for a long enough time after treatment and modification to enable subsequent shipping, storage, and eventual fabrication of the assembled erasable writable material100, to include printed graphic elements155and preformed graphic elements160.

In some configurations and during experimentation with varying arrangements of receiver surface130of film or sheet carrier or substrate120, it has been found that imparting micro-etching and surface energy treatments that cause post-manufacturing surface energy that approximately and substantially exceeded between about 45 and 60 mN/m or so and depending upon initial configurations and conditions, can enable sufficient dwell time for shipping, storage, and fabrication of the assembled erasable writable material100such that natural relaxation of the surface energy results a satisfactory surface energy that substantially exceeds about 45 mN/m with a tolerance of approximately zero to an added 1, 2, 3, or 5 mN/m or so, as measured during end-use fabrication and utilization of material100.

Throughout this description, “substantially exceed(s)” is also in other examples of exemplary arrangements of this description, for purposes of example without limitation, interpreted to mean, define, and exemplify manufacturing, fabrication, and/or measurement tolerances that range between about 1% and 10% or more or less of the specified parameters and according to end use and quality assurance requirements. Various types of flame plasma equipment is available that enables the modification, adjustment, configuration, and treatments described herein, which are configured to adjust temperature, distance to material being treated, and material flow through speed, among other parameters. Such equipment, material, and substances are also available for chemical priming, ozone, electrical discharge corona, and related treatments. Such flame plasma and other equipment is available from, for purposes of example without limitation, Enercon Industries Corporation, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA (www.enerconind.com), and Plasma Technology Systems, Elgin, Illinois, USA (www.plasmatechsystems.com), among many others.

With continuing reference toFIGS.1,2, and3, erasable writable magnetic material100also includes and/or may include a visually transparent and flexible polyester sheet and/or film165, which is joined to the polyvinyl sheet or film carrier or substrate120as described elsewhere herein. A number of polyesters are known to those knowledgeable in the technology and may include for exemplary illustration purposes, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or sheet material. Among others, both the 3M Corporation and Dupont Corporation offer a number of polyester and PET sheet and film materials that can be modified according to the disclosure to enable the capabilities described herein of erasable writable magnetic material100.

The polyester sheet and/or film165is formed with and includes a marking side170and an opposite seal side175. Marking side170is configured and/or modified to have a hardness that enables durability during use after installation of magnetic erasable writable material100. More specifically, marking side170, and/or the sheet/film165, is mechanically, chemically, and/or physically configured, adjusted, and/or modified to have a durometer hardness that approximately exceeds 79 on the Shore D durometer hardness scale, wherein “approximately exceeds” is used throughout this description and defined herein to mean a spectrum of hardness fabrication and manufacturing and/or measurement tolerances that vary on the Shore D scale of between about zero and 1, 2, 3, and about 10 or so, such that “approximately exceeds 79” in an example interpretation for purposes of illustration without limitation, can be understood to mean between about 69 and 89 or between about 76 and 82 or other ranges depending upon end use and quality assurance requirements.

Many types of durometer test equipment are available from a variety of suppliers, and include for example, Hoto-Instruments of Northbrook, Illinois, USA (hoto-instruments.com). Various industry standards are available for establishing durometer hardnesses and tolerances, and include for example and among others, ASTM D785-08 (2015), entitled “Standard Test Method for Rockwell Hardness of Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials,” and ASTM D2240-15, entitled “Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Durometer Hardness.”

As some skilled in the relevant fields of technology may understand, the hardness of a material may be heterogeneous and/or homogenous throughout the volume of the material, and/or is or may be isolated to certain regions, surfaces, and/or portions according to manufacturing methods as well as according to design intentions. For example, for purposes of the disclosure, the polyester material may be configured with, incorporate, modified, and/or adjusted to have varying hardness(es) that are and/or may be incorporated about the entire thickness of the polyester sheet or film, and/or primarily about one or both surfaces, such as about marking side170.

In further examples, the hardness homogeneity of the polyester sheet or film165as well as marking side170is manufactured, treated, configured, and/or modified to incorporate the hardness approximately exceeding shore D 79, by adjusting a raw material formulation and fabrication method generally known to those skilled in the technology. In additional modifications, polyester sheet or film165, such as the polyester and/or PET film165, is manufactured or configured to have a thickness of approximately 50 micromillimeters or microns, which in addition to the chemistry and formulation of sheet/film165, enables the durometer measured hardness to approximately exceed 80 on the Shore D durometer scale, and in other variations and modifications as described elsewhere herein, to approximately exceed Shore D 88, 90, and/or 95 hardnesses.

Seal side175is and/or may treated, adjusted, and/or configured to have a surface energy that exceeds approximately or about 45 mN/m, by utilizing any of the methods described elsewhere including for example without limitation flame plasma treatment methods. Further, seal175in other variations of polyester film165includes a seal side adhesive180that is applied, and which may also be at least one of heat and pressure activated. A release liner similar to that shown elsewhere herein may also be used to protect seal side adhesive180prior to assembly and fabrication of erasable writable magnetic material100.

Seal side adhesive180enables lamination and joining to receiver surface130, utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed, such that graphic elements155,160are encapsulated and/or hermetically sealed between seal side175and against receiver surface130during fabrication of erasable writable material100. Lamination and/or joining and encapsulating of graphic elements155,160is accomplished utilizing the predetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed utilizing one or more readily available and partially or wholly automated devices, such as, for purposes of example without constraints, a Kala™ Mistral1650or2100laminating machine, available from Kala Finishing Systems, Nouvoitou, France (kala.fr), among others.

The erasable writable material100is also further directed to marking side170of polyester sheet or film including, incorporating, being modified or formed with or by, being coated with, and/or being joined to a clear superstrate185. Superstrate185is formulated, treated, selected, and/or configured to additionally augment and/or increase the hardness of marking side170, such that marking side170subsequently has a durometer hardness that approximately exceeds a durometer of 80 on the Shore D durometer scale, or higher, and that in additional variations approximately exceeds 88, 90, and/or 95 on the Shore D scale.

Superstrate185is typically applied to marking side170of polyester sheet/film165, and is chemically formulated and/or selected to lower the surface energy of marking side170from an average, typical post-manufacture surface energy of about between 40 and 45 MN/m, to be approximately between 15 and 30 mN/m, and/or below about 24 mN/m. As with this and prior arrangements, implementations, and examples, “approximately between” and “below about” should be understood by those skilled in the art to mean a nominal material, chemical, manufacturing, fabrication, and/or measurement tolerance of between about zero and 1, 2, 3, 5, and/or higher tolerance magnitudes, which depends upon material and environmental initial conditions and mechanical, chemical, and other physical properties of the materials and manufacturing equipment and operating conditions.

The intentionally decreased surface energy in combination with the increased hardness, enables improved resilience against harsh cleaning agents. The higher hardness and lowered surface energy of the combined marking side170and superstrate185, also has demonstrated improved resistance against marking substances, such as permanent and non-permanent erasable marking substances, which may be applied to marking side170.

Consequently, the combined hardness and surface energy of superstrate185and marking side170enables substantially improved prevention against the persistent problem of staining and ghosting, even when such marking substances remain on marking side170for extended periods of time beyond a day or week. Currently available products often advertise anti-stain and anti-ghosting capability, but require daily or frequent cleaning to avoid migration and permeation of pigments from such marking substances into the marking side substrate.

In further enabling examples, superstrate185includes at least one of and/or one or more of constituents such as a perfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and/or an acrylate resin that is hardenable and/or may be hardened after application to and/or coating of marking side170. Superstrate185is formulated, configured, treated, adjusted, and/or modified with such constituents to have a durometer hardness when cured that exceeds approximately 80 to 95 on the Shore D scale. In further configurations, superstrate185additionally includes a photoinitiator that is responsive to ultraviolet radiation, which enables curing and hardening of superstrate185after application to, incorporation with, coating of, and/or joining of superstrate185to marking side170of polyester sheet/film165. These arrangements of superstrate185enable further hardening of marking side170.

In further variations, the disclosure contemplates superstrate185being applied, configured, adjusted, and/or modified to have a thickness, when applied, adhered, and/or joined to marking side170of polyester sheet or film165, of approximately between 2 and 5 microns. Here too, “approximately between” is intended to mean between about 2 and 5 microns according to nominal material, manufacturing, and/or measurement tolerances, which in exemplary arrangements of this description, for purposes of example without limitation, can be interpreted to mean tolerances that range between about 1% and 10% or more or less of specified magnitudes and/or dimensions, and according to end use and quality assurance requirements. In combination with the selection, adjustment, configuration, and/or formulation of superstrate material(s) and constituents185, this enables the desired durometer hardness of combined marking side170and superstrate185to exceed about shore D 88, 90, and/or 95 hardnesses.

Superstrate185is also configured, selected, adjusted, modified, and/or chemically formulated, when joined to polyester film165, to have a maximum optical light transmission and minimum optical haze. For purposes of example without limitation, more specifically, Superstrate185is adjusted, configured, and/or formulated to have a visible light transmission of greater than about 90% of the visible light that is incident upon the superstrate. Superstrate185is also adapted, adjusted, configured, and/or formulated to have a haze, or wide angle light scattering or diffusive effect that does not exceed about 0.6% or so, as determined by spectrophotometric measurements, and according to various standard test methods and material and measurement tolerances. Such configurations of superstrate185in combination with the other elements and capabilities of erasable writable material100enable an improved marking side170with increased durability and resilience for dry-erase and related activities.

One such suitable test method for superstrate185may include, for example without limitation, ASTM D1003-13, entitled “Standard Test Method for Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastics.” A number of manufacturers have available various types of substances and materials that may meet at least one of such capabilities of superstrate185, and if further modified according to the capabilities described herein, may be suitable for purposes of the disclosure. Exemplary constituents and materials suitable for modification and subsequent manufacturing of superstrate185, for purposes of example, include Optool™ DAC-HP available from Daikin Industries, Ltd., Osaka, Japan (daikin.com), and OC-3021 Hard Coating and UV curing equipment available from Dymax Corporation, Torrington, Connecticut, USA (www.dymax.com).

The magnetic erasable writable material100is further directed to including a release liner190that may be included to protect the adhesives described elsewhere herein. For example, release liner190may be utilized, for purposes of example but not to limit the described capabilities, to temporarily protect mount surface adhesive135(illustrated inFIGS.1,2, and3) and/or seal side adhesive180(not shown but similarly arranged). Release liner190may further include materials and substances that improve performance and prevent degradation of the adhesives135,180prior to and during fabrication of erasable writable magnetic material100.

Such materials and substances may include for example without limitation a polyethylene layer and/or coating192that has been treated with silicone195to be siliconized, such that removal of release liner190from the adhesives135,180does not degrade, disrupt, and/or change the properties of the adhesives135,180. Such releasability of release liner190is enabled by being coated with the siliconized polyethylene192, which has been demonstrated to reduce surface energy of release liner190to approximately between 24 and 33 mN/m, which prevents permanent adhesion between the adhesives135,180, and release liner190.

Release liner190can be thereby configured to protect material100, seal side adhesive180, and to overlay and protect mount surface125and/or mount surface adhesive135and air channels140during fabrication, shipment, storage, and until installation and application of erasable writable material100to a surface SURF. Many suitable types of release liners190are available in the described configuration and for example include those available from 3M Corporation and Laufenberg GmbH, Krefeld-Hüls, Germany (www.laufenberg.info), and others, which manufacture what are typically referred to by those having knowledge in the field as Kraft paper release liners that are suitable for purposes of the disclosure.

With continuing reference to the various figures and preceding descriptions, and now also toFIG.4, methods of manufacturing magnetic erasable writable material100are also described starting at step200. For example, providing at step205calendared and/or cast the vinyl and/or polyvinylchloride film120with unmagnetized ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic material127and with mount surface125opposite etched receiver surface130that has been treated to have a receiver surface energy increased to exceed approximately 38 millinewtons per meter (mN/m), to increase adherence of one or more of printed and preformed graphic elements155,160.

At step210, a transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet or film165is provided that includes a seal side175and an opposite marking side170that has a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 79. Additionally, treating, formulating, configuring, adjusting, and/or modifying marking side170is also included by application and/or incorporation of superstrate185, such that a hardness exceeding approximately shore D 90 is enabled, and a surface energy of the marking side is lowered below about 24 mN/m.

Further variations of the methods incorporate configuring PET sheet or film165to have a thickness of approximately 50 microns to enable the hardness exceeding about shore D 79, and configuring superstrate185to have a thickness of approximately between 2 and 5 microns to enable the approximately greater than shore D 80 hardness, and such that surface energy of marking side170is reduced, adjusted, configured, and/or lowered to approximately between 15 and 30 mN/m to increase resilience and durability of marking side170, and the also increase fugitivity of and prevent ghosting and staining by non-permanent and permanent marking substances applied to marking side170.

The disclosure also includes the methods to incorporate applying adhesive180to seal side175of polyester/PET sheet or film165to enable hermetic lamination to receiver surface130utilizing one or more of a predetermined heat, pressure, and rolling lamination speed. The methods also include variations that include forming superstrate185to include the UV radiation responsive photoinitiator, and one or more of the polyurethane, acrylated polyurethane, acrylate resin, and perfluoropolyether, which in combination enable the hardness and reduced surface energy when irradiated with the UV radiation.

In other arrangements of the methods, configuring the superstrate185includes incorporating an ultraviolet radiation responsive photoinitiator, and at least one of a perfluoropolyether, a polyurethane, an acrylated polyurethane, and an acrylate resin, and irradiating the photoinitiator with ultraviolet radiation to harden superstrate185. The methods are also directed to treating the polyvinylchloride and/or PET film165to be configured to have surface energy of receiver surface130increased to exceed approximately 38 mN/m, to increase adherence of one or more of printed and preformed graphic elements155,160.

The methods at step215further include at least one of printing and positioning graphic elements155,160on etched receiver surface130. At step220, laminating and/or joining seal side175to etched receiver surface130is accomplished to encapsulate and hermetically seal graphic elements155,160between receiver surface130and seal side175.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.