Nippon Carbide Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippin Carribe Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Masaki Yoshizawa

Osamu Tanaka

Katsura Ochi

Retroreflective sheeting

The present invention provides a method for producing retroreflective sheeting useful for marking or the like of signs such as road signs and construction signs; number plates of vehicles such as motorcars and motorcycles; materials for safety such as clothes and life jackets; signboards, etc., and the method is a method for producing retroreflective sheeting, which comprises embedding glass beads substantially in a monolayer in a temporary support at least one surface of which is composed of a thermoplastic resin in such a manner that at least part of each bead is embedded in the thermoplastic resin; forming a vapor-deposited metal film on the surface in which the glass beads were embedded; superposing thereon a thermoformable support film; pressing the resultant superposed matter under heating to embed the vapor-deposited metal film portion of each of the glass beads in the support film; and peeling the temporary support from the superposed matter in such a manner that the glass beads remain in the support film, said method being characterized in that a thin film containing a coupling agent is previously formed on the vapor-deposited metal film of the temporary support in which the glass beads are embedded and on which the vapor-deposited metal film is then formed, and then the support film is superposed thereon.

Method for producing retroreflective sheeting using a coupling agent

Method for making retroreflective sheeting

Retroreflective sheeting having excellent weatherability under prolonged outdoor use, which comprises a support sheet in one side of which retroreflective glass beads are embedded as substantially a monolayer in such a manner that at least their non-reflective portions are exposed on said sheet; and a light-transmittable protective film provided on the glass beads on said support sheet, said protective film being partially fixed onto the support sheet; in which at least the surface layer of the support sheet in which the glass beads are embedded is formed of a resin composition comprising (a) thermofusible resin(s) having a glass transition temperature not higher than 50.degree. C. and (a) cellulose derivative(s) having a glass transition temperature not lower than 90.degree. C.

Growing community of inventors

Sano, Japan

Masaki Yoshizawa