Avery Dennison Corporation

William J Buehne

Howard H Enlow

Frederick Young

John R Johnson

Keith Lawson Truog

Lee B Devine

The present invention relates to multilayer decorative sheet comprising: (a) an outer heat resistant carrier first carrier sheet, (b) a clear coat, which in one embodiment, comprises a blend of a fluorocarbon polymer and an acrylic or methacrylic resin, coated on the carrier sheet, (c) a tie coat layer on the clear coat layer, (d) fade print coat on the tie coat layer, (e) an optional back coat on the print layer, (e) a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and (f) a second carrier sheet adhered to the pressure-sensitive adhesive. When used on a vehicle the graphic has an opaque portion, such as a metallic finish, at the topside of the vehicle and the opacity fades over the graphic to clear, thereby revealing the vehicle's color under the decorative sheet. The fading occurs across the width of the graphic. In one embodiment, the fade is gradual and reveals little stark changes in opacity. The present invention provides a decorative laminate which provides a fade from one opacity to another wherein the sheet has a combination of good durability, elongation, opacity, gloss and DOI levels and a defect-free surface.

Fade printed decorative sheets and methods and apparatus for making the same

A flexible decorative sheet for use in surfacing an automobile body panel includes a first polyester carrier sheet having a high gloss surface, a clear coat of a weatherable optically-clear polymer containing fluorocarbon resin and an acrylic resin coated on the surface of the first carrier sheet, a tie coat on the clear coat, and a color coat containing a chlorinated polymer with dispersed pigments cast on the tie coat and dried. A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed on a second polyester carrier sheet and then laminated to the exposed face of the color coat to form a pressure-sensitive, adhesive-backed composite paint coat between the outer carrier sheets which form protective removable backing sheets for the resulting laminate. The decorative sheet is applied to a substrate panel by pressure-sensitive adhesive bonding techniques, with the clear coat serving as a glossy, weatherable protective outer layer for the underlying color coat. The PVC-containing color coat enhances room temperature elongation of the finished film to enable application of the laminate to three-dimensionally contoured surfaces. The resulting paint finish has a defect-free, weatherable and durable outer surface with high gloss and high distinctness of image, meeting requirements for exterior automotive use.

Exterior automotive laminate with pressure-sensitive adhesive

A process for making a thermoformable conductive plastic laminate for use in making plastic parts adapted for electrostatic spray painting of a uniform high quality paint finish includes forming a matte release coated casting sheet, casting an electrically conductive polymer in thin film form on the casting sheet, drying to form a conductive primer coat, and transfer-laminating the conductive coating to a thin, thermoformable plastic face sheet. The matte release coat has a fine particulate filler that transfers a micro-roughened matte surface to the conductive primer coat. The conductive primer includes a polyester resin containing a fine particulate conductive material such as carbon black and, preferably, an anti-blocking agent such as fumed silica. The primer coated face sheet can be thermoformed and bonded to a underlying plastic substrate panel. The conductive primer has sufficient elongation and maintains uniform electrical surface conductivity and film thickness throughout the transfer-laminating, thermoforming and substrate panel-cladding process. The uniform surface resistivity of the conductive primer film is sufficient to permit electrostatic spray painting of the finished contoured panel and in one embodiment produces a Class 'A' quality exterior automotive paint finish on the resulting panel.

Thermoformable conductive laminate and process

A process for making a thermoformable conductive plastic laminate for use in making plastic parts adapted for electrostatic spray painting of a uniform high quality paint finish includes forming a matte release coated casting sheet, casting an electrically conductive polymer in thin film form on the casting sheet, drying to form a conductive primer coat, and transfer-laminating the conductive coating to a thin, thermoformable plastic face sheet. The matte release coat has a fine particulate filler that transfers a micro-toughened matte surface to the conductive primer coat. The conductive primer includes a polyester resin containing a fine particulate conductive material such as carbon black and, preferably, an anti-blocking agent such as fumed silica. The primer coated face sheet can be thermoformed and bonded to a underlying plastic substrate panel. The conductive primer has sufficient elongation and maintains uniform electrical surface conductivity and film thickness throughout the transfer-laminating, thermoforming and substrate panel-cladding process. The uniform surface resistivity of the conductive primer film is sufficient to permit electrostatic spray painting of the finished contoured panel and in one embodiment produces a Class 'A' quality exterior automotive paint finish on the resulting panel.

Growing community of inventors

Hammond, IN, United States of America

William J Buehne