Method for affixing flock material graphics to various surfaces

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Primary Examiner—Curtis Mayes

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Head. Johnson & Kachigian

[57] ABSTRACT

A method of applying commercially available flock material to vehicular fabrics such as cloth, vinyl and leather by modifying said commercially available flock material to allow for use of lower temperatures in the thermal transfer adhesion process and applying said modified commercially available flock material graphic with a tool designed for controlling the temperature thereby obtaining the proper adhesion of the adhesive used in said thermal transfer process.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets

1

METHOD FOR AFFIXING FLOCK
MATERIAL GRAPHICS TO VARIOUS
SURFACES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION s

1. Technical Field

This invention describes a method for affixing flock material graphics to various surfaces including cloth, vinyl and leather. Such flock material graphics are currently in vogue for decorating the interiors of vehicular seats and 10 interior side panels, but the method and apparatus is appropriate for such applications wherever desirable.

2. Background

Flock material graphics currently commercially available 15 were developed for, and are still widely used in decorating clothes such as tee shirts and sweatshirts as well as other garments. The application of such flock material graphics to the garments is by a thermal transfer process.

Existing systems for applying flock material graphics are 2o limited to certain surface materials due to the relatively high temperature required for adhesion. Such a process is described by Mitchell in U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,100 where a temperature of 350° F. to 380° F. is required. The use of such high temperatures poses a hazard to most of the usual 25 upholstery material, from potential matting, charring, searing or other deformations such as the so-called halo effect, such that Mitchell requires the use of a heat shield during the heat application phase. Even with the heat shield, there is (he possibility of deforming the receiving surface, particularly 30 when the existing method is used by less experienced applicators, resulting in greater inefficiency and thus higher cost.

The present invention provides an effective method of applying flock material graphics without the need for such a 35 relatively high temperature, thus obviating the need for use of a heat shield and resulting in lessened chances of damage to the cloth upholstery. The new method further enables the use of such applications to surfaces other than cloth, including more particularly vinyl and leather, thus expanding the 40 use of such graphic decorations to virtually all presently used vehicular seat and side liner fabrics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention utilizes a digital thermal fusion unit 45 (TFU) operatively connected to a hand held heating surface. TheTFU is equipped with a temperature control device such as a thermocouple which allows the unit to maintain a desired temperature. To further protect the fabric on which the flock material graphic is to be affixed, the TFU is 50 equipped with a governor to prevent the temperature of the hearing surface from exceeding the safe temperature of about 285° F. to 295° F. The TFU has a temperature setting dial, which is set to the recommended application temperature, a temperature typically 240° F., and is also 55 equipped with a readout which will read the actual temperature. In operation the unit will heat up to the desired temperature and once reached will maintain said temperature.

The standard flock material graphic as readily available 60 commercially has a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester adhesive in its base layer (i.e. the layer that is immediately adjacent to the fabric to which the flock material graphic is attached). In the present invention the off-the-shelf flock material graphic is modified by the addition of a polyure- 65 thane adhesive laminate to the PVC or polyester adhesive laminate.

2

The method known to date of applying the commercially available flock material graphic was to utilize the PVC or polyester adhesive by placing said layer against the surface to which it is to be attached and applying heat. The temperature required to cause the adhesive to soften and penetrate the fabric and thus cause adhesion is on the order of 350° F. At such temperatures extreme care must be exercised to ensure that when the heat is applied the upholstery cloth on which the flock material graphic is applied is not matted or seared. Even when precautions are used there is a potential for excessive heat damage. Another difficulty is the so-called halo effect, particularly on fine nap cloth material, where the result of using high temperatures of 350° F.-380° F. is a lightening of the cloth caused by the fibers "matting down".

One approach, as discussed in the Mitchell patent, is to use a protective heat shield during the application process. Although such a procedure reduces the potential damage rate during application it does not overcome it. A better approach is to avoid the use of such relatively high temperatures, which temperatures have the inherent limitation of causing damage to the cloth. The use of lower and thus safer temperatures overcomes the potential for cloth damage, but in and of itself the lower temperatures would not suffice to melt the adhesive and would defeat the entire process.

The unique solution of this current invention is to modify the commercially available flock material graphic by adding to the PVC or polyester adhesive layer thereof an additional layer or laminate containing a lower temperature adhesive, more particularly a polyurethane adhesive. By affixing this additional layer to the flock material graphic there is no need to utilize high temperature when attaching the modified flock material graphic to the upholstery.

As a further step to avoid potential damage to upholstery during application, the heating unit is designed such that it is made of two parts. A hand held heating surface to be applied to the flock material graphic is operationally connected to a control unit. The control unit is equipped with means to cause the heating surface to reach and maintain certain specified temperatures within close tolerances. A readout on the control unit shows both the temperature setting selected and the temperature actually present on the heating pad. To minimize cost one display unit is all that is required if a switch is added enabling the operator to switch from display of the set temperature to the actual temperature or vice-versa. As a further precaution the unit is designed such that the maximum temperature that the unit can reach is below a safe high temperature on the order of 290° F.

A better understanding of the invention and its objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the attached figures, wherein there is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the description should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the preferred flock material applique with the release liner being removed to expose the desired flock material graphic.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the various layers or laminates of the flock material applique as modified.