MXPA99000999A - Composite board material for presenting post-lighted graphs and colors - Google Patents

Abstract

A composite board material for the subsequently illuminated display of graphic and alphanumeric designs and color fields as disclosed herein includes regions that appear metallic and highly reflective when they are frontally illuminated, but which, when illuminated subsequently transmit a portion of the back lighting to provide an effect of a "metal that can be seen through it". The panel material in accordance with the design comprises a transparent base medium, day design images that are visible when the board material is frontly illuminated, but not illuminated subsequently, and a partially reflective metallized element that has an opaque appearance and bright when illuminated frontally, but not when it is illuminated later, and a preselected degree of transparency to allow a set of images and colors to be seen in front lighting and a different game under backlighting of the table material

Description

"MATERIAL OF COMPOSITE BOARDS COULD PRESENT GRAPHICS AND COLORS ILLUMINATED POSTERIORLY" The present invention relates to composite board materials for the presentation of graphs on instrument consoles, sign applications and other applications involving an indication and identification, where the presented graphs are seen looking at the front surface under frontal illumination differs from the graphics of back lighting. The most common current example of "changeable charts" is provided by instrument dashboards that include items such as warning lights and symbols that appear clearly when the board lights up later, but-that disappear from sight entirely when the board only lights up frontally and does not light up later. These "drive front" graphics almost always appear black in regular light. A typical example of the drive front graphics is provided by the tractor instrument panel of US Pat. No. 4,447,860 (to Stone et al.) Which includes printed flat translucent sheets bonded above a perforated surface, such that symbols or - Signs printed on the underside of the sheets is such that some of the signs are visible at all times, while others are virtually invisible, except when they are subsequently illuminated by a light-emitting device, included in the instrument panel of the tractor. An object of the present invention is to provide board materials for subsequently illuminated graphic instruments, indicators, identification and signs that can be decorated in one or more other colors, to improve the graphics and increase the number of design opportunities, and in where a visual surface that appears reflective and metallic (chrome, ors, etc.) when illuminated frontally can transmit a portion of the back illumination in order to allow the illuminated colors and graphics to subsequently appear through the metal portion. With a view to achieve this object and other advantages that will appear from a reading of the specification as a whole, we have found that a variety of selected color and transparency inks and / or films can be applied on one or both sides of a base medium transparent and a semi-reflective metallic layer can be placed on either side of the base medium through metal deposition or by means of lamination in the medium - - of the metallized film. The correct selection of the different inks, and films used for their degree of opacity allows several colors and graphics to be illuminated later through graphics not illuminated later, including through the metallic portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures a and 2a through 2c are schematic detailed cross-sectional views of six variable arrangements of the component layers in a composite board according to the invention, the "Visual" arrow in each case indicating the front surface of the composite material. In each of the figures of the drawing, a composite cross-sectional material is shown in a detailed cross-section which includes, as its essential elements, a transparent medium 3, the graphs 2"daytime" (that is, graphs that are seen when the material it does not light up later) and the partially reflecting metallic element 4. In Figures a to 2c, the metallized element 4 is placed in the front part of the transparent medium 3, while in Figures 2a to 2c the_ element-o 4 is towards the rear, that is, closer to a source of back lighting than the element 3. The 6"night" graphics, seen only when they are subsequently illuminated, can be placed behind the day graphics. Variants a, b and c in Figure 1 and Figure 2, are indicative of the fact that graphs 2 and 6 can be placed on any or both sides of the transparent medium 3. The transparent base medium 3 can be any number of transparent molded resins or commercially obtainable films, such as MYLAR (trademark) or LEXAN (brand of -factory), with physical characteristics appropriate for the final use of the presentation board. The day graphics indicated as 2 may consist of any number of colors or images, depending on the finished design that is required. The inks painted directly on the transparent medium 3, or towards the separate films are of an opacity that is selected to avoid the appearance of "ghost" images during use. Night graphics 6 may also consist of any number of colors and images depending on the subsequently illuminated finished design required. The compounds of the drawing figures also include the following optional features, from the front to the rear of the cross section. - the 1-component film schematically illustrates the optional "additions", that is, the commonly used surface treatments such as decorative and / or protective coatings; the reference number 5 indicates a barrier "coating", an optional application of opaque ink or film. The pattern of the barrier coating is selected to correspond to the graphs and the desired effect provided by the visible surface with the opaque areas of the barrier coating, preventing unwanted illumination of the visible surface when the product is subsequently illuminated. The openings towards or the transporating areas within the barrier coating can be provided to allow illumination of specific areas of the visible surface, when the product is subsequently illuminated; - the reference number 7 indicates another layer of optional "additions", in particular, protective surface coatings; - the reference number 8 refers to an optional mounting layer that may be required for the final assembly in a specific use of the compound. The layer - - Mounting 8 can have - surface adhesives, application tapes or accessories suitable for assembly. Adjusting and regulating for the different degrees of -pacity of the inks and / or films used in the compound, the graphics illuminated later appear through the graphics not illuminated later and many notable and pleasant effects can be achieved. In accordance with the present invention, laminated materials are illustrated schematically in Figures 2a to 2c when they are subsequently illuminated and now allow a product to be directly illuminated - through chrome, gold and other metallic colors, heretofore considered opaque. The variants of Figures 2a to 2c are comparable with those of the Figures a with the exception of the placement of the metallized element 4 relative to the transparent medium 3 and the rear illumination source (not shown) coming from the right of the figures, as they are presented. The addition of the metallized layer, either through the deposition or lamination of the film on either side of the transparent medium, causes the finished product to have metallic appearance when it is not illuminated subsequently. Excessive control of the degree of opacity for optimal desired end use allows the addition of metallization - Semitransparent to impart colors of chrome, gold and other metallic colors, while still allowing illuminated night graphics to appear later through daytime graphics. In addition, the use of these semitransparent metallic materials without incorporating any night graphics allows backlight illumination of the product directly through the chrome, gold or metallic areas, with a visually remarkable effect of "metal that can be seen through the same ". Semitransparent metallized films have been used and can be obtained commercially for example, such as "the solar film", a metallized partially reflecting MYLAR film (trademark). These can be manufactured on a wide scale of appropriate opacities for different systems subsequently illuminated using compounds of the present invention.

Claims (7)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S:

1. A composite board material for the presentation, by back lighting of graphic and alphanumeric designs and / or color fields, through the regions of the board material that appear metallic and highly reflective when they are frontally illuminated, comprising: (a) a transparent board base medium having a front surface and a back surface; (b) day designs consisting of images and / or colors applied to any of the surfaces of the base medium or to a separate transparent film placed in use parallel to a surface of the base medium, the day designs being visible when the material of the board lights up frontally but not when the material of the board lights up later; and (c) a partially reflecte-r- metallized element that appears opaque and bright when illuminated frontally, but not when illuminated subsequently, of a degree of transparency selected to allow a portion of the back illumination to pass through the metallized element and be visible from the front of the board material as element lighting. _ -

2. A composite board material according to claim 1, further comprising night designs consisting of images and / or colors applied to any surface of the base medium, or to a separate transpiring film placed in use parallel to a surface of the medium of base, night designs being visible only when the board material is subsequently illuminated.

3. A composite board material according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the base means of the transparent board is a sheet of glass.

4. A board material -compound according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the base medium of the transparent board is selected from the group consisting of polyester films and polycarbonate films.

5. A composite board material according to claim 1 or claim 2, in "" where the base media of the transparent board is selected from films made of Mylar ™ or Lexan ™.

6. A composite board material according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the partially reflective metallized element comprises a material in the form of metallized film laminated to a major surface of the base medium.

7. A composite board material according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a barrier layer interposed between the backlight source and the track designs, the barrier layer includes transparent regions therein for the barrier. allow the transmission of the backlight through the specific portions of the board material.