GB1368953A - Plastics sheet materials - Google Patents

Abstract

1368953 Laminates BAKELITE XYLONITE Ltd 5 Aug 1971 [2 July 1970] 32140/70 Heading B5N [Aso in Divisions B2 B6 and G2] A plastics sheet material having preselected retro-reflective areas comprises one or more layers of transparent or translucent plastics material, one layer comprising the surface of the sheet having one or more convex lens embossments on one surface thereof, the embossments having dimensions such that the plane or planes of reflective areas printed or coated on the other surface of the layer and/or on one or more surfaces of any further component layers of the sheet, which reflective areas together comprise at least 5% of the total area of the other surface, are so positioned relative to the focal region or regions of one or more of the lenses that reflective areas together comprising at least 5% of the total area are in retro-reflective combination with one or more of the lenses, the other surface of the layer and the surfaces of any other component layers being substantially smooth and unembossed. One or more component layers of the sheet may be of opaque plastics material. The embossing step and lamination to one or more further layers may be carried out simultaneously. The reflective areas may form all or part of a design or pattern which may include letters, figures or other indicia or a decorative pattern, the remainder of the design optionally being printed, coated or laminated in the same plane or planes as the reflective areas or in planes above or below this plane. A transparent dyed lacquer may be printed or coated in regions to control the colour of the retroreflective light and the embossed layer may be tinted to provide an additional colour effect. The reflective areas may be of gold, silver or aluminium lacquers, vacuum deposited aluminium or other metals or materials containing white pigments and/or fillers, e.g. titanium dioxide or barium sulphate, or luminescent materials. The transparent or translucent layer may be of PVC, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene or polypropylene. The embossments which may each comprise a segment of a sphere or cylinder arranged in hexagonal close-packed array may be produced by means of an embossing roller or die, extrusion casting the plastics material on to a profiled casting surface, forming the plastics material directly in a profiled casting die or extruding the plastics material through a profiled extrusion die. The sheet material may be used in the production of garments, satchels and road signs and may be strengthened by lamination to a fabric or other plastics sheet material.