US4126727A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Resinous polymer sheet materials having selective, decorative effects
Assignee: Congoleum Corp
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Filing: 1976-06-16
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Granted: 1978-11-21
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Expires: 1996-06-16
Abstract
Abstract Resinous polymer sheet materials having selective, decorative effects comprising: a first layer of a resinous polymer composition; a pattern or design printed on and adhered to the surface of the first layer of resinous polymer composition and having a relatively dark colored printed portions and relatively light colored printed portions; and a second layer of a resinous polymer composition applied on and adhered to the printed pattern or design and to the first layer of resinous polymer composition, the second layer of resinous polymer composition having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and having included or embedded substantially uniformly therein a layer of relatively small, flat, decorative chips or flakes comprising a very thin layer of translucent or transparent platelets provided with a coating having a refractive index of at least about 1.8 and at least 0.2 greater than the refractive index of any surrounding, contacting material, and a thickness of from about 0.05 micron to about 2 microns, such that light wave interference and color absorptive effects are created in light waves striking and reflecting from the second layer of resinous polymer composition, whereby those decorative chips or flakes located over the relatively dark colored printed portions are discernible from eye-level or a distance of about five feet, whereas those decorative chips or flakes located over the relatively light colored printed portions are indiscernible from eye-level or a distance of about five feet. Methods of making such resinous polymer sheet materials having such selective, decorative effects are also included.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanley J. Kaminski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:24
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/06; B32B27/065; B32B5/00; B32B5/18; B32B5/20; B32B27/18; B32B27/20; B32B27/30; B32B27/304; B44; B44C; B44C3/00; B44C3/04; B44F; B44F11/00; B44F11/06; B44F9/00; B44F9/08; D; D06; D06N; D06N7/00; D06N7/0005; D06N7/0028; D06N7/0039; D06N7/0052; D06N7/0055; B32B2266/00; B32B2266/02; B32B2266/0214; B32B2266/0221; B32B2266/0235; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/40; B32B2307/402; B32B2307/404; B32B2307/418; B32B2451/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24355; Y10T428/24372; Y10T428/2438; Y10T428/24479; Y10T428/24496; Y10T428/24504; Y10T428/24612; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/24851; Y10T428/24868; Y10T428/24876; Y10T428/24893; Y10T428/24909; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249962; Y10T428/249964; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/251; Y10T428/258; Y10T428/26; Y10T428/263; Y10T428/264; Y10T428/265; Y10T428/269; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2911; Y10T428/2982; Y10T428/2991
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
Resinous polymer sheet material having selective, decorative, multi-colored nacreous effects in selected portions thereof comprising: a first layer of a resinous polymer composition; a pattern or design printed on the surface of said first layer of resinous polymer composition and having relatively dark colored printed portions and relatively light colored printed portions; a second layer of a resinous polymer composition applied over and adhered to said printed pattern or design, said second layer of resinous polymer composition having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7; and translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said second layer of resinous polymer composition, said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes comprising translucent or transparent platelets having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and provided with a translucent or transparent coating having a refractive index of at least about 1.8 and a thickness of from about 0.05 micron to about 2 microns, whereby destructive interference or other optical effects are created such that said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes located over said relatively dark colored printed portions of said pattern or design are given multi-colored nacreous effects which are discernible from a distance of about five feet, whereas said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes located over said relatively light colored printed portions are indiscernible from a distance of about five feet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
Resinous polymer sheet material having selective, decorative, multi-colored nacreous effects in selected portions thereof comprising: a first layer of a resinous polymer composition; a pattern or design printed on the surface of said first layer of resinous polymer composition and having relatively dark colored printed portions and relatively light colored printed portions; a second layer of a resinous polymer composition applied over and adhered to said printed pattern or design, said second layer of resinous polymer composition having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7; and translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said second layer of resinous polymer composition, said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes comprising translucent or transparent platelets having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and provided with a translucent or transparent coating having a refractive index of at least about 1.8 and a thickness of from about 0.05 micron to about 2 microns, whereby destructive interference or other optical effects are created such that said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes located over said relatively dark colored printed portions of said pattern or design are given multi-colored nacreous effects which are discernible from a distance of about five feet, whereas said translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes located over said relatively light colored printed portions are indiscernible from a distance of about five feet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating has a refractive index of at least about 2.5.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating has a thickness of from about about 0.1 micron to about 1 micron.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating comprises titanium dioxide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating comprises zirconium dioxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets have a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 but more than about 0.2 less than the refractive index of said coating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets have a refractive index of from about 1.5 to about 1.6.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets are mica.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets are calcium sulfate anhydrites.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets have a maximum dimension in the range of from about 2 microns to about 100 microns.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets have a maximum dimension in the range of from about 5 microns to about 50 microns.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent platelets have a maximum dimension to thickness ratio of at least about 4 to 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein relatively dark colored printed portions are black.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said relatively light colored printed portions are white.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said first layer of resinous polymer composition contains a polymer of polyvinyl chloride.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said first layer of resinous polymer composition is a foamed resinous polymer composition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said second layer of resinous polymer composition is embossed and possesses raised portions and depressed portions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said second layer of resinous polymer composition is embossed and possesses raised portions which coincide with said relatively dark colored printed portions and depressed portions which coincide with said relatively light colored printed portions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 18, wherein raised portions exhibit multicolored decorative effects.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein it is in form of a resilient floor covering.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
227 words
A method of making a resinous polymer sheet material having selective decorative multi-colored nacreous effects in selected portions thereof comprising: forming a first layer of a resinous polymer composition; printing a pattern or design on the surface of said first layer of resinous polymer composition having relatively dark colored printed portions and relatively light colored printed portions; forming a second layer of a resinous polymer composition having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and having substantially uniformly dispersed therein translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes comprising translucent or transparent platelets having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and a translucent or transparent coating thereon having a refractive index of at least about 1.8 and a thickness of from about 0.05 micron to about 2 microns; and applying said second layer of resinous polymer composition adheringly over said printed pattern or design, whereby destructive interference or other optical effects are created such that said translucent or transparent chips or flakes located over said relatively dark colored printed portions of said pattern or design are given multi-colored nacreous effects which are discernible from a distance of about five feet, whereas said translucent or transparent chips or flakes located over said relatively light colored printed portions of said printed pattern or design are indiscernible form a distance of about five feet.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
227 words
A method of making a resinous polymer sheet material having selective decorative multi-colored nacreous effects in selected portions thereof comprising: forming a first layer of a resinous polymer composition; printing a pattern or design on the surface of said first layer of resinous polymer composition having relatively dark colored printed portions and relatively light colored printed portions; forming a second layer of a resinous polymer composition having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and having substantially uniformly dispersed therein translucent or transparent decorative chips or flakes comprising translucent or transparent platelets having a refractive index of from about 1.3 to about 1.7 and a translucent or transparent coating thereon having a refractive index of at least about 1.8 and a thickness of from about 0.05 micron to about 2 microns; and applying said second layer of resinous polymer composition adheringly over said printed pattern or design, whereby destructive interference or other optical effects are created such that said translucent or transparent chips or flakes located over said relatively dark colored printed portions of said pattern or design are given multi-colored nacreous effects which are discernible from a distance of about five feet, whereas said translucent or transparent chips or flakes located over said relatively light colored printed portions of said printed pattern or design are indiscernible form a distance of about five feet.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as defined in claim 21, wherein said first layer of resinous polymer composition contains a blowing agent which, upon being heated to a sufficiently elevated temperature for a required period of time, will decompose to create a foamed resinous polymer sheet material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as defined in claim 22, wherein a blow modifier is included in one of said colored printed portions, whereby the extent of the blowing or foaming in said first layer of resinous polymer composition in contact with said colored printed portion is modified.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as defined in claim 22, wherein a blow modifier is included in said relatively light colored printed portion, whereby the extent of the blowing or foaming in said first layer of resinous polymer composition in contact with said light colored printed portion is modified.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
46 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1, wherein said translucent or transparent coating comprises titanium dioxide in crystalline form having an individual crystal size of as small as about 0.05 micron, with reference to its longest dimension, whereby it does not scatter light.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A resinous polymer sheet material as defined in claim 1 wherein said translucent or transparent platelets are very smooth-surfaced, very thin and flat lamellae.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-11-20 | 1982-05-22 | 1982-11-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-11-20 | 1986-05-22 | 1986-11-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-11-20 | 1990-05-22 | 1990-11-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |