Method of transferring a retroreflective pattern onto a fabric

Claim 1

A method of transferring a retroreflective pattern onto a fabric, which comprises the steps of: coating a compression bonding adhesive on a surface of the fabric in a predetermined adhesive pattern, superposing on the surface of the fabric so coated with said adhesive a retroreflective pattern transfer sheet comprising a mass of transparent fine glass spheres deposited in spaced apart relation on a base film through an intermediary of a temporary holding adhesive so as to allow the fine spheres to be individually more than half exposed and a reflective film layer composed of a colored transparent film and a deposited metal film, which reflective film layer is laid over the exposed surface of said mass of transparent fine glass spheres and over the surface of the temporary holding adhesive present between individual adjacent glass spheres, with the reflective film side of said retroreflective pattern transfer sheet placed in face-to-face relation with the adhesive coated side of the fabric, applying pressure to the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet superposed on the fabric from the base film, thereby bringing the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet opposed to the pattern coat of the compression bonding adhesive into bond with the surface of the fabric through the compression bonding adhesive, applying a peel force to the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet so that the reflective film layer is scissioned at a gap defined by individual transparent fine glass spheres present along a borderline between a first portion of the transfer sheet which is in bond with the fabric through the compression bonding adhesive and a second portion of the transfer sheet including the area of the color transparent film and metal film between the spheres which is not in bond with the fabric and so that said portion of the transfer sheet not in bond with the fabric is stripped off, whilst at least the temporary holding adhesive and the base film are stripped off together from said portion in bond with the fabric of the transfer sheet so that a mass of transparent fine glass spheres, less than half exposed, and the associated reflective film layer at least are retained as retroreflective pattern means on the surface of the fabric the thickness of the adhesive coat being more than sufficient to fill the gaps between individual adjacent transparent fine glass spheres.

Claim 2

A method of transferring a retroreflective pattern onto a fabric, which comprises the steps of: coating a compression bonding adhesive on a surface of the fabric in a predetermined adhesive pattern, superposing on the surface of the fabric so coated with said adhesive a retroreflective pattern transfer sheet comprising a mass of transparent fine glass spheres deposited in spaced apart relation on a base film through an intermediary of a temporary holding adhesive so as to allow the fine spheres to be individually more than half exposed and a reflective film layer composed of a colored transparent film and a deposited metal film, which reflective film layer is laid over the exposed surface of said mass of transparent fine glass spheres and over the surface of the temporary holding adhesive present between individual adjacent glass spheres, with the reflective film side of said retroreflective pattern transfer sheet placed in face-to-face relation with the adhesive coated side of the fabric, applying pressure to the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet superposed on the fabric from the base film, thereby bringing the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet opposed to the pattern coat of the compression bonding adhesive into bond with the surface of the fabric through the compression bonding adhesive, applying a peel force to the retroreflective pattern transfer sheet so that the reflective film layer is scissioned at a gap defined by individual transparent fine glass spheres present along a borderline between a first portion of the transfer sheet which is in bond with the fabric through the compression bonding adhesive and a second portion of the transfer sheet including the area of the color transparent film and metal film between the spheres which is not in bond with the fabric and so that said portion of the transfer sheet not in bond with the fabric is stripped off, whilst at least the temporary holding adhesive and the base film are stripped off together from said portion in bond with the fabric of the transfer sheet so that a mass of transparent fine glass spheres, less than half exposed, and the associated reflective film layer at least are retained as retroreflective pattern means on the surface of the fabric the thickness of the adhesive coat being more than sufficient to fill the gaps between individual adjacent transparent fine glass spheres.