Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A process for the manufacture of a flexible and stretchable sheet material adapted for use in a thermoforming process in which it is stretched to conform to a three-dimensional substrate and bonded thereto so as to form a smooth and wrinkle-free protective and decorative coating thereon, said process comprising the steps of: (1) providing a thin, essentially planar, stretchable, thermoplastic polymeric support of substantially uniform thickness; (2) providing a fluid paint composition comprising a film-forming binder and a colorant; (3) forming a laminar flow of said paint composition and directing said flow into contact with the surface of said thermoplastic polymeric support to form thereon a thin paint layer of substantially uniform thickness; and (4) converting said paint layer to a dry and tack-free state.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A process for the manufacture of a flexible and stretchable sheet material adapted for use in a thermoforming process in which it is stretched to conform to a three-dimensional substrate and bonded thereto so as to form a smooth and wrinkle-free protective and decorative coating thereon, said process comprising the steps of: (1) providing a thin, essentially planar, stretchable, thermoplastic polymeric support of substantially uniform thickness; (2) providing a fluid paint composition comprising a film-forming binder and a colorant; (3) forming a laminar flow of said paint composition and directing said flow into contact with the surface of said thermoplastic polymeric support to form thereon a thin paint layer of substantially uniform thickness; and (4) converting said paint layer to a dry and tack-free state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said laminar flow is formed by extruding said composition through a slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said paint layer has an outer surface and contains generally flat light reflecting particles having a preferred orientation within 12 degrees of parallelism with said outer surface, and at least 75% of said particles being in the preferred orientation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein substantially none of the particles have an orientation greater than about 50° of parallelism.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1 further comprising: providing an adhesion promoting layer between said support and said paint layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein said paint layer is at least 8 times the thickness of said adhesion promoting layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein said adhesion promoting layer has a thickness not greater than about 0.0025 millimeters.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 1 further comprising: providing a substantially clear layer adhered to said paint layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein said clear layer has a thickness substantially greater than said paint layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said paint layer provides a distinctness of image of at least 80.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said paint layer has a 20° gloss of at least 80.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1 further comprising: providing a pressure sensitive adhesive layer on the opposite side of said support sheet from said paint layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said support has a mean thickness ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 millimeters.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 13, wherein said support has a maximum thickness deviation from its mean thickness of less than 20%.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said paint layer has a mean thickness ranging from 0.012 to 0.080 millimeters.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said sheet material has a thickness ratio for said paint layer to said support which ranges from 1.00 to 0.04.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said sheet material has an optical density of at least 3.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 17, wherein said sheet material has maximum optical density variation of less than 0.3.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said sheet material has an average surface roughness of less than 0.4 microns.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 1 further comprising: providing a substrate to which said support of said sheet material is bonded.