Elastomeric reflective metal surfaces
US4101698A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1975 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/31605
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An elastomeric transfer laminate for providing decorative reflective metal finishes on the outer surfaces of articles of various shapes includes an effectively transparent elastomeric layer, such as polyurethane film, and a layer of highly reflective metal, such as chromium, bonded to the elastomeric layer. The metal is applied in microscopically discontinuous quantities, but in an amount to form an apparently visually continuous, planar, highly reflective surface. A typical technique is vapor deposition. The elastomeric layer provides an effectively transparent protective outer covering for the reflective metal layer when the laminate is bonded to a substrate. The laminate can be stretched to conform to three-dimensional shapes, and bonded to an elastomeric substrate, such as urethane rubber, to produce an article having a reflective metal surface which can be distorted temporarily during use without disrupting the reflectivity of the metal layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.