FR2711332A1 - Method and press for transferring a reproduction onto a support and decorated support obtained by the method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the hot transfer of a photocopied reproduction from a transfer sheet (3) onto a surface (4), characterised in that it includes at least one of the following preparation steps, carried out before the hot transfer step: - removal of the irregularities, - deposition of a size forming a nonporous binding film, - deposition of a layer of material of white or white-derived colour. The method may furthermore include, after transfer, an insulating treatment which allows subsequent deposition of a layer for protection against external attack. The invention also relates to a special press including an attached elastomer layer (2) and to products decorated using the method.

Description

 The present invention relates to a process for the hot transfer of a photocopied reproduction onto a support, it also relates to the product obtained and the associated production tool.

 The hot transfer process according to a photocopy on a non-stick sheet currently exists on fabric support or on flexible sheets only.

 Due to the state of the surface and its color, this technique does not give good results on any supports (the blanks are not reproduced in photocopy and an irregular surface does not allow an effective plating of the transfer).

 The method according to the invention aims to remedy these problems and it is particularly intended to improve the technique of hot transfer of a photocopied reproduction, in order on the one hand to apply it on supports initially unsuitable for this purpose like stone and wood for example, and on the other hand to protect this reproduction by solving all the problems of incompatibility between the reproduction and the protective layer.

More particularly, the process according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one of the following preparation stages, carried out before the hot transfer stage.
- removal of irregularities,
- deposit of an apprentice forming a non-porous bonding film,
- deposit of a layer of material of white color or derived from white.

 In addition, after hot transfer, an insulating treatment is deposited which does not react to silicone and other components of the transferred surface and which allows the deposition of a protective layer against external attack, for example the spraying of a varnish.

 Finally, to carry out the hot transfer, a press specially equipped on its heating face with an elastomeric layer absorbing the irregularities of the support is used in order to obtain an integral plating of the photocopied transfer on the receiving surface.

 The invention will be better understood using the description which follows, made with reference to the single appended figure which shows, in section view, a press according to the invention applying a transfer sheet to the surface of any support.

The method according to the invention comprises at least one prior step of preparing a surface (4) variable according to the state of said surface, namely
- an irregular surface (4) (so that a transfer sheet (3) sufficiently follows its shapes), will be rid of its irregularities, or covered with a material which will then be rid of its irregularities,
- a porous surface (4) will be covered with a primer which will form a non-porous bonding film, in order to avoid all the problems due to the capillarity of the support,
- a colored surface (4) must be covered with a layer of white material, or derived from white, in order to have a white background, necessary for any photocopied reproduction.

 These preparations can be used alone or in combination.

 Then the transfer is carried out using a press, the heating surface (1) of which is covered with an elastomer sheet (2) which presses the transfer sheet (3) down to the inevitable defects of the surface (4 ) (such as craters, micro-cracks, roughness ...), which exist in materials such as stone, wood, etc ...

 In addition, the technical method according to the invention also makes it possible to effectively protect the reproduction, once it has been transferred hot to the support (4). Without treatment, any subsequent deposition of sprayed polymer is impossible.

 Indeed, the silicone deposited by the non-stick transfer paper is incompatible with the sprayed layer (for example polyurethane varnish applied with a spray gun or a binder for car paint).

 The surface (4) must therefore after the transfer, be covered with an insulating treatment, which does not react with the silicone of the transferred surface, so that it can then be effectively covered with a protection.

 By way of non-limiting example of application, the method of reproducing a color transfer of a snow landscape on a raw plate (4) of black granite is described below. Protection of the design is essential.

 Without the technical process according to the invention, the white colors would not stand out, the transfer would not be well applied and the protection would not last.

For this example, the steps of the transfer process are as follows
1. Cleaning the surface (4),
2. Depositing a bonding primer (isolating the granite from the products then deposited and forming a non-porous film),
3. Deposit of a layer of white paint in the place where the reproduction will be transferred,
4. Deposition of polymer layers (polyurethane varnish for example),
5. Drying,
6. Hot transfer,
7. Application of the insulating treatment layer,
8. Deposit of a layer of polymer (polyurethane varnish for example),
9. Drying.

We get good results to know
- the drawing is completely transferred to the plate,
- total restitution of whites and colors containing white,
- effective and lasting protection.

More generally, and for any medium, the advantages of the invention are important
- for a porous surface, the necessary products can be deposited without being absorbed by the material, thanks to the insulating primer,
- for a color surface, the whites contained in the reproduction will appear, thanks to the layer of white color or derivative of white previously deposited,
- for an irregular surface, the transfer will be carried out over the entire reproduction surface, thanks to the use of the special press with added elastomer layer, and thanks to the restoration of the support by depositing a layer of material sufficient to absorb defects, and / or by depositing a non-porous bonding film,
- effective protection of reproduction against external aggressions.

Claims (7)

1. A method of reproducing a photocopy of a transfer sheet (3) on a surface (4) comprising a step of hot transfer of the reproduction on said surface, characterized in that the step of hot transfer on a surface unsuitable for this purpose is preceded by at least one step of preparation of said surface (4) solving the problems of incompatibility between reproduction and said surface, step of preparation chosen from the group (removal of irregularities, filing of a primer forming a non-porous bonding film, depositing a layer of material of white color or derived from white). 2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the preparation step consists in removing irregularities carried out on a prior deposit of material on said surface. 3. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the heat transfer step is followed by an insulating treatment allowing the subsequent deposition of a protective layer. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the insulating treatment uses an inert material vis-à-vis the silicone of the transfer layer. 5. Method according to at least one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the insulating treatment is followed by deposition of a layer of polymer. 6. press for reproducing a photocopy (3) on a surface (4) for implementing a hot transfer method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a added elastomer layer (2). 7. Product comprising on a surface (4) an image transferred hot from a transfer sheet (3), characterized in that the transfer of the image was carried out by a process according to one of claims 1 at 5.