Semi-rigid plastic article, carton, or package with select optical element and manufacturing method thereof

摘要

A method of manufacturing a decorated semi-rigid plastic article, carton, package, or box, including: defining a select region of a semi-rigid plastic film or sheet according to a design requirement; applying a clear, colored, or highly reflective coating onto the select region, positioning said coating relative to an embossing form, said embossing form containing at least one Optical Element, bringing the embossing form and coating into intimate contact, hardening, drying, or curing the coating such that it permanently adopts the mirror image of at least one Optical Element, and separating the coating from the embossing form such that the semi-rigid plastic film or sheet contains a selectively applied Optical Element. The above method of manufacturing the semi-rigid plastic article has simple steps, simple operation and low cost. A semi-rigid plastic packing box manufactured by the above method containing both see through transparent regions and select Optical Elements is also provided.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing a semi-rigid plastic decorated article containing a select region bearing an optical element, consisting essentially of:
establishing a substantially planar, substantially transparent semi-rigid plastic film or sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface, defining a select region of said semi-rigid plastic film or sheet, applying a highly reflective coating onto the top surface of said semi-rigid plastic film or sheet precisely onto said select region by a printing method selected from the group consisting of flexography, screen printing, gravure printing, lithography, and ink jet printing, positioning said select region of said coating into a pre-defined alignment with respect to an embossing form, said embossing form being an electroplated replication of an original optical element, bringing said coating and said electroplated replication embossing form into intimate contact one with the other, applying pressure such that said coating substantially adopts the mirror image of the optical element, curing the coating by ultraviolet light or electron beam radiation while said electroplated replication embossing form is in contact with said coating, said ultraviolet light or electron beam radiation being applied below said bottom surface of said plastic film or sheet, and separating the electroplated replication embossing form from the embossed coating such that the semi-rigid plastic film or sheet contains a select region exhibiting an optical element in the select region.