Granted Patent B2

US 6,875,301 · App. 09/952,228 · Granted Apr 5, 2005

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. A method for manufacturing an injection moulded product, comprising the steps of:

producing patterns on a foil of plastic film,

forming the patterned foil into a certain three dimensional form,

injection moulding a first injection moulded layer,

placing the formed patterned foil next to said first injection moulded layer, and

injection moulding a second injection moulded layer onto an entity comprising the first injection moulded layer and the foil, so that the first injection moulded layer, the formed patterned foil and said second injection moulded layer come to constitute, in this order, an integral layered structure where a first side of the formed patterned foil is next to an internal surface of the first injection moulded layer and said second injection moulded layer is next to a second side of the formed patterned foil.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein step of producing patterns on a foil comprises the application of at least one of the following: screen printing, offset printing, digital printing, etching, holographic picture generation, painting, sputtering, plating, perforating, glueing or placing stickers onto the film type foil.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of placing the foil next to the first injection moulded layer comprises the step of placing the foil next to said first injection moulded layer so that an unpatterned surface of the foil is left exposed.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first injection moulded layer is transparent or translucent to visible light.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first injection moulded layer includes visual effect particles embedded in the injection moulded substance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first injection moulded layer comprises a colouring agent mixed into the injection moulded substance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foil includes a first base foil having an unpatterned side and at least a second foil.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second injection moulded layer is transparent or translucent to visible light.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a security code in the patterns on the foil, wherein the security code is within the integral layered structure and surrounded by layers that are opaque to visible light but translucent to certain other electromagnetic radiation, and the security code is essentially less translucent to the other electromagnetic radiation than the surrounding layers.

10. A method for manufacturing an injection moulded product, comprising:

producing patterns on at least one of a plurality of foils of plastic film;

laminating the plurality of foils together;

forming the laminated foils into a certain three dimensional form before placing it next to any injection moulded layer,

injection moulding a first injection moulded layer,

placing the formed patterned foils next to the first injection moulded layer, and

injection moulding a second injection moulded layer onto a structure including the first injection moulded layer and the laminated foils, so that the first injection moulded layer and the laminated foils form a integral layered structure where a first side of the laminate foils is next to an internal surface of the first injection moulded layer and the second injection moulded layer is next to a second side of the laminated foils.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic film comprises a polycarbonate film.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plastic film comprises a polycarbonate film.

Assignments (7)