METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A FILM HAVING A LAYER WITH A BARRIER COATING
A method of manufacturing an elastic and resilient film, to be applied to an endless moving handrail, includes steps of providing a first layer having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail, an adhesive on a bottom surface of the first layer, and a barrier coating on a top surface of the first layer, optionally providing a second layer having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail and an adhesive on a bottom surface of the second layer, providing a substantially transparent layer having an adhesive on a bottom surface thereof, and laminating the first layer, second layer (when present), and substantially transparent layer together.
1 . A method of manufacturing an elastic and resilient film to be applied to an endless moving handrail comprising the steps of:
providing a first layer having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail, an adhesive on a bottom surface of the first layer, and a barrier coating on a top surface of the first layer;
providing a second layer having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail and an adhesive on a bottom surface of the second layer;
providing a substantially transparent layer having an adhesive on a bottom surface thereof; and
laminating the first layer, second layer, and substantially transparent layer together.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein print is applied to a top surface of the second layer prior to lamination.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the an elastic and resilient film is applied to an endless moving handrail.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reverse print is applied to a bottom surface of the substantially transparent layer between the adhesive and the substantially transparent layer.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the an elastic and resilient film is applied to an endless moving handrail.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein each of the three layers is provided with a liner protecting the adhesives prior to lamination.
7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second layer receives the print and is thereafter laminated together with the substantially transparent layer to protect the print.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the lamination of the second layer and the substantially transparent layer is performed by heat lamination.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the lamination of the second layer and the substantially transparent layer is performed by pressure lamination.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the combined second and substantially transparent layers are laminated onto the first layer.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the lamination of the combined second and substantially transparent layers to the first layer is by heat lamination.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the lamination of the combined second and substantially transparent layers to the first layer is by pressure lamination.
13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second layers are laminated together prior to application of the print.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the lamination of the first and second layers is by heat lamination.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the lamination of the first and second layers is by pressure lamination
16 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the substantially transparent layer with the reverse print is laminated onto the second layer.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the lamination of the second layer and the substantially transparent layer is performed by heat lamination.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the lamination of the second layer and the substantially transparent layer is performed by pressure lamination.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the combined substantially transparent layer and second layer are laminated onto the first layer.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the lamination of the combined second and substantially transparent layers to the first layer is by pressure lamination.
21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the lamination of the combined second and substantially transparent layers to the first layer is by heat lamination.
22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein prior to lamination of the substantially transparent layer on to the second layer the first and second layers are laminated together.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the lamination of the first and second layers is by pressure lamination.
24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the lamination of the first and second layers is by heat lamination.
25 . The method of claim 2 , wherein prior to application of the print, the top surface of the second layer is surface treated to promote adhesion of the print thereto.
26 . The method of claim 4 , wherein prior to application of the reverse print to the bottom surface of the substantially transparent layer, the bottom surface is treated with a surface treatment to promote adhesion of the reverse print thereto.
27 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the first layer is treated with a surface treatment to promote adhesion of the barrier coating thereto.
28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is provided with a second barrier coating on the bottom surface between the first layer and the adhesive.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the bottom surface of the first layer is treated with a surface treatment to promote adhesion of the second barrier coating thereto.
30 . A method of manufacturing an elastic and resilient film, to be applied to an endless moving handrail, comprising the steps of:
providing a first layer having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surfaces of the endless moving handrail, including a barrier coating on at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the first layer, and an adhesive underlying the bottom surface of the first layer;
providing a substantially transparent layer having an adhesive on a bottom surface thereof; and
laminating the first and substantially transparent layers together.
31 . The method of claim 30 , including one of: when the barrier coating is provided on the bottom surface of the first layer, print is applied to the top surface of the first layer prior to lamination; and when the barrier coating is provided on the top surface of the first layer, print is applied to a top surface of the barrier coating prior to lamination.
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the elastic and resilient film is applied to an endless moving handrail.
33 . The method of claim 30 , wherein reverse print is applied to a bottom surface of the substantially transparent layer between the adhesive and the substantially transparent layer prior to lamination.
34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the elastic and resilient film is applied to an endless moving handrail.
35 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the first and substantially transparent layers are provided with a liner protecting the adhesives prior to lamination.
36 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the first layer receives the print and is thereafter laminated together with the substantially transparent layer to protect the print.
37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the lamination of the first layer and the substantially transparent layer is by heat lamination.
38 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the lamination of the first layer and the substantially transparent layer is by pressure lamination.
39 . The method of claim 31 , wherein prior to application of the print, the top surface of the first layer or the top surface of the barrier coating is surface treated to promote adhesion of the print thereto.
40 . The method of claim 33 , wherein prior to application of the reverse print to the bottom surface of the substantially transparent layer, the bottom surface is treated with a surface treatment to promote adhesion of the reverse print thereto.
41 . The method of claim 30 , wherein at least one surface of the first layer is surface treated to promote adhesion of the barrier coating thereto.
42 . A method of applying a barrier coating to an elastic and resilient film, the method comprising:
(a) providing an elongate film having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surface of an endless moving handrail, the film being a continuous elongate strip;
(b) continuously applying a liquid barrier coating material as a solution comprising a solvent and solid material onto at least one surface of the film layer;
(c) controlling the liquid coating to provide a coating having a substantially uniform thickness; and
(d) promoting vaporization of the solvent, causing the barrier material to dry to leave the solids as a barrier having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surface of an endless moving handrail on the film.
43 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the step of controlling the liquid coating comprises controlling thickness of the coating by one of a post-metered or pre-metered process.
44 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the step of controlling the liquid coating comprises using a knife-over-roll technique to control the thickness of the coating.
45 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the barrier coating material comprises a polymer having elastomeric properties and particles embedded therein providing the barrier properties to selected substances.
46 . The method as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the particles comprise platelets having a high aspect ratio and arranged generally along the length of the elastic resilient film.
47 . The method as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the polymer comprises a butyl rubber and the particles comprise nanoclay.
48 . The method as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the polymer comprises a neoprene and the particles comprise nanoclay.
49 . The method as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the polymer comprises a nitrile rubber and the particles comprise nanoclay.
50 . The method as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the polymer comprises a polyester resin and the particles comprise nanoclay.
51 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the barrier coating is formed by a single application of barrier coating material.
52 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , wherein the barrier coating is formed by two or more separate applications of barrier coating materials.
53 . The method as claimed in claim 52 , wherein prior to application of a second of the two applications of barrier coating materials, a first application of barrier coating materials is surface treated.
54 . The method as claimed in claim 42 , further comprising a step of forming a second barrier coating, said second barrier coating, having sufficient resilience to accommodate strains occurring on the surface of the endless moving handrail
55 . The method as claimed in claim 54 , wherein the second barrier coating is on a surface of the film opposite that which the first barrier coating is applied.