DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to a means of transport having a decorative film for the coating of at least one of its surfaces and to said decorative film.

It is now consolidated practice in the automotive industry, in the more specific field of visual and promotional communication, to coat at least part of the surface of a means of transport with a decorative film.

The decorative film must have technical specifications such as to guarantee suitable dimensional stability and high conformability to the surface to be coated, which may be fiat but is more frequently curved.

The decorative film in general comprises one layer based on cast or calendered vinyl which, whilst guaranteeing the dimensional stability and conformability required, does not always have sufficient durability. This is essentially due to the fact that the decorative film is exposed to external atmospheric agents but especially to the risk of impacts and abrasions that can damage it irreparably.

The object of the present invention is to provide a film for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport and a means of transport having such a film, suitable to obviate the technical drawbacks of the prior art.

Within the scope of this technical task, an object of the invention is to provide a decorative film for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport having improved resistance to impacts and abrasions suitable for extending its durability. Another object of the invention is to provide a decorative film for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport that protects the decorative motif from the action of external atmospheric agents in order to keep it unaltered over time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-adhesive product that incorporates a decorative film for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport having a simple and cheap production process.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-adhesive product that incorporates a decorative film for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport that can be easily applied in a correct and stable way.

The technical task, as well as these and other objects, according to the present invention are reached by providing a means of transport having a decorative film for the coating of at least one of its surfaces, characterised in that said film comprises at least one decorative layer made of material comprising at least cast or calendered polyvinyl chloride (PVC ), at least one layer of adhesive for fixing the decorative film to the said surface, and at least one clear protective layer made of material comprising at least polyurethane (PU) for the protection of the decorative layer.

A preferred application envisages that the means of transport is a watercraft and that the decorative film is applied to the bottom of the watercraft.

The present invention further reveals a self-adhesive product for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport, characterised in that it comprises a film and a layered support joined in a peelable way to the film, the film comprising at least one decorative layer made of material comprising at least cast or calendered polyvinyl chloride (PVC), at least one clear protective layer made of material comprising at least polyurethane (PU) for protecting the decorative layer, and at least one layer of clear laminating adhesive with which the protective layer is joined to the decorative layer.

The present invention finally reveals a process for making a product for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport, characterised in that it comprises a step of application of a layer of pressure-sensitive, water-resistant adhesive, with low initial adhesion and strong final adhesion, to a main face of a decorative layer made of material comprising at least cast or calendered polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a step of application in a peelable way of a layered support to the main face of said layer of adhesive opposite the main face of the latter applied to said main face of the decorative layer, and a step of application through lamination of a clear protective layer in material comprising at least polyurethane (PU) to the main face of the decorative layer opposite the main face of the latter to which the layer of adhesive is applied, wherein said lamination is performed with at least one layer of clear laminating adhesive.

Further characteristics of the present invention are also defined in the following claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more fully emerge from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the printing machine according to the invention, illustrated by way of indicative and non- limiting example in the accompanying, drawings, in which:

figure 1 schematically shows the successive steps of a process for the production of a self-adhesive product for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

figure 2 shows the decorative film obtainable from the process illustrated in figure l ;

figure 3 schematically shows the successive steps of a process for the production of a self-adhesive product for the coating of at least one surface of a means of transport according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

figure 4 shows the decorative film obtainable from the process illustrated in figure

3.

With reference to the figures mentioned, a decorative film 1 is shown for the coating of at least one surface 2 of a means of transport (not shown).

The decorative film 1 has a structure having a number of overlapping layers comprising at least one decorative layer 3 equipped with main opposite faces 6, 7, at least one protective layer 5 for the protection of the decorative layer 3, equipped with main faces 13, 14, and at least one layer of adhesive 4 for joining the decorative film 1 to the surface 2, equipped with main faces 1 5, 16.

The protective layer 5 is applied to the main face 6 of the decorative layer 3 preferably through a layer of adhesive 8 which is interposed between the main face 6 of the decorative layer 3 and the main face 14 adjacent to the protective layer 5. The adhesive layer 4 has its main face 16 directly associated with the main face 7 of the decorative layer 3 opposite the main face 6 of the latter to which the protective layer 5 is applied, and its main face 15 directly associated or associatable with the surface 2 of the means of transport. With respect to the surface 2 of the means of transport to which the decorative film

1 is applied, the protective layer 5 represents the outermost layer of the decorative film 1 , while the layer of adhesive 4 represents the innermost layer of the decorative film 1.

The protective layer 5, like the layer of adhesive 8, must be clear in order to allow the visibility of the decoration present on the layer of decoration 3.

The decorative layer 3 is preferably made of material comprising at least cast or calendered polyvinylchloride (PVC), which is particularly suitable for giving the decorative film 1 the necessarily conformability and dimensional stability.

The decoration of the decorative layer 3 can be provided by printing or specific colouring of the decorative layer 3 itself.

The protective layer 5 is preferably made of material comprising at least polyurethane (PU) which is particularly suitable to protect the underlying decorative layer 3 from impacts and abrasion.

The polyurethane preferably used for the application is aliphatic, spread or extruded, since this specific material has the characteristic of maintaining the necessary transparency for longer, but it may also be aromatic.

The layer of adhesive 4 is preferably a pressure sensitive self-adhesive stuck onto the decorative layer 3.

To guarantee the necessary mechanical properties it is preferable for the decorative film 1 to have at least the following characteristics.

• Thickness comprised between 10μ ±10% and 300μ ±10% and preferably equal to 155 μ ±10% according to standard ISO534-80 • Thickness of the protective layer 5 comprised between 1 ()μ ±10% and 100μ ±10% and preferably equal to 50μ ±10% according to standard IS0534-80

• Weight comprised between 150 g/m ² ±10% and 250 g/m ² ±10% and preferably equal to 185 g/m ² ±10%> according to standard IS0536

• Longitudinal and transversal ultimate tensile strength comprised between 10 and 18 N/mm ²

• Longitudinal and transversal ultimate tensile strength comprised between 75% and 95%

• Shrinkage < 1%

The layer of adhesive 4 is more precisely composed of a pressure sensitive permanent repositionable adhesive, for example but not necessarily solvent based, water resistant and equipped with low initial adhesion and strong final adhesion. In particular, such permanent repositionable adhesive has:

• Tack > 3 N/25 mm FINAT FTM9

• Final adhesion > 15N/25mm FINAT FTM2

Such permanent repositionable adhesive further preferably has a minimum application temperature of +10°C, an operating temperature comprised between - 20°C and + 120°C, and very high cohesion.

The decorative film 1 before application is incorporated into a roll able product 10 comprising the decorative film 1 itself and a layered support 1 1 , 12 joined in a peelable way to the layer of adhesive 4 of the decorative film 1.

The layered support 1 1 , 12 preferably comprises a paper layer 1 1 and a silicone layer 12 through which it is directly associated to the main face 1 5 of the layer of adhesive 4.

The layered support 1 1 , 12 preferably has a honeycomb texture which allows the air to be eliminated during the application of the decorative film 1 to the surface 2. The layered support 1 1 , 12 is preferably based on Kraft paper polyethylene-coated on two sides and stlicone-coated on one side having a weight equal to 140 g/m ±10% according to standard IS 0536 and thickness equal to 150μ ±10% according to standard IS0534.

The process for the production of the product 10 envisages hot or cold lamination of the protective layer 5 to the decorative layer 3 through a relevant coupling machine.

In the event that the lamination is performed hot (figure 1), it is necessary first to apply the layer of lamination adhesive 8 to the protective layer 5, apply to the main face 7 of the decorative layer 3 the layer of adhesive 4, and apply the layered support 11 , 12 to the main face 15 of the layer of adhesive 4 opposite the main face 1 6 of the latter applied to the main face 7 of the decorative layer 3.

During the hot lamination the temperature of the oven must be set so as to eliminate the solvent part of the layer of lamination adhesive 8. Naturally this temperature depends closely on the solvent or the mixture of solvents present in the layer of lamination adhesive 8.

If the lamination is performed cold (figure 3 ) further preliminary steps are required. In this case, it is necessary first to apply to the main face 7 of the decorative layer 3 the layer of adhesive 4, and apply the layered support 1 1, 12 to the main face 1 5 of the layer of adhesive 4 opposite the main face 16 associated with the main face 7 of the decorative layer 3. It is also necessary to first apply the layer of lamination adhesive 8 to the protective layer 5 and protect the main face 17 of the layer of lamination adhesive 8 opposite the main face 18 to which the layer of protection 5 is applied with a peelable layered protection element 19, 20. The protection element 19, 20 comprises a transparent polyester (PET) layer of protection 20 and a layer of transparent silicone 19 through which the protection element 19, 20 is directly associated to the face 17 of the layer of adhesive 8. The protection element 19, 20 is removed from the layer of lamination adhesive 8 immediately before lamination.

The preferred application of the decorative film is for the coating of the hull of a watercraft which is subjected to very delicate environmental and climatic conditions and is continuously exposed to the risk of impacts and abrasions.

Naturally the decorative film is applicable to any means of transport, and in particular to a road vehicle.

The application of the decorative film takes place dry after thoroughly cleaning the application surface.

The decorative film and means of transport having such a decorative film as conceived herein are susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details are replaceable by technically equivalent elements.

The materials used, as well as the dimensions, may in practice be of any type according to requirements and the state of the art.