It also relates to a moulable photographic material.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a three-dimensional photographic material article, including : forming a unitary veneer structure by carrying out the following steps in sequence: a) coating a base layer with a primer layer ; b) applying to the primer layer a multi-layer light-sensitive photographic emulsion ; c) exposing, developing and drying the light-sensitive photographic emulsion layers so as to provide a colour photographic image; d) applying a covering layer to the exposed, developed and dried photographic emulsions ; and moulding the unitary veneer structure together with a moulable body part in a plastic injection moulding process wherein the unitary veneer structure is located in a mould and plastics material is injected into the mould for forming said body part, to form a three-dimensional photographic material article comprising the body part and the unitary veneer structure which forms a veneer for the body part.

The base layer may be in the form of a transparent thermoplastic foil.

The primer layer may be a transparent layer.

The covering layer may be an opaque layer.

The opaque covering layer may be in the form of a layer of white ink.

The opaque covering layer may comprise a composite backing structure comprising an opaque thermoplastic foil having an adhesive layer applied thereto for bonding the foil to the photographic emulsion.

The method may include laminating the thermoplastic covering layer to the thermoplastic base layer around the primer and photographic emulsion layers, in a laminating process by applying heat and pressure.

The method may include laminating the backing layer to the thermoplastic base, at an optimum laminating temperature of between 100 ° C and 180 ° C.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a moulable photographic material comprising: a base layer ; a primer layer that is coated onto the thermoplastic base and that provides a key for a light-sensitive layer ; a multi-layer light-sensitive photographic emulsion which is applied to the primer layer and which is exposed, developed and dried so as to provide a colour photographic image; and a covering layer which is bonded to the photographic emulsion, wherein the thermoplastic base, the primer layer, the photographic emulsion and the backing layer have material properties permitting them to be moulded together with the moulable body part in a plastic injection moulding process wherein the photographic material forms a veneer for the body part.

The base layer may be in the form of a transparent thermoplastic foil.

The base layer may be of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics material.

In another embodiment, the thermoplastic base may be of polycarbonate plastics material.

The primer layer may be a transparent layer.

The backing layer may be opaque.

The opaque backing layer may be in the form of a layer of white ink.

In another embodiment, the opaque backing layer may be in the form of a composite backing structure comprising an opaque thermoplastic foil having an adhesive applied thereto for bonding the foil to the photographic emulsion.

The opaque thermoplastic foil of the backing layer, may be impregnated with a white dye.

The adhesive layer of the composite backing structure, may include ultra-violet light stabilisers.

The adhesive layer may include a compound for preventing the migration of plasticisers from the backing layer to the photographic emulsion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non- limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a schematic exploded view of the various layers forming part of a unitary veneer structure in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional side view of the unitary veneer structure of Figure 1, located in an open plastic injection mould prior to moulding of the veneer structure with a body part;

Figure 3 shows a schematic fragmentary sectional side view of the unitary veneer structure being moulded together with a body part in a closed injection mould ; and Figure 4 shows a schematic fragmentary side view of the unitary veneer structure of Figure 1, illustrating one manner of sealing exposed ends of the layers of the veneer structure.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, a unitary veneer structure which can be moulded in a plastic injection moulding process together with a moulable plastics body part (not shown) is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The unitary veneer structure is in the form of a multi-layer laminate structure which is specifically adapted to be moulded together with a body part for forming a veneer for the body part.

The unitary veneer structure 10 comprises an optical quality transparent thermoplastic base layer 12, an optical quality transparent primer layer 14 that provides a key for a light sensitive layer, a multi-layer light sensitive photographic emulsion 16 and an opaque covering layer 18 which is bonded to the photographic emulsion 16 by means of an adhesive layer 20.

The thermoplastic base is of polycarbonate plastics foil although a PVC material may be equally effective particularly in circumstances where the physical characteristics of PVC provide advantages in terms of the final moulded product. The applicant has identified cyclic olefinic co-polymers as being particularly suitable as a material for the thermoplastic base. In addition to PVC and polycarbonate, the Applicant has identified the TOPAS (COC) range of cyclic olefinic co-polymers and PETG plastics material as being suitable materials for the thermoplastic base.

The primer layer includes a compound for preventing plasticiser migration from the thermoplastic base. The photographic emulsion layers are of a conventional digital type, for example, Agfacolour Prestige Digital produced by Agfa Gevaert N. V.

The covering layer 18 is of thermoplastic foil which is impregnated with a white dye. The adhesive layer 20 contains a cross-link adhesive and includes a compound for preventing plasticiser migration from the backing layer. Further, the adhesive layer includes ultra-violet light stabilisers for enhancing the life of the final product.

In another embodiment of the invention, the applicant envisages that the covering layer 18 and the adhesive layer 20 may be replaced with a suitable layer of white ink incorporating an adhesive for bonding the ink layer to the photographic emulsion. The applicant envisages in this regard, that ink may be

of a conventional type used in plastic injection moulding processes. Sericol Techmark RT In-mould Decoration Ink produced by Sericol is an example of a type of ink that the Applicant considers to be suitable for the purpose.

With reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the drawings, a method of forming a three- dimensional photographic material article which comprises the above described unitary veneer structure and the moulable body part, is now described in further detail. The method of forming the three-dimension photographic material article includes, firstly, forming the veneer structure described hereinabove. This entails coating the thermoplastic base 12 with the primer layer 14. The multi-layer light sensitive photographic emulsion is then applied to the primer layer. Thereafter, the photographic emulsion layers are exposed, developed and dried so as to provide a stable photographic image. Finally, the covering layer 18 is bonded to the exposed developed and dried photographic emulsion layers by means of the adhesive layer 20. The covering layer 18 is laminated to the thermoplastic base 12 using pressure and temperature suitable for forming the unitary veneer structure. In this regard, the applicant believes that an optimum laminating temperature of between 100°C and 180°C should be used.

The unitary veneer structure is then located in a plastic injection mould and plastics material is injected into the mould and moulded together with the unitary veneer structure in a desired three-dimensional shape, with the veneer

structure being bonded in the moulding process to the body part so as to form a veneer for the moulded body part.

With reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, the laminated unitary veneer structure 10 is located in the mould cavity 21 of a fixed mould half 22 of a plastics injection mould, with the covering layer 18 being disposed innermost so that plastics material for forming the body part, can be injected onto it in the mould.

With reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, the mould cavity 21 is closed by a movable mould half 24 and plastics material 26 for forming the moulable body part, is injected into the mould cavity. In order to seal an edge region 28 of the unitary veneer structure 10, the movable mould 24 defines a recess 30 into which the moulable material 26 is injected so as to seal the edges of the layers constituting the unitary veneer structure.

In another embodiment of the invention, the applicant envisages that sealing of the edges of the layers constituting the veneer structure 10, can be achieved by trimming edges of the final moulded product and sealing the trimmed edges with a water repellent lacquer or suitable adhesive 32.

The Applicant envisages that in another embodiment, the method of forming a three-dimensional photographic material article in accordance with the invention, may include forming a unitary veneer structure by coating an opaque

base layer in the form of a thermoplastic foil equivalent to the covering layer 18 with a primer layer and applying to the primer layer a multilayer light-sensitive photographic emulsion. The method includes, thereafter, exposing, developing and drying the light-sensitive photographic emulsion layers so as to provide a colour photograph image and, finally, applying a covering layer in the form of a thermoplastic foil equivalent to the base layer 12, to the exposed, developed and dried photograph emulsion. The unitary veneer structure so formed is then moulded as described hereinabove, to form a three-dimensional photographic material article.

The method of forming a three-dimensional photographic material article as described hereinabove lends itself to small production runs of differently imaged products. With photographic imaging being of superior quality to images obtained in printing processes, the final moulded product having a photographic image integrally formed therewith, provides a significant step forward on existing imaging processes for three-dimensional plastic injection moulded articles.