Description

ADVERTISEMENT FILM FOR HAND RAIL OF ESCALATOR OR MOVING WALKWAY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway, and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway installed in shopping malls or subway stations for transporting people, which is attached to an upper surface of the handrail moving in the same direction as that of step-plates of the escalator so as to be easily recognized by riders on the escalator and so as to be prevented from peeling away from the handrail after attachment thereto or from remaining as a trace upon detachment therefrom, and which generates light upon unexpected power cut so as to allow people searching for a clearway to accurately recognize a position and a slanted structure of the escalator, and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Art

[2] In general, a handrail refers to a moving rubber handle attached to an upper portion of an escalator sidewall, which is installed to allow riders to stand up stably on the escalator by preventing the riders from falling or tumbling from the escalator while step plates of the escalator are raised or lowered.

[3] When considering that, as the handrail is adapted to move up or down at the same speed as that of the step plates, it attracts sight and attention of the riders on the step plates while the riders are automatically transported up or down on the escalator, and that the escalator is generally installed in such a place that a great number of people come in and out, it can be understood that advertisement effect obtained through the handrail is very great.

[4] In this regard, there is an attempt to dispose a protruding advertisement on a side wall or an upper surface of the escalator in order to enhance advertisement effect. In this case, however, the protruding advertisement can provide a feeling of insecurity, due to possible collision, to the riders on the escalator, and can be visually confusing to the riders, which results in an unpleasant feeling for the riders.

[5] According to one of conventional techniques for providing advertisement using the rubber handrail of the escalator, a printed matter is bonded directly to an upper surface of the handrail.

[6] According to this technique, the printed matter has a multiple-ply structure for

bonding of the printed matter and protection thereof from an exterior. However, this technique has problems in that the multiple-ply structure of the printed matter has a high thickness, which can cause unexpected stopping of the escalator in relation to the structure of the escalator, and can be peeled away from the handrail by rotatable rollers which rotate the handrail in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide an improved configuration.

[7] In order to solve the problems described above, the inventor of the present invention filed Korean Patent Application No. 2001-0070798. The technique disclosed in this application has a problem in that an advertisement film is likely to be peeled off or lump together due to the characteristics of the handrail.

[8] The reason is that the handrail is provided at its lower portion with driving rollers to drive the handrail, and with pressure rollers to force the handrail to be brought into close contact with the driving rollers so that high pressure is applied to the surface of the handrail.

[9] Since such an escalator is generally installed in a transfer path through which many persons move, particularly, in such a place that a great number of people gather, when there is a power cut due to unexpected fire, the escalator can obstruct rapid escape, and cause overcrowding so that a fatal accident may occur even for a small accident such as a power cut. Thus, it is necessary to provide an improved configuration. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway, which comprises a print layer having various advertisement phrases and pictures printed thereon, an adhesive layer, and a photo- luminescent pigment layer provided between the printed layer and the adhesive layer and capable of generating light so as to serve as a guide light for a clearway and so as to allow people to accurately recognize a slanted structure of the escalator when searching the clearway due to a power cut caused by fire and the like, thereby preventing a fatal accident, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[11] It is another object of the present invention to provide the advertisement film for the handrail of the escalator or the moving walkway, which further comprises a primer layer between the print layer and the adhesive layer to increase bonding strength therebetween in order to prevent the advertisement film from being peeled off or lumping together after being attached to the handrail and to prevent the advertisement film from remaining as a trace upon detachment of the advertisement film, thereby allowing easy substitution of an advertisement, and the method for manufacturing the

same.

Technical Solution

[12] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway to allow riders on the escalator or the moving walkway to recognize an advertisement printed on an outer peripheral surface of the handrail, comprising: an adhesive layer having one side bonded to the surface of the handrail and formed of double sided-type acryl-based adhesives; a first polyurethane layer bonded to the other side of the adhesive layer and formed of a polyurethane material to support the overall advertisement film; a photo-luminescent pigment layer applied to the other side of the first polyurethane layer and comprising a photo-luminescent pigment of a predetermined concentration to generate light in a dark change; a hot-melt adhesive layer applied to the other side of the photo-luminescent pigment layer to mediate bonding between other layers; a print layer bonded to the hot-melt adhesive layer and having various advertisement phrases and pictures printed thereon; and a second transparent or translucent polyurethane layer coated on the print layer to protect the print layer from an exterior.

[13] Preferably, the advertisement film may further comprise a primer layer between the adhesive layer and the first polyurethane layer to increase bonding strength between the adhesive layer and the first polyurethane layer.

[14] More preferably, the primer layer comprises a diisocyanate-based curing agent as a surface modifier to increase the bonding strength.

[15] More preferably, the photo-luminescent pigment layer comprises a mixture of polyurethane solution and a photo-luminescent pigment in a predetermined ratio.

[16] More preferably, the photo-luminescent pigment layer comprises the polyurethane solution of 30 ~ 50 wt.%, and the photo-luminescent pigment of 50 ~ 70 wt.%.

[17] More preferably, the first polyurethane layer constituting the rear side of the photo- luminescent pigment layer is formed of a white-based material.

[18] More preferably, the first polyurethane layer has a PET layer attached to an outer surface thereof to prevent deformation of the first polyurethane layer during processing of the first polyurethane layer.

[19] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway, comprising the steps of: a) applying a primer layer to one side of a first white polyurethane layer to increase bonding strength between upper and lower layers; b) applying a double-sided type adhesive layer to the primer layer; c) applying a photo-luminescent pigment layer to the other side of the first polyurethane layer to

generate light in a dark change; d) applying a hot-melt adhesive layer to the other side of the photo-luminescent pigment layer to mediate bonding between other layers; e) printing a print layer having a pattern of desired advertisement phrases and pictures to one side of a second transparent or translucent polyurethane layer; and f) bonding the print layer coated with the second polyurethane layer to the hot-melt adhesive layer.

[20] Preferably, the step e) comprises attaching a PET layer to the other side of the polyurethane layer to prevent deformation of the first polyurethane layer upon processing of the first polyurethane layer.

[21] More preferably, the photo-luminescent pigment layer comprises a mixture of a polyurethane solution and a photo-luminescent pigment in a predetermined ratio.

[22] More preferably, the photo-luminescent pigment layer comprises a polyurethane solution of 30 ~ 50 wt.%, and a photo-luminescent pigment of 50 ~ 70 wt.%. Advantageous Effects

[23] According to the present invention, an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway comprises a print layer having various advertisement phrases and pictures printed thereon, an adhesive layer, and a photo-luminescent pigment layer provided between the printed layer and the adhesive layer and capable of generating light so as to serve as a guide light for a clearway and so as to allow people to accurately recognize a slanted structure of the escalator when searching the clearway due to a power cut caused by fire and the like, thereby preventing a fatal accident, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[24] In addition, the advertisement film of the present invention further comprises a primer layer between the print layer and the adhesive layer to increase bonding strength therebetween in order to prevent the advertisement firm from being peeled off or lumping together after being attached to the handrail and to prevent the advertisement film from remaining as a trace upon detachment of the advertisement film, thereby allowing easy substitution of an advertisement, and the method for manufacturing the same. Brief Description of the Drawings

[25] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[26] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an advertisement film on a hand rail of an escalator or a moving walkway in accordance with the present invention;

[27] Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the advertisement film on the hand rail of the escalator or the moving walkway in accordance with the present invention;

[28] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the advertisement film on the hand rail of the escalator or

the moving walkway in accordance with the present invention; and

[29] Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating manufacturing steps of an advertisement film for a hand rail of an escalator or a moving walkway in accordance with the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[30] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

[31] In the following description, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be directed to an advertisement film for a handrail of an escalator or a moving walkway installed in shopping malls or subway stations for transporting people, which is attached to an upper surface of the handrail moving in the same direction as that of step-plates of the escalator so as to be easily recognized by riders on the escalator and so as to be prevented from peeling away from the handrail after attachment thereto or from remaining as a trace upon detachment therefrom, and which generates light upon unexpected power cut so as to allow people searching for a clearway to accurately recognize a position and a slanted structure of the escalator, and a method for manufacturing the same. However, it should be noted that the sprit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment which will be described hereinafter, and can be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art.

[32] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an advertisement film on a hand rail of an escalator or a moving walkway according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the advertisement film according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the advertisement film according to the present invention.

[33] According to the present invention, the advertisement film 100 for the hand rail of the escalator or the moving walkway comprises an adhesive layer 20, a primer layer 30, a first polyurethane layer 40, a photo-luminescent pigment layer 50, a hot-melt adhesive layer 60, a print layer 70, and a second polyurethane layer 80.

[34] The advertisement film for the hand rail of the escalator or the moving walkway according to the preferred embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2.

[35] The adhesive layer 20 is an adhesive sheet having a predetermined area, and has both sides brought into contact with other surfaces, respectively.

[36] Here, a handrail-side contact surface of the adhesive layer 20 attached to an outer surface of the handrail 200 provides sufficient bonding strength, scratch resistance, and tensile strength with respect to the handrail 200 so as to maintain bonding strength of the adhesive layer to the handrail 200 while the handrail 200 repetitiously passes through rotatable rollers in the escalator. The adhesive layer 20 is preferably formed of

acryl-based adhesives in order to prevent a sticky component of the adhesive layer from remaining on the outer surface of the handrail 200 when the adhesive layer 20 is separated from the handrail 200.

[37] Preferably, the adhesive layer 20 has a thickness of 50 ~ 100 D for slimness of the overall advertisement film.

[38] The primer layer 30 contacts the other side of the adhesive layer 20 with the same area. The primer layer 30 is a surface modifier, which serves to enhance bonding strength between preceding and subsequent layers in order to allow the primer layer to act as a basement membrane for ensuring attachment and protection with respect to the preceding layer while providing a satisfactory surface to the subsequent layer, thereby preventing the preceding and subsequent layers from peeling away from each other. The primer layer 30 is provided between the adhesive layer 20 and the first polyurethane layer 40, as will be described hereinafter, to allow the bonding strength between the adhesive layer 20 and the first polyurethane layer 40 or other layers on the first polyurethane layer 40 to be maintained stronger than the bonding strength between the handrail 200 and the adhesive layer 20, thereby allowing the adhesive layer 20 to be cleanly removed from the surface of the handrail 200 without any trace when removing the advertisement film.

[39] The primer layer 30 preferably has a thickness of 5 ~ 10 D for the slimness of the overall advertisement film.

[40] The first polyurethane layer 40 has one side facing the primer layer 30, and the other side facing the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50, as will be described hereinafter. The first polyurethane layer 40 supports the advertisement film 100, and has a thickness of 50 ~ 100 D.

[41] The first polyurethane layer 40 is formed of a white polyurethane film in order to ensure conspicuous light emission from the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 described below.

[42] The photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 is applied to the first white polyurethane layer 40, and emits light in a dark change.

[43] In other words, the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 absorbs and accumulates light energy from the sun or electric lamps when exposed to them, and emits light for a predetermined time in the dark change. As such, even in an unexpected dark change caused by fire and the like, light is emitted from the photo-luminescent pigment layer of the advertisement film attached to the handrail, and allows people to find a clearway (escalator) and to see the slanted structure of the escalator.

[44] The photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 comprises a mixture of a polyurethane solution and a photo-luminescent pigment, and is applied to the first polyurethane layer 40.

[45] Here, the photo-luminescent pigment preferably has a fine powdery state so as to be mixed with the polyurethane solution. The mixing ratio between the polyurethane solution and the photo-luminescent pigment can be selected such that the photo- luminescent pigment has a ratio of 70 ~ 50 wt.%, and the polyurethane solution has a ratio of 30 ~ 50 wt.% corresponding to the ratio of the photo-luminescent pigment.

[46] If the ratio of photo-luminescent pigment exceeds 70 wt.%, it is difficult for the photo-luminescent pigment layer to be attached to the other layer, and if it is less than 50 wt.%, the photo-luminescent effect is negligible. Thus, it is desirable that the ratio of photo-luminescent pigment be selected in the range described above.

[47] At this time, the photo-luminescent pigment is preferably formed of a long-term photo-luminescent material rather than a short-term photo-luminescent material in order to ensure long term light emission in the dark change. The photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 applied to the first polyurethane layer has a thickness of 30 ~ 50 D for the slimness of the overall advertisement film.

[48] Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 1, the primer layer 30 is attached at one side to the first polyurethane layer 40 and the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 applied to the first polyurethane layer 40, and at the other side to the adhesive layer 20. In this regard, the primer layer 30 is formed of a diisocyanate-based curing agent so that, once the primer layer 30 is attached to the layers, it prevents the layers from peeling away from each other by the rotatable rollers and the like of the escalator. In addition, the primer layer 30 is conducive to overcoming a disadvantage of a conventional sticker type advertisement in which, when the conventional sticker type advertisement is removed from the handrail 200, a portion of the conventional sticker type advertisement is not completely removed therefrom, and remains on the handrail 200, thereby providing unpleasant feeling for riders on the escalator while requiring an additional process to completely remove the residue. That is, the bonding strength between the adhesive layer 20 and the first polyurethane layer 40, and the other layers on the first polyurethane layer 40 with the primer layer 30 inserted therebetween increases above the bonding strength between the handrail 200 and the adhesive layer 20 so that, when removing the advertisement film 100 of the present invention, the advertisement film 100 can be completely removed from the handrail without any remaining residues.

[49] Meanwhile, the hot-melt adhesive layer 60 is applied to the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50, and is formed of hot melt adhesives. The hot melt adhesives are pollution-free adhesives which do not use water or any other solvents, and exhibits bonding force when being cooled and solidified after being applied and bonded in a hot melt state to the surface of a target material.

[50] Accordingly, when the hot-melt adhesive layer 60 is applied to the photo-luminescent pigment layer 50, it mediates bonding between the photo-luminescent

pigment layer 50 and the print layer 70, as will be described hereinafter. The hot-melt adhesive layer 60 preferably has a thickness of 30 ~ 50 D.

[51] The print layer 70 is bonded at one side to the hot-melt adhesive layer 60, and has various advertisement phrases or pictures desired to advertise printed thereon. The print layer 70 is formed through solvent printing on the second polyurethane layer 80 which is transparent or translucent, and comes into contact with the other side of the print layer 70.

[52] The print layer 70 preferably has a thickness of 10 ~ 30 D for the slimness of the overall advertisement film.

[53] The second polyurethane layer 80 is an outermost layer which has the same area as that of the layers described above. The second polyurethane layer 80 is formed of a polyurethane material which has excellent wear resistance in order to protect the print layer from an exterior, and is transparent or translucent in order to allow the inside of the second polyurethane layer 80 to be seen from the exterior therethrough. The second polyurethane layer 80 preferably has a thickness of 50 ~ 100 D for protection of the inner layers.

[54] At this time, since the second polyurethane layer 80 formed by processing the urethane material is enlarged due to its high elongation during practical processing, quality of products may be deteriorated.

[55] Thus, the second polyurethane layer 80 is processed in a state wherein a PET layer

90 is attached thereto. The PET layer 90 is formed of an acryl-based material, and has a low elongation, thereby preventing the second polyurethane layer 80 from being stretched during processing of the second polyurethane layer 80. The PET layer 90 preferably has a thickness of 75 D. The PET layer 90 is the uppermost layer of the advertisement film 100, serves to help easy processing of the second polyurethane layer 80, and is detached from the advertisement film 100 after attaching the advertisement film 100 to the handrail 100.

[56] In the drawing, a film separator 10 maintains the bonding strength of the adhesive layer 20 until the advertisement film 100 is bonded to the handrail 200.

[57] Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the handrail 200 of the escalator having the advertisement films 100 of the present invention attached thereto is shown, on which plural advertisement films 100 are continuously attached to the center in the longitudinal direction of the handrail 200, preferably, in such a way of surrounding the outer periphery of the handrail 200. As a result, it is possible to perform advertisement using the advertisement films while ensuring easy recognition thereof by the riders on the escalator, and to prevent the handrail from being scratched.

[58] Furthermore, in any of the cases where the advertisement films 100 are attached to the handrail 200 while being separated from each other or where the advertisement

films 100 are continuously attached to the overall handrail 200, since a bonding surface of the adhesive layer 20 to be brought into contact with the handrail 200 is covered with the same material as that of the primer layer 30 along the outer periphery of the bonding surface, it is possible to increase the bonding strength between the advertisement films and the handrail 200.

[59] Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating manufacturing steps of an advertisement film for a hand rail of an escalator or a moving walkway according to the present invention.

[60] According to a method for manufacturing the advertisement film of the present invention, an adhesive layer 20 is attached to one side of a first polyurethane layer 40, and is used for attachment of the film to a handrail 200.

[61] At this time, a primer layer 30 is preferably inserted between the first polyurethane layer 40 and the adhesive layer 20 in order to increase bonding strength therebetween. Here, a film separator 10 is attached to a handrail-side bonding surface of the adhesive layer 20 in order to maintain bonding strength of the adhesive layer 20.

[62] Next, in preparation of attachment with respect to other layers, a photo-luminescent pigment layer 50 is applied to the other side of the first white polyurethane film 40, followed by applying a hot-melt adhesive layer 60 to the other side of the photo- luminescent pigment layer 50.

[63] Before a print layer 70 and a second polyurethane film 80 are bonded to the hot- melt adhesive layer 60, a PET layer 90 is bonded to one side of the second polyurethane film 80 via silicon bonding or thermal bonding in order to prevent deformation of the second polyurethane film 80 during processing.

[64] Then, the print layer 70 having a pattern of desired advertisement phrases and pictures is printed on the other side of the second polyurethane layer 60. As a result, the print layer 70, the second polyurethane film 80 and the PET layer 90 are bonded to the other side of the hot-melt adhesive layer 60 through one side of the print layer 70.

[65] After the steps as described above, the adhesive layer 20, primer layer 30, first polyurethane layer 40, photo-luminescent pigment layer 50, hot-melt adhesive layer 60, print layer 70, a second polyurethane layer 80, and PET layer 90 of the advertisement film 100 are subjected to a baking process at a temperature of 140 °C, and to a rolling process, thereby providing a compressed advertisement film 100.

[66] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.