Drinking or eating vessel

Abstract

There is provided a drinking or eating vessel comprising an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving liquid or solid food and an outer surface that supports a polymeric coating and a decorative layer, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a polymer formed by curing a coating mixture on the outer surface of the drinking or eating vessel, said coating mixture comprising a matting agent, wherein the polymeric coating has an inner surface in contact with the drinking or eating vessel and an outer surface in contact with the decorative layer, and wherein the decorative layer comprises a dry toner image applied to the outer surface of the polymeric coating. Also provided is a corresponding process for producing the drinking or eating vessel.

Claims

1. A drinking or eating vessel comprising an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving liquid or solid food and an outer surface that supports a polymeric coating and a decorative layer, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a polymer formed by curing a coating mixture on the outer surface of the drinking or eating vessel, said coating mixture comprising a matting agent, and wherein the polymeric coating has an inner surface in contact with the drinking or eating vessel and an outer surface.

2. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein said vessel comprises ceramic and/or glass.

3. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein the polymeric coating comprises: (i) a polymer selected from: a polyurethane, an epoxy, a polyester, an acrylic, or mixtures thereof, and (ii) said matting agent.

4. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein the coating mixture comprises talc powder, and the ratio of talc powder to matting agent present in the coating mixture is in the range of 1:3 to 1:1 by weight.

5. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the matting agent is at least 1 g/L of coating mixture.

6. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the matting agent is 1-50 g/L of coating mixture.

7. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 1, wherein the matting agent comprises silica particles.

8. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 7, wherein said vessel comprises ceramic and/or glass, and the polymeric coating comprises: (i) a polymer selected from: a polyurethane, an epoxy, a polyester, an acrylic, or mixtures thereof, and (ii) said matting agent.

9. A process for producing a drinking or eating vessel having a decorative layer, wherein the vessel comprises an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving liquid or solid food and an outer surface that supports a polymeric coating and a decorative layer, said process comprising: providing a coating mixture comprising a matting agent, applying the coating mixture to the outer surface of the drinking or eating vessel, curing the coating mixture to form a polymeric coating having an inner surface and an outer surface, and forming a decorative layer.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the coating mixture is applied by spray coating or by dip coating.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein the coating mixture is cured at a temperature of less than 600 C.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein the coating mixture is cured at a temperature in the range of 180-240 C.

13. The process of claim 9, wherein the coating mixture comprises the matting agent in an amount of 10-20 g per litre of coating mixture.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the coating mixture comprises the matting agent in an amount of 10-20 g per litre of coating mixture, the coating mixture is applied by spray coating or by dip coating, and the coating mixture is cured at a temperature in the range of 180-240 C.

15. A method of making a drinking or eating vessel, having an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving liquid or solid food and an outer surface, comprising: applying a polymeric coating to the outer surface of the drinking or eating vessel, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a matting agent, and the drinking or eating vessel is not glass.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: applying an image to the polymeric coating to form a decorative layer.

17. A drinking or eating vessel comprising an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving liquid or solid food and an outer surface that supports a polymeric coating, wherein the polymeric coating comprises a polymer formed by curing a coating mixture on the outer surface of the drinking or eating vessel, said coating mixture comprising a matting agent, the polymeric coating has an inner surface in contact with the drinking or eating vessel and an outer surface, and the drinking or eating vessel is not glass.

18. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 17, wherein the polymeric coating comprises: (i) a polymer selected from: a polyurethane, an epoxy, a polyester, an acrylic, or mixtures thereof, and (ii) said matting agent.

19. The drinking or eating vessel of claim 17, further comprising: a decorative layer.

Description

EXAMPLE

(1) A coating mixture comprising a matting agent is prepared by blending fumed silica into a coating mixture at a concentration of approximately 15 g fumed silica per litre of coating mixture. In this example, SYLOID ED 30 fumed silica is mixed with Ceraglaze S1475, a two component solvent based thermocure epoxy.

(2) The coating mixture as prepared above is applied to a drinking vessel (a ceramic mug) using a High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray.

(3) The coating mixture is cured onto the mug using heat at a temperature of 180-240 C. for 5-10 minutes.

(4) The coated mug is allowed to cool.

(5) A desired image is printed using dry toner onto a hard surface transfer paper (for example, a Magic Touch CPM paper) using a laser printer (for example, an OKI C711WT laser printer). The printed paper is cut to size.

(6) The printed paper is applied to the surface of the mug, and the assembly placed into a heat press. The heat press applies pressure and a temperature of 120-180 C. for a period of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The heat softens the polymers in the toner and allows them to bond with the coated surface of the mug, thus transferring the image from the paper to the mug.

(7) The assembly is allowed to cool, following which the transfer paper is removed from the mug, leaving the image formed onto the mug as a decorative layer.

(8) The decorative layer is highly resistant to abrasion and the mug can be washed in a dishwasher for at least 100 cycles with no significant deterioration of the decorative layer.