Method for marking a decorative article

Abstract

An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, the method including the steps of extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, marking the substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of the rollers having an impression forming the negative of a decoration or a texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, this same roller or the other of the rollers including at least one notch allowing to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers. An installation can include in line the extrusion die and the marking device.

Claims

1. An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, said method comprising: extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, and marking said substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of said rollers having an impression forming a negative of a decoration to be marked on one face of the substrate, said one of said rollers or the other of said rollers including at least one notch configured to guide the substrate as the substrate passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers, wherein the impression is disposed in a concave portion of the one roller, the impression and the at least one notch are disposed on the one roller, the impression is placed in between two notches of the at least one notch, and wherein the decoration includes letters, numbers, or a drawing.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forced cooling between the extruding and the marking, said substrate having a temperature greater than or equal to 50 C. at an end of the forced cooling.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising after the marking, sizing the substrate to produce a decorative article.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two notches of the at least one notch have a width less than the width of the substrate.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the two notches of the at least one notch have a shape complementary to a relief present on the substrate obtained from the extrusion die.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is intended to produce a wristlet of a watch or a piece of jewelry and in that the two notches of the at least one notch have a shape complementary to a hollow tubular structure of the substrate, a recess of the hollow tubular structure forming a through hole intended to receive a bar allowing to hook horns of a watch case or a buckle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said two notches of the at least one notch have a shape complementary to two hollow tubular structures of the substrate.

8. An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, comprising: extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, and marking the substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of the rollers having an impression forming a negative of a decoration to be marked on one face of the substrate, said one of said rollers or the other of said rollers including at least one notch configured to guide the substrate as the substrate passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers, wherein the impression is disposed in a concave portion of the one roller, the impression and the at least one notch are disposed on the same roller, and the impression is placed in between two notches of the at least one notch each having a curved concave shape in an axial direction of the one roller.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the decoration includes letters, numbers, or a drawing.

10. An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, comprising: extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, and marking the substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between first and second rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers, the first and second rollers having respective first and second planar faces, the first and second planar faces opposing each other, wherein the first roller has, in the first planar face: an impression forming a negative of a decoration to be marked on one face of the substrate, being a separate structure from the first roller, and having an outer surface configured to mark the substrate being parallel to, and recessed from or flush with, the first planar face, and at least one guide notch separated from the impression and configured to guide the substrate as the substrate passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers; and the second planar face has no notch or impression.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first roller comprises a first notch, the impression being disposed in the first notch.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one guide notch comprises two guide notches and the first notch is disposed between the two guide notches.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the impression has a concave shape and the first notch has a concave shape.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the decoration includes letters, numbers, or a drawing.

15. An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, said method comprising: extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, and marking said substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of said rollers having an impression forming a negative of a decorative texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, said one of said rollers or the other of said rollers including at least one notch configured to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers, wherein the impression and the at least one notch are disposed on the same roller, the impression is connected to and placed in between two notches of the at least one notch, and the two notches of the at least one notch have a shape complementary to a hollow tubular structure of the substrate, a recess of the hollow tubular structure forming a through hole configured to receive a bar allowing to hook horns of a watch case or a buckle.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the decoration includes letters, numbers, or a drawing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention will be described in more detail below using the appended drawings, given as non-limiting examples, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows the continuous line for manufacturing decorative articles including the extrusion die and the marking device separated by cooling means.

(3) FIG. 2a shows in a three-dimensional view the marking device provided with an embossing roller and a backing roller including a notch according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 2b shows a partial sectional view along the plane A-A.

(5) FIG. 3 shows a partial sectional view along the same plane A-A of a variant of the marking device.

(6) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of two strips at the end of the extrusion with respectively at one or each side end of the strip a hollow tubular structure.

(7) FIG. 5 shows a partial sectional view along the same plane A-A of another variant of the marking device.

(8) FIG. 6 shows a wristlet strand extruded and marked according to the method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The present invention relates to a method for marking a substrate resulting from an extrusion method. The marking method according to the invention allows to engrave synthetic profiles in-line in order to obtain various patterns and/or surface texturing. The method is more specifically described for the marking of a watch or jewellery external part and in particular for the marking of a wristlet of a watch or a piece of jewellery. It can however be applied to the marking of any extruded substrate in order to produce a decorative article.

(10) According to the present invention, the marking is carried out on a synthetic substrate 1 using a marking device 2 which is in line with an extrusion die 3 as schematised in FIG. 1. Preferably, the installation includes between the output of the extrusion die 3 and the marking device 2, cooling means 4 such as a water tank or a tunnel provided with an air jet which allow the substrate to be slightly cooled after extrusion so as to freeze the profile. The installation also includes after the marking device cutting means (not shown): water jet, ultrasound, laser or else a mechanical stamping tool to lead to the final object.

(11) The marking device 2 includes two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers 2a, 2b. According to the invention, one of the rollers, the upper roller 2a in the example illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, includes a raised and/or recessed impression 5 representing a pattern (letters, numbers, drawings, etc.) or a texture intended to produce the marking 8 on one face of the substrate 1. According to the invention, this same roller 2a or the other roller 2b includes at least one notch 6 extending over the entire circumference of the roller. This notch allows to guide the substrate during extrusion and marking. Different configurations for the positioning and the size of the notches are possible.

(12) According to the preferred variant shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the roller 2b opposite to that 2a including the impression 5 includes a notch 6 which has the width of the extruded strip 1. This notch has a depth less than or equal to the maximum thickness of the extruded strip. It is also considerable that its depth is greater than the thickness of the strip if the impression on the opposite roller is raised.

(13) According to another variant, one of the rollers includes one or more notches of a width less than that of the strip. Such examples are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. In FIG. 3, one of the rollers, the upper roller 2a with the impression 5 in the illustrated example, includes two notches 6 respectively on either side of the impression 5. During marking, the deformable material is positioned in the notches 6 and ensures maintaining the substrate 1. This material in the notches forms either lost material intended to be cut, or a raised area which is maintained on the final object. Thus, FIG. 5 shows a configuration with a single notch 6 disposed opposite the impression 5 on the same roller 2a. The material filling the notch forms a relief which is maintained on the final object. It is also possible to position the notch opposite the impression on the other roller. It is also considerable that one or both notches has a shape corresponding to a relief of the substrate resulting from the extrusion. Thus, in the case of a wristlet, the strip resulting from the extrusion can have a width corresponding to the length of one strand or both strands of the wristlet. Reference is made to the EP application for this embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the extruded strip 1 includes at one or each of its side ends a protruding hollow tubular structure 7. The hollow tubular structures form through holes intended to receive respectively a bar allowing to hook the horns of a watch case or a buckle.

(14) In addition to the notch/notches having a shape complementary to the reliefs present on the extruded strip, the roller(s) may have a profile adapted to variations in thickness of the strip obtained from the extrusion die so as to maintain the profile at the output of the marking device.

(15) According to the invention, the synthetic materials used during the extrusion are mixtures comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer. Preferably, the mixture comprises at least one thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) selected from the following list: TPE-OThermoplastic olefins TPE-SSBS, SEBS or SEPS styrene compound TPE-VVulcanised PP/EPDM compound TPE-ECopolyester compound TPE-UThermoplastic polyurethane TPE-AThermoplastic polyamide.

(16) The method proceeds as follows. The strip is extruded through the extrusion die. Then it passes through the cooling means so as to freeze the dimensions of the profile while maintaining a deformable material capable of being marked and, where appropriate, capable of filling the notch/notches. At the output of the cooling means, the material typically has a temperature of the order of 50-80 C. As an example, for a TPE-S strip, the material has a temperature of 180 C. at the output of the extrusion die and a temperature of 70 C. at the output of the cooling means. The extruded strip which is still hot then passes between the two rollers of the marking device. The pattern or texture of one of the rollers is then transferred to the strip. The marking depth is controlled by the pressure imposed between the two rollers and the engraving of the roller. The marked substrate is then sized using a mechanical stamping tool, by water jet, laser or ultrasound cutting to obtain the decorative article. As an example, a wristlet strand extruded and marked with the method according to the invention is shown in FIG. 6.

(17) Legend

(18) (1) Substrate or extruded strip (2) Marking device a. Upper roller b. Lower roller (3) Extrusion die (4) Cooling means (5) Impression (6) Notch (7) Protruding hollow tubular structure (8) Marking