VISUAL INDICATOR OF CHANGED LUMINANCE AND CHROMATICITY STATUS OF A HIGH VISIBILITY GARMENT

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a visual indicator of the luminance and chromaticity status of a garment comprising: a heat applied transfer, emblem or directly printed indicator which is an enduring ink applied onto hi-vis; high visibility fabric garment. A separate fading ink is also employed in the production of the visual indicator and used only to print certain parts of the visual indicator that are required to fade due to prolonged exposure to UV rays from the sun at a similar rate to that at which hi-vis fabrics which when compliant and when new have been found to fade. This fading action of these certain parts create a message or a change to wording, phrases, images, shapes or symbols in a design which provides an objective visual indicator of non-compliance or expiry of the garment.

Claims

1) A visual indicator of the luminance and chromaticity status of a garment comprising; a heat applied transfer, emblem or directly printed indicator which use an enduring ink to be applied onto hi-vis; high visibility fabric garments, having a separate fading ink which is also employed in the production of the visual indicator and used only to print on certain parts of the visual indicator that, in use, are required to fade due to prolonged exposure to UV rays from the sun, at a similar rate to that at which hi-vis fabrics have been found to fade; creating a message or a change to wording, phrases, images, shapes or symbols in a design which provides an objective visual indicator of non-compliance or expiry of the garment onto which it is applied.

2) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 1 wherein the visual indicator is equally applicable to yellow, orange and red hi-vis fabrics.

3) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 1 wherein the remaining parts of the visual indicator transfer, emblem or directly printed indicator not printed using the separate fading ink remain intact and unfaded due to them being printed with an enduring durable ink.

4) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 1 wherein at least one or more letters, wording, phrases, images, shapes or symbols used in a message on a visual indicator fade.

5) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 4 wherein a faded letter on the visual indicator forms a new word due to the remaining unfaded letters of the original word spelling a different word.

6) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 5 wherein the fading of at least one or more letters, wording, phrases, images, shapes or symbols on the visual indicator changes the positive compliance status of a garment to a negative status.

7) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to claim 6 wherein fading letters or symbols are not printed on top of other dry inks.

8) A visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment according to any preceding claim wherein a visual indicator on a hi-vis garment is a clear and non-subjective means of indicating the likelihood of non-compliance of a garment by incorporating inks which withstand exposure to UV and repeated laundering and the further separate fading ink which does fade when exposed to UV light but not to washing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a front view of the visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment displaying the full SUN-SAFE message when first applied to the garment.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment displaying the UN-SAFE message indicating that the garment on which it is applied should be replaced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0021] A typical embodiment of the visual indicator of luminance and chromaticity status of a garment is shown in FIG. 1 wherein the inks in this particular example are printed as a heat applied transfer 2 which has wording printed onto its surface 9 using ink which is of a durable type which withstands exposure to UV and repeated washing.

[0022] The inks can also be alternatively printed onto any other emblems or by directly printing onto the hi-vis fabric.

[0023] The word SAFE 7, lettering TM, 5 and the word INDICATOR 3 are printed using the durable ink and the letters and hyphen un- 8 are also printed using the durable ink, to ensure that their ink remains readable and long lasting.

[0024] The separate fading ink is applied to create the printed letter S 6, to complete the word Sun along with the durable ink letters and hyphen un- 8.

[0025] A tick symbol 4 is also printed using the separate fading ink which is located to the wording SUN-SAFE TM.

[0026] Therefore, the letter S 6 and the tick symbol 4 are the only two parts of the complete heat applied transfer logo, the application in this one example, which will fade when exposed to UV light at a similar rate to that of hi-vis fabrics.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows these two examples, the letter S 6A and the tick symbol 4A faded away from view as they would appear after the aforementioned exposure to UV light, indicating and warning the wearer that the garment is no longer fit for purpose or safe to wear and should be replaced.