Means for producing, steroscopic and/or movement and similar effects, in particular on carriers, bags and wrappers in general

Abstract

 Moiré and similar effects are produced on carriers, bags and wrappers etc., by printing or otherwise reproducing a screen or pattern (2) on a surface of the bag, so as to create a ground (6), and applying a transparent film (3), likewise exhibiting a screen or pattern (4); the film is laid over and attached to the ground, but with permanent contact occurring only at given points. The screens or patterns (4, 2) of the film (3) and the ground (6) are positioned in relation to one another in such a way that random interference is induced between them (the moiré effect) as the distance between the film and the ground alters from one location to another and from one instant to the next.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to means for producing moiré, stereoscopic and/or movement and similar effects, in particular on carriers, bags and wrappers generally. The invention is directed specifically, though by no means exclusively, toward shoppers, carriers, bags and wrappings fashioned in paper or plastic, and is intended essentially to permit of investing the design or decoration on such items with special visual effects, ranging from moiré to the simulation of movement and/or of stereoscopic impressions in a given image.

[0002] Accordingly, the object of the invention is one of providing simple and effective means by which to reproduce these types of effect on flexible material such as sheets of paper, plastic and the like.

[0003] The means disclosed for producing the visual effects in question are characterized in that they comprise at least one transparent film incorporating a screen or pattern, which is simply laid over at least one ground, afforded by a surface forming at least one part of the carrier, bag or wrapping, and provided in its turn with a relative screen or pattern; the film is flexible, and attached stably to the ground, though in such a way that permanent contact occurs only at or along certain points or limited areas.

[0004] More exactly, the film and the ground beneath it are positioned in relation to one another in such a way that an observer perceives a visual effect generated by the random optical interference between their respective patterns, occurring at any given moment as the distance separating them is caused to vary. The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

-fig 1 is a schematic representation of the means disclosed, viewed in frontal elevation;

-fig 2 is a perspective of the means as in fig 1, viewed with the transparent film lifted away from the ground to which it normally remains attached.

[0005] With reference to the drawings, 1 denotes a shopper or carrier, or bag of any given description, of the type conventionally fashioned from paper or plastic which is drawn from a continuous roll, cut to size, then gummed and folded into the appropriate shape. 6 denotes a ground provided by one of the outward facing surfaces of the two main sides of the bag, or part of this same surface, on which a screen 2 is reproduced that consists in a plurality of parallel lines (vertical in the example illustrated) equal in thickness and spaced apart at identical distance one from the next.

[0006] 3 denotes a thin transparent film laid over the ground 6 affording the screen 2 as described above; it will be seen that this film 3 also exhibits a screen 4, consisting in a plurality of parallel lines 5 and similar in all respects to the first screen 2 with the sole exception, in this instance, that the lines are thinner and more closely spaced. In the example illustrated, the lines of both the screens 2 and 4 are equispaced, though this is by no means a necessity in practice.

[0007] The thin transparent film 3 is flexible, and remains permanently attached to the ground 6 affording the first screen 2, though in such a way that permanent contact occurs between the two at certain points only; in the case of the example illustrated, such contact is made along thin fillets located at the edges.

[0008] Fig 2 shows the thin transparent film 3 raised from the ground 6, attached thereto along the top edge only, though in practice there will be several such points of attachment, for example, extending around the entire perimeter of the surface of the bag 1.

[0009] Thus, given that no stable connection exists between the film 3 and the ground 6 across the central area, and that both are flexibly embodied, the distance between film and ground at any given point will vary from one instant to the next. The consequence of such a situation is that an individual observing the ground 6 through the film 3 will be confronted by interference occurring between the lines of the two screens 2 and 4; more exactly, depending on their relative positions at any given moment, limited stretches of the lines of the ground screen 2 will be visible through the transparent spaces between the lines of the overlaid screen 4, while stretches of the selfsame lines of the ground screen 2 remain obscured from the observer's view by corresponding stretches of the lines 5 of the overlaid screen 4. The overall effect produced is that of watered silk, or "moiré", non-symmetrical, and will be especially pronounced when the ground 6 and/or the transparent film 3 are subjected to a moderate deformation.

[0010] The visual effect is therefore dynamic, and will be dependent, amongst other factors, on the standpoint of the observer and upon the different degree of deformation that may be induced in the bag 1, hence upon movement of the ground 6 and the film 3.

[0011] Both screens 2 and 4 can be printed, the screen 4 of the transparent film 3 being obtainable by a variety of methods, such as embossing, for example.

[0012] Clearly enough, the scope of the invention embraces any given embodiment which, while making use of a screen or screened patterns of differing design and dimensions, features a ground exhibiting a screen or pattern and overlaid, as described in the foregoing, with a transparent medium that exhibits a screen or pattern designed to interfere optically with that of the ground when viewed by an observer.

[0013] For example, the effect might be limited to a figure and/or to ordinary type characters making up a logo. In such cases, the screened figure or characters might be reproduced on the ground, and the overlaid screen incorporated into the transparent film, or viceversa.

[0014] A further type of embodiment might feature a ground consisting in a simple reflecting surface, with an overlay of transparent film screen-patterned as per the first embodiment and applied in similar fashion; in this particular instance, the pattern exhibited by the ground will be the mirrored image of that exhibited by the transparent film.

Claims

1) Means for producing moiré, stereoscopic and/or movement and similar effects, in particular on carriers, bags and wrappers in general, characterized
- in that they comprise at least one transparent film (3) exhibiting a screen, or pattern (4), that is laid over a ground (6) afforded by at least one surface constituting at least one part of the carrier, bag or wrapper and provided in turn with a screen or pattern (2);
- in that the transparent film (3) is flexible and attached stably to the ground (6) in such a way that permanent contact occurs only at certain points or along selected narrow areas; and
- in that the relative positioning of the patterns (2, 4) exhibited by the film (3) and the ground (6) is such that an observer will be confronted by an effect consisting in optical interference produced as a result of the distance between film and ground being caused to change at a given location from one instant to the next.

2) Means as in claim 1, wherein the screens or patterns (4, 2) exhibited by the transparent film (3) and the ground (6) are produced by printing.

3) Means as in claim 1, wherein a screen or pattern (4) is produced, on the transparent film (3) at least, by embossing.

4) Means as in claim 1, wherein the ground (6) consists in a flexible sheet of paper, plastic, fabric or similar material.

5) Means as in claim 1, wherein the screen or pattern (4) exhibited by the transparent film (3) and the screen or pattern (2) exhibited by the ground (6) both consist in a plurality of parallel lines spaced apart at equal distance, and wherein the transparent film (3) is laid over the ground (6) in such a way that the lines of the respective screens or patterns are disposed parallel.

6) Means as in claim 1 comprising a ground (6) with a reflecting surface, wherein the screen or pattern (2) exhibited by the ground is the mirrored image of the screen or pattern (4) exhibited by the overlaid transparent film (3).

Drawing