Decorative emblems having an embedded image or design with an enhanced depth of vision and method of making same

Abstract

A decorative emblem with an enhanced depth of vision is provided. The decorative emblem comprises a decorative substrate, at least one layer of transparent plastic material formed on the top surface of the decorative substrate, and image or design printed on the substantially flat surface of the layer of plastic material, and a transparent plastic overlay flow coated over the image or design, the transparent plastic overlay has radiused edges to give an enhanced depth of vision to the decorative emblem by creating a lens effect and providing a floating appearance to the image or design.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A decorative emblem having an embedded image or design with an enhanced depth of vision comprising a layered composite of: 
 a) a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface,    b) at least one layer of transparent plastic material on said top surface of said substrate, said layer of plastic material having a substantially flat top surface,    c) an image or design on said substantially flat top surface of said layer of plastic material, and    d) a transparent plastic overlay covering said image or design, said overlay characterized in having radiused edges so as to give an enhanced depth of vision to the decorative emblem by creating a lens effect and providing a floating appearance to said image or design.    
     
     
         2 . The decorative emblem of  claim 1  further including an adhesive layer on said bottom surface of said substrate.  
     
     
         3 . The decorative emblem of  claim 2  wherein said adhesive layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive and further including a release film over said adhesive layer.  
     
     
         4 . The decorative emblem of  claim 1  wherein said substrate has a decorative pattern on its top surface.  
     
     
         5 . The decorative emblem of  claim 4  wherein said substrate is a metallized plastic film.  
     
     
         6 . The decorative emblem of  claim 4  wherein said substrate in a metal foil.  
     
     
         7 . The decorative emblem of  claim 4  where in said plastic overlay is a polyurethane resin.  
     
     
         8 . The decorative emblem of  claim 7  wherein said plastic material is a polyurethane resin.  
     
     
         9 . The decorative emblem of  claim 1  wherein there are multiple layers of plastic material, each having a substantially flat top surface, and each having an image or design on that substantially flat top surface.  
     
     
         10 . A method of making a decorative emblem having an embedded image or design with an enhanced depth of vision, comprising: 
 a) providing a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface,    b) depositioning at least one layer of transparent plastic material on said top surface of said substrate, said layer of plastic material having a substantially flat top surface,    c) forming a substantially perpendicular edge around the periphery of said layer of plastic material, and    d) printing an image or design on said substantially flat top surface of said layer of plastic material    e) flow coating a transparent plastic overlay over said image or design and to said substantially perpendicular edge around the periphery of said layer of plastic material to form radiused edges so as to give an enhanced depth of vision to the decorative emblem by creating a lens effect and providing a floating appearance to said image or design.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further including the step of coating an adhesive layer on said bottom surface of said substrate.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further including placing a release film over said adhesive layer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said layer of transparent plastic material is deposited on said top surface of said substrate by flow coating.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said substantially perpendicular edge around the periphery of said layer of plastic material is formed by die cutting through the plastic material and the substrate but not the release film.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said image or design on said substantially flat top surface of said layer of plastic material is printed by screen printing.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said substrate has a decorative pattern printed on it by screen printing.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said transparent plastic material and said transparent plastic overlay are polyurethane resins.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said substrate is a metal foil or a metallized plastic film.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10  wherein steps b), c) and d) are repeated at least once prior to performing step e) so as to form multiple layers of transparent plastic material each having an image or design printed on the substantially flat top surface thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10  wherein steps b) and c) are repeated at least once prior to performing steps d) and e) so as to form multiple layers of transparent plastic material and produce a thicker base upon which said image or design is printed.