Encapsulated foil leather transfer

Abstract

A leather product such as a leather covering for a vehicular part includes a segment of leather with a base coat applied to a hide side and a color coat applied to the base coat to create an intermediate stage leather segment. A foil transfer is embossed into and secured with an adhesive to the intermediate stage leather segment. A top coat is then applied to the foil transfer and a surrounding portion of the intermediate stage leather segment after the foil transfer is secured to complete the leather product. A system and method of making the leather product is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A leather covering for a vehicle part comprising:
 a segment of leather having a hide side and a flesh side;   a base coat applied to the hide side;   a color coat applied to the base coat to create a finished leather segment;   a foil transfer embossed into and secured with an adhesive to the finished leather segment; and   a top coat applied to the foil transfer and a surrounding portion of the finished leather segment after the foil transfer is secured to the finished leather segment.   
     
     
         2 . The leather covering of  claim 1 , wherein the color coat comprises about 30-55 wt. % polyurethane, about 0-20 wt. % acrylic, and up to about 15 wt. % additives as a dispersion on an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the color coat. 
     
     
         3 . The leather covering of  claim 1 , wherein the color coat is free of isocyanates and silicones. 
     
     
         4 . The leather covering of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a heat-activated adhesive that is heated while the foil transfer is being embossed into the finished leather segment. 
     
     
         5 . The leather covering of  claim 1 , wherein the top coat comprises about 5-10 wt. % silicon and up to about 10 wt. % isocyanate crosslinkers as a dispersion in an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the top coat. 
     
     
         6 . The leather covering of  claim 1 , wherein the top coat is free of any color pigmentation. 
     
     
         7 . A method of applying a foil transfer to a leather component comprising:
 applying a base coat to an outer side of a leather hide;   applying a color coat over the base coat to create an intermediate finished leather segment;   embossing the intermediate finished leather segment with a foil transfer having a heat-activated adhesive;   heating the foil transfer to a threshold temperature to activate the heat-activated adhesive and secure the foil transfer to the intermediate finished leather segment; and   applying a top coat in a continuous layer over both the foil transfer and the color coat.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the color coat comprises about 30-55 wt. % polyurethane, about 0-20 wt. % acrylic, and up to about 15 wt. % additives as a dispersion on an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the color coat. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the color coat is free of isocyanates and silicones. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the heat-activated adhesive is a heat-activated adhesive that is heated while the foil transfer is being embossed into the intermediate finished leather segment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the top coat comprises about 5-10 wt. silicon and up to about 10 wt. % isocyanate crosslinkers as a dispersion in an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the top coat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the top coat is free of any color pigmentation. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicular foil transfer system comprising:
 a leather segment;   a base coat applied to one side of the leather segment;   a color coat, devoid of isocyanates and silicones, applied to the one side over the base coat;   a foil member having a heat-activated adhesive on a back side;   a transfer plate that presses a back side of the foil member into the one side of the segment to emboss the foil member and leather segment, wherein the transfer plate is heated to activate the heat-activated adhesive and secure the foil to the leather segment over the color coat; and   a top coat applied over the foil member and adjacent portions of the leather segment in a continuous layer.   
     
     
         14 . The vehicular foil transfer system of  claim 13 , wherein the color coat comprises about 30-55 wt. % polyurethane, about 0-20 wt. % acrylic, and up to about 15 wt. % of additives as a dispersion on an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the color coat. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicular foil transfer system of  claim 13 , wherein the top coat comprises about 5-10 wt. % silicon and up to about 10 wt. % isocyanate crosslinkers as a dispersion in an aqueous solution, based on total weight of the top coat. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular foil transfer system of  claim 13 , wherein the top coat is free of any color pigmentation.