Graphic architectural glass

DETAILED DESCRIPTION To overcome the problems in the prior art described above, a decorative laminated glass has been devised from the composition and method as follows.
It has been found that mass production printing processes, such as automated silk screening, can be used to apply non-solvent-based inks directly on sheet polyurethane.
Sheet polyurethane is extremely easy to handle and will accept a wide variety of inks.
Because of this ease of handling, printing of inks on the polyurethane interlayer can be separated from the laminating process, both in time and distance.
The printed polyurethane sheets can easily be rolled up for storage or shipment to the glass production site.
These factors make the instant process both convenient and inexpensive, since handling and transporting the glass components is kept to a minimum.
The printed polyurethane interlayer is then heat-laminated between two pieces of glass using standard autoclave laminating procedures without the use of adhesives.
The polyurethane interlayer bonds directly to the glass with very little distortion to the color or registration of the printed ink.
The resulting composite is extremely strong and safe, having better structural and superior heat resistance characteristics compared to polyvinyl butyral safety glass, and may also contain an extremely artistic and decorative look.
Furthermore, the interlayer graphics can be made "light-fast" when proper inks are used.
Transparent and translucent inks may be employed so that the glass may be used with different lighting techniques, such as edge-lighting.
The results are both permanent, inexpensive, and visually unique.
It is important that the ink or paint be chemically compatible and self-adhesive to the urethane sheet material.
It may be applied by brushing, spraying or printing to the extruded urethane interlayer.
The paint or ink film may be dried by air, or force-dried by ultraviolet light using light-cured ink.
The urethane interlayer may be placed between glass or polycarbonate, or a combination of both