Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-14
2001-10-02
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S244160, C156S244270, C156S280000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296731
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a decorative sheet that is laminated of a first resin sheet, having a pictured layer, and a second resin sheet having embossed patterns. The fabricated decorative sheet is used in production of a decorative board by being joined onto the surface of a wooden board, an inorganic board, metallic board or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an outer surface material of a decorative board, a decorative sheet that, for example, is laminated of a first resin sheet having a woodgrain pictured layer and a second resin sheet having woodgrain emboss patterns is used. The decorative board having the decorative sheet provides a woody feeling caused by the woodgrain emboss patterns in addition to the woodgrain picture.
Conventionally, the decorative sheet is produced by the following steps: an emboss roller embosses patterns onto a sheet which is moltenly extruded from a molten-resin extrusion means, and then a sheet having the pictured layer is laminated on the underside of the embossed sheet.
As materials of the decorative sheet, instead of generally used polyvinyl chloride, the use of a polyolefin type resin (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei8-34058 and Japanese patent Laid-open No. Hei8-132577) or a resin containing polypropylene and a polyolefin type flexible component (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei8-1881) has been proposed from the viewpoint of safeguarding the environment from hydrogen chloride gas that is produced in an incinerating process.
The aforementioned resin avoids the environmental disruption, but, on the other hand, the sheet could expand and contract when the first and second resin sheets are mutually laminated according to the conventional method for producing the decorative sheet. Especially, if ink is coated on the embossed patterns of the resin sheet, the inconsistency between the positions of the embossed pattern and the picture on the sheet is more noticeable when the expanded or contracted sheets are mutually laminated, therefore the original design cannot be obtained on the decorative sheet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method for producing a decorative sheet according to the present invention, which uses an apparatus having a metallic endless belt that is wound on a first roller and a second roller, and an emboss roller that is placed to abut through the metallic endless belt to the first roller, is characterized by including the following steps of: adhering a first resin sheet having a pictured layer on the metallic endless belt abutting the first roller; running the first resin sheet, adhered onto the metallic endless belt, along the outer circumferential face of the emboss roller; guiding a second resin sheet, moltenly extruded from a molten-resin extrusion means, between the emboss roller and the metallic endless belt abutted to the first roller; and laminating the second resin sheet to the first resin sheet to join to each other and to emboss patterns onto the second resin sheet by using the emboss roller.
It is preferable that the surface of the metallic endless belt is a mirror face.
As the materials of the metallic endless belt, stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium alloy and so on can be used. The thickness of the endless belt is selective, and the desirable thickness is more than 3.0 mm for reason of strength.
The emboss roller has patterns on the outer circumferential face for forming the emboss patterns on the sheet. The specific configuration of the pattern is selective, for example, a reversed configuration of woodgrain pattern is selected when the woodgrain patterns are required to be formed on the second resin sheet.
It is preferable that the first resin sheet has opacifying properties, therefore it is desirable that the first resin sheet is appropriately colored with inorganic pigment. The pictured layer of the first resin sheet is formed by printing. The first and second resin sheets are joined through the pictured layer to each other, so that the pictured layer is needed to have appropriate adhering properties and heat resistance. When the adhering properties and heat resistance cannot be obtained sufficiently, the first and second resin sheet may be joined through the anchor coated layer to each other. The specific picture of the pictured layer is selective. For example, the picture is a woodgrain picture when the woodgrain decorative sheet is required.
Kind of resin for the first and second resin sheets is selective, but it is advisable to use a polyolefin type resin from the viewpoint of the environment. The polyolefin type resin includes polyethylene (such as HDPE, LDPE, L-LDPE), polypropylene (homo-, random-), a polyolefin type thermoplastic elastomer (such as TPO) and so on.
It should be mentioned that a denatured polyolefin type resin having sufficient adhering properties may be laminated on the surface of the second resin sheet, which is joined with the first resin sheet, by means of co-extrusion in order to improve the adhering strength to the first resin sheet.
The aforementioned sheet includes a relatively thin film.
The aforementioned molten-resin extrusion means is, for example, a die of an extruder.
According to the present invention, the first resin sheet that is to be joined with the second resin sheet is adhered onto the metallic endless belt, so that the first resin sheet avoid expanding and contracting and can be joined with the second resin sheet. Therefore, the positions of the pictured layer and the embossed patterns can be accurately agreed with each other (harmonization) so as to reproduce the original decorative design.
In the producing method of the present invention, the embossed patterns on the second resin sheet, formed in the aforementioned embossing step, may be coated with ink.
The embossed patterns are decorated by being coated with the ink in impressions of the embossed patterns. Where the ornamentation is presented by coating the ink, the accuracy of the positioning of the pictured layer of the first resin sheet and the embossed patterns of the second resin sheet, which is created by the producing method of the present invention, is exploited clearer.
Note that the ink can be coated on the embossed patterns of the second resin sheet while the embossed patterns are being formed or after.
The method for producing the decorative sheet according to the present invention may include the following steps of, with the use of a device having an anchor coating means for anchor-coating on the pictured layer, an ink coating means provided to be ganged with the emboss roller, and a top coating means for top-coating on the second resin sheet laminated to the first resin sheet: forming an anchor coated layer on the first resin sheet before the second resin sheet is laminated to the first resin sheet; forming an inked layer on the second resin sheet while the emboss roller is embossing the patterns; and forming a top coated layer on the second resin sheet laminated to the first resin sheet.
The inked layer is formed on the embossed patterns while the patterns are being embossed onto the second resin film by using the emboss roller, thereby effectively forming the inked layer.
The aforementioned anchor coated layer allows the first and second resin sheets to have enhanced adhering properties.
The inked layer allows the embossed patterns to be decorated.
The top coated layer effects the improved durability of the decorative sheet.
In the method for producing the decorative sheet according to the present invention, it is advisable that the first roller is covered on the surface with an elastic member.
The elastic member is advisably formed as at least an outer face layer on the first roller. The preferable hardness (adherence to JIS K6301 A-type) of the elastic member is less than 95 degrees.
As materials of the elastic member, fluorine type rubber, silicone type rubber, urethane rubber, neoprene rubber, EPDM, and so on can be used. In order to improve heat-transfer properties, th
Fujii Atsushi
Yukumoto Tohru
Ball Michael W.
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Idemitsu Petrochemical Co. Ltd.
Musser Barbara J.
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