Process for achieving decor on a surface element

Details Process for achieving decor on a surface element Process for achieving decor on a surface element

2000-11-24

2002-10-15

Parker, Fred J. (Department: 1762)

Coating processes

Nonuniform coating

C427S258000, C427S270000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06465046

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for achieving decor on a surface element where a decorative upper surface have an considerably improved matching of the décor between adjacent surface elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Products clad with thermosetting laminate is common in many areas nowadays. They are mostly used where the demands on abrasion resistance are high, and furthermore where resistance to different chemicals and moisture is desired. As examples of such products floors, floor skirting, table tops, work tops and wall panels can be mentioned.
The thermosetting laminate most often consist of a number of base sheets with a decor sheet placed closest to the surface. The decor sheet can be provided with a pattern by desire. Common patterns usually visualise different kinds of wood or mineral such as marble and granite.
One common pattern on floor elements is the rod pattern where two or more rows of rods of, for example wood, is simulated in the décor.
The traditional thermosetting laminate manufacturing includes a number of steps which will result in a random matching tolerance of up to ±5 mm, which is considered to great. The steps included in the manufacturing of a laminate floor is; printing decor on a paper of &agr;-cellulose, impregnating the decorative paper with melamine-formaldehyde resin, drying the decorative paper, laminating the decorative paper under heat and pressure together with similarly treated supporting papers, applying the decorative laminate on a carrier and finally sawing and milling the carrier to the desired format. All these steps in the manufacturing will cause a change in format on the decor paper. It will therefore be practically impossible to achieve a desired match of patterns between the elements of a without causing great amounts of wasted laminate. The thermosetting laminate is a rather costly part of a laminate floor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has, through the present invention, been made possible to overcome the above mentioned problems and a surface element with a decorative surface where the decorative pattern between different surface elements is matching has been obtained. The invention relates to a process for achieving décor on surface elements which comprises a decorative upper layer and a supporting core. The invention is characterised in that;
i) A segmentation pattern is selected, the segmentation comprising at least two décor segments on each surface element. The shape, as seen from above, of the surface element is hereby selected from the group; triangular, quadratic, rectangular, heptagonal, pentagonal and octagonal while the shape of the segments is selected from the group triangular, quadratic, rectangular, heptagonal, pentagonal, octagonal, circular, elliptical, perturbed and irregular.
ii) A segment décor is then selected for each segment. The segment décor is selected from the group; digitised and simulated depiction of different kinds of wood, minerals and stone, different kinds of fabric, art work and fantasy based décor.
iii) Each selection is made on a terminal where the selections emanates from a data base and that the selection is visualised via the terminal.
The décor is preferably achieved by digitisation of an actual archetype or by partly or completely being created in a digital media. The digitised décor is preferably stored digitally in order to be used as a control function and original, together with control programs and selection parameters, when printing the décor.
The dimensions of the surface to be covered by surface elements is suitably entered into the terminal and support programs calculates an installation pattern. The installation pattern calculation is suitably also used for printing an assembly instruction. In order to visualise the selection the installation pattern calculation is possibly used for printing a miniaturised copy of the calculated installation with the selected pattern and décor. The dimensions of the surface to be covered by surface elements is suitably entered into the terminal and that that support programs further calculates décor and segmentation pattern matching between the surface elements.
The selections is preferably also used, together with support programs for controlling further steps in the manufacturing procedure selected from the group; identification marking, positioning marking, packaging, lacquering, surface embossing, storing and delivery logistics.
An algorithm is suitably used for guiding the positioning of the décor segments and segmentation pattern so that a décor segment from one surface element may continue on an adjoining surface element. The control program is suitably used, together with décor data and selection parameters, for applying matching identification on the surface elements.
It is also possible to manufacture a designed larger surface with décor segments larger than a surface element by utilising the process as described below;
i) A selected main décor is entered via a terminal, the selected décor emanating from a group consisting of; an archetype digitised via digital camera or scanner and a digitised décor from a database.
ii) The dimensions of the surface to be covered by surface elements and the desired dimension of the décor is then entered into the terminal. Support programs are used for calculating the segmentation of the main décor to cover more than one surface element.
iii) The result of the selections and calculations is finally visualised via the terminal.
The digitised main décor is stored digitally in order to be used as a control function and original, together with control programs and selection parameters, when printing the décor.
It is, in order to enhance the decorative effect of some decor possible to select a surrounding décor. A décor effect in the border between the main décor and the surrounding décor is suitably also selected, the selection being made from the group; fading, sharp edge, sharp edge with shadow effect, jagged edge, jagged edge with shadow and surrounding inlay of other décor.
The surrounding décor is preferably processed as follows;
i) A segmentation pattern for the surrounding décor is selected. The segmentation comprising at least two décor segments on each surface element. The shape, as seen from above, of the surface element is preferably selected from the group; triangular, quadratic, rectangular, heptagonal, pentagonal and octagonal. The shape of the surface elements with surrounding décor and the shape of the surface elements which, of course, is selected so that they can be joined with each other. The shape of the segments is selected from the group triangular, quadratic, rectangular, heptagonal, pentagonal, octagonal, circular, elliptical, perturbed and irregular.
ii) A segment décor is then selected for each segment. The segment décor is selected from the group; digitised and simulated depiction of different kinds of wood, minerals and stone, different kinds of fabric, art work and fantasy based décor.
iii) Each selection is made on a terminal where the selections emanates from a data base. The selection is visualised via the terminal.
A décor effect in the border between the main décor and the surrounding décor is suitably selected. The selection is preferably made from the group; fading, sharp edge, sharp edge with shadow effect, jagged edge, jagged edge with shadow and surrounding inlay of other décor. Also this selection is made on the terminal.
The dimensions of the surface to be covered by surface elements is suitably entered into the terminal and support programs calculates an installation pattern. The installation pattern calculation is preferably used for printing an assembly instruction. The installation pattern calculation is according to one embodiment of the invention used for printing a miniaturised copy of the calculated installation with the selected pattern and décor. This print out may serve as an evaluation copy of the design before making decisions regarding the manufacturing.
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