AU2007211898A1 - Decorative Panels - Google Patents

Description

24/08/9AM7 11-OC 54/flp~QL::jL;1 11300-7 ~N ±LJ~PAE 0 ~z IIAN A ILLAR PAGE 04 Decorative Panels C~ Background of th Invention The present invention relates to decorative panels which 00 might be used as an alternative to such items as wall CI tiles, kitchen splash backs, benchtops, shop front fittings, reception area wall panels and the like. More CI particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to glass panelling, to the back of which decorative features are applied and which can be seen through the glass itself.

Granite benchtops and wall cladding for example are expensive and difficult to work with. The appearance of such cladding is limited by the natural grain and texture of available materials. Ceramic tiles, stainless steel panelling, plastics-laminated MDF panelling and the like are opaque and therefore provide no perception of depth.

Objects of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide improved decorative panels.

COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/0e/2007 11: 26 129747 61-2-9B754277 IAN A MILLAR -2- PAGE DiSC losure of the i ventiQn There is disclosed herein a decorative panel Comprising: a light-transmUissive substrate having a front surface and a back surface, a light-trans~missive adhesive applied to at least a substantial area of the back surf ace, and a visual feature applied to and/or suspended in the adhesive.

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Preferably, the panel further comprises a coating applied to the panel so as to be visible from in front of the front surface through the substrate, adhesive and visual feature.

Preferably, the light-transm~issive substrate is transparent.

Preferably, the light-tralslispive substrate is glass.

Preferably, Preferably, material.

Preferably, filings.

the light-tranlamissive adhesive is resin.

the visual feature comprises particulate the particulate material comprises metallic COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by P1 Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26 61 -2-98754277 TA"IA~r -3- The metallic filings might be oxidised.

Alternatively, the visual feature comprises a crackle medium applied to the adhesive.

00 00 Preferably, the coating comprises paint.

Alternatively, the coating can comprise coloured resin.

There is further disclosed herein a method of making a decorative panel, comprising: providing a light-transmissive substrate having a front surface and a back surface, applying a light-transmissive adhesive to the back surface, and applying a visual feature to the adhesive either before or after applying the adhesive to the back surface.

Preferably, the method further comprises applying a coating to the panel so as to be visible from in front of the front surface through the substrate, adhesive and visual feature.

Preferably, the light-transmissive substrate is transparent.

Preferably, the light-tranamissive substrate is glass.

COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-0824 2d/8/207 11 c ri nn~c*n~~ o o±--L~o3qz' IAN A MILLAR PAGE 07 -4- Preferably, the light-transmissive adhesive is resin.

Fc Preferably, the visual feature comprises particulate material.

00 A 0_0 Preferably, the particulate material comprises metallic Ci filings.

CI The method might further comprise the step of applying an acidic solution to the metallic filings to oxidise same.

In such case, the method would typically further comprise the step of washing away the acidic solution after the metallic filings have oxidised.

In an alternative, the visual feature might comprise a crackle medium, in which case of the method would further comprise the step of brushing, rolling or spraying the crackle medium onto the adhesive.

Typically, the coating comprises paint, in which case the method would further comprise brushing, rolling or spraying the paint onto the panel.

Alternatively, the coating might comprise coloured resin, in which case the method would further comprise the step of brushing, rolling or spraying the coloured resin onto the panel.

COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26, 1-2-98754277 IAN A MILLAR PAGE 08 0

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Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred forms of the present invention will now be 00 5 described by way of example with reference to the 0 accompanying drawings, wherein: Figs. 1A to 1E schematically depict the process steps in manufacturing a decorative panel having oxidised 0o particles mimicking the appearance of highly polished granite, Figs. 2A to 2D schematically depict the process steps in manufacturing a decorative panel having granular particles or chips of material which might mimic the appearance of sandstone for example, and Figs. 3A to 3D schematically depict the process steps in manufacturing a decorative panel having a cracked or fissured stone or other crackle-like appearance.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments In Figs. IA to 1E of the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically the typical steps in manufacturing a glass panel or tile which looks somewhat like highly polished granite, but having a depth of appearance that is far superior to polished granite at a fraction of the COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26 24/8/20711:26 61-2-98754277 IAN A MILLARPAE8 PAGE 09 o -6price. The first step in the process is to provide a clear glass panel 10 that is cut to a desired size with a ci clean back surface.

00 5 The next step in the process as shown in Fig. lB is to 00 apply a clear resin 11 to the clean back surface of the ci glass panel 10. The resin would typically be applied evenly to the entire back surface of the panel 10, by ci spraying, brushing, rolling or any other manual or automated means.

The next step of the process as shown in Fig. 1C is to apply metallic filings (typically ferrous iron filings) to the resin coating 11. These would typically be applied prior to setting of the resin so that the particles adhere thereto as the resin sets.

The following step in the process as shown in Fig. ID is to apply an acidic solution to the metallic filings or chips and expose to air so that the particles oxidize to provide a stone-like appearance 13 through the resin.

The acidic solution could be brushed, sprayed or otherwise manually or automatically applied. This step can be applied either prior to setting of the resin or thereafter. The acidic solution is subsequently washed away.

The final step in the process as shown in Fig, iE COMS ID No: ARCS-i1581 95 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26 24/8/0071126 61-2-99754277 IAN A MILLARPAE1 PAGE involves the application of a paint or a coloured (typically opaque) resin coating 14 over the oxidised Ci particles to seal them to the resin 11.

00 C 5 An alternative appearance in a finished panel can be 00 provided by the process steps depicted in Figs. 2A to 2D.

Ci These steps are substantially the same as those described o above, but omitting the oxidation step. In this process, the chips 12 need not be metallic filings, and could be 1o anything from sand to crushed rock, pre-oxidised metallic filings, glass fragments, coloured oxides as used in the concreting industry, recycled crushed tiles, concrete, ceramic particles, plastics filings or anything giving an interesting appearance through the resin adhesive 11.

Again, a paint or coloured resin coating 14 is applied as shown in Fig. 2D.

A further alternative appearance is achieved by the process steps depicted in Figs. 3A to 3D. This appearance might be regarded as somewhat granite-like.

After the step of applying the resin coating 11 to the glass panel 10, a commercially available crackle medium is applied. Basically, a crackle medium is a paintlike coating incompatible with the resin coating 11.

Then the medium sets, the incompatibility with the resin coating 11 causes it to crack to give the appearance of grain or fissures through the resin 11. A coloured resin or paint coating 14 IB applied behind the crackle coating COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2U7/ 11:26 61-2-98754277 IAN A MILLAR PAGE 11 8 -8- W so as to be visible through the grains or fissures.

q It should be appreciated that modifications and/or alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not 00 00 5 to be considered as beyond the scope of the present 0_ invention. For example, particles could be suspended in pc the resin prior to its application to the substrate.

O Also, the substrate 10 need not be glass. It could be C- plastics material for example. Furthermore, the substrate 10 need not be transparent, but might be semitransparent or translucent. To provide alternative visual effects, the substrate could be coloured for example. Also, large panels could be manufactured and subsequently cut to desired size and shape. Another interesting effect might be achieved by providing a light-transmissive final back coating 14. Backlighting could then be used to provide interesting illumination effects through the panel.

COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24

Claims (17)

1. 2. The panel of Claim 1, further comprising, a coating applied to the panel so as to be visible from in front of the front surface through the substrate, adhesive and visual feature.
2. 3. The panel of Claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive substrate is transparent.
3. 4. The panel of Claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive substrate is glass. The panel of Claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive adhesive is resin.
4. 6. The panel of Claim 1, wherein the visual feature comprises particulate material.
5. 7. The panel of Claim 6, wherein the particulate COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26 61-2-98754277 IAN A MILLAR PAGE 13 material comprises metallic filings.
6. 8. The panel of Claim 7, wherein the metallic filings are oxidised.
7. 9. The panel of Claim 1, wherein the visual feature comprises a crackle medium applied to the adhesive. The panel of Claim 2, wherein the coating comprises paint.
8. 11. The panel of Claim 2, wherein the coating comprises coloured resin.
9. 12. A method of making a decorative panel, comprising: providing a light-transmissive substrate having a front surface and a back surface, applying a light-transmissive adhesive to the back surface, and applying a visual feature to the adhesive either before or after applying the adhesive to the back surface.
10. 13. The method of Claim 12, further comprising, applying a coating to the panel so as to be visible from in front of the front surface through the substrate, adhesive and visual feature.
11. 14. The method of Claim 12, wherein the light- COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 O/l ./rn 7 i r i5 1;ozb l-z-u/427// IAN A MILLAR PAGE 14 -11- c- transmissive substrate is transparent. C 15. The method of Claim 12, wherein the light- transmissive substrate is glass. 00 00 Ca
12. 16. The method of Claim 12, wherein the light- C- transmissive adhesive is resin. CI 17. The method of Claim 12, wherein the visual feature comprises particulate material.
13. 18. The method of Claim 17, wherein the particulate material comprises metallic filings.
14. 19. The method of Claim 18, further comprising the step of applying an acidic solution to the metallic filings to oxidise same. The method of Claim 19, further comprising the step of washing away the acidic solution after the metallic filings have oxidised.
15. 21. The method of Claim 12, wherein the visual feature comprises a crackle medium, and further comprising the step of brushing, rolling or spraying the crackle medium onto the adhesive.
16. 22. The method of Claim 13, wherein the coating comprises COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24 24/08/2007 11:26 61-2-99754277 IAN A MILLAR PAGE -12- Spaint, and further comprising brushing, rolling or spraying the paint onto the panel.
17. 23. The method of Claim 13, wherein the coating comprises 00 coloured resin and further comprising the step of 00 brushing, rolling or spraying the coloured resin onto the CN panel. C 24. A decorative panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of making a decorative panel, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: ARCS-158195 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:21 Date 2007-08-24