CA1218814A - Decorative laminate material and process for making the same - Google Patents
Decorative laminate material and process for making the sameInfo
- Publication number
- CA1218814A CA1218814A CA000428043A CA428043A CA1218814A CA 1218814 A CA1218814 A CA 1218814A CA 000428043 A CA000428043 A CA 000428043A CA 428043 A CA428043 A CA 428043A CA 1218814 A CA1218814 A CA 1218814A
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- layer
- batt
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- latex
- cured
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Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A decorative laminate material and a process for making the same are provided herein. The process comprises the first step of providing an unbonded fibrous batt of the desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough. The next step comprises applying a layer of the desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of the fibrous batt. The next step comprises drying that layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material. The final step comprises heating and compression molding the dried composite material simultaneously to mold the composite, cure the layer and cure the binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of the layer before the layer and the binder material are cured, to cause the layer to be contoured with the pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof. This provides an improved decorative laminate material over that achieved in the past, e.g., by the stitching of a facing sheet and a pad material to each other which is an extremely costly and time-consuming operation. The pattern is caused to be substantially impressed into one side of the batt so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially uniform thickness. One side of the cured batt also substantially conforms to the embossed contour of the layer.
A decorative laminate material and a process for making the same are provided herein. The process comprises the first step of providing an unbonded fibrous batt of the desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough. The next step comprises applying a layer of the desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of the fibrous batt. The next step comprises drying that layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material. The final step comprises heating and compression molding the dried composite material simultaneously to mold the composite, cure the layer and cure the binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of the layer before the layer and the binder material are cured, to cause the layer to be contoured with the pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof. This provides an improved decorative laminate material over that achieved in the past, e.g., by the stitching of a facing sheet and a pad material to each other which is an extremely costly and time-consuming operation. The pattern is caused to be substantially impressed into one side of the batt so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially uniform thickness. One side of the cured batt also substantially conforms to the embossed contour of the layer.
Description
The present invention relates to a novel decorative trim panel and process or making same.
Composite trim panels of the type to which the present in-mention is directed are in widespread commercial use in the manufact-use of home furnishings, automotive interior trim, and the like. Such trim panels are particularly applicable to interior automotive trim including package trays, door panels and headliners. Conventionally, composite trim materials employed for the foregoing purposes include a decorative wear-resistant and abrasion-resistant facing sheet which is applied over an underlying resilient padding material, enhancing the feel and cushioning characteristics of the surfaces to which it is apt plied. It has been customary in the past to enhance the decorative characteristics of such trim materials by including localized depress-Ed areas therein. Various techniques have heretofore been used or pro-posed to fabricate such trim materials, including stitching the facing sheet and pad material together along selected areas and dielectric heat fusion techniques for imparting a preselected pattern to such trim materials.
The various techniques heretofore used or proposed are each subject to inherent disadvantages, either in high cost, time-consuming operations required for imparting a desired pattern or lack of flexibly-fly in selection of the various designs which canoe incorporated in such trim panels. For example, the stitching of a facing sheet and a pad material to each other is an extremely costly and time-consuming opt oration, and the resulting composite material is characterized as allow-in relative movement between the facing sheet and the underlying padding material in those areas devoid of any stitching, which generally results in wrinkling and an excessive wear rate of the composite material.
It is therefore an object of one aspect of the present invent lion to provide an improved process for making a composite trip panel.
it is an object of another aspect of this invention to provide an improved composite trim panel.
in accordance with one broad aspect of the present invention, an improved process is provided for making a decorative, composite laminate material which comprises the sequential steps of: providing an unbounded fibrous belt of desired thickness hazing a thermosetting resin dispersed there through; applying a layer of desired thickness of a curable latex foam to at least one side of the fibrous belt;
drying the foam to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material; and compressing and heating the resulting dried foam and the belt simultaneously to mold the composite, to cure the layer and to cure the binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of the layer before the layer and the binder material are cured to cause the layer to be contoured with the pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof and thereby to cause the pattern to be substantially impressed into one side of the belt, so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially-uniform thickness and such side of the cured belt substantially conforms to the embossed contour of the layer.
The latex may be a foam, and may be applied to the belt by knife-coating the foam onto the belt, or it may be applied to the belt by extruding the foam onto the belt, or it may be applied to the belt by kniFe-coati.ng the foam onto a carrier material and thereafter uniting the carrier material, hazing the foam layer thereof, with the belt.
rho latex may be a loam that may be dried to a moisture level of` not greater than 10 percent, preferably not greater than 3 percent, e.g. by drying the foam at a drying temperature in the approxirr)ate range of 250 to 350 OF. for a lime in the approximate range of 5 to 20 minutes. The foam may be heated during the foam drying step for a time sufficient partially to cross link the loam.
The curable latex may be either an acrylic latex or a nitrite latex. In one preferred embodiment, the step of 10 heating and compression molding comprises the steps of disposing the composite material between a first platen and a second platen, and bringing the platens together to mold the composite material there between. In such embodiment, the step of disposing the composite material comprises the step of disposing the exposed side of the belt onto a surface of the second platen, the step of bringing the platens together causing a decorative surface of the first platen to be embossed into the exposed side of the layer, whereby the exposed side of the resulting cured belt has the contour of the surface of the 20 second platen. The surface of the second platen is preferably substantially flat, whereby the cured belt has the exposed side thereof formed substantially flat.
lo provided in accordance with another aspect of this invention is a decorative laminate material made according to the above described processes.
in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a composite panel made in accordance with one embodiment of the process of an aspect of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figures 3 - 5 illustrate the steps of spreading a curable foam onto a fibrous belt, then drying the foam; and Figure 6 illustrates the molding step of the process 0 of an aspect of this invention.
One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The composite panel 10 has fully compressed portions 16 and less compressed portions 18, these portions cooperating to provide a decorative surface pattern, as illustrated.
The composite panel 10 is made, as described above, by first applying a layer of a curable latex foam to a fibrous belt. The foam may be applied using a knife coaler, as illustrated in Figure 3, wherein a foam mass 20 is spread onto a continuous fibrous belt 22 using a coating knife 24 to provide a foam layer 26 of a desired thickness. The resulting composite of foam 26 and belt 22 is then passed into a drying oven 28 to dry the foam layer 26. The foam layer 26 ran also be applied to the belt 22 by extruding the layer 26 using a foam extrusion apparatus 30, as illustrated in Figure I.
- pa -cording to another embodiment. of the process of an aspect of the invention, the loam layer 26 is spread, using a coating knife 24, onto a carrier material 32. The composite of the carrier 32 and foam layer 26 is then united with the fibrous belt 22 and the foam is thereafter dried, as described above.
- 3b - _ .~, The composite of belt 22 and foam layer 26, or belt 22, carrier 32 and foam layer 26 is no ready for molding. Referring to FIG. 6, the composite, hereinafter designated by the reference numeral 34, is placed in a molding apparatus 36 having a first platen 38 and a second platen 40. In the embodiment illustrated, the first platen 38 has a generally flat surface 42, and the second platen 40 has a decorative surface, designated generally by the reference numeral 44, in reverse of the desired decorative surface. When the molding apparatus is closed, the foam layer 26 and the belt 22 are both compressed to varying degrees, depending on the pattern of the surface 44. Following a suitable time in the mold, the apparatus 36 is opened and the completed panel 10 is removed.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the ox-posed surface 46 of the compressed foam layer, i.e., the decorative sun-face layer 14, is embossed with the pattern 44 of the second platen 40.
The opposite surface 50 of the layer 14 is generally smooth and although it does reflect the sharper divisions between the fully compressed port lions 16 and the less compressed portions 18, the surface 50 does not fully take on the embossments present in the surface 46. The exposed surface 52 of the compressed belt, i.e., the base 12, is relatively flat, while the opposite surface 54 of the base 12 generally follows the con-tours of the decorative surface layer 14. It is also readily apparent from FIG. 2 that the compressed foam layer 12 is OF relatively uniform thickness, as compared to the base 12.
The fibrous belt 22 comprises randomly arranged fibers of any of the types well known in the art including those of animal, vegetable or synthetic origin. Suitable fibers include naturally-occurring fibers of animal origin, e. g., wool, silk, hair from cattle, horses and hogs, chicken feathers and the like; natural fibers of vegetable origin e. g., cotton, hemp jute, Rome, sisal, cellulose, aback and the like, and synthetic fibers, en g-, cellulose acetate, viscose rayon, nylon, vinyl-chloride, glass fiber, and the like.
The Formation of a continuous belt of the fibrous material is achieved in accordance with techniques well known in the art, e.g., for example, by passing the fibers through a suitable carding or guaranteeing machine, thereafter they pass through a suitable lapper in which an overlapping of the resultant fibrous web is accomplished until a belt of the desired thickness if obtained. Alternatively, a continuous belt may be formed using air-lay equipment.
The continuous belt is impregnated with a suitable binder ma-tonal which functions to bond the fibers to each other at their points of contact. Suitable binder materials include any of those well known in the art which are compatible with the fibers employed and which pro-vise a tenacious bond of the fibers. Various thermosetting binders have been found to be particularly satisfactory. e. g., phenol alluded resins, urea resins, mailmen resins and the Mike. The binder materials o should have a curing temperature of 225 - 350F.
The binder material may be applied to the web as it emerges from the guaranteeing machine and passes into the lapper, or it may be incorporated with the fibers as the belt is formed by an air-lay machine.
Conventionally, the Fibrous belt is formed so as to nave a resultant den-sty of from one to five ounces per square foot and may be of a thickness ranging from 1/4 to 1/1/2 inches. The amount of bonder material incorporated with the fibrous material may range from 10 to 30 weight percent, based upon the weight of fibrous material.
The carrier material 32 may be any material, woven or non woven, onto which the curable latex foam can be applied in a relatively uniform manner and which is sufficiently open, spa that, during the mold-in step, a portion-of the latex foam can pass through the interstices in the carrier material and physically bond to the fibers of the fibrous belt.
The carrier material may be made from any natural or synthetic fiber.
The curable latex foam may be any vulcanizable, or otherwise, heat curable, natural or synthetic latex capable of forming the desired decorative laminate material under the conditions employed. Typical synthetic lattices include hot and cold SIR lattices, SUB resin lattices, nitrite lattices, vinyl pardon lattices, acrylic lattices, polychloroprene latex and isoprene latex, and blends thereof. Two presently preferred latices-are acrylic lattices and nitrite lattices.
A typical formable latex recipe is as follows:
Parts by weight (Dry Basis) Latex 100 Emulsifying Agent 0.5-4 Plasticizer 0-15 Filler 0-40 Thickener 0.1-1.0 Foam Stabilizer 1-5 Cross linking Agent 1-10 Water 0-50 The above ingredients are compounded using conventional techniques and apparatus. The formable latex is then mechanically frothed using convent-tonal techniques and apparatus. The resulting foam is applied in a lay-or ranging in thickness from 0.05 to 0.5 inch, using the application techniques previously discussed.
The latex foam is dried using conventional foam drying technic quest to a moisture level of 10 percent or less, preferably 3 percent or less. The drying temperature may range from 250~ to 350 F (120 - 175 C), and drying time may range from 50 to 20 minutes, depending upon the foam thickness and the initial moisture level. It is highly desirable that the drying conditions be selected so as to dry the foam to the desired residual moisture level without prematurely activating the binder material in the fibrous belt.
Depending upon the type of latex employed, it maybe desirable to heat the foam for a time sufficient to partially cross link the foam.
The composite material is molded at a temperature ranging from 225 to 450 F. (105 to 230 C.) for a time ranging from 15 to 120 seconds. During the molding step, the foam is compressed and then cured, and, simultaneously, the fibrous belt is compressed and the binder material therein is then cured. At the end of the molding cycle, the mold is opened and the completed part is removed. One ad-vantage resulting from applying the latex foam to the fibrous belt, as compared to applying foam to a previously densified belt, is that there is some impregnation of the belt, and during tune molding and curing step, the foam is physically linked to the belt.
The completed part may be colored, in a desired manner, by painting the same after molding, or the foam layer may be pigmented by substituting one or more pigments for the filler, mentioned previously.
Composite trim panels of the type to which the present in-mention is directed are in widespread commercial use in the manufact-use of home furnishings, automotive interior trim, and the like. Such trim panels are particularly applicable to interior automotive trim including package trays, door panels and headliners. Conventionally, composite trim materials employed for the foregoing purposes include a decorative wear-resistant and abrasion-resistant facing sheet which is applied over an underlying resilient padding material, enhancing the feel and cushioning characteristics of the surfaces to which it is apt plied. It has been customary in the past to enhance the decorative characteristics of such trim materials by including localized depress-Ed areas therein. Various techniques have heretofore been used or pro-posed to fabricate such trim materials, including stitching the facing sheet and pad material together along selected areas and dielectric heat fusion techniques for imparting a preselected pattern to such trim materials.
The various techniques heretofore used or proposed are each subject to inherent disadvantages, either in high cost, time-consuming operations required for imparting a desired pattern or lack of flexibly-fly in selection of the various designs which canoe incorporated in such trim panels. For example, the stitching of a facing sheet and a pad material to each other is an extremely costly and time-consuming opt oration, and the resulting composite material is characterized as allow-in relative movement between the facing sheet and the underlying padding material in those areas devoid of any stitching, which generally results in wrinkling and an excessive wear rate of the composite material.
It is therefore an object of one aspect of the present invent lion to provide an improved process for making a composite trip panel.
it is an object of another aspect of this invention to provide an improved composite trim panel.
in accordance with one broad aspect of the present invention, an improved process is provided for making a decorative, composite laminate material which comprises the sequential steps of: providing an unbounded fibrous belt of desired thickness hazing a thermosetting resin dispersed there through; applying a layer of desired thickness of a curable latex foam to at least one side of the fibrous belt;
drying the foam to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material; and compressing and heating the resulting dried foam and the belt simultaneously to mold the composite, to cure the layer and to cure the binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of the layer before the layer and the binder material are cured to cause the layer to be contoured with the pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof and thereby to cause the pattern to be substantially impressed into one side of the belt, so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially-uniform thickness and such side of the cured belt substantially conforms to the embossed contour of the layer.
The latex may be a foam, and may be applied to the belt by knife-coating the foam onto the belt, or it may be applied to the belt by extruding the foam onto the belt, or it may be applied to the belt by kniFe-coati.ng the foam onto a carrier material and thereafter uniting the carrier material, hazing the foam layer thereof, with the belt.
rho latex may be a loam that may be dried to a moisture level of` not greater than 10 percent, preferably not greater than 3 percent, e.g. by drying the foam at a drying temperature in the approxirr)ate range of 250 to 350 OF. for a lime in the approximate range of 5 to 20 minutes. The foam may be heated during the foam drying step for a time sufficient partially to cross link the loam.
The curable latex may be either an acrylic latex or a nitrite latex. In one preferred embodiment, the step of 10 heating and compression molding comprises the steps of disposing the composite material between a first platen and a second platen, and bringing the platens together to mold the composite material there between. In such embodiment, the step of disposing the composite material comprises the step of disposing the exposed side of the belt onto a surface of the second platen, the step of bringing the platens together causing a decorative surface of the first platen to be embossed into the exposed side of the layer, whereby the exposed side of the resulting cured belt has the contour of the surface of the 20 second platen. The surface of the second platen is preferably substantially flat, whereby the cured belt has the exposed side thereof formed substantially flat.
lo provided in accordance with another aspect of this invention is a decorative laminate material made according to the above described processes.
in the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a composite panel made in accordance with one embodiment of the process of an aspect of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figures 3 - 5 illustrate the steps of spreading a curable foam onto a fibrous belt, then drying the foam; and Figure 6 illustrates the molding step of the process 0 of an aspect of this invention.
One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The composite panel 10 has fully compressed portions 16 and less compressed portions 18, these portions cooperating to provide a decorative surface pattern, as illustrated.
The composite panel 10 is made, as described above, by first applying a layer of a curable latex foam to a fibrous belt. The foam may be applied using a knife coaler, as illustrated in Figure 3, wherein a foam mass 20 is spread onto a continuous fibrous belt 22 using a coating knife 24 to provide a foam layer 26 of a desired thickness. The resulting composite of foam 26 and belt 22 is then passed into a drying oven 28 to dry the foam layer 26. The foam layer 26 ran also be applied to the belt 22 by extruding the layer 26 using a foam extrusion apparatus 30, as illustrated in Figure I.
- pa -cording to another embodiment. of the process of an aspect of the invention, the loam layer 26 is spread, using a coating knife 24, onto a carrier material 32. The composite of the carrier 32 and foam layer 26 is then united with the fibrous belt 22 and the foam is thereafter dried, as described above.
- 3b - _ .~, The composite of belt 22 and foam layer 26, or belt 22, carrier 32 and foam layer 26 is no ready for molding. Referring to FIG. 6, the composite, hereinafter designated by the reference numeral 34, is placed in a molding apparatus 36 having a first platen 38 and a second platen 40. In the embodiment illustrated, the first platen 38 has a generally flat surface 42, and the second platen 40 has a decorative surface, designated generally by the reference numeral 44, in reverse of the desired decorative surface. When the molding apparatus is closed, the foam layer 26 and the belt 22 are both compressed to varying degrees, depending on the pattern of the surface 44. Following a suitable time in the mold, the apparatus 36 is opened and the completed panel 10 is removed.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the ox-posed surface 46 of the compressed foam layer, i.e., the decorative sun-face layer 14, is embossed with the pattern 44 of the second platen 40.
The opposite surface 50 of the layer 14 is generally smooth and although it does reflect the sharper divisions between the fully compressed port lions 16 and the less compressed portions 18, the surface 50 does not fully take on the embossments present in the surface 46. The exposed surface 52 of the compressed belt, i.e., the base 12, is relatively flat, while the opposite surface 54 of the base 12 generally follows the con-tours of the decorative surface layer 14. It is also readily apparent from FIG. 2 that the compressed foam layer 12 is OF relatively uniform thickness, as compared to the base 12.
The fibrous belt 22 comprises randomly arranged fibers of any of the types well known in the art including those of animal, vegetable or synthetic origin. Suitable fibers include naturally-occurring fibers of animal origin, e. g., wool, silk, hair from cattle, horses and hogs, chicken feathers and the like; natural fibers of vegetable origin e. g., cotton, hemp jute, Rome, sisal, cellulose, aback and the like, and synthetic fibers, en g-, cellulose acetate, viscose rayon, nylon, vinyl-chloride, glass fiber, and the like.
The Formation of a continuous belt of the fibrous material is achieved in accordance with techniques well known in the art, e.g., for example, by passing the fibers through a suitable carding or guaranteeing machine, thereafter they pass through a suitable lapper in which an overlapping of the resultant fibrous web is accomplished until a belt of the desired thickness if obtained. Alternatively, a continuous belt may be formed using air-lay equipment.
The continuous belt is impregnated with a suitable binder ma-tonal which functions to bond the fibers to each other at their points of contact. Suitable binder materials include any of those well known in the art which are compatible with the fibers employed and which pro-vise a tenacious bond of the fibers. Various thermosetting binders have been found to be particularly satisfactory. e. g., phenol alluded resins, urea resins, mailmen resins and the Mike. The binder materials o should have a curing temperature of 225 - 350F.
The binder material may be applied to the web as it emerges from the guaranteeing machine and passes into the lapper, or it may be incorporated with the fibers as the belt is formed by an air-lay machine.
Conventionally, the Fibrous belt is formed so as to nave a resultant den-sty of from one to five ounces per square foot and may be of a thickness ranging from 1/4 to 1/1/2 inches. The amount of bonder material incorporated with the fibrous material may range from 10 to 30 weight percent, based upon the weight of fibrous material.
The carrier material 32 may be any material, woven or non woven, onto which the curable latex foam can be applied in a relatively uniform manner and which is sufficiently open, spa that, during the mold-in step, a portion-of the latex foam can pass through the interstices in the carrier material and physically bond to the fibers of the fibrous belt.
The carrier material may be made from any natural or synthetic fiber.
The curable latex foam may be any vulcanizable, or otherwise, heat curable, natural or synthetic latex capable of forming the desired decorative laminate material under the conditions employed. Typical synthetic lattices include hot and cold SIR lattices, SUB resin lattices, nitrite lattices, vinyl pardon lattices, acrylic lattices, polychloroprene latex and isoprene latex, and blends thereof. Two presently preferred latices-are acrylic lattices and nitrite lattices.
A typical formable latex recipe is as follows:
Parts by weight (Dry Basis) Latex 100 Emulsifying Agent 0.5-4 Plasticizer 0-15 Filler 0-40 Thickener 0.1-1.0 Foam Stabilizer 1-5 Cross linking Agent 1-10 Water 0-50 The above ingredients are compounded using conventional techniques and apparatus. The formable latex is then mechanically frothed using convent-tonal techniques and apparatus. The resulting foam is applied in a lay-or ranging in thickness from 0.05 to 0.5 inch, using the application techniques previously discussed.
The latex foam is dried using conventional foam drying technic quest to a moisture level of 10 percent or less, preferably 3 percent or less. The drying temperature may range from 250~ to 350 F (120 - 175 C), and drying time may range from 50 to 20 minutes, depending upon the foam thickness and the initial moisture level. It is highly desirable that the drying conditions be selected so as to dry the foam to the desired residual moisture level without prematurely activating the binder material in the fibrous belt.
Depending upon the type of latex employed, it maybe desirable to heat the foam for a time sufficient to partially cross link the foam.
The composite material is molded at a temperature ranging from 225 to 450 F. (105 to 230 C.) for a time ranging from 15 to 120 seconds. During the molding step, the foam is compressed and then cured, and, simultaneously, the fibrous belt is compressed and the binder material therein is then cured. At the end of the molding cycle, the mold is opened and the completed part is removed. One ad-vantage resulting from applying the latex foam to the fibrous belt, as compared to applying foam to a previously densified belt, is that there is some impregnation of the belt, and during tune molding and curing step, the foam is physically linked to the belt.
The completed part may be colored, in a desired manner, by painting the same after molding, or the foam layer may be pigmented by substituting one or more pigments for the filler, mentioned previously.
Claims (14)
1. process for making a composite laminate material which comprises the steps of:
(a) providing an unbonded fibrous batt of desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough.
(b) applying a layer of desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of said fibrous batt;
(c) drying said layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material, and (d) heating and compression molding said dried composite material simultaneously to mold said composite, to cure said layer and to cure said binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of said layer before said layer and said binder material are cured, thereby to cause said layer to be contoured with said pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof, and thereby to cause said pattern to be substantially impressed into said one side of said batt so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially uniform thickness and said one side of said cured batt substantially conforms to the embossed contour of said layer.
(a) providing an unbonded fibrous batt of desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough.
(b) applying a layer of desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of said fibrous batt;
(c) drying said layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material, and (d) heating and compression molding said dried composite material simultaneously to mold said composite, to cure said layer and to cure said binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of said layer before said layer and said binder material are cured, thereby to cause said layer to be contoured with said pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof, and thereby to cause said pattern to be substantially impressed into said one side of said batt so that the resulting embossed and cured layer has a substantially uniform thickness and said one side of said cured batt substantially conforms to the embossed contour of said layer.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam and is applied to said batt by knife-coating said foam onto said batt.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam and is applied to said batt by extruding said foam onto said batt.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam and is applied to said batt by knife-coating said foam onto a carrier material and thereafter uniting said carrier material, having said foam layer thereon, with said batt.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam that is dried to a moisture level of not greater than 10 percent.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam that is dried to a moisture level of not greater than 3 percent.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said latex is a foam that is dried at a drying temperature in the approximate range of 250° to 350° for a time in the approximate range of 5 to 20 minutes.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein said foam is heated during said foam drying step for a time sufficient partially to crosslink said foam.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein said cureable latex is an acrylic latex.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein said cureable latex is a nitrile latex.
11. The process of' claim 1 wherein said step of heating and compression molding comprises the steps of disposing said composite material between a first platen and a second platen, and bringing said platens together to mold said composite material therebetween.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein said step of disposing said composite material comprises the step of disposing the exposed side of said batt onto a surface of said second platen, said step of bringing said platens together causing a decorative surface of said first platen to be embossed into said exposed side of said layer, whereby the exposed side of the resulting cured batt has the contour of said surface of said second platen.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein said surface of said second platen is substantially flat, whereby said cured batt has the exposed side thereof formed substantially flat.
14. A decorative laminate material having a pattern substantially impressed into one side of said batt so that an embossed and cured layer has a substantially uniform thickness and said one side of said cured batt substantially conforms to an embossed contour, said laminate having been prepared by the steps of:
(a) providing an unbonded fibrous batt of desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough.
(b) appplying a layer of desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of said fibrous batt;
(c) drying said layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material: and (d) heating and compression molding said dried composite material simultaneously to mold said composite, to cure said layer and to cure said binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of said layer before said layer and said binder material are cured, thereby to cause said layer to be contoured with said pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof.
(a) providing an unbonded fibrous batt of desired thickness having a thermosetting binder material dispersed therethrough.
(b) appplying a layer of desired thickness of a cureable latex to at least one side of said fibrous batt;
(c) drying said layer to a predetermined moisture level to provide a dried composite material: and (d) heating and compression molding said dried composite material simultaneously to mold said composite, to cure said layer and to cure said binder material by embossing a pattern into the exposed side of said layer before said layer and said binder material are cured, thereby to cause said layer to be contoured with said pattern substantially throughout the thickness thereof.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000428043A CA1218814A (en) | 1983-05-12 | 1983-05-12 | Decorative laminate material and process for making the same |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000428043A CA1218814A (en) | 1983-05-12 | 1983-05-12 | Decorative laminate material and process for making the same |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1218814A true CA1218814A (en) | 1987-03-10 |
Family
ID=4125222
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000428043A Expired CA1218814A (en) | 1983-05-12 | 1983-05-12 | Decorative laminate material and process for making the same |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1218814A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-05-12 CA CA000428043A patent/CA1218814A/en not_active Expired
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