Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D1/28—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. brushes, pads, rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C3/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing ornamental structures
  • B44C3/005—Removing selectively parts of at least the upper layer of a multi-layer article
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C3/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing ornamental structures
  • B44C3/08—Stamping or bending
  • B44C3/085—Stamping or bending stamping
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C5/00—Processes for producing special ornamental bodies
  • B44C5/04—Ornamental plaques, e.g. decorative panels, decorative veneers
  • B44C5/0469—Ornamental plaques, e.g. decorative panels, decorative veneers comprising a decorative sheet and a core formed by one or more resin impregnated sheets of paper
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44F—SPECIAL DESIGNS OR PICTURES
  • B44F9/00—Designs imitating natural patterns
  • B44F9/02—Designs imitating natural patterns wood grain effects

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to the production of decorative plastics laminates, which are extensively used in making furniture, counter tops, paneling and other decorative or functional surfaces.
• a plurality of sheets ⁇ f resin impregnated kraft paper are stacked together to form a core or backing.
• the resin employed is a heat curable type such as phenol formaldehyde.
• a decorative sheet of paper having a printed design or solid color and impregnated with a melamine resin is laid over the core, and an overlay sheet, usually melamine impregnated alpha cellulose paper, is superimposed over the decorative sheet. In some instances, especially where the final product is of solid color, the overlay sheet may be omitted.
• a panel of particle board may be substituted for the core sheets.
• a release sheet composed of relatively non-adhereable paper, plastics film or aluminum foil is interposed between the decorative surface and the caul to prevent adhesion between the caul and the decorative surface.
• U.S. Patent No. 1,742,516 describes a process wherein a design or letter is embossed in a laminabe by using an engraved caul having the design deoossed therein.
• U.S. Patent No. 1,997,358 and No. 2,133,081 descrioe the texturizing of plastics laminates utilizing an embossed metal caul.
• U.S. Patent No. 2,606,355 discloses a process of using a master to make a number of textured .caul plates from a stack of resin impregnated paper. Similar techniques utilizing emoossed or debossed plastics laminates as molding cauls are described in U.S. Patent No. 3,303,081 and No. 3,311,5 ⁇ 0. U.S. Patent No. 3,373,068 describes the use of particulate matter on the decorative sheet to impart texture thereto.
• the present invention represents a further improvement in the production of textured decorative laminates, which allows for greater realise, warmth and a contrasting textural quality heretofore not attainable.
• a release sheet having a coating of pigment thereon is applied over the decorative surface before the-laminate* is pressurized against a textured molding caul.
• the release sheet may be composed, for example, of a.sheet of polymeric material having a thin layer of ink applied substantially uniformly on the surface against which the panel or laminate is to be-molded.
• the pigment is uniformly transferred to the texturized surface, the color of the pigment being selected so as to contrast with the color of the decorative sheet.
• the release sheet is removed to expose a textured surface that is substantially uniformly colored by the pigment.
• the decorative surface is then subjected to surface rubbing, brushing or light abrasion to the extent necessary to remove color from the raised or embossed portions while allowing more color to remain in the depressed or debossed areas, thus highlighting or shadowing the texture and providing added visual dimension to the appearance of the textured surface.
• any of the well known methods of making textured laminates may be employed.
• a variety of textures are possible, such as wood grain, fabric, decorative objects, writing or printing, as well as many others.
• the process of making the textured laminate from a textured caul is conventional, and the present invention resides in imparting color highlights to the textured surface.
• the core is made up from a plurality of resjn impregnated kraft'sheets. These sheets are normally impregnated with a phenolic resin, allowed to at least partially dry, and then stacked in a superimposed relation.
• the number of sheets utilized may vary and ordinarily the number will vary between three and six.
• Other core materials, such as particle board, may be used.
• a resin impregnated decorative sheet which in the case of the preferred embodiment will be a sheet having color, printing, or other decoration thereon, for example, printing that resembles a grained wood panel.
• a protective overlay sheet of fine paper such as alpha cellulose.
• the overlay and print sheet are impregnated with a heat curable resin, preferably with a noble thermosetting resin such as melamine formaldehyde resin or the like.
• the decorative sheet may be replaced by metal foil.
• the sandwich of the aforesaid materials is placed between a pair of rigid caul plates.
• the caul plate facing the decorative sheet is provided with a desired textured surface by any of the well known and conventional methods, and a release sheet is placed between the caul and the outer sheet of the laminate.
• the assembly is placed in a heated press, and the sandwich is subjected to heat and pressure for a time sufficient to cure the resin in the laminate, i.e. typically 500 to 2,000 p.s.i. (3,447 x 10 3 to 13,790 x 10 3 Pa), 200° to 400°F (93.30 to 204.4°C), and 15 to 60 minutes.
• the resulting product is a rigid laminate having a hard, durable decorative and textured surface.
• the textured caul is prepared by any suitable method.
• the caul plate may be a rigid metal plate with any desired texture etched thereon by conventional methods.
• a consumable original textured panel or sheet is sandwiched between a pair of resin impregnated or resin containing overlay sheets of a size slightly larger than the original.
• the overlay sheets and the curable resin therein may be of any of a wide variety of acceptable materials, such as various heat curable resins, such as melamine, phenolic, epoxy, urea formaldehyde and others.
• Each of the overlay sheets- is covered by a release sheet, and the release sheets in turn may be backed by a stack of padding sheets, such as sheets of kraft paper.
• the resulting assembly is then placed in a molding press between a pair of cauls, and the assembly is heated and compressed between the cauls in a conventional manner until the resin is cured. Upon curing, the overlay sheets bond to the textured core and assume the texture of the core.
• the resulting laminate which may be textured on one or both sides, is used as a molding caul to make textured decorative laminates, as hereinbefore described.
• the method of imparting color highlights in accordance with the present invention is carried out as part of the formation of the textured decorative laminate. Color is applied to the decorative surface during the pressure molding procedure, and any excess color is removed from the textured surface after completion of the molding operation.
• a special release sheet is used and is an important feature of the invention.
• the release sheet to be used is first coated on one side with a pigment, and the pigmented side is placed against the decorative surface prior to the pressure forming of the textured laminate.
• the color of the pigment is preferably selected to be darker than the color of the decorative sheet or in any event is preferably of a contrasting or highlighting color.
• pigments carried in a solvent and binder system capable of being coated onto the release sheet and dried after application are preferred, such as printing inks. It is not necessary to apply tne ink to the release sheet in accordance with any pattern, and in fact, a substantially uniform and unpatterned application is preferred to assure complete coverage of the decorative surface. Uniform coating of the ink onto the release sheet by conventional rotogravure methods has been found suitable for this purpose.
• the material for the release sheet may be selected from any of the materials in common use and include foil, polymer films and treated paper films.
• Polypropylene film is especially preferred due to its ability to release the ink when placed under the heat and_pressure conditions used in the laminating process.
• the components of the decorative laminate, pigmented release sheet and textured caul are then assembled as a sandwich as aforesaid and are compressed in the aforesaid manner at sufficient pressures and temperatures to cause curing and bonding of the resin impregnated sheets.
• the textured surface of the caul is imparted to the decorative surface, and at the same time, the release sheet conforms to the irregular surfaces and transfers pigment thereon substantially uniformly onto the decorative surface of the laminate.
• the release sheet is stripped away from the textured decorative surface, which is now substantially uniformly coated with the pigment.
• caul plate having a textured surface on both sides since-an assembly of caul plates and resin impregnated paper assemblies may be compressed and heated simultaneously.
• five cauls can be used in a single molding operation to produce ten decorative panels.
• wood grain print sheet is utilized, and a wood grain texture is imparted to the laminate.
• the pattern of the print sheet need not coincide with the texture pattern to'produce the desired results, thus eliminating the problem or bringing the patterns into exact, register.
• the pigmented textured surface of the laminate is now subjected to an operation in which some or all of the pigment remaining on the mebossed areas is removed from such areas of the surface while allowing a greater amount of pigment to remain in the debossed areas.
• This operation may be accomplished by surface rubbing or brushing, exposing the lighter shades of the raised grain or texture and enhancing a three dimensional shadow effect.
• a suitable procedure is to brush the textured surface with rotary bristle or tampico brushes, preferably in the direction of the grain pattern.
• Such apparatus is conventionally used in a dull rubbing operation to reduce the gloss of the decorative surface of laminates,'and any equivalent procedure for mechanically removing the pigment from the high spots would be effective.
• The. pigment used preferably will be one having high adherence properties, but in any event it is believed that some of the pigment migrates into the resinous surface, partiularly in the debossed areas which are subjected to the greatest molding pressure, and becomes bonded therein as the resin is cured.
• the resulting laminate will thus have a textured surface with a greater concentration of pigment in the debossed areas than in the embossed areas.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8188304

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (8)

Citations (9)

• 1981
  • 1981-05-19 AT AT81302205T patent/ATE10461T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1981-05-19 DE DE8181302205T patent/DE3167414D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1981-05-19 EP EP81302205A patent/EP0065043B1/fr not_active Expired

Patent Citations (10)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events