EP1364812A1

EP1364812A1 - Manufacturing a decorative article comprising a laminar substrate with a resin coating

Info

Publication number: EP1364812A1
Application number: EP02425314A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maurizio Gastaldi
Original assignee: Demak SRL
Current assignee: Demak SRL
Priority date: 2002-05-20
Filing date: 2002-05-20
Publication date: 2003-11-26

Abstract

The method for manufacturing a decorative article (10) which comprises a laminar substrate (12) coated with a layer of resin (14) having a smooth lower surface adhering to the substrate (12) and a shaped upper profile, includes the steps of: preparing a mould (24) with an open cavity, the bottom (28) of which forms a negative of the shaped upper profile of the resin layer (14); pouring the non-polymerized resin (14) into the cavity; applying the laminar substrate (12) to the poured resin (14); pressing the substrate (12) against the resin (14); heating the resin (14) in order to polymerize it; and extracting from the mould (24) the assembly (38) constituted by the laminar substrate (12) with the resin layer (14) adhering to it.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a decorative article comprising a laminar substrate with a resin coating, and to decorative articles obtained by this method.
In the prior art, the resin - which is subsequently hardened either by heating or at room temperature - is poured from above onto the laminar substrate, thereby forming a layer of resin with a substantially smooth lower surface adhering to the substrate and an upper profile in the shape of a more or less rounded dome.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improvement on prior art production methods, which is not affected by limitations in the upper profile of the resin layer.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a method having the characteristics specifically claimed in the appended Claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the method of the invention form the subject of the dependent Claims.
In particular, the method of the invention makes it possible to produce decorative articles which comprise a laminar substrate coated with a layer of resin, the upper profile of which has a desired shape, for example having one or more sharp edges and/or one or more curves of any type.
Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
Figure 1a is a plan view of a decorative article produced by the method of the invention,
Figure 1b is a side view of the article of Figure 1a, and
Figures 2a and 2b, 3a and 3b, 4a and 4b, 5a and 5b and 6a, 6b and 6c illustrate five decorative articles with alternative profiles produced by the method of the invention,
Figure 7 is a plan view of a plate used in the manufacturing method of the invention,
Figure 8 is a side view of the plate of Figure 7, and
Figures 9a-9i schematically illustrate the successive steps of the method for manufacturing decorative articles of the invention.
A decorative article 10 comprises (see Figures 1a and 1b) a laminar substrate 12 coated with a layer of resin 14, which may be transparent or coloured, with a planar lower surface adhering to the substrate and an upper profile in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with a square base.
Figures 2a to 6c illustrate alternative embodiments of the article 10, where the profile of the transparent layer 14 is different. In particular, this may be in the shape of a pyramid, (Figures 2a, 2b), a frusto-pyramid (Figures 3a, 3b), it may have a raised central plane with lateral ramps (4a, 4b), it may have several planes at different heights with connecting ramps (5a, 5b) or it may have an elevated end plane with an upwardly inclined ramp (6a, 6b, 6c).
A method for manufacturing the articles 10 will now be described which first calls for production of a plate 16 (Figures 7 and 8) with one face 17 thereof reproducing the shaped upper profiles of the resin layers 14 of the various articles 10. It is clear that if a single decorative article 10 or a plurality of decorative articles 10 which are shaped alike is to be manufactured, the face 17 of the plate 16 only needs to be shaped accordingly.
The plate 16 is used to constitute (see Figure 9a) the bottom of a box, with side walls 18 extending transversely from the edges of the plate 16 and connected thereto by fixing means, which are not shown in the drawings, engaged in seats 20 in the plate 16.
A fluid material 22 which will harden in the box is then poured into it (Figure 9b) and it is waited for the hardening thereof into a block 24 with a lower surface reproducing a negative of the shaped upper profile of the transparent resin layer 14 of the articles 10 which are to be produced. The fluid material can be silicone with the addition of a hardening catalyst such as, for example, TRECOSIL RTV500 with the L6W catalyst from TRECO.
The hardened block 24 is extracted from the box and placed upside down (see Figure 9c) in a containment structure 26 open at the top so as to form a mould with an open cavity, the bottom 28 of which is the negative of the shaped upper profile of the transparent resin layer 14 of the articles 10 which are to be manufactured.
Means 30, known in the art, are then used to pour (Figure 9d) the non-polymerized resin into the cavity of the mould 24, after which the laminar substrate 12, a silk screen printed sheet for example, is placed on the poured resin 14 so as to close the open resin-filled cavity.
The substrate 12 is then pressed against the resin 14 by rollers 32 acting on its external surface (Figure 9f), so as to ensure it is flat and to remove any excess resin.
The containment structure 26 is then closed (Figure 9g) with a lid 34 and placed (see Figure 9h) in an oven 36, of an infrared or recirculating air type, and kept at a temperature of between 40°C and 75°C, and preferably of 70-75°C, for a period of time of between 25 and 40 minutes, and preferably of around 30 minutes, in order to polymerize the resin 14.
After a further cooling period of around 15 minutes, the lid 34 is removed and the assembly 38 constituted by the polymerized resin 14 adhering to the substrate 12 is removed from the mould 24 (Figure 9i). This assembly 38 is then cut so as to separate the various finished decorative articles 10 illustrated in Figures 1-6.
The upper, transparent or coloured surface 14 of these articles has the desired profile, with the correct number of sharp edges of the required shape, thereby providing a pleasing aesthetic effect.
Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, manufacturing details and embodiments may vary widely from those described and illustrated purely by way of example, without departing thereby from the scope of the invention. In particular, the method of the invention makes it possible to produce a decorative article comprising a laminar substrate of any shape in plan and coated with a layer of transparent or coloured resin with an upper profile of almost any shape. In particular, this profile could have no sharp edges but a desired number of rounded surfaces.

Claims

A method for manufacturing a decorative article (10) which comprises a laminar substrate (12) coated with a resin layer (14) having a smooth lower surface adhering to the substrate (12) and a shaped upper profile, which includes the steps of:

preparing a mould (24) having an open cavity the bottom (28) of which forms the negative of the said upper shaped profile of the resin layer (14),

pouring the resin (14) into the said cavity in a non-polymerized condition,

applying the laminar substrate (12) to the poured resin (14), pressing the substrate (12) against the resin (14),

heating the resin (14) thereby polymerizing it, and

extracting from the mould (24) the assembly (38) constituted by the laminar substrate (12) with the resin layer adhering to it.
A method according to Claim 1, in which the substrate (12) is pressed against the resin layer (14) by rollers (32).
A method according to either preceding Claim, in which the said mould (24) is inserted into a containment structure (26) which is open at the top, which is closed by a lid (34) after the pressing step and before the heating step.
A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the said substrate (12) is a silk screen-printed sheet.
A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the heating step is carried out at a temperature of between 40°C and 75°C.
A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the said mould (24) is made by pouring a fluid material (22), which will harden, into a box with a bottom plate (16) which reproduces the shaped upper profile of the resin layer (14) and side walls (18) extending transversely from the edges of the said bottom wall (16), and by waiting for the fluid material (22) to harden into a block (24) which reproduces a negative of the shaped upper profile of the resin layer (14).
A decorative article (10) obtainable by a method according to any of the above Claims and comprising a laminar substrate (12) coated with a resin layer (14) with a smooth lower surface adhering to the substrate (12) and a shaped upper profile.