Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
  • B44C1/28—Uniting ornamental elements on a support, e.g. mosaics
• • 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
  • B44C3/12—Uniting ornamental elements to structures, e.g. mosaic plates
  • B44C3/123—Mosaic constructs

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a method to produce a covering modular panel, able to be laid on a rigid wall next to other similar modular panels, so as to cover and decorate this wall.
• Each modular panel comprises a plurality of mosaic tesserae, or tiles, put adjacent to each other according to a desired pattern and distanced from each other so as to present intervals, usually regular and uniform, called grooves.
• the method according to the present invention allows to make a modular panel which does not require subsequent operations to fill the grooves defined between the tesserae of mosaic, or tiles, after the panel has been laid on surfaces that may even be curved, and with non-toxic materials.
• BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In order to cover and decorate blank walls, it is known to use modular panels, consisting substantially of a plurality of mosaic tesserae, tiles, or other decorative elements arranged on the same plane and distanced from each other according to a desired pattern, so as to define intermediate grooves. To ensure the correct arrangement of the individual tesserae, two types of solution are used in the state of the art.
• a first known solution provides to use a sheet of paper or alternatively a plastic film, which are glued onto the visible surface of the tesserae so that, during laying, each sheet is first attached directly on the blank wall by means of the non-visible surfaces of the decorative elements, and then the protective film is removed so that stuccoing can be carried out.
• a second known solution provides to use a supporting net, glued on the non-visible side of the decorative elements, which is incorporated in the adhesive to the wall of the sheet.
• Another solution is also known, which provides -to prepare rigid panels, for example of- fiber glass, on which the pre- assembled sheets of decorative elements are attached and stuccoed, which will later be glued to the walls to be covered, necessarily with chemical glues and with consequent exhalations.
• the technique is also known to make pre-fabricated panels or rollers consisting of a plurality of tesserae or tiles, attached by gluing on a flexible support such as a fleece of continuous non-woven filaments, of the spunbonded type, which require the grooves to be filled after they have been attached to the support to be covered.
• One purpose of the present invention is to perfect a method to make modular covering panels which do not require, during laying, any operations to fill the grooves between the elementary decorative elements and between the panels themselves, and having flexibility such that they can be attached on surfaces with any shape whatsoever up to a minimum radius of curvature of 100 mm, while each decorative element remains substantially rigid.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve a covering modular panel which does not entail heavier weights than the embodiment of said covering with traditional methods.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to produce a covering modular panel with grooves that are filled and finished with thermosetting resins without the risk of emanation of toxic substances into the environment where the panels are laid, and which can be attached to the wall to be decorated with cement product, and hence non-toxic.
• the Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages .
• SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.
• a method according to the present invention is applied to produce a covering modular panel comprising a plurality of decorative elements arranged on the same plane and distanced from each other according to a pre-established pattern so as to define a plurality of intervals, or grooves, filled with a cohesive material.
• the method according to the invention comprises a first step of co-planar and distanced positioning of the decorative elements on a provisional supporting structure; a second step of filling the grooves by means of a high- flexibility thermosetting resin, not yet polymerized; a third step of polymerizing said high-flexibility thermosetting resin and a fourth step of removing the decorative elements from the provisional supporting structure so that the decorative elements remain connected to each other by the high-flexibility thermosetting resin, now polymerized.
• - fig. 1 shows a covering modular panel according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a method to produce a covering modular panel according to the present invention
• - fig. 3 shows a first form of execution of the production method in fig. 2;
• a method 10 according to the present invention is used to produce a modular panel 11, to cover and enhance a blank wall 12.
• the modular panel 11 is able to be arranged adjacent to other analogous modular panels 11a, indicated with the line of dashes, in or ⁇ ier to cover at least a visible surface of the blank wal]_ 12.
• the latter can be either plane, curved, concave or coa-vex.
• the modular panel 1-1 consists of a plurality of mosaic tesserae 13, or tiles, arranged on the same plane, each one of a size of aboixt 20x20 mm and separated from the adjacent tessera 13, so as to define respective intermediate grooves 15, of a width of about 2 mm.
• the tesserae 13 forming the modular panel 11 can be made of any material whatsoever, such as for example glass, plastic ceramic or other.
• the shape, size and number of the tesserrae 13, and also the shape of the profile of the modular pan-el 11, according to some variants, can be different from those described and shown here.
• the tesserae 13 cran be of a size that varies from about 10x10 mm to about 100x100 mm and more, or have other shapes than square, or polygonal; or the profile of the modular panel 11 can be shaped in a personalized manner according to the requirements of laying on the rigid wall 12 , or otherwise .
• the grooves 15 are filled, during the production of the modular panel 11, with a high-flexibility thermosetting resin, for example polyurethane, so as to connect together the various tesserae 13, and define the structure of the modular panel 11, in oirder to make it transportable, and ready for laying on the wall 12.
• the polyurethane resin is also positioned along the perimeter of the panel 11, with a width of about 1 mm, or half of the width of the grooves 15. In this way, when two modular panels 11 and 11a are laid adjacent on the rigid wall 12, a groove 15a is defined between them which is filled with polyurethane resin and of a width substantially equal to the other grooves 15. Moreover, colored pigments can be added to the polyurethane resin used to fill the grooves 15, so as to create an aesthetic effect that can be personalized on each occasion. With reference to fig.
• the method 10 to produce the aforesaid modular panel 11 comprises the following steps: a first step 16 of co-planar and distanced positioning of the tesserae 13 on a supporting plane, so as to define the relative grooves 15; a second step 17 of filling the grooves 15 with the not yet polymerized polyurethane resin; a third step 18 during which, in a known manner, polymerization occurs, that is, the polyurethane resin is hardened in order to connect the tesserae 13 to each other; and a fourth step 19 of removing the tesserae 13 from the supporting plane, when they are connected to each other by the polymerized polyurethane resin.
• the still unpolymerized polyurethane resin is also cast, injected or in some way arranged along the perimeter of the panel 11, with a width half that of the grooves 15.
• the method 10 according to the invention can be put into practice, according to a first solution shown in fig. 3, by means of a press 20 provided with a lower plate 21, preferably fixed, which defines the aforesaid supporting plane and with an opposite upper plate 22, movable parallel to the lower plate 21 by means of a linear actuator 23 of a known type.
• the tesserae 13 are positioned on the upper surface of the lower plate 21, distanced from each other so as to define the relative grooves 15, and hence define -the shape of the modular panel 11.
• a plurality of nozzles 26 is also provided, o ⁇ which two only are shown in fig. 3, able to inject the polyurethane resin inside the grooves 15 defined between the tesserae 13.
• the upper plate 22 is brought near the lower plate 21, to keep the tesserae 13 pressed together, so that d ⁇ uring the second step 17 the injected resin does not leak from the grooves
• the step 18 is performed to polymerize, in a known manner, the polyurethane resin, so as to make the te sserae 13 solid with each other and thus form the modular panel 11 in its entirety.
• the polymerization step 18 is terminated, the upper plate 22 is distanced from the lower pL ate 21 and the fourth step 19 of the method is carried ouxt, that is, the panel 11 thus formed is removed.
• the lat-fcer can then be stored and subsequently used for laying on the walls to be covered.
• the method 10 according to the present invention is carried out by means of an apparatus 36 comprising sa.
• the pins 29 are all connected to each other, and are selectively thrust against the tesserae 13 by means of a linear actuator 31.
• the tesserae 13 are positioned distanced from each other on the upper surface of the fixed bench 27, and temporarily clamped to the latter by means of the pins 29.
• the polyurethane resin is cast, injected or in some way deposited inside the grooves 15 defined between the tesserae 13, by means of a plurality of nozzles 30 able to slide either only transversely or also longitudinally with respect to the fixed bench 27.
• the resin is made to polymerize and the panel 11 thus formed is removed from the fixed bench 27.
• each of the clamping pins 29 of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 can be commanded by a respective linear actuator 31. It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of method to produce a covering modular panel, and modular panel thus obtained, all of which shall come within the scope of the present invention.

Landscapes

• Finishing Walls (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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ID=34956017

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• 2004
  • 2004-03-26 IT ITUD20040054 patent/ITUD20040054A1/it unknown
• 2005
  • 2005-03-24 WO PCT/IB2005/000769 patent/WO2005092638A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-03-24 EP EP05718266A patent/EP1742807A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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