EP3318692B1

EP3318692B1 - Method for manufacturing a staircase and a staircase obtained with the method

Info

Publication number: EP3318692B1
Application number: EP17200141.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcel Beuzenberg
Original assignee: Nextstep BV
Current assignee: Nextstep BV
Priority date: 2016-11-04
Filing date: 2017-11-06
Publication date: 2019-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-06
Also published as: EP3318692A1; NL2017724B1

Description

FIELD

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a staircase and to a staircase thus manufactured.

BACKGROUND

From practice, a method for manufacturing a staircase is known which comprises the following steps:

providing plate material, comprising planing, ripping, sanding, sawing and/or gluing together a carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF to form a plate-shaped core of a defined thickness;
manufacturing staircase component boards from the plate material by sawing;
with the aid of a CNC machining station, machining the staircase component boards for providing treads and stringers ready for assembly;
assembling the treads in the stringers to form a staircase.

EP 0 489 251 A1 shows a staircase consisting of components that can be attached to the wall and to each other by means of screws.
The plate material in most cases is formed by wood, such as, for example, pine, oak or yellow poplar. The wood must have a special hardness to ensure the staircase does not sustain damage during use. Such kinds of wood are generally relatively costly. US 2015/082716 A1 shows a precision built staircase kit for a staircase consisting of components made with a CNC machining station. The plate material used can be, for example, plywood. The known method moreover requires that the staircase, after placement thereof and after completion of the rougher construction activities, be painted or lacquered. This leads to a staircase being a relatively expensive object in a house. After a number of years, the staircase should be painted or lacquered again to keep it in a good condition. Maintenance of the known staircase is therefore relatively costly as well.
Further, during construction, often, initially, use is made of ladders that are placed in the stairwell to prevent the staircase sustaining damage as a result of the construction activities. Reaching a floor via a ladder during construction is laborious and, moreover, not without danger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention envisages a method with the aid of which the above-described problems are at least partly solved.
More particularly, the invention envisages a method for manufacturing a staircase that does not need to be painted or lacquered after placement thereof. Further, the invention envisages a staircase that can already be installed at an early stage of construction of a house, office or like building, so that during the further construction activities the construction workers can reach the storey floors via a safe staircase instead of via a ladder.
To this end, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a staircase according to claim 1. In other words: the method for manufacturing a staircase as described hereinabove in the background section is characterized according to the invention in that

providing the plate material further comprises covering the thus formed plate-shaped core on two sides with HPL;
after machining the staircase component boards with the aid of the CNC machining station and prior to assembling the treads in the stringers, machined faces of the stringers that are exposed at least after assembly are covered with HPL or ABS laminate.

With this method, therefore, a staircase is formed of which at least the visible and/or exposed surfaces are clad with HPL (for example, of the brand Resopal®) or ABS laminate. A description of HPL is to be found in the European standard EN438 Part 3. Since HPL is particularly hard and wear-resistant, the plate-shaped core of the plate material can be made from relatively soft material. A pinewood core, a plywood core or an MDF core suffices for that purpose. As a consequence, the cost price of the staircase manufactured with the method according to the invention can remain relatively low. Moreover, after being placed, the staircase does not need to be painted or lacquered, which also brings a saving of cost with it. HPL is available in a large number of decorative finishes. For example, HPL can be supplied with a wood decoration, natural stone decoration, a concrete appearance, stainless steel appearance, copper appearance, or AL appearance which may or may not be brushed or glossy. Further, HPL can be supplied in any desired colour. Thus, by combinations of these different forms of decoration, a staircase can be given a character all its own. The risers could have, for example, a metal look while the top of the treads could have, for example, a wooden look. The forward-facing faces of the treads may be clad with yet another decorated HPL. Possibly, the forward-facing faces of the treads could also be clad with a metal strip. It is even conceivable that a staircase with different colour shades is manufactured, so that, for example, its bottom is light blue, changing gradually, with each tread up, into dark blue or any other desired colour.
Another important advantage is that the staircase can already be installed at an early stage of construction because the chances of the staircase sustaining damage are minimal since HPL is particularly scratch-resistant. Possibly, the HPL and the ABS laminate may be clad with a protective film that can be simply removed upon completion of construction. In addition, the top of the treads could be temporarily protected with the aid of hardboard that can be removed after completion of construction.
An important other advantage is that not only the treads but also the sides of the stringers facing the treads do not become bald, owing to the cladding with the scratch-resistant, durable HPL. The invention also relates to a staircase obtained with the method according to the invention.
Further embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims and will hereinafter, with reference to the drawing figures, be further clarified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of plate material clad with HPL;
Fig. 2 shows a side view of an example of a stringer; and
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of an example of a staircase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the most general terms, the invention concerns a method for manufacturing a staircase 10. In the method, first of all, plate material 12 is provided. An example of this plate material is shown in Figure 1. According to the invention, this plate material is formed by planing, ripping, sanding, sawing and/or gluing together a carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF, to form a plate-shaped core 12a having a defined thickness. Next, the plate-shaped core 12a is covered on two sides with HPL 12b, 12c. HPL is described, for example, in the European standard EN438 Part 3. HPL of a suitable quality is supplied, for example, under the brand name Resopal®. In a next step, by sawing, staircase component boards are manufactured. From these staircase component boards, with the aid of a CNC machining station, treads 14 and stringers can be manufactured that are ready for assembly. After machining of the staircase component boards with the aid of the CNC machining station, and preferably prior to the assembly of the treads 14 in the stringers 18, the machined faces 18a of the stringers 18 that are exposed and/or visible after assembly of the staircase are covered with HPL or ABS laminate 20. An example of a stringer 18 clad with HPL or ABS laminate is shown in side view in Figure 2, in which the recesses 18b provided in the stringer 18, in which the tread ends are received upon assembly, are clearly visible. Then, the treads 14 can be assembled into the stringers 18 to form a staircase 10.
The advantages of the method, and especially of the staircase 10 obtained thereby, have been described at length hereinabove in the summary of the invention, to which reference is made here now.
In an embodiment, also the exposed, machined faces 14a of the treads 14 may be covered with HPL or ABS laminate.
The exposed faces 14a of the treads 14 may be clad with HPL or ABS laminate having a decoration different from or the same as the top of the treads 14. It is also possible, in an alternative embodiment, that the exposed faces 14a of the treads 14 are clad with steel strips, from, for example, stainless steel, aluminium, copper or like material.
In an embodiment, with the aid of a CNC machining station, also the treads 14 may be machined to form recesses in an underside thereof for partially receiving risers 24 therein.
In an embodiment of a staircase with a bend, an example of which is shown in Figure 3, the method can also comprise providing a newel core from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood and/or MDF. According to the further elaboration, the newel core may be covered with HPL (for example according to EN438 Part 3) or ABS laminate to form a newel 26. In a next step, the newel 26 can be machined with the aid of a CNC machining station to form recesses 28 intended for receiving tread ends therein.
In an embodiment, the method may further comprise providing a cap and placing the cap over a bottom of the newel 26. Such a cap 30 prevents the HPL or ABS laminate applied to the main sides of the newel core being pulled loose from the newel core when the staircase 10 is being shoved during placement.
In an embodiment, furthermore, a cap 30 may be provided and be placed over a top of the newel 26. Such a cap 30 screens off the newel core's upper end face, so that this, too, does not need to be painted and, moreover, water ingress into the end wood is prevented.
When a closed staircase 10 is desired, the method, in an embodiment, can also comprise providing risers 24 from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF. The method is then characterized in that the risers 24 are covered at least on two sides with HPL or ABS laminate.
Such an embodiment provides a staircase whose risers 24 do not need to undergo any further treatment, either. The risers, too, are particularly durable and do not become worn bald, because HPL and/or ABS laminate are particularly scratch-resistant. In a further elaboration of this embodiment, however, it is preferred when a face of each riser 24 that faces upward after assembly of the staircase 10 is unclad and abuts against an underside of the tread 14 located above it, and when a downward-facing face of each riser 24 is clad with HPL or ABS laminate prior to assembly of the staircase 10.
After all, the height of the risers 24 is determined by the rise of the staircase 10. The risers 24 can therefore be sawn to size at the upward-facing side thereof. The front and rear sides of the risers 24 are clad with HPL and so is, in this embodiment, the exposed downward-facing face of the risers 24. In such an embodiment, therefore, there is not a single exposed or visible surface of the risers that is not covered with HPL or ABS laminate. After all, the upward-facing face of the risers 24, upon assembly, ends up abutting against the underside of the tread above it, and the lateral end faces of the risers abut against, or are received in recesses of, the stringers 18.
In an embodiment, the plate material 12 from which the treads 14 are manufactured may be provided on at least one side with HPL 12c having an antiskid surface structure. Such an antiskid surface structure augments the safety of the staircase because the chances of a user slipping are reduced. In addition, the decoration of the HPL can also be maintained in the antiskid variant.
According to a further elaboration of the invention, other parts of the staircase may also be clad with HPL or ABS laminate. Thus, in an embodiment of the method, balustrade rails 34 from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF, may be provided, which are then covered with HPL or ABS laminate. After being covered with HPL or ABS laminate, the balustrade rails 34 can be machined with the aid of a CNC machining station to form recesses for receiving balustrade balusters. Thus-formed balustrade rails do not need to be painted or lacquered after placement of the staircase anymore, either. Further, such balustrade rails 34 are practically maintenance-free and just need to be cleaned now and then. The high scratch resistance makes for a durable, fine appearance of the balustrade rails 34.
In an embodiment, the HPL and/or the ABS laminate that is used may be provided with a removable protective film layer. After completion of the construction activities, the protective film layer can be removed. The protective film layer keeps the exposed surfaces of the staircase dust-free. Possibly, the tops of the treads may be protected by temporarily fixing hardboard thereon that can be removed after termination of the construction activities. The forward-facing face of the tread 14 may be protected by a plastic U-profile that is slipped over the front side and that also clamps the hardboard then.
Often, in the newel 26, the stringers 18 and possibly other parts of the staircase 10, such as, for example, the balustrade rails 34, holes are provided for assembly and attachment of the staircase 10 in the building. These holes may be stopped up with plugs whose visible upper end is clad with HPL or ABS laminate that has the same decorative finish as the staircase part in which the hole is present that is stopped up with the plug.
It will be clear that the staircase 10 obtained with the above-described method also constitutes an aspect of the invention.
More particularly, the invention also relates to a staircase 10 of which all parts visible after assembly are clad with HPL or ABS laminate.
In an embodiment of the staircase, an upward-facing side of the treads 14 may be clad with HPL 12c having an antiskid surface structure.

Claims

A method for manufacturing a staircase (10), comprising:
- providing plate material (12), comprising planing, ripping, sanding, sawing and/or gluing together a carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF to form a plate-shaped core (12a) of a defined thickness;

- manufacturing staircase component boards from the plate material by sawing;

- with the aid of a CNC machining station, machining the staircase component boards for providing treads (14) and stringers (18) ready for assembly;

- assembling the treads (14) in the stringers (18) to form a staircase (10);
characterized in that
- providing the plate material (12), further comprises covering the thus formed plate-shaped core on two sides with HPL (12b, 12c);

- after machining of the staircase component boards with the aid of the CNC machining station and prior to assembly of the treads (14) in the stringers (18), machined faces (18a) of the stringers (18) that are exposed at least after assembly are covered with HPL or ABS laminate (20).
The method according to claim 1, wherein also the exposed, machined faces (14a) of the treads (14) are covered with HPL or ABS laminate.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises:
- with the aid of a CNC machining station, machining the treads (14) to form recesses in an underside thereof for partially receiving risers (24) therein.
The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the method comprises:
- providing a newel core from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF;

- covering the newel core with HPL or ABS laminate to form a newel (26);

- machining the newel (26) with the aid of a CNC machining station to form recesses (28) which are intended for receiving tread ends therein.
The method according to claim 4, comprising:
- providing a cap (30) and placing the cap (30) over a bottom of the newel (26).
The method according to claim 4 or 5, comprising:
- providing a cap and placing the cap over a top of the newel (26).
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising:
- providing risers (24) from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF;

- covering the risers (24) at least on two sides with HPL and/or ABS laminate.
The method according to claim 7, wherein a face of each riser (24) that faces upward after assembly of the staircase (10) is unclad and abuts against an underside of the tread (14) located above it, wherein a downward facing face of each riser (24) is clad with HPL or ABS laminate prior to assembly of the staircase (10).
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plate material (12) from which the treads (14) are manufactured is provided on at least one side with HPL (12c) having an antiskid surface structure.
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising:
- providing balustrade rails (34) from carrier material based on wood, such as, for example, wood, plywood or MDF;

- covering the balustrade rails (34) with HPL or ABS laminate;

- machining the balustrade rails (34) with the aid of a CNC machining station to form recesses for receiving balustrade balusters.
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the HPL and/or the ABS laminate that is used is provided with a removable protective film layer.
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in at least a number of components of the staircase, such as, for example, the stringers (18) and/or the newel (26), attaching holes are provided for attachment of the staircase to parts of a building in which the staircase (10) is assembled, wherein the method further comprises providing plugs for stopping up the holes after assembly of the staircase in the building, wherein a visible upper end of each plug is clad with HPL or ABS laminate having a same decorative finish as the HPL or ABS laminate of the staircase component in which the hole is present that is stopped up with the plug.
A staircase obtained with the method according to any one of claims 1-12.
The staircase according to claim 13, wherein all visible parts of the staircase (10) are clad with HPL or ABS laminate.
The staircase according to claim 13 or 14, wherein an upward facing side of the treads (14) is clad with HPL (12c) having an antiskid surface structure.