EP3425135A1 - Method and systems for producing portable customer-specific layable panels - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for producing panels which can be laid on a surface, comprising the following steps: determining geometric data, preferably contour, of the surface to be covered by a plurality of panels, generating a laying plan for covering the surface on the basis of the geometric data, determining the nominal dimensions of the to be laid panels; Format processing of output panels to the target dimensions.

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a method and a system for producing layable panels

State of the art

Usually laid panels, such as floor, wall or ceiling panels are measured and cut directly before installation. This process is time consuming, and there is waste or rejects and contamination by chips of the panels.

Furthermore, a method for interior design with selected flooring is known in order to obtain an impression of its effect in space before selecting and laying a floor covering with a specific decor. So revealed DE 10 2015107465 A1 an apparatus for identifying a floor area of a three-dimensional space to be overlaid with a floor decoration. In this case, a floor decor and a laying pattern can be selected.

WO 2015/022132 A1 discloses a method of manufacturing a floor module comprising elements with naturally curved edges of wooden boards.

WO 2015/022132 A1 discloses a method of making laminated panels with naturally curved edges of wood board veneer planks. Based on a given room area, the number of required veneer planks can be determined.

Subject of the invention

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and a system of the type mentioned above, which allow a speedy installation of the panels with the least possible blending and contamination.

This object is achieved by a method for the manufacture of laying on a surface panels according to claim 1 and a system for producing laid on a surface panels according to claim 8. Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention is based on the idea of incorporating information about the area to be occupied by panels into the production and supply chain of the deployable panels.

To this end, according to the invention, there is provided a method for producing layable panels, comprising the steps of: determining geometric data of the area to be occupied by a plurality of panels, generating a layout plan for occupying the area based on the geometric data, determining the target dimensions of Layable panels, format processing of exit panels to the target dimensions. It is preferable that the steps are performed in the stated order.

Depending on the variant of the method, the method according to the invention makes it possible for the panels to be laid much more rapidly and with less waste and possibly also contamination, as will become clearer from the statements below. It is also not necessary to obtain an oversupply, which compensates for the waste by machining during assembly.

Furthermore, complex laying patterns can be easily realized because the format processing of the deployable panels is carried out on the basis of the already determined target dimensions according to installation plan.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the formatting of output panels is performed to the desired dimensions prior to delivery of the panels to the laying site.

In this way, the inventive method leads to a time savings, since the cutting during the installation of the panels is eliminated and can be done much more efficiently in upstream steps. In addition, dust generation can be avoided by cutting the panels at the laying site.

In addition, a publisher does not have to have qualified specialist knowledge, as the installable panels are already accurately machined and cut to size prior to delivery to the installable area. Furthermore, there is a significantly reduced risk of injury.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the geometry data and, if appropriate, nominal dimensions are sent to downstream systems, such as, for example, a preferably cloud-based system Server, transmitted by means of a wireless and / or wired data connection, in particular via the Internet.

Due to the digital transmission of the data necessary for the manufacture and possibly laying of the panels, the risk of incorrect input by the user can be reduced. Machine data based on nominal dimensions enable accurate machining of the panels, even if the laying pattern is complex. Furthermore, there are completely new design options for panel manufacturers customers and installation companies, which can access the data, if necessary, one after the other or together to generate a technically and artistically optimal installation plan or the customer's request.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the following steps: Creating a cutting plan, preferably on paper or electronically, creating at least one cutting aid, in particular a cutting mark on the respective panel or a stencil to be placed on the respective panel, and cutting the respective panels with the help of the cutting aid.

By providing a cutting aid cutting the panels can not only be accelerated, but the probability of error is also significantly reduced. Cuttings and rejects remain low thanks to the installation plan according to the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the steps of: creating a machining program for a processing machine based on the determined target dimensions, cutting the layable panels by means of the processing machine.

In this way, a particularly efficient manufacturing process is achieved, which allows maximum precision with minimal waste.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the layable panels are characterized, particularly preferably by numbering the machined and cut panels on the basis of the installation plan.

By marking the routable panels, laying the panels becomes faster and less error-prone. Thus, a publisher who has no qualified knowledge about the laying of the panels, can easily lay the panels in the marked order.

Furthermore, it is preferred that a panel and / or laying pattern is selected and aligned on the basis of the contours of the room prior to the creation of the installation plan.

In this way, even complex laying patterns (such as so-called herringbone laying) can be realized comparatively easily and with minimal waste. In addition, a wide variety of panel patterns (for example, different types of wood or stone) can first be simulated and then selected. In this case, it can be advantageous to vote on the laying pattern. Furthermore, smooth color and pattern transitions between the panels can already be taken into account during the planning phase.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for producing surface mountable panels, which preferably supports the method of manufacturing the layable panels of any of the foregoing embodiments. The system comprises: a detection unit for acquiring geometry data having the plurality of panels occupying area, in particular by a manual input and / or digital determination, such as preferably image acquisition, and a calculation unit which is set up to determine a laying plan on the basis of the detected geometric data, which preferably contains the number and nominal dimensions of the panels to be laid. ,

By the system according to the invention, the geometric data of the surface to be occupied for the production of the deployable panels can be easily assembled. The detection unit ensures, for example, that the necessary dimensions, in particular the contour of the surface to be occupied, can be determined correctly.

In addition, the calculation unit according to the invention creates a layout plan of the panels based on detected geometry data and, if appropriate, a selected laying pattern in order to be able to design the custom-fit panels.

Furthermore, by means of the calculation unit according to the invention, waste, rejects and shavings of the deployable panels are minimized. Overall, they allow the advantages described above for the method according to the invention to be achieved particularly effectively and efficiently.

According to a further embodiment, the system further comprises a screen unit which is set up to graphically represent the acquired or determined data.

In this way, the laying plan can be graphically displayed so that the laying plan or before the format processing of the installable panels can be checked and corrected if necessary.

According to a further embodiment, the system according to the invention further comprises a transmission unit which is set up, the recorded data to downstream Systems, for example, a preferably cloud-based server to transfer, by means of a wireless and / or wired data connection, in particular via the Internet. which are preferably available as a web-enabled single device or cloud-based.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, it is contemplated that the system further includes an accessory unit that calculates required amount and dimensions of the accessory materials, preferably insulation pad, end trim and skirting.

In this way, the cost of laying the panels can be reduced.

Short description of the drawing

Fig. 1

schematically shows an exemplary installation plan;

Fig. 2

schematically shows steps of an embodiment of the method of the present invention;

Fig. 3

schematically shows an embodiment of the system of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other modifications of certain features mentioned in this context can each be combined individually to form new embodiments.

The layable panels are preferably wall panels, ceiling panels or floor panels. For example, the panels to be laid consist of solid wood panels, laminate panels, cork panels, vinyl panels, or the like, as they are used in the covering of surfaces.

A layout plan according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is in Fig. 1 shown schematically.

As in Fig. 1 The laid-down panels, for example, are prepared to measure to customer specifications, and laid precisely. As in Fig. 2 shown schematically, the geometry data of a panel to be occupied with area are first determined. The geometry data preferably comprise the contour of the surface to be occupied, for example length and width. The space-specific geometry data can be detected either manually or by a digital determination, for example via image acquisition by means of a 3D camera, a 3D scanner (eg laser), a simple rotatable (laser) scanner or a mobile phone with a suitable mobile application
To the in Fig. 1 An installation pattern (eg herringbone pattern) can be preset or selected individually for each customer. Alternatively / or additionally, a panel pattern (eg different wood or stone patterns) can be preset or selected individually for each customer.

Based on the collected data and the selected panel and / or laying pattern, the laying plan is generated. When creating the installation plan, particular attention is paid to the fact that narrow end rows or corner panels are avoided as far as possible with regard to a selected laying pattern. In addition, design effects such as smooth color and pattern transitions between the panels can be taken into account when creating the installation plan. On the basis of the installation plan, in particular the number of required panels and their nominal dimensions can be determined.

In the present embodiment, the acquired geometric data and, if appropriate, target dimensions are transmitted to downstream systems, such as a preferably cloud-based server, by means of a wireless and / or wired data connection, in particular via the Internet. There, the data are available for further processing for various parties such as panel manufacturers, dealers, customers and installation companies.

Subsequently, a (scaled) cutting plan and a layout plan of the deployable panels are created. The cutting plan defines the blanks required for certain panels. The laying plan defines the location and possibly laying order of the panel to be laid, for example by means of a numbering, which is then advantageously also indicated on the respective panels.

The creation of cutting plan and layout plan will usually be done electronically or computer-aided, but can also be done manually.

Based on the cutting plan, a cutting aid can be created for panels that require a blank. The cutting aid may, for example, be a template (printed on paper, for example) which specifies the cutting contour of the respective panel and, for example, also the panel number from the laying plan. Alternatively or additionally, a cutting aid can also be provided directly on the respective panel (for example, printed).

With the aid of the cutting aid, a rapid and precise cutting of the respective panel can then be carried out, this step also possibly only at the installation site can be carried out. Thanks to the cutting aid (and possibly the installation plan) results in the latter case, a speedy and less error-prone laying, which can be carried out with little expertise.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, for panels which require a blank, a machining program for a processing machine (eg woodworking machine) can be created on the basis of the desired dimensions (or possibly a cutting plan). Subsequently, the panels are cut by means of the processing machine and optionally marked on the basis of a laying plan. Finally, the panels are transported to the place of installation and laid there, if necessary on the basis of the installation plan.

Fig. 3 shows a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this second preferred embodiment, a system 1 is described for producing customizable panels that can be laid on a surface.

The system 1 according to the invention initially comprises a detection unit 10 for detecting geometric data of the area to be occupied by a plurality of panels. The geometry data preferably includes the contour (for example, length and width) of the surface to be occupied.

The spatial-specific geometry data can be detected, for example, manually or digitally, for example via image acquisition by means of a 3D camera, a 3D scanner (for example a laser), a simple rotatable (laser) scanner or a mobile device with a suitable mobile application.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the system comprises a cloud-based (Internet-based) server 20, which via a data connection 14 with an output unit 12 of the Detection unit 10 is at least temporarily connected. On the cloud server 20, the geometry data acquired by means of the detection unit 10 can be stored and optionally further processed. For this purpose, the cloud server 20 can also serve as a calculation unit which is set up to determine a routing plan based on the acquired geometry data, which contains the number and nominal dimensions of the panels to be laid.

For controlling the calculation unit and for determining the installation plan, various display units 30, 40, 50 can be connected to the cloud server. These screen units, which may possibly also be formed by mobile devices, may be, for example, the terminal 40 of a customer, the terminal 50 of a panel manufacturer or the terminal 30 of a dealer or laying company. In the latter case, a processing machine 32 can also be connected to the terminal 30 and thus also to the cloud server 20. In this way, by means of the system 1, the method steps described above with respect to the first embodiment can be carried out, in which, based on the detected geometry data, first a laying plan and then a cutting plan are defined. For example, a customer can access the cloud server 20 via his terminal 40 and there view the geometry data acquired by means of the detection unit 10. Further, a panel manufacturer may deposit various panel data, such as panel patterns or panel dimensions on the cloud server 20 via his terminal 50, such that the customer may define the appearance of the panel to be formed from the panels via his terminal 40 based on the overall information. The calculation unit provided in the cloud server 20 can generate a layout plan on this basis and, for example, display it to the customer or the dealer or installation company for confirmation at the respective terminal 40 or 30. After approval of the installation plan, if necessary, in the Cloudserver 20 generate a cutting plan and pass this via the terminal 30 of the dealer or laying operation (or processing operation) to the processing machine 32, which can then make the required blank panel and possibly also a marking of the panels. Although in Fig. 3 In addition, not shown, the system 1 may also include a marking device such as a printer, by means of which the panels can be provided with cut lines or suitable stencils can be printed.
Subsequently, the cut or marked panels, usually transported together with a larger amount of standard panels, to the installation site and laid there according to the installation plan.

In addition, the system 1 may include an accessory unit 22, which in the present embodiment is provided on the cloud server 20 and configured to calculate the amount of accessory materials such as insulation pads, end profiles, and baseboards.

Claims (11)

Method for producing surface-mountable panels, comprising the following steps: Determination of geometric data, preferably contour, of the surface to be occupied by a plurality of panels, Generating a layout plan for occupying the area based on the geometry data, - Determination of the nominal dimensions of the panels to be laid; - Format processing of output panels to the target dimensions. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the format processing of output panels is carried out on the target dimensions before delivery of the panels to the installation site. The method of claims 1 or 2 further comprising:
Transferring the geometry data and possibly target dimensions to downstream systems, such as a preferably cloud-based server, by means of a wireless and / or wired data connection, in particular via the Internet. Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising the following steps: - Creating a cutting plan, preferably on paper or electronically creating at least one cutting aid, in particular a cutting mark on the respective panel or a template to be placed on the respective panel, and - Cutting the respective panels with the help of the cutting aid. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Creating a machining program for a machine tool based on the determined target dimensions, Cutting the layable panels by means of the processing machine .. Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising:
Marking, especially preferred Numbering of the machined and cut panels according to the installation plan. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein preferably before the creation of the installation plan, a panel and / or laying pattern is selected and aligned on the basis of the space contours. System for producing customized panels which can be laid on a surface, comprising: - A detection unit (10) for detecting geometric data of the area to be occupied by a plurality of panels, in particular by a manual input and / or digital determination such as preferably image recording, and - A calculation unit (20) which is adapted to determine based on the detected geometric data a laying plan, which preferably contains number and nominal dimensions of the panels to be laid. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display unit (30, 40, 50) configured to graphically represent the data obtained by the detection unit (10) and the calculation unit (20). The system of claim 8 to 9, further comprising a transmission unit (12) arranged to transmit the acquired data to downstream systems, for example a preferably cloud-based server (20), by means of a wireless and / or wired data connection, in particular via internet .. A system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising an accessory unit (22) arranged to calculate the quantity of accessory materials, preferably insulation backing, end profile and skirting.

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