FR2546451A1 - Method of applying photographs to pottery tiles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the decoration of pottery tiles by means of photographs or of any designs that are fitted together jigsaw style. The method of the invention consists in cutting the photograph into pieces whose dimensions are slightly less than those of the tile, sticking the photograph on the tile, placing around the perimeter a dam of cold-curable resin which is cured before the resin is poured over the whole surface of the element, and curing the resin under UV light. The chief applications of the invention are: decorating (of kitchens, bathrooms, swimming baths ...), advertising.

Description

 The present invention relates to a novel method of application by collage of photography on a set of earthenware type tiles which are used for coating urs in kitchens and plain rooms.

 It is known to apply pho to plates on the bottom of plates; collage of the photo, coating of the bottom of the seat with a special resin polymerizable with ultra violet rays and hardening by exposure to rays from a mercury vapor lamp.

 commercially available such hardening devices, such as for example those sold under the brand CERAPHOT. The subject of the invention is a new product consisting of a set of earthenware tiles assembled together and on lesqdelles was applied a single photograph of dimension greater than a tile, the photograph being thus cut out into elements of the approximate size of each unitary tile. The joints between tiles are apparent giving this reproduction, in the shape of a puzzle of tiles a certain cachet artistic analogous to that of a slatted window.

 Another object of the invention is also an original process for the preparation of these tiles, the techniques used for the plates not being applicable to these tiles without major modifications.

The process which is the subject of the invention comprises the following steps
I) We start with a photo, a poster, a canvas or any other graphic representation that we cut with a paper cutter to a slightly smaller dimension (I to 2 millimeters) than those of the tiles choose.

For example, for a 150mmX150mm tile,
pera photo in I48 mm X 149 mm squares
The dimensions of the photo element are chosen to be smaller than those of the earthenware tile in order to facilitate the operation and subsequent bonding which would be made difficult by the fact that the tiles have, in section, a rounded shape towards the edges of their enameled surface.

20) Each element of the photo is then glued to the enamel surface of the tile by means of a transfer, that is to say a double-sided adhesive sheet of the dimensions of the photo. The edges of the photo and transfer are then slightly bevelled using an oe-wood spatula for two purposes: first to avoid an excess thickness on the edges then to promote the adhesion of the photo and transfer to the tile to prevent the resin which will be deposited later from seeping between the photo and the coach
Figure 1 shows a section of an earthenware tile I on which the transfer 2 and the photograph 3 are stuck.

The wooden spatula that is dragged along the edges is shown in 4.

30) Installation of my resin layer. It is of course necessary to protect the photo thus pasted with a hard resin resistant to humidity and abrasion. As one cannot use a thermosetting resin, one preferably chooses a resin hardening under ultraviolet radiation for example, but it goes without saying that one would not go beyond the framework of the invention by using a resin hardening under the action wallowing radiation such as Becta radiation
The flat shape and even slightly rounded on the edges introduces a difficulty which does not exist for the coating of the plates: it is necessary to prevent the resin from running down on the edges. For this purpose we start by applying a resin net along each side of the tile. This resin net which will cover not only the edge of the photo in figure 2 item 5 but also a small side strip of Imm of width approximately (item 6) will constitute after drying a mini dam along the circumference of the tile which will prevent the resin from flowing. In order to make this barrier, a syringe will first be used. The tile being placed vertically one of the points at the bottom and the opposite point at the top. We will deposit (Figure 3) using the syringe 7 the gelatin along the 2 edges, photo side, 8 and 9. By retouching the remaining vertical tile of I80 we can then in the same way "lvorder" the sides 10 and 11. ultra violet as shown below.

The resin, possibly slightly heated to increase the fluidity, is then applied by casting over the entire surface of the tile kept horizontal o The overflow of resin compared to the quantity determined by the thickness of the dam flows
The alternative inclinnison of the tile above a container.

40) Hardening of the resin
The tile thus provided with its resin layer and kept horizontal is hardened by passing through the ultra violet apparatus, for complete hardening of its surface. In order to be able to send ultraviolet light uniformly over as large an area as possible, the ultraviolet device has been modified as follows
A) Above the mercury vapor lamp a flat reflector made of a shiny aluminum plate has been placed in order to return the rays over a large area.

 B) The interior of the device has been painted white instead of the original black paint to ensure better diffusion of the radiation.

The series of operations described must be repeated on each of the tiles making up the puzzle.

The tiles are then laid according to the usual method, taking care to respect their location.

it is of course quite possible within the scope of the invention to use tiles of different area, and even to paste on the same tile fragments of superimposed photos or to use tiles of different thickness in order to '' achieve a relief effect.

The manufacture of these puzzles can be intended for decorative purposes (bathrooms, kitchens, swimming pools, halls of stairwell entrances ...) or advertising.

Claims (5)

 REVL.'L'1 CA LONGS  another graphic word-if on a set of tiles of faltence intended to be assembled in the shape of a puzzle. I) Method of applying a. piiirtography, a poster or any  dimensions less than 1 to 3mm approximately of those of the tiles. Characterized in that - We cut the photograph or the graphic motif in i:; aents à unt  using a double-sided adhesive sheet, the edges of the photo are then bevelled in order to apply them firmly against the tile and avoid excess thickness. - We glue each element thus cut on the tile of falence to  ron lmm on the side where the photo is located, depositing a thin trickle of cold-hardenable resin intended to serve as a barrier against the flow of resin which will be deposited later. - We proceed along the 4 sides of the tile and over a width of approx. - The dam thus formed is hardened around the edge of the tile.  resin already hardened on the perimeter-limiting the thickness of applied resin, the excess of which drains by overflow. - The resin is poured over the entire photo surface, the dam - The resin thus cast is hardened.  of the puzzle. - We will take care to number each tile according to the constitution - The tiles thus prepared are laid according to the usual methods. 2) Method according to claim I> characterized in that the resin  used is an ultra-violet curable resin. 3) Method according to claim 2), characterized in that the interior  of the UV curing device is painted white and a flat reflector is placed above the mercury vapor lamp to improve the scattering and reflection of UV rays. 4) Earthenware tiles characterized in that they are coated  according to the method of one of claims 1,2 and 3. 5) Assembly of falence tiles obtained according to one of the resale  cations 1 to 3, characterized in that it reconstructs, in the form of a puzzle, a photograph or any other graphic motif.