GB2293137A

GB2293137A - Decorative laminate material

Info

Publication number: GB2293137A
Application number: GB9418444A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeremy David Wheatley
Original assignee: Welwyn Lighting Designs Ltd
Current assignee: Welwyn Lighting Designs Ltd
Priority date: 1994-09-14
Filing date: 1994-09-14
Publication date: 1996-03-20
Also published as: GB9418444D0

Abstract

A decorative product comprising a transparent plastics sheet material and a textured or patterned paper such as crepe paper or fabric bonded thereto. The decorative product may be used as a lampshade material or as a wall covering.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Title: "Laminate material" THIS INVENTION relates to a decorative laminate material, particularly, but not exclusively, to such a material which is suitable for manufacture of lampshades.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved laminate material.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a decorative product comprising a transparent plastics sheet material and a textured or patterned paper or fabric bonded thereto.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a decorative product comprising bonding to a transparent plastics sheet material a textured or patterned paper or fabric.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an apparatus for the manufacture of a decorative product in accordance with the present invention, FIGURE 2 is a detail perspective view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 and of a web of paper passing thereover, and FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another detail of the apparatus.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a crepe paper is laminated with a transparent plastics sheet or film, such as transparent PVC film. In the preferred method, crepe paper is well wetted with a water-based adhesive and the adhesive-wetted paper is applied to the transparent plastics film. The resulting laminate is then passed between rollers or pressed between press platens in order to ensure intimate contact between the adhesiveimpregnated paper and the plastics film. At the same time, or subsequently, the adhesive is caused or allowed to dry leaving the crepe paper adhesively bonded to the plastics film. The adhesive is preferably colourless and transparent and may be, for example, of an EVA or acrylic type.

Referring to the drawings, crepe paper 6 with a stretch of 140% is supplied from a roll 10 and passes over(or, as illustrated in Figure 1, under) a bowed former 8 which, as shown in Figure 2, serves to crease the paper web longitudinally in a random fashion, as the web passes former 8. From the former 8, the web passes through the nip between rollers 16, where it meets a web of transparent plastics film 11, such as PVC film supplied from a roll 18.

From the roll 18, the film 11 passes over, and in contact with, a coating roller 13 the lower part of which is immersed in a vat 12 of a colourless, transparent waterbased adhesive. As the roller 13 is rotated (e.g. by drive means not shown) the film 11 is coated with the adhesive and the adhesive coated film 11 then passes to the nip between rollers 16, where the paper web 6 is brought into contact with the still wet, adhesive coated surface of film 11. The paper web 6 adhered to the plastics film by the still wet adhesive then passes through the nip between a manipulating roller 20 and a backing roller 22, the roller 20 engaging the paper web and the roller 22 the plastics film. The roller 20, shown in detail in Figure 3, has a plurality of peripheral rings or ridges 23.These rings or ridges 23 may be provided by elastomeric, e.g. rubber, rings, such as "0" rings fitted onto a cylindrical central core 21 of the roller. The roller 20 is able to move axially to a limited extent under the control of pneumatic actuators, for example, under computer control such that as the paper and plastics film are fed through the nip between rollers 20 and 22, the roller 22 is caused to move back and forth axially in a series of displacements of various sizes and at various speeds, for example in a random or pseudo random sequence under computer control. By way of example, the control may be such that the maximum displacement of the roller 20 from a mean position is 75cm and that the maximum duration of any such displacement is three or four seconds, assuming a web speed of around 8 metres per minute, for example.Where the roller 20 is caused to execute a repeating cycle of movements, it is preferred that the cycle repeat time is sufficient to ensure that no repeat of pattern will occur within a two metre length of the paper/plastics laminate. During the above-described movement, the rubber "0" rings remain continuously in contact with the wet paper and thus push and pull it from side to side in a random or pseudo-random fashion. The paper may be wetted before passing between the rollers 20, 22 for example, with a fine spray of water.

After passing between the rollers 20, 22 as described above, the laminate passes through the nip between a further pair of rollers 24 which press the paper and the plastics film, into intimate contact with one another. The laminate then passes over a guide roller 14 and through a hot-air-circulating drying oven 30 where the adhesive is dried. The finished laminate is then wound onto a take-up roll 32.

The final product comprises the transparent plastics film with the dry crepe paper adhesively bonded thereto by the adhesive which is colourless and invisible in the finished product. The technique described produces a product with a random veining effect which is aesthetically attractive. The product is translucent and therefore forms an attractive lampshade material although the product could, of course, be used for other purposes, such as a covering for walls or other surfaces. In a variant of the process, discrete sheets of crepe paper wetted with the water-based adhesive are applied to discrete sheets of the transparent plastics film and the resulting laminate sheets are passed successively between a series of pairs of pressure rollers with each sheet being turned through 900, relative to the conveying direction of the rollers, between successive passes.

Whilst, as described with reference to the drawings, crepe paper 8 has been used on conjunction with transparent film 11, it will be appreciated that other materials may be used instead of paper, such as loosely woven cloth or net material and so on, to produce different aesthetic effects. Where the paper or other material has natural longitudinal creasing or is transversely stretchable or deformable, the bowed former 8 may be dispensed with.

Claims

1. A decorative product comprising a transparent plastics sheet material and a textured or patterned paper or fabric bonded thereto.

2. A product according to claim 1 wherein the paper or fabric is bonded to the plastics sheet by colourless transparent adhesive.

3. A product according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the paper or fabric is bonded to the plastics sheet by a water-based adhesive.

4. A product according to any preceding claim wherein the material bonded to said plastics sheet is crepe paper.

5. A method of manufacturing a decorative product comprising bonding to a transparent plastics sheet material a textured or patterned paper or fabric.

6. A method according to claim 5 which comprises the steps of wetting crepe paper with a water-based adhesive, applying the adhesive-wetted paper to transparent plastics film to form a laminate and passing the laminate between rollers.

7. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.