ITGE20100013A1 - SLAB WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL PERFORMANCE PROVIDED WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES OVERLAPPING AND METHOD FOR ITS REALIZATION - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION of the Industrial Invention entitled: "slab with three-dimensional pattern provided with three-dimensional protruding structures and method for its realization"

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TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional plate provided with projecting three-dimensional structures and a method for its realization.

The terms sheet with three-dimensional trend means a piece that has essentially two dimensions and which therefore can result from the continuous deformation of a single flat piece, which has a thickness less than its width or length but which includes several appendages having a three-dimensional structure protruding or hollow.

A three-dimensional structure can also be hollow and can be a recess made in the plate during molding which allows any accessory to be introduced into the plate itself.

The term projecting three-dimensional structure means any appendix or accessory that is desired to be integral with said plate. Typically these are reinforcing ribs or fastening systems, molded in one piece with the sheet, or over-thickness intended to reduce the molding pressure.

Said sheets made of thermoplastic material can be used for the internal lining of motor vehicles or for the construction of commonly used equipment thanks to the fact that they can have low manufacturing costs, low weight and can be easily shaped.

Patent EP 585799 describes a multilayer plate consisting of a central support layer coated with a coating film, provided, on the side opposite to the film, with a plurality of protuberances made of the same material with which the support plate is made, which protuberances perform the function of reinforcement or allow the hooking or attachment of the shaped product to other parts or elements.

One method for making said plates is by molding molten material in a mold. In the plastic injection molding process, the plastic is heated and mixed in a feed screw and deposited in an accumulation zone. When the latter is full, its contents are injected into a closed temperature-conditioned mold where the material is cooled. When the latter reaches a sufficiently low temperature to have an appropriate mechanical strength, the mold is opened and the piece is extracted. However, particularly when the textured plates are thin, the injection of molten material requires high pressures and therefore heavy and expensive machines. Furthermore, said method can lead to deformations of the plate, such as surface depressions, subsidence or the like in the vicinity of the three-dimensional structures, in particular on the side of the plate without said three-dimensional structures, or it can lead to protruding or hollow three-dimensional structures with dimensions o shape not exactly corresponding to the negative present on the mold and / or counter mold as the injection force of the material and / or the quantity of the injected material may not be sufficient to completely fill said negatives, especially if the dimensions of the three-dimensional structures are large compared to the plate thickness.

It is also known to combine compression molding with injection molding, as for example described in EP 1 153 725. In this process, the two-dimensional piece is molded by compression molding while the three-dimensional parts or inserts are molded by injection of material compatible with the material that makes up the sheet. However, an injection molding machine and a mold that can withstand the high pressures is still required, so the cost of the process increases.

A further method of producing structured plates provides for the production of inserts by injection molding separately from the thermocompression molding of the plate and said inserts are subsequently mechanically anchored, for example by means of a screw, a snap pin or the like on the surface of the molded plate. . This method allows to have inserts of any shape and size applied on the plate but requires the presence of different equipment such as a structure for injection molding and one for thermocompression molding as well as providing, together with the molding and injection phases, a phase operative in which the inserts are fixed on the respective printed plates.

It is also known a process for molding plastic sheets which locally have a three-dimensional protruding or hollow structure, in which a plasticized or softened raw sheet is placed between two parts of a mold, the surface of which comprises a cavity of the mold for forming the plate and at least one structure of the negative corresponding to that of said three-dimensional structure, and the mold is closed to compress the raw plate and to force the plasticized or softened material to flow into the structure of the negative. In fact, a protruding relief is provided near the structure of the negative on at least one part of the mold, being said protruding relief intended to facilitate the sliding of the material of the plate towards the structure of the negative and / or to form a local contribution capable of supplying material in the structure of the negative when the mold closes. Alternatively or in combination with said protruding relief, it is possible to provide in proximity to the structure of the negative on at least one part of the mold a relief with a recess in the structure of the mold, intended to receive, from the structure of the negative, the material of the three-dimensional structure made as a recess. , when the mold closes.

Said method allows to realize three-dimensional structures of the plate made of the same material that constitutes the support plate.

The sheets obtained with the methods described above do not have three-dimensional structures or inserts having large dimensions with respect to the dimensions of the sheet and also do not allow to have protruding three-dimensional structures made of different material, even incompatible, with respect to the material that constitutes the support plate of said structures, unless said inserts are made separately from the plate and subsequently fixed to said plate, for example by means of screws or glue.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional plate provided with projecting three-dimensional structures of any shape and size, arranged continuously or discontinuously and provided on one or both faces of said plate, which plate can be used in any Field of application.

The sheet object of the present invention can in fact have appendages or reinforcing structures having a density gradient capable of efficiently absorbing the mechanical stresses and thus reinforcing the sheet efficiently.

A further object of the present invention is to have a plate with protruding three-dimensional structures which can be obtained either by thermocompression molding or by molding and depositing open mold material inside the negative of the mold or on the support plate in proximity to said negatives, that is, reducing the use of equipment, the steps necessary to obtain the finished piece and the quantity of material used, thus reducing costs and production times.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a piece that can be used not only for the internal / external coating of motor vehicles but in any field of application thanks to its characteristics of resistance to mechanical stress, chemical and physical agents, agents atmospheric and thanks to its improved aesthetic characteristics.

A further object of the present invention is to provide slabs or pieces with a three-dimensional pattern made by reducing the quantity of material used, in particular the quantity of expensive raw materials in such a way as to have a slab that is at the same time economical, easy to produce and weight. reduced.

The objects described above are achieved by means of a three-dimensional plate provided with three-dimensional structures protruding with respect to the two-dimensional surface subtended by the plate itself comprising at least one support layer which is formed by a single layer of material or by several superimposed layers of different material, the which layer of material has one or more projecting three-dimensional structures provided on one or both faces of said layer of material and in which said three-dimensional structure or structures and said at least one layer of material consist of a mixture of one or more substances of origin natural and / or synthetic.

In particular, said at least one layer of material consists of a mixture of one or more compounds, and said mixture being the same and / or compatible with the mixture of one or more compounds which constitutes at least part of said at least one three-dimensional structure.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide that the mixture that constitutes the layer of material is different and / or incompatible with the mixture of one or more compounds that constitutes at least part of said at least one three-dimensional structure.

If two or more three-dimensional structures are provided on the slab, each of said three-dimensional structures being made up of a mixture of one or more compounds, it is possible to provide that said mixtures are different from each other and / or different from the mixture of one or more compounds which constitutes the layer of support material of said three-dimensional structures.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the ratio between the volume of the layer of support material and the volume of the three-dimensional structures has a specific value, preferably greater than 0.02 that the thickness of the three-dimensional structure or structures is equal to or greater than 1 mm while the thickness of the layer of material, supporting said structures, is provided equal to or greater than 0.5 mm.

These characteristics make it possible to have three-dimensional plates with three-dimensional structures of any shape and size, i.e. three-dimensional structures even of high thickness compared to the layer of support material, with chemical and / or physical characteristics that are different from each other and also different from the layer. of material, without complicating or making it more expensive and lengthy their manufacturing process.

These and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of some executive examples illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a face of the plate with three-dimensional development provided with three-dimensional protruding structures, Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the plate provided on one face of three-dimensional structures protruding in the form of ribs,

Figure 3 illustrates a partial section of a three-dimensional structure of a plate provided on the face without protrusions of a finishing layer,

Figure 4 illustrates a partial section of a plate provided with three-dimensional structures protruding on both faces of the layer of material,

Figure 5 illustrates a partial section of several three-dimensional structures of a plate provided, on the face that has said protrusions, with a finishing layer,

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a plate provided on the face without protrusions of an anchoring layer and a finishing layer,

Figure 7 illustrates a partial section of a three-dimensional structure which provides for the presence of an adhesion layer between said three-dimensional structure and the layer of support material of said structure,

Figure 8 illustrates a partial section of a three-dimensional structure made up at least partially of material different from the material that constitutes the layer of support material of the structures,

Figure 9 illustrates a partial section of a plate in which the three-dimensional protruding structure consists of two portions obtained with different materials and joined together by an adhesion layer, an anchoring layer being provided on the face of said plate without three-dimensional structures and a finishing layer,

Figure 10 illustrates a partial section of a plate with projecting three-dimensional structures provided on both faces, which faces are both covered by a coating layer.

As illustrated in the figures, the three-dimensional plate 1 includes at least one layer of material 101 which constitutes the supporting layer of said three-dimensional structures provided on one or both faces of said layer of material 101.

Said layer of material 101 can be constituted by thermoplastic material such as for example polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, nylon, rubber or the like or a mixture thereof.

In particular, the layer of material 101 is made of pure thermoplastic material or filled with substances in the form of granules, particles, powders or fibers, in particular of a natural and / or synthetic type such as wood flour, vegetable fibers, polymeric fibers, glass, carbon fibers, basalt fibers, talc, calcium carbonate, silica, clay, micronized and / or nanomeric compounds, inert polymers, reactive polymers, functional additives or the like.

According to a further embodiment, the layer of material 101 can be constituted by pure thermosetting plastic material or filled with substances in the form of granules, particles, powders or fibers, in particular of a natural and / or synthetic type such as wood flour, vegetable fibers, polymer fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, basalt fibers, talc, calcium carbonate, silica, clay, micronized and / or nanomeric compounds, inert polymers, reactive polymers, functional additives or the like.

Obviously it is possible to provide that the layer of material 101 is constituted by one or more plastic, thermoplastic or thermosetting materials, or by a mixture thereof, pure, ie without the addition of further components. It may be advantageous to use polyolefin materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene and / or polystyrene, ABS, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, pilimides but also rubbers or the like.

For example, it is possible to use thermoplastic elastomers, so-called TPE, which constitute a family of "rubber-like" materials that combine the best properties of thermosetting rubbers with the processing advantages of thermoplastic materials.

It is also possible to provide a layer of material 101 consisting of a mixture of at least one plastic material, of the type described above, with an inert filler, such as talc, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, silica, silicates or wood flour or the like. , and / or with reinforcing structures formed by fibers of other plastic or non-plastic materials. Normally these fibers, in particular long fibers, are used in the form of mats, fabrics, non-woven fabrics, nets or the like, consisting of fibers of both natural and synthetic origin, which constitute layers that are coupled by compression, lamination or gluing to the sheets of pure plastic material or with vegetable and / or mineral fillers, preferably but not exclusively, granular or of the floury type and can help the adhesion of materials that are not compatible with each other.

It is possible to provide alternatively or in combination with the granular filler the use of long and / or short synthetic or natural fibers.

The fibers can be of a homogeneous type or they can be formed by a mixture of long and / or short vegetable and / or synthetic and / or mineral fibers, of different types.

The fibers can be homogeneous or inhomogeneous as regards their length: for example it is possible to foresee that a type of fibers within a mixture has a certain length, different for each type, or that the homogeneity of length is extended to all types of a possible blend.

As regards the orientation of the fibers, these can be oriented substantially parallel to each other, at least in part, or it is possible to provide different orientations for each type or it is possible to provide a disordered and random ordering for all or part of the fibers.

As long vegetable fibers it is possible to use vegetable fibers such as long cellulose fibers, sisal fibers, jute, coconut, hemp, kenaf, flax, palm, ramia, abaca, curaua, cabuya, opuntia, capoc or similar or mixtures of these fibers.

As synthetic fibers it is possible to use long fibers of polyolefins, polyesters, aramidic or similar or blends of said synthetic fibers, while as mineral fibers it is possible to use long fibers of glass, basalt, carbon or similar, which fibers contribute to increasing the mechanical resistance. of the plate.

The layer of material 101 described above can provide for the use of chemical and / or physical expanding agents that determine the expansion of the sheet during the formation process, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium, butane, low boiling point hydrocarbon compounds. , HFC, azodicarboamide, Oxibis, sodium bicarbonate, mixtures of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid or a mixture of acidic and / or basic compounds such that they are activated at the extrusion or forming temperatures of the material and are able to release gas or gaseous mixtures composed mainly of C02 According to an improvement, the mixture can also comprise a further waterproofing / compatibilizing agent of the plant component in such a way as to make the non-polar matrix of the polyolefin compatible with a polar filler, such as for example the vegetable fiber and for avoid the absorption by the vegetable component of the gas or the expanding agent and therefore the reduction of The expansion effect of the plastic mixture.

As waterproofing / compatibilizing agent it is possible to use organic molecules with substituents of a hydrophilic nature, that is compounds based on titanates, silanes or organosilanes, zircoaluminates or aluminates, in particular polyolefins modified with maleic anhydride.

According to a variant embodiment, the layer of material 101 can be composed of a mixture of plastic materials and a filler of vegetable and / or mineral material including cork flour, particularly suitable for making thermal or acoustic insulating panels and for panels with density particularly reduced.

It is possible to provide that the three-dimensional plate 1 is composed of a single layer of material 101 according to one of the variants described above or that it is formed by two or more layers 101 which layers 101 can have a composition that is the same or different from each other and it is possible to foresee the presence of compounds, glues, laminates, sheets, nets of material or the like which favor the compatibility and the welding of two or more layers 101 together.

According to the present invention, the presence of compatibilizing agents between the polymeric matrix and the vegetable matrix allows to increase the resistance of the sheet to atmospheric agents, in particular to humidity, and consequently allows to increase the life cycle of the sheet 1.

The material with which the layer 101 is made has a degree of fluidity when heated such as to allow the deformation of said layer 101 inside the negatives, of the three-dimensional structures, provided in a mold.

According to a further variant it is possible to provide the plate with a three-dimensional course to be formed by one or more layers 101 supporting the three-dimensional structures composed of fibers of natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral origin.

Said fibers, preferably long fibers, for example of vegetable origin, are intertwined to form a mat, a fabric, a mat or a net or the like, and said fibers after being compacted together inside a mold form a support layer 101 for one or more three-dimensional protruding structures 102 placed on one or both faces of the sheet, which sheet will be particularly resistant to mechanical stresses, to breakage while maintaining an extremely low weight.

Obviously the nature of said fibers, which form the support layer 101, can be homogeneous or the mat or the net can be formed by fibers of different types. As regards the orientation, these can be oriented at least in part substantially parallel to each other, or with different orientations, for example different orientations for each typology or with a disordered and random orientation.

The plate 1 according to the present invention can have three-dimensional protruding structures 102 on one or both faces 111, 112 of the layer 101.

Preferably, said three-dimensional structures are provided as appendages 102 protruding outwards from one or both faces 111, 112 of said layer 101 and said protrusions 102 can be constituted by one or more ribs and / or by one or more protrusions in the form of column or cone arranged in an orderly or random manner on one or both faces 111, 112 of said layer 101. The number, shape and position of said protrusions 102 depend on the use made of the plate 1 object of the present invention.

According to a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the volume of the layer of material 101 and the volume of the sum of the three-dimensional structures or appendages 102 present on the sheet is greater than 0.02. Furthermore, for the plate 1 object of the present invention it is possible to provide that: the thickness or the height of the three-dimensional structure or appendix 102 is equal to or greater than 1 min,

the thickness or the height H of the layer of material 101 is equal to or greater than 0.5 mm

Said three-dimensional protruding structures or appendages 102 improve the functionality and increase the possibilities of using the sheet with a three-dimensional pattern 1.

These appendices can be:

stiffening appendages that influence the mechanical resistance to stress characteristics of the finished sheet 1,

functional hooking appendages that allow the slab 1 to be attached or joined to other elements or parts, functional hooking appendages that allow any accessory to be introduced or hooked and / or fixed in the slab 1 itself, shockproof appendages,

anti-vibration appendages,

shock absorbing appendages,

appendages that act as spacer supports,

appendages of material suitable for packaging and / or thermal, vibrational, ultrasonic or similar sealing.

The plate 1 object of the present invention allows to have three-dimensional structures or appendages 102 of any shape as long as the ratio between the volume of the layer of material 101 and the volume of the appendix or appendages 102 provided on the plate is respected.

For example, said three-dimensional protruding structures 102 can be cone-shaped, as illustrated in figure 1, cylindrical as illustrated in figure 3, parallelepiped as illustrated in figure 2 or they can form hooks, supports, spacers, shockproof rubbers, ribs or sheets. stiffeners that give particular functionality to the sheet 1.

According to a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the maximum obtainable height for said three-dimensional structures 102, expressed in mm, and the cross-section of the three-dimensional structure 102 in correspondence with its attachment base to the layer of material 101, expressed in mm <2>, can be equal to 40 mm <'1>.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the three-dimensional structures 102 of the plate 1 consist entirely of the same material that constitutes the layer of material 101.

According to a variant of the present invention, said protrusions 102 are made of a different material with respect to the layer of material 101.

To make the appendages it is possible to use any material, in particular it is possible to use one or more of the compounds described above for the realization of the layer 101.

For example, the three-dimensional structures can be made of pure thermoplastic or thermosetting material or mixed with other substances such as fibers, natural and / or synthetic and / or fillers of vegetable and / or mineral origin, for example they can be made of pure polypropylene, rubber, nylon.

For example, to obtain a sheet with protruding three-dimensional structures 102 which sheet has a high mechanical strength, in particular a high resistance to impact and breakage, and which is at the same time light and cost-effective, it is possible to make the material layer 101 as a mat natural and / or mineral fibers, which are compacted together during the forming process of the plate by compression of the mold and counter-mold, and it is possible to realize one or more three-dimensional protruding structures 102 thermoformable through the application, for example for injection, of a mixture of one or more plastic substances, for example pure polypropylene or rubber or the like, inside the negative or on the layer 101 itself in correspondence with the negative of said three-dimensional structures 102.

According to a further variant it is possible to provide that said protrusions 102 are made up partly of the same material that constitutes the layer 101 and partly of a different material.

In particular, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, for example for three-dimensional protruding structures of considerable dimensions in height, width and length with respect to the dimensions of the layer of material 101, it is possible to provide that the portion of the protrusion 102 in contact with the layer 101, that is, the basal portion of said protrusion 102, is of the same material that constitutes said layer 101, while the apical portion of said protrusion 102 is made of different material.

It is also possible that the three-dimensional structure 102 is made up of a mixture of one or more compounds that are different but compatible with the mixture of one or more compounds that make up the layer 101 or that said mixture of the three-dimensional structure 102 is not compatible with the mixture. of layer 101.

By mixtures of one or more compatible compounds we mean at least two mixtures of chemical compounds which, although they may be different from each other due to the nature or quantity of the substances that compose them, are able to interact with each other, under certain conditions, for example of temperature and pressure, through adhesion, cohesion and / or chemical bonds between at least one of the substances that make up these mixtures and allow to obtain finished structures, composed of both mixtures, stable over time from a chemical / physical point of view.

For mixtures of one or more incompatible compounds we mean at least two mixtures different in nature and quantity of the substances that compose them, which substances of the two mixtures are not able to give rise to any adhesion, cohesion, stable and lasting bonds in the time without the intervention of at least one additional component.

According to the present invention it is possible to provide on the same plate 1 three-dimensional structures 102 different in shape, dimensions and composition, whose composition can vary not only between one three-dimensional structure 102 and the other but also with respect to the composition of the layer of material 101.

By varying the composition of the layer of material 101 and / or of one or more three-dimensional structures 102 it is possible to give the sheet 1 a particular resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion: this can be obtained for example by using a mixture of polymers resistant to mechanical stress or to abrasion and / or using additive compounds or fillers capable of improving said characteristics such as for example silica or the like.

This variety allows to obtain with the same process structured sheets 1 with different functionalities applicable in any field, that is to say to realize not only the internal lining of motor vehicles, but also furniture, insulating walls or the like.

Furthermore, the possibility of inserting colored pigments in the composition of the layer of material 101 and / or in the composition of the three-dimensional structures 102 allows to have a colored plate 1 or with multicolored effects which greatly improve its aesthetic appearance.

According to a further embodiment, between the mixture that constitutes the layer of material 101 and the mixture that constitutes at least part of a three-dimensional structure 102 there is at least one adhesion layer 103 which facilitates the adhesion and / or cohesion of said three-dimensional structure 102 or part of the three-dimensional structure 102 with said layer 101.

As illustrated in Figures 7 and 9, if all or part of said three-dimensional projecting structure 102 is made up of a different and / or incompatible material with respect to the material that constitutes the layer 101, it is possible to provide at the base of the projecting three-dimensional structure 102, between said protrusion or protrusion portion 102 and said layer of material 101, the presence of an adhesion layer 103 which facilitates the adhesion and / or cohesion of said protrusion or protrusion portion to said layer of material 101.

Said adhesion layer 103 which improves the adhesion and / or the compatibility between the material constituting the appendix 102 and the material constituting the layer 101, for example in the case of ABS appendages applied on polypropylene layers, can be constituted by at least one or a combination of:

a non-woven fabric compatible with one or both of the materials constituting the appendix 102 and the layer of material 101,

a non-woven fabric capable of adhering to one or both of the materials constituting the appendix 102 and the layer of material 101 by mechanical attachment,

a non-woven fabric compatible and / or capable of adhering by mechanical adhesion to one or both of the materials constituting the appendix 102 and the layer of material 101,

a non-woven fabric composed of different types of material such as polypropylene, cellulose, polyester or the like,

a network of natural, synthetic, mineral fibers capable of adhering to said three-dimensional structures 102 and / or to the layer of material 101 for chemical / physical compatibility or for mechanical adhesion,

a network of thermoplastic and / or thermosetting polymers capable of adhering to said three-dimensional structures 102 and / or to the layer of material 101 for chemical / physical compatibility or for mechanical adhesion,

a mat of fabric, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, mineral fibers, polymers, and / or a mixture thereof capable of adhering to said three-dimensional structures 102 and / or to the layer of material 101 for chemical / physical compatibility; or by mechanical gripping.

Obviously it is possible to provide that said adhesion layer 103 is present, between the layer of material 101 and the three-dimensional structure 102, even when said at least one three-dimensional structure has a composition identical or compatible with the layer of material 101.

Said adhesion layer 103 can also be provided not only at the base of the three-dimensional structure but in any position along the thickness of the three-dimensional structure 102, in a position substantially parallel to the base of the three-dimensional structure 102, in such a way as to separate in at least two portions said three-dimensional structure 102.

It is also possible to foresee the presence of several layers 103, from the base for all or part of the thickness or height of the three-dimensional structure 102 in such a way as to form a sort of "sandwich", i.e. a three-dimensional multilayer structure 102 composed of several layers of different composition which allow to have three-dimensional structures 102 with particular characteristics of resistance and flexibility.

Said adhesion layer 103 in addition to improving the adhesion between the three-dimensional structure 102 and the layer of material 101 and / or the adhesion between two portions of a three-dimensional structure 102, can be used to improve the characteristics of the finished plate 1.

According to a variant embodiment, it is possible to provide that at least part of the face 111 or 112 of the layer of material 101 carrying the three-dimensional structures 102, preferably the face of the layer 101 in contact with the base of the three-dimensional structure 102, is covered by a layer 103, for example for example a fabric, which helps to reduce the vibrations and / or noises absorbed by the plate 1.

Obviously it is possible that, in order to give particular characteristics to the finished slab 1, said layer 103 covers at least part of the face 111 or 112 of the layer 101 carrying the three-dimensional structures 102, in such a way as to cover not only the layer 101 but also the three-dimensional structures same 102.

The plate 1 object of the present invention can have one or more three-dimensional structures on both its faces 111, 112. In a variant the plate 1 has the three-dimensional structure or structures 102 only on one of its faces. On the surface of the face devoid of three-dimensional structures, or on both faces 111, 112, there is a finishing layer 104, mono or multilayer, which rediscovers all or part of the surface of said or said faces 111, 112, having said layer of finishing 104 an aesthetic and / or protective role of the layer of material 101 and / or of at least one of the three-dimensional structures 102.

The finishing layer 104 may consist of a cloth, a fabric, a non-woven fabric, sheets of plastic material such as PVC, sheets of leather, sheets of imitation leather, melamine adhesive papers, sheets of natural materials such as leather, or similar. For example, the covering and finishing sheet 104 can be constituted by polyester, viscose, polypropylene, nylon, mixed cotton, PVC, melamine material, TPE (thermoplastic elastomers), TPO (thermoplastic elastomers based on olefins) or the like or said sheet of coating and finishing 104 can be constituted by several layers of different composition, for example by a fabric with an expanded polymer support to give the finished slab 1 characteristics of softness to the touch or by a mat of natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral fibers such as cotton fibers, cellulose, sisal fibers, jute, coconut, hemp, kenaf, linen, palm, ramia, abaca, curaua, cabuya, opuntia, capoc, glass fibers, basalt or similar.

Said external finishing and finishing layer 104 can be colored by combining natural or synthetic dyes to the mixture of compositions.

The finishing layer 104 in addition to having an aesthetic and protective function of the plate 1, thanks to its chemical / physical characteristics, allows to produce plates with a three-dimensional course 1 with specific characteristics, for example insulating plates capable of absorbing noise and / or vibrations.

According to the present invention, the mixture which constitutes the layer of material 101, and / or the three-dimensional structures 102 and / or the finishing layer 104 also contains additives which confer greater resistance to chemical and / or physical, atmospheric agents, in particular to rays UV, ozone, generally allowing the sheet 1 a greater resistance to aging. For example, it is possible to mix compounds such as light stabilizers such as inhibited amines (known as HALS = Hindered Amines Light Stabilizers), UV stabilizers, to the compound that constitutes the material layer 101 and / or the three-dimensional structures 102 and / or the finishing layer 104. , antioxidants, UV absorbers, substances that delay or prevent the action of free radicals (scavengers) or more generally pigments or the like that blocking the free radicals that are formed at the beginning of the polymer degradation process, a process triggered by the action of light, delay or block the degradation of said polymers especially in sheets 1 for external use.

Obviously, it is possible to provide that said finishing layer 104 is multilayer and that it is present, at least partially, not only on one face but on both faces 111, 112 of the plate 1, in such a way as to also cover the three-dimensional structures 102 protruding or groove. It is also possible to provide that the composition and / or thickness of the finishing layer 104 is different for the two faces 111, 112 of the plate 1: for example, it is possible to provide that the coating layer that covers the face of the plate 112 has characteristics of composition and / or dimensions such as to aesthetically improve the finished sheet 1 to the eye and to the touch, while the coating layer 104 which covers the face 111 of the sheet 1 can have characteristics and dimensions, for example a thickness, such as to improve the mechanical resistance of plate 1.

For the realization of the finishing layer 104 it is advantageous to place an anchoring layer 105 between the layer of material 101, with or without at least one three-dimensional structure 102, and the external finishing layer 104, for example a fibrous fabric made from natural fibers and / or synthetic fibers such as cotton fibers and / or glass fibers.

As illustrated in Figure 10, it is possible to provide that said anchoring layer 105 between the layer 101 and / or the three-dimensional structures 102 with the finishing layer 104 has the same characteristics, in particular the same composition as the adhesion layer 103 described above.

Obviously it is possible to provide that said finishing layer 104 and said anchoring layer 105 are present on both faces 111, 112 of the material layer 101 of the plate 1 and that they also at least partially cover the three-dimensional structures 102 provided on said plate 1.

Said anchoring layer 105 makes it possible to make the union between the layer of material 101 and / or the three-dimensional structures 102 and the external finishing layer 104, each consisting for example of different types of material, more solid and durable.

Said anchoring layer 105 can for example consist of a film whose face facing outwards is compatible and capable of sticking with the external finishing layer 104 of the plate 1 while the face facing the core of the plate 1 is compatible. and capable of attaching itself to the layer of material 101 and / or to the three-dimensional structures 102 of said plate 1.

A method for producing the plates 1 object of the present invention provides that a plasticized or softened raw plate is placed between two parts of a mold, the surface of which comprises a cavity of the mold for forming the plate and at least one structure of the negative corresponding to that of said three-dimensional structure, the mold being closed to compress the raw sheet between said two parts of the mold.

If the material that constitutes the raw plate is in a plasticized, softened, fluid or semi-fluid condition, it is possible to force the plasticized or softened material to flow into the negative structure.

A protruding relief can be provided near the structure of the negative on at least one part of the mold, since said protruding relief is intended to facilitate the sliding of the material of the plate towards the structure of the negative and / or to form a local supply capable of supplying material in the structure of the negative when the mold closes. In this way it is possible to make structured slabs 1 with a layer of material 101 and one or more projecting three-dimensional structures 102 made of the same material that constitutes the layer of material 101.

It has been observed that the presence of such protruding projections provided near the structure of the negative on at least one part of the mold reduces the length of the paths that the plasticized or softened material of the raw sheet must follow during molding, and therefore allows the pressure to be reduced. of molding.

When the three-dimensional structure 102 of the plate 1 is to be made protruding, the relief of the mold provided in proximity to the structure of the negative on at least one part of the mold, is a protrusion intended to locally reduce the space provided between the two parts of the mold when it is closed, so as to force the material to penetrate into the negative structure and create the three-dimensional structure 102 of plate 1. The plate will therefore be slightly more compressed around the three-dimensional structure to be made to obtain a better filling of the negative structure provided on the mold corresponding to that of said three-dimensional structure 102.

In a second preferred variant of the method for making three-dimensional protruding structures 102 made of the same material that constitutes the layer 101, the surface of the mold has a movable protruding relief that can protrude or retract by sliding into the cavity of the mold when the mold is closed. , which protruding relief by locally increasing the area of the raw plate, provides the material for the production of the three-dimensional protruding structure 102.

This protruding relief, which can be retracted by sliding inside the structure of the mold, can for example be mounted on a spring. When the mold is open, the protruding relief in the mold cavity raises the blank plate near the negative structure to the negative. The result is an area in excess of the raw slab, corresponding to the sides of the raised region. When the mold is closed, the spring compresses and the protruding relief retracts into the mold. The excess quantity of raw plate serves to fill the negative structure, without the need to slide the material over a long distance, since the mobile protruding relief is placed in proximity to said negative. The height of the protruding relief is determined in such a way as to provide, approximately and in slight excess, the amount of material necessary to make the three-dimensional structure.

According to a further variant embodiment, it is possible to realize on the plate three-dimensional protruding structures 102 even of considerable size by feeding, in the negative structure or structures of the mold, additional material, which material is deposited in said or said negatives of the three-dimensional protruding structures 102 before the positioning of the plasticized or softened raw plate between the two parts of a mold.

According to a first variant, the additional material is fed in fluid form, preferably by injection, both manual and mechanical, by means of robotic means.

A variant provides for said additional material to be fed in the form of a piece of material having a predetermined mass and dimensions. The said piece of plastic material is in the solid or plastic state or is already in the softened state or is brought into this state by heating once deposited on the mold. A piece of said additional material is deposited manually or by automatic means in the area of each part of the mold corresponding to the three-dimensional structure 102 of the finished plate 1.

The amount of said additional material will be sufficient to constitute all or part of the projecting three-dimensional structure 102 provided on the finished plate 1.

The composition of said material added to constitute one or more of the projecting three-dimensional structures 102 may be the same, compatible, different and / or incompatible with the composition of the material that constitutes the layer 101 of the plate 1.

The quantity of added material placed in the negative of the mold corresponding to the three-dimensional protruding structure 102 to be made may be sufficient to create said structure 102 and therefore thanks to said variant, it is possible to provide that the mold used is devoid of the protruding relief suitable for compressing material to the inside of the negative of the mold since said negative is sufficiently filled with the additional material.

The formation of one or more projecting three-dimensional structures 102 by adding material in fluid form and / or by feeding material in the form of a piece of material having a predetermined mass and dimensions, is particularly advantageous when it is desired to make three-dimensional structures 102 on one layer of material 101 having poor fluidity, even if heated inside a mold, for example when the layer of material 101 supporting the three-dimensional structures 101 consists of a mat of fibers. In this case, the fiber mat is placed inside a mold and the fibers are compacted together to form a layer 101 which is particularly resistant to impact and breakage. Said layer of fibrous material may not have a sufficient degree of fluidity such as to allow the filling by sliding of material of the negative (s) present in the mold. Thanks to the present invention it is therefore possible to use the fibrous material for the construction of the particularly resistant and light support layer and to realize three-dimensional structures 102 also completely made of a material different from the material that constitutes the support layer 101, which material can be modeled inside the negatives of the three-dimensional structures provided on the mold thanks to its characteristics of fluidity, which are greater or in any case different from those of the material that constitutes the support layer 101.

The additional material injected or arranged inside the negative according to the variants described above adheres to the material of the layer 101 or to the material of the layer 101 made inside the structure of the negative by the presence of the protruding relief provided in proximity to the said negative, so such that the additional material alone or the sum of the additional material and the material contributed by the presence of the relief is sufficient to create the three-dimensional structure 102 of the plate 1.

It is possible to foresee that to keep the additional material injected in the negative of the mold in a fluid or softened condition or to bring the additional material deposited in the form of a piece from the solid state to the softened one in such a way as to favor its adhesion with the material of the plate during the formation of the three-dimensional structure or structures 102, the areas of the mold involved in the injection or deposition of the material, i.e. the negatives, are heated, at least in the initial phase of the molding process, i.e. before closing the mold while the remaining portions of the mold can remain cooled.

According to an executive variant to favor the adhesion between the additional material which at least partially constitutes the three-dimensional structure 102 of the plate 1 and the layer of material 101, especially in the case in which the composition of the additional material is different and / or incompatible with the composition of the layer of material 101, it is possible to provide for the positioning between said additional material and said material of the layer 101, of an adhesion layer 103 which can favor the chemical / physical and / or mechanical adhesion, i.e. mechanical adhesion, of said materials with each other.

Said adhesion layer 103 can be positioned on a portion or on all the additional material after filling the negative with said additional fluid material and / or it can be positioned on the layer of material 101 in such a way as to cover all or part of the face 111 and / or 112 in which the projecting three-dimensional structures 102 are provided, consisting at least partially of said additional material with a composition that can have a different composition and / or incompatible with the material of the layer 101.

According to a preferred embodiment, said adhesion layer 103 is positioned on the layer of material 101 in correspondence with the base of the projecting three-dimensional structure 102 constituted at least partially by said additional material.

Alternatively or in combination with the adhesion layer 103 provided at the base of the three-dimensional structure 102, it is possible to provide for the positioning of one or more adhesion layers between certain quantities of additional material placed in the negative or placed on the layer 101 in correspondence with the negative of the mold in such as to create a three-dimensional structure 102 formed by the interposition of one or more adhesion layers with one or more portions of additional material.

The realization of three-dimensional structures 102 by adding material is particularly advantageous when said structures have considerable dimensions and the thickness of the material which constitutes the raw starting plate is not sufficient to fill the negatives of the mold during the molding steps.

Furthermore, on the basis of the characteristics of elasticity and resistance of the three-dimensional protruding structures 102 which are desired on the finished plate 1 and which depend on the composition of the material used to make them, the additional material can be fed into the negatives in a fluid or semi-fluid form, for example if it is intended to make appendages or glazing rubbers in rubber, or in solid or semi-solid form if, for example, it is desired to make reinforcement appendages or ribs consisting mainly of natural and / or synthetic fibers immersed in a polymeric matrix.

The method according to the invention can be used for the molding of three-dimensional plates 1 having three-dimensional structures 102 on both of its faces. However, in a particularly advantageous variant, the plate 1 has a three-dimensional structure 102 only on one of its faces. In this variant it is advantageous to cover with a single or multilayer finishing layer 104 the face to be kept smooth in such a way as to improve its mechanical integrity and improve its aesthetic appearance.

Furthermore, in this variant, the process ensures that a smooth face can be obtained, free from surface defects. This is particularly advantageous when the three-dimensional structures 102 are deep, since in this case the known processes do not allow to obtain a smooth "back" of the plate, devoid of surface depressions. This advantage of the process according to the invention is even more marked when the material is a crystalline polymer, whose shrinkage upon its crystallization causes, in a known way, surface depressions on the opposite face of the layer of material 101 in which the three-dimensional structures 102 such as ribs or over-thicknesses, i.e. three-dimensional structures 102, of large dimensions.

Consequently, in an embodiment method of this variant, before closing the mold, a flexible coating or finish 104 is superimposed on that face of the layer of material 101 intended to remain smooth.

In this embodiment method, it is advantageous to place a layer of fibers or an anchoring layer 105 between the layer of material 101 and the finishing layer 104, in such a way as to avoid any deformation of the finish of the surface of the coating during molding and favor anchoring between layers 101, 104 which can have different compositions. It is recommended that the fiber layer be a fibrous fabric made from cotton fibers or glass fibers.

Obviously, according to a variant of the present invention it is possible to provide a finishing layer also on the face of the plate 1 which has the three-dimensional structures 102: therefore a finishing layer 104 and possibly an anchoring layer 105 can be inserted in the mold between the internal surface of said mold and the face of the layer of material 101 and / or the material of the three-dimensional structures in which the projecting three-dimensional structures 102 will be made.

The process described above therefore allows to have three-dimensional structures of considerable dimensions with respect to the thickness of the plate while maintaining the dimensions of the protruding relief, if present, within the cavity of the mold provided in proximity to the structure of the negative, reduced.

It should also be noted that the feeding of the additional material by injection or deposition takes place when the mold is open and therefore the molds do not require complex ducts appropriately calibrated for the injection of material, as is instead necessary according to traditional methods.

The plate 1 object of the present invention therefore has a layer of material 101 which, thanks to the possibility of modifying the composition of the plastic component and the quantity and / or size of the natural fillers and / or natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral fibers, allows to vary, according to the requirements of use, the chemical / physical characteristics of the finished sheet 1 such as flexibility, resistance to impact, compression, atmospheric agents, chemical / physical agents. Moreover, thanks to the possibility of having three-dimensional structures 102 of considerable dimensions with respect to the layer of material 101, for example with reference to the thickness or height, and with different composition compared to the layer 101 and / or different from each other, it allows to have three-dimensional structures 102 consisting of also from valuable material, such as pure plastic materials, rubbers or the like, which therefore can have different chemical / physical characteristics not only with respect to the layer of material 101 but also different between the three-dimensional structures 102 present on the same plate 1.

The set of these characteristics allows to have a three-dimensional slab 1 with a wide range of use, easily achievable and low cost, since the use of valuable materials can be limited, depending on the needs, to the layer of material. 101, and / or to at least one three-dimensional structure 102 and / or to a portion of said at least one three-dimensional structure 102.

Claims (22)

CLAIMS 1. Plate (1) with three-dimensional course provided with three-dimensional structures protruding with respect to the two-dimensional surface subtended by the plate (1) itself comprising at least one support layer (101) which is formed by a single layer of material or by several superimposed layers of material different, which layer of material (101) has one or more projecting three-dimensional structures (102) provided on one or both faces (111, 112) of said layer of material (101), characterized in that said three-dimensional structures (102) and said at least one layer of material (101) consist of a mixture of one or more substances of natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral origin. 2. Plate (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one layer of material (101) consists of a mixture of one or more compounds, and said mixture being equal and / or compatible with the mixture of one or more compounds which form at least part of said at least one three-dimensional structure (102). 3. Plate (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one layer of material (101) consists of a mixture of one or more compounds, and said mixture being different and / or incompatible with the mixture of one or more several compounds which form at least part of said at least one three-dimensional structure (102). 4. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that two or more three-dimensional structures (102) are provided, each of said three-dimensional structures (102) consisting of a mixture of one or more compounds, and being said mixtures different from each other and / or different from the mixture of one or more compounds constituting the layer of material (101). 5. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the ratio between the volume of the mixture of the layer of support material (101) and the volume of the mixture of the three-dimensional structures present on the plate (102) is greater than 0.02. 6. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the thickness or the height (h) of said three-dimensional structures (102) is equal to or greater than 1 mm. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the thickness or the height (H) of the layer of material (101) is equal to or greater than 0.5 mm. 8. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the ratio between the maximum thickness or height (h) obtainable for said three-dimensional structure (102), expressed in mm, and the cross-section of said three-dimensional structure ( 102) at its base of attachment to the layer of material (101), expressed in mm <2>, is equal to 40 mm <'1>. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the layer of material (101) and / or the three-dimensional structures (102) consist of one or more pure plastic, thermoplastic and / or thermosetting compounds. 10. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layer of material (101) and / or the three-dimensional structures (102) consist of plastic material loaded with substances in the form of granules, particles, powders and / or fibers, in particular of natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral type, such as wood flour, vegetable fibers, polymeric fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, basalt fibers, talc, calcium carbonate, silica, clay , micronized and / or nanomeric compounds, inert polymers, reactive polymers, functional additives or the like. 11. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the layer of material (101) consists of a mat, a fabric, a mat or a net or the like of natural and / or synthetic fibers and / or minerals, intertwined and / or compacted together. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that at least one adhesion layer is provided between the mixture that constitutes the layer of material (101) and the mixture that forms at least part of a three-dimensional structure (102) (103) which facilitates the adhesion and / or cohesion of said three-dimensional structure (102) or part of the three-dimensional structure (102) with said layer of material (101). 13. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one adhesion layer (103) is provided in any position along the thickness of the three-dimensional structure (102), in a position substantially parallel to the base of the structure three-dimensional (102), so as to be interposed between the layer of material (101) and at least one three-dimensional structure (102) or to be interposed between at least two portions called three-dimensional structure (102). 14. Sheet (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one adhesion layer (103) also has the function of conferring particular characteristics of mechanical resistance and / or absorption of shocks, vibrations or sounds to the sheet (1 ) and is provided on at least part of the face (111, 112) of the layer of material (101) which carries the three-dimensional structures (102), preferably the face of the layer of material (101) in contact with the base of at least one three-dimensional structure (102). 15. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one adhesion layer (103) consists of a fabric, a non-woven fabric or a network of natural and / or synthetic and / or mineral fibers able to adhere to the mixture of said three-dimensional structures (102) and / or to the mixture of said layer of material (101) for chemical / physical compatibility or for mechanical adhesion. 16. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one layer of material (101) constitutes the bearing layer of the plate (1) and being provided on at least one of its faces (111, 112) at least a further finishing layer (104), mono or multilayer, which covers all or part of the surface of said faces (111, 112), having said finishing layer (104) an aesthetic and / or protective role of the material layer ( 101) and / or at least one of the three-dimensional structures (102). 17. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the finishing layer (104) which covers one face (112) of the material layer (101) has different composition and / or size characteristics with respect to the layer cladding (104) which covers the second face (111) of said layer of material (101). 18. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the finishing layer (104) is made up of a mixture of one or more substances containing additives which give greater resistance to chemical and / or physical, atmospheric, in particular to UV rays, ozone, such as light stabilizers, inhibited animins, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, UV absorbers, substances that delay or prevent the action of free radicals, pigments or similar substances that block the free radicals that are formed at the beginning of the degradation process of a polymer triggered by the action of light. 19. Plate (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that an anchoring layer ( 105), in particular a fibrous fabric made of natural and / or synthetic fibers, such as cotton and / or glass fibers. Method for molding plates (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 19, which method comprises: a) the positioning of a plasticized or softened raw plate between the two parts of a mold for the realization of a layer of support material (101) of at least one three-dimensional structure (102), the surface of which of the mold includes a cavity of the mold for forming the plate and at least one structure of the negative corresponding to that of said at least one three-dimensional structure (102), b) the closure of the mold to compress the raw plate and to force the material, if in a plasticized, softened, fluid or semi-fluid condition, to slide in the structure of the negative by for example a relief adapted to protrude into the cavity of the mold said protruding relief being intended to facilitate the sliding of the plate material towards the negative structure and / or to form a local supply capable of bringing material into the negative structure when the mold closes and said relief protrudes into the mold cavity, characterized in that it provides for the realization of at least one projecting three-dimensional structure (102) by forcing the material that constitutes the raw plate inside at least one structure of the negative and / or feeding additional filling material inside the structure of the negative and / or the deposition of additional material on the layer of material (101) in correspondence with the structure of the negative for the realization of three-dimensional structures (102), in the open mold condition. 21. Process according to claim 19 characterized in that it provides for the positioning of at least one adhesion layer (103) on at least part of the face of the layer of material (101) carrying the three-dimensional structures (102) and at least a portion of at least one three-dimensional structure (102), preferably at the base of said three-dimensional structure (102), and / or provides for the positioning of at least one adhesion layer (103) between portions of a three-dimensional structure (102) adjacent to each other, in conditions of open mold. 22. Process according to claim 20 characterized in that before closing the mold a layer of anchoring fibers (105) and / or a finishing layer (104) is interposed between the mold and at least one face (111, 112) of the raw plate.