JP2004344531A - Surface decoration bathtub, method of decorating bathtub surface and method of manufacturing bathtub having surface decoration - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide at a low cost a surface decoration bathtub colorful and rich in variation. <P>SOLUTION: The surface decoration bathtub 1 is obtained by a polishing process of polishing the surface thereof to form a polished surface 2, a priming process of applying an epoxy-acrylic resin onto the same to form a primary coat 3, a cast molding process of arranging thereon decorations 7 such as shell or flowers and applying a transparent polyester or acrylic resin onto the same to form an embedded layer 4 in which the decorations 7 are embedded, and a final coating process of applying a heat resistant epoxyacrylic resin onto the same to form a protective layer 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surface decoration bathtub, a method of surface decoration of a bathtub, and a method of manufacturing a bathtub having a surface decoration.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, the surface of a FRP, enamel, stainless steel or artificial marble bathtub (including a bathtub with a washing place) is hardly decorated, and there is a slight known color pattern with paint. It's just that.
[0003]
In addition, since such a bathtub is provided as an off-the-shelf product, there are restrictions on the types of patterns and the like, and it is not possible to immediately respond to users' diversified preferences. In addition, there is a problem that the custom-made specification is a one-piece product and is expensive due to the complexity of the manufacturing process.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive bathtub having a colorful and varied surface decoration.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The surface decoration bath of the present invention is characterized by including at least an embedding layer in which a decoration is embedded with an embedding resin.
[0006]
Further, in the surface decoration bathtub of the present invention, the embedding layer may be a base layer containing a base resin formed on a surface layer portion of the bathtub, and a carbon cloth, a Kevlar cloth or a carbon layer formed on the base layer. It is characterized by being formed via a reinforcing layer containing Kevlar cloth.
[0007]
Furthermore, the surface decoration bathtub of the present invention is characterized in that, in these bathtubs, a reinforcing fiber is embedded in the embedding layer, and a protective layer containing a protective resin is formed on the embedding layer. It is characterized by having.
[0008]
The method for decorating the surface of a bathtub according to the present invention is a method for decorating the surface of a bathtub, wherein at least a polishing step of polishing the surface of the bathtub to form a polished surface, and applying a base resin to the polished surface to form a polished surface. The method is characterized by including an undercoating step of forming a ground layer and a casting step of arranging a decoration on the base layer and applying a burying resin to form a buried layer in which the decoration is buried.
[0009]
Further, the surface decoration method of the bathtub of the present invention is a method of decorating the surface of the bathtub, at least a polishing step of polishing the surface of the bathtub to form a polished surface, and coating a ground resin on the polished surface. An undercoating step of forming an underlayer by forming an underlayer, and arranging decorations and reinforcing fibers previously fixed with resin on the underlayer, and applying an embedding resin to form an embedding layer in which the decorations are embedded. It is characterized by having a mold step.
[0010]
And the surface decoration method of the bathtub of the present invention, in any one of the above methods, has a strengthening step of forming a strengthening layer having any one of carbon cloth, Kevlar cloth or carbon Kevlar applied to the upper layer of the underlayer, A buried layer is formed on the reinforcing layer.
[0011]
Further, the method for decorating the surface of a bathtub according to the present invention is characterized in that in any one of the above methods, there is provided an overcoating step of forming a protective layer containing a protective resin on the buried layer.
[0012]
The method of manufacturing a bathtub having a surface decoration according to the present invention includes a casting step of arranging a decorative article on the upper surface of a bathtub mold and applying an embedding resin to form an embedded layer in which the decorative article is embedded. A tub forming step of forming an FRP layer containing a reinforcing fiber and a resin on the upper surface of the mixed layer.
[0013]
Further, the method for manufacturing a bathtub having a surface decoration according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a bathtub by molding, wherein at least the decoration is arranged on the upper surface of the bathtub mold, and the decoration is embedded by applying an embedding resin. After a casting step of forming a filled buried layer, embossing of a bath tub is performed.
[0014]
Further, the method for producing a bathtub having a surface decoration according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned production method, the casting step is performed after coating a protective resin on the surface of the bathtub mold to form a protective layer. .
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a bathtub having a surface decoration according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a part of a manufacturing process of the bathtub, and FIG. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
The bathtub 1 according to the present invention includes an embedding layer 4 in which a decoration 7 is embedded in a surface layer of the bathtub. The decoration 7 is embedded through the transparent protective layer 6 so as to be visible from the outside. The embedding layer 4 is formed in the manufacturing stage of the bathtub 1 as described below, or is formed in the bathtub 1 completed as a product or in the installed bathtub 1 in a later step.
[0017]
Examples of bathtubs to which the present invention can be applied include FRP, enamel, artificial marble, stainless steel, and wooden. Among these, although depending on the method of construction, they are suitable for bathtubs made of FRP, enamel and artificial marble.
[0018]
First, a method for forming the buried layer 4 in a post-process in the bathtub 1 completed as a product will be described. First, before forming the embedded layer 4, the surface of the bathtub is subjected to a base treatment in advance to increase the adhesion between the embedded layer 4 and the bathtub 1.
[0019]
The base treatment includes a polishing step of forming a polished surface 2 by polishing the surface of the bathtub 1 and an undercoating step of applying a base resin to the polished surface 2 to form a base layer 3. In the polishing step, the surface of the bathtub 1 is ground with sandpaper, and the surface layer of the bathtub 1 is partially or entirely removed to obtain a polished surface 2 (FIGS. 2A and 2B). At this time, the surface layer portion of the bathtub 1 is removed by a thickness enough to be able to adhere to the underlayer 3, specifically, about tens to about 200 μm, preferably about 50 to 100 μm. Also, if there are cracks or deteriorated portions on the surface of the bathtub 1, they are cut off. Thereafter, the polished surface 2 is washed with water, and is forcibly dried with a heater gun or the like.
[0020]
Next, as an undercoating step, a base resin is applied to form a base layer 3 (FIG. 2C). This coating is performed using a brush, a roller or a Zora coat gun. As the base resin, an epoxy acrylic resin excellent in adhesiveness, chemical resistance and corrosion resistance is optimal. Further, in order to regenerate the deteriorated FRP and increase the strength, a mixture of titanium powder is more preferably used.
[0021]
After that, a buried layer 4 is formed. The material of the decorative article 7 forming the embedded layer 4 is not limited as long as it is not soluble in the embedded resin or a solvent used for coating the resin, and any artificial or natural product having a decorative effect can be used. Good. Illustrative examples are shells and stones (arbitrarily colored with pigments and dyes), plant flowers and leaves (raw or dried, but dried are preferred from the standpoint of fixability), colored paper and Chiyogami There are objects such as cloth (cloth), synthetic resin, glass, and the like (for example, a three-dimensional object or a planar object that models an animal or a hero of a cartoon). The thickness of the decoration 7 is arbitrary, for example, about 5 mm for shells, stones, and other objects, about 3 mm for flowers, and 1 mm or less for Japanese paper or cloth. The embedding layer 4 has such a thickness as to cover the surface of the decorative article 7, and specifically has a thickness of 10 to 15 mm. In addition, an object in which the above-described material such as a shell or a flower is formed in a predetermined shape with glass or a transparent resin (for example, the same resin used for embedding) in advance can be used as the decoration 7.
[0022]
The decoration 7 is arranged until the surface of the underlayer 3 is completely dried. This is because the base resin functions as an adhesive, so to speak, so that the decoration 7 placed by application of the embedded resin does not move. Also, it is preferable to dispose the resin after the resin is cured by about 90% (to the extent that a fingerprint is obtained by touch). This is because, if it is too dry, the decoration 7 arranged on the inner surface of the bathtub 1 often falls. In the bathtub 1 shown in FIG. 1, the decoration 7 is disposed after a small amount of the embedding resin is applied to the surface of the base layer 3. In this method, the embedded resin functions as an adhesive. As described above, it is also possible to arrange the decoration 7 after applying the embedding resin after the base layer 3 is dried.
[0023]
In addition, when arranging the decorative article 7, it is preferable that the concave section 5 for arranging the decorative article is formed by a trimmer or the like as shown in FIG. This is to eliminate a displacement caused by application of the embedding resin. The recess 5 is formed in the underlayer 3 (or a small amount of embedded resin layer) which is almost completely cured. Here, the concave portion 5 is formed in an inverted shape of the mounting surface of each decoration 7 as shown in the figure, or in a plane rectangular shape or a plane circular shape larger than the mounting surface irrespective of the shape of each decoration 7, for example. You. Further, the recess 5 may be formed in such a size that one ornament 7 can be arranged in one recess 5, or the recess 5 may be formed in such a size that a plurality of ornaments 7 can be arranged in one recess 5. Is also good.
[0024]
The embedding resin is applied after the decorative article 7 is arranged on the base layer 3 in this manner (FIGS. 3E and 3F). The embedding resin is preferably an acrylic resin, a polyester resin, or an epoxy resin in consideration of the fixability and strength of the decoration 7. Then, a transparent embedded resin is used to improve the appearance of the decorative article 7. This embedding resin may be colored.
[0025]
The application of the embedding resin is performed until the surface of the decoration 7 is completely buried. Preferably, the process is performed until the thickness of the decoration 7 is about 2 to 3 mm. The application is not performed so as to embed the decoration 7 at a time, but is performed in a plurality of times. Specifically, the thickness is preferably increased by about 0.5 mm by a single application, and the surface is preferably dried slightly after the application. This is to prevent bubbles from entering the embedding layer 4 and impairing the transparency and texture. The application is performed using a brush, a roller, a Zora coat gun, or the like.
[0026]
When the application is completed, the embedded layer 4 may be cured to complete it. However, in order to strengthen the surface, a protective resin is overcoated to form a protective layer 6 (FIG. 3 (g)). The coating is performed by spray-up or hand lay-up using a brush, a roller, a Zora coat gun, or the like. Thereby, the surface of the buried layer 4 is protected and the strength is improved. As the protective resin, an epoxy acrylic resin having high heat resistance is preferable.
[0027]
After that, finish processing is performed. After the protective layer 6 is completely cured, the surface thereof is gradually smoothed while changing from rough sandpaper (for example, about # 120) to fine sandpaper (for example, # 800). By doing so, a beautiful smooth surface with no scratches on the surface can be obtained. Then, as a final step, the smooth surface of the protective layer 6 is washed with water, dried, polished with a compound, and further polished with an electric polisher to obtain a more beautiful smooth surface.
[0028]
Through these steps, a colorful and unique bathtub 1 whose surface is decorated with various decorations 7 is provided. In addition, since the finished bathtub 1 is individually surface-decorated, the bathtub 1 is provided at a relatively low cost as compared with the order production at the factory.
[0029]
In addition, the method is applicable not only to a bath tub that has not been used yet, but also to a bath tub 1 that has been used or has a surface cracked or deteriorated, and is also a method that combines repair and regeneration of the bath tub 1. .
[0030]
In this method, a reinforcing layer 8 containing carbon cloth, Kevlar cloth, and carbon Kevlar cloth can be further formed as shown in FIG. 4 in order to further increase the height after decoration (repair). The carbon cloth has excellent characteristics such as excellent chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance, and is strong against bending. Therefore, it is possible to cope with forces applied to the surface of the bathtub 1 from all directions, and the durability of the bathtub 1 can be increased. In addition, Kevlar cloth is made of aramid fiber and has a characteristic that it has excellent electric shock resistance as well as electric insulation and self-extinguishing properties. Therefore, it is possible to cope with an impact applied to the surface of the bathtub 1. And carbon Kevlar cloth has both advantages. Therefore, it is resistant to both deflection and impact, and can cope with forces from all directions applied to the surface of the bathtub 1 and large impacts.
[0031]
These cloths are used as a base of the buried layer 4 and form the reinforcing layer 8. The reinforcing layer 8 is formed by applying a cloth immediately after performing the undercoating step and impregnating the undercoat resin. As the cloth, a light (eg, 172 g / m ² ) and thin (eg, 0.27 mm thick) cloth is preferably used. If necessary, the cloth may be impregnated with epoxy acrylic resin as a base resin again to impregnate the resin, and the uneven surface formed by the cloth may be flattened. At this time, if titanium powder is mixed with the epoxy acrylic resin, the strength is further increased. Further, the coating amount of the epoxy acrylic resin may be adjusted in consideration of the formation of the concave portion 5 for disposition, and the concave portion 5 may be formed after thick coating.
[0032]
In some cases, the decorative article 7 may be arranged directly on the cloth adhered to the cured base layer 3 to impregnate the cloth with the embedding resin, and the decorative article 7 and the cloth may be fixed at the same time. This is because the slight unevenness of the cloth surface may prevent the decorative article 7 from being displaced.
[0033]
When the carbon cloth, Kevlar cloth, or carbon Kevlar cloth is applied to form the reinforcing layer 8, the strength of the bathtub after repair (decoration) can be further increased.
[0034]
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a bathtub 1 according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Reinforcing fibers 9 such as glass fiber and carbon fiber are embedded in the embedding layer 4. The reinforcing fibers 9 are arranged so as to fill the space between the arranged decorations 7. For example, long fibers are arranged with their axes substantially aligned, or those woven in a cloth shape. Further, there may be a case where short cut fibers are arranged around the decoration 7. Then, after the reinforcing fibers 9 are arranged, the embedding resin is applied. As the embedding resin, an acrylic resin or a polyester resin is suitably used as described above, but an epoxy acrylic resin used for an overcoat layer or an undercoat layer may be used. This is because the fixing of the decorative article 7 by the reinforcing fibers 9 and the strength of the embedded layer 4 are ensured.
[0035]
The strength of the embedded layer 4 is further improved by the reinforcing fibers 9. In addition, in the casting process, the decorations 7 having a large thickness, for example, shells, stones, objects in which flowers and the like are previously hardened with resin, and other objects, the steps of the painting surface caused by using other objects are reduced, and the painting can be performed. It also has the advantage of being easier.
[0036]
Next, a method for manufacturing the bathtub 1 according to the present invention will be described. This method is a method of forming the buried layer 4 at the stage of manufacturing the bathtub 1, and a method of manufacturing an FRP bathtub 1 by bonding glass fibers along a bathtub mold 10 and a method of using the bathtub mold 10. There is a method of manufacturing the bathtub 1 by embossing.
[0037]
First, the former method will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, a protective layer 6 which is a surface layer of the bathtub 1 is formed on the surface of the bathtub mold 10. The protective layer 6 is formed by painting a highly heat-resistant epoxy acrylic resin (protective resin).
[0038]
Next, a buried layer 4 is formed. As the embedding resin for forming the embedding layer 4, a transparent polyester resin, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin is used as described above. First, a small amount of embedding resin is applied to the upper surface of the protective layer 6 to form a layer 4a for covering the surface of the decorative article 7 (FIG. 6B). The thickness of this layer 4a is about 2 to 3 mm. Then, the decoration 7 is arranged on the layer 4a (FIG. 6C). The decoration 7 is preferably placed before the layer 4a is completely cured, and is preferably placed after being cured by about 90% (to the extent that a fingerprint is obtained by touch). If it is hardened too much, the decoration 7 arranged on the inner surface of the bathtub 1 often falls. Also, after curing, the concave portion 5 (not shown) for arrangement may be appropriately formed by a trimmer or the like. As described above, the recess 5 is large enough to arrange one ornament 7 in one recess 5 or large enough to arrange a plurality of ornaments 7 in one recess 5. Formed. After the decorative article 7 is arranged, the embedding resin is further applied to embed the decorative article 7 (FIG. 6D). Also in this case, the embedding resin is applied little by little (to a thickness of about 0.5 mm in one application) to prevent displacement and bubbles. In this method, it is sufficient that the back surface of the decorative article 7 is almost covered. After that, the FRP layer 11 and the underlayer 3 are formed.
[0039]
After finishing the embedding resin coating and forming the embedding layer 4, the FRP layer 11 serving as the main body of the bathtub 1 is formed (bathtub forming step). The FRP layer 11 is formed by impregnating a cloth, chop strand mat, or roving (glass thread) made of glass fiber with a polyester resin or the like (FIG. 7E).
[0040]
Then, when the FRP layer 11 is cured and completed, the bathtub mold 10 is removed (FIG. 7F), and the protective layer 6 is finished. The finishing may be performed by polishing with sandpaper or a compound as described above.
[0041]
In the case of embossing, after the embedding layer 4 is cured in the above-described process, an epoxy acrylic resin serving as the base layer 3 is applied and embossed, or a bathtub body (not shown) manufactured in another process is formed. ) May be inserted and the embedded layer 4 may be integrally formed. Thus, a bathtub made of an enamel or an artificial marble other than the FRP is manufactured. By such a process, a bathtub with a surface decoration can be obtained relatively easily.
[0042]
In the case where the decorative object 7 is a thick object, the reinforcing resin 9 can be arranged around the arranged decorative object 7 in the casting step to coat the embedding resin. Thus, a bathtub 1 similar to that shown in FIG. 5 is manufactured.
[0043]
In the above embodiment, the case of a single bathtub has been described. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is also applied to a soaking unit integrated bathtub and a toilet integrated bathtub called a so-called unit bath. Further, the bathtub of the present invention is not only a bathtub in the narrow sense of a bathtub for hot water, but also a unit integrated with the bathtub, such as a washing floor of a washing unit integrated unit bath and a toilet floor of a toilet integrated unit bath. It is used in the concept including the floor surface and the side wall surface of the bus.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the bathtub which concerns on this invention, since it is provided with the embedding layer in which the decoration was buried, a colorful and rich bathtub is provided.
[0045]
This burying layer is, for example, a step of polishing the surface of a bathtub, an undercoating step of applying a base resin to the polished surface to form a base layer, and arranging decorations on the base layer and applying a base resin. And a casting step of forming a buried layer in which the decoration is buried. In this method, a buried layer can be provided for each bathtub regardless of mass production, and a bathtub with a surface decoration provided relatively easily and inexpensively is provided.
[0046]
In addition, this method is applied not only to an unused bathtub but also to an existing bathtub, and to regenerate an old bathtub as if it is a new and fashionable bathtub. In addition, it is possible to increase the strength of the bathtub itself, in addition to responding to the consumer's preference.
[0047]
Further, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, the decoration is placed on the protective layer formed on the upper surface of the bathtub type, and the embedding layer is formed by painting the embedding resin and embedding the decoration. . Therefore, if an FRP layer containing glass fiber and resin is formed on the upper surface of the embedding layer, a bathtub made of FRP can be provided. If the bathtub is embossed after the formation of the embedding layer, various bathtubs other than FRP, such as enamel and artificial marble, can be provided.
[0048]
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to relatively easily and inexpensively provide a bathtub having a variety of variations according to consumer's preference.
[0049]
Also, since a reinforcing layer containing carbon cloth, Kevlar cloth or carbon Kevlar cloth is provided, or a protective layer formed by coating a protective resin on the surface of a bathtub type is provided, a bathtub with a further strengthened surface is provided. Is done.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a bathtub according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a part of a manufacturing process of the bathtub shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a continuation diagram of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a bathtub according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a bathtub according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a part of another manufacturing process of the bathtub according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a continuation diagram of FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bathtub 2 Polishing surface 3 Underlayer 4 Embedding layer 6 Protective layer 7 Decorative article 11 FRP layer

Claims (11)

A surface decoration bathtub comprising at least an embedding layer in which a decoration is embedded with an embedding resin. The buried layer is formed by interposing a base layer including a base resin formed on a surface portion of the bathtub and a reinforcing layer including a carbon cloth, a Kevlar cloth or a carbon Kevlar cloth formed on the base layer. The surface decoration bathtub according to claim 1, wherein the bathtub is formed by forming. The surface decoration bathtub according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing fiber is embedded in the embedding layer. The surface decoration bathtub according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a protective layer containing a protective resin is formed on the buried layer. A method of decorating a bathtub surface, at least,
A polishing step of polishing the surface of the bathtub to form a polished surface,
An undercoating step of forming a base layer by coating a base resin on the polished surface,
A method for decorating a surface of a bathtub, comprising a casting step of arranging a decoration on the base layer and applying an embedding resin to form an embedding layer in which the decoration is embedded. A method of decorating a bathtub surface, at least,
A polishing step of polishing the surface of the bathtub to form a polished surface,
An undercoating step of forming a base layer by coating a base resin on the polished surface,
A bath tub comprising a casting step of arranging decorations and reinforcing fibers previously fixed with resin on the base layer and applying an embedding resin to form an embedding layer in which the decorations are embedded. Surface decoration method. 6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising a reinforcing step of forming a reinforcing layer to which one of carbon cloth, Kevlar cloth and carbon Kevlar is attached on the underlayer, and forming a buried layer on the reinforcing layer. Or the surface decoration method of a bathtub according to any one of 6. The method for surface decoration of a bathtub according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising an overcoating step of forming a protective layer containing a protective resin on the buried layer. A casting step of arranging the decoration on the upper surface of the bathtub type, applying a filling resin to form a burying layer in which the decoration is buried, and including a reinforcing fiber and a resin on the upper surface of the burying layer. A method for producing a bathtub having a surface decoration, comprising a bathtub forming step of forming an FRP layer. A method for manufacturing a bathtub by molding, at least,
A surface characterized by embossing a bath tub after a casting step of arranging a decoration on the upper surface of a bathtub mold and applying an embedding resin to form an embedding layer in which the decoration is embedded. A method for producing a bathtub having a decoration. The method for manufacturing a bathtub having a surface decoration according to claim 9, wherein the casting step is performed after a protective resin is formed by coating a protective resin on the surface of the bathtub mold.

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