NL2010303C2

NL2010303C2 - Furniture of recycled polyurethane and a panel for such furniture.

Info

Publication number: NL2010303C2
Application number: NL2010303A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Johannes Antonius Warmerdam
Original assignee: Spw France Sarl
Priority date: 2013-02-14
Filing date: 2013-02-14
Publication date: 2014-08-18
Also published as: FR3001914A1

Abstract

The panel (18) comprises a main sheet including two layers (19) of a pressed material including recycled polyurethane particles and a binder, a coating (17) covering the first sides of the layers, and a third layer of another material provided between the layers. The layers comprise first sides (21) opposite to each other and forming an external surface of the main sheet. A side (24) of the sheet delimits the first sides of the layers. The two layers of pressed hurry form an upper panel element and a lower panel element of a casing shell. The panel (18) comprises a main sheet including two layers (19) of a pressed material including recycled polyurethane particles and a binder, a coating (17) covering the first sides of the layers, and a third layer of another material provided between the layers. The layers comprise first sides (21) opposite to each other and forming an external surface of the main sheet. A side (24) of the sheet delimits the first sides of the layers. The two layers of pressed hurry form an upper panel element and a lower panel element of a casing shell. The shell is formed with lateral walls including pressed material. The third layer includes a fill material used to fill the shell. The coating includes a laminate including polymer. The laminate includes a layer of paper soaked with phenol and a layer with melamine resin such as laminate laminated at high pressure or a constant pressure. The coating includes a varnished layer. The side is equipped with a polymeric band, and includes a groove formed in the pressed material. The polymeric band is molded on the side. A part of the polymeric band is placed in the groove. The coating covers the side with the main sheet.

Description

FURNITURE OF RECYCLED POLYURETHANE AND A PANEL FOR SUCH

FURNITURE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a panel for use in furniture for humid spaces, such as a kitchen cupboard or a shelf for a bathroom. In addition, the invention relates to furniture manufactured from such a panel. Furthermore, the invention relates to use of a such panel in the manufacture of furniture for a humid environment.

2. Description of the Related Art

Furniture for humid or moist spaces, like a kitchen or a bathroom, is usually made of chipboard or MDF panels coated with a polymer layer for protection. However, due to easy damaging or poor finishing, the panels often suffer from delamination or swelling due to the damp present in these spaces. The furniture will deteriorate and will have to be replaced sooner than when the furniture would have been present in a non-humid space, such as a living room.

In addition, some environments, such as a tropical climate with high humidity, all spaces in a house will be damp and therefore all chipboard or MDF furniture will deteriorate rather quickly compared to less humid climates. In addition, in a tropical environment insects that are attracted to the chipboard or MDF will even accelerate the deterioration.

It is known that panels of pressed polyurethane particles can be used in furniture for humid spaces and/or environments. The panels comprise a main plate of pressed polyurethane particles and a binder, whereby the main plate is coated with a toplayer. The use of polyurethane particles and a binder decreases the deterioration of the furniture by moist and insects.

A disadvantage however of these panels is that the thickness depends on the thickness of the main plate, which is limited by the compressibility of the polyurethane particles and the binder and the amount of pressure needed to obtain a solid plate. A thicker plate requires higher pressure. With increasing thickness, the homogeneity of the used pressure and the compression of the plates will decrease. Combining several plates of compressed polyurethane allows to obtain a main plate with any desired thickness, without any limitation by the compressibility of the polyurethane.

Furthermore, for some applications of the panels it may be desired that the properties of the panel are enhanced. This can be done by forming a layered composite of the pressed material and another material with the desired property, for instance fire retardant or sound proofing. However, the required pressure to compress the polyurethane particles and the binder to form a solid panel may be too high such that the additional material may be damaged and the desired property will not be obtained.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a panel that alleviated at least some of the perceived inconveniences of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a panel for use in fumiturefor humid spaces, comprising a main sheet comprising at least two layers of pressed material comprising particles of polyurethane and a binder, the layers having a first side facing away from each other and forming an outer surface of the main sheet and edges delimiting the layers, the panel further comprising a coating covering at least the first sides of the two layers, whereby in between the at least two layers of pressed material a third layer of another material is provided.

By using at least two layers of the pressed particles of polyurethane for a panel, the thickness of the panel can be adjusted as desired and the maximum thickness of the panel is not limited to a maximum thickness of one layer of compressed material. In addition, the strength of the panel can be increased. The strength may be increased even more by using two layers with a different orientation relative to each other. The particles of polyurethane, preferably recycled polyurethane, are pressed together with a binder, such that a solid layer of material is formed. Using pressed polyurethane in the panel will decrease the expansion under the intake of moist relative to chipboard or Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF). The coefficient of expansion of the pressed polyurethane under the influence of moist intake is small, in practice even nihil. In addition, the pressed polyurethane is less hydrophilic than chipboard or MDF, which decreases the intake of moist by the main plate.

The layers have a first side and a second side and are delimited by edges at a periphery of the first and second sides. In between the two layers a third layer is provided, which third layer is adjacent the second sides facing each other. The third layer may be an adhesive material to connect the layers and form the panel. The adhesive material is preferably a polyurethane-based adhesive. Alternatively, the third layer may be a material for increasing the strength of the panel, such as the tensile or bending strength, or to increase the sound proofing of the panel, or to make the panel fire-resistant. However, other properties of the panel can be enhanced by using a suitable material to obtain the desired property.

At least the first sides of the two layers are covered with a coating. The coating can be used as an aesthetic finishing, but can also be used as a protective finishing against environmental influences and/or damaging, or a combination of both. The coating can be adhered to the main sheet by an adhesive, preferably a polyurethane-based adhesive.

According to another embodiment, the coating covering at least the first sides of the main sheet comprises a laminate comprising a polymer. Preferably, the laminate comprises at least one layer of phenol soaked paper and at least one layer of melamine resin, such as High Pressure Laminate (HPL) or Constant Pressure Laminate (CPL).

High Pressure Laminate (HPL) is a combination of a number of layers of paper, or a paper pulp, and phenol resin, with a hard toplayer of melamine resin. Under influence of high pressure and high temperature these are pressed together to form a laminate. Melamine resin is the synthetic organic substance with the highest hardness. Therefore, HPL has a high resistance to scratching and wear. The tough and elastic phenol resin makes HPL impact-resistant. In addition, HPL is resistant to many chemical substances and heat. CPL (Constant Pressure Laminate) comprises a number of layers of paper, soaked in phenol and melamine resins. Under influence of a constant pressure and high temperature this is pressed to a laminate. CPL has a lower resistance to scratching relative to HPL.

Alternatively, the coating covering at least the main sheet comprises a layer of varnish. The varnish will form a covering coating on the first sides of the layers, thereby protecting the main sheet and giving it a nice finish.

According to an embodiment, the two layers of pressed material form a panel top element and a panel bottom element of a shell casing, which shell casing is further formed having sidewalls comprising the pressed material, whereby the third layer comprises a filling material to fill the shell casing.

The thickness of the panel can be further increased by forming a hollow shell casing of the two layers and at least two side walls, preferably four side walls, and filling the hollow shell casing with a filling material. The filling material can also function to give the panel a desired property as described above. The filling material is preferably a foam, such as a polyurethane foam. A polyurethane foam, e.g. rigid or flexible foam, comprises two liquid components that will foam to many times their original volume after mixing. This foaming volume will take up the space or form in which it is cast. In such a way, a light but strong foam body will be formed within the shell casing functioning as a mould. The strength of the foam body will depend on the density of the used foam. Foams with a low density can highly expand, up to 30 times the original volume, but will have a relatively low hardness. High density foams will expand relatively less, but will form stronger and harder foam bodies.

Preferably, the binder comprises a diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). In addition, the particles of recycled polyurethane preferably comprise rigid polyurethane foam. According to an embodiment, the particles comprise polyurethane granulate. Recycled polyurethane is rather easily ground into a granulate that can be mixed with a suitable binder and pressed into a layer of pressed material.

According to another embodiment, at least one of the edges is provided with a polymer strip. The edges of main sheet can be more vulnerable to damage than the first sides of the main sheet, in particular at the location of the third layer of material. Therefore, the edges can be provided with a polymer strip for covering. Preferably, the polymer strip is cast onto the edges. Casting the polymer strip is done with a specially formed mould provided on the edge of the main sheet. The polymer strip can comprise one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polyurethane (PU).

According to a further embodiment, the edge provided with the polymer strip comprises a groove formed in the pressed material, in which groove a part of the polymer strip is accommodated.

Preferably, the coating further covers the edges of the main sheet. In such a way, the main sheet is covered on both the first sides as well as the edges, protecting the layers of the panel to environmental influences and additionally provide a finish for aesthetic reasons.

The invention also relates to furniture for humid spaces, such as a kitchen or a bathroom, comprising at least one panel as described above. In addition, the furniture can be used in humid environments, such as a tropical climate.

Additionally, the invention relates to the use of a panel as described above in the manufacture of furniture as described above for humid spaces and/or humid environments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated upon reference to the following drawings of a number of exemplary embodiments, in which:

Figure la shows a front view of a first embodiment of the furniture according to the present invention;

Figure lb shows a front view of a second embodiment of the furniture according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross section along A-A or B-B in Fig. la of an embodiment of the panel;

Figure 3a shows a cross section along C-C in Fig. lb of another embodiment of the panel;

Figure 3b shows a cross section along C-C in Fig. lb of an alternative embodiment of the panel;

Figure 4a-c show a further embodiment of the panel having different finishings. DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Figure la shows a front view of a cupboard 1 that is open at the front as an embodiment of the furniture according to the invention. The cupboard 1 comprises a top panel 2 which is supported by support panels 3. A shelve 4 extends between the support panels 3 parallel to the top panel 2. The top panel 2 has a relatively larger thickness than the support panels 3 and the shelve 4. The cupboard 1 has a back panel 5 to close the back side of the cupboard 1. Alternatively, the cupboard may have an open back side, i.e. the back panel 5 is omitted. All panels and shelves of the cupboard 1 are made of the pressed material, as will be shown in figures 2 and 3.

Figure lb shows a front view of a cupboard 6 with drawers 7, 8. The front side of the cupboard 6 is closed with panels 9 that form the front sides of the drawers. The back side of the cupboard 6 may be closed with a back panel 5. The drawers 7, 8 are accommodated in a similar structure as cupboard 2, where an additional bottom panel 10 is provided to support the lower drawer 8. All panels, shelves and drawers of the cupboard 6 are made of the pressed material, as will be shown in figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 shows a cross section along A-A through the top panel 2 and along B-B through the support panels 3 of cupboards 1 and 6. The top panel 2 and the support panels 3 comprise a shell casing 11 formed by two layers 12, 13 of pressed material being a panel top element 12 and a panel bottom element 13, respectively. The shell casing 11 furthermore has sidewalls 14 made of the pressed material. The shell casing is filled with a filling material 15 to give the hollow shell casing strength and firmness. The shell casing may have sidewalls on all sides, i.e. four sidewalls, but when the filling material 15 is a polyurethane foam, one or two sides may be left open, as the polyurethane foam closes off the hollow shell casing.

The filled hollow shell casing 11 then forms the main sheet 16 of the panel 2, 3. The main sheet 16 is furthermore coated with a coating 17 to protect and finish the main sheet 16. Both first sides 21 of the layers 19 facing away from each other are covered by the coating 17, as well as the sidewalls 14 of the main sheet 16. The coating 17 may be a polymer laminate, such as HPL or CPL, but a varnish or lacquer can be used as well.

Figure 3a shows a cross section along C-C through shelve 4 of cupboards 1 and 6. The shelve 4 is formed of a panel 18 made of several layers 19 of the pressed material. In between the layers 19 of the pressed material an adhesive layer 20 is provided. This adhesive layer can be a polyurethane-based adhesive, such as a two-component polyurethane glue, a polyurethane resin or a D4 polyurethane glue. The layers 19 of pressed material with the adhesive layers 20 than form the main sheet 16. Both first sides 21 of the layers 19 facing away from each other are covered by the coating 17, as well as the edges 24 of the main sheet 16. The coating 17 may be a polymer laminate, such as HPL or CPL, but a varnish or lacquer can be used as well.

Figure 3b shows an alternative embodiment of the shelve 4. In this embodiment, a layer 25 of a different material, such as a polymer sheet or a metal sheet, is provided between the layers 19 of pressed material. The connection between the facing second sides 22 of the layers 19 is established by adhesive layers 20. Both first sides 21 of the layers 19 facing away from each other are covered by the coating 17. The coating 17 may be a polymer laminate, such as HPL or CPL, but a varnish or lacquer can be used as well.

Figure 4a-c show a further embodiment of the panel having different finishings. Figure 4a shows a main sheet comprising three layers 19 of the pressed material, connected by layers 20 of adhesive material. The first sides 21 of the layers 19 in the main sheet 16 are covered by a coating 17 as described above. Additionally, the edges 24 of the main sheet 16 are covered by a polymer strip 26, such as an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) strip or polyurethane (PU) strip.

Figure 4b shows another embodiment of the finishing, where the edges 24 of the main sheet 16 are provided with a groove 27. The groove 27 is used for a cast-on polymer strip 28, preferably a PU strip, that engages the groove 27 by the notch 29.

Figure 4c shows a further embodiment of the finishing, where the first sides 21 of the layers 19 and the edges 24 of the main sheet 16 are covered by a layer 30 of varnish or lacquer. The varnish or lacquer may be transparent, but can also include pigments to obtain an opaque, coloured finishing of the main sheet 16, thereby forming a panel 4.

LIST OF PARTS

1. Cupboard 2. Top panel 3. Support panel 4. Shelve 5. Back panel 6. Cupboard 7. Upper drawer 8. Lower drawer 9. Front side of drawer 10. Bottom panel 11. Hollow shell casing 12. Panel top element 13. Panel bottom element 14. Sidewall 15. Filling material 16. Main sheet 17. Coating 18. Panel 19. Layer of pressed material 20. Adhesive layer 21. First side of layer 22. Second side of layer 23. — 24. Edge 25. Third layer of different material 26. Polymer strip 27. Groove 28. Cast-on polymer strip 29. Notch 30. Varnish layer

Claims

A panel for use in wet room furniture, comprising a main plate (16) comprising at least two layers (19) of pressed material comprising particles of recycled polyurethane and a binder, the layers having a first side (21) facing away from each other and thereby forming an outer surface of the main plate, and edges (24) bounding the first sides of the layers, the panel further comprising a cover layer (17) covering at least the first sides of the two layers, wherein between the at least two layers a third layer of a different material (25) is provided with pressed material.

The panel according to claim 1, wherein the two layers of pressed material are a panel upper element (12) and a panel lower element (13) of a shell housing (11), which shell housing is further formed with side walls (14) comprising the pressed material, the third layer comprises a filler material (15) for filling the tray housing.

The panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover layer covering at least the first sides of the main panel comprises a laminate comprising a polymer.

The panel of claim 3, wherein the laminate comprises at least one layer of phenol-soaked paper and at least one layer of melamine resin, such as a High Pressure Laminate (HPL) or Constant Pressure Laminate (CPL).

The panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover layer covering at least the first sides of the main plate comprises a layer of lacquer (30).

The panel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the binder comprises a methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).

The panel according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the recycled polyurethane particles comprise a rigid polyurethane foam.

8. Panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the particles comprise polyurethane granulate.

Panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a polymeric strip (26).

The panel of claim 9, wherein the polymeric strip is molded on the edges.

The panel according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the edge provided with the polymeric strip comprises a groove (27) formed in the pressed material, in which groove a part of the polymeric strip is received.

The panel of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cover layer further covers the edges of the main plate.

Furniture (1,6) for wet rooms, comprising at least one panel according to one of the preceding claims.

Use of a panel according to claims 1-12 in the manufacture of furniture (1, 6) according to claim 13 for a humid environment.