SE538619C2 - Three dimensional bending wooden veneer - Google Patents

Abstract

21 ABSTRACT A three dimensional bending wooden veneer (1) for a home furnishingobject has a front side (2) adapted to be visible in the final home furnishing object,and a back side (1 O) adapted for mounting the veneer (1) to a support layer of thehome furnishing object. The veneer (1) has a veneer thickness (VT) of 0.5 to 2.5mm. Parallel recesses (12, 14, 16, 18) are formed in the back side (10) of theveneer (1) to such a recess depth (RD) that a remaining thickness (RT), which isthat part of the veneer thickness (VT) that remains after making the respectiverecess (12, 14, 16, 18), is 0.02-O.3 mm. Elected for publication: Fig. 1c

Description

THREE D||\/IENSIONAL BENDING WOODEN VENEER Field of the lnvention The present invention relates to a three dimensional bending woodenveneer for a home furnishing object, the veneer having a front side adapted to bevisible in the final home furnishing object, and a back side adapted for mountingthe veneer to a support layer of the home furnishing object, the back side beingprovided with a plurality of parallel recesses.

The present invention also relates to a method of producing a threedimensional bending wooden veneer and an apparatus for producing such a VGFIGGI".

Background of the lnvention Chairs and other home furnishing objects may often be provided with a thinwooden veneer applied to a central support layer, a support layer which may initself be a laminate formed from a plurality of veneers. The thin wooden veneerprovides the home furnishing object with a surface having an attractive feeling andvisual appearance. The wooden veneer may, for example, be made from birch,beech, oak or another desired type of wood. The veneer is bendable, but does noteasily stretch without being cracked. Therefore, it is rather difficult to form morecomplicated structures in which the veneer is to be pressed to a three-dimensionalshape in, e.g., the seating of a chair.

WO 2011/096886 discloses a three dimensional bending veneer and amethod of manufacturing such a bending veneer. lt has been found, however, thatthis veneer is not suitable for the more complicated structures, having a relativelylarge degree of three dimensional bending. ln such structures, having a relativelylarge degree of three dimensional bending, the veneer described inWO 2011/096886 may suffer cracks in its surface structure.

Summary of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide an improved threedimensional bending wooden veneer which more readily adapts to large degreesof three dimensional bending.

This object is achieved by means of a three dimensional bending woodenveneer for a home furnishing object, the veneer having a front side adapted to bevisible in the final home furnishing object, and a back side adapted for mountingthe veneer to a support layer of the home furnishing object, the back side beingprovided with a plurality of parallel recesses, wherein the veneer has a veneerthickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, wherein the recesses have a recess depth RD leavinga remaining thickness RT, being that part of the veneer thickness VT that remainsafter making the respective recess, which is 0.02-0.3 mm.

An advantage of this invention is that with this very thin remaining thicknessRT, the veneer will adapt good also to relatively large degrees of threedimensional bending without the formation of large cracks in the front side of theveneer According to one embodiment the final veneer, which is ready for beingexposed to three dimensional bending, has a substantially flat front side, with noor only few recesses formed therein, and the back side is provided with theplurality of recesses. An advantage of this embodiment is that the veneer willprovide a pleasant appearance, as its front side will have the appearance of anunbroken or almost unbroken veneer surface. Still more preferably, the finalveneer, which is ready for being exposed to three dimensional bending, has a flatfront side, with no recesses formed therein. This provides for an even betterappearance, and a further reduced risk of formation of large cracks during thebending process.

According to one embodiment the veneer thickness is 0.8-2.0 mm. Anadvantage of this veneer thickness is that it increases the ability of the veneer toadapt to large degrees of three dimensional bending without the formation of largecracks.

According to one embodiment the remaining thickness RT is 0.05-O.2 mm.An advantage of this veneer thickness is that it further enhances the ability of the 3 veneer to adapt to large degrees of three dimensional bending without theformation of cracks.

According to one embodiment the recesses each have a largest width RWwhich is O-O.5 mm, more preferably O-O.3 mm. An advantage of this embodimentis that recesses have a relatively limited volume, which reduces the amount ofadhesive that may enter the respective recess during the bending process.Thereby, the risk is reduced that adhesive unintentionally leaks through recessesand reaches the front side of the veneer.

According to one embodiment the back side of the veneer is provided witha plurality of reinforcing threads being non-parallel to the direction of the recessesand extending on top of the recesses. An advantage of this embodiment is that thethreads hold together those ribs that are formed between adjacent recesses, suchthat those ribs will be hindered from moving apart from each other in the processof three dimensional bending. Thereby, the veneer can be exposed to largerdegrees of three dimensional bending without the formation of large cracks.

According to one embodiment the plurality of reinforcing threads extendperpendicular to the direction of the recesses. This embodiment provides a furtherimproved holding together of ribs formed between adjacent recesses.

According to one embodiment the veneer has a first segment which isadapted for being exposed to a first degree of three dimensional bending whenforming a home furnishing object, and at least a second segment which is adaptedfor being exposed to a second degree of three dimensional bending when forminga home furnishing object, wherein the first degree of bending is larger than thesecond degree of bending, wherein the first segment has a first concentration ofreinforcing threads, and the second segment has a second concentration ofreinforcing threads, wherein the first concentration of threads is larger than thesecond concentration of threads. An advantage of this embodiment is that the costof the veneer is reduced, since a higher number of threads is used in that segmentwhere there is a larger degree of three dimensional bending, while a smallernumber of threads is used in that segment where there is a lower degree of threedimensional bending, and, hence, a lower need for reinforcing the veneer.

According to one embodiment the veneer is adapted for forming a chair,wherein the first segment is a backrest segment of the veneer and the second 4 segment is a seat segment of the veneer, wherein the veneer comprises at leastone third segment, the third segment being a transition segment located betweenthe backrest segment and the seat segment, wherein the transition segment isadapted for being exposed to a third degree of three dimensiona| bending, whichis higher than the first and second degrees of three dimensiona| bending, andwherein the transition segment has a third concentration of reinforcing threads,wherein the third concentration of threads is larger than the first and secondconcentrations of threads. An advantage of this embodiment is that a chair withveneer can be formed at a low cost, and the veneer still has the ability to adapt tothe relatively high degree of three dimensiona| bending that occurs in thetransition segment that connects the backrest segment to the seat segment.

According to one embodiment the veneer comprises a first region which isadapted for being exposed to a first degree of three dimensiona| bending, and atleast a second region which is adapted for being exposed to a second degree ofthree dimensiona| bending when forming a home furnishing object, wherein thefirst degree of bending is smaller than the second degree of bending, wherein theparallel recesses are arranged at first mutual distances at the first region andwherein the parallel recesses are arranged at second mutual distances at thesecond region, wherein the first mutual distances are larger than the secondmutual distances. An advantage of this embodiment is that the cost of forming theveneer is reduced, as fewer recesses are made in the first region where there is alower degree of three dimension bending. ln addition to reducing the cost forforming the veneer, there is also a reduced influence on the veneer itself.

According to one embodiment the veneer is adapted for forming a chair,wherein the first region is a first side region of the veneer and the second region isa central region of the veneer, wherein the veneer comprises a second side regionbeing similar to the first side region and located on the opposite side of the centralregion. An advantage of this embodiment is that a chair with veneer having threedimensiona| bending can be formed at a low cost, and with minimum impact to theintegrity of the veneer.

According to one embodiment the mutual distance between recesses is inthe range of 1-12 mm, more preferably in the range of 1.5-8 mm, and still morepreferably in the range of 2-6 mm. An advantage of this embodiment is that 5 efficient production of a three dimensiona| bending wooden veneer can beobtained, wherein the veneer is provided with recesses sufficiently adjacent toeach other to provide for efficient three dimensiona| bending, but wherein therecesses are not so dense as to increase cost and negatively affect the integrity ofthe veneer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved methodof producing a three dimensiona| bending wooden veneer for a home furnishingobject.

This object is achieved by means of a method of producing a threedimensiona| bending wooden veneer for a home furnishing object, the veneerhaving a front side adapted to be visible in the final home furnishing object, and aback side adapted for mounting the veneer to a support layer of the homefurnishing object, the back side being provided with a plurality of parallel recesses,the method comprising: forming a veneer with a veneer thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, and having theback side and the front side, cutting a plurality of parallel recesses in the back side of the veneer, whereinthe cutting is made to such depth RD that a remaining thickness RT, which is thatpart of the veneer thickness VT that remains after cutting the respective recess, is0.02-0.3 mm.

An advantage of this method is that with this very thin remaining thicknessRT, a veneer that will adapt efficiently also to relatively large degrees of threedimensiona| bending can be produced at a low cost.

According to one embodiment the method further includes, prior to saidstep of cutting the parallel recesses, a step of softening a log of wood and a stepof slicing veneer from the thereby softened log of wood, and wherein the methodfurther includes, subsequent to said step of cutting the parallel recesses, a step ofdrying the veneer. An advantage of this method is that the recesses can be cutwith lower force and with lower risk of damaging the veneer, since the veneer isstill, after said step of softening the log of wood and prior to said step of drying,relatively soft.

According to one embodiment, wherein after said step of cutting therecesses a plurality of reinforcing threads are attached to the back side of the 6 veneer on top of the recesses and being non-parallel to the direction of therecesses. An advantage of this embodiment is that the veneer is reinforced suchthat it can better withstand the three dimensiona| bending. According to oneembodiment the threads are attached perpendicular to the direction of therecesses. This embodiment provides for a further improved capability of theveneer to withstand the three dimensiona| bending.

According to one embodiment the veneer has a first segment which isadapted for being exposed to a first degree of three dimensiona| bending whenforming a home furnishing object, and at least a second segment which is adaptedfor being exposed to a second degree of three dimensiona| bending when forminga home furnishing object, wherein the first degree of bending is larger than thesecond degree of bending, wherein reinforcing threads are attached at a firstconcentration to the first segment, and reinforcing threads are attached at asecond concentration at the second segment, wherein the first concentration ofthreads is larger than the second concentration of threads. An advantage of thisembodiment is that production of the veneer becomes cheaper, as the threads areattached in a lower concentration in those locations where a high concentration isnotneeded.

According to one embodiment, reinforcing threads are attached to the backside of the veneer non-parallel to the direction of the recesses after said step ofdrying the veneer. An advantage of this embodiment is that it is easier to ensure aproper attachment of the threads when applied on a dried veneer. Preferably, thethreads are attached perpendicular to the direction of the recesses, to obtain afurther improved capability of the veneer to be three dimensionally bent withoutthe formation of large cracks.

According to one embodiment, the veneer comprises a first region which isadapted for being exposed to a first degree of three dimensiona| bending, and atleast a second region which is adapted for being exposed to a second degree ofthree dimensiona| bending when forming a home furnishing object, wherein thefirst degree of bending is smaller than the second degree of bending, wherein saidstep of cutting the parallel recesses involves cutting recesses at first mutualdistances at the first region and cutting the recesses at second mutual distances at the second region, wherein the first mutual distances are larger than the second 7 mutual distances. An advantage of this embodiment is that the number ofrecesses formed is minimized.

According to one aspect a method of producing a home furnishing object isprovided, the method comprising applying a veneer as described above, or aveneer formed according to the method described above, to a support layer withthe back side of the veneer facing the support layer, and pressing the veneer andthe support layer to a desired three dimensional shape. This method is veryefficient for producing home furnishing objects, so that home furnishing objectscan be produced at a low cost.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which isefficient for producing a three dimensional bending wooden veneer.

This object is achieved by means of an apparatus for producing a threedimensional bending wooden veneer for a home furnishing object, the veneerhaving a front side adapted to be visible in the final home furnishing object , and aback side adapted for mounting the veneer to a support layer of the homefurnishing object, the back side being provided with a plurality of parallel recesses,wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of parallel cutting blades arrangedwith blade dividers between them to form a veneer recess cutting roller, the cuttingblades being adapted to cut recesses against an anvil in a veneer having aveneer thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, to such a recess depth RD that a remainingthickness RT, which is that part of the veneer thickness VT that remains aftermaking the respective recess, is 0.02-0.3 mm.

An advantage of this apparatus is that it provides for very accurate formingof well-defined recesses with the desired properties for obtaining a threedimensional bending wooden veneer.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a cuttingroller anvil roller provided with pressure surfaces adapted for pressing on theblade dividers of the cutting roller. An advantage of this embodiment is that thedepth of parallel recesses will be kept constant over the entire surface of theveneer Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description and the claims.

Brief description of the Drawinqs The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theappended drawings in which: Fig. 1a is a plan view of a front side of a three dimensional bending woodenveneer Fig. 1b is a plan view of a back side of the three dimensional bendingwooden veneer.

Fig. 1c is a cross section as seen along the arrows lc-lc of Fig. 1b.

Fig. 1d is a cross section as seen along the arrows ld-ld of Fig. 1b.

Fig. 2a is three dimensional illustration of layers intended for forming a chairseat.

Fig. 2b is a three dimensional illustration of a chair seat formed by pressingthe layers illustrated in Fig. 2a.

Fig. 3 is a process diagram illustrating the steps of forming a veneer.

Fig. 4a illustrates a cutting blade for cutting recesses in a veneer.

Fig. 4b illustrates a cross section of the cutting blade of Fig. 4a.

Fig. 4c illustrates an apparatus for cutting recesses in a veneer.

Fig. 4d is an enlarged side view illustrating a cutting roller veneer releaseblade.

Description of preferred Embodiments Fig. 1a illustrates a three dimensional bending wooden veneer 1 adaptedfor forming a home furnishing object. The illustration of Fig. 1a illustrates a frontside 2 of the veneer 1. The front side 2 is that side of the veneer 1 which will bevisible in the home furnishing object, and it is the side which will be facingoutwards. ln the embodiment of Fig. 1a the veneer 1 is intended for a homefurnishing object in the form of a chair.

The veneer 1 is divided, looking at it in a vertical direction, into a first,second and third segment, wherein the first segment is a backrest segment 4, thesecond segment is a seat segment 6, and the third segment is a transitionsegment 8, forming the transition between the backrest segment 4 and the seat segment 6. 9 Furthermore, the veneer 1 is divided, looking at it in a horizontal direction,in a central region CR arranged between two side regions SR.

Fig. 1b illustrates the back side 10 of the veneer 1. The back side 10 of theveneer 1 is adapted for being attached, e.g. by means of a glue, to a support layerforming an internal force bearing structure of the chair. Hence, the back side 10 ofthe veneer 1 will not be visible in the final chair.

The back side 10 is provided with a plurality of parallel recesses 12, 14, 16,18 formed in the veneer 1. The recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 could be provided withshort interruptions 20. The interruptions 20 are formed in different locations alongthe recesses 12, 14, 16, 18, and the interruptions 20 form an irregular pattern onthe back side 10.

According to an alternative embodiment the recesses may be continuousrecesses, extending over the entire length of the back side 10, and lackinginterruptions.

Preferably, the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 extend in a direction which isparallel to the fibre direction of the wooden veneer 1.

The integrity of the veneer 1 should be maintained also during theapplication to the support layer, and during the forming of a three-dimensionalstructure. To this end, the back side 10 of the veneer 1 is provided with a pluralityof reinforcing threads 22. The reinforcing threads 22 extend along a directionwhich is non-parallel to the direction of the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18. ln theembodiment shown in Fig. 1b the threads 22 extend along a direction which isperpendicular to the direction of the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18, and on top of these,as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The reinforcing threads 22 arepreferably made of a relatively inflexible material, such as glass fiber, and arepreferably glued to the back side 10.

Fig. 1c illustrates a portion of the veneer 1 as seen along the cross-sectiondefined by the arrows lc-lc of Fig. 1b. As can be seen the front side 2 is a smoothunaffected surface, while the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 and the threads 22 arearranged at the back side 10.

For the veneer 1 to be bendable in three dimensional manner it preferablyhas a veneer thickness VT of 0.5-2.5 mm, more preferably 0.8-2.0 mm. Therecesses 12, 14, 16, 18 should be formed with such a recess depth RD that a remaining thickness RT, which is that part of the veneer thickness VT that remainsafter making the recess, is 0.02-0.3 mm, more preferably 0.05-0.2 mm. Hence, forexample, if the veneer thickness VT is 1.5 mm, and the remaining thickness RT is0.1 mm, then the recess depth RD is 1.4 mm.

The recesses each have a largest width RW, which is normally located atthe entry of the respective recess 12, 14, 16, 18 into the back side 10, which is O-O.5 mm, more preferably O-O.3 mm. The mutual distance l\/ID1, l\/ID2 betweenadjacent recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 is preferably in the range of 1-12 mm, morepreferably in the range of 1.5-8 mm to obtain efficient properties for threedimensional bending.

As can be seen from Fig. 1c the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18, which extendthrough the major part of the thickness VT of the veneer 1, form between themribs 24, 25 that are only held together by the remaining thicknesses RT and,additionally, the threads 22. The ribs 24 have a first width l\/ID1 which is the sameas a first mutual distance l\/ID1 of the recesses 12, 14, 16. During the threedimensional bending process these ribs 24 will at least partly break free from eachother, due to the relatively thin thickness RT, to move relatively freely relative toeach other in their length direction, thereby adapting to the three-dimensionalshape which is intended for the chair.

According to one embodiment, the mutual distance is different for differentregions of the veneer 1, depending on the degree of three dimensional bendingthat is expected for that region. Hence, for example, the first mutual distance l\/ID1in the side region SR may be larger than a second mutual distance l\/ID2 in thecentral region CR, where the degree of three dimensional bending is larger.Correspondingly, ribs 25 of the central region CR will have a width l\/ID2 which issmaller than the width l\/ID1 of the ribs 24 of the side region SR.

Fig. 1d illustrates the veneer 1 as seen in the cross-section ld-ld of Fig. 1b.As described already with reference to Fig. 1c the front side 2 is smooth, and theback side 10 is provided with recesses, best illustrated in Fig. 1c, and a number ofreinforcing threads 22.

The backrest segment 4, the seat segment 6 and the transition segment 8will be exposed to different degrees of three dimensional bending and thereforehave different concentrations of reinforcing threads 22. The backrest segment 4 11 will be exposed to a medium degree of three dimensiona| bending. Therefore, thebackrest segment 4 will have a first concentration of reinforcing threads 22. Thisfirst concentration could, for example, be 8 threads/meter, meaning that therewould be a first thread distance TD1 of 12,5 cm between two adjacent threads 22.The seat segment 6 will be exposed to a low degree of three dimensiona| bending.Therefore, the seat segment 6 will have a second concentration of reinforcingthreads 22. This second concentration could, for example, be 5 threads/meter.Thereby, there would be a second thread distance TD2 of 20 cm between twoadjacent threads 22 in the seat segment 6. The transition segment 8 will beexposed to a high degree of three dimensiona| bending. Therefore, the transitionsegment 8 will have a third concentration of reinforcing threads 22. This thirdconcentration could, for example, be 20 threads/meter. A third thread distanceTD3 between two adjacent threads 22 in the transition segment 8 would hence be5 cm. ln addition to the segments 4, 6 and 8 having different concentrations ofthreads 22 between them, it is also possible to vary the concentration of threads22 within the segment, since also different portions of a segment are exposed todifferent degrees of three dimensiona| bending.

Fig. 2a illustrates schematically the three layers used for forming a chairseat. A first layer is the three dimensiona| bending wooden veneer 1 describedhereinbefore with reference to Figs. 1a-1d. The veneer 1, which is ready for beingexposed to three dimensiona| bending, has a substantially flat front side 2, with noor only few recesses formed therein, and the back side 10 is provided with theplurality of recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 as described hereinbefore. The veneer 1 isarranged with its front side 2 facing outwardly, and its back side 10 facing a centralsupport layer 26. The central support layer 26 may, for example, be a plywoodsheet, a number of veneers layered on top of each other, a fibre board sheet, e.g.High Density Fibre (HDF) board or l\/ledium Density Fibre (l\/IDF) board, a woodensheet, or another type of layer that is suitable for providing support for the veneer1 and giving sufficient strength to the chair or other object. A second veneer 11 isarranged below, as seen in the illustration of Fig. 2a, the central support layer 26.The second veneer 11 is preferably made according to the same principles asdescribed above with regard to the veneer 1, although the second veneer 11 may, 12 for example, have a different size, thickness, etc. since the requirements thereonmay differ slightly from the requirements on the first veneer 1. Hence, a front side2 of the second veneer 11 faces outwardiy, and a back side 10, having thereonrecesses 12, 14, etc. and reinforcing threads 22, faces the central support layer26. An adhesive, such as glue, may be applied to the respective back sides 10, oron the support layer 26, prior to pressing them.

Fig. 2b illustrates a final chair seat 28 having the first veneer 1 facing aperson sitting on the chair seat 28, with the smooth front side 2 facing the personsitting in the chair, and having the second veneer 11 forming the back of the chairseat 28, with its smooth front side 2 facing outwardly. lt is clear from Fig. 2b thatthe backrest segment 4 has a medium degree of three dimensional bending, thatthe seat segment 6 has a low degree of three dimensional bending, and that thetransition segment 8 has a high degree of three dimensional bending.

Fig. 3 illustrates the steps involved in forming a three dimensional bendingwooden veneer, for example the veneer 1 illustrated in Figs. 1a-1d. ln a first step 30 a log of wood is softened. The softening of the log couldinvolve soaking in water. The soaking could, for example, involve submerging thewooden log in water at elevated temperature, such as 80-1 OO °C, for a couple ofhours. lf the log of wood is from a very recently felled tree it may still be sufficientlysoft so that soaking time can be reduced, or that soaking can even be dispensedof. ln a second step 32 the log of wood is exposed to veneer slicing. Veneerslicing can be made in different ways, including rotating the log adjacent to a longknife to slice off veneer, or using a reciprocating knife to slice off sheets of veneerfrom the log. ln a third step 34 the veneer is formatted for its intended end use. This mayinvolve forming e.g. a veneer having the kind of plan view shape illustrated in Fig.1a, if the veneer is intended for a chair. ln a fourth step 36 the veneer is subjected to cutting of the recesses 12, 14,16, 18 illustrated hereinbefore with reference to Figs. 1b and 1c. The cutting of therecesses is preferably done while the veneer is still soft after the soaking in thefirst step 30. 13 ln a fifth step 38 the veneer is dried. Such drying can be achieved invarious ways, including holding the veneer between hot plates. ln a sixth step 40 the reinforcing threads are applied to the dried veneer.The reinforcing threads 22, best illustrated hereinbefore with reference to Fig. 1band 1d, could be applied manually or by means of an application device. Asuitable adhesive, for example hot melt glue, could be used for attaching thethreads 22 to the back side 10 of the veneer.

Finally, noted as 42 in Fig. 3, a complete three dimensional bendingwooden veneer 1 has been produced, and is ready for forming, e.g., a chair, asillustrated in Figs. 2a-2b.

Fig. 4a illustrates a circular cutting blade 50 adapted for cutting therecesses 12, 14, 16, 18, best shown in Fig. 1c. The cutting blade 50 has a mainbody 52 and a peripheral cutting edge 54. The cutting blade 50 also has a centralmounting hole 56, making it possible to mount the cutting blade 50 to a shaft toform a cutting roller, as will be described hereinafter.

Optionally, the cutting edge 54 may be provided with one or more slots 58.At the slots 58 no recess is formed in the veneer, and, hence, an interruption 20 isformed in the recess, as shown in Fig. 1b. lf there are no slots in the cutting edge54, then the cutting blade 50 will form continuous recesses in the veneer.

Fig. 4b illustrates a cross-section of the cutting blade 50, taken along thesection lVb-lVb of Fig. 4a. The main body 52 may typically be made of razor bladesteel, and may, for example, have a thickness TB of 0.05-1.0 mm, more preferably0.1 -0.5 mm. The cutting edge 54 starts at the same thickness TB as the mainbody 52 and ends with a sharp point 60 to efficiently cut the recesses in theveneer Fig. 4c illustrates a recess cutting apparatus 62 for cutting recesses in aveneer blank 64. The apparatus 62 comprises a veneer recess cutting roller 66, aveneer anvil table 68, a cutting roller anvil roller 70, and a cutting roller veneerrelease blade 72.

The veneer recess cutting roller 66 comprises a plurality of cutting blades50 mounted on a shaft with circular blade dividers 74 between them. The bladedividers 74 have a smaller outer diameter than the cutting blades 50, andtherefore the cutting edges 54 will extend beyond the outer periphery 76 of the 14 blade dividers 74. The blade dividers 74 may have different widths BD1, BD2 toobtain the different desired mutual distances l\/ID1, l\/ID2 between recesses, asillustrated in Fig. 1c.

The cutting blades 50, if having the slots 58, are arranged on the roller 66such that slots 58 of adjacent cutting blades 50 do not match with each other.Preferably, the slots 58 of all cutting blades 50 are arranged in a random manner,such that interruptions 20 formed in the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 are randomlyspread over the back side 10 of the veneer 1.

The veneer anvil table 68 is arranged to support the veneer blank 64 duringthe recess cutting with the roller 66, such that recesses of accurate depth can becut, thereby obtain the desired remaining thickness RT, as illustrated in Fig. 1c.

The cutting roller anvil roller 70 is arranged for keeping a high, even andpredictable cutting pressure from the roller 66 on the veneer blank 64. The anvilroller 70 is provided with pressure surfaces 78 that exert pressure on the outerperipheries 76 of the blade dividers 74. The anvil roller 70 has edge recesses 80arranged between the pressure surfaces 78 to accommodate the cutting edges 54of the cutting blades 50 of the roller 66 such that no pressure is exerted directly onthe edges 54.

Fig. 4d illustrates the cutting roller veneer release blade 72 in more detail.The release blade 72 is arranged to ensure that the veneer blank 64 is releasedfrom the respective cutting edges 54 after the recess cutting. To this end therelease blade 72 comprises a body portion 82 being provided with a number ofelongated parallel slots 84, best shown in the A-A view at the lower end of Fig. 4d.The parallel slots 84 match the parallel cutting edges 54 of the parallel cuttingblades 50, and the cutting edges 54 extend through the slots 84 and down into theveneer blank 64. Between the parallel slots 84 the body portion 82 has connectingportions 86 that match the widths BD1, BD2 of the blade dividers 74.

During the cutting of recesses the veneer blank 64 is forwarded in thedirection of the arrow VD. During such cutting of recesses in the veneer blank 64 itis possible that the veneer blank 64 becomes attached to the cutting edges 54 byfriction between the cutting edges 54 and the side walls of the recesses that arecut in the veneer blank 64. lf that would happen the underside 88 of the release blade 72 serves as an anvil that releases the veneer blank 64 from the cuttingedges 54. lt will be appreciated that numerous variants of the above describedembodiments are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Hereinbefore it has been described that the recesses 12, 14, 16, 18 areprovided with optional interruptions 20. lf interruptions are present, they preferablyhave a length of 1-5 mm, and preferably occur at mutual distances, as seen alongthe recesses 12, 14, 16, 18, exceeding 25 mm.

To summarize, a three dimensional bending wooden veneer (1) for a homefurnishing object has a front side (2) adapted to be visible in the final homefurnishing object, and a back side (10) adapted for mounting the veneer to asupport layer (26) of the home furnishing object. The veneer (1) has a veneerthickness (VT) of 0.5 to 2.5 mm. Parallel recesses (12, 14, 16, 18) are formed inthe back side (10) of the veneer (1) to such a recess depth (RD) that a remainingthickness (RT), which is that part of the veneer thickness (VT) that remains aftermaking the respective recess (12, 14, 16, 18), is 0.02-O.3 mm.

Claims (16)

16 cLAis/is,

1. A three dimensionai bending vvooden veneer for a home furnishing object, the veneer having a front side (2) adapted to be visibie in the finai homefurnishing object , and a back side (16) adapted for mounting the veneer toa support iayer (2ê) of the home furnishing object, the back side (16) beingprovided with a piuraiity of paraiiei recesses (12, 14, 16, 18), o h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the veneer (1) has a veneer thickness (VT) of6.5 to 2.5 mm, wherein the recesses (12, 14, 16, 18) have a recess depth(RD) ieaving a remaining thickness (RT), being that part of the veneerthickness (VT) that remains after making the respective recess (12, 14, 16,18), which is 0132-63 mm.

2. . A veneer according to ciaim 1, wherein the back side (16) of the veneer (1) is provided with a piuraiity of reinforcing threads (22) being non-paraiiei tothe direction of the reoesses (12, 14, 16, 18) and extending on top of the FGCQSSGS.

3. . A veneer according to ciaim 2, wherein the veneer (1) has a first segment (4) which is adapted for being exposed to a first degree of threedimensionai bending when forming a home furnishing object, and at ieast asecond segment (6) which is adapted for being exposed to a seconddegree of three dimensionai bending when forrning a home furnishingobject, wherein the first degree of bending is iarger than the second degreeof bending, wherein the first segment (4) has a first concentration ofreinforoing threads (22), and the second segment (6) has a secondconcentration of reinforcing threads (22), wherein the first ooncentration of threads (22) is iarger than the second concentration of threads (22).

4. . A veneer according to ciaim 3, wherein the veneer (1) is adapted for forming a chair (28), vvherein the first segment is a backrest segment (4) ofthe veneer (1) and the second segment is a seat segment (6) of the veneer (1), wherein the veneer (1) comprises at ieast one third segment (8), the 1G 2G 17 third segment being a transition segment (8) iocated between the backrestsegment (4) and the seat segment (6), wherein the transition segment (8) isadapted for being exposed to a third degree of three dimensionai hending,which is higher than the first and second degrees of three dimensionaibending, and wherein the transition segment (8) has a third concentration ofreinfcrcing threads (22), wherein the third concentration of threads (22) is iargerthan the first and second concentrations of threads (22).

5. . A veneer according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein the veneer (1) comprises a first region (SR) which is adapted for being exposed to afirst degree of three dimensionai hending, and at ieast a second region(CR) which is adapted for being exposed to a second degree of threedimensionai bending when forrning a home furnishing object, wherein thefirst degree of bending is smaiier than the second degree of bending,wherein the paraiiei recesses (12, 14, 16) are arranged at first mutuaidistances (Nim) at the first region (SR) and wherein the paraiiei recesses(18) are arranged at second mutuai distances (iii/iÜ2) at the second region(CR), wherein the first rnutuai distances (ivißt) are iarger than the second mutoai distances (MDZ).

6. . A veneer according to ciairn 5, wherein the veneer (t) is adapted for forrning a chair (28), wherein the first region is a first side region (SR) of theveneer (t) and the second region is a centrai region (CR) of the veneer (1),wherein the veneer (1) comprises a second side region (SR) being sirniiarto the first side region and iocated on the opposite side of the centra! region(CR).

7. . A veneer according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein a mutuai distance (h/iüi; iviili2) between recesses (12, 14, 16 ,18) is in the range of 1-12 mm, more preferahiy in the range of 1.5~8 mm.

8. _ A method of producing a three dimensionai bending wooden veneer for a home furnishing object, the veneer having a front side (2) adapted to be 18 visibie in the fina! home furnishing object, and a back side (10) adapted formounting the veneer to a support iayer (26) of the home furnishing object,the back side (10) being provided with a piuraiity of paraiiei recesses (12,14, 16, 18), the method comprising: forming a veneer with a veneer thickness (VT) of 0.5 to 2.6 mm, cutting a piuraiity of paraliei recesses (12, 14, 16, 18) in the back side(16) of the veneer (1 ), wherein the cutting is made to such depth (RD) thata remaining thickness (RT), which is that part of the veneer thickness (VT) that remains after cutting the respective recess, is 662-113 mm.

9. A method according to ciaim 8, wherein the method inciudes, prior to saidstep of cutting the paraiiei recesses, a step (36) of softening a tog of woodand a step (32) of siicing veneer from the thereby softened iog of wood, andwherein the method further includes, subsequent to said step (36) of cuttingthe paraiiei recesses (12, 14, 16, 18), a step (36) ofdrying the veneer.

10. 16. A method according to any one of ciaims 8-9, wherein, after said step (36)

11. of cutting the recesses, a piuraiity of reinforcing threads (22) are attachedto the back side (16) of the veneer on top of the recesses and such as toextend in a direction being non-paraiiei to the direction of the recesses (12,14, 16, 16). A method according to ciaim 10, wherein the veneer (1) has a firstsegment (4) which is adapted for being exposed to a first degree of threedimensionai bending when forrning a home furnishing object, and at ieast asecond segment (6) which is adapted for being exposed to a seconddegree of three dimensionai bending when forming a home furnishingobject , wherein the first degree of bending is iarger than the second degreeof bending, wherein reinforcing threads (22) are attached at a firstconoentration to the first segment (4), and reinforcing threads (22) areattached at a second conoentration to the second segment (6), wherein thefirst concentration of threads (22) is iarger than the second concentration ofthreads (22). 19

12. A method according to any one of ciaims 6-11, wherein reinforcing threads (22) are attached to the back side (16) of the veneer (1) non-paraiiei to thedirection of the recesses (12, 14, 16, 18) after said step (36) of drying the Vëfiêêi".

13. A method according to any one of ciaims 8-12, wherein the veneer comprises a first region (SR) which is adapted for being exposed to a firstdegree of three dimensionai bending, and at ieast a second region (CR)which is adapted for being exposed to a second degree of threedimensionai bending when forming a home furnishing object, wherein thefirst degree of bending is srnaiier than the second degree of bending,wherein said step (36) of cutting the paraitet recesses (12, 14, 16) invoivescutting recesses at first rnutuai distances (Nim) at the first region (SR) andcutting the recesses (18) at second mutuai distances (iVEDZ) at the secondregion (CR), wherein the first mutuai distances (iviüt) are iarger than the second mutuai distances (MDZ).

14. A method of producing a home furnishing object, the method comprising appiying a veneer (1) according to any one of ciairns 1-7, or a veneerformed according to the method of any one of ciaims 8-13, to a supportiayer (26) with the back side (10) of the veneer (1) facing the support iayer(26), and pressing the veneer (1) and the support iayer (26) to a desired three dimensionai shape.

15. An apparatus for producing a three dimensionai bending wooden veneer for a home furnishing object, the veneer (1) having a front side (2) adaptedto be visibie in the finai home furnishing object, and a back side (10)adapted for mounting the veneer (1) to a support iayer (26) of the homefurnishing object, the back side (16) being provided with a piuraiity ofparaIieirecesses(12,14-, 16,18), c h a r a c t e ri s e d in that theapparatus comprises a piuraiity of paraiiei cutting biades (66) arranged withbiade dividers (74) between them to form a veneer recess outting roiier (66), the cutting biades (50) being adapted to cut recesses against an anvii 2G (68) in a veneer having a veneer thicknees (VT) of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, to such arecese depth (RD) that a remaining thiokness (RT), which is that part of theveneer thickneee (VT) that remains after making the respective recess, ie032-93 mm.

16. Apparatus according to ciairn 15, wherein the apparatus further cornprisesa cutting roiier anvii roiier (70) provided with pressure surtacee (78) adaptedfor pressing on the biade dividers (Y4) of the cutting roiier (62). 1G