WO2008006488A2

WO2008006488A2 - Overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, and process for manufacturing it

Info

Publication number: WO2008006488A2
Application number: PCT/EP2007/005877
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pietro Lorenzo Fedrigoli
Original assignee: Pietro Lorenzo Fedrigoli
Priority date: 2006-07-10
Filing date: 2007-07-03
Publication date: 2008-01-17
Also published as: ITVR20060114A1; WO2008006488A3

Abstract

Overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, and process for manufacturing it, comprises a body having parts made with stone material and glass parts shaped as a band and arranged separately and substantially parallel to one another.

Description

OVERLAY ELEMENT IN THE FORM OF A SHEET FOR WALL SURFACES OR FLOORS, AND PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING IT

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, and to the process for manufacturing it.

The need to have overlay elements for wall surfaces of floors which have been manufactured by combining different materials, such as plastic materials, stone materials, glass, wood or the like, to satisfy modern taste and style trends is currently well known in the construction sector in general and in the interior architecture sector in particular.

However, in the overlay elements of this type the tendency is to generally favor the quality of the aesthetic appearance to the detriment of the mechanical strength of the assembly.

The main objective of the present invention consists of providing a valid solution to this problem by providing an overlay element in the form of a sheet which can make maximum use of the aesthetic value of the stone and glass materials. Another object of the present invention consists of providing a process which allows obtaining elements in the form of an overlay sheet, which elements can offer mechanical strength assurances apart from optimizing the aesthetic features.

Another additional object of the present invention consists of providing an overlay element in the form of a sheet having a moderate weight for the purpose of facilitating its on-site placement .

Another object of the present invention consists of providing an overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors which is highly innovative in the commercial field in which it is located.

A final object of the present invention consists of providing a process for manufacturing elements in the form of an overlay sheet made of stone material with glass insertions, which is easy and practical to carry out and can be carried out with very reasonable costs .

This objective, as well as these and other objects which will be better described below, are reached by means of an overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, characterized in that it comprises a body having parts made with stone material and glass parts shaped as a band and arranged separately and substantially parallel to one another.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the description of several preferred, although not exclusive, embodiments of the overlay element in the form of a sheet according to the invention, shown in an indicative and non-limiting manner and shown in the attached drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 5 schematically show partially sectional perspective views of the sequence of steps of a possible process for manufacturing the overlay element in the form of a sheet according to the invention;

Figures 6 and 7 show partially sectional perspective views of two embodiments of the overlay element in the form of a sheet according to the invention;

Figures 8 to 12 schematically show perspective views of the sequence of steps of another process which can be used to manufacture the overlay element in the form of a sheet according to the invention, and

Figures 13 to 16 sequentially show the different steps of another process which can be used to manufacture the overlay element in the form of a sheet according to the invention.

With reference to the mentioned figures, the overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, indicated as a whole with reference number 1, according to the invention, has a body 2 with a thickness preferably comprised between 5 and 35 mm which is provided with parts 3 made with stone material and with glass parts 4 having an elongated shape by way of a band and being arranged separately and substantially parallel to one another.

It must be observed that the glass parts 4, apart from aesthetically decorating the body 2, also have the important function of making the body 2 structurally robust as a whole, the weight being contextually limited.

The glass parts 4 advantageously affect the entire thickness of the body 2 and preferably have a transverse dimension substantially comprised between 3 and 15 mm, for the purpose of providing an optimal mechanical strength contribution to the element 1 in the form of a sheet.

As shown in a purely illustrative manner in Figure 7, the glass parts 4 can appropriately be placed in localized areas of the body 2 which can vary either according to the aesthetic needs or in relation to the required mechanical strength.

As an alternative, as shown in Figure 6, the glass parts 4 can extend longitudinally from one end of the body 2 to the other and can be advantageously arranged in an alternate manner with the parts 3 made with stone material. The parts 3 can appropriately be made with marble or granite parts, or can be made by means of an agglomerate formed by stone material granules, the stone being marble or another type of stone, embedded in a substantially transparent polymerized resin, such as polyester or epoxy resin for example, as will be clearly described below.

It must be observed that the stone material granules preferably have dimensions comprised between 0.6 and 7 mm, such that they create an agglomerate having, in practice, a natural stone appearance. Advantageously, for a better mechanical strength assurance of the assembly, it can also be provided that a reinforcing layer 7 is coupled to at least one side of the body 2, which layer is preferably formed by a glass fiber mat impregnated with epoxy resin. The element in the form of a sheet according to the invention can be obtained by means of un process, shown in Figures 1 to 4, which consists of introducing in a mold 8 a plurality of glass sheets 9 with a thickness preferably comprised substantially between 3 and 15 mm, which sheets are placed on the bottom of the mold 8 itself such that they are separate and substantially parallel to one another.

More particularly, the glass sheets 9 are appropriately supported on the bottom of the mold 8 with their support plane perpendicular to the bottom of the mold 8.

To facilitate the placing of the glass sheets 9, recesses 10 have appropriately been provided for the insertion of the edge areas of the glass sheets 9.

An agglomerate 11 is then poured into the cavities of the mold 8 which are free of glass sheets 9, which agglomerate is formed by an unpolymerized, preferably polyester or epoxy resin mass, including therein stone material granules, with dimensions comprised between 0.6 and 7 mm.

After these preliminary operations, the mold 8 is closed with a countermold 13 exerting pressure, preferably by means of a press, for the purpose of suitably compacting the agglomerate 11.

The countermold 13 is appropriately shaped in a manner corresponding to the mold 8, with respective recesses 10 which are coupled to the free edge areas of the glass sheets 9. At this point, the resin is polymerized, preferably by means of exposing the part to a heat source.

In particular, it is provided that the closed mold be introduced in an oven 14 in order to heat it.

It must be clarified that it is preferable for the surface of the glass sheets 9 to be sanded to increase the possibilities of adhesion between the resin of the agglomerate 11 and the glass sheets 9.

Once the polymerization has ended, the obtained part 15 is removed from the mold and is appropriately subjected to finishing with the elimination of the edge areas of the glass sheets 9 projecting from the surface of the part.

It is therefore evident that a body 2 with the glass parts 4 made from the glass sheets 9 and with the parts 3 made from the agglomerate 11 is obtained with the process described above.

It is therefore observed that the process described above is particularly suitable for manufacturing elements in the form of a sheet according to the invention, in the embodiment which has been shown by way of example in Figure 7. With reference to Figures 8 to 12, another possible process which allows manufacturing elements in the form of an overlay sheet according to the invention essentially consists of forming a packet 20 of stone material sheets 21 with intercalated glass sheets 22 by means of placing adhesive material, and then cutting the obtained packet 20 by means of cuts that are substantially perpendicular to the sheets 21 and 22, such that parts 23 with a predetermined thickness are obtained formed by stone material layers 23a intercalated with glass layers 23b.

In particular, the packet 20 is formed for example by stacking the different stone material sheets 21 one after the other, alternating them with the glass sheets 22, after having deposited an adhesive material layer.

The stone material sheets 21 are preferably made of marble and appropriately have a thickness that is substantially comprised between 20 and 50 mm, whereas the glass sheets 22 have a thickness substantially comprised between 3 and 15 mm.

An epoxy resin can preferably but not necessarily be used as an adhesive material to be used in forming the packet 20.

The compaction of the packet 20 by means of creating a vacuum between the sheets 21 and 22 is appropriately provided before the cutting step.

To that end, the packet 20 can be placed in a chamber 24 connected to a vacuum source that is generally formed by air suction devices 25 of the type known in itself. It can advantageously be provided that the packet 20 is cut with a small thickness, for the purpose of directly obtaining elements in the form of sheets according to the invention that already have the final thickness, to which a reinforcing layer 7 can eventually be applied on one of their sides, which reinforcing layer is preferably formed by a glass fiber mat impregnated with epoxy resin.

As an alternative, the packet 20 can be cut such that several parts 23 having a thickness substantially comprised between 20 and 50 mm are obtained.

In this case, as has been shown in Figure 11, a reinforcing layer 7 is appropriately applied between both sides of the parts 23, which layer is preferably formed, as in the previous case, by a glass fiber mat impregnated with epoxy resin, and the parts 23 are then split into two parts by means of cutting along a plane 27 that is substantially parallel to the sides of the parts 23, such that two elements in the form of a sheet according to the invention are obtained from each of the parts 23, as shown in Figure 12. Another process, shown by way of example in Figures 13 to 16, can be used to manufacture the elements in the form of a sheet according to the invention.

This other process consists of arranging on a support plane 30, reciprocally opposite and pressed against one another, a plurality of stone material bars 31, the stone being marble or the like, and a plurality of glass bars 32 intercalated between the stone material bars 31, providing the placing of a binding material layer between the different bars 31, 32.

The bars 31, 32 forming the assembly thus obtained are successively joined to one another by means of polymerizing the binding material, directly obtaining an element in the form of a sheet according to the invention.

The stone material bars 31 are preferably carried out with a thickness comprised between 10 and 30 mm, whereas the glass bars 32 have a thickness comprised between 5 and 10 mm.

Furthermore, both the stone material bars 31 and the glass bars 32 appropriately have a transverse dimension which is substantially comprised between 5 and 35 mm and, more preferably between 15 and 35 mm.

In this case, the binding material is preferably formed by an acrylic resin, and its polymerization is carried out by means of exposing the assembly to ultraviolet rays.

The exposure of the assembly to ultraviolet rays for a time substantially comprised between 45 seconds and 2 minutes is appropriately provided.

This process can advantageously be carried out using equipment, indicated as a whole with number 34, in which the support plane 30 is defined by conveyor means formed by a conveyor belt or another similar device for example.

In particular, such conveying means can move on command to convey the stone material bars 31 and the glass bars 32 supported on the support plane 30 through a binding material polymerization station 35 formed, for example, by a tunnel provided with ultraviolet ray lamps 36 arranged opposite to the support plane 30.

The bars 31 and 32 advantageously remain in the tunnel 37 for the time necessary for the polymerization of the binding material, such that an already finished element in the form of a sheet according to the invention can be obtained at the outlet of the polymerization station 35.

It must be observed that a pair of stop elements 37 can be appropriately provided on the support plane 30, which stop elements can move mutually closer to one another to keep the different bars 31 and 32 arranged on the conveyor means pressed to one another, at least until the outlet of the polymerization station 35.

Additionally, after the polymerization of the binding material, a reinforcing layer can eventually be applied on one of the sides having the largest area of the obtained assembly, which layer is formed by a mat made with glass fiber and impregnated with epoxy resin for example.

It is also possible to provide the application of a reinforcing layer between both sides having the largest area of the obtained assembly, then sub-splitting the assembly into two parts by means of cutting along a plane that is substantially parallel to its sides having the largest area, thus obtaining two elements in the form of a sheet according to the invention. In order to carry out the reinforcing layers, glass fiber mats impregnated with an epoxy resin, for example, can also be used in this latter case.

It has been found in practice that the invention complies, in all its embodiments, with the objectives foreseen therefor, while at the same time it allows obtaining an overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors which can optimally combine suitable mechanical strength with a very high aesthetic value.

All the features of the invention, previously indicated as advantageous, appropriate or the like, can also be absent or replaced with other equivalent features.

The singular features described with reference to the general teachings or to particular embodiments, can all be present in other embodiments, or can replace features of these embodiments.

The invention thus designed can be subjected to a number of modifications and variants, all of them comprised in the scope of the concept of the invention.

In practice, any material can be used, provided that it is compatible with the specific use, and any dimensions and shapes can be used, according to needs.

In addition, all the details can be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet for wall surfaces or floors, characterized in that it comprises a body having parts made with stone materials and glass parts, shaped as bands and arranged separately and substantially parallel to one another.

2.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that said glass parts affect the entire thickness of said body.

3.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that said body has a thickness substantially comprised between 5 and 35 mm.

4.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass parts are distributed through localized areas of said body.

5.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass parts extend longitudinally from one end of said body to the other.

6.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass parts are arranged alternately with said parts made with stone material.

7.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that said glass parts have a transverse dimension substantially comprised between 3 and 15 mm.

8.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said parts made with stone material are made from an agglomerate formed by stone material granules included in a polymerized resin.

9.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said resin is polyester or epoxy resin.

10.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said granules have dimensions comprised between 0.6 and 7 mm.

11.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said parts made with stone material are made with marble or granite.

12.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized by having a reinforcing layer coupled to at least one of its sides.

13.- An overlay element in the form of a sheet according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said reinforcing layer is formed by a glass fiber mat impregnated with epoxy resin.

14.- A process for manufacturing elements in the form of an overlay sheet, characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting of placing in a mold a plurality of glass sheets that are separate and substantially parallel to one another, pouring into said mold an agglomerate formed by a resin and stone material granules included in said resin, closing said mold with a countermold exerting pressure, polymerizing said resin and removing the obtained part from said mold.

15.- A process according to the previous claim, characterized in that said glass sheets are supported on the bottom of said mold and are arranged with their support plane substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said mold.

16.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass sheets have a thickness substantially comprised between 3 and 15 mm.

17.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said mold and said countermold have recesses for inserting opposite edge areas of said glass sheets.

18.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it provides the elimination, in the obtained part, of edge areas of said glass sheets projecting from the surface of the part.

19.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said resin is formed by polyester or epoxy resin.

20.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said resin is polymerized under heat.

21.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said sheets are sanded to increase the adhesion with said resin.

22.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said granules have dimensions comprised between 0.6 and 7 mm.

23.- A process for manufacturing elements in the form of an overlay sheet, characterized by providing steps consisting of forming a packet of stone material sheets with intercalated glass sheets, by means of placing adhesive material, and cutting said packet in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to said sheets to obtain parts with a predetermined thickness.

24.- A process according to the previous claim, characterized by providing, before said cutting step, the compaction of said packet of sheets by means of creating a vacuum between said sheets.

25.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said stone material sheets have a thickness substantially comprised between 20 and 50 mm.

26.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass sheets have a thickness substantially comprised between 3 and 15 mm.

27.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said adhesive material is formed by an epoxy resin.

28.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized by providing the coupling of a reinforcing layer on at least one side of the cut parts.

29.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized by providing the coupling of a reinforcing layer on both sides of the cut parts, and the splitting of the cut parts into two parts by means of cutting along a plane that is substantially parallel to the sides of the cut parts.

30.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said reinforcing layer is formed by a glass fiber mat impregnated with epoxy resin.

31.- A process for manufacturing elements in the form of an overlay sheet, characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting of arranging on a support plane, opposite to one another, a plurality of stone material bars and a plurality of glass bars intercalated between said stone material bars, placing between said bars a binding material layer, and joining said stone material bars and said glass bars to one another by means of the polymerization of said binding material.

32.- A process according to the previous claim, characterized in that said binding material is formed by an acrylic resin.

33.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said polymerization is carried out by means of exposing the assembly to ultraviolet rays.

34.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized by providing an exposure of the assembly to ultraviolet rays for a time substantially comprised between 45 seconds and 2 minutes.

35.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said support plane is defined by conveyor means which can move on command to convey said stone material bars and said glass bars, arranged in a position opposite to one another, through a polymerization station for polymerizing said binding material equipped with ultraviolet ray lamps .

36.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that a pair of moving stop elements is provided on said support plane, which stop elements move mutually closer to one another to press said stone material bars and said glass bars arranged on said conveyor means to one another.

37.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that after the polymerization of said binding material, a reinforcing layer is applied on a side having the largest area of the obtained assembly.

38.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that after the polymerization of said binding material, a reinforcing layer is applied between both sides having the largest area of the obtained assembly, and the assembly is then split into two parts by means of cutting along a plane that is substantially parallel to its sides having the largest area.

39.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said stone material bars have a thickness comprised between 10 and 30 mm.

40.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said glass bars have a thickness comprised between 5 and 10 mm.

41.- A process according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that said stone material bars and said glass bars have a transverse dimension comprised between 5 and 35 mm.