WO2008012674A2

WO2008012674A2 - Manufacturing process and equipment for manufacturing of coated furniture elements and coated furniture elements

Info

Publication number: WO2008012674A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/002198
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ferruccio Da Dalt
Original assignee: Walnut S.R.L.
Priority date: 2006-07-26
Filing date: 2007-07-24
Publication date: 2008-01-31
Also published as: ITBL20060026A1; WO2008012674A3

Abstract

Manufacturing equipment (5) and process of furniture elements (9) adapted to apply to the same surface covering envelopes, comprising a conventional press (6). Process comprising a first step in which the furniture elements (9) are introduced into said press (6) displaced in the open position, and are arranged, together with the relative templates (18), on to a support plane (15) while the covering envelopes (19) are arranged on to the furniture elements- (9); a second step in which said press (6) is closed and the covering envelopes (19) are placed into thermal contact with a heating plane (25); a third step in which a vacuum pump is activated to contract covering envelopes (19) to the outline of all the furniture elements (9), a fourth step in which said press (6) is open, the coated furniture elements (9) are unloaded from the press, and the furniture elements (9) are detached from the relative templates (18).

Description

MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT OF FURNITURE ELEMENTS AND FURNITURE OF VARIOUS KIND, AND FURNITURE ELEMENT, FURNITURE OBTAINED WITH SUCH MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT.

The invention relates to a manufacturing process and equipment of furniture elements and furniture of various kind, and relates also to furniture elements, furniture obtained with such manufacturing process and equipment.

In the industry for manufacturing furniture and furniture elements of various kind, such as for example wings, doors, panels etc., it is known to use suitable presses for applying on to the outer surfaces thereof the relative covering envelopes made of plastic material, such as for example P.V.C. and the like. The furniture and furniture elements are firstly prepared and machined with the required shapes and sizes, and then are loaded on to suitable loading and unloading systems, associated with the relative press, which provide for conveying them in the interior of the press, where the covering envelopes are applied on to such furniture and furniture elements. Generally, the presses are constituted each by a lower stationary portion and an upper movable portion, wherein on the upper surface of the stationary portion there are firstly arranged the templates having the same shape, size and arrangement of the products to be covered, and on the upper surface of the products a sheet of the desired covering material is then applied. In turn, on the upper surface of the press movable portion is secured a membrane made of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material, for the entire extent of such upper surface, in a way that this membrane be then compressed against such sheet of covering material for heating at first the same sheet, thanks to the heat produced by a set of electric heating elements which are housed on the press upper portion, and at closer thermal contact with the membrane, thereby determining the softening of the plastic covering sheet. Afterwards, such membrane remains compressed against the covering sheet for a time enough to compress effectively the same sheet against the outer surface of all the products and against the relative templates, and at the end of the compression step the sheets are applied indissolubly against the outer surface of the relative products, with the same shape and size of the used templates. Thereafter, the press is opened, by raising its upper movable portion with respect to its lower stationary portion and thereby detaching the membrane from the outer surface of the covering sheet applied on position, and afterwards the templates are detached and separated from the lower surface of the so covered relative products. However, the applying of the covering sheets by means of this kind of press involves several working steps and sometimes also requires to perform further smoothing workings on the visible outer surface of the so covered products, to remove any possible residual material which is remained on to the same surface, and also involves the risk of undesired stickings of the membrane of elastomeric material against the covering sheet, with consequent progressive damages of such membrane and need to replace frequently the same. The object of the present invention is to realize furniture and furniture elements coated with covering sheets in such a manner as to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks and to simplify the needed workings, by means of a manufacturing process and equipment realized with the characteristics which will be described and claimed in the attached claims. The process and equipment according to the invention will be more apparent from the following description, given by way of a not limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein : - Fig. 1 shows a schematic front and cutaway view of a manufacturing equipment according to the invention, and the various component parts thereof, which is displaced on the opened position thereof, and before starting the working steps ;

- Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a possible arrangement of furniture elements to be covered in the manufacturing equipment according to the invention ;

- Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show a schematic and cutaway front view of three different working steps of the manufacturing process according to the invention, which are performed in the manufacturing equipment according to the invention.

The above mentioned Figures schematically represent a manufacturing equipment 5 according to the invention, which is used for coating with a covering surface envelope, made of plastic material and preferably PVC, ABS, PP and the like, some furniture and furniture elements of various kind, which in the examples illustrated in the Figures are constituted by furniture wings, but which of course may be constituted also by doors, panels and the like which are mounted into furniture of various kind. Moreover, in these Figures there are also schematically illustrated the various working steps provided for applying such covering on to the outer surface of the various furniture and furniture elements, in order to obtain furniture and furniture elements of various kind coated with such surface covering envelope. Referring now to the Fig. 1 , in which a manufacturing equipment 5 according to the invention is shown, it is noted that it is constituted substantially by a conventional press 6, the structure of which is formed by a lower stationary portion 7 shaped as it will be described hereinafter and intended for receiving the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated and to be laid on to the floor, and by a corresponding upper movable portion 8 which can be raised and lowered with respect to the lower stationary portion 7, and can be displaced from an open position shown in this Figure, in order to be able to introduce in the press interior, before starting the various manufacturing steps, the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated with the surface covering, to a closed position shown in the Figs. 3 and 4, in which such furniture and/or furniture elements are coated with the surface covering with the manufacturing steps which will be described later on, said upper movable portion 8 being finally displaceable again, when the manufacturing steps are ended, in the open position for extracting the furniture and/or furniture elements coated with the surface covering therefrom and introduce in the press interior further furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated in the same manners. Both the stationary portion 7 and movable portion 8 of the press referred to are made with a box-like metallic structure, the stationary portion 7 of which is laid on the lower side on to the floor, which structure has such a length and width that to be able to receive contemporaneously several furniture and/or furniture elements in each complete working cycle, and in the example represented in the Fig. 2 there are shown eight wings 9 of the same shape and size, which are intended to be coated with the surface covering and which are arranged on two rows parallel and aligned to each other in the horizontal direction, in each one of which the relative wings 9 are aligned horizontally to each other, but of course the arrangement, number, shape, size and type of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated may be also different from those illustrated in the Figure referred to, and the equipment stationary portion and movable portion may be also exchanged to each other, thus without departing from the protection field of the present invention.

Besides, such press is also associated with any possible loading and unloading system of conventional kind, constituted preferably by conveyor bands (not shown) arranged respectively in the press inlet and outlet side, and driven by mechanisms of per se known type which are operated by programmable electronic control systems (also not shown), so as to provide for in each working cycle respectively set firstly the loading on to the conveyor band of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, of a determinate type and a determinate shape and size, as well as with an established arrangement and number thereof, and afterwards the introduction in the press interior of such furniture and/or furniture elements, where these latter are coated with the surface covering as it will be described, and for determining at the end of each complete working cycle the extraction and unloading from the press of the furniture and/or furniture elements coated with the surface covering, with contemporaneous introduction in the same press of further furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated with the surface covering. Furthermore, the press referred to is also constituted by mechanical, electric and electronic means of conventional type, to provide for in each complete working cycle both the displacement of the press movable portion 8 with respect to the press stationary portion 7 and the different required working operations and steps. In particular, according to the present invention the lower stationary portion 7 of the press referred to is substantially constituted by a central re-entering cavity 10 extended for almost all the surface of this press lower portion, and delimiting laterally a short portion of inlet and horizontal flat surface 11 , on the press inlet side, and a short portion of outlet and horizontal flat surface 12 on the press outlet side, said flat surface portions 11 and 12 being aligned to each other and situated at the level of the respective loading and unloading conveyor bands, so as to allow the furniture and/or furniture elements to pass and go toward the press and to come out and to be extracted from the same press.

A plurality of vertical cylinders 13 of pneumatic, hydraulic etc.. type is secured on the surface of the re-entering central cavity 10, which cylinders are adequately distributed for all this surface and connected to adequate pneumatic, hydraulic etc.. circuits and the like, which are included into the press 6, said cylinders being driven contemporaneously in a manner to displace the relative pistons 14 from a lowered rest position thereof, when the press is displaced on its open position before starting each working cycle and when the same cycle is ended, to a raised working position during the carrying out of each working cycle, and the stroke of the pistons 14 into the cylinders 13 is adjustable with the criteria which will be described, depending on the size of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated. Before each working cycle to be performed, on to the upper free surface of the pistons 14 there is placed an horizontal rectilinear plane 15 made of suitable material, in the present example formed by a metallic flat sheet, with such a size to be extended for the entire width of the re-entering cavity 10 and to rest with its peripheral edge on the corresponding inclined peripheral wall 16 of the re-entering cavity 10, which is connected to the bottom surface 17 of the same cavity, by remaining still on this position, said rectilinear plane being adapted to support the templates 18 having the outlines of the different furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, which templates are put into direct contact with the rectilinear plane 15 with the required arrangements, by means of manual operations or automatic operations controlled by the press electronic control, and the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated (in this case, the furniture elements 9) which are introduced in the press interior, and put exactly on the corresponding templates 18 by means of manual operations, or automatic operations controlled by the press electronic control, for applying on to such furniture and/or furniture elements the relative surface covering during the working cycle, in the manner which will be described. Then, before starting each working cycle, on to the upper surface of all the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated there is arranged at least a sheet 19 of the surface covering envelope, having reduced thickness and such a size to cover the surface of all the furniture and/or furniture elements positioned from time to time on the corresponding templates 18, the side edges of which sheet rest on the relative flat surface portions 11 and 12 of the press 6, thereby delimiting between it and the surface of the re-entering cavity 10 a lower chamber 20 which is almost sealingly closed, in which all the templates 18 and all the furniture and/or furniture elements are contained. Such lower closed chamber 20 is connected to a suitable vacuum source such as for example a vacuum pump (not shown), which during each working cycle may be driven from an inactive switched off position, in which the closed chamber 20 is kept at the atmospheric pressure, to an active switched on position in which air contained into the chamber is sucked up to create the vacuum state and a consequent depression into the same chamber.

In turn, according to the present invention the upper movable portion 8 of the press referred to is substantially constituted by an additional re-entering central cavity 21 extended for almost all the surface of this press upper portion, on a position symmetrical and corresponding to that of the previous re-entering central cavity 10, and delimiting laterally a short portion of inlet and horizontal flat surface 22, at the press inlet side, which portion is identical to and opposite with respect to the preceding flat surface portion 11 , and a short portion of outlet and horizontal flat surface 23, at the press outlet side, which portion is identical to and opposite with respect to the preceding flat surface portion 12, said flat surface portions 22 and 23 being aligned to each other and situated on a raised position from the respective loading and unloading conveyor bands. Conventional electric heating elements 24 are housed internally some slots provided on the surface of the re- entering central cavity 21, which elements are arranged almost flushing with the same surface and connected operatively with the press electric circuit, and kept switched on during each press working cycle, so as to provide for an effective thermal contact with the covering sheet 19 and a quick heating thereof during the working cycle, in the manner and for the scope which will be described later on. Against the outer surface of the re-entering central cavity 21 it is adequately secured at least a horizontal rectilinear plane 25 made of good heat conductor material and high thermic inertia, constituted preferably by a glass plate, with smooth or irregular surface having adequate thickness and size, such as to extend for the entire width of the covering material sheet 19, and the scope of which is to permit an effective heat transmission from the electric heating elements 24 to the plastic covering sheet 19, by keeping it fairly hot for the entire duration of the working cycle, thanks to its high thermic inertia, so as to ensure always an effective heating of the same covering sheet, up to its softening temperature, in order to allow the application thereof against the outer surface of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated. In the surface of the re-entering central cavity 21 there are also provided several through holes 26, communicating with a suitable high-pressure compressed air source, constituted for example by a pump (not shown) which during each working cycle may be driven from an inactive switched off position, in which compressed air isn't generated, to an active switched on position in which compressed air is generated for the purpose which will be described hereinafter. The so realized press may be displaced from an open position (see Figs. 1 and 4), in which the press upper movable portion 8 is raised with respect to the press lower stationary portion 7, to a closed position (see Figs. 2 and 3) in which the upper movable portion 8 is lowered and its flat surface portions 22 and 23 are arranged on a closer contact with the corresponding flat surface portions 11 and 12 of the press lower stationary portion 7, with a possible interposition of sealing rings (not shown) therebetween, thereby delimiting on the one hand said lower closed chamber 20 and on the other hand an upper chamber 27 closed almost tightly and defined between the glass plane 25 and the opposite covering sheet 19, and which is communicating through the through holes 26 with said high-pressure compressed air source. Turning now to the Figs. 1 and 3-5, there are now described the different manufacturing steps of the manufacturing equipment according to the invention, formed by the press 6 with the above described constructive characteristics. In particular, Fig. 1 shows the first step in which the press 6 is displaced on the open position, before starting the working cycle, on the condition in which the pistons 14 at the beginning are displaced in a slightly raised position (not shown), in which the horizontal plane 15 is brought at the same level of the conveyor bands, thereby permitting to arrange on to the same plane at first the different templates 18 and thereafter the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, with the pre-established numbers and arrangements controlled by the press electronic control. Afterwards, such pistons 14 are displaced in the lowered rest position shown on Fig. 1, in which the outer upper surfaces of the furniture and/or furniture elements are aligned with the flat surface portions 11 and 12 of the press lower stationary portion 7, and on the horizontal plane formed by such flat surfaces 11 and 12 and the upper surfaces of the furniture and/or furniture elements it is placed the plastic covering sheet 19, and the lateral edges thereof are laid on such plane surfaces. In the subsequent second step shown in the Fig. 3, the press is closed, under the condition in which the lateral edges of the covering sheet 19 are tighten between the flat surface portions 11 and 12 of the press lower stationary portion 7 and the corresponding flat surface portions 22 and 23 of the press upper movable portion 8, and in which there are defined the lower closed chamber 20 and the upper closed chamber 27. Under this condition, in which the electric heating elements 24 have been already switched on up to reach a heating temperature sufficient to provide for softening the plastic material of the covering sheet 19, and also the glass plane 25 is uniformly heated at the same temperature, the pistons 14 are driven in their fully raised working position, with a pre-established stroke controlled by the electronic control of the press 6, and depending on the thickness of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, up to such furniture and/or furniture elements are raised, together with the covering sheet 19, and this latter comes into contact with the heated glass plane 25. In this way, thanks to the thermal contact between the glass plane 25 and the covering sheet 19, a quick heating of this latter up to its softening temperature occurs, in which such sheet may be applied closely as it will be described to the outer surfaces of all the furniture and/or furniture elements positioned on to the horizontal rectilinear plane 15. In the subsequent third step shown in the Fig. 4, in which the press 6 remains still closed and the covering sheet 19 is heated at the softening temperature, the vacuum pump is switched on, thereby producing a depression in the lower closed chamber 20 and the pump is kept on for a time sufficient to determine in the same chamber such vacuum level as to contract the covering sheet in a manner to make it closely adherent to the outline of all the furniture and/or furniture elements and the relative templates 18. At the same time, the compressed air pump is switched on which provides to generate a high pressure compressed air, in the range for example of about 10 bar, which air is blown in through the through holes 26 and directed from upside against the covering sheet 19 which is adhering to the outline of all the furniture and furniture elements and the relative templates 18. Thanks to the combined and contemporaneous action of these two pumps, it is determined on one hand a perfect adhesion of the covering sheet 19 to the outline of the furniture and/or furniture elements and the relative templates 18, with the same shape of the same outline, and on the other hand the detachment of the covering sheet 19 from the heated glass plane 25, thereby separating from this latter the coated furniture and/or furniture elements and increasing additionally the adherence of the covering sheet to these products. The so treated products are covered on all the sides thereof except on the relative lower sides, in which the templates 18 are situated. Finally, in the subsequent fourth step shown in the Fig. 5, the press is opened, by raising the upper movable portion 8 with respect to the lower stationary portion 7, and by displacing the pistons 14 on the lowered rest position, in a way that the furniture and/or furniture elements so coated with the covering sheet may be drawn automatically or manually from the press interior, together with the relative templates 18, and extracted and unloaded through the outlet side of the same press, while further templates and furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated are contemporaneously loaded on the press for performing a further working cycle in the same manner. As soon as the treated products have been unloaded from the press, the furniture and/or furniture elements are adequately detached from the relative templates 18, and these latter may be so used for subsequent working cycles of the same kind of products. The present invention also relates to furniture and/or furniture elements of various kind obtained by means of a manufacturing process and equipment like that above described and claimed. There are so evident the advantages deriving from the present invention, in that it makes available an equipment permitting to perform automatic working cycles with few and simple working steps, by eliminating the elastomeric membrane previously needed and the consequent drawbacks involved by the use thereof.

Claims

1. Manufacturing equipment of furniture elements and furniture of various kind, adapted to apply to the same the relative surface covering envelopes made of plastic material and preferably PVC, comprising a conventional press (6) the structure of which is formed by a lower stationary portion (7), adapted to receive the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, together with the relative templates, and by an upper movable portion (8) which can be raised and lowered with respect to the previous portion, and displaceable from an upper rest position in which said press (6) is open to a lower working position in which said press (6) is closed, said stationary portion (7) co-operating with possible loading means of the furniture and/or furniture elements, adapted to introduce into it in each working cycle the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, and with possible unloading means adapted to unload from the same press the coated furniture and/or furniture elements, when said movable portion (8) is raised, characterized in that said lower stationary portion (7) is constituted by at least a re-entering central cavity (10) extended for almost all its surface and delimiting laterally a portion of inlet and horizontal flat surface (11), on the inlet side of said press (6), and a portion of outlet and horizontal flat surface (12), on the outlet side of said press (6), said surface portions (11, 12) being adapted to permit the furniture and/or furniture elements to pass and go toward said press (6) and to come out and to be extracted from the same press, said re-entering cavity (10) housing compression means (13, 14) adapted to support at least a support plane (15) on to which the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated are placed, together with the relative templates (18), with established numbers and arrangements, and characterized in that said covering envelopes (sheet 19) are arranged on to the furniture and/or furniture elements when said movable press portion (8) is displaced in the open position, thereby delimiting between them and the surface of said re-entering cavity (10) a lower closed chamber (20), communicating with vacuum means such as a vacuum pump, adapted to provide for a vacuum state onto said closed chamber (20) only when said covering envelopes (19) are applied on to the furniture and/or furniture elements, and characterized in that said upper movable portion (8) is constituted by at least an additional re-entering central cavity (21) extended for almost al its surface, in a position symmetrical and corresponding to that of the said re-entering cavity (10), and delimiting laterally a portion of inlet and horizontal flat surface (22), on the inlet side of said press (6), and a portion of outlet and horizontal flat surface (23) on the outlet side of said press (6), said additional re- entering cavity (21) being associated with heating means (24) and at least a heating plane (25) made of a suitable good heat conductor material and high thermic inertia, constituted preferably by a glass plate, said heating means (24) being adapted to generate sufficient heat for heating, through said heating plane (25), said covering envelopes (19) in such a manner to provide for softening them for being applied on to said furniture and/or furniture elements, and the relative templates (18), said additional re-entering cavity (21) communicating with compressed air generator means adapted to blow in compressed air, only when said covering envelopes (19) are applied on to the furniture and/or furniture elements, in the upper closed chamber (27) defined between said heating plane (25) and said covering envelopes (19), said compression means (13, 14) being displaceable from a lowered rest position, for loading on to said support plane (15) the relative templates (18) with the corresponding furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated which are superimposed thereon, and said covering envelopes (19), and for extracting and unloading from the same plane the coated furniture and/or furniture elements, together with the relative templates (18), to a raised working position for arranging said covering envelopes (19) into thermal contact to said heating plane (25), in order to provide for softening of said covering envelopes (19) and the subsequent adherence thereof to the outline of the furniture and/or furniture elements and the relative templates (18), which is determined by the vacuum produced into said lower closed chamber (20) by said vacuum means, and characterized in that said compressed air generator means are driven contemporaneously to said vacuum means, for detaching said covering envelopes (19) with respect to said heating plane (25), and said movable portion (8) being displaced again on the open position with respect to said stationary portion (7) when the coating operation of the furniture and/or furniture elements is ended, while said compression means (13, 14) are displaced again in the lowered rest position so as to arrange the equipment for performing a further working cycle.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said covering envelopes (19) are laid with their side edges on the relative flat surface portions (1 1, 12) of said press stationary portion (7) and, during the closure of the press (6), they are tightened between said flat surface portions (11, 12) and the opposite flat surface portions (22, 23) of said press movable portion (8).

3. Equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said compression means comprise a plurality of vertical cylinders (13) of pneumatic, hydraulic etc... type, adequately distributed for the entire bottom surface (17) of said lower re-entering cavity (10) and provided with corresponding pistons (14) which can be driven contemporaneously from a lowered rest position, when said press (6) is open, to a raised working position, when said press (6) is closed, with a stroke adjustable by the equipment electronic control depending on the size of the furniture and/or furniture elements to be coated, said cylinders (13) and said pistons (14) being finally displaced again in their lowered rest position when the furniture and/or furniture elements coating operation is ended, in which said press (6) is again open.

4. Equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that said heating plane (glass plate 25) is made with horizontal rectilinear shape and is adequately secured to the outer surface of said upper re-entering cavity (21) and extended for the entire width of said covering envelopes (19), resulting to be into thermal contact with said heating elements (24) and said covering envelopes (19), when these latter are raised in the working position of said cylinders (13) and said pistons (14).

5. Manufacturing process of furniture elements and furniture of various kind, by employing a manufacturing equipment according to claims 1 -4, characterized by a first step in which the furniture and/or furniture elements are introduced, through possible loading means, into said press (6) displaced in the open position thereof, and are arranged, together with the relative templates (18), on to said support plane (15) with the established numbers and arrangements, while said covering envelopes (19) are arranged on to the furniture and/or furniture elements, on the condition in which said compression means (13, 14) are displaced in their lowered rest position and said vacuum means are inactive, while said heating means (24) and said heating plane (25) are heated at sufficient temperatures to provide for softening of said covering envelopes (19) and said compressed air generators are inactive ; by a second step in which said press (6) is closed and said compression means (13, 14) are displaced in their raised working position, by arranging said covering envelopes (19) into thermal contact with said heating plane (25), to provide for softening of said covering envelopes (19) ; by a third step in which said covering envelopes (19) are heated at the softening temperature, in which said vacuum means are activated up to create such a vacuum level as to contract and made closely adherent said covering envelopes (19) to the outline of all the furniture and/or furniture elements, and in which said compressed air generator means are contemporaneously activated, for blowing in compressed air toward said covering envelopes (19), by detaching them from said heating plane (25), with subsequent switching off of said vacuum means and said compressed air generator means ; and by a fourth step in which said press (6) is open, while said compression means (13, 14) are again displaced in their lowered rest position and the coated furniture and/or furniture elements are drawn, together with the relative templates (18), and extracted and unloaded from the same press, and the furniture and/or furniture elements are subsequently detached from the relative templates (18) so as to be able to re-use these latter in subsequent working cycles.

6. Furniture and furniture elements of various kind coated by surface covering envelopes, characterized by the fact to be made by means of the manufacturing equipment according to claims 1-4, and by means of the manufacturing process according to claim 5.