Decorative article having translucent wood veneer

• US 7,097,913 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Sano, Yoshiaki, Yuzawa, Satoshi, Imai, Shigeto
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US09/862,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20020031620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 362/565, 362/311, 362/355, 362/8, 362/555, 362/582, 362/217, 362/216, 362/246, 362/251, 362/800, 362/231, 362/223, 362/240, 362/184, 362/489, 362/562, 362/545, 362/605, 362/561, 362/316, 362/602, 362/606, 362/551, 362/558, 362/559, 362/351, 362/134, 362/127, 362/600, 349/61, 349/62, 428/44, 428/58, 428/148, 428/1.1, 428/57.1, 428/18, 428/13, 428/151, 428/106, 428/913.3, 428/425.1, 428/479.6, 428/98, 428/481, 428/105, 428/411.1, 428/412, 428/423.1, 428/455, 428/474.4, 428/480, 428/479.3, 428/540, 428/541, 428/537.1, 428/10
• US Class Current: 428/537.1
• CPC Class Codes: B27D 1/00 Joining wood veneer with any material; Forming articles thereby in conjunction with moulding of wood particles or fibres B27N3/06; Preparatory processing of surfaces to be joined, e.g. scoring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/14 Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2713/00 Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/006 Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 21/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/043 containing wooden elements
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/0453 produced by processes involving moulding
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24066 Wood grain
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31989 Of wood

Abstract

A wood-based decorative article has a finish with grain enhanced by coloring or dyeing. A coated veneer sheet of sliced wood is prepared by bonding a reinforcing member onto the coated veneer by an adhesive. Injection molding is carried out by injecting a molten synthetic resin onto a rear surface of the prepared veneer sheet, thereby integrating the veneer sheet and the synthetic resin with each other and at the same time molding the wood-based decorative article.

Claims

1. A wood-based decorative article comprising:

a veneer formed by slicing wood and being light permeable;

a substrate formed of a transparent synthetic resin and joined to a rear surface of said veneer, said substrate having rigidity and a larger thickness than that of said veneer;

a transparent reinforcing member for reinforcing said veneer interposed between said veneer and said substrate; and

a transparent adhesive by which the reinforcing member is bonded to the veneer.

2. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said veneer and said reinforcing member is impregnated with a transparent synthetic resin.

3. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein an indicator for giving a predetermined indication by using at least one of a liquid crystal device and an LED device is provided on a rear surface side of said substrate.

4. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein part of said substrate is formed of an opaque synthetic resin.

5. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein a topcoat is applied to a front surface of said veneer.

6. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein a design layer for increasing variation of a design of said veneer is arranged on at least one of front and rear surfaces of said substrate.

7. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 6, wherein said design layer is removably attached to said rear surface of said substrate.

8. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 1, wherein a light source for illumination is provided on a rear surface side of said substrate.

9. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 8, wherein at least one of a color and an amount of light emitted from said light source is variable.

10. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 8, wherein a light guide plate for making uniform said light from said light source is interposed between said light source and said substrate.

11. A wood-based decorative article according to claim 8, wherein a display member for displaying predetermined information is provided on a front surface of said veneer.