Digitally injected designs in powder surfaces

• US 10,899,166 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valinge Innovation AB
• Original Assignee: Valinge Innovation AB
• Inventors: Pervan, Darko, Hakansson, Niclas, Jacobsson, Jan, Ryberg, Melker, Ziegler, Goran
• Primary Examiner(s): Mellott, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/084,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,577 Days
• Field of Search: 427265, 427264, 427180, 427197, 427201, 427202, 427203, 427258, 427261, 427262
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/12 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/0446 bearing graphical information
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/0476 with abrasion resistant properties
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0866 composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels or layered panels layered products as such in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04; E04F13/0864, E04F13/0875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0894 with tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/107 composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0153 by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2462 with partial filling of valleys on outer surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 including particulate material

Abstract

Building panels and a method to produce such panels including a solid decorative surface having a decorative wear layer including fibres, binders, colour substance, wear resistant particles and a digital ink print.

Claims

1. A method for producing a decorative surface layer, comprising the steps of:

applying a first powder, in powder form, on a substrate to form a first powder layer;

printing a first print with first ink drops on the first powder layer;

spraying a first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer;

applying a second powder, in powder form, on the first powder layer to form a second powder layer after the printing of the first print and the spraying of the first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer;

printing a second print with second ink drops on the second powder layer;

spraying a second colored liquid substance on the second powder layer; and

pressing the first and second powder layers to form the decorative surface layer, wherein

the printing of the first and second prints is performed by controlling a printed position of each ink drop, and

the spraying of the first colored substance is performed by randomly distributing the first colored substance over a first sprayed area and the spraying of the second colored substance is performed by randomly distributing the second colored substance over a second sprayed area,

wherein at least some of the second ink drops positioned over at least some of the first ink drops are in direct contact with the at least some of the first ink drops.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink drops of the first print are positioned in the surface layer at different vertical depths.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the average size of the ink drops at an upper vertical position is smaller than the average size of the ink drops at a lower vertical position.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average size of the ink drops in the second powder layer is smaller than the average size of the ink drops in the first layer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink drops are of variable size and/or variable colour.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder comprises bleached wood fibres and wear resistant particles with a thermosetting binder.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder comprises a thermoplastic material and wear resistant particles.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder is a semi-transparent powder.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first powder includes fibres and a binder.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fibres are wood fibres.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wood fibres are bleached.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the binder is a thermosetting binder.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the binder is a thermoplastic binder.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first powder includes a colour substance.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first powder includes wear resistant particles.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder includes fibres and a binder.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fibres are wood fibres.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wood fibres are bleached.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the binder is a thermosetting binder.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the binder is a thermoplastic binder.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder includes a colour substance.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder includes wear resistant particles.

23. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first powder is a plastic powder.

24. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second powder is a plastic powder.

25. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first printing is made by digital printing.

27. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second printing is made by digital printing.

28. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second ink drops are of variable size.

32. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the second printing is made by digital printing.

26. A method for producing a decorative surface layer, comprising the steps of:

applying a first powder, in powder form, on a substrate to form a first powder layer, the first powder comprising first color pigments;

printing a first print with first ink drops on the first powder layer;

spraying a first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer;

applying a second powder, in powder form, on the first powder layer to form a second powder layer after the printing of the first print and the spraying of the first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer, the second powder comprising second color pigments;

printing a second print with second ink drops on the second powder layer;

spraying a second colored liquid substance on the second powder layer; and

pressing the first and second powder layers to form the decorative surface layer, wherein

the printing of the first and second prints is performed by controlling a printed position of each of the first and second ink drops, and

the spraying of the first colored substance is performed by randomly distributing the first colored substance over a first sprayed area and the spraying of the second colored substance is performed by randomly distributing the second colored substance over a second sprayed area,

wherein at least some of the second ink drops positioned over at least some of the first ink drops are in direct contact with the at least some of the first ink drops.

33. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first and second color pigments in the first and second powder layers are different colors from one another.

29. A method for producing a decorative surface layer, comprising the steps of:

applying a first powder, in powder form, on a substrate to form a first powder layer;

printing a first print with first ink drops on the first powder layer;

applying a second powder, in powder form, on the first powder layer to form a second powder layer;

printing a second print with second ink drops on the second powder layer, the second ink drops being larger than the first ink drops printed on the first powder layer; and

applying heat and pressure on the first and second powder layers on the substrate to cure the first and second powder layers into the decorative surface layer which possesses the first print and the second print,

wherein at least some of the second ink drops positioned over at least some of the first ink drops are in direct contact with the at least some of the first ink drops.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein

the first ink drops are each less than 5 picoliters in size, and

the second ink drops are each between 5-20 picoliters in size.

31. A method for producing a decorative surface layer, comprising the steps of:

applying a first powder, in powder form, on a substrate to form a first powder layer;

printing a first print with first ink drops on the first powder layer, wherein the first ink drops are of variable size;

spraying a first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer;

applying a second powder, in powder form, on the first powder layer to form a second powder layer after the printing of the first print and the spraying of the first colored liquid substance on the first powder layer;

printing a second print with second ink drops on the second powder layer;

spraying a second colored liquid substance on the second powder layer, the second colored liquid substance being a different color than the first colored liquid substance; and

pressing the first and second powder layers to form the decorative surface layer,

wherein at least some of the second ink drops positioned over at least some of the first ink drops are in direct contact with the at least some of the first ink drops.