Architectural laminate panel with embedded compressible objects and methods for making the same
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A decorative architectural panel comprising:
- one or more compressible objects suspended between two extruded resin sheets formed together about the one or more compressible objects using a plurality of pressures in a thermosetting process, at least one of the plurality of pressures being greater than or equal to a critical pressure sufficient to otherwise compress the one or more compressible objects to an unnatural appearing conformation;
wherein the one or more compressible objects maintain a substantially natural appearing conformation between the two formed resin sheets.
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Abstract
A decorative laminate panel comprises compressible objects embedded inside, wherein the compressible objects would be flattened in unnatural shapes under conventional processes. For example, an exemplary decorative laminate product comprises thatch reed, willow reed, bamboo, weeds, grasses, twigs and branches of a tree or bush, beans, and so forth. In at least one exemplary implementation of the present invention, an extruded sheet, such as PETG or polycarbonate, is softened and melted around the compressible materials such that the compressible materials do not deform. Imperfections in the decorative laminate panel can be easily removed, thereby allowing for producing a high quality decorative laminate panel with high efficiency and relatively low cost compared with conventional methods and materials.
77 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A decorative architectural panel comprising:
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one or more compressible objects suspended between two extruded resin sheets formed together about the one or more compressible objects using a plurality of pressures in a thermosetting process, at least one of the plurality of pressures being greater than or equal to a critical pressure sufficient to otherwise compress the one or more compressible objects to an unnatural appearing conformation; wherein the one or more compressible objects maintain a substantially natural appearing conformation between the two formed resin sheets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A decorative architectural resin panel comprising:
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first and second extruded resin sheets formed together with a plurality of pressures, at least one of the one plurality of pressures being greater than a critical pressure at which one or more three-dimensional objects ordinarily collapse to a substantially unnatural conformation; and an image layer positioned between the first and second extruded sheets that are formed together, the image layer comprising the one or more three-dimensional objects in a substantially natural conformation; wherein the one or more three-dimensional objects of the image layer maintain an appearance of the substantially natural conformation despite having been subjected to the critical pressure.
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Specification