Resin-based panels having translucent veneer layers

• US 7,691,486 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3Form (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Original Assignee: 3Form (Hunter Douglas N.V.)
• Inventors: Goodson, Raymond L., Goodson, R. Talley, Rea, Kirby V., Suare, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): KILIMAN, LESZEK B
• Application Number:
  US12/405,044
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 428/532, 428/533, 428/535, 428/537.1, 428/537.5
• US Class Current: 428/532
• 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: B32B 21/14 comprising wood board or veneer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/10 of paper or cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/043 containing wooden elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1044 of parallel stacked sheets only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1093 with covering of discrete laminae with additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31971 Of carbohydrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31975 Of cellulosic next to another carbohydrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31982 Wood or paper
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31989 Of wood

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention relate aesthetically pleasing, post-formable, reparable decorative architectural resin panels having a thin or brittle veneer layer, such as thinly sliced natural wood or stone. In particular, at least one implementation includes a flat or curved decorative resin panel made with a natural wood veneer layer whose structural integrity has been maintained despite being subject to various heats and pressures. The resulting resin panel is at least partially translucent, and allows for a unique display both of the resin sheets used to form the panel and of the thin wood materials encapsulated therein. Additional implementations relate to the use of other brittle veneer layers, such as translucent stone, translucent metals, or the like, which also provide unique, decorative architectural, aesthetic features.

Claims

1. A translucent decorative laminate resin panel for use in an architectural design environment having a thin or brittle veneer layer, comprising:

an at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material having a thickness of between about one thirty-second of an inch ( 1/32″

) and about thirty-one thirty-seconds of an inch ( 31/32″

);

a first at least partially translucent resin layer bonded to a first outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material; and

a second at least partially translucent resin layer bonded to an opposing outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material;

wherein the first at least partially translucent resin layer and the second at least partially translucent resin layer form opposing viewable outer surfaces through which the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material is viewable.

2. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first at least partially translucent resin layer, the second at least partially translucent resin layer, and the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material have a curved shape.

3. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the combination of the first at least partially translucent resin layer, the second at least partially translucent resin layer, and the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material is translucent.

4. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material comprises thinly sliced, natural wood.

5. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 4, wherein the shape of each of the first at least partially translucent resin layer and the second at least partially translucent resin layer is non-planar.

6. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 4, wherein the thinly sliced, natural wood is selected from one of walnut, maple, or zebrawood.

7. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material is about one thirty-second of an inch in thickness.

8. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, further comprising an at least partially translucent reinforcement layer positioned between the first at least partially translucent resin layer and the second at least partially translucent resin layer.

9. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material is sized and configured in terms of thickness and material for a desired light transmittance of the translucent decorative resin panel.

10. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 9, wherein the desired light transmittance is 3.32%.

11. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material substantially spans the height and width of the first at least partially translucent resin layer and the second at least partially translucent resin layer.

21. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive layer positioned between the least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material and the first at least partially translucent resin layer.

22. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 21, further comprising a second adhesive layer positioned between the least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material and the second at least partially translucent resin layer.

23. The translucent decorative resin panel as recited in claim 1, wherein the least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally-occurring material comprises a layer of thinly sliced naturally occurring wood bonded to a reinforcement layer.

12. An architectural, decorative laminate resin panel with sufficient structural properties for use as a building component in an architectural design environment, comprising:

an at least partially translucent first resin layer having a curved shape;

an at least partially translucent second resin layer having a curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the first resin layer;

an at least partially translucent veneer layer formed from a thin layer of natural occurring material, the at least partially translucent veneer layer being positioned between the first and second resin layers and having a curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the first and second resin layers, wherein one or more outer surfaces of the at least partially translucent veneer layer is bonded to one or more of the first and second resin layers; and

a reinforcement layer positioned between first and second resin layers, wherein one or more outer surfaces of the at least partially translucent veneer layer is bonded to the reinforcement layer;

wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer is substantially free of splits, cracks, and other deformations.

13. The resin panel as recited claim 12, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer comprises one or more thinly sliced sheets of natural wood or stone.

14. The resin panel as recited claim 12, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second resin layers have been melted and adhered to the at least partially translucent veneer layer.

15. The resin panel as recited claim 12, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer substantially spans the height and width of the first and second resin layers.

24. The resin panel as recited claim 12, further comprising a first adhesive layer positioned between a first outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer and the at least partially translucent first resin layer.

25. The resin panel as recited claim 24, further comprising a second adhesive layer positioned between a second opposing outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer and the at least partially translucent second resin layer.

16. A decorative, laminate resin panel for use in an architectural design environment, comprising:

a substantially translucent first sheet of resin material having a thickness between about one-thirty-second ( 1/32) of an inch and about one-half (½

) of an inch;

a substantially translucent second sheet of resin material having a thickness between about one-thirty-second ( 1/32) of an inch and about one-half (½

) of an inch; and

a substantially translucent veneer layer of naturally occurring, thinly sliced wood positioned between the substantially translucent first sheet of resin material and the substantially translucent second sheet of resin material,

wherein an outer surface of the substantially translucent veneer layer is bonded to the substantially translucent first sheet of resin material, and an opposing outer surface of the substantially translucent veneer layer is bonded to the substantially translucent second sheet of resin material,

wherein the substantially translucent veneer layer substantially spans the height and width of the substantially translucent first sheet of resin material and the substantially translucent second sheet of material.

17. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 16, further comprising a substantially translucent reinforcement layer positioned between the first sheet of resin material and the second sheet of resin material.

18. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 16, wherein the veneer layer has a thickness of between about one thirty-second of an inch and about thirty-one thirty-seconds of an inch.

19. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 17, wherein each of the first sheet of resin material and the second sheet of resin material have been melted and adhered to one or more of the reinforcement layer and the veneer layer.

20. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 16, wherein the substantially translucent veneer layer comprises one or more sheets of thinly sliced naturally occurring wood.

26. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 16, further comprising a first adhesive layer bonding the outer surface of the substantially translucent veneer layer to the substantially translucent first sheet of resin material.

27. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 26, further comprising a second adhesive layer bonding the opposing outer surface of the of the substantially translucent veneer layer to the substantially translucent second sheet of resin material.

28. A decorative, laminate resin panel for use in an architectural design environment, comprising:

an at least partially translucent veneer layer of naturally occurring, thinly sliced material;

a first at least partially translucent resin layer having a thickness between about one-thirty-second ( 1/32) of an inch and about one-half (½

) of an inch, wherein the first at least partially translucent resin layer is bonded to an outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer via a first adhesive layer; and

a second at least partially translucent resin layer having a thickness between about one-thirty-second ( 1/32) of an inch and about one-half (½

) of an inch, wherein the second at least partially translucent resin layer is bonded to an opposing outer surface of the at least partially translucent veneer layer via a second adhesive layer;

wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer, the first at least partially translucent resin layer, and the second at least partially translucent resin layer form a unitary laminate panel of distinct layers.

29. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer comprises a layer of naturally occurring, thinly sliced wood bonded to a reinforcement layer.

30. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 29, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer comprises a layer of naturally occurring wood having a thickness between about one thirty-second ( 1/32) of an inch and about thirty-one thirty-seconds ( 31/32) of an inch.

31. The laminate resin panel as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least partially translucent veneer layer substantially spans the height and width of the first and second resin layers.