Abstract:
The invention relates to an edge strip for pieces of furniture, comprising a basic-body element ( 1 ) with an underside ( 2 ), which can be positioned against a piece of furniture, and with a top side ( 3, 4 ), which is directed away from the underside, wherein the top side has at least one transition portion ( 3 ) which slopes down in the direction of a periphery of the underside. In order to improve the visual and aesthetic appearance of the edge strip in relation to a conventional edge strip, it is provided according to the invention that the transition portion exhibits, at least in part, a decoration ( 5 ).

Description:
[0001]    The invention relates to an edge strip for pieces of furniture, having a base body, the base body having an underside which can be attached to a piece of furniture, and also having an upper side which faces the opposite direction from the underside. The upper side has at least one transition segment which slopes down toward a longitudinal edge of said upper side. 
         [0002]    Such edge strips are known from, for example, DE 34 02 923 A1, EP 1 080 854 B1, or DE 199 40 329 A1. 
         [0003]    Conventional edge strips are produced in such a manner that they are wider with respect to the thickness of a structural panel of the furniture by approx. 2 to 4 mm. As an example, the furniture structural panel has a thickness of 25 mm, while the edge strip has a width of approx. 28 mm. Following gluing of the edge strip onto the front face of the furniture structural panel, the projecting longitudinal edge of the edge strip is milled down flush with the furniture face using various known machine tools. In this way, approx. 10 to 20% of the edge strip is machined off during the finishing process. 
         [0004]    It is considered an additional disadvantage that said machine tools must have a long machine length and incur high investment costs as a result of the comprehensive finishing process. 
         [0005]    In addition, the overall visual appearance is disturbed by the milling process, because the base material of the edge strip produces a kind of frame (the so-called picture frame effect) between the decoration of the edge strip and the decoration of the furniture structural panel, wherein no decoration can be seen in the area of said frame. 
         [0006]    The problem addressed by the invention is that of removing the disadvantages of the prior art, and providing an accordingly improved edge strip. 
         [0007]    In order to solve this problem, the invention provides an edge strip for pieces of furniture according to the features of claim  1 , having a base body, the base body having an underside which can be attached to a piece of furniture, and also having an upper side which faces the opposite direction from the underside. The upper side has at least one transition segment which slopes down toward a longitudinal edge of said upper side, and the transition segment has a decoration at least in part of its area. 
         [0008]    As part of the production process, the edge strip according to the invention is manufactured to the thickness measurement of the piece of furniture, and a decoration is provided in the transition segment, said segment effecting a fluid transition between the upper side of the edge strip and an upper side of the piece of furniture. No finish-machining work is necessary for the narrow sides of the edge strip for the purpose of customizing the same to a specific use, so in this way the transition segment decoration is not removed by machining and the purpose of and problem addressed by the invention, as defined above, are achieved and/or addressed respectively. 
         [0009]    Additional preferred embodiments of the present invention are detailed in the dependent claims. 
         [0010]    One preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to the previously detailed embodiment, wherein the transition segment has a curvature, preferably a curvature with a constant curve radius. This design has the advantage that such a curvature can be produced easily because of the geometric regularity, and that the decoration can be applied conveniently and economically. 
         [0011]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the transition segment has a surface which is inclined with respect to the underside. This design has the advantage that such an edge strip achieves, for example because of the reflection of light on the inclined surface, a particularly high-quality visual appearance, while at the same time the surface is easy to decorate using conventional methods. 
         [0012]    An additional preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the transition segment directly abuts a longitudinal edge of the base body, meaning a longitudinal edge of the upper side of the base body and/or a longitudinal edge of the underside of the base body. 
         [0013]    This design has the advantage that a fluid transition can be effected to a surface of a piece of furniture, said surface being adjacent to the edge strip. 
         [0014]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the decoration fully covers the transition segment. This design has the advantage that the transition segment can be provided with a decoration which reaches to the longitudinal edge of the edge strip, producing an accordingly high-quality appearance. 
         [0015]    An additional preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the decoration fully covers the upper side of the edge strip. This design has the advantage that the upper side of the base body can be sealed by the decoration. 
         [0016]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the decoration is imprinted thereon. This design has the advantage that the printing technique, particularly an inkjet printing technique, but also a digital printing technique for round objects, is particularly suited for mass production. However, the scope of the invention also includes application of the decoration by means of known hot stamping methods and/or decorative films. 
         [0017]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the base body is manufactured from plastic and/or metal and/or wood and/or glass. This design has the advantage that such materials can be easily shaped and are particularly suited to use as edge strips of high quality pieces of furniture. Because no subsequent finish-machining is usually necessary, and consequently no to little material waste is produced, the use of particularly high quality materials can be considered. 
         [0018]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the base body is an extruded plastic profile. This design has the advantage that such an extruded profile can be particularly economically produced with a continuous method and as a restiform extrudate. 
         [0019]    With an extrusion method, or also with a co-extrusion method, the intended cross-sectional shape of the edge strip can be produced particularly advantageously with high dimensional accuracy. 
         [0020]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the base body has polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), styrene butadiene (SB), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and/or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). This design has the advantage that such materials can be processed particularly well and economically, as part of processing in the course of the extrusion and/or co-extrusion. 
         [0021]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the edge strip has a width of 10 mm to 150 mm, preferably 15 mm to 50 mm, and more preferably 20 mm to 30 mm. This design has the advantage that edge strips according to the invention and having such widths can be used for the most prevalent kinds of pieces of furniture and the uses thereof. 
         [0022]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture having an edge strip according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein the edge strip is affixed to an end face of the piece of furniture. This design has the advantage that the edge strip visually covers and protects the piece of furniture, particularly in the case of the piece of furniture having a cut end face, wherein, for example, the covered end face inhibits the penetration of moisture into the piece of furniture. 
         [0023]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture according to the previously detailed embodiment, wherein a maximum projection of the edge strip beyond a longitudinal edge of the end face of the piece of furniture is approx. 0.7 mm, preferably 0.5 mm, more preferably 0.2 mm. This design has the advantage that such a minimal projection requires no finishing in most cases, such that particularly no finish-machining to remove material is necessary, wherein such finishing would disadvantageously influence the decoration applied to the transition segment of the edge strip. The visual appearance of the edge strip according to the invention is preserved in this way. The longitudinal edge of the end face of the piece of furniture borders, for example, the upper side of a table top or the upper side of a kitchen counter top. 
         [0024]    In general, the upper side of a piece of furniture is more easily seen by an observer than, for example, the underside. Particularly on the upper side of the piece of furniture, it is desirable to have the most minimal possible projection of the edge strip for both visual and practical reasons. 
         [0025]    An additional preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture according to one of the previously detailed embodiments, wherein a longitudinal edge of the edge strip lies flush with at least one longitudinal edge of the end face of the piece of furniture. This design has the advantage that the edge strip effects a fluid transition between the edge strip and the piece of furniture, without finishing of an upper visible edge of the edge strip, such that the visual appearance and/or the decoration of the edge strip are not influenced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS 
         [0026]      FIGS. 1 to 4  show preferred cross section shapes of the edge strip according to the invention, as a transverse cross section to the longitudinal direction and/or direction in which the edge strip extends. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a furniture panel, having the edge strip according to the invention affixed to an end face of the panel. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a sectional view of the furniture panel, having the edge strip according to the invention affixed to an end face of the panel, to illustrate a finishing process of the edge strip so affixed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    The invention relates to an edge strip for pieces of furniture  6 , having a base body  1 , the base body having an underside  2  which can be attached to a piece of furniture  6 , and also having an upper side  3 ,  4  which faces the opposite direction from the underside  2 . The upper side  3 ,  4  has at least one transition segment  3  which slopes down toward a longitudinal edge UR, OR of the base body  1 , and the transition segment  3  has a decoration  5  at least over part of its area. 
         [0030]    In the context of this description, the term “transition segment” should be primarily understood as indicating the surface segment of a segment of the base body  1 , wherein a thickness of the base body  1  changes in said surface segment in the direction of a base body width. Also in this context, the term “sloping down toward a longitudinal edge” means that the thickness of the base body  1  is increasingly reduced as the base body extends in the direction of a side longitudinal edge (UR, OR). The transition segment  3  can have a curvature or a slanting plane which is inclined to the underside  2  and/or to an attachment plane defined by the underside  2 . 
         [0031]    The width of the base body  1  and/or the width of the edge strip is identified as the distance between the side longitudinal edges of the base body  1  (that is, the distance between the upper longitudinal edges OR and/or the distance between the lower longitudinal edges UR). The thickness of the base body  1  and/or the thickness of the edge strip is identified as the extension of the base body  1  perpendicular to a plane of attachment defined by the underside  2 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 1 to 4  show preferred cross-section shapes of the edge strip according to the invention, in a cross-section cut made perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the edge strip. 
         [0033]    The base body  1  of the edge strip consists of plastic and/or metal and/or wood and/or glass. Any combinations of these materials can be used. 
         [0034]    In the embodiments described below, the base body  1  of the edge strip is an extruded profile made of a plastic and/or plastic mixture of the materials: polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), styrene butadiene (SB), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and/or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The edge strip is extruded in an extrusion device, calibrated, and cooled down to a width of 10 mm to 150 mm, preferably 15 mm to 50 mm, and more preferably 20 mm to 30 mm. 
         [0035]    The underside  2  of the base body  1  defines a plane of attachment and is preferably flat, in order to be able to lie against an end face  7  of the piece of furniture  6 . The underside  2  is bounded on the sides thereof by the lower longitudinal edges UR. The upper side  3 ,  4  is bounded on the sides thereof by the upper longitudinal edges OR. 
         [0036]    The decoration is preferably a color imprint which is applied with an inkjet process. Any printed color design can be created. The color printing device preferably functions with digital technology, that is, image files can be provided by a computer for printing on the base body  1 . 
         [0037]    In order to improve the adhesion of the decoration  5  on the base body  1  of the edge strip, measures are preferably taken, such as for example a corona treatment and/or the application of an adhesive to the base body  1  before application of the decoration  5 . In order to protect the decoration  5 , a clear lacquer can be used to coat the decoration  5  after the same is applied. In addition, within the scope of the invention, multi-layer decorations and/or painting to produce a spatial effect are understood as decoration  5 . 
         [0038]    A first embodiment of the edge strip according to the invention is described below with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0039]    The base body  1  of the edge strip comprises the underside  2  which can be attached to the piece of furniture  6 , and the upper side  3 ,  4  which faces the opposite direction from the underside  2 , wherein the upper side  3 ,  4  has two transition segments  3  and a flat segment  4 . The underside  2  of the base body  1  is flat. In this embodiment, each upper longitudinal edge OR coincides with the respective lower longitudinal edge UR. 
         [0040]    The transition segments  3  each have a curvature with a constant curve radius, and each runs from a longitudinal edge OR of the base body  1  over a width A, up to the flat segment  4  which extends parallel to the underside  2 . The flat segment  4  spans a width B and extends between both transition segments  3 . The transition segments  3  consequently slope down from the flat segment  4  to a longitudinal edge OR. The thickness of the edge strip, in the area of the flat segment  4  is between 1 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 3 mm. The curve radius of the curvature of the transition segments  3  is preferably the thickness of the base body  1  in the area of the flat segment  4 , that is, the distance of the flat segment  4  from the underside  2  of the base body  1 . The ratio A/B is preferably approximately 0.2 to 1.0. 
         [0041]    The decoration  5  covers and sheathes the entire upper side  3 ,  4  of the edge strip, i.e. both the flat segment  4  and also both transition segments  3 . The edge strip has a symmetric structure. 
         [0042]    A second embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 2 , the base body  1 ′ of the edge strip has a substantially lens-like shape. The underside  2 ′ is flat and the base body  1 ′ upper side  3 ′, lying opposite the underside  2 ′, is continuously curved between the left upper longitudinal edge OR and the right upper longitudinal edge OR. The curve radius of the curved upper side  3 ′ is approximately the width of the edge strip. A decoration  5 ′ is applied to the entire upper side  3 ′ in an area-covering manner. In contrast to the first embodiment according to  FIG. 1 , no flat segment  4  is present. Starting from the middle of the edge strip  1  (half the distance between the upper longitudinal edges OR), the transition segments  3 ′ slope down toward the upper longitudinal edges OR. In this embodiment, each upper longitudinal edge OR coincides with a respective lower longitudinal edge UR. 
         [0043]    An additional embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to  FIG. 3 . According to  FIG. 3 , the edge strip has a cross-section shape which is substantially trapezoidal in form. The base body  1 ″ comprises the underside  2 ″ which is intended to lie against the piece of furniture  6 , the inclined surface which directly borders the lower longitudinal edges UR and/or the upper longitudinal edges OR at an acute angle of approx. 45°, and the flat segment  4 ″ situated between both transition segments  3 ″, said flat segment  4 ″ running parallel to the underside  2 ″ of the edge strip. Each transition segment  3 ″ extends over a width A, starting from the upper longitudinal edge OR and/or lower longitudinal edge UR. The flat segment  4 ″ extends between the two transition segments  3 ″ over a width B. The ratio NB is preferably approximately 0.02 to 1.0. 
         [0044]    A fourth embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to  FIG. 4 . According to  FIG. 4 , the edge strip has a cross-section shape which is substantially trapezoidal in form, as in  FIG. 3 , but in this case the upper longitudinal corner OR is distanced from the lower longitudinal corner UR, such that a narrow side is formed between each upper longitudinal corner OR and each lower longitudinal corner UR of the edge strip. 
         [0045]      FIG. 5  shows a piece of furniture  6  according to the invention, having an edge strip according to the invention, which is attached to an end face  7  of the piece of furniture. The piece of furniture  6  is a particle board, MDF board, or wooden board in this case. The edge strip according to the invention is produced with an oversize dimensioning of less than 0.7 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, and more preferably less than 0.3 mm over the board width. The edge strip is made to abut the piece of furniture  6  in such a manner that it sits flush with an end face, i.e. flush with the upper side  8  of the furniture panel  6 , or at least has a overhang of less than 0.7 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, and more preferably less than 0.3 mm. In the case of such a minimal overhang, no finishing is necessary. 
         [0046]    In the sectional view given in  FIG. 6 , the mounted state of the edge strip according to the invention is illustrated. 
         [0047]    The mounted edge strip is flush with the upper longitudinal edge OR of the end face, i.e. flush with the upper side  8  of the piece of furniture  6 , and completely covers the end face  7 . In this manner, a fluid transition between the upper side  8  of the piece of furniture  6  and the upper side  3 ,  4  of the edge strip is effected on the upper longitudinal edge. 
         [0048]    On the lower longitudinal edge of the furniture end face and/or the lower side  9  of the piece of furniture  6 , a minimal overhang may exist due to the oversize dimensioning of the edge strip, said overhang being optionally removed by machine-finishing. 
         [0049]    The outline of the mounted edge strip, before a subsequent machine-finishing process for the purpose of customizing the edge strip to a specific use, is illustrated by the dashed line. The outline of the mounted and finished edge strip is illustrated by the solid line. 
         [0050]    A machine-finishing effects a subsequent profiling and, for example, rounding-off of the lower longitudinal edge of the edge strip, such that the edge strip lies flush also with the lower longitudinal edge of the furniture end face. The edge strip machine-finishing process effects a removal of the decoration  5  in the transition segment  3  on the lower visible edge of the edge strip. Particularly in the case of the edge strip being used to cover the end face of a table or a kitchen counter, the lower side of said table and/or kitchen counter is difficult to see. 
         [0051]    For this reason, the visual appearance of the edge strip is not negatively influenced if only the lower longitudinal edge of the edge strip is finished to lie flush with the underside  9  of the panel  6 . It should be understood that the edge strip according to  FIGS. 2 to 4  is mounted in the same manner as the edge strip according to  FIG. 1 , although in  FIG. 6  only the use and mounting of the edge strip according to  FIG. 1  are shown. 
         [0052]    The preferred production and use of the edge strip according to the invention is described below. 
         [0053]    To produce the edge strip according to the invention, a base body  1  according to  FIGS. 1 to 4  is produced, for example as a plastic extrusion profile. For this purpose, a plastic material is melted and extruded. The molding thereof takes place in an extrusion tool and in calibrating devices which are positioned downstream in the process flow and are preferably filled with water, in order to give the base body  1  its intended cross-section shape along with high dimensional accuracy. In a device which applies the decoration and is positioned further downstream in the process flow, the upper side  3 ,  4  of the edge strip according to the invention is initially pre-treated, for example by a digital color printing device, in order to improve the adhesiveness and the absorption capacity thereof for the decoration  5 . 
         [0054]    For this purpose, the upper side  3 ,  4  of the base body  1  is subjected to a corona treatment and/or a plasma treatment, and/or an adhesion-promoting agent is applied thereto. Finally, a decoration  5  is applied over the entire upper side  3 ,  4  of the base body  1 , such that the decoration  5  completely covers and sheathes the upper side  3 ,  4  of the base body  1 . 
         [0055]    Particularly, the decoration  5  extends all the way to both upper longitudinal edges OR of the edge strip. In this way, the base body  1  is sealed. In order to protect the decoration  5  against scratches or other mechanical influences, a clear lacquer can be applied following imprinting of the decoration  5 , and can also be hardened by ultraviolet radiation, for example. The edge strip according to the invention is subsequently attached with the underside  2  on the end face  7  of the piece of furniture  6 , for example by gluing or welding, and is arranged in such a manner that a longitudinal edge OR, UR of the base body  1  of the edge strip lies flush with the upper longitudinal edge of the furniture  6  end face, i.e. with the upper side  8  of the piece of furniture  6 . On the underside  9  of the piece of furniture  6 , a minimal overhang is optionally created in the process due to an oversize dimensioning of the edge strip, wherein said overhang is removed by a machine-finishing process, such that the edge strip also lies flush with the underside  9  of the furniture panel  6 . 
         [0056]    In this way, the decoration  5  on the longitudinal edge of the edge strip, said edge lying on the underside of the edge strip, is removed in the area of the transition segments  3 . Usually, the underside  9  of the piece of furniture  6  is not visible, such that the removal of material and/or decoration on the edge strip in the transition segment  3  which borders the underside  9  of the piece of furniture  6  is not regarded as disadvantageous. 
         [0057]    Particularly, the decoration  5  in the transition segment  3  lying on the upper longitudinal edge of the edge strip is not influenced.