Plant and stem design and method of making

A lifelike carving product and a method of producing the same is provided. The product may be utilized as an onlay or integral part of architectural elements to show designs of plant, fruit, and/or vegetable. The product includes at least one plant body, at least one stem, and a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. The plant body may include a flattened area, a stem receptacle whereat a plant end of the stem converges to the plant body, and an arcuate rim that at least partially surrounds the plant end in the stem receptacle. The realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface may be formed with the stem converging to the plant body perpendicularly with respect to a tangent line, or with a stem centerline of the stem aligning with a stem plane.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to carvings, and more particularly to an intricately detailed carving product and process of making the same that incorporates various innovative and realistic aspects of plants, stems, and leaves, such as a fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface, in order to create a highly lifelike carving.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for fine architectural elements, such as carvings and moldings, to accent the interior of homes, offices, and other buildings. Such architectural elements may be found in and include arches, keys, crowns, cabinet parts, capitals, columns, corbels, mantels, moldings, onlays, pulls, and various other panels and products. These architectural elements often incorporate elegant floral, grape, leaf, acanthus, cherubs, medallions, as well as other architectural designs and vast other artistic designs. The architectural elements may be made of various types of materials, such as woods including maple, red oak, cherry, white oak, mahogany, black walnut, and alder woods, to name a few. Other materials may include fiberboard, plastic, and composites, and are especially useful when the final product need not have a wood grain, such as if the product will be painted instead of being stained.

These architectural elements may be used on doors, cabinets, houses, and other structures as desired. They provide ornamental designs and decorative appearances, thus enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the area in which such ornamental architectural elements are found, be it a house, a kitchen, a bedroom, or other areas. Traditionally these architectural elements have been hand-carved using chisels, gouges, mallets, and the like. In recent years, however, techniques have been developed to automate the process, such as by utilizing computer numerical control (CNC) machinery with attendant operator-inputted programming to guide the same.

One of the most popular decorative designs used in architectural elements is the use of vegetables or fruits, including grapes, berries, apples, oranges, etc., and vines and/or leaves to accompany the vegetables and/or fruits to create real-life settings. However, as illustrated inFIG. 1, a typical prior art grape and stem onlay carving product10, which includes a bunch of individual fruits12, such as grapes, tends to look more like a bunch of small golf balls than lifelike grapes. The prior art product ofFIG. 1includes two large stems14that intersect with a top end16of a plurality of the spherical fruits12. These stems14appear discontinuous to the bunch of grapes, and do not appear to resemble lifelike stems. In addition, there are no other details in the prior art product that incorporate lifelike aspects of grapes. Further, there is apparently no current process or product that incorporates lifelike aspects of fruits, other than those mentioned above. Given these limitations, the products of the prior art appear only marginally realistic. The apparent failure to produce an extraordinarily lifelike fruit carving product may also cause would-be customers to defer to other types of decorative architectural elements.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a product and method which can precisely simulate the lifelike aspects of fruits, vegetables, and other plants and objects. Further, there is a need in the art for a carving method that creates distinctly lifelike variations in fruit, vegetables, vines, stems, plants, and other realistic aspects of objects. In particular, there is a need in the art for a lifelike carving product and method that includes a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a carving product and method that simulates the lifelike interrelationship of fruits/vegetables/objects, stems, and leaves.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a lifelike carving product and a method for producing the same are provided. The product is an architectural element that may be used as an onlay for decorative purposes and be incorporated into various applications such as corbels, molding, legs, and numerous other architectural elements. It may incorporate various types of plant shapes, such as fruit or vegetable shapes, and advantageously incorporate innovative design aspects of plants, such as a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. The product, as described below, may also incorporate several other lifelike features that produce a more realistic and aesthetically pleasing depiction. In this regard, the product may use vegetable or fruit designs, including grapes, bananas, pears, berries, apples, oranges, etc., as well as vines, leaves, and tree features that typically accompany such fruits and vegetables in real-life settings. Indeed, as used herein, “plant body” shall refer to the body of any type of plant, fruit, vegetable, flower, or other object as may be designed and utilized in the product according to the teachings herein.

As will be explained in further detail below, the method is preferably performed on a machining center, such as a multi-axis (preferably a five-axis) CNC mill. However, the method may be performed using a variety of tools, machines or otherwise, and the product may be crafted by hand or mechanically. The carving product may be formed from a blank. The blank may be fabricated from variety of materials such as woods, plastics, metals, composites, and other materials. In particular, such materials are preferably easily machinable and lightweight. Further, such materials are should be able to take paint or other coatings, for example, for aesthetic purposes. In addition, a negative form of the product may be created and other materials, such as resins, foams, liquids, and other suitable materials, which may be used to create the product using the negative form. The creation of the negative form may be performed using principles known in the art. The negative form should preferably provide a substantially equally-detailed and precise product as formed using the method described herein in order to ensure the lifelike nature of the product. The negative form may be used to create a solid foam product or may be used in conjunction with other manufacturing processes such as thermoforming or stamping to produce a hollow product.

The method includes the steps of fastening the blank to the machining center for processing. The blank defines an upper portion. Next, the blank is machined to form at least one elongate stem and at least one plant body into the upper portion of the blank. The stem defines a plant end. The plant body defines a top surface, and the plant body includes a stem receptacle whereto the plant end of the stem converges. The stem receptacle is at least partially disposed on the top surface of the plant body.

Additionally, the method also includes the step of machining an arcuate rim into the stem receptacle. The arcuate rim substantially encircles at least a portion of the plant end of the stem disposed within the stem receptacle.

According to an embodiment of the present method, the plant body defines a body centerpoint, the stem receptacle defines a receptacle centerpoint, and the blank defines a back plane. The plant body further defines a stem plane passing through the body centerpoint and the receptacle centerpoint. The stem defines a stem centerline. The stem plane is oriented substantially orthogonal to the back plane. In this regard, the method may further include the step of orienting the stem with the stem centerline at the plant end thereof being aligned with the stem plane upon converging to the stem receptacle. The stem may be curved with only the plant end thereof being disposed in the stem plane. This aspect of the present method may tend to provide a lifelike orientation of the stem with respect to the plant body.

In another embodiment of the present method, the plant body defines a generally circular perimeter and a tangent line intersecting the perimeter at an intersection point. In this regard, the stem receptacle may be disposed adjacent the intersection point with the stem centerline at the plant end of the stem converging to the stem receptacle at an at least 70 degree angle relative to the tangent line. Although the stem centerline at the plant end of the stem may converge to the stem receptacle at a variety of angles relative to the tangent line, it is preferable that the stem centerline at the plant end of the stem converges to the stem receptacle at an angle approximating or equal to perpendicular to the tangent line.

A further aspect of the present method includes the step of machining a flattened area into the top surface of the plant body adjacent the stem receptacle. The flattened area preferably extends outwardly from the stem receptacle and extends over approximately one-fourth of the top surface of the plant body.

According to yet another embodiment of the present method, a plurality of plant bodies may be disposed adjacent to each other to define a cluster of plant bodies. The cluster may be arranged to define an interstice intermediate the plant bodies of the cluster. The interstice may be variously sized, and is preferably at least as large as an individual stem. The method may thus further include the step of machining at least one stem within the interstice of the cluster. As taught above, the plant end thereof may converge to a given stem receptacle of a given plant body in the cluster. Furthermore, the stem may further define a vine end, and the method may also include the step of machining a plurality of stems within the interstice. Each of the plant ends of the plurality of stem may converge to a plurality of respective plant bodies of the cluster. However, the vine ends of each of the plurality of stems may converge to form a vine.

Additional aspects of the present method may also include machining the stem with the stem further defining a stem depth. The stem depth provides another aspect of lifelike realism for the carving product. In most embodiments, the stem depth is preferably at least 1/16 inch. The stem depth may be determined in response to the general configuration and arrangement of the stems and the plant bodies.

Furthermore, the method may also include producing a lifelike architectural product by: forming at least one elongate stem and a plurality of plant bodies into an upper portion of the product, the stem defining a plant end and a vine end, each plant body defining a top surface, given ones of the plant bodies including a stem receptacle whereto the plant end of the stem converges, the stem receptacle being at least partially disposed on the top surface of the given ones plant bodies, additional given ones of the plant bodies being disposed adjacent to each other to define a cluster of plant bodies and an interstice disposed within the cluster; forming at least one stem within the interstice of the cluster, the plant end thereof converging to a given stem receptacle of a given plant body in the cluster; forming at least one vine, the vine ends of a given plurality of stems converging to form the vine; forming an arcuate rim into the stem receptacle of the given ones of the plant bodies, the arcuate rim substantially encircling at least a portion of the plant end of the stem disposed within the stem receptacle; and forming a flattened area into the top surface of the given ones of the plant bodies, the flattened area being formed adjacent the stem receptacle; wherein the given ones of the plant bodies define a generally circular perimeter and a tangent line intersecting the perimeter at an intersection point, each respective stem defining a stem centerline; and wherein the stem receptacle of each given one of the plant bodies is disposed adjacent the intersection point with the stem centerline at the plant end of the stem converging to the stem receptacle at an at least 70 degree angle relative to the tangent line.

According to yet another aspect of the present method, the method may include the step of changing tools of the machining center. In this regard, it is preferable to begin the machining of the blank with roughing passes to remove as much material as possible while preserving the shape and design of the carving product. The method is preferably performed using five tools to form the carving product, although the method may easily be modified to use fewer or more tools. Thus, a first tool may be used to create a rough cut into the carving product. The first tool may be a ½ inch diameter drill bit. The method steps may be performed, and as the detail required by the tooling increases, the tools should decrease in diameter. Thus, a fifth tool may be used to create a finished cut into the carving product. In some cases, the fifth tool is a 1/16 inch diameter drill bit.

In another aspect of the present invention, a computer data signal is also provided that is embodied in a computer readable media for producing the lifelike carving product. The computer data signal comprises code configured to cause a processor to implement various embodiments, aspects, and implementations of the method disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for developing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiment. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is further understood that the use of relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like are used solely to distinguish one from another entity without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same,FIG. 2is a top view of a lifelike carving product100. The product100may incorporate various types of plant shapes, such as fruit, vegetable, or flower shapes, and advantageously incorporate innovative design aspects of plants, such as a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. The “fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface” may be defined as including interfaces between a given stem of a given plant with another part of the given plant, such as a stem of a flower plant with a flower disposed on the stem thereof. Thus, the “fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface” may be understood to refer to the area at which a given stem converges to another aspect of a given plant. As illustratively shown inFIG. 2, the product100may be configured to include a grape, stem, and leaf design. Further, the product100may be used as an onlay, for example, and decoratively placed in homes, offices, and other areas. Furthermore, the product100may be integrally formed into a facade of other architectural elements, such as corbels, moldings, legs, staircases, etc. Indeed, the teachings herein may be utilized to form architectural designs on any portion of a physically small or large architectural element—be it a very minor portion of large column or a majority of the visual surface of a corbel or onlay. Additionally, it is contemplated that the product100may also incorporate functional aspects depending on its use. For example, if used in a kitchen, the product100may include features such as hanging fixtures for towels, hot pads, and cooking utensils.

Additionally, although the product100is illustrated as incorporating a grape, stem, and leaf design, the product100may also a design of other types of plants, such as vegetables and fruits, such as oranges, cherries, and apples, just to name a few. The product100may incorporate various types of plant shapes, such as the realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. The product, as described below, may also incorporate several other lifelike features that produce a more realistic and aesthetically pleasing depiction. In this regard, the product may use vegetable or fruit designs, including grapes, bananas, pears, berries, apples, oranges, etc., as well as vines, leaves, and tree features that typically accompany such fruits and vegetables in real-life settings.

Although embodiments of the present invention may be referred to as a “woodcarving,” the product100and the methods of making the same can be performed not only with wood, but with various other materials as well, such as woods, plastics, metals, composites, and other materials, to name a few. Additionally, resins, foams, and other liquid materials may be used for negative forms, as described below. Indeed, the choice of a material that exhibits advantageous properties may be considered to be within the purview of one skilled in the art. Such properties may include being easily machinable, lightweight, and the ability to take paint or other coatings, for example, for aesthetic purposes. Furthermore, the following teachings may be modified in numerous ways and may result in products that exhibit various configurations, appearances, and textures; these alterations may likewise be performed by one of skill in the art. Finally, although the method is preferably taught as being performed on a machining center, such as a CNC mill, the method may be performed using a variety of tools, machines or otherwise, and the product may be crafted by hand or mechanically. For example, as discussed further below, the product100may also be formed using a negative form, which may facilitate the fabrication of the product100using operations such as molding, thermoforming, stamping, etc. Therefore, the teachings herein may be beneficially applied and used to form the product100by machine or by hand.

According to an implementation of the present invention, the product100may be formed from a blank102, which may be fabricated of one or more of the aforementioned materials. Once the blank102is selected, the blank102may then be processed through several forming operations, and the product100is formed thereby. As will be explained in further detail below, although the blank may be processed using hand tools or power tools and the like, the method is preferably performed on a machining center, such as a multi-axis (preferably a five-axis) CNC mill. The CNC mill provides an efficient means for machining, i.e. carving, the product100.

One of the innovative and novel aspects of embodiments of the present invention, as shown inFIG. 3, is the fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface wherein the design of the product100includes an elongate stem104that converges to a plant body106in a realistic or lifelike manner. The stem104and the plant body106are preferably disposed against a background108, such as a leaf110, shown inFIG. 2. The term “plant body” shall be understood to refer equally to both fruits and/or vegetables, as well as other objects as may be designed by one of skill in the art. Indeed, as used herein, “plant body” shall refer to the body of any type of plant or other object as may be designed and utilized in the product according to the teachings herein.

The limitations of the prior art included the failure to represent a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface, in other words, the connection between a plant, such as a fruit or vegetable, and a stem.FIG. 1shows the prior art carving product10which includes at least one large stem14that intersects with a top end16of a plurality of spherical fruits12, which are represented as being grapes. As mentioned above, this representation does not produce a realistic fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface. Therefore, one of the primary advantages that embodiments of the present invention have over such prior art products is the lifelike representation of the fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface.

In order to achieve this lifelike fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface, as shown inFIG. 3, the design of the stem104and the plant body106may be modified as taught herein. The blank102from which the design is machined, defines an upper portion112and a back plane114. The stem104defines a plant end116, a vine end118, and a stem depth120. The vine ends118of the stems104may also converge to form a vine122. The plant body106may define a top surface124, a plant perimeter126, and includes a stem receptacle128. The plant end116of the stem104may be defined as the distal portion of the stem104as it converges to the plant body106. The plant end116is preferably less that one-half inch of an overall length of the stem104. The top surface124of the plant body106may be defined as the three-dimensional surface portion of the plant body106visible in a two-dimensional top view of the product100, as shown inFIGS. 2-3. As such, the top surface124is also shown as the upper rounded portion of the plant body106illustrated inFIGS. 4-5. Similar to the top surface124, the plant perimeter126is also the general outline of the plant body106visible in a two dimensional view, as shown inFIGS. 2-3, and represents the outermost outline of the plant body106. In this regard, the top surface124may be bounded by the plant perimeter126, or in other words, the top surface124may terminate upon reaching the plant perimeter126. Further, the plant body106may be variously shaped with the plant perimeter126defining the shape thereof, be it in the general shape of any plant, vegetable, object, or fruit, such as a apple, banana, grape, pear, etc.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the plant body106may define a side surface130, which may be substantially orthogonal relative to the back plane114of the blank102. This type of configuration may be easier to machine; however, other configurations are possible which include having the top surface124of the plant body106, as shown inFIG. 4, and a lower surface of the plant body106which, instead of being orthogonal relative to the back plane114of the blank102, slopes inwardly and tends to make the plant body106more quasi-spherical in shape. Thus, while more difficult to process, the undercutting of the lower surface of the plant body106may further enhance the lifelike and realistic appearance of the fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface of the product100.

With further regard to the novel fruit-stem/vegetable-stem interface between the stem104and the plant body106, the stem receptacle128of the plant body106is at least partially disposed on the top surface124of the plant body106. The design of the plant end116of the stem104approaching the stem expression, as shown inFIGS. 6-8, the stem104approaches the plant body106with a stem centerline132at the plant end116of the stem104becoming aligned with a stem plane134. In a second expression, shown inFIGS. 9-10, the stem centerline132at the plant end116of the stem104may be oriented at a convergence angle136, between 70-90 degrees, with respect to a tangent line138. Both expressions will now be described below.

According to the first expression, illustrated inFIGS. 6-8, the plant body106defines a body centerpoint140, and the stem receptacle128defines a receptacle centerpoint142. As mentioned previously, the blank102defines the back plane114. Further, as illustrated inFIGS. 6-10, the stem104also defines the stem centerline132. Additionally, as shown inFIG. 8, the stem plane134passes through the body centerpoint140and the receptacle centerpoint142. The stem plane134is preferably oriented substantially orthogonal to the back plane114. Thus, according to the first expression, the stem centerline132at the plant end116of the stem104becomes aligned with the stem plane134upon the plant end116converging to the stem receptacle128. There is no minimum distance over which the stem centerline132must be aligned with the stem plane134; instead, the design may be variously configured and the scale of the stem104to the plant body106may also vary. Nevertheless, the stem centerline132should preferably approach the stem plane134at a decreasing rate and eventually become aligned with the stem plane134, which is shown inFIGS. 6-8.

As illustrated inFIG. 6, the plant body106may be shaped as an apple, cherry, banana, pear, or other fruit, vegetable, or object wherein the plant perimeter126of the plant body106is not substantially a circle. The first expression is therefore an advantageous method of designing the interface of the stem104and plant body106in such cases.

FIGS. 6 and 7also illustrate that the stem104may also be curved with only the plant end116thereof being disposed in the stem plane134. This aspect of the present method may tend to provide a lifelike orientation of the stem104with respect to the plant body106. The stem104may therefore be designed in numberless configurations that may mimic real-life plants, fruits, vegetables, and/or other objects.

It is also contemplated that the stem104defines a pair of opposing stem sidewalls144that are disposed orthogonally with respect to the back plane114of the blank102. The stem sidewalls144may also be utilized to define the stem depth120. Referring again to the first expression of the interface of the stem104and the plant body106, as the stem centerline132in the plant end116of the stem104approaches the stem plane134, the stem sidewalls144may also become aligned parallel to the stem plane134, as shown inFIG. 8. In this regard, the first expression may contemplate the three-dimensional nature of the interface of the stem104and the plant body106of the product100.

In the second expression of the plant end116of the stem104approaching the stem receptacle128, as shown inFIGS. 9-10, the plant perimeter126of the plant body106is generally circular and the tangent line138intersects the perimeter126at an intersection point146. In this regard, the stem receptacle128is preferably disposed adjacent the intersection point146with the plant end116of the stem104converging to the stem receptacle128at the convergence angle136, which is preferably at least 80 degrees, relative to the tangent line138. Although the convergence angle136may be between 70-90 degrees and still maintain a lifelike interface appearance, the convergence angle136should preferably be approximately equal to 90 degrees (or perpendicular) relative to the tangent line138, as shown inFIG. 10.

According to another innovative aspect of the present invention, the stem receptacle128may also include an arcuate rim148formed thereabout. The arcuate rim148of embodiments of the present invention provides distinct advantages over the prior art product shown inFIG. 1. The arcuate rim148was not utilized in such prior art products. Inclusion of the arcuate rim148within the stem receptacle128tends to increase the lifelike appearance of the product by simulating an actual junction between the plant end116of the stem104and the plant body106. The simulated effect produced by the arcuate rim148provides a distinctive and novel feature that may be implemented in various embodiments of the present invention.

The arcuate rim148may be formed as an indention that undercuts a portion of the plant end116of the stem104within the stem receptacle128. In this regard, as shown inFIGS. 3-5, the arcuate rim148may substantially encircle at least a portion of the plant end116of the stem104disposed within the stem receptacle128. The arcuate rim148is therefore preferably lower than the surrounding top surface124of the plant body106relative to the back plane114of the blank102.

Referring now toFIGS. 3 and 5, a further aspect of embodiments of the present invention is that the plant body106may include a flattened area150in the top surface124thereof adjacent the stem receptacle128. The flattened area150preferably extends outwardly from the stem receptacle128and extends over approximately one-fourth of the top surface124of the plant body106. A comparison betweenFIGS. 4 and 5illustrates a given plant body106not including a flattened area150, shown inFIG. 4, and another given plant body106that does include the flattened area150, shown inFIG. 5. The flattened area150preferably slopes downwardly toward the stem receptacle128relative to the back plane114, as shown inFIG. 5, but may also be substantially parallel to the back plane114.

In accordance with yet another innovative aspect of embodiments of the present invention, the product100may be formed to include a plurality of plant bodies106disposed adjacent to each other to define a cluster152of plant bodies, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. Such cluster152, as indicated above, may be a grouping of plants, fruits, vegetables, and/or other objects that may be designed as the plant body106. The cluster152may be arranged with variously sized and shaped plant bodies106. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the cluster152may also be arranged to define an interstice154intermediate the plant bodies106of the cluster152. The interstice154may be variously sized, and is preferably at least large enough to include at least one stem104, as shown in the close up ofFIG. 3. Further, as shown inFIG. 2, multiple interstices154may be included in the cluster152.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, at least one stem104may be included within the interstice154of the cluster152. As taught above, the plant end116thereof may converge to a given stem receptacle128of a given plant body106in the cluster152. Furthermore, as mentioned, the stem104may define the vine end118, and the vine ends118of a plurality of stems104disposed within the interstice154may converge to form the vine122. Exemplary configurations are illustrated in each ofFIGS. 2 and 3. These configurations provide additional unique and novel advantages over the prior art products. The inclusion of the interstices154and stems104and vines122disposed therewithin tends to create a more lifelike product100. Moreover, the patterns and configurations of the interstices154, including the relative orientation of the plant bodies106and stems104, may be altered as desired in order to adapt such teaching for different types of plant bodies106and settings. For example, it is contemplated that objects other than stems104may be shown in the interstices154. If the background for the plant bodies106were a lattice, the lattice may therefore show through a given interstice154. Other modifications and improvements are contemplated and may be made with the skill in the art.

According to yet another innovative aspect of the present invention, the stem depth120of embodiments of the present invention is preferably increased compared to that of the prior art. Such a modification also tends to make the product more lifelike than the prior art. Indeed, the stem depth120provides another aspect of realism for the product. In most embodiments, the stem depth120is preferably at least 1/16 inch. However, the stem depth120may be determined in response to the general configuration and arrangement of the stems104and the plant bodies106.

Exemplary Implementations of the Method of Making

As is known in the art, when using a CNC mill, the dimensions of the product100must be input into a program that controls the function and output of the CNC mill. As shown inFIGS. 2-5, the product100includes a three-dimensional design and therefore includes dimensions representative of the shape and size of the product100. Initial parameters may need to be input into the program in order to obtain the proper scaling and orientation of the three-dimensional design with respect to the blank102. Upon entering all of the required parameters for the carving operation to take place, the process may be initiated, which will be further described below. Further, after uploading G-code to the machining center, the product100may be made using the methods described herein.

The method includes the steps of fastening the blank102to the machining center for processing. This is typically performed using proper fasteners, such as clamps. Next, the blank102is machined to form at least one elongate stem104and at least one plant body106into the upper portion of the blank102. Additionally, the method also includes the step of machining the arcuate rim148into the stem receptacle128. A further aspect of the present method includes the step of machining the flattened area150into the top surface124of the plant body106adjacent the stem receptacle128.

According to yet another embodiment of the present method, the method may include the step of machining at least one stem104within the interstice154of the cluster152. As taught above, the plant end116thereof may converge to a given stem receptacle128of a given plant body106in the cluster152. Furthermore, the method may also include the step of machining a plurality of stems104within the interstice154. Thus, as another aspect of the method, each of the plant ends116of the plurality of stems104may be machined to converge to a plurality of respective plant bodies106of the cluster152. Additional aspects of the present method may also include machining the stem104with the stem depth120being at least 1/16 inch. It is noted that the above method may be variously modified to incorporate the numerous features of the product100described above.

Furthermore, as is known in the art, a CAD/CAM application, which includes three-dimensional CNC capability, may be utilized in all relevant steps to generate CNC command data. For example, Artcam from Delcam International is an exemplary program that may be used; nevertheless, any software application having CNC capabilities may be utilized.

According to an implementation of the present method, a three dimensional model of the product100may be created on a computer workstation in a variety of well known methods. Where a pre-existing physical carving is available, the preferred method is scanning the carving, as opposed to the more time-consuming task of preparing a model of the carving directly on the computer through well known CAD software applications. Typically, a laser scans across the carving, and measures the flight time of the laser pulse to determine the distance from the scanner to each point on the carving the laser reflects off of. Upon scanning, a point cloud of three dimensional points that represent the carving is produced by the computer which controls the scanner. Prior to the scan, the name of the scan, the size of the carving, and the positioning of the scanner is defined and entered into the computer. Preferably, in order to obtain an improved scan, the surface of the carving may be coated with a dulling material. Thus, utilizing this technique, any variety of handmade variations may be made to the product100and later uploaded to the computer using the laser scan.

After obtaining the point cloud, the model represented thereby may be manipulated for improved efficiency in transforming the same into a polygonal mesh. Among the well recognized operations include smoothing the transition between data points and eliminating extraneous data points through noise reduction. Upon completing the point cloud clean-up process, the data in the point cloud may be transformed into a polygonal mesh, which is a mathematical representation of the surfaces captured in the point cloud.

The aforementioned polygonal mesh model may be edited to fill any existing holes in the same where insufficient data was collected. Additionally, boundaries may be verified and repaired for a continuous, uninterrupted surface, and the number of control points defining the polygon are increased or decreased for a smooth outline of the polygonal mesh.

From the polygonal mesh model, a Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surface model may be created by a meshing/patching process. As will be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art, NURBS can create a robust and accurate geometric description of the carving so that the definition of a contour is not lost. At the routing stage, NURBS can define points along the contour such that a CNC machine can interpolate the arcs along the path created by the points. Thus, NURBS data can be used to control the CNC machine movements via the CNC controller to perform a highly accurate and improved surface finish. First, patches are uniformly arranged in a layout to represent the shape of the carving, and a high grid-resolution structure is laid on each individual patch. Thereafter, a NURBS surface may be fit to each patch, while retaining tangent continuity across all patch boundaries. This step involves defining the various curvatures of the carving, wherein a contour line is determined by the number of curvature changes in the carving model. Using this information the model may be separated into regions of low curvature change and low curvature changes, and contour lines are defined. The NURBS surface is then divided into quadrangular patches, and each patch is connected by four polylines, or patch boundaries, which are arranged to cover the polygonal surface of the carving model.

Upon modeling the three-dimensional carving as a NURBS model, such resulting model may be scaled to the appropriate size, and measurement accuracy and quality of surface is verified. The dimensions of the blank102, as inputted into the computer, may then be utilized to scale the model so that the final carving will be properly placed on the blank102. Additionally, in generating the G-code, relative locations of toolpaths about the dimensions the design may be adjusted.

As will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, for any given carving tasks, the CNC G-code generated may require multiple tools and multiple toolpaths. In production settings such toolpaths are typically merged for further speed and efficiency, but during prototyping it is often desirable not to merge such toolpaths. Accordingly, prior to generating the CNC G-code, an option may be selected by the operator to merge or not to merge toolpaths.

Therefore, according to yet another aspect of the present method, the method may include the step of changing tools of the machining center. In this regard, it is preferable to begin the machining of the blank102with roughing passes to remove as much material as possible while preserving the shape and design of the carving product100. The method is preferably performed using five tools to carve the carving product, although the method may easily be modified to use fewer or more tools. A first tool may be used to create a rough cut into the carving product100. For example, the first tool may be a ½ inch diameter drill bit. As the method steps are performed, and as the detail required by the tooling increases, the tools should decrease in diameter, as is known by one of skill in the art. Thus, if a fifth tool is used, the fifth tool may be used to create a finished cut into the carving product100. For example, the fifth tool is a 1/16 inch diameter drill bit.

In another aspect of the present invention, a computer data signal is also provided that is embodied in a computer readable media for producing the lifelike carving product100. The computer data signal comprises code configured to cause a processor to implement various embodiments, aspects, and implementations of the method disclosed herein.

Finally, in yet another aspect of the present invention, as mentioned above, it is also contemplated that the negative form of the product100may be created. The negative form may facilitate the fabrication of the product100using other fabrication methods such as molding, thermoforming, or stamping, to name a few. Thus, the product100may be formed as a solid whole, or as a hollow product. In such processes, the product100may be formed from materials such as resins, foams, liquids (metals or otherwise), sheets of metal, and other suitable materials for the respective forming operation, which may be used to create the product100using the negative form. Such materials may simply be poured into or formed to the negative mold in order to fabricate the product100. For example, pressure such as by vacuum or direct force, may be applied to sheets of material in order to have the material formed precisely to an interior surface of the negative form. Additionally, resins or foams may be easily poured into the negative form and subsequently cured in order to prepare the product. Other finishing operations may also be necessary depending on the type of manufacturing process used. The creation of the negative form may be performed using principles known in the art.

The negative form should preferably provide a substantially equally-detailed and precise product as formed using the method described herein in order to ensure the lifelike nature of the product. The use of negative forms may increase the speed and facility of manufacture of the product100, and may therefore have various advantages over methods incorporating machining and the like. Additionally, although methods of machining allow for the creation of a genuine wood product that includes the wood grain (which may be necessary to provide the proper aesthetic effect), it is also contemplated that the negative form may include small subtle ridges and/or like designs on the interior surface of the negative form in order to give the visual impression that a molded product has been cut from wood.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of modifying the configuration of the plant bodies106, stems104, interstices154, background108, and other features of the product100, as well as various ways of modifying the implementations of the method. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Furthermore, the method and product taught herein may be formed using a variety of tools, machines or otherwise, and may be crafted by hand or mechanically. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.