Method for making patterned plate glass

Abstract: A method for making patterned plate glass comprises the steps of providing a plate glass, either of the transparent or of the colored type, applying on the provided plate glass a thin layer of a clear epoxy resin, applying, by a transfer process, a pattern on this epoxy resin thin layer and, finally, applying on the pattern a coating colored film.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for making plate glass including decorating patterns, which can be made in several different colours. As is known, glass plates can be advantageously used for making windows, room separating walls, doors, furniture piece doors and the like. These glass plates are usually made starting from either a clear or a colored glass which glass can be processed, if required, on one of its surfaces, or on both its surfaces, so as to provide these surfaces with a desired aspect, for example a polished or ground aspect. Prior decorated glass plates, however, do not provide a fully satisfactory decorative effect. Colored glass plates are also known which, in addition to providing a poor chromatic effect, also have a comparatively high making cost. In fact, these glass plates are usually provided with patterns by means of manual operations, or by using patterned templates, or by printing methods, usually of a screen-printing type. The decorative effect provided by these glass plates, as stated, is poor either because of a rather inaccurate pattern, or because of chromatic discordances. Moreover, the decorative patterns on these prior glass plates are susceptible to a quick wear both because of atmospheric agents and because of usual cleaning operations carried out thereon. The document DE-A-3 838 930 discloses a method for making plate glass articles substantially according to the preamble of the main Claim. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a method for making decorated glass plates which allows to transfer, on the glass plates, complex patterns, such as patterns simulating the grains of wood, the veins of a marble and the like. Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a method for making decorated glass plates which is very reliable and simple from an operative standpoint. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a method for making decorated glass plates which allows to make glass plate articles of manufacture having a very high decorative value and which are not negatively affected by wear phenomena or the like. According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a method for making patterned plate glass articles, according to the characterizing portion of the main claim. Advantageously, the used clear paint comprises an epoxy resin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the method according to the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the figures of the accompanying drawing, where: Figure 1 shows a generic portion of a decorated glass plate made by the method according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the glass plate shown in figure 1; Figure 3 shows a portion of a further glass plate which has been processed so as to provide a glass panel coated by briar; and Figures 4 and 5 show glass plates which have been processed by the method according to the present invention so as to provide the glass plate with a marble or granite aspect and a wood veneer aspect respectively. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, the method for making decorated glass plates according to the invention, comprises the step of providing a conventional glass plate 1 which, if desired, can be of a tempered or layered type, either clear or colored. According to the invention, on a side of this glass plate there is applied a thin layer 2 of a clear paint, advantageously a clear epoxy resin. This epoxy resin, which will have any suitable formulation, is coated on the glass plate 1 by any known coating methods, such as a spraying or a spreading method. In this connection, it should be apparent that the glass plate 1 may have any desired suitable thickness and may be produced according to conventional methods for making glass plates. Then, in a further step of the method of the invention, on the glass plate 1 there is applied, by any conventional transfer process, a supporting element 3, bearing a pattern thereon, and generally indicated at 4, the pattern advantageously reproducing the aesthetic aspect of a wood or briar panel, of a natural stone plate, of the type which is generally used for decorative purposes. It should be apparent that the pattern can comprise chromatic arrangements of different colours. Then, in a further step of the method according to the invention, on the patterned supporting member a covering and protecting film 5 is applied, said film 5 having any desired colours and being specifically designed to provide a protecting layer for the patterned supporting member, while providing the glass plate with a background colour. In particular, as stated, the pattern applied by a transfer method on the glass plate may reproduce, depending on the use provided for the glass plate, the surface aspect of a briar layer 6, or of a marble or granite layer 7, or of a wood veneer 8.

Claims: A method for making patterned plate glass articles for making windows, room separating walls, doors and furniture piece doors, said plate glass articles having complex patterns simulating the grains of wood and the veins of marble , comprising the steps of providing a glass plate, either of a clear or colored type (1), applying on said plate (1) a clear paint (2), applying on said clear paint, by a transfer process, a desired pattern (4) and applying on said pattern a coating protecting film (5), characterized in that said clear paint comprises an epoxy resin and that said epoxy resin provides an epoxy resin film colored in different colors and designed to operate both as a protective layer for said pattern and as a background colored film for said glass plate (1). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said epoxy resin is coated on said plate by a spraying process. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said epoxy resin is coated on said glass plate by a spreading process.

Inventors: MARTELLI GIULIANO, MARTELLI, GIULIANO
Applicants: AXIVETRO SRL, AXIVETRO S.R.L.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B44F1
IPC codes: C03C17, B44F1