Method of making a molded wooden panel for decorative coverings

Abstract: It provides protection and ornamentation to surfaces of furniture, walls, columns or other objects though said surfaces are curved or have different planes. It has a flexible or rigid support (1) of different thicknesses and material depending on where same is to be placed attached to a wooden sheet (3) by means of a layer of adhesive (2.) The sheet (3) is milled to define some segments (4) whose repetition gives rise to the motif, some channels (5) in which the sheet (3) is very thin remaining between said sements (4) so that the resulting panel is flexible and is not easily broken due to said channels (5), whereby it will be adapted in the best way to the different shapes that the application surface may have.

Description: The present invention refers to a method of making a molded wooden panel whose purpose is to provide a decorative and covering means of different surfaces, though these surfaces are curved or include different planes. The invention is especially applicable to the covering and decorating furniture, walls, columns, ships, dividers or the like, though it can be applied to any surface which is to be protected and ornamented. Different types of coverings for different surfaces are known which permit the same to have their aesthetic aspect improved or to provide a means of protection. Most of them are used for very specific purposes and thus their field of application is very restricted. Besides, these coverings are very difficult or impossible to apply to curved surfaces or surfaces that include different planes. US-A-299 382 discloses a traditional manner of manufacturing flexible wooden panels, by joining a large number of wooden strips (which define segments) to a support, by means of, for example, glueing. US-A-299 382 also discloses the possibility of using slats or strips having a central longitudinal recess, which may be cut down to any desired depth; slats having several small grooves running parallel with and near to the edges of the slat; or slats with large recesses or grooves and, between them, sets of smaller grooves. US-A-4 073 672 describes a method for treating a board made of, for example, cellulosa. This board is given characteristics similar to those of natural wood by means of consolidation under pressure and heat. A problem involved with this kind of boards resides in the fact that it is difficult to provide this kind of boards with a long-lasting surface design by means of embossing, at the surface has a tendency to "spring-back" to its original surface design. US-A-4 073 672 describes how, in order to solve this problem, the board can be fixed to a cushion or backing member which, according to one embodiment, is fixed to the board by means of a binder. According to US-A-4 073 672, this backing member can form an integral part of the final product. US-A-4 544 440 describes a method for producing a product with relief design by means of pressing a unit comprising coarse wood particles disposed between a pair of damp cellulosic fibres. The method as claimed has been established in order to achieve the purposes and to avoid the above cited inconveniences. The method can be used to obtain a decorative covering panel that has a flexible support such as cloth, plastic, cardboard, fibers, laminate metals or the like with an appropriate thickness, depending on where the same is to be placed. A sheet that is preferably made out of wood and mechanized so that it has a plurality of segments separated by channels in which said sheet will be thinner is adhered to this support. The repetition of these segments gives rise to the motif of the panel. All the segments remain joined forming a single piece, but the connections between them, defined by the cited channels, permit the flexibility thereof without the same breaking, thus it is possible to apply the panel to very curved surfaces, as well as to surfaces with different planes. In manufacturing the panels of the invention, first of all an adhesive is applied to the support and afterwards the wooden panel is placed thereon. Then, the entirety formed by the support, adhesive and sheet is pressed to achieve total adherence of the sheet to the support. Finally, once the wooden sheet and the support are strongly connected, the surface of the wooden sheet is milled with the details that are desired and establishing the different segments and channels, so that between segment and segment of the motif that is represented there is a thinner area or channel in the wooden sheet. Due to the flexible nature of the support and the arrangement in segments of the motif of the sheet, the panels of the invention have the advantage of being able to adapt to any surface although the surface is very curved or includes sharp changes of planes. Besides, the panels can be easily cut along the channels of separation between the segments. All of this makes the uses of these panels very extensive without reducing their efficacy in each specific case. On the other hand the simplicity of the manufacturing processes makes it possible to obtain top quality panels at low prices. Hereinafter, to provide a better understanding of this specification and forming an integral part of the same, a single figure in which the object of the invention has been represented in an illustrative and non-restrictive manner is attached hereto. The figure shows a perspective view of the decorative covering panel produced by the method of the present invention, the thickness of support (1) and of the layer of adhesive (2) having been exaggerated. Hereinafter the description of an example of the invention is made referring to the numbers used in the figure. Hence, the decorative covering panel produced by the method as claimed comprises a flexible cloth support (1) to which a wooden sheet (3) is fastened by means of a layer of adhesive (2.) The wooden sheet (3) is mechanized so that a series of segments (4), whose repetition forms a motif, is defined, separated by channels (5) in which the thickness of the sheet (3) is much smaller. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the segments (4) are given a constant section with the top curviconvex edge, but likewise they can have other geometric features, as long as between said segments (4) channels (5) in which the thickness of the wooden sheet (3) is small are established. It must be like this so that the connections between the segments (4) are flexible without easily breaking, so that the panel has a considerable flexibility when so required. These panels can be applied to surfaces with different planes or curved ones as a result thereof. The manufacturing of said panels consists of applying the adhesive layer (2) on the support (1) and placing the sheet (3) thereon before making the segments (4) and channels (5) in it. Then, said components are pressed to achieve greater adherence. Once the support (1) is strongly connected to the sheet (3), the latter is milled to form the segments (4) and the channels (5.)

Claims: A method of making a molded wooden panel for decorative coverings, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: applying an adhesive layer (2) to a flexible support (1); placing a wooden sheet (3) on said flexible support (1) so that said adhesive layer (2) is disposed between said wooden sheet (3) and said flexible support (1); applying pressure to said wooden sheet (3) and said flexible support (1) such that a greater adherence is obtained; and treating said wooden sheet (3) by milling such that different segments (4) having preselected geometric features are formed, adjacent segments (4) being separated by channels (5), the thickness of the wooden sheet (3) being considerably smaller at said channels (5) than a maximum thickness of said wooden sheet (3) such that the resulting panel will adapt, without breaking, to curved surfaces or to surfaces having different planes. A method according to claim 1, wherein the segments (4) are given a section with a convex top.

Inventors: SANSANO SANZ AGUSTIN, SANSANO SANZ, AGUSTIN
Applicants: SANSANO SANZ AGUSTIN, SANSANO SANZ, AGUSTIN
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B44C1
IPC codes: E04F13, B32B21, B27D1, B44C3, B44C5, B44C1