Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a coated article includes providing a substrate, positioning a spacer adjacent the substrate, applying a polymer coating to the spacer and the substrate, and removing the polymer-coated spacer to expose an uncoated portion of the substrate.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to coated articles, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing such coated articles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Substrates (e.g., wood, metals, etc.) are sometimes coated (e.g., with a polymer) to protect the substrate or to provide a different exterior that is viewed and touched by a consumer. A consumer product including such a coated substrate, however, can present difficulties in both manufacturing and assembling the consumer product. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention provides, in one aspect, a method of manufacturing a coated article including providing a substrate, positioning a spacer adjacent the substrate, applying a polymer coating to the spacer and the substrate, and removing the polymer-coated spacer to expose an uncoated portion of the substrate. 
         [0004]    The invention provides, in another aspect, a coated article including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a polymer coating covering the first substrate and the second substrate. A web of the polymer coating interconnects the first substrate and the second substrate. 
         [0005]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a coated article in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the coated article of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3-8  illustrate a method of manufacturing the coated article of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a step in an assembly process for the coated article of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of another step in the assembly process for the coated article of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a kit including a plurality of coated articles, like that shown in  FIG. 1 , prior to assembly. 
           [0012]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of one step in an assembly process for the coated articles of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a consumer product made from the coated articles in the kit of  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a coated article  10  includes a first substrate  18 A and a second substrate  18 B that are connected with a polymer coating  14 . The article  10  also includes uncoated portions  46 ,  50  of the respective substrates  18 A,  18 B adjacent first and second web portions  38 ,  42  of the coating  14 . In the illustrated embodiment of the article  10 , holes  54 A,  54 B are provided in the first substrate  18 A and second substrate  18 B, respectively, for assembling the coated article  10  as described in further detail below. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIGS. 3-8 , a method of manufacturing the coated article  10  is shown.  FIG. 3  illustrates the first step in the process of providing a substrate  18 , which can be wood, metal, or another suitable material, cutting the substrate  18  along a jogged line, and separating the substrate  18  into the resulting first substrate  18 A and a second substrate  18 B. Cutting the substrate  18  along a jogged line creates a first cutout  26  within the first substrate  18 A and a second cutout  30  formed in the second substrate  18 B. Two metal spacers  22  are then inserted adjacent the substrates  18 A,  18 B within the cutouts  26 ,  30  formed between the separated substrate pieces  18 A,  18 B ( FIG. 4 ). Although the spacers  22  have been described as metal, spacers made of any suitable material (e.g., a non-porous material) to which the polymer coating will not stick could alternatively be used. 
         [0017]    The substrates  18 A,  18 B and the spacers  22  are subsequently fed through a die  34  ( FIG. 5 ) in which the polymer coating  14  is applied to encapsulate the substrate pieces  18 A,  18 B and the spacers  22  ( FIG. 6 ). The polymer coating  14  is applied to contiguously coat the first substrate  18 A, both the spacers  22 , and the second substrate  18 B. The die  34  illustrated is similar to the apparatus and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,086, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the polymer coating  14  may be applied to the substrates  18 A,  18 B in another manner. 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIG. 7 , the polymer-coated spacers  22  are removed, thereby leaving the first and second substrate  18 A,  18 B interconnected only by the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42  of the polymer coating  14 . Removing the polymer-coated spacers  22  creates the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42  of the polymer coating  14  unassociated with the first and second substrates  18 A,  18 B. Removing the spacers  22  by cutting out sections of the polymer coating  14  is a more effective method of creating precision forms that post-coating machining or routing a contiguous coated substrate. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second substrates  18 A,  18 B are interconnected solely with the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42 . When the polymer-coated spacers  22  are removed, the first uncoated portion  46  and the second uncoated portion  50  of the substrates  18 A,  18 B become exposed. Holes  54 A,  54 B are then bored through at least a portion of the polymer coating  14  and the substrates  18 A,  18 B ( FIG. 8 ) by drilling or using another suitable method. 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIGS. 9-10 , an exemplary assembly process of the coated article  10  is illustrated. After the polymer-coated spacers  22  are removed and the holes  54  are created, the first substrate  18 A is reoriented relative to the second substrate  18 B ( FIG. 9 ) by folding the first substrate  18 A relative to the second substrate  18 B. In the illustrated embodiment of the article  10 , the substrates  18 A,  18 B are movable between a first configuration ( FIG. 8 ), in which the first substrate  18 A and the second substrate  18 B are collinear, and a second configuration ( FIG. 10 ), in which the first substrate  18 A and the second substrate  18 B are non-collinear. The uncoated portions  46 ,  50  are adjacent the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42 , respectively, when the first and second substrates  18 A,  18 B are in the first configuration. And, the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42  overlie the uncoated surfaces  46 ,  50 , respectively, when the first and second substrates  18 A,  18 B are in the second configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the uncoated portions  46 ,  50  are completely shrouded by the first web portion  38  and the second web portion  42  when the substrates  18 A,  18 B are in the second configuration. More specifically, the first web portion  38  overlies the first uncoated portion  46  and the second web portion  42  overlies the second uncoated portion  50  when the first and second substrates  18 A,  18 B are in the second configuration. Any further uncoated portions of the substrate  18 A are shrouded by the adjacent substrate  18 B, when in the second configuration. Likewise, any further uncoated portions of the substrate  18 B are shrouded by the adjacent substrate  18 A, when in the second configuration. 
         [0020]    When the first substrate  18 A is reoriented relative to the second substrate  18 B, the holes  54 A in the first substrate  18 A become aligned with the holes  54 B in the second substrate  18 B. In the illustrated embodiment, the first substrate  18 A is reoriented relative to the second substrate  18 B by folding or pivoting the first substrate  18 A approximately 90 degrees relative to the second substrate  18 B. However, alternative reorientations between the first substrate  18 A and second substrate  18 B are also possible. For example, the substrate  18  may initially be cut (during the first step shown in  FIG. 3 ) to ultimately form a  45  degree connection. After the first substrate  18 A is reoriented relative to the second substrate  18 B, fasteners  58  are inserted through the holes  54 A,  54 B to secure the first substrate  18 A and the second substrate  18 B together in the second configuration ( FIG. 10 ). Once fastened together, no uncoated portions of either of the substrates  18 A,  18 B are visible or otherwise exposed. 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 11-13 , the above described process may be utilized to manufacture coated articles, similar to the coated article  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , that are sold as a kit  100  for subsequent user assembly. Household or office furniture (e.g., a chair  102 ,  FIG. 11 ) may be made from assembling coated articles  104  manufactured using this process. More specifically, the coated articles  104  can include a plurality of substrate pieces  108  held together with a contiguous polymer coating  112 , and can be packaged and shipped in a first configuration ( FIG. 11 ) with the substrate pieces  108  oriented collinearly or flat. Packaging the coated articles  104  in the first configuration, with the substrates  108  oriented collinearly, reduces the packaging size required and therefore overall cost of the kit  100 . The user can then remove the coated articles  104  from the packaging and begin assembling the kit  100 . Assembling the kit  100  includes moving the plurality of substrates  108  from the first configuration to a second, non-collinear configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the coated articles  104  are packaged with holes  116  pre-drilled to facilitate assembly by the end user. With reference to  FIG. 11 , the chair  102  fully assembled includes coated articles  104  with reoriented substrates  108  that are fastened together. The assembled coated articles  104  include no uncovered or exposed portions of any of the substrates  108 . In other words, only the polymer coating  112  is visible and none of the substrates  108  are seen when in the second configuration (i.e., an assembled configuration). Although, the chair  102  is the illustrated example, other types of pre-constructed furniture (e.g., beds, dressers, etc.) could also be manufactured and assembled using the disclosed process. 
         [0022]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.