Patent Abstract:
A decoration includes a thin cover sheet onto which an image has been printed and which has been formed into a contoured shape at least partially corresponding to the image. A filler support layer is added to the hollow side of the cover sheet and hardens.

Full Description:
This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 10/133,017, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,914, filed Apr. 26, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/951,172, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,370, filed Sep. 13, 2002, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application S.No. 60/233,182, filed Sep. 15, 2001, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Relief images are well-known and have been made of clay, wood, plastic and other materials. A typical relief image is either cast or carved, and, if it includes a variety of colors, they usually are painted on by hand. One way to make an attractive relief image is to run a relatively thin plastic material through a printing device to create a high quality printed image and then to vacuum form the material to give relief to the image. However, in order to run the material through a printer, it must be relatively thin. This results in a fairly lightweight, flexible product, which does not have the same aesthetic appeal as a more solid cast or carved image. As shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,023, which is hereby incorporated by reference, one way to protect the flexible image from being damaged is to provide a cover and a raised frame around the image. However, since the image is on a lightweight, flexible sheet, it can easily flex, and it does not have the same effect as a solid or cast piece. Similarly, as one picks up the image, the relative lack of weight gives away the fact that this is not a solid or cast piece. The more rigid the relief image is and the heavier it feels, the more it resembles a cast, carved, or solid piece, and the higher its perceived quality and value by the end user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a plaque, wall hanging, or other decoration in which the hollow side of a thin, printed and formed member is filled with a filler, which hardens, thereby imparting structural strength. The filler may fill the hollow side of the member by any number of means, including casting, pouring, or injection molding. In the preferred embodiment, the filler is poured into the hollow side of the formed member. As the filler solidifies, the thin, printed and formed member preferably bonds with the filler to make a solid three-dimensional piece. This piece may be mounted to a frame, such a solid wooden frame, a frame may be part of the piece itself, or the piece may be unframed. The result is a heavy duty, attractive decoration having a raised, printed image. The decoration may be further personalized by attaching an engraved, brass tag or a label, or by other known means. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a raised image plaque made in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back side of the raised image portion of the plaque of FIG. 1, resting on a support member and being filled with a filler. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the raised image portion of the plaque of FIG. 2 after it has been filled; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of the filled, raised image portion of the plaque of FIG. 3 with a backer portion added; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the raised image portion of the plaque of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIGS. 1-5 show an example of a raised, three-dimensional decorative plaque  10  made in accordance with the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, this particular embodiment  10  comprises three pieces: a pre-printed, vacuum-formed cover sheet  12 ; a filler  102 ; and a frame  104 . In this embodiment, the cover sheet  12  is formed by vacuum forming, and the frame  104  is injection molded. 
     The cover sheet  12  is printed and is then vacuum formed with contours corresponding to the image. The outside or front surface  13 F is substantially convex, and the inside or back surface  13 B is substantially concave (See FIGS.  2  and  5 ). In this preferred embodiment, the cover sheet  12  is made of 0.20-inch thick styrene. The printing preferably is done on a machine in which the printed, precut sheet  12  is fed through the printer. It may be desired to print a marble design or another type of attractive design in the frame area  20  of the printed sheet  12  and to print an image to be formed as a relief image in the central area  22 . The cover sheet  12  is then vacuum formed or formed by another known method to provide a formed, relief image  24  in the central area  22 . The formed cover sheet includes contours corresponding to the printed image. The forming process also forms rearwardly-directed edges  26  around the periphery, which terminate in a flange or lip  28  which flares out approximately perpendicular to the rearwardly-directed edges  26 . A raised frame  20  may also be formed on the cover sheet  12  between the rearwardly-directed edges  26  and the formed, raised image  24 . The depth of the raised image portion (in this embodiment the image is an eagle) is typically on the order of approximately one-eighth to one-half inch, and preferably about one-fourth of an inch. The depth of the cover sheet from the flange  28  to the most raised portion of the image is typically on the order of approximately one inch. Each portion of the cover sheet  12  may be printed differently, as desired, to produce an attractive product. For example, the central area  22  may be printed with a portrait or a landscape image (such as the eagle in this example), and the frame portion  20  may be printed with a marbelized design. While this preferred embodiment shows a rectangular-shaped cover sheet  12 , it is understood that the plaque can be made in a variety of shapes, such as oval, hexagonal, circular, and so forth. 
     A support layer  106  (See FIG. 2) is used to support the thin, formed sheet  12  as it is being filled with a filler. The support layer  106  preferably is made of thicker material and is formed in substantially the same shape as the printed and formed cover sheet  12 . This support layer  106  is typically a rubber support matting, though it may be any other type of support material, such as compacted sand, for instance. The printed and formed cover sheet  12  rests face-down on, and is supported by, the support layer  106  such that the convex front, printed surface  13 F of the raised image  12  lies against the support layer  106 , and the concave rear surface  13 B of the raised image  12  (which is the hollow or concave surface of the raised image  12 ) is facing up. 
     A filler material  102  is then added to the substantially concave rear surface  13 B of the image, preferably until the entire rear surface area  13 B is filled. In other embodiments of this invention, it may be desirable to allow the filler  102  to overflow beyond the hollow surface  13 B of the raised image  12 , and allow the filler to reach the rearwardly directed edges  26  (See FIG.  5 ). In fact, it may be desirable to fill the entire rear surface of the raised image  12  until the filler is even with the flanges  28 . The more filler added, the heavier the final piece will be. 
     As shown in the figures, the vacuum formed contours are in registration with the image so as to form a contoured relief image. In FIG. 2, the thin sheet  12  is oriented with the front surface down and the concave rear surface up, and filler  102  is simply pored into the open cavity formed by the concave rear surface of the thin sheet  12 . The rear surface is not enclosed in a mold which would permit high pressure injection molding of the filler but rather simply is open to the atmosphere, so the filler  102  is applied at ambient pressure. 
     The flanges  28  help to prevent the filler  102  from getting between the piece  12  and the support layer. Once the filler  102  has cured and solidified, the piece  12  is removed from the support layer  106 , and any excess material such as the flanges  28  and parts of the rearwardly directed edges  26  may be trimmed so as to obtain a substantially smooth and flat back surface of the raised image  12 , as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     A backing member  108  of relatively flat material is secured to the back of the raised printed image  12 , as shown in FIG.  4 . Alternately, the raised printed image  12  shown in FIG. 3 may be secured (with an adhesive, for instance) to a separate frame  104  as seen in FIG.  1 . Finally, it may be that neither a backing member  108  nor a separate frame  104  is desirable or required. 
     The filler  102  is preferably a polyurethane resin or a white gypsum cement such as Hydrocal (Hydrocal is a registered trademark product of United Sates Gypsum of 125 South Franklin, Chicago, Ill. 60606-4678). The filler  102  does not require high temperature curing (such as curing in an oven), which would tend to damage the raised printed image  12 . Instead, the filler  102  hardens at room temperature. However, the hardening process of the filler may result in an exothermic reaction, and this temperature rise may cause slight melting or dissolving of the material from which the raise printed image  12  is made (which, as disclosed earlier is preferably a relatively thin styrene). This results in a good bond between the filler  102  and the raised printed image  12 . However, this bond is not a requirement. Should the filler  102  and the raised printed image  12  not form a good bond during the hardening process of the filler  102 , and should such a bond be deemed desirable, the corresponding surfaces of the hardened filler  102  and of the raised image  12  may be secured to each other via an adhesive, for instance. 
     The significance of the support layer  106  is now evident. If the filler slightly dissolves or slightly melts the inside surface  13 B of the relatively thin raised printed image  12 , and this raised printed image  12  is not properly supported, the image  12  may warp, damaging the end product. The support layer  106  provides support to prevent warping of the printed image  12  while the filler is being added and is curing. 
     It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1