A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The present invention relates to a method for making a composite panel comprising a pourable and settable base material, preferably cementitious mortar, and a plurality of through elements (10) made of glass for transmitting light between two base surfaces (1,1′) of the panel (1). The method includes making a semi-finished product comprising a central body (50) which incorporates the through elements (10), which emerge from two mutually opposite main surfaces (51,52). In particular, the method includes making the semi-finished product by defining two containing frames, mutually opposite with respect to the body, each of which emerges from one of the central surfaces. The method includes closing the semi-finished product between two containing elements so as to define two half-spaces, each of which at least partially delimited by said containing frames. The method then includes filling each half-space with cementitious mortar and removing the manufactured item which is made, after the mortar has set. Finally, the method includes finishing such a manufactured item by eliminating the containing frames from the semi-finished product, the body of which remains incorporated in the structure of the panel.

The present invention relates to a method for making a composite panel comprising a pourable and settable base material, preferably cementitious mortar, and a plurality of through elements (10) made of glass for transmitting light between two base surfaces (1,1′) of the panel (1). The method includes making a semi-finished product comprising a central body (50) which incorporates the through elements (10), which emerge from two mutually opposite main surfaces (51,52). In particular, the method includes making the semi-finished product by defining two containing frames, mutually opposite with respect to the body, each of which emerges from one of the central surfaces. The method includes closing the semi-finished product between two containing elements so as to define two half-spaces, each of which at least partially delimited by said containing frames. The method then includes filling each half-space with cementitious mortar and removing the manufactured item which is made, after the mortar has set. Finally, the method includes finishing such a manufactured item by eliminating the containing frames from the semi-finished product, the body of which remains incorporated in the structure of the panel.

The invention relates to a decorative panel, in particular a floor panel, ceiling panel or wall panel. The invention also relates to a panel covering, such as a floor covering, ceiling covering or wall covering, comprising a plurality of panels according to the invention. The invention further relates to a method of producing a decorative panel according to the invention.

The invention relates to a decorative panel, in particular a floor panel, ceiling panel or wall panel. The invention also relates to a panel covering, such as a floor covering, ceiling covering or wall covering, comprising a plurality of panels according to the invention. The invention further relates to a method of producing a decorative panel according to the invention.

A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

An architectural resin panel that incorporates plastic granules fused together to form a panel core. A portion of the plastic granules are contaminant granules that at least partially include a contaminant material, such as a piece of fabric, plastic film, or plant material. The granules used to form the panel core may be sourced from waste plastic material that would otherwise be required to undergo waste processing.

A vacuum insulating glazing unit (VIGU) comprises two or more glass lites (panes) spaced apart from one another and hermetically bonded to an edge seal assembly therebetween. The resulting cavity between the lites is evacuated to create at least one insulating vacuum cavity within which are disposed a plurality of stand-off members to maintain separation between the lites. The edge seal assembly is preferably compliant in the longitudinal (i.e., edgewise) direction to allow longitudinal relative motion between the two lites (e.g., from thermal expansion). The longitudinal compliance may be obtained by imprinting a three-dimensional pattern into the edge seal material. The edge seal assembly is preferably bonded to the lites with a first bond portion that is hermetic and a second bond portion that is load-resistant. Methods for producing VIGUs and/or compliant edge seal assemblies and VIGU and edge seal apparatus are disclosed.

A vacuum insulating glazing unit (VIGU) comprises two or more glass lites (panes) spaced apart from one another and hermetically bonded to an edge seal assembly therebetween. The resulting cavity between the lites is evacuated to create at least one insulating vacuum cavity within which are disposed a plurality of stand-off members to maintain separation between the lites. The edge seal assembly is preferably compliant in the longitudinal (i.e., edgewise) direction to allow longitudinal relative motion between the two lites (e.g., from thermal expansion). The longitudinal compliance may be obtained by imprinting a three-dimensional pattern into the edge seal material. The edge seal assembly is preferably bonded to the lites with a first bond portion that is hermetic and a second bond portion that is load-resistant. Methods for producing VIGUs and/or compliant edge seal assemblies and VIGU and edge seal apparatus are disclosed.