METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING RELIEFS ON SUBSTRATES

Abstract

A method and system for producing reliefs on substrates by digital inkjet printing of drops of a relief material which is deposited on localized areas of the surface of a substrate to obtain a relief surface with a relief determined by the relief material deposited, a coating sheet being incorporated over the relief material deposited, which conforms to said relief surface, the coating sheet being fixed by gluing by means of a glue which is applied together or in combination with the relief material.

Claims

1. A method for producing reliefs on substrates comprising: applying, by digital inkjet printing, drops of a relief material which is deposited on localized areas of a surface of a substrate to obtain a relief surface with a relief determined by the relief material deposited; incorporating a coating sheet over the relief material deposited, which conforms to said relief surface, the coating sheet being fixed gluing by means of a glue which is applied together or in combination with the relief material.

2. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are applied on the coating sheet, to incorporate the coating sheet, with said application materials being deposited on the coating sheet, over the substrate.

3. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are applied on the substrate, the coating sheet being incorporated on the surface determined by said application materials deposited on the substrate.

4. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are partially applied on the substrate and partially on the coating sheet.

5. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are applied together by means of the same inkjet pass.

6. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are independently applied by means of respective inkjet passes and.

7. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the relief material and the glue are independently applied, the relief material is applied by means of an inkjet pass and the glue by other application means, in particular by means of a roller or lip.

8. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the application of the relief material is synchronized with a motif arranged on the substrate or the coating sheet.

9. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 8, wherein the application of relief material is controlled by capturing said motif by means of scanning.

10. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein after the application thereof, the relief material and/or the glue are at least partially solidified, in particular by curing or drying, before the coating sheet is incorporated.

11. The method for producing a relief on a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the coating sheet is supplied in a continuous way, in the form of a continuous sheet from a feed spool.

12. The method for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 1, wherein the coating sheet is supplied individually in the form of an independent sheet from a feed stack.

13. A system for producing reliefs on substrates performing a method according to claim 1, comprising: digital inkjet printing means to apply the relief material, transport means of the substrate, means for incorporating a coating sheet to incorporate the coating sheet over the substrate.

14. The system for producing reliefs on substrates according to claim 13, further comprising guide means for the coating sheet, glue application means, scanning means configured to capture a motif arranged on the substrate or the coating sheet and/or control means to carry out said method.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0022] FIG. 1 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application on a decorative coating sheet to be incorporated on a substrate, of a glue as relief material and as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0023] FIG. 1a is a cross-sectional view according to the A-A line shown in FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view according to the B-B line shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 1c is a cross-sectional view according to the C-C line shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 1d is a cross-sectional view according to the D-D line shown in FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 2 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application on a substrate to be covered by a coating sheet, with a glue as relief material and as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0028] FIG. 3 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of combined inkjet application on a substrate to be covered by a decorative coating sheet and on the coating sheet itself, of a glue as relief material and as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0029] FIG. 4 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application of a relief material on a decorative coating sheet to be incorporated on a substrate and inkjet application on the coating sheet itself, of a glue as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0030] FIG. 5 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application, of a relief material on a substrate to be covered with a decorative coating sheet and inkjet application on the substrate itself, of a glue as relief material and as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0031] FIG. 6 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of combined application on a substrate to be covered by a decorative coating sheet and on the decorative coating sheet itself, of relief material and a glue as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate, both by inkjet application.

[0032] FIG. 7 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application of a relief material on a decorative coating sheet to be incorporated on a substrate and inkjet application on the coating sheet itself, by means of an applicator roller, with a glue as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0033] FIG. 8 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application of a relief material on a decorative coating sheet to be incorporated on a substrate and application on the substrate, by means of an applicator roller, with a glue for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0034] FIG. 9 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application, of a relief material on a substrate to be covered with a decorative coating sheet and application by means of a roller applicator on the substrate and by means of a lip applicator on the coating sheet, with a glue as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate.

[0035] FIG. 10 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, by means of inkjet application on a substrate to be covered by a decorative sheet, of a glue as relief material and as a means for fixing the coating sheet to the substrate, the coating sheet being fed in independent sheets from a stack.

[0036] FIG. 11 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment wherein a decorative image is printed by inkjet on the coating sheet before providing the relief material and the glue, such that the decorative image and the relief obtained are synchronized.

[0037] FIG. 11a shows a substrate.

[0038] FIG. 11b shows coating sheet.

[0039] FIG. 11c shows the motifs on the coating sheet.

[0040] FIG. 11d shows coating sheets, relief material and the motifs.

[0041] FIG. 11e shows the glue on the substrate.

[0042] FIG. 11f shows the relief material, coating sheet, motifs, and glue on the substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] The object of the invention relates to a method for producing a relief or textured surface on a substrate (1) that is covered with a decorative coating sheet (2), incorporating a relief material (3) that is included between the substrate (1) and the coating sheet (2) in correspondence or not with printed images (15).

[0044] Therefore, the provision of relief material (3) is carried out by means of an inkjet (4) pass or application, which can be carried out on the coating sheet (2), such as in the examples of FIGS. 1, 4, 7 and 8, on the substrate (1), such as in the examples of FIGS. 2, 5, 9 and 10, or in a combined way, partially on the coating sheet (2) and partially on the substrate (1), as in the examples in FIGS. 3 and 6. The digital inkjet printing means comprise at least one printing head.

[0045] The provision of relief material (3) is combined with the provision of a glue (5) to fix the coating sheet (2) to the substrate (1), the glue (5) itself able to be used as relief material (3) and as a fixing means, as in the examples of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, or the relief material (3) can be applied by means of an inkjet (4) pass or application and glue (5) can be independently applied by means of another inkjet (6) pass or application, such as in the examples of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, or the independent application of glue (5) can be carried out by means of an applicator roller (7), such as in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8, or in a combined way by means of an applicator roller (7) and by means of an applicator lip (8), such as in the example of FIG. 9; without the examples previously mentioned and represented in the drawings being limiting, since other techniques for applying glue (5) can likewise be used, such as spraying, etc.

[0046] In any case, the provision of relief material (3), either on the coating sheet (2) and/or on the substrate (1), is carried out by means of inkjet (4) application, providing the necessary amount of material based on the degree of relief (height or depth of the relief) to be obtained at each point, subsequently carrying out a certain degree of solidification or hardening, for example by means of UV radiation curing (9), although other techniques could also be used, such as electronic or electromagnetic radiation, heating, drying, evaporation, etc., to condition the relief material (3) to a suitable degree of cohesion, lastly incorporating the coating sheet (2) on the substrate (1), such that by means of the deformation of the coating sheet (2) on the relief material (3) applied, a textured surface of the substrate (1) is obtained, according to the desired relief. As shown in the figures, the means for incorporating the coating sheet can comprise pressure rollers to extend the sheet on the substrate pressing the same against the substrate.

[0047] As seen specifically in FIG. 1, according to the invention, a post-shaping of the coating sheet (2) against the substrate (1) is envisaged, in order to give shape to the sheet (2) on the substrate (1) along with the relief material (3) and the glue (5) placed between the sheet (2) and the substrate (1), the sheet (2) adapting to the geometry of the substrate (1). To do so, post-shaping means are incorporated, such as a pressure roller train (13) to press the sheet against the substrate.

[0048] Furthermore, as seen specifically in FIG. 11, the provision of the relief material (3) is also envisaged in correspondence with motifs, in particular arranged in the coating sheet (2) or the substrate (1). For example, the motifs can consist of images (15) printed by means of inkjet (14) application, which can be applied previously (as shown in FIG. 11), subsequently or simultaneously to the application of the relief material (3), on the substrate (1) or on the coating sheet (2), the relief material (3) being provided by means of inkjet (4) application. The provision of relief material (3) is done, for example, in a controlled way by a scanner (10) based on printed images, thereby achieving a high quality textured surface imitating the appearance that is desired.

[0049] The coating sheet (2) that is incorporated to cover the substrate (1) over the relief material (3) can be supplied in a continuous way, for example from a feed spool (11), such as in the examples in FIGS. 1 to 9; but the coating sheet (2) can also be supplied in an individual or discontinuous way in the form of independent sheets supplied from, for example, a feed stack (12), such as in the example of FIG. 10, to place an independent coating sheet (2) in correspondence with each application substrate (1).

[0050] Additionally, means for preparing the surface of the substrate (1) are envisaged, such as means for cleaning or priming the surface of the substrate (1), before providing the relief material (3) or the glue (5).