METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FOLDED PANEL, AND A FOLDED PANEL

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a folded panel including the following steps: providing a longitudinal recess at the rear side, such that at the front side between remaining panel sections on both sides of the recess a flexible transition section remains, bending the panel sections relative to each other and applying an adhesive in the recess. Before the panel sections are bent relative to each other, a template is inserted into the recess.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. A method for manufacturing a folded panel, comprising the following steps: feeding a panel with a front side and a rear side, installing an elongated recess at the rear so that at the front between remaining panel sections a flexible transition section remains on both sides of the recess, bending the panel sections relative to each other to a folded condition with a desired curvature of the transition section, applying an adhesive in the recess in order to fix the folded condition, wherein, before the panel sections are bent relative to each other, a template is inserted into the recess, which template has an end face with a shape such that the transition section in the folded condition abuts the end face, and the transition section is bent around the end face while bending the panel sections, after which the template is removed and the panel so folded is held in the folded position and then the adhesive is applied.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the template has such a shape that outer sides of the template situated on both sides of the end face, in the folded condition abut the opposite side walls of the panel sections at the location of the recess.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the end face has a curvature with a constant radius.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the end face is located at a thickened part of the template.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the folded condition the template is slid from the recess in the lengthwise direction of the recess.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the panel is provided with a core and wherein at the front side of the panel a top layer of a material other than the core is bonded to the core, wherein the transition section at least comprises the top layer.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein opposite side edges of the panel are provided with coupling means for coupling the panel with a similar panel, wherein the recess is made parallel to the coupling means.

17. A folded panel, comprising a front side and a rear side and two panel sections of equal thickness situated at an angle to each other, connected by a curved transition section at the front and forming one whole, wherein the panel sections and the transition section enclose a space filled with adhesive, wherein a smallest distance between the panel sections is greater than the thickness of the transition section.

18. The folded panel according to claim 17, wherein the distance between the panel sections at the location of the transition section is greater than at a distance from it.

Description

[0014] Below, the invention will be illustrated with the aid of drawings, which very schematically show the embodiment examples of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a cross-section view of a panel from which a folded panel is manufactured by a method according to the invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is the same view as FIG. 1 after installing a recess in the panel.

[0017] FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 1, wherein the resulting folded panel is shown.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 3, which is indicated there by IV, wherein the folded condition with a template in the recess is illustrated.

[0019] FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 3, but wherein the folded panel has a different shape in the folded condition.

[0020] FIG. 6-8 are cross-sectional views of versions of stair covering using panels and folded panels, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5.

[0021] FIG. 9 is the same view as FIG. 4, wherein the template has been removed from the recess.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a panel 1 with a front side 2 and a rear side 3. Panel 1 has a core on which a decorative top layer is provided at the front side 2 of the panel 1, for example by laminating. Coupling means in the form of a tongue 4 and groove 5 are provided on both sides of the panel 1. Such panels 1 are typically used as floor covering.

[0023] The present invention is based on a method for manufacturing a folded panel 1′ from the panel 1, as for instance shown in FIG. 3.

[0024] FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate steps of an embodiment of the method. FIG. 2 shows that at the rear side 3 of the panel 1 an elongated recess 6 is provided. The recess 6 is parallel to the groove 5 and the tongue 4. On both sides of the recess 6, remaining panel sections 1a, 1b have been created. In addition, at the front side 2 of the panel 1, between panel sections 1a, 1b, a flexible transition section 7 is left. Such a recess 6 can be created in the known way by means of, for example, a milling operation.

[0025] After creating the recess 6, a longitudinal die or template 8 is inserted into the recess 6. The template 8 has a curved end face 9 which is brought into contact with the transition section 7. In this case, the end face 9 has a curvature with a constant radius. The end face 9 is located on a thickened section of the template 8. After inserting the template 8 into the recess 6, the panel sections 1a, 1b are bent relative to each other to a folded condition as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. During bending, the transition section 7 is bent over the end face 9. FIG. 4 shows that the end face 9 in the folded condition abuts the transition section 7. The template 8 has outer sides 10 on both sides of the end face 9, which in the folded condition are adjacent to opposite side faces of the panel sections 1a, 1b.

[0026] The panel sections 1a, 1b are held in the folded condition of, after which the template 8 is slid lengthwise from the recess 6 out of the panel 1. Subsequently, the adhesive is inserted into the created space to fix the folded condition. As a result of the use of the template 8, at the folded panel 1′ there will in all cases be a distance between the panel sections 1a, 1b, but the smallest distance between the panel sections 1a, 1b is greater than the thickness of the transition section 7. In FIG. 9, showing the folded panel 1′ without template 8 and without adhesive, the smallest distance between the panel sections 1a, 1b is indicated by the upper case letter D and the thickness of the transition section 7 by the lower case letter d.

[0027] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the panel sections 1a, 1b in the folded condition of the folded panel 1′ are perpendicular to each other, but many alternative angles are possible. FIG. 5 shows, for instance, that the panel sections 1a, 1b are at an angle of approximately 15°.

[0028] The resulting folded panels 1′ can be used as stair covering or stair shells. FIG. 6-8 illustrate three possible stair coverings. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6 the folded panels 1′ according to FIGS. 3 and 5 are combined. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment wherein the panel 1 according to FIG. 1 and the folded panel according to FIG. 3 are combined. In the embodiment according to FIG. 8 two folded panels 1′ according to FIG. 3 and one panel 1 according to FIG. 1 are combined.

[0029] The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing and described above, which may be varied in different ways within the context of the invention.