PRESSING ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRESSING ELEMENTS

Abstract

A pressing element for manufacturing laminate panels includes a metal plate with at least two sections that exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on one of the laminate panels, and having a first zone. The pressing element has separate markings for orienting the first zone, and/or in that the surface structure is obtained by way of etching, whereas the first zone is provided with a chamber by means of a milling operation, and/or in that the surface structure defines a lowest point and a highest point. The first zone includes a first chamber located at a depth below the highest point and at most 0.3 mm below the lowest point.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A pressing element for manufacturing coated panels, wherein this pressing element comprises a metal plate having at least two sections which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the coated panels, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the pressing element comprises one or more separate markings which make it possible to position and orient the first zone.

17. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein the pressing element has at least two rows of in each case at least two of the sections with the first zone, wherein, between the rows, a second zone also extends in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and in that the one or more separate markings make it possible to position and orient both the first zone and the second zone.

18. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein the one or more markings are applied to one or more edge portions of the surface of the metal plate.

19. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the markings is linear, parallel to the first direction.

20. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein the surface structure of the sections and at least one of the markings are obtained by means of the same operation, by means of an etching operation.

21. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein the surface structure of the sections comprises an edge portion which rises in the direction toward the first zone.

22. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein this pressing element comprises a metal plate having at least two sections which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the coated panels, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the surface structure is substantially obtained by way of etching, whereas the first zone is provided with a chamber, substantially by means of a milling operation.

23. The pressing element according to claim 16, wherein this pressing element comprises a metal plate having at least two sections which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the laminate panels, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the surface structure defines a lowest point and a highest point, wherein the first zone comprises a first chamber which is located at a depth below the highest point and at most 0.3 mm below the lowest point, at the level of or above the lowest point.

24. The pressing element according to claim 23, wherein the first chamber is located at a depth which deviates by at most 0.2 mm from the lowest point, either below or above the lowest point.

25. The pressing element according to claim 23, wherein the pressing element has at least two rows of in each case at least two sections with the first zone, wherein, between the rows, a second zone also extends in a second direction transverse to the first direction, and in that the chambers of the first and second zones, at least at the location of their intersection, are configured to be shallower than their overall depth.

26. A method for manufacturing a pressing element, wherein this pressing element comprises a metal plate having at least two independent sections which exhibit a surface structure, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps: the step of providing a metal plate; the step of providing at least two sections with a surface structure and one or more markings by means of an etching operation; the step of clamping the etched metal plate on a separate machine, wherein the markings are used for positioning and orienting the metal plate; the step of subsequently machining the first zone at least by means of a subtractive operation carried out on the separate machine.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the separate machine is a milling machine having one or more rotating milling tools.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein this method is used for manufacturing a pressing element, the pressing element comprising a metal plate having at least two sections which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the coated panels, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the pressing element comprises one or more separate markings which make it possible to position and orient the first zone.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein these coated panels are provided with a structured surface by means of a pressing operation, wherein a pressing element comprises a metal plate having at least two sections which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the coated panels, and having a first zone which extends in a first direction between the two sections, wherein the pressing element comprises one or more separate markings which make it possible to position and orient the first zone.

30. A coated panel, obtained by means of a method having the features of claim 29.

Description

[0052] With the aim of presenting the features of the invention better, some preferential embodiments are described below as examples without limitative character, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0053] FIG. 1 schematically shows a press with a pressing element according to the invention for manufacturing laminate panels;

[0054] FIG. 2 shows the portion indicated by F2 in FIG. 1 on a larger scale;

[0055] FIG. 3 schematically shows a view of the pressing side of the pressing element from the press of FIG. 1, together with an already compressed coated plate, more specifically laminate plate;

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a cross section along line IV-IV in FIG. 1 on a larger scale, but only of the pressing element and an already compressed coated plate, more specifically laminate plate;

[0057] FIG. 5 shows the portion indicated by F5 in FIG. 4 on a larger scale;

[0058] FIG. 6 shows a view according to the arrow F6 shown in FIG. 3 for one variant; and

[0059] FIG. 7 shows a cross section according to the line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6 on a larger scale.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a method for manufacturing floor panels 1, wherein said method proceeds from plate-shaped elements 2 which are subjected to a pressing operation in a press 3.

[0061] In the schematically shown example of FIG. 1, the plate-shaped elements 2 are configured as DPL (direct pressure laminate) and the constituent layers thereof are consolidated in the press 3 to form a single unit. In this case, the DPL is composed in a known manner of a substrate 4, preferably an MDF or HDF plate (medium-density fiberboard or high-density fiberboard), and one or more, in this case three, resin-coated material layers 5-6-7, including a printed decor layer 5.

[0062] The layer construction shown in FIG. 1 is shown in more detail in the enlarged view of FIG. 2 for the purpose of illustration, wherein the constituent layers to be compressed are depicted at a distance above one another. Located on the upper side of the substrate 4 are two of the aforementioned resin-coated material layers, the aforementioned decor layer 5 and the so-called overlay 6, respectively. The decor layer 5 is composed of a carrier sheet 9, for example paper, which is provided with resin 8 and which is printed with a decor 10. The overlay 6 is composed of a carrier sheet 11, for example unfilled paper, which is also provided with resin 8 and which becomes transparent after the compression operation. Hard particles, such as corundum, are preferably worked into this overlay 6 in order to increase the wear resistance of the final product. The third material layer 7, which is present on the lower side of the substrate 4, is also composed of a carrier sheet 12 provided with resin 8 and is intended to function as a backing layer.

[0063] During the pressing operation, a pressing element 14 having the features of the invention is used on the decorative side 13 of the plate-shaped elements 2 to be pressed. As is shown in FIG. 3, this relates to a pressing element 14 having at least two sections 15 which exhibit a surface structure suitable for forming a structure on in each case one of the aforementioned floor panels 1 and having a first zone 16 which extends in a first direction, in this case in the longitudinal direction L, between the relevant sections. In the example, the surface structure of the relevant sections 15 is obtained by way of etching, whereas the aforementioned first zone 16 is substantially obtained by way of a milling operation.

[0064] After the pressing of the plate-shaped elements 2, wherein the substrate 4 and the aforementioned material layers 5-6-7 are consolidated to form a coated laminate plate, these plate-shaped elements 2 are sawn, by means of one or more sawing operations, to form floor panels 1, after which coupling means 17 are provided at the resultant edges of these floor panels 1, for example by means of a milling operation or in any other manner. The sawing of the plate-shaped elements 2 to form floor panels 1 is schematically shown in FIG. 3 by means of sawing lines 18-19, in the width direction B and the longitudinal direction L, respectively. One possible embodiment of the coupling means 17 to be produced is indicated in dashed lines in FIGS. 4 and 5. Preferably, these coupling means 17 are of the type that provides a vertical and horizontal locking action when two such floor panels 1 are coupled to each other. Examples of such coupling means 17 are widely known from the prior art and are described, for example, in patent documents WO 97/47834 and WO 01/98603.

[0065] As mentioned above, the aforementioned sections 15 are provided with a surface structure or relief formed by unevennesses or protrusions in order to form impressions in the upper side of the plate-shaped elements 2 during the pressing operation. The nature of the relief itself may vary depending on the intended impressions to be formed. By way of example, in FIGS. 4 and 5, two relief forms are shown on the pressing sides 20 of the pressing portions 15.

[0066] In this case, a first relief 21 is composed of unevennesses or protrusions 22 which, during the compression operation, produce impressions 23 which form a relief 24 that imitates the natural surface of wood in the surface of the pressed product. In this case, the obtained impressions 23 are such that they imitate the pores and/or grains of wood.

[0067] A second relief 25 which is depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 is formed from unevennesses or protrusions 26 which, during the compression operation, form impressions 27 which imitate the removed material portions or deformed portions. The example involves unevennesses 26 whereby grooves and edge regions 28, which are located at a relatively low position, are pressed into the surface of the plate-shaped elements 2 in order to thus obtain, as shown, chamfers or the like.

[0068] In order to form the aforementioned edge regions 28 which are located at a relatively low position, the aforementioned relevant protrusions 26 form an edge portion 29 of the section 15, said edge portion rising in the direction toward the aforementioned first zone 16. The first zone 16 comprises a first chamber 30 which is located at a lower position than the highest point 31 of the rising edge portion 29.

[0069] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the sections 15 and the first zones 16 in a more detailed view. It is clear from FIG. 6 that the pressing element 14 has at least two rows of in each case at least two sections 15, wherein, between the aforementioned rows, a second zone 32 also in a second direction B transverse to the direction L of the first zones 16. In the example, the second zone 32 also comprises a chamber which is located at a lower position than the highest point of the rising edge portion at the transverse ends of the sections 15. The first and second zones 16-32, as well as the respective chambers, extend over the full length and width B of the adjacent sections 15. In a transverse direction, the chambers have a width B2 which corresponds to at least 50% of the width B1 of the respective zone 15-32 or technical zone, in this case even 70% of the width B1.

[0070] In accordance with the first aspect mentioned in the introduction, the pressing element 14 has one or more markings 33-34 which make it possible to position and orient the aforementioned first zone 15, and, in this case, also the aforementioned second zone 32, for example in a milling machine. In the example, the markings 33-34 are configured as linear markings applied to the edge portions of the pressing side 20 of the pressing element 14. In this case, the markings 33 are parallel to the first direction L of the first zone 16 and applied at the two opposite long edges of the pressing side 20, and the markings 34 are parallel to the second direction B of the second zone 32 and applied at the two opposite transverse edges of the pressing side 20.

[0071] The aforementioned linear markings 33-34 are preferably obtained by way of an etching operation jointly with an etching operation used for forming the surface structure of one or more of the aforementioned sections 15. The linear markings may thus consist of linear etched recesses.

[0072] The structured surface of the aforementioned sections 15 corresponds to the surface of the intended coated panels, whereas the first zones 16 and second zones 32 correspond to the so-called technical zones, namely a portion of the pressing element 14 that is used to compress that portion of the coated plate which is intended to be removed when said plate is divided into separate coated panels and during the further machining thereof, for example for forming the aforementioned coupling means 17 thereon.

[0073] FIG. 7 also clearly shows that the first chamber 30 has a depth D1 such that the bottom 35 of the chamber 30 is positioned below the highest point of the surface structure of the section 15, in this case below the highest point 31 of the rising edge portion 29, and is positioned at most 0.3 mm below the lowest point 36 of the surface structure of the section 15. In the example, the bottom 35 is located at such a depth D1 below the highest point 31 of the rising edge portion 29 that the level of the bottom is identical or virtually identical to the level of the lowest point 36 of the surface structure of the adjacent sections 15.

[0074] At the location of the intersection 37 of the chambers of the first zones 15 and the second zones 32, the chambers have a bottom 35A at a depth D2 which is smaller than the overall depth D1 of the respective first and second zones 15-32.

[0075] In general, it is noted that the implementation of a relief or surface structure in the sections 15 is not restricted to the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. By way of example, it is also possible for reliefs or unevennesses, respectively, to be implemented which imitate the natural and/or typical surface of materials other than wood, such as, for example, the surface of stone, ceramic or the like. In the imitation of certain types of stone, such as slate, these unevennesses may also be of terrace-like configuration, in order to for example imitate the flake-like surface of such types of stone. It is also possible for virtually microscopically small unevennesses to be applied to the pressing side 20 of the sections 15, said unevennesses being implemented, as is known, in order to provide the laminate surface, or certain portions thereof, with a dull appearance during the pressing operation. It is also possible to use a relief with unevennesses which are intended to leave behind impressions in the pressed product after the compression operation, said impressions imitating scraped-away material portions, for example in order to manufacture laminate floor panels which imitate so-called scraped wood.

[0076] As outlined in the introduction, the invention is most useful in the pressing of plate-shaped elements 2 which exhibit a decor 10 and wherein the relief, for example relief 24, applied in the plate-shaped elements 2 has to be configured so as to correspond or substantially correspond to the decor 10.

[0077] Preferably, the lowest point 36 of the surface structure of a section 15 is located at a depth D smaller than 1 mm in relation to the highest point 31 of the rising edge 29.

[0078] As mentioned above, use is preferably made of sections 15, of which the relief or surface structure present thereon is at least partially produced by means of an etching process, for example the relief for imitating pores and wood grains.

[0079] Furthermore, it is also noted that the highest point 31 of the rising edge 29 preferably forms part of the zone 15-32 or technical zone, as in the example of the figures. However, this highest point 31 is taken into account in representing the level of the lowest point 36 of the surface structure of a section 15, and in determining the highest point of the surface structure of the section 15.

[0080] Although the second zone 32 and chambers configured therein are not shown in detail in the figures, it goes without saying that they may have similar features to those described and/or shown for the first zone 15 and first chamber 30.

[0081] It is clear that the method for manufacturing laminate panels as shown, inter alia, in FIG. 1 has the features of the fifth independent aspect of the invention. The pressing element shown in the figures has the features of the first, second and third independent aspects, and can be obtained by means of a method having the features of the fourth independent aspect.

[0082] It is also clear that where an intersection 37 of the first zone 16 and the second zone 32 is discussed, it preferably refers to those respective portions of these zones which intersect and which extend over a certain distance A1-A2 in the respective directions L-B. This distance A1-A2 is for example 1 to 10 cm.

[0083] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described above, but such methods and pressing elements may be realized in different variants without leaving the scope of the present invention.