EDGE STRIP

Abstract

The invention relates to an edge strip (1) for fixing to a workpiece, in particular for the narrow surface coating of furniture boards, worktops, or similar material boards (2), having a base layer (3) of a thermoplastic, the upper side (3a) of which is structured, and a covering layer (4) of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic which is arranged on the base layer (3), wherein the upper side (4a) of the covering layer (4) completely or partly forms the visible face of the edge strip and the underside (4b) of said covering layer (4) completely or partly adjoins the profiled upper side (3a) of the base layer (3).

Claims

1. An edge strip for fixing to a narrow edge of a furniture panel, work plate, or similar material panel, the edge strip comprising a base layer of a thermoplastic plastic and having a structured outer face and a cover layer on the base layer made of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic plastic, the outer face of the cover layer forming at least part of the visible surface of the edge strip and its inner face being completely or partially in surface contact with the profiled outer face of the base layer.

2. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the base layer and the cover layer are unitarily connected to one another.

3. The edge strip defined in claim 2, wherein the base layer and the cover layer are made by coextrusion or post-coextrusion or by aftercoating and interconnected.

4. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the base layer is transparent or translucent.

5. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the base layer is opaque.

6. The edge strip defined in claim 4, wherein the inner face of the base layer is provided with a decorative imprint, a decorative film, or a paint coating that is visible through the cover layer and the base layer.

7. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the outer face of the base layer is provided with a decorative imprint, a decorative film, or a paint coating, that is visible through the cover layer.

8. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the inner face of the base layer is provided with an adhesion-promoting layer or a meltable layer for fixing to the panel edge.

9. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the inner face of the base layer is flat.

10. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the outer face of the cover layer is flat and smooth or arcuate and smooth.

11. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the outer face of the cover layer is provided with a finish film or paint.

12. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the base layer is made of PMMA, PS, ABS, PC, PVC, PET, PP, PP copolymer, PE copolymer, EVA, EMA, or TPU.

13. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the cover layer is made of PMMA, PS, ABS, PC, PVC, PET, PP, PP copolymer, PE copolymer, EVA, EMA, or TPU.

14. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the edge strip has a thickness of 1 mm to 10 mm or a width of 2 mm to 100 mm.

15. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the average thickness of the cover layer is 10% to 80% of the average thickness of the base layer.

16. The edge strip defined in claim 1, wherein the structuring of the base layer includes a groove into which an an LED light strip can be or is placed.

17. A material furniture panel, with an edge strip defined in claim 1 fixed thereto.

Description

[0036] The thickness distribution of the base layer to the cover layer can be symmetrical over the width of the strip or, alternatively, it can also be asymmetrical. The invention is explained in further detail below with reference to drawings that show embodiments that are only exemplary in nature.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a furniture panel with an edge strip fixed thereto;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the structure of FIG. 1 in a modified embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of an edge strip; and

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 3;

[0041] FIGS. 5 to 8 show additional embodiments of the invention.

[0042] The figures show edge strips 1 for fixing to a workpiece, particularly for covering the narrow edge of a furniture panel 2 or similar material panel.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a schematically simplified illustration of such a furniture panel 2 with an edge strip 1 fixed to the outer edge thereof. This is a conventional furniture panel 2. The invention relates to the design of the edge strip 1.

[0044] This edge strip has a base layer 3 and a cover layer 4, each made of thermoplastic plastic, particularly through coextrusion, post-coextrusion, or even for example by aftercoating. The inner face 3b of the base layer 3 faces toward the furniture panel 2 and is used for fixation to the furniture panel 2. The outer face 3a of the base layer 3 turned away from the furniture panel 2 is structured. The cover layer 4 is on the base layer 3, with the inner face 4b of the cover layer 4 also being complementarily profiled in the illustrated embodiment. As a result, the cover layer 4 has its profiled/structured inner face 4b in surface contact with the profiled outer face 3a of the base layer 3. At least the cover layer 4 is made of a transparent or translucent thermoplastic plastic, so that the profiled outer face 3a of the base layer 3 is visible through the cover layer 4.

[0045] It is possible for the outer face 3a of the base layer 3 to be imprinted or covered with film so that this outer-face imprint or film is visible through the cover layer 4. This is not shown in the drawing. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the inner face 3a of the base layer 3 is provided with an adhesion-promoting layer 5, with the edge strip 1 being fixed during processing to the furniture panel 2 using a conventional adhesive, for example a hot-melt adhesive 7.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment in which the base layer 3 is precoated on its inner face with a meltable layer 6 that forms a functional layer, with this functional layer being melted by laser radiation or another heat source in order to fix the edge strip 1 to the furniture panel 2.

[0047] The structuring can be embodied in any of a variety of manners. Additional examples are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, it being noted that these figures show the edge strip 1 without the furniture panel. While FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 show embodiments with angular structuring, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the structuring can be concave or convex in the manner of a profile in order for example to form a reflector.

[0048] Apart from that, the figures show that the structuring can extend over a very large structure depth t. This structure depth t can be up to ⅔ of the total thickness d of the edge strip. “Structure depth t” refers to the transverse distance between the maximum raised areas and depressions of the structure. The average thickness d1 of the cover layer can be 10% to 80% of the average thickness d2 of the base layer. As explained above, the outer face 4a of the surface of the cover layer 4 is flat and smooth. This does not rule out, however, that the outer face 4a as shown in FIG. 5 has an arcuate or curved (albeit smooth) surface, for example a convexly curved or concavely curved surface.

[0049] Moreover, it lies within the scope of the invention according to FIG. 6 for the thickness distribution of the base layer to the cover layer to be asymmetrical over the width of the strip. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the thickness of the base layer 3 decreases from left to right and, accordingly, the thickness of the cover layer 4 increases from left to right. The structuring is thus formed here by an “angled” boundary surface.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a modified embodiment in which the structuring forms a groove 8 that is used to receive an insert 9. In the illustrated embodiment, this insert is an LED light strip.

[0051] FIGS. 1 to 7 show embodiments in which the cover layer 4 completely covers the base layer 3, so that the visible surface is formed completely by the cover layer 4. In contrast, FIG. 8 shows a modified embodiment in which the cover layer 4 only partially covers the base layer 3 (over its width) so that a portion of the base layer 3 is exposed without being covered by the cover layer 4 and thus forms a part of the visible surface of the strip.