Thermofused reinforced decorative composite material with thermoplastic stiffener core
Inactive Publication Date: 2006-09-28
CRANE COMPOSITES
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- Abstract
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Benefits of technology
[0010] Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a material that will have the aesthetic qualities of HPL, can be easily installed on vertical surfaces, and is less expensive to manufacture, more versatile, or both, than the materials disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0157850 A1 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 360,785, or other panels. It is also an object to provide such a material that will have sufficient mechanical strength for use in situations where conventional HPL products might not otherwise be usable, such as wall panel applications, without a substantial structural substrate.
[0011] The present invention provides a panel that is installer-friendly and combines the custom color / pattern flexibility of decorative paper or an HPL face with a water-proof, dimensionally stable, user-friendly core and optionally a bottom or backing layer for enhanced adhesion to glues used to install the panel. Further, this composite panel enhances the impact resistance and moisture resistance of known available decorative vertical wall panels. The subject panel will allow installation of an HPL vertical surface in a most expeditious manner saving labor costs in drywall preparation, and actual installation time of the panel, when compared to applying HPL on a drywall, which is usually accomplished by first mounting the HPL on thick wood.
[0014] Another embodiment also meeting the objects of the present invention is a composite material, which includes a bottom or backing layer that is thermally fused to the stiffening core on the opposite side to the decorative layer. The presence of the bottom or backing layer improves the ability of the composite to be applied to various surfaces.
[0016] One aspect of the present invention involves reducing the weight of the reinforced composite material, by using a small number of sheets or layers of paper in the decorative layer, for example, preferably one, rather than the much larger numbers typically used in existing HPL products (often five to seven layers).
Problems solved by technology
HPL products, however, are generally brittle enough that they must be mounted on a layer of wood or other material of sufficient strength and rigidity, for use in the kitchen, and on any horizontal surface.
Method used
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[0022] One of the most important features of the present invention is that the stiffener core contains a thermoplastic material, which allows this panel to be thermofused with a decorative layer and, if desired, a bottom or backing layer, without the need for an adhesive component or increased pressure due to the thermoplastic properties of the stiffener core.
[0023] Prior reinforced decorative composite material panels, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0157850 A1 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 360,785, use a fiber reinforced thermoset (e.g., polyester) substrate. Thermoset plastics, once their molecules are “cured” or “crosslinked”, are not able to be melted and / or reformed, nor can they adhere to other materials in and by themselves.
[0024] The present invention uses a reinforced thermoplastic material (e.g., fiber reinforced polypropylene). Thermoplastic molecules are lined up side by side. When heated, they become active and spread...
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Abstract
A reinforced composite material includes a decorative layer, a stiffener core, and, optionally, a backing layer, which are thermofused to each other. Also provided is a method for the production of such a material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to construction materials and more particularly to a reinforced decorative composite material that includes a top layer of decorative material, such as a high-pressure laminate, but could also be made of other material(s), such as paper, film, wood, or metal, and a stiffener core, such as fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, and, if desired, a bottom or backing layer, such as paper, secured together, and to the manufacture of such a composite sandwich material. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] High pressure laminate (“HPL”) materials have been manufactured and sold for many years, and are familiar to many from their wide-spread use in kitchens and areas requiring very durable and decorative surface attributes. Such laminates are typically made of layers of paper impregnated with resin, compressed in a press or the like and heated to produce the desired laminate. One laye...
Claims
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CPCB32B7/04B32B2274/00B32B2307/558B32B2307/7246B32B2307/7265B32B2451/00B44C5/0469
InventorBARNEY, ROBERT A.SIMMONS, JAMES K.
OwnerCRANE COMPOSITES