Large-format mural

Abstract

Large-format wall picture with a rigid substructure (1) that can be attached to a wall and a pressure carrier (10) applied thereon, characterized in that the substructure (1) has at least two plate-shaped base elements (2) joined and connected to each other along a narrow side, wherein the pressure carrier (10) is bonded to the substructure (1) and covers the at least two base elements (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a large-format mural with a rigid substructure that can be attached to a wall and a printing carrier applied thereto.

[0002] Digital printing, such as inkjet printing, is now also available for large-format printing media and represents a cost-effective way to individually design wall murals and also to produce them inexpensively as individual pieces.

[0003] In the familiar "classic" way, such digitally printed murals can be mounted frameless or framed behind glass for wall display. It is also possible to mount the images on a flat surface of a substructure, which allows for a modern and unfussy presentation.

[0004] Since modern digital printing can be done on plastic-based and therefore durable print media, a mural with a robust and durable surface can be created even without protective glass. If necessary, the surface's durability can be further increased by laminating a protective film.

[0005] However, transporting large-format murals with a rigid substructure is only possible to a very limited extent and is costly, especially with non-specialized universal parcel services.

[0006] From the publication US 20019 / 254 444 A1, it is known to assemble a large-format mural from a number of pre-printed image tiles positioned side by side or one below the other. The image tiles can be shipped stacked in boxes and assembled on-site to form the mural. For this purpose, the individual tiles have magnets on their narrow sides, for example, to facilitate easy assembly without the need for tools.

[0007] The disadvantage is that the transitions between the individual tiles in the mural are visible, which can be particularly disturbing in the case of a large-format mural with a moving surface and in any case prevents the mural from achieving a high reproduction quality.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a large-format mural that can be easily transported while maintaining a high-quality, uninterrupted surface.

[0009] This problem is solved by a large-format mural with the properties of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0010] A large-format mural according to the invention of the type mentioned at the outset is characterized in that the substructure has at least two plate-shaped basic elements joined together and connected to one another along a narrow side, wherein the printing carrier is adhesively applied to the substructure and covers the at least two basic elements.

[0011] The mural according to the invention thus has a substructure composed of at least two basic elements, which can be easily shipped when not in its assembled state, e.g. by stacking its basic elements. The print carrier, on the other hand, is continuous and adhesive, so that it can preferably be applied seamlessly and continuously on site to the assembled substructure. This results in a continuous and high-quality print surface for the mural. Since the print carrier is flexible and can therefore be rolled up, it can also be easily transported. A further advantage arises if the print carrier can be simply removed from the substructure. In this case, the mural can also be disassembled into its individual parts, e.g. for a move or to temporarily store it.Furthermore, it is possible to replace the motif by applying a different print substrate to an existing substructure. This makes the mural according to the invention advantageously resource-saving and sustainable.

[0012] In principle, the plate-shaped basic elements can have any shape that allows a surface to be filled seamlessly, for example triangular, hexagonal or square. With the square shape, the basic elements can be rectangular, but they are preferably square so that no attention has to be paid to alignment when assembling. The side length of the plate-shaped basic elements is, for example, in the range between 15 and 50 centimeters (cm). Their thickness is advantageously in the range between 1.5 and 10 millimeters (mm) and the material used for the plate-shaped basic elements can be wood, cardboard, plastic, metal or even a composite material, e.g. aluminum Dibond. Recycled materials are preferred. Another advantage is that the materials used are biodegradable, e.g. compostable, so that they can be easily fed into a natural biochemical cycle.The plate-shaped base elements advantageously have a smooth surface to which adhesives adhere well and from which the adhesively applied print carrier can be removed without material detaching from the base elements. This creates the prerequisite for multiple uses without any loss of quality.

[0013] In an advantageous embodiment of the mural, the plate-shaped base elements are connected to one another on a side opposite the print carrier by means of connecting elements. Profile strips, in particular made of aluminum, plastic, or wood, can preferably be used as connecting elements. More preferably, the profile strips have a longitudinal groove, in particular a T-slot. Hooks or screw heads can advantageously engage in this groove to attach the mural to a wall. Alternatively, a clamp, for example, can be clipped into the groove, to which a rope is attached, for hanging the mural from one or more ropes.

[0014] The connecting elements can be glued to the base elements, preferably by means of a 2-sided adhesive tape, which can, for example, have a foam core.

[0015] The printing substrate can also be glued to the base elements, preferably using a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive. The pressure-sensitive adhesive can particularly preferably be applied in the form of an adhesive layer on the back of the printing substrate, in particular in such a way that the adhesive layer remains on the printing substrate when the printing substrate is detached from the base elements. With such a design, the substructure and the printing substrate are reusable.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the mural, the print substrate has a plastic carrier layer. This makes the print substrate flexible yet inherently stable, compensating for any unevenness in the substructure. The carrier layer can consist of a single material or be a laminate of several layers, possibly made of different materials. Possible materials include polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and / or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Alternatively, the print substrate can also have a paper carrier layer.

[0017] The carrier layer can be printed directly, or a separate printing layer can be applied. The printed layer can also be laminated with a protective film for added durability.

[0018] However, within the scope of the application, a print medium can also be made of other materials, such as paper or textile. Especially when textile materials are used, the mural can not only have a decorative effect but also be sound-absorbing, thus serving as an acoustic element to improve room acoustics.

[0019] Particularly advantageous is the print medium printed using a digital printing process, which allows for individual image design and makes it possible to produce individual pieces in terms of effort and cost. In principle, however, a mural according to the invention can also be printed on a conventionally printed medium.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of figures. The figures show: Fig. 1 a plan view of a mural with substructure and partially mounted print support; and Fig. 2 a sectional view of an edge area of ​​the mural of Fig. 1.

[0021] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a large-format mural according to the invention. The mural has a substructure 1 composed of several plate-shaped basic elements 2 arranged next to and / or one below the other in a tile-like manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the basic elements 2 are square. They could, in principle, have any shape that allows for seamless filling of a surface, for example, triangular, hexagonal, or, as here, square. With the square shape, the basic elements 2 can be rectangular; in particular, they are advantageously square, so that alignment does not have to be considered when assembling them.

[0022] The basic elements 2 are joined together as seamlessly as possible, so that a continuous, uniform surface 3 of the substructure 1 is formed. A printing substrate 10 is applied, in particular glued, to this surface 3. The printing substrate 10 has an upper side 11 facing the viewer and an opposite underside, which in the example shown is designed as an adhesive layer 12, with which the printing substrate 10 is placed on the surface 3 and adheres thereto. Fig. 1, the print carrier 10 is only partially applied to the surface 3 to illustrate the mounting process. Sections of the basic elements covered by the print carrier 10 are shown in the Fig. 1 long dashed line.

[0023] The basic elements 2 are connected to each other on their underside opposite the surface 3 by means of connecting elements 4 in order to form the rigid substructure 1. In the Fig. In Figure 1, the actually concealed connecting elements are shown in dashed lines. In the illustrated example, the connecting elements are 4 rectangular profile strips, for example, made of aluminum.

[0024] In Fig. 2 is a side section of the mural according to Fig. 1 is shown in a sectional view. The illustration of the Fig. 2 is not to scale in order to clearly show thinner layers in particular.

[0025] The Fig. 2 shows a possible structure of the print carrier 10. This has a carrier layer 13, which can contain, for example, PE, PET, PP, PS and / or PVC and can have a thickness in the range of 0.5 - 1.5 mm. The carrier layer 13 can consist of a single material or be a layer stack (sandwich) of several layers made of different materials. The carrier layer 13 is selected in terms of material(s) and thickness such that, on the one hand, it is flexible enough to be rolled up, and on the other hand, it is stable enough to cover any small steps or gaps that may be present at transitions between the basic elements 2, without these steps or gaps being visible on the surface 3.

[0026] In the example shown, this carrier layer 13 also functions as a printing layer, onto which color, such as ink, is directly applied using a digital printing process. Alternatively, an additional printing layer can also be applied to the carrier layer.

[0027] The aforementioned upper side 11 can also be formed by a protective layer that is laminated over the printing layer and thus the printed ink. The adhesive layer 12, also mentioned above, can be applied in the manner of a double-sided adhesive tape to the side of the carrier layer 13 opposite the upper side 11 and, for example, can have a foam core with adhesive layers on both sides. In particular, in the case of the Fig. 2 lower adhesive layer with which the print carrier 10 is glued to the surface 3, a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive can be used so that the print carrier 10 can be removed from the substructure 1 again, for example for transport purposes or in order to apply a print carrier with a different motif.

[0028] In cross-section of the Fig. 2 shows that the connecting element 4 is designed as a profile with a groove 5, in this case a T-shaped groove. Advantageously, the connecting element 4, and thus the entire mural, can be suspended from hooks or screw heads using the groove 5. Alternatively, a clamp, for example, can be clipped into the groove, to which a rope is attached, in order to hang the mural from one or more ropes.

[0029] An adhesive layer 6 is also arranged between the connecting element 4 and the underside of the base elements 2, again preferably in the form of a double-sided adhesive tape, e.g., with a foam core and two adhesive layers. These adhesive layers can also be designed as removable adhesive layers, so that the substructure can be disassembled again if necessary for transport or to arrange its elements, the base elements 2 and the connecting elements 4, in a different geometry. This takes sustainability into account, allowing components to be reused, whereby not only the motif but also the format can be changed.

[0030] Plastic panels, metal panels, wood panels, cardboard panels, and / or composite panels, such as aluminum Dibond panels, can be used as base elements 2. To form a stable unit, the panels preferably have a thickness of 1.5 to 10 mm, depending on the rigidity of the material used. The dimensions of the panels can range from approximately 15 x 15 cm to approximately 50 x 50 cm, depending on the size range of the overall format of the mural.

[0031] The printing medium 10 can be digitally printed as described above, but it is of course also possible to use a conventionally printed printing medium.

[0032] In the exemplary embodiment, a plastic laminate was described as the print substrate 10. Within the scope of the application, however, a print substrate can also consist of other materials, such as paper or textile. Especially when using textile materials, the mural can not only have a decorative effect but also be sound-absorbing, thus serving as an acoustic element to improve room acoustics.

[0033] The mural can be easily transported by shipping the base elements 2 in one or more stacks and shipping the print carrier 10 rolled up. The connecting elements 4 can be packed in a bundle, preferably together with the print carrier 10. The entire mural can thus be stored and shipped in two handy packaging units, saving space. List of reference symbols 1 substructure 2 Basic element 3 Surface 4 Connecting element 5 grooves 6 Adhesive layer 10 printing media 11 Top 12 adhesive layer 13 Carrier layer

Claims

[1] Large-format mural with a rigid substructure (1) that can be attached to a wall and a printing support (10) applied thereto, characterized by that the substructure (1) has at least two plate-shaped base elements (2) joined to one another along a narrow side and connected to one another, wherein the pressure carrier (10) is adhesively applied to the substructure (1) and covers the at least two base elements (10). [2] Large-format mural according to claim 1, in which the plate-shaped basic elements (2) are joined together seamlessly and continuously. [3] Large-format mural according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate-shaped basic elements (2) are rectangular, in particular square. [4] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a side length of the plate-shaped basic elements (2) is in the range between 15 and 50 cm. [5] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a thickness of the plate-shaped basic elements (2) is in the range between 1.5 and 10 mm. [6] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the plate-shaped basic elements (2) are made of wood, cardboard, plastic, metal or a composite material. [7] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the plate-shaped basic elements (2) are connected to one another on a side opposite the printing carrier by means of connecting elements (4). [8] Large-format mural according to claim 7, wherein the connecting elements (4) are profile strips, in particular made of aluminum, plastic or wood. [9] Large-format mural according to claim 8, wherein the profile strips have a groove (5) running in the longitudinal direction, in particular a T-groove. [10] Large-format mural according to one of claims 7 to 9, in which the connecting elements (4) are glued to the base elements (2). [11] Large-format mural according to claim 10, wherein the connecting elements (4) are glued to the base elements (2) by means of a 2-sided adhesive tape, which preferably has a foam core. [12] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 11, in which the printing carrier (10) is rollable. [13] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 12, in which the printing carrier (10) is glued to the base elements (2). [14] Large-format mural according to claim 13, wherein the printing carrier (10) is glued to the base elements (2) by an adhesive layer (12). [15] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the printing carrier (10) has a carrier layer (13) made of a plastic. [16] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the carrier layer (13) is a laminate of at least two different layers. [17] Large-format mural according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the carrier layer (13) contains polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polystyrene and / or polyvinyl chloride. [18] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the printing carrier (10) has a carrier layer (13) made of paper. [19] Large-format mural according to one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the printing carrier (10) is printed using a digital printing process.

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