Decorative plate and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a decorative plate comprising an at least partially UV or visible light radiation transparent carrier plate, a decorative ink pattern, which ink is at least partially UV or visible light radiation blocking, and an overcoat comprising a UV or visible light radiation curable material and having a top surface comprising a first surface area with a surface texture A and a second surface area with a surface texture B, which surface texture B is different from surface texture A and aligned with the decorative ink pattern. The present invention further provides a decorative panel comprising a substrate and a decorative top layer consisting of such a decorative plate. The present invention further provides a method for producing a decorative plate having a textured surface, comprising the steps of providing an at least partially UV or visible light radiation transparent carrier plate, printing a decorative ink pattern on at least a part of the top and / or back side of the carrier plate, which ink is at least partially UV or visible light radiation blocking, providing a UV or visible light radiation curable coating on the top side of the carrier plate, and partially curing the UV or visible light radiation curable coating by exposing the UV or visible light radiation curable coating to UV or visible light radiation through the back side of the carrier plate. Additionally, a method for producing a decorative panel using this method is provided.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Technical Field FIELD OF THEINVENTION This invention relates generally to decorative boards, and in particular to decorative boards used as a top layer for decorative panels (eg, floor panels, laminates, furniture panels, wall panels, countertops, casting panels, etc.).

[0002] The present invention further relates to methods for producing such decorative plates and panels. [Background technology]

[0003] background Decorative panels (e.g., floor panels, laminates, furniture panels, wall panels, etc.) coated with simulated versions of materials (e.g., wood and natural stone) are now commonly used, especially when cheaper materials are desired. Obviously, these panels need to be sufficiently resistant to abrasion, indentations, chemicals and moisture.

[0004] Such decorative panels essentially consist of a substrate or particle board, such as MDF or HDF (medium or high density fiberboard), and a decorative plate applied to said substrate or particle board, with a printed decorative motif or pattern representing images of different types of wood or natural stone (e.g. marble or granite), and one or more finishing layers (so-called top coats) protecting the decorative motif.

[0005] Typically, the top coat is provided with a structure (i.e. a surface texture, profile or topography) that gives the panel specific aesthetic and tactile properties that make the decorative panel more realistic. For example, document WO 2004 / 042168 discloses providing a structure on the substrate itself or on the undercoat layer and printing this structured substrate in the form of a motif. WO 01 / 48333 provides for the imprinting by a die or cylinder in a lacquer layer provided on top of the motif. WO 01 / 47724 discloses providing a transparent lacquer pattern of the structure on the motif by inkjet.

[0006] As described in EP 3640042, it is difficult to obtain a surface structure that corresponds to the decorative motif and at the same time completely protect the decorative motif using the techniques mentioned above.

[0007] Trying to solve this problem, EP 3640042 discloses a method for producing a coated panel having a substrate and an upper layer, i.e. an overcoat, with a decorative motif, with a surface texture determined by printing, preferably printed by the same printing technique as the printing of the decorative motif, the motif being protected by a synthetic material layer. The document discloses several ways to obtain this texture in the synthetic material layer, one of which uses a printing mask. The synthetic material not covered by the mask can then be cured.

[0008] However, there still remains the problem of two printing steps (one for the decorative motif and one for the printing mask) that need to be perfectly aligned in order to obtain a texture that is perfectly aligned with the decorative motif (so-called "in-register"): several reasons (in particular contraction and expansion of the substrate) still result in alignment problems that cause non-ideal aesthetics when the alignment is achieved by continuously steering the alignment and misalignments are visible to the naked eye of a trained and experienced person.

[0009] Furthermore, state of the art decorative panels have a mixture of different textures, typically a top coat having a primary texture and a second, different texture that selectively interrupts or alternates with the primary texture and corresponds to a decorative motif.

[0010] For example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2003138617 aims to provide selective patterning and different textures in registration with the decorative motifs by a technique of preparing a selectively embossed surface coating by mechanically embossing a wear layer overlying at least one printing ink containing a photoinitiator printed in a pattern or design. The embossed wear layer is exposed to ultraviolet radiation which results in hardening of the wear layer in the surface areas located above the printing inks. The product is then dissolved, whereby the mechanical embossing in the surface areas not located above the printing inks is reduced and smoothed. In a variant of the invention, a mechanically embossable thermoplastic wear layer is used in the surface areas not located above the printing inks which has a different texture from the first applied mechanical embossing.

[0011] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the above techniques are complex, inefficient, expensive, and limit the number of texture combinations.

[0012] In view of the above, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a decorative board having superior aesthetic and tactile properties that make forming a decorative panel more practical than the state of the art.

[0013] In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a decorative plate whose surface areas have a texture corresponding to a decorative motif and are substantially everywhere in registration with the decorative motif. More particularly, the object is to obtain a topcoat having a main texture and a second texture (notably different from the first texture) which selectively alternates with the main texture, i.e. interrupts the main texture, and is everywhere in registration with the decorative motif.

[0014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a decorative plate that is ready to be attached to a substrate to form a decorative panel without the need for an additional embossing step.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide decorative plates and panels which can be manufactured in a simpler and / or more efficient and / or less expensive manner.

[0016] Furthermore, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a method by which decorative plates can be manufactured with intricate patterning that is aligned (i.e., in correct registration) with complex decorative motifs in a simpler and / or more efficient and / or less expensive manner.

[0017] Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method capable of producing decorative panels that combine high coating weight and texture aligned with a decorative motif. High coating weight is typically necessary to achieve high performance in combination with good aesthetics.

[0018] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a decorative plate that achieves selective texture alignment with a decorative motif even when the printing and coating processes are not performed sequentially, e.g., so that any shrinkage and / or expansion of the decorative plate during processing does not affect the alignment.

[0019] A further object is to provide a method of producing decorative plaques that achieves selective texture alignment with decorative motifs while allowing for the use of digital and analog printing and coating techniques.

[0020] Moreover, an object is to further provide a manufacturing method with lower processing complexity and more freedom in material selection. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0021] overview In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a composition comprising the steps of: - a transparent carrier plate for at least partial UV or visible light irradiation; - a decorative ink pattern, the ink being at least partially ultraviolet or visible radiation blocking; an overcoat comprising an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable material and having a top surface including a first surface area having a surface texture A and a second surface area having a surface texture B, the surface texture B being different from the surface texture A and aligned with the decorative ink pattern; Including, the decorative ink pattern is characterized by at least partially blocking a first wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation, which first wavelength range overlaps with a second wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation through which the carrier plate is transparent, and the ultraviolet or visible curable material in the overcoat is characterized by a curing wavelength range that is included in the overlapping wavelength range; Provide a decorative plate.

[0022] According to the invention, the decorative plate is characterized in that for the overlapping wavelength range, there is less blocking in a first surface area having a surface texture A than in a second surface area having a surface structure B.

[0023] The present invention further provides a decorative panel comprising a substrate and a decorative overlayer comprising a decorative plate as described throughout this text.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a decorative panel having a textured surface, comprising the steps of: - providing an at least partially UV or visible light irradiating transparent carrier plate; - printing a decorative ink pattern on at least a part of the top and / or back side of the carrier plate, the ink being at least partially UV or visible radiation blocking in a first wavelength range that overlaps with a second wavelength range of UV or visible radiation in which the carrier plate is transparent; - providing an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating on the upper side of the carrier plate, the curable coating being suitable for being cured by a curing wavelength range included in the overlapping wavelength range; - selectively curing the UV or visible radiation curable coating by exposing the UV or visible radiation curable coating to UV or visible radiation comprising overlapping wavelength ranges through the rear side of the carrier plate and the decorative ink pattern, thereby curing a first surface area more than a second surface area, such that the first surface area provides surface texture A and the second surface area provides surface texture B. The present invention provides a method comprising:

[0025] There is further provided a method of producing a decorative panel comprising the steps of producing a decorative layer using the method described above and applying said decorative layer as a decorative top layer to a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [Figure 1] 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of a decorative plate according to the invention; [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of a decorative plate according to the invention; [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of a decorative plate according to the invention; [Figure 4] 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of a method for producing a decorative plate according to the invention; [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates diagrammatically an embodiment of a method for producing a decorative plate according to the invention; [Figure 6] 13A-B show schematic examples of misalignment of the surface area of ​​texture B with the ink pattern, which can be seen in processes where alignment is not inherent and requires successive manipulations of alignment. [Figure 7] 13A-B show schematic examples of misalignment of the surface area of ​​texture B with the ink pattern, which can be seen in processes where alignment is not inherent and requires successive manipulations of alignment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Detailed Description As illustrated in FIG. 1, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a cellular membrane comprising: - a transparent carrier plate for at least partial UV or visible light irradiation; - a decorative ink pattern, said ink being at least partially ultraviolet or visible radiation blocking; an overcoat comprising an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable material and having a top surface including a first surface area having a surface texture A (topography A) and a second surface area having a surface texture B (topography B), the surface texture B being different from the surface texture A and aligned with the decorative ink pattern; Including, a first wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation that is at least partially blocked by the decorative ink pattern overlaps with a second wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation through which the carrier plate is transparent, the overlapping wavelength range including a curing wavelength range suitable for curing the ultraviolet or visible radiation curable material in the overcoat; Provide a decorative plate.

[0028] In such a decorative plate, the different layers are understood to have the following characteristics: The decorative ink pattern is characterized by at least partially blocking a first wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation that overlaps with a second wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation. the carrier plate is transparent to a second wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation that overlaps with the first wavelength range that is at least partially blocked by the decorative ink pattern; The UV or visible light curable material in the overcoat is characterized by having a curing wavelength range within the overlap of the first and second wavelength ranges.

[0029] In the context of the present invention, an at least partially ultraviolet or visible radiation transparent means is transparent to at least a portion of the ultraviolet or visible radiation spectrum (i.e. 100 nm to 780 nm), preferably at least a portion of the ultraviolet spectrum between 150 nm and 450 nm, most preferably between 300 nm and 450 nm.

[0030] In the context of the present invention, the at least partial ultraviolet or visible radiation blocking means is capable of blocking radiation from at least a portion of the ultraviolet or visible radiation spectrum (i.e., 100 nm to 780 nm), preferably at least a portion of the ultraviolet spectrum between 150 nm and 450 nm, most preferably between 300 nm and 450 nm.

[0031] In the context of the present invention, an at least partial UV or visible radiation curing or curable means is cured or curable by exposure to radiation from at least a portion of the UV or visible radiation spectrum (i.e., 100 nm to 780 nm), preferably at least a portion of the UV spectrum between 150 nm and 450 nm, most preferably between 170 nm and 450 nm.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is not necessarily required that the UV or visible light transparent carrier plate be (partially) transparent to the same wavelength range (i.e., the second wavelength range) as the wavelength range blocked or partially blocked by the UV or visible light blocking decorative ink pattern (i.e., the first wavelength range). However, it is required that at least a part of the first and second wavelength ranges overlap, and that the overlapping wavelength range at least partially includes the curing wavelength range suitable for curing the UV or visible light curable material in the topcoat. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, such overlapping range depends on the combination of carrier plate and ink in relation to the type of photoinitiator of the coating and the choice of curing process settings (e.g., lamp type and exposure dose).

[0033] Moreover, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range can include two or more subranges that are not adjacent, and in such cases, the overlapping wavelength range can include two or more subranges that are not adjacent as well.

[0034] According to the invention, the decorative plate is characterized in that for the overlapping wavelength range, there is less blocking in a first surface area having a surface texture A than in a second surface area having a surface structure B.

[0035] In embodiments of the present invention, the UV or visible light transparent carrier plate may be selected from paper-based materials (impregnated or non-impregnated), film, foil or panel-based materials, acrylic plastic-based materials including PMMA / ABS, thermoplastic-based materials including PP, PE, PVC, PET, etc., non-woven-based materials, or glass fiber-based materials, or any combination thereof.

[0036] In an embodiment, the UV or visible light curable material may be any type of known UV or visible light curable coating suitable for finishing decorative boards or panels. This includes standard light curing formulations with photoinitiators that serve to initiate polymerization upon UV or visible light irradiation, but also other formulations that do not require a separate photoinitiator (e.g., certain acrylates can initiate polymerization after absorbing light). For UV, the preferred curable material may be a radically polymerizable acrylate, polyurethane, epoxy, polyester, ether, unsaturated polyester, or vinyl ether based lacquer, or a cationic curable resin. Those skilled in the art will know that the appropriate combination of photoinitiator type and irradiation wavelength needs to be made. The topcoat may have a multi-layer build-up applied wet-in-wet or wet-on-dry, applied in-line or off-line, with at least the top layer comprising UV and visible light radiation curable material. Optionally, the UV curable coating may be a dual-cure cure system. This includes combinations of free radical polymerization cure systems (e.g., including photoinitiators and thermal initiators) and combinations of free radical polymerization cure systems with other types of reactive cure systems (e.g., isocyanates). Such dual cure cure systems can be beneficial in managing curl in decorative panels.

[0037] In embodiments of the present invention, the curable coating material may be a mixture of components with different curing mechanisms (e.g., a thermally reactive coating, or a reactive polyurethane-based coating combined with a UV-curable acrylate-based component). Additionally, the curable coating material may further include non-reactive components (e.g., dissolved acrylics and fillers).

[0038] In the context of the present invention, ink is understood as any product suitable for producing decorative ink patterns in the application of the present invention. Such inks are gels, sols, or solutions that may contain colorants (e.g., dyes or pigments) and are used to apply patterns to surfaces and produce images, text, or designs that may be visible or invisible to the naked eye. As such, inks may be any mixture of components such as, for example, but not limited to, solvents, binders, fillers, pigments, dyes, and additives. The components may be reactive or non-reactive.

[0039] In the context of the present invention, the surface texture of the topcoat is the surface structure or structure profile or topography of the surface of the topcoat that plays a role in the tactile properties of the decorative board. For example, the texture may be smooth (often called "satin finish"), very soft and delicate, and may not have a deep grain texture. Another example of the texture is "rubbed", i.e., resembling real hardwood. Another example is "brushed", i.e., resembling wood brushed with metal wire, leather or stone (e.g. slate / granite), or fantasy structures as functional structures such as lotus flowers, shark skin / antibacterial, etc. Those skilled in the art will understand that in order to achieve both high-quality tactile properties and high-quality aesthetic properties of the decorative board, both properties need to match, and therefore the surface texture needs to be aligned with the decorative motif.

[0040] The alignment of the second texture with the decorative ink pattern plays (partly) a role in how the decorative board or product using the board as a decorative top layer is perceived by the customer, e.g., the perception of authenticity of a wood or stone imitation. Poor alignment causes the perception of a fake and a cheap product. The alignment of the second texture with the decorative ink pattern can be confirmed with the naked eye or with one of the following techniques: optical microscopy, UV-Vis-NIR microscopy, UV-Vis-NIR microspectrometer, spectral surface mapping techniques that can display transmission data on a three-dimensional surface map (surface topography and UV-Vis transmission).

[0041] In an embodiment of the invention, the top surface of the overcoat of the decorative plate comprises a first surface area having a surface texture A and a second surface area having a surface texture B, which is different from surface texture A and aligned with the decorative ink pattern. Surface textures A and B may be adjacent to each other on the overcoat surface or may surround each other depending on the decorative motif with which the second texture is aligned.

[0042] Typically, surface texture A is dominant and surface texture B alternates with the dominant texture, i.e., is regularly or irregularly interrupted by the dominant texture and aligned with the decorative ink pattern, however, in certain embodiments, the second texture aligned with the decorative ink pattern may cover a higher percentage of the surface area of ​​the overcoat than texture A.

[0043] In an embodiment of the present invention, surface texture A and surface texture B differ from each other in terms of surface roughness, and / or specular reflectance or glossiness, and / or topcoat thickness, and / or tactile properties, and / or surface tension. More specifically, the textures may differ in terms of shallowness or depth, higher gloss versus matte surfaces, the presence of functional features (e.g., light management structures, privacy films, optical gratings, anti-reflective surfaces, holographic surfaces, microfluidic devices, antimicrobial surfaces, brand protection, noise absorption / suppression, protective coatings). Optionally, one or more of these functional features may be further aligned with a decorative motif.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present invention, the decorative ink pattern includes multiple different sub-patterns, each having a perimeter that completely covers the perimeter of the surface area of ​​the surface texture B that is aligned with a corresponding different sub-pattern. As shown in Figure 2, the surface area of ​​the surface texture B covers the same or a smaller area as the decorative ink sub-patterns and is located directly above the ink, i.e., the area of ​​texture B may be smaller than the area of ​​the corresponding ink sub-pattern due to the wavy nature of light.

[0045] As illustrated in Fig. 3, in an embodiment of the present invention, the decorative plate does not include the second texture B in the surface area where the thickness of the decorative ink pattern existing below the surface area is less than the ultraviolet or visible light radiation blocking threshold thickness. Those skilled in the art will understand that this threshold depends, among other things, on the ink radiation absorption characteristics and the ink layer thickness in the specific ultraviolet treatment conditions and overcoat formulation. Thus, in an embodiment of the present invention, the decorative plate does not include the second texture B in the surface area where there is no or insufficient decorative ink pattern existing below the surface area.

[0046] The UV-blocking decorative ink pattern may be located between the carrier plate and the overcoat, or may be located on the rear side of the carrier plate.

[0047] In an embodiment of the invention, the topcoat has a thickness in the area of ​​surface texture A of at least 4 microns and / or a thickness of at least 4 g / m 2 of the topcoat in the area of ​​surface texture A. 2 The topcoat may have a thickness of at least 8 microns and / or at least 8 g / m2 in the area of ​​surface texture A. 2 or a thickness of at least 15 microns and / or at least 15 g / m2 in the area of ​​surface texture A. 2 or further having a thickness of at least 30 microns in the area of ​​surface texture A and / or at least 30 g / m 2 may have the following structure:

[0048] The decorative board of the present invention may be applied as a final product, which may be, but is not limited to, wallpaper, wrapping or packaging paper, non-woven or plastic or glass fiber based fabrics, or any other type of decorative board. The decorative board may be a panel, which may be glass or polymer based, or may be free standing.

[0049] Preferably, the decorative board of the present invention may be applied as an intermediate product that is applied as a decorative top layer to any type of substrate to form a final product. Such final product may be any type of panel (e.g., floor panel, wall panel, advertising panel, etc.), or a panel for assembling any type of furniture (e.g., table, kitchen, office desk, closet, etc.). The substrate of any such final product may be wood-based, glass-based, stone-based, carbon-based, plastic-based, metal-based, mineral (e.g., Gyproc)-based, etc. Specific applications may generally be wood plank imitation (flooring / paneling / desktop / skirting, etc.), exterior furniture, high-level finishing foils, technical foils, acrylic decorative articles, release films for patterning other surfaces (including recreational vehicle / caravan applications and fabrics in the fashion industry), automotive parts for interior and exterior use, moulded articles or moulded panels.

[0050] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a decorative panel having a textured surface, comprising the steps of: - providing an at least partially UV or visible light irradiating transparent carrier plate; - printing a decorative ink pattern on at least a part of the top and / or back side of the carrier plate, the ink being at least partially UV or visible radiation blocking in a first wavelength range that overlaps with a second wavelength range of UV or visible radiation in which the carrier plate is transparent; - providing an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating on the upper side of the carrier plate, the curable coating being suitable for being cured by a curing wavelength range included in the overlapping wavelength range; - selectively curing the UV or visible radiation curable coating by exposing the UV or visible radiation curable coating to UV or visible radiation comprising an overlapping wavelength range through the rear side of the carrier plate and the decorative ink pattern, thereby curing a first surface area more than a second surface area, such that the first surface area provides surface texture A and the second surface area provides surface texture B. The present invention provides a method comprising:

[0051] In contrast to conventional methods in which a mask is used on top of the curable coating to selectively solidify the curable coating and the mask is subsequently removed, in the present invention the mask remains on the decorative plate with a decorative function or functional motif. Therefore, the mask, i.e. in this case an at least partial UV or visible radiation blocking decorative ink pattern, needs to be printed on the top or rear side of the carrier plate, and therefore, in order to selectively expose the curable coating, the carrier plate needs to be at least partially transparent to the curing wavelength range, so that the curable coating can be exposed from the rear side of the carrier plate.

[0052] In the method of the present invention, the provision of a curable coating can be completely decoupled from the printing of the decorative ink pattern, since the decorative ink pattern determines the selective curing.

[0053] Printing of the at least partial ultraviolet or visible radiation blocking decorative ink pattern may be carried out by any technique including, but not limited to, analogue printing, gravure printing or screening printing, or even by digital printing methods (e.g., inkjet printing).

[0054] As illustrated in Fig. 3, in an embodiment of the present invention, the decorative ink pattern should be printed at a thickness of at least the ultraviolet or visible light radiation blocking threshold thickness so that the decorative ink pattern present has sufficient ink radiation absorption properties under the surface areas where selective curing of the curable coating is not to occur in order to obtain the surface texture B. The blocking threshold thickness with sufficient absorption properties can also be achieved by overlapping inks in layers of different composition. The blocking threshold thickness to achieve sufficient absorption properties may vary depending on the absorption properties of the inks used.

[0055] It can be seen that for a resulting surface area having texture A, the absorption (i.e., blocking) by the decorative ink pattern of ultraviolet / visible light passing through the carrier plate is always less than the absorption / blocking for a resulting surface area having texture B.

[0056] The top or back side of the carrier plate may be coated with the UV or visible light radiation curable coating by any known coating technique known in the art (e.g., roll, gravure, slot die, comma bar, screen printing, or curtain coating).

[0057] The UV or visible light radiation curable coating may be exposed to a curing wavelength range from at least a portion of the UV / visible light radiation spectrum (i.e., 100 nm to 780 nm), preferably at least a portion of the UV spectrum between 150 nm and 450 nm. Curing depends on a combination of many variables, including, but not limited to, substrate (type and / or thickness), coating formulation (photoinitiator type and / or concentration, additives, pigments, etc.), coating thickness, ink formulation (pigment type and / or concentration), ink thickness, lamp (type, life, dosage), distance between lamp and coating, exposure time (linear speed, number of lamps). Furthermore, application of non-uniform UV or visible light radiation may cause variable surface texture A and variable surface texture B in different selected areas due to non-uniformity of the radiation source.

[0058] During the curing process of a radical radiation curable coating, the double bond concentration decreases as the curing increases. This gradually changes the physical and chemical composition of the coating, moving from a liquid uncured stage to a solid fully cured stage. Fully cured does not mean 0% double bonds, but rather a level of curing of the coating that is suitable for the purpose. Liquid does not necessarily mean an uncured stage, so it can also be a stage that already has a reduced amount of double bonds, but still has a liquid coating, which in this case almost always shows an increase in viscosity. Similarly, solid does not necessarily mean a fully cured stage, so it can also be a stage where there are still more double bonds present than in a fully cured stage. Curing a first surface area more than a second surface area means that after exposure to the curing wavelength range, the curing stage of the first surface area is closer to a fully cured stage than the curing stage of the second surface area, and as a result, the curing stage of the second surface area is closer to a liquid uncured stage.

[0059] In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises UV embossing the UV or visible light curable coating. By UV embossing, the surface area of ​​the coating that has been or will be exposed to UV or visible light radiation through the decorative ink pattern may be given a specific surface texture A defined by the mold that is different from texture B. The UV embossing is performed while exposing the coating to UV or visible light radiation through the decorative ink pattern while in contact with the surface of the mold.

[0060] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention. In Figure 4, a decorative ink pattern is printed on at least a part of the top side of the carrier plate (step 2), while in Figure 5, a decorative ink pattern is printed on at least a part of the back side of the carrier plate (step 2). Then, an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating is applied (step 3). In these preferred embodiments, the embossing process involves positioning a mold over the ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating (step 4) and exposing the coating to ultraviolet or visible light radiation through the substrate and the decorative ink pattern while still in contact with the mold, thereby partially curing the ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating (steps 5 and 6), and thus separating the decorative plate and the mold (step 7). While in contact with the mold, the curable coating is sufficiently irradiated and selectively solidified. In areas where the ultraviolet or visible light blocking decorative ink pattern is sufficiently present, the curable coating remains in a less cured stage due to lack of sufficient radiation to solidify it. Upon removal of the decorative plate from the mold, the barely cured, still liquid coating will partly remain on the mold (step 9), resulting in a reduced amount of curable coating on the surface area where surface texture B should be obtained.

[0061] In a further preferred embodiment, the method further comprises a second curing step in which the almost uncured curable coating is cured (step 8), thereby obtaining a surface texture B. This second curing may be carried out by exposure to a wavelength range in at least a part of the UV / visible spectrum between 100 nm and 450 nm, most preferably in at least a part of the UV radiation spectrum suitable for being produced by an excimer radiation source, followed by a third radiation (UV / visible light or electron beam) curing step in which the coating is completely solidified. To produce a specific surface texture B, exposure to UV radiation may be combined with thermal curing. This second curing step makes it possible to produce a different gloss and structure in the surface area where the liquid coating is located compared to the coating area already cured against the mold. The surface structure of the coating cured in the mold is a cast of the structure present in the mold and is no longer influenced by any of the structures defining the technique present during the second curing step that fixes the texture B separately in a later step. Since the coating does not need to be at the fully cured stage when it is removed from the mold, a second curing step can further cure the coating at surface area A. Additionally, the coating can be brought to a fully cured stage by electron beam curing and / or thermal curing, with or without the latter being combined with UV curing. This second curing step can include more than one processing step combining any of the curing mechanisms described above.

[0062] The method of the present invention can produce surface areas that are in correct registration with the decorative motif with a lower coating weight that produces the desired relief, which are valleys (Texture B) that match the interrupted printed ink pattern, and other surface areas that match the structure of the mold (Texture A).

[0063] Mold types that can be used include, but are not limited to, structural papers / films, embossed boards / panels, and embossed cylinders.

[0064] The methods of the present invention are capable of producing printed, coated and embossed decorative boards that are perfectly in register by their very nature in a simpler, more efficient and less expensive manner. Furthermore, these methods are applicable to roll-to-roll and board processing.

[0065] 6 and 7 show some examples of misalignment of the surface area of ​​texture B with the ink pattern that can be found in processes where alignment is not inherent and requires successive manipulations of alignment.

[0066] The surface area bearing Texture A differs in appearance, structure, topography, tactile effect, or gloss from the surface area bearing Texture B. This difference is achieved by the difference in the level of cure of the topcoat in the first surface area versus the second surface area upon initial / first irradiation of the coating surface with a UV / Vis light source, which can be shone evenly over the complete printed substrate, first passing through the UV-blocking ink before reaching the UV / Vis light curable coating.

[0067] Once the initial curing step is performed, differences in surface properties between the first and second surface areas are always associated with different behavior of the coating due to differences in the radiation doses applied in the first curing step at the first and second surface areas.

[0068] At surface area B, the coating may still be close to the original coating viscosity after this first curing step and is easily removed by washing and vacuum techniques. Even if the first surface area remains close to the original coating viscosity after the first curing step but is cured slightly more than the second surface area, different surface textures A and B can be produced in a later curing step (e.g., UV excimer).

[0069] Even if the radiation-curable coating is already solidified on the entire surface of the coating after the first curing step due to the lower radiation dose in the second surface areas B, the mechanical and / or chemical resistance of the coating in these second surface areas is lower than in the first surface area A. As a result, the coating in surface area B is more easily removed by mechanical (brushing) or chemical (etching) methods, thus resulting in differences in the surface appearance and the amount of coating remaining on the substrate.

[0070] In an embodiment of the method according to the invention, the UV or visible light transparent carrier plate may be selected from paper-based (impregnated or non-impregnated) materials, film or foil-based materials, acrylic plastic-based materials including PMMA / ABS, thermoplastic-based materials including PP, PE, PVC, PET, etc., nonwoven-based materials, or glass fiber-based materials, or any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that the preference strongly depends on the pigmentation and other UV / light absorbing materials used for different substrates. For example, a white substrate containing TiO2 pigments will absorb most of the UV light and therefore will likely be used in combination with a coating containing a photoinitiator that is activated by light in the visible range.

[0071] The method of the present invention may further include adding an opaque layer to the rear of the decorative plate after the first curing step or after the second curing step. This opaque layer can be applied by a printing or coating process or during a lamination or pressing process.

[0072] Furthermore, it may be desirable to protect surface texture A or B, or both, in further downstream processing steps. This can be done by forming a decorative plate with a removable protective layer that coats the surface and thereby protects surface textures A and B. After a later downstream processing step, e.g. a pressing stage, the protective layer can be removed. In general, protection of surface texture A or B, or both, may be obtained by filling the texture, thereby ensuring that any depth created in the texture is maintained (not flattened) in downstream processing (e.g. pressing). In general, filling of the texture is achieved by applying a liquid release coating that is cured / solidified after application to textures A and B, or by extruding a removable film. More specifically, the following techniques may be applied: - Extrusion of a protective polymer layer onto the surface area of ​​the decorative plate - Application of a protective coating that, after hardening or drying, can be peeled off from the surface area of ​​the decorative panel. - Laminating a polymer carrier film coated with a UV-curable protective coating to the surface area - Applying a protective coating to the surface area and then laminating a polymer carrier film to the protective coating. The polymeric carrier film serves as a carrier layer for the protective coating, allowing for application and / or removal of the protective coating.

[0073] Furthermore, after the second curing step, preferably by excimer irradiation on the second surface area, a deep macro-texture may be pressed into areas A and / or B, while preserving the (micro-)surface textures A and B of the decorative plate. In this case, the level of curing achieved by UV light prior to the pressing cycle may need to be limited to facilitate this.

[0074] The method of the present invention may further include providing a second UV or visible radiation curable coating on the rear side of the carrier plate, whereby the second curable coating may be cured and equilibrated against any potential curl exhibited by the topcoat as UV or visible radiation is applied through the carrier plate to the rear side of the carrier plate.

[0075] In additional embodiments of the invention, the method may further include additional steps that result in variations of the decorative plate or panel relative to the decorative plate or panel of the invention, for example as described below. - overcoating the overcoat having surface areas A and B using any known method and curing mechanism in a selected area resulting in a selected surface area that no longer has surface texture A or B - applying a first coating layer, which is transparent to at least the overlapping wavelength range, to a carrier plate, and then applying a topcoat layer in selected areas to the coated substrate to produce surface areas A and B as described throughout this text in these selected areas, thereby producing a multi-layer coated carrier plate in which surface textures A and B are present only in the selected areas. - repeating the steps of applying an overcoat to selected areas of the current overcoat having surface areas A and B, and irradiating, thereby creating new surface areas A and B in these selected coated areas. These second surface areas A and B created in these selected coated areas over the first surface areas A and B can be different from the first surface areas A and B, depending on which method and / or coating and / or radiation range and / or dose is used, as described above. EXAMPLES

[0076] Working Example 28g / m 2A paper-based carrier plate, known on the market as an overlay (Glatz), is provided with a weight of 100%. This overlay paper is gravure printed with standard water-based gravure inks (KGE AG) and cylinders as used in decorative printing. Furthermore, the overlay paper printed in this way is printed in-line in registration with carbon black containing water-based inks (KGE AG) for decorative purposes using a rotary screen printing unit in order to obtain areas of high UV / visible light absorption. Printing can be carried out on both sides of the overlay, whatever is best suited for the purpose of the final product. The designs can be wood, stone or fantasy works. As a next processing step, this printed overlay paper is impregnated with water-based melamine resin (BASF) on a standard impregnation (Vits) line and the printed overlay paper is rerolled after drying of the melamine resin with a resin content of 100% to 120% calculated on the paper weight. This printed and impregnated overlay paper is then coated with a solvent-based polyurethane primer containing 30%-70% polyol (desmphen type), 20%-60% isocyanate (desmodur type) and 10%-50% radiation curable acrylate. After drying of the primer, a coating of 30-300 g / m2 containing 30%-70% urethane acrylate (Sartomer), 5%-50% acrylate-based monomer (Sartomer), 0.5%-3% photoinitiator (IGM), 1%-25% filler and matting agent (Grace) is applied. 2The radiation curable topcoat is applied with a slot die coating system that applies a UV curable resin mixture of 10 ... As a second radiation curing step, now irradiated from the front side (applied side), the entire surface with the areas of the coating that are still partially liquid is irradiated with a UV excimer lamp at 172 nm to generate an ultra-matte coating surface only in the areas of the coating that are still liquid, followed by a final cure with two rows of high-density microwave-induced UV lamps (fusion) to completely cure the entire area of ​​the coating as desired. Thus, an intermediate decorative plate based on the applied semi-transparent printing overlay is obtained with an ultra-matte coating area (texture B) on the black screen printing ink, and a semi-gloss to high gloss coating on the other areas (texture A). Now, this decorative plate with perfect alignment between the screen printing and the matte areas of the applied surface can be pressed in a DPL, CPL or HPL press to obtain the desired panel / laminate with a gloss / matte coating surface with correct registration. Furthermore, a pattern can be made by the pressing plate during the pressing cycle, and the microstructures generated to obtain the gloss / matte effect can be maintained in the pressing cycle.

Claims

1. a transparent carrier plate for at least partial UV or visible light irradiation; a decorative ink pattern, said ink being at least partially ultraviolet or visible radiation blocking; a topcoat comprising an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable material, the topcoat having a top surface including a first surface area having a surface texture A and a second surface area having a surface texture B, the surface texture B being different from the surface texture A and aligned with the decorative ink pattern; Including, the decorative ink pattern is characterized by at least partially blocking a first wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation, the first wavelength range overlapping a second wavelength range of ultraviolet or visible radiation through which the carrier plate is transparent, and the ultraviolet or visible curable material in the topcoat is characterized by a curing wavelength range included in the overlapping wavelength range. Decorative plate.

2. 2. The decorative plate of claim 1, characterized in that the overlapping wavelength range is blocked less in the first surface area having surface texture A than in the second surface area having surface structure B.

3. 2. The decorative plate of claim 1, wherein the second surface areas having surface texture B alternate with the first surface areas having surface texture A.

4. The decorative plate of claim 1 , wherein the decorative ink pattern is disposed between the carrier plate and the top coat.

5. The decorative plate of claim 1 , wherein the decorative ink pattern is disposed on the rear side of the carrier plate.

6. 2. The decorative plate of claim 1, wherein the decorative ink pattern includes multiple different sub-patterns, each having a perimeter that completely covers the perimeter of the surface area of ​​surface texture B that are aligned with corresponding different sub-patterns.

7. The topcoat has a thickness of at least 4 microns and / or a coating weight of at least 4 g / m2 in the area of ​​surface texture A. ２ The decorative plate of claim 1 , comprising:

8. The topcoat has a thickness of at least 30 microns in the area of ​​surface texture A and / or a coating weight of at least 30 g / m ２ The decorative plate of claim 7, having:

9. 2. The decorative plate according to claim 1, wherein the surface texture A and the surface texture B differ from each other in terms of surface roughness, and / or specular reflection or gloss, and / or topcoat thickness, and / or tactile properties, and / or surface tension properties.

10. The decorative plate of claim 1 further comprising a removable protective layer protecting the surface textures A and B.

11. A decorative panel comprising a substrate and a decorative upper layer made of the decorative plate according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. 1. A method for producing a decorative panel having a textured surface, comprising: providing an at least partially UV or visible light irradiating transparent carrier plate; printing a decorative ink pattern on at least a portion of the top and / or back side of the carrier plate, the ink being at least partially UV or visible radiation blocking in a first wavelength range that overlaps with a second wavelength range of UV or visible radiation in which the carrier plate is transparent; providing an ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating on the upper side of the carrier plate, the curable coating being suitable for being cured by a curing wavelength range included in an overlapping wavelength range; selectively curing the ultraviolet or visible radiation curable coating by exposing the ultraviolet or visible radiation curable coating through the back side of the carrier plate and the decorative ink pattern to ultraviolet or visible radiation comprising the overlapping wavelength range, thereby curing more of the first surface area than the second surface area, such that the first surface area provides surface texture A and the second surface area provides surface texture B; A method comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising positioning a mold over the ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating and exposing the coating to ultraviolet or visible light radiation through the decorative ink pattern while still in contact with the mold, thereby selectively curing the ultraviolet or visible light radiation curable coating, and then separating the decorative plate and the mold.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a second curing step of curing the less cured curable coating on the second surface area to provide Texture B.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second curing step exposes the partially cured curable coating to ultraviolet radiation produced by an excimer radiation source.

16. 13. The method of claim 12, comprising providing said surface textures A and B with a removable protective coating.

17. A method for producing a decorative panel, comprising the steps of producing a decorative layer using the method according to any one of claims 12 to 16 and applying said decorative layer as a decorative top layer to a substrate.

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