Panel with surface texture

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a surface texture on a panel, in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel. The method comprises providing a first data set, extracting at least one first profile from the first data set, converting the extracted at least one first profile into a different representation. The method further comprises adapting the converted at least one first profile in the different representation to generate a final data set, and generating the surface texture on the panel based on the final data set. The present invention further relates to a panel, in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel, comprising a correspondingly manufactured surface texture.

Description

[0001] February 18, 2025 Kronoplus Limited K177524WO MAJ / Grm

[0002] Panel with surface texture

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a surface texture on a panel and a corresponding panel comprising such surface texture.

[0005] Technical Background

[0006] The use of digital or inkjet technology for generating surface textures formed by recesses on a substrate is currently widely known. The surface texture is obtained by digitally printing a solvent onto a baseboard of a panel, wherein the amount of solvent determines the amount of mechanically removable material and therefore the depth of the resulting surface texture. In particular, the reproduction of wood on various materials is a typical application of digital printing in the production of floors, furniture panels, baseboards, profiles and, in general, in the design and architectural field.

[0007] For example, document W02020039361A1 discloses a method and system for producing reliefs on substrates by means of digital inkjet printing on a liquid base layer that extends on the substrate. Drops applied via inkjet printing onto a base layer are solidified, for example, cured by UV, and the drops are configured to inhibit or modify the solidification, for example, by a cure inhibitor, such as UV absorbers, such that the areas of the base layer on which the drops have been applied are softer or more brittle than the rest of the base layer. Consequently, the resulting product corresponding to the mixture of the drops and the base layer in said areas can be easily removed from the base layer in order to produce the reliefs. For removing said resulting product, means such as brushing, jets of air or water, a tape or an adhesive roller or solvents are mentioned.

[0008] Similarly, document EP 4382213 A2 relates to a method and system for producing a motif on a substrate, the method comprising, successively, providing a base layer at least partially covering the substrate, applying a plurality of drops in or on the base layer and transferring at least part of a liquid that comprises said drops or is at least partially determined by them to a transfer surface, to remove said liquid from the base layer by adhesion of said liquid to the transfer surfacewhen the transfer surface makes contact with said liquid without sliding on the base layer, wherein a previously applied background under the base layer is made visible by removing transfer liquid from the base layer in order to at least partially reveal the motif.

[0009] These known techniques are mainly focused on manufacturing an imitation of a natural material such as wood or stone. For that, the natural material is usually scanned by a three-dimensional scanner. The resulting image is transformed into a black-and-white or grayscale image, such that a no-recess area is defined as white, a recess area with a maximum recess depth value is defined as black, and a recess area with recess depth values that are less than said maximum recess depth value is grey with a variable color scheme ranging from white to black as the recess depth value increases, as for example described by document EP 3865308 Al.

[0010] However, transforming the scanned image into a grayscale image and directly utilizing this grayscale image for generating a surface texture in a panel may result in surface textures and panels with less quality.

[0011] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of surface textures of panels known in the art.

[0012] Summary of the Invention

[0013] These drawbacks are at least partially overcome by a method for generating a surface texture on a panel and a panel as defined in the independent claims.

[0014] Particularly, these drawbacks are at least partially overcome by a method for manufacturing a surface texture on a panel, in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel. The method may comprise the steps of providing a first data set, extracting at least one first profile from the first data set, converting the extracted at least one first profile into a different representation, adapting the converted at least one first profile in the different representation to generate a final data set, and generating the surface texture on the panel based on the final data set.

[0015] In this manner, the present disclosure provides a method in which an improved surface texture for a panel is provided. While in the prior art, the surface texture is limited to a gray-scale representation of a three-dimensional scanned image. The present disclosure enables the generationof the final data set used for generating the surface texture based on an adapted data set (e.g. a converted at least one profile) in the different representation.

[0016] The method may further comprise the steps of providing a second data set, extracting at least one second profile from the second data set, converting the extracted at least one second profile into the different representation, wherein the adapting may comprise modifying the converted at least one first profile based on the converted at least one second profile to generate the final data set. By modifying the converted at least one first profile based on the converted at least one second profile, an improved final data set can be provided. In other words, the one or more converted first profiles of the first data set may be modified by the one or more converted second profiles of the second data set in the different representation. The present disclosure may not be understood as being limited to at most two data sets. In some embodiments, in addition to the first and the second data set, also a third or even more data sets maybe provided. The further aspects discussed in view of the first and / or the second data set may also be applicable to the third or more data sets, such that the same extracting and converting steps are performed for each of the third or more data sets.

[0017] The modifying may comprise combining the converted at least one first profile and the converted at least one second profile at least partially. In this manner, the generated surface texture on the panel may be based on the first and second data set, which enables the manufacturing of panels with an improved surface texture.

[0018] The first data set may comprise surface texture information of a source material. Additionally or alternatively, the second data set may comprise surface texture information of a source material. By generating a surface texture on a panel based on two data sets, wherein at least one of the data sets comprises surface texture information of a source material, the surface texture of the final panel maybe enhanced. For example, the source material may comprise at least one of wood, travertine, stone, marble, oak, plastic, textile, paper, metal, commercially generated artwork, or a natural material such as moss, grass, or straw.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first data set and the second data set may comprise surface texture information from different source materials. By this, a combination of surface texture information from different source materials on the same panel may be provided. The resulting surface texture based on two different source materials maybe generated in a combined step, without requiring separate generation steps of surface textures for each source material.The step of generating the surface texture may further comprise generating a first surface texture section of the surface texture exclusively based on the first data set and generating a second surface texture section of the surface texture exclusively based on the second data set such that the first surface texture section and the second surface texture section are at least partially nonoverlapping on the panel. Additionally or alternatively, the first surface texture section and the second surface texture section may be at least partially overlapping on the panel. In some embodiments, the first surface texture section and the second surface texture section may even entirely be non-overlapping or entirely overlapping on the panel. In this manner, a highly flexible and adaptable surface texture on the panel can be provided, in particular at a higher production speed and at lower production costs compared to traditional methods known in the art.

[0020] The at least one first profile may comprise a depths profile and / or a gloss profile. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one second profile may comprise a depths profile and / or a gloss profile. By this, the final data set and therefore the surface texture may depend at least in part on the depths profile and / or the gloss profile of the first and / or second profile.

[0021] The different representation may comprise a gray scale representation. The different representation may even be a gray scale representation. Utilizing a gray scale representation of a data set or a profile extracted from a data set has been proven to be beneficial for generating the surface texture by, for example, means of inkjet printing. The inventors found that adapting such data set or profile extracted from the data set in the gray scale representation provides additional advantageous for the generation of the surface texture. For example, a depth profile of the final surface texture of the panel can be distinct in different surface texture sections. Alternatively, the final surface texture of the panel may even be based on distinct depth profiles in the same surface texture section, i.e. they maybe overlapping. This provides a high degree of adjustable surface textures, which may be adapted according to customer needs and / or enhanced for a more detailed surface texture.

[0022] Providing the first and or the second data set may comprise generating the first and / or the second data set by scanning a source material. At least one of the first and / or the second data set maybe a three-dimensional scanned image. By this, the present disclosure is suitable for manufacturing replicates of source materials, in which replicates, however, the surface texture can be adapted as required and / or even combined with a second data set.Generating the surface texture based on the final data set may comprise the steps of providing a baseboard of the panel, the baseboard may comprise a top layer, applying, in particular via inkjet printing, a chemical solution onto a first area of the top layer. The chemical solution may be configured to change, in particular weaken, at least one physical property of the top layer in the first area compared to a second area of the top layer where no chemical solution was applied. In this manner, the at least one physical property of the top layer can be highly flexibly adjusted for different top layer areas. As a result, the production time and costs can be efficiently reduced.

[0023] The physical property changed or weakened by the chemical solution may comprise at least one of, bonding strength, solubility, hardness, resiliency.

[0024] In some embodiments, a first amount of the chemical solution applied onto the top layer in the first area may be based on the final data set. Additionally or alternatively, the first amount of the chemical solution applied onto the top layer in the first area may vaiy across the top layer. Since the final data set is based on a first data set, which has been adapted as required and / or combined with a second data set, the application of the chemical solution is highly adjustable. This enables the generation of highly sophisticated and / or adjustable surface textures in panels efficiently, which have been manufactured according to the present disclosure.

[0025] The method may further comprise the step of removing a second amount of material of the top layer in the first area. The second amount may depend on the first amount. Consequently, a depth profile of the surface texture can be generated without requiring expensive and less adjustable embossing techniques based on embossing means, such as rollers or stamps.

[0026] The removing may comprise brushing. Additionally or alternatively, the removing may comprise blowing. In this manner, a selective removal of the second amount of material of the lop layer can be provided.

[0027] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a panel, in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel. The panel may comprise a surface texture manufactured according to a method as described above. The various technical advantages described above with respect to the method of manufacturing a surface texture on a panel apply also for the final panel. These advantages are not repeated here for reasons of preciseness.The surface texture may comprise a first surface texture section generated based on a first data set and a second surface texture section generated based on a second data set. In some embodiments the first and the second surface texture sections may be at least partially non-overlapping on the panel. Additionally or alternatively, the first and the second surface texture sections may be at least partially overlapping on the panel.

[0028] Short Description of the Figures

[0029] Possible embodiments of the present invention will be further described in the following detailed description with reference to the following Figures:

[0030] Fig. i depicts an illustration of an embodiment of a panel having a surface texture; Fig. 2 depicts an illustration of another embodiment of a panel having a surface texture;

[0031] and

[0032] Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a surface texture on a panel.

[0033] Detailed Description of some exemplary embodiments

[0034] In the following, exemplaiy embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail, with reference to a panel comprising a surface texture. While specific feature combinations are described in the following with respect to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In particular, not all features have to be present for realizing the invention, and the embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.

[0035] Figures i and 2 depict embodiments of a panel too, 200 according to the present disclosure. The panel too, 200 may comprise a baseboard made of a wood fiber core (medium-density fibreboard (MDF) or high-density fibreboard (HDF)) to which at least a decorative layer and a transparent top layer maybe added as is common in laminate flooring. In some embodiments, the transparent top layer may comprise the surface texture. The panels too, 200 can also be made out of any other core material such as chipboards, oriented strand boards (OSB), cement fiber boards, PVC, plastic, ceramic or any other core material. Moreover, stone-plastic-composite (SPC) panels may also be applicable in view of the present disclosure. The panels too, 200 arepreferably employed as a floor covering, but may also be used as a wall-, ceiling-, or furniture covering, such as cabinet doors, end panels or countertops. Independent of the core layer material of the panel / baseboard, the top layer may comprise a variety of surface textures.

[0036] In the embodiment depicted in Figure i, the surface texture of the final panel too consists of three distinct surface texture sections 112, 122, 132, which are arranged next to each other. The surface texture 111, 121, 131 of each of the surface texture sections 112, 122, 132 is based on a different source material 110, 120, 130. A respective data set was generated by scanning each of the source materials 110, 120, 130 with a scanner for generating respective three-dimensional data sets. From the scanned data sets, depth and gloss profiles were extracted and converted into a gray scale representation. These gray scale representations may then be graphically optimized individually, if required, and aligned in the final data set corresponding to a pattern as depicted in Figure 1. Thus, for example, the surface texture 131 can be arranged in surface texture section 132 on one outer region of panel too. Surface texture 121 can be arranged in surface texture section 122 in the middle and on the opposite outer region of panel too compared to surface texture section 132, wherein surface texture 111 can be arranged in surface texture section 112 between both surface texture sections 122 of panel too. Based on this geometric assembly in the gray scale representation, the final data set is generated and subsequently utilized for generating the final surface texture on panel too, for example as further described with respect to Figure 3 below.

[0037] In the embodiment of Figure 1, source material 110 depicts a honed surface of a stone material, such as marble or travertine. Source material 120 depicts a fluted surface texture 121 and source material 130 depicts a herringbone pattern of stone tiles or wood tiles. While all three source materials 110, 120, 130 may correspond to stone materials, different source materials such as wood, in particular oak, alone or in combination with stone materials may also be applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0038] While in the embodiment of panel too depicted in Figure 1, the various surface texture sections 112, 122, 132 are arranged as non-overlapping and next to each other, Figure 2 depicts an embodiment of a panel 200 in which two different surface texture sections 212, 222 are arranged on top of each other and, thus, as overlapping. In particular, Figure 2 depicts a first source material 210 having a surface texture 211. Source material 210 is made of wood, for example oak. Source material 220 comprises a surface texture 221 consisting of essentially parallel lines. Surface texture 221 may correspond to a flat and honed stone or wood surface having scratches inone direction. Similar as described with respect to Figure 1, the two surface textures 211, 221 are generated by scanning the source materials 210, 220, extracting profiles and converting these into a gray scale representation. In the gray scale representation, both profiles are arranged on top of each other and subsequently the final data set is generated, based on which the final surface texture of panel 200 was generated.

[0039] While in Figure 1 all surface texture sections are arranged next to each other and in Figure 2 all surface texture sections are arranged on top of each other, partially overlapping arrangements of surface texture sections may also be applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 3 depicts a block diagram of an embodiment of a method 300 for manufacturing a surface texture on a panel. Method 300 comprises the step of providing 310 a first data set. The first data set maybe a three-dimensional image of a first source material. The first data set may be generated by scanning the first source material.

[0041] Method 300 further comprises the step of extracting 320 at least one first profile from the first data set. The first profile may comprise a depth profile and / or a gloss profile.

[0042] Method 300 further comprises the step of converting the extracted at least one first profile into a different representation. Preferably, the different representation maybe a gray scale representation.

[0043] Method 300 further comprises the step of adapting the converted at least one first profile in the different representation to generate a final data set. The adapting may comprise an enhancing or reducing of the first profile in the different representation. The inventors found that adaptations to the profile extracted from a first data set can be most efficiently conducted in the gray scale representation.

[0044] Method 300 further comprises the step of generating the surface texture on the panel based on the final data set. In some embodiments, the step of generating may comprise the step of providing a baseboard of the panel. The baseboard may be primed and digitally printed with a two-dimensional image. Subsequently, a lacquered layer, such as a polymer layer, a polyurethane layer, or an acrylic layer, may be added on top of the baseboard forming the top layer of the baseboard. The lacquered layer may be partially cured, preferably via UV curing or UV-LED curing. On the partially cured top layer, a chemical solution may be applied, preferably via inkjetprinting, onto a first area of the top layer. The chemical solution may be configured to change at least one physical property. In some embodiments, the chemical solution may reduce a bonding strength, solubility, hardness, resiliency of the top layer material in the first area compared to areas onto which no chemical solution was applied. In particular, the amount of change of the physical property may be based on the amount of chemical solution applied per surface area of the top layer. The amount of chemical solution may be defined by the final data set in the different representation. In the case of a gray scale representation, for example, white may correspond to no chemical solution wherein black may correspond to a maximum amount of the chemical solution. Furthermore, the various gray scale levels starting from white and up to black may correspond to an increase in the amount of chemical solution as the gray scale value increases towards black. In other words, the amount of chemical solution applied to the top layer may be proportional to the gray scale level of the final data set. In this manner, an x and y axis of the gray scale representation of the final data set may be understood as a two-dimensional map on the panel, in which the intensity or the level of the gray scale value corresponds to the amount of chemical solution applied to the respective area on the panel. After applying the chemical solution onto the top layer of the baseboard, a second amount of top layer material having the changed physical property in the first area may be removed. The second amount may be based on the first amount of chemical solution applied. The removal of the top layer material may preferably be conducted by brushing the top layer material with the changed physical property. Such brushing may comprise various stations, in particular two stations, having distinct brushes each having a distinct hardness. For example, a first brush maybe harder and thereby removing a larger amount of material, and a second brush may softer and thereby removing less amount. However, the softer second brush may further clean the areas in which the first brush already removed top layer material. After the removal of top layer material and the thereby generated surface texture of the panel, a final curing step may be required, for example, UV curing or excimer curing, in the manufacturing process of the surface texture in a finished panel according to the present invention.

Claims

February 18, 2025 Kronoplus Limited K177524WO MAJ / GrmClaims1. A method (300) for manufacturing a surface texture on a panel, in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel, the method comprising:providing (310) a first data set;extracting (320) at least one first profile from the first data set;converting (330) the extracted at least one first profile into a different representation;adapting (340) the converted at least one first profile in the different representation to generate a final data set; andgenerating (350) the surface texture on the panel based on the final data set.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:providing a second data set;extracting at least one second profile from the second data set;converting the extracted at least one second profile into the different representation,wherein the adapting comprises modifying the converted at least one first profile based on the converted at least one second profile to generate the final data set.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modifying comprises combining the converted at least one first and second profiles at least partially.

4. The method of one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the first data set and / or the second data set comprises surface texture information of a source material.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the source material comprises at least one of wood, travertine, stone, marble, oak, plastic, textile, paper, metal, commercially generated artwork, or natural materials, in particular moss, grass or straw.

6. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the first data set and the second data set comprise surface texture information from different source materials.

7. The method of one of the claims 2 to 6, wherein the generating further comprises generating a first surface texture section of the surface texture exclusively based on the first data set and generating a second surface texture section of the surface texture exclusively based on the second data set such that the first surface texture section and the second surface texture section are at least partially non-overlapping on the panel.

8. The method of one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein each of the first and / or second profiles comprises a depths profile and / or a gloss profile.

9. The method of one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the different representation comprises a gray scale representation or is a gray scale representation.

10. The method of one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein providing the first and or the second data set comprises generating the first and / or the second data set by scanning a source material.

11. The method of one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein generating the surface texture based on the final data set comprises:providing a baseboard of the panel, the baseboard comprising a top layer;applying, in particular via inkjet printing, a chemical solution onto a first area of the top layer of the baseboard;wherein the chemical solution is configured to change at least one physical property of the top layer in the first area compared to a second area of the top layer where no chemical solution was applied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a first amount of the chemical solution applied onto the top layer in the first area is based on the final data set and particularly varies across top layer.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12 further comprising:removing a second amount of material of the top layer material in the first area, wherein the second amount depends on the first amount, in particular wherein the removing comprises brushing and / or blowing.

14. A panel (100, 200), in particular a wall, ceiling, furniture or flooring panel, comprising a surface texture manufactured according to a method of one of the claims 1 to 13.

15. The panel of claim 14, wherein the surface texture comprises a first surface texture section (112, 122, 132, 212, 222) generated based on a first data set and a second surface texture section (112, 122, 132, 212, 222) generated based on a second data set, in particular wherein the first and the second surface texture sections (112, 122, 132) are at least partially non-overlapping on the panel (100).

Images