Decorative sheet and decorative material

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Solution Overview

Problem

Decorative materials mimicking natural stone appearance suffer from low designability due to weight and difficulty in conforming to curved surfaces, leading to surface damage and deterioration.

Innovation Solution

A decorative sheet comprising a substrate layer, an aggregate layer with a specific resin-filler mixture and particle size distribution, a print pattern layer with natural stone patterns, and a surface protective layer for weather and scratch resistance, all subjected to embossing for a natural stone-like texture and design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If natural stone is used to form decorative sheets and decorative materials, then the appearance authenticity is improved, but the weight increases and conformity to curved surfaces deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance authenticityVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a copy of natural stone appearance using a printed pattern layer that reproduces stone textures and colors, combined with an aggregate layer containing inorganic fillers that provide a stone-like tactile sensation. This copying approach achieves visual and tactile authenticity without the weight and structural limitations of real stone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a composite material structure consisting of multiple layers including a substrate layer, an aggregate layer with inorganic fillers (calcium carbonate, silica, alumina), a printed pattern layer, and a surface protective layer. This composite construction combines the advantages of different materials to achieve stone-like appearance and texture while maintaining light weight and flexibility for curved surface application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If natural stone is used to form decorative sheets and decorative materials, then the appearance authenticity is improved, but the conformity to curved surfaces deteriorates leading to surface damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance authenticityVSAvoidconformity to curved surfaces
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes a flexible sheet structure with multiple thin layers that can conform to curved surfaces. The aggregate layer contains inorganic fillers embedded in a resin matrix, creating a flexible composite that can be applied to cylindrical and other curved surfaces without cracking or damaging the surface design, while maintaining a natural stone-like appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If the aggregate layer contains high inorganic filler content for natural stone appearance, then the stone-like texture is improved, but the mixture homogeneity deteriorates due to particle size variation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestone-like textureVSAvoidmixture homogeneity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using inorganic fillers with specific particle size ranges (50-500 μm) that are distributed throughout the aggregate layer. This controlled particle size distribution ensures that larger particles provide the stone-like tactile texture while the overall mixture maintains sufficient homogeneity for consistent appearance and performance across the decorative material surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4721977A1Decorative sheet and decorative material
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 TOPPAN HOLDINGS INC
  • EP4721977A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4721977A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4721977A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A decorative material (10) includes a substrate (7), and a decorative sheet (1) laminated on one surface of the substrate (7). The decorative sheet (1) includes a substrate layer (2), an aggregate layer (3), a print pattern layer (4), and a surface protective layer (5). The aggregate layer (3) contains a mixture of an acrylic resin and an inorganic filler such that a mixing ratio of the acrylic resin with respect to 100 mass% of the aggregate layer (3) is in a range of 5 mass% or more and 15 mass% or less and a mixing ratio of the inorganic filler with respect to 100 mass% of the aggregate layer (3) is in a range of 85 mass% or more and 95 mass% or less. The aggregate layer (3) has a thickness in a range of 0.2 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less. The inorganic filler contains a filler having a particle size distribution in a range of 50 µm or more and 500 µm or less.