Digital Printing Surface Covering Pattern Repetition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing decorative surface coverings, such as flooring and wall coverings, struggle to effectively avoid repetition of patterns, particularly when mimicking natural materials like wood or stone, leading to an unnatural appearance due to spatial repetition frequency in rotogravure processes and limitations in digital printing methods.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the generation of synthetic images by arranging local prototype motifs in a random manner to mimic natural materials, using techniques like exemplar-based texture synthesis and procedural texture synthesis, and digitally printing these images on a substrate, followed by assembly with backing and top layers to create a seamless appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rotogravure printing is used to produce decorative patterns, then production efficiency and manufacturing precision are improved, but pattern repetition becomes visible and destroys the natural appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the decorative pattern into multiple color channels (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) that are printed separately using multiple gravure cylinders. Each cylinder carries a segment of the overall pattern, and the final decorative effect is achieved through the superposition of these segmented color layers. This segmentation allows high-speed production while maintaining pattern quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a second printing dimension by overlaying a digital print layer on top of the traditional rotogravure printed pattern. This additional layer contains random decorative elements (knots, grain patterns, defects) that break up the repetition visible in the base gravure print, creating a multi-layered depth effect that eliminates visual repetition while maintaining production efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If digital printing is used to avoid pattern repetition, then pattern authenticity is improved, but production cost increases due to expensive large-scale originals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite pattern by copying and superimposing different elements: the base pattern is copied from rotogravure printing, while additional authenticating elements (knots, grain variations, defects) are copied from digital images and overlaid. This copying approach achieves realistic natural appearance without requiring expensive large-scale original photographs, as it combines copied elements from multiple sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite decorative pattern by combining two different printing technologies: traditional rotogravure printing for the base pattern and digital printing for the overlay elements. This composite approach integrates the strengths of both methods - the production efficiency of gravure with the pattern authenticity of digital printing - to create a cost-effective solution that avoids the need for expensive large-scale originals.
3Adaptability or versatility
If basic operations like rotating and mirroring prototype patterns are used, then pattern variety is improved, but realistic natural surfaces cannot be simulated due to visible repetitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary digital printing of random decorative elements (knots, grain patterns, natural defects) onto the substrate before the final assembly. These elements are pre-positioned in random locations and orientations, creating an authentic natural appearance foundation that cannot be achieved through simple post-processing operations like rotating or mirroring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a digital print layer as an intermediary between the gravure-printed base pattern and the final decorative surface. This intermediary layer contains randomly distributed authenticating elements that mediate the transition from repetitive mechanical patterns to natural-looking surfaces, breaking up the regularity of the base pattern without requiring complex transformations of the original motifs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a decorative surface covering comprises generating one or more synthetic images. The generation of these images includes arranging local prototype motifs characteristic of a material to be mimicked in a random manner and generating or preserving continuity between the local prototype motifs in such a way as to yield globally an appearance of the material to be mimicked, digitally printing one or more synthetic images on a printing substrate, and assembling the printing substrate with one or more backing layers and/or one or more transparent top layers so as to form the decorative surface covering.