Foldable Wood Panel Edge Coating for Seamless Decorative Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing foldable panels with decorative layers require increased effort and production costs to avoid disruptive color differences at the edges when unfolded, leading to a suboptimal visual quality.
Innovation Solution
Applying a colored cover layer adjacent to the inner narrow edges of the panel parts, which are connected with hinge elements, to create a harmonious optical appearance by minimizing the visibility of the edges and reducing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the panel parts are sawn from a panel already provided with the decorative layer, then the production process is simplified, but unsightly fraying of the decorative layer occurs at the transition between the visible side and the inner narrow edge
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative layer is applied to the entire panel surface before sawing into individual panel parts. This preliminary action allows the decorative layer to be present on all surfaces including edge regions that will later form the inner narrow edges, eliminating the need for separate edge coloring operations and preventing fraying while simplifying the overall production process
Solution Approach 2:
The decorative layer is applied uniformly across the entire panel surface before cutting, ensuring that all regions including the future inner narrow edges have the desired decorative appearance. This local quality approach ensures consistent visual appearance at critical edge regions without requiring additional post-processing operations
2Manufacturing precision
If coloring of the edge regions is done before or after joining panel halves, then the optical quality can be improved, but increased effort and production costs are required
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative layer is applied to the entire panel surface before sawing into individual panel parts. This preliminary action allows the decorative layer to be present on all surfaces including edge regions that will later form the inner narrow edges, eliminating the need for separate edge coloring operations and preventing fraying while simplifying the overall production process
Solution Approach 2:
The application of the decorative layer is merged with the main panel manufacturing process and performed before cutting. This combines multiple functions (decorative coating and edge protection) into a single operation, eliminating the need for separate edge coloring steps and improving production efficiency while maintaining high optical quality
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The plate (4) has a plate part and another plate part (3) pivotably connected with each other by a hinge element (21). Inner narrow edges (9, 10) of the plate parts face towards each other. Decorative layers (14, 15) are provided at visible sides (16, 17) of the plate parts. Colored cover layers (12, 13) are provided on the decorative layers adjacent to the narrow edges. The decorative layers are formed by laminate coating, color application and/or paint application. The visible sides adjacent to the narrow edges are chamfered or rounded in directions of the narrow edges. An independent claim is also included for a method for producing a foldable plate. The plate is made of wood or wood composite.