Veneered Element Production With Pressure-Driven Sub-Layer Permeation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing veneer surfaces face challenges in wear resistance, cost, and design flexibility, particularly when using low-quality or thin wood veneers, and require improvements to mimic solid wood appearance and reduce the need for manual defect filling.
Innovation Solution
A method involving applying a sub-layer on a substrate, followed by a veneer layer, and subjecting them to pressure to allow the sub-layer to permeate through the veneer, enhancing wear resistance and design flexibility by incorporating pigments and fillers, while potentially using lower quality veneers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wood veneer is used instead of solid wood or engineered wood, then production cost is reduced and moisture stability is improved, but wear resistance and impact resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining wood veneer with a particle board core and applying a laminate overlay. This multi-layer composite structure leverages the advantages of each material: the veneer provides aesthetic appearance, the particle board core provides structural stability and moisture resistance, and the laminate overlay provides wear and impact resistance. This resolves the contradiction by creating a composite flooring product that achieves both cost reduction and improved reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If thin wood veneer layer is used to reduce cost, then material consumption is reduced, but the ability to sand and repair the surface is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a laminate overlay as an intermediary layer on top of the thin veneer. This overlay layer serves as the wear surface that can be sanded and repaired, while the thin veneer underneath provides the aesthetic appearance. The intermediary overlay resolves the contradiction by providing the repairable surface functionality that the thin veneer alone cannot provide.
3Manufacturing precision
If high quality veneers are used to improve appearance, then design quality is improved, but production cost increases significantly compared to laminate flooring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using high quality veneer only where it is most needed for aesthetic impact (visible surface areas), while using more economical particle board for the core structure. The laminate overlay is applied selectively to provide wear resistance where required. This localized application of different quality levels resolves the contradiction by achieving high design quality in critical areas without proportionally increasing overall production cost.
4Manufacturing precision
If manual defect filling is performed on veneer surfaces, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-service by using the laminate overlay application process itself to automatically fill and correct surface defects in the underlying veneer. The overlay material is applied in a manner that naturally fills knots, gaps, and other imperfections without requiring separate manual filling operations. This resolves the contradiction by achieving surface defect correction through the primary manufacturing process rather than adding complex manual post-processing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enhances wear resistance and impact resistance of veneer surfaces, reduces production costs, and allows for customizable designs by controlling the permeation of the sub-layer through the veneer, mimicking solid wood appearance without manual defect filling.
Implementation Method 1
applying pressure to the veneer layer and/or the substrate, such that at least a portion of the sub-layer permeates through the veneer layer
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a veneered element, including providing a substrate, applying a sub-layer on a surface of the substrate, applying a veneer layer on the sub-layer, and applying pressure to the veneer layer and/or the substrate, such that at least a portion of the sub-layer permeates through the veneer layer. Also, such a veneered element.