Textured Cork Flooring via Material Removal and Digital Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cork floor processing methods limit the visual appearance options, as they result in smooth, printed surfaces that fail to mimic natural materials like wood or stone effectively, and existing techniques for adding texture are costly and have durability issues.
Innovation Solution
Introducing structures into flat cork material through a material-removing process, followed by digital printing and applying a protective layer, which allows for the creation of textured surfaces that can mimic natural materials or achieve desired visual appearances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a smooth cork surface is printed with digital printing, then print quality is impressive, but the surface lacks the look and feel of natural materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines digital printing with a material removal process to create both high-quality prints and natural-looking surface textures on cork flooring. The printing step is merged with structuring steps to achieve both objectives simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The cork surface is pre-structured with relief patterns through material removal before applying the protective lacquer layer. This preliminary structuring creates the natural material appearance that compensates for the smoothness of digitally printed surfaces.
2Shape
If thick textured layers of lacquer are applied to create surface texture, then some natural material appearance is achieved, but the process is complex and durability is questionable
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding thick textured lacquer layers, the patent extracts material from the cork surface itself to create the desired texture. This material removal approach simplifies the process by eliminating the need for multiple lacquer application steps while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a straightforward material removal process rather than complex multi-layer lacquer systems. The simpler process reduces manufacturing complexity while the cork substrate itself provides the durable textured surface.
3Reliability
If conventional cork floor processing is used, then the beneficial properties of cork are maintained, but visual appearance options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality changes to the cork surface by creating specific relief patterns in certain areas through material removal. This allows the cork to maintain its inherent durability while gaining enhanced visual appearance options through localized texturing and printing.
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
This method enhances the visual appearance of cork floors by combining structured surfaces with digital printing, enabling a wide range of designs while maintaining the beneficial properties of cork, such as durability and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
Introducing structures into a flat cork material using a material removal process
Implementation Method 2
Printing on the structured cork material using a digital printing process
Implementation Method 3
Applying a protective layer to the printed structured cork material
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A method for processing the surface of a floor covering comprises the following steps: introducing structures (2) into a sheet of cork material (1) by a material removal process, printing the structured cork material by a digital printing process, and applying a protective layer (4) to the printed structured cork material. The inventive method allows the appearance of the product to be influenced in many ways. The visual impression can differ significantly from that of a smooth, printed surface. In particular, the combination of structuring and digital printing can create surfaces that have the appearance of an unpolished natural material (e.g., wood, slate, etc.).