Transparent Stain Matching Device for Wood
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional color matching techniques for transparent coatings on base materials, such as stain on wood, are inadequate as they require applying coatings to uncoated samples, drying, and comparing them to precoated samples, which is inefficient and does not accurately represent the final appearance on uncoated portions.
Innovation Solution
A transparent color sample device with a clear substrate sheet and pressure-sensitive adhesive, featuring a transparent coating with a correlated color additive, is applied to an unstained base material, allowing light monitoring to generate values that match the appearance of stained areas, ensuring the color sample reflects light within a predetermined range of the precoated area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional color matching techniques are used (applying coating to uncoated samples and comparing to precoated samples), then color matching can be performed, but the process is inefficient and does not accurately represent the final appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a transparent color sample that copies the optical properties of the precoated area by applying a transparent coating containing color additives to a transparent substrate. This copy accurately represents the final appearance when the same coating is applied to the uncoated portion, eliminating the need for traditional trial-and-error comparison methods while improving both accuracy and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent color sample acts as an intermediary between the precoated and uncoated areas. It provides a reference that shows exactly how the uncoated portion will appear after coating, serving as a visual mediator that eliminates the inefficiency of comparing separate precoated samples against uncoated surfaces.
2Ease of operation
If traditional color matching techniques are used, then color comparison can be performed, but it requires applying coatings to test portions and drying them
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent color sample is prepared in advance with the transparent coating already applied and dried on a transparent substrate. This preliminary action eliminates the need to apply and dry coating on test portions during the color matching process, significantly reducing time loss while maintaining ease of operation through simple visual comparison.
3Measurement precision
If transparent coating with color additives is applied to transparent substrate, then accurate appearance simulation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent coating is applied locally to specific areas of the transparent substrate to create the color sample. This local application allows for precise control of color properties in the coating layers while keeping the overall device simple and easy to manufacture, balancing accuracy with simplicity.
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
Enables accurate color matching and appearance simulation without applying coatings to test portions, improving efficiency and accuracy by allowing users to compare precoated and uncoated areas directly, ensuring the color sample's optical properties align closely with the precoated area.
Implementation Method 1
the combination of the color sample and the covered portion of the surface of the unstained base material reflects light which causes the light monitoring instrument to generate a second value
Implementation Method 2
A pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the first side of the clear substrate sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A transparent color sample stain matching device for comparing the appearance that coating or stain would have on a base material to previously coated or stained portions of the base material and a method for generating a transparent color sample stain matching device is described. The stain matching device includes a clear substrate sheet, a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a transparent coating. The transparent coating may include a base liquid and a color additive. The stain matching device is configured such that optical properties of the stain matching device applied to an uncoated portion of the base material are within a predetermined range of similarity of optical properties of a coated portion of the base material. In this way, the transparent color sample stain matching device applied to uncoated portions of the base material produces the general appearance of coated portions of the base material.