Surface-Treated Transparent Stone Elements for Artificial Stone Aesthetics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing artificial stones fail to express the three-dimensionality of transparent stone elements due to the lack of distinctness in the buried parts, resulting in inferior aesthetics when using transparent artificial stone elements.

Innovation Solution

The use of surface-treated transparent stone elements, where a coloring material is applied to the surfaces of transparent stone elements, followed by processing to expose the transparent portions, creating a sparkling pattern resembling a stone with embedded gems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If transparent artificial stone elements are used, then various patterns can be provided, but the three dimensionality of the transparent stone elements cannot be expressed because the shapes of buried parts are not distinct

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepattern varietyVSAvoidthree dimensionality expression

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies coloring material to the surfaces of transparent stone elements before embedding them in the base material. This preliminary action ensures that when the elements are later exposed at the surface, they already have distinct shapes and patterns visible, resolving the issue of indistinct buried parts while maintaining pattern variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent selectively exposes certain transparent stone elements at the surface while leaving others buried, and applies coloring material selectively to create different visual effects. This local differentiation allows some elements to show three-dimensional shapes while others provide pattern variation, resolving both the shape expression and pattern variety requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If transparent stone elements are embedded in base material, then artificial stone can be formed, but the buried parts lack distinctness resulting in inferior aesthetics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveartificial stone formationVSAvoiddistinctness of buried parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The coloring material is applied to transparent stone elements before they are embedded in the base material. This preliminary treatment ensures that even buried elements have distinct visual characteristics, improving manufacturing precision without complicating the artificial stone formation process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies coloring material to transparent stone elements to create visual contrast and distinctness. This color treatment allows buried parts to be visually distinguished from the base material, improving aesthetics while maintaining ease of manufacture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentUS8133575B2Artificial stone and method of preparing the same

Publication Date: 2012.03.13 LOTTE ADVANCED MATERIALS CO LTD

AI summary

An artificial stone, including a solid material and surface-treated stone elements in the solid material, wherein the surface-treated stone elements are transparent stone elements having a coloring material disposed on surfaces thereof.