GB2318142A

GB2318142A - An article having a decorative element secured in a surface recess

Info

Publication number: GB2318142A
Application number: GB9618283A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Hagan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-09-02
Filing date: 1996-09-02
Publication date: 1998-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2016-09-02
Also published as: GB9618283D0; GB2318142B

Abstract

An article has a recess 5 in its surface into which a element 3, preferably decorative, is secured, preferably by adhesive. The affixed element may be of the same or less depth than the recess and may be of a different material to the article, or may be moulded. The article and affixed element may be covered, preferably as a layer 1; the layer may be of vinyl and may be applied by a vacuum. The adhesive may be polyvinyl acetate and may be heat activated, preferably by hot air, which may be blown through the article. The article may be medium density fibreboard and the affixed element may be of epoxy resin. Although no specific application is claimed, the primary use is for securing imitation carvings to doors, cupboards, headboards of a bed, wall plaques or occasional furniture.

Description

AN ARTICLE The present invention relates to an article and to a method of making an article and is particularly, although not exclusively, applicable to doors.

According to one aspect of the present invention an article comprises a first part having a recess in one surface thereof with a second part being located in and secured in that recess.

The second part may be directly secured to the first part, for instance by adhesive, which may comprise polyvinyl acetate adhesive.

The second part may be of the same depth, or of less depth than the recess.

The first part may be of different material to the second part.

The second part may be decorative.

The second part may comprise epoxy resin. The second part may comprise a moulding.

The first part may comprises Medium Density Fibreboard.

At least the recess and the second part may be covered, for instance by a layer that may be applied by a vacuum. The layer may comprises a vinyl layer.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of making an article comprises forming a recess in a first part and locating and securing in that recess a second part.

The method may comprise securing the second part to the first part by means of adhesive. The method may comprise applying the adhesive before locating the second part in the recess and heat activating the adhesive to secure the second part to the first part.

The method may comprise securing a layer over the top of at least the exposed part of the recess and the first part, for instance by means of adhesive that may be heat activated. The adhesive may be activated by means of hot air and the hot air may be blown through the first part.

The layer may be rendered more flexible before applying the layer to the first and second parts, for instance by heating the layer.

The method may comprise applying the layer by exerting a vacuum through the first part and the method may also comprise exerting a vacuum through the second part.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a raw sheet of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) 2, a sheet of vinyl 1 that is subsequently used to wrap the fibreboard and a moulded imitation carving 3; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the MDF board after a border 4 has been routed and after a central area 5 has been routed; Figure 3 is a section taken along the line III-III of Figure 2 with the imitation carving in place, and Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 after the vinyl 1 has been applied.

The border 4 and the central area 5 are routed out of the MDF to the depth shown in Figure 3 by rotating a cutter about one axis and moving the cutter in planes perpendicular to the rotational axis. The cutter or router is also able to move up and down. The movement of this cutter is effected by a numerically controlled computer. The profile of the border 4 is uniform around the complete article.

The imitation carving 3 is formed in a mould by using epoxy resin. The lower surface 6 of the carving 3 is flat but the remaining surfaces of the carving 3 may be of intricate form such as being in the shape of a leaf or a flower or any other desired shape. Generally the shape of the carving 3 will be such that it cannot be achieved by a simple tool rotating about a vertical axis and by moving the tool about two perpendicular axes.

The complete upper surface of the MDF, including the routed sections, is covered with polyvinyl acetate glue with that glue covering all surfaces of the MDF with the exception of the downwardly facing surface 7. The glue is sprayed over and is allowed to set to form a substantially dry coating.

The carving 3 is then located on a flat upwardly facing surface 8 of the routed central area 5 and the exposed surface of the carving also has the glue applied thereto. The flat vinyl sheet 1 is laid on top of, and overlapping the sides of the MDF 2.

The MDF and the vinyl are then placed in a machine that applies a hot plate at 1200C over the top of the vinyl 1 and air is initially blown up through the downwardly facing surface 7 of the MDF and through the MDF to cause the vinyl to make complete contact with the hot plate.

This air is hot air at a pressure of approximately 5 bar and it also serves to melt and activate the glue. When the vinyl has become sufficiently pliable, and indeed may almost have melted, a vacuum is quickly applied to the lower surface 7 of the MDF with that vacuum reaching through the MDF and the carving to the downwardly facing surface of the vinyl 1. When the vacuum is pulled the carving 3 is caused to adhere to the surface 8 of the central area 5 (if it is not already so adhered) and the very pliable vinyl 1 is caused to adhere to all of the carving 3 that is not in direct contact with the MDF and also all of the MDF with the exception of the downwardly facing surface 7.

It can be seen that the angles created by the router in forming the border 4 are always 2700 or less when looking from behind the open face of the door and considering a change in angle across the door. In contrast, although the carving may have angles of 270" or less the mould can also create corresponding angles of more than 270 , for instance by making the mould itself of flexible material.

After cooling, when the vinyl has taken up a more solid form, any edges of the vinyl that extend below the surface 7 of the MDF are trimmed and the finished product, shown in Figure 6, is provided. The vinyl will also assist in retaining the carving in position on the MDF As the imitation carving 3 is located below the upper surface 9 of the MDF it appears, to all intents and purposes, as if the imitation carving has in fact been carved out of the MDF. In this respect it will be appreciated that if the imitation carving 3 was simply located on top of the upper surface 9 of the MDF then the carving would stand proud of that surface and it would not give the appearance of a carving. Furthermore, as the uppermost extent of the carving 3 is located beneath the upper surface 9 of the MDF, finished products can be stacked on top of each other without the carving of a lower MDF board being rubbed or damaged by the downwardly facing surface 7 of an upper MDF board.

The depth of the central area from the upper surface 9 may be in the region of 40 mm. The depth of the MDF board, before it is routed, may be in the region of 18 mm.

The finished furniture article shown in Figure 6 may comprise a door such as a kitchen cupboard door or may comprise part of a canopy to be used to extract fumes from an oven or may comprise a headboard of a bed or may be used on occasional furniture or in relation to a cabinet or may be used as a wall plaque.

Although the specific embodiment has been described as for use with medium density fibreboard, low or high density fibreboard may also be used. The density of MDF is approximately 14 kgm2 for a depth of 18 mm.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. An article comprises a first part having a recess in one surface thereof with a second part being located in and secured in that recess.

2. An article according to Claim 1 in which the second part is directly secured to the first part.

3. An article according to Claim 2 in which the second part is secured to the first part by adhesive.

4. An article according to Claim 3 in which the adhesive comprises polyvinyl acetate adhesive.

5. An article according to any preceding claim in which the second part is of the same depth as the recess.

6. An article as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the second part is of less depth than the recess.

7. An article according to any preceding claim in which the first part is of different material to the second part.

8. An article according to any preceding claim in which the second part is decorative.

9. An article according to any preceding claim in which the second part comprises epoxy resin.

10. An article according to any preceding claim in which the second part comprises a moulding.

11. An article according to any preceding claim in which the first part comprises Medium Density Fibre board.

12. An article according to any preceding claim in which at least the recess and the second part are covered.

13. An article as claimed in Claim 12 in which the recess and the second part are covered by a layer.

14. An article according to Claim 13 in which the layer is applied by a vacuum.

15. An article according to Claim 13 or 14 in which the layer comprises a vinyl layer.

16. An article substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of making an article comprising forming a recess in a first part and locating and securing in that recess a second part.

18. A method of making an article according to Claim 17 comprising securing the second part to the first part by means of adhesive.

19. A method of making an article according to Claim 18 comprising applying the adhesive before locating the second part in the recess and heat activating the adhesive to secure the second part to the first part.

20. A method of making an article according to any of Claims 17 to 19 comprising securing a layer over the top of at least the exposed part of the recess and the first part.

21. A method as claimed in Claim 20 comprising securing the layer by adhesive.

22. A method of making an article according to Claim 21 comprising heat activating the adhesive.

23. A method of making an article according to Claim 22 comprising activating the adhesive by means of hot air.

24. A method of making an article according to Claim 23 wherein the hot air is blown through the first part.

25. A method of making an article according to Claims 20 to 24 wherein the layer is rendered more flexible before applying the layer to the first and second parts, for instance by heating the layer.

26. A method of making an article according to Claims 20 to 25 comprising applying the layer by exerting a vacuum through the first part.

27. A method of making an article according to Claim 26 comprising exerting a vacuum through the second part.

28. A method of making an article substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.