GB2499250A

GB2499250A - Flexible wall covering comprising fibre composite and flexible layers

Info

Publication number: GB2499250A
Application number: GB1202392.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Eatwell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-02-13
Filing date: 2012-02-13
Publication date: 2013-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-13
Also published as: GB2499250B; GB201202392D0

Abstract

The wall covering is made by applying a flexible material 40 to a mould 20, and then applying a fibre composite 50 to the flexible material 40. At least a portion of the wall covering 10 is then cured. The fibre composite 50 is preferably glass fibre reinforced polyester. The flexible material 40 is preferably sprayed metallic material or metal in a polymer binder. Preferably polish (60, figure 5) is applied to the other side of the flexible material layer 40, and adhesive (170, figure 5) and removable protective (180, figure 5) layers are applied to the fibre composite layer 50. Preferably, the flexible layer 40 has a three-dimensional texture.

Description

WALL COVERING

This invention relates generally to a wall covering and a method for making a wall covering. More specifically, this invention relates to such wall coverings and methods intended for decorative purposes, for example wallpaper. More specifically, although not exclusively this invention relates to a flexible, e.g. metallic and/or polymeric, wall covering and a process for making such a flexible, e.g. metallic and/or polymeric, wall covering.

Metal wall coverings have been developed for applications such as electromagnetic shielding or sound absorption, as well as for decorative purposes. These metal wall coverings are manufactured using a number of different processes that have been developed to provide wall coverings with the required characteristics, for example electrical conductivity for electromagnetic shielding coverings and flexibility.

There are a number of disadvantages with these wall coverings and the methods by which they are manufactured. Firstly, the processes by which they are manufactured may require several steps and/or the use of expensive equipment. US4913978, for example, discloses a flexible wall covering for electromagnetic shielding that is formed using a process that requires the application of two metal layers to a textile web, with each of the metal layers having a different particle shape which requires the metal for each layer to be produced and applied using different techniques.

Secondly, the methods described do not allow different textures or patterns to be produced on the metal surface of the covering. The process described in DE20213477U, which describes a metal wall covering formed by applying metal to a fibre material, is one example of such a method.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved process for manufacturing metallic wall coverings that is simple and inexpensive and that enables different textures and patterns to be created. It would also be desirable for the resulting metallic wall covering to be flexible enough to roll for storage and transportation.

It is a more specific, non-exclusive, object of the invention to provide a metallic wall covering or wallpaper in sheets or panels of different sizes with different textures and patterns that can be produced using a simple and, preferably, inexpensive process.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a wall covering or wallpaper that comprises a first flexible material and a second fibre composite material. The first material could comprise a polymer or polymeric element or material and/or a metallic element or material and/or may comprise a composite.

According to a more specific aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a flexible and/or metallic wall covering or wallpaper that comprises the steps of applying flexible and/or metallic material to a mould, applying a fibre composite, e.g. fibre glass, layer or sheet to the flexible and/or metallic material and curing at least a portion of the resulting wall covering material.

The curing step preferably comprises curing and/or bonding at least a portion or element of the flexible and/or metallic material, e.g. with at least a portion or element of the fibre composite layer or sheet. Alternatively the method may comprise applying an adhesive layer between the flexible and/or metallic material and the fibre composite layer or sheet.

Advantageously, the method may comprise the migration, e.g. by gravity or other means such as magnetic means that may be incorporated or comprised in the mould, of metallic or ceramic elements or particles of the flexible and/or metallic material, for example to or toward a surface of the mould to which the flexible and/or metallic material is applied.

Preferably, the flexible and/or metallic material comprises a spray, e.g. cold spray, flexible and/or polymeric and/or metallic material. The step of applying the flexible and/or metallic material may comprise spraying the flexible and/or polymeric and/or metallic material.

The method may further comprise selecting or providing the mould, e.g. that comprises or incorporates a texture or pattern. The mould may be formed using a three-dimensional model of a desired texture or pattern. The mould may comprise and/or be made from a polymer or elastomer that is preferably flexible, for example silicone rubber or any suitable material.

The flexible and/or metallic material may comprise a composite material, for example that may be prepared by combining a metallic element such metallic or metal grains or powder, e.g. with a polymer or polymer binder and/or a catalyst.

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The fibre composite layer or sheet may comprise a fibre reinforced polymer such as a glass reinforced polyester. The fibre composite layer or sheet may be filed or sanded, e.g. after the curing step, for example to the desired thickness and/or to ensure the surface is smooth.

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Once removed from the mould, the exposed surface of the flexible and/or metallic material of the wall covering or wallpaper, e.g. the opposite side thereof to the fibre composite layer, may be polished or buffed or brushed to the required finish. A polymer polish may be applied to the flexible and/or metallic surface, for example to maintain the 10 shine or finish of the flexible and/or metallic wall covering or wallpaper.

An adhesive or adhesive layer may be applied, preferably to the fibre composite layer of the wall covering or wallpaper, e.g. on the opposite side thereof to the flexible and/or metallic layer. The adhesive or adhesive layer may be styrene-butadiene rubber or a 15 vinyl contact adhesive or any other suitable adhesive material. A protective vinyl cover, for example a greaseproof type vinyl paper, may be applied, e.g. releasably applied, to protect the adhesive layer.

The wall covering or wallpaper may be rolled for storage and transportation.

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The method may further comprise making the mould, for example using a model, e.g. a three-dimensional model, for example of a texture or pattern.

A second aspect of the invention provides a flexible and/or metallic wall covering or 25 wallpaper, for example that is produced by the above method.

The flexible and/or metallic wall covering or wallpaper preferably comprises a flexible, e.g. polymeric and/or metallic, layer, e.g. a spray flexible and/or polymeric and/or metallic layer, and a fibre composite or fibre glass layer. Preferably, the flexible and/or metallic 30 layer comprises a three-dimensional texture or pattern. More preferably, the flexible and/or metallic layer comprises a metal, e.g. a metal powder, and/or a polymer or binder, for example a polymer binder. The flexible and/or metallic layer may be polished or buffed or brushed to the desired finish.

35 The fibre composite or fibre glass layer preferably comprises a glass reinforced polymer, such as polyester and/or is filed or sanded. Most preferably, the wall covering or wallpaper comprises a polymer polish, e.g. applied to the flexible and/or metallic layer, for

example to maintain the shine or finish of the flexible and/or metallic wall covering or wallpaper.

Additionally or alternatively, the wall covering or wallpaper may comprise an adhesive, e.g. applied to the fibre composite layer, which may comprise styrene-butadiene rubber or a vinyl contact adhesive or any other suitable adhesive material.

Additionally or alternatively, the wall covering or wallpaper may comprise a protective vinyl cover, for example a greaseproof type vinyl paper, e.g. applied or releasably applied to the adhesive layer.

A third aspect of the invention provides a roll of the aforementioned wall covering or wallpaper.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides a mould for use in the above method. The mould may be made from any suitable material, for example a polymer or elastomer, e.g. silicone rubber.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a flow diagram describing the stages in a process for manufacturing a metallic wall covering according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a partial section view of a metallic wall covering according to a first embodiment of the invention, where the metallic wall covering is in contact with a mould;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation similar to that of Figure 2 with the mould removed;

Figure 4 is a flow diagram showing the stages in a process for manufacturing a metallic wall covering according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a partial section view of a metallic wall covering according to a second embodiment of the invention with the mould removed;

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Figure 6 is a plan view of a metallic wall covering according to the invention, where the surface is textured; and

5 Figure 7 is a plan view of a metallic wall covering according to the invention, where the surface has a profile image formed in or on it.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a flow diagram of the different stages in a process for manufacturing a metallic wall covering according to a first embodiment of the 10 invention. A mould with the required texture is made or selected 1 and metallic material is applied to the mould by spray cold casting, for example using the Metall-FX(TM) metal spray product 2. A layer of fibre glass is then applied to the metallic layer and the resulting wall covering material is cured 3 to bond the layers together. The fibre glass layer is sanded to the required thickness 4 and the resulting wall covering material 15 removed from the mould 5. The metallic surface is then polished, buffed or brushed to the desired finish 6 and a polymer polish layer is applied to maintain the shine or finish of the metallic wall covering 7. The metallic wall covering material is then rolled and packaged for storage and transportation.

20 Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the metallic wall covering 10 formed within a mould 20 using the method outlined above. The covering 10 has three layers - a metallic layer 40, the upper surface 30 of which has a pattern or texture as determined by the texture of the mould 20, a fibre glass layer 50 and an outer layer of polymer polish 60. The metallic layer 40 is a metal-polymer composite material, for example the Metall-FX(TM) spray metal product and 25 the fibre glass layer 50 is formed from glass-reinforced polyester.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a flow diagram of the different stages in a process for manufacturing a metallic wall covering according to a second embodiment of the invention. As with the manufacture of a metallic wall covering according to a first 30 embodiment, the process involves the steps of making or selecting a mould with the required texture 101; applying metallic material to the mould by spray cold casting 102, for example using the Metall-FX(TM) metal spray product and adding a layer of fibre glass 103. The resulting wall covering material is then cured 103 to bond the layers together and the fibre glass is sanded to the required thickness 104 before the wall covering 35 material is removed from the mould 105. The metallic surface is then polished, buffed or brushed to the desired finish 106. A polymer polish layer is then applied to maintain the shine or finish of the metallic wall covering 107. In this embodiment, an adhesive layer is

applied to the fibre glass surface 108 and a protective layer applied to the adhesive 109, before the metallic wall covering material is rolled and packaged for storage and transportation.

Figure 5 shows a side view of a metallic wall covering 110 made using the method of Figure 4 and is similar to the wall covering 10 of Figure 3, where like reference numerals are used to describe like features and will not be described further. In this embodiment the wall covering 110 has two additional layers - an adhesive layer 170 and a protective layer 180. The adhesive layer 170 may be styrene-butadiene rubber or any other suitable adhesive material, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The adhesive layer 170 may be protected when the wall covering is being stored or transported using a removable protective layer 180. The protective layer 180 may be a greaseproof type vinyl material.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, there are shown top views of example metallic wall coverings 10, 110 according to either the first or second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows an example metallic wall covering 10, 110 where the metallic layer 40 has a textured surface 30 to suit the aesthetic requirements of the end-user. It will be appreciated that any texture or pattern that can be formed in a mould could be created.

Figure 7 shows an example metallic wall covering 10, 110 where the metallic layer 40 has an image embossed on its surface 30, which is a profile in this particular example. It will be appreciated that any image could be created on the surface depending on the requirements of the end-user, for example space-ships, animals or cartoon characters may be used for children's walls; historical scenes may be used for museums and landscape scenes may be used for restaurants or hotels.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that several variations to the aforementioned embodiments are envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the metallic layer may be replaced by a coloured polymer layer and/or a ceramic composite with a polymer binder or indeed any other suitable flexible material. The wall covering may include an intermediate adhesive layer for bonding the flexible and/or metallic material or layer to the fibre composite layer.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any number of combinations of the aforementioned features and/or those shown in the appended drawings provide clear

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advantages over the prior art and are therefore within the scope of the invention described herein.

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Claims

1. A method of making a flexible wall covering, comprising the steps of applying flexible material to a mould, applying a fibre composite layer to the flexible material and curing at least a portion of the resulting wall covering material.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the curing step comprises curing at least a portion of the flexible material with at least a portion of the fibre composite layer.

3. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of applying a polish to the flexible material on the opposite side thereof to the fibre composite layer.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of applying an adhesive layer to the fibre composite layer on the opposite side thereof to the flexible material.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of applying a removable protective cover to the adhesive layer.

6. A flexible wall covering, comprising a moulded flexible layer bonded to a fibre composite layer.

7. A wall covering according to claim 6, wherein the flexible material comprises a composite material.

8. A wall covering according to claim 6, wherein the flexible material comprises a metallic material.

9. A wall covering according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the flexible layer comprises a metal and a polymer binder.

10. A wall covering according to claim 6, wherein the flexible material comprises a spray metallic material.

11. A wall covering according to any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the fibre composite layer comprises a fibre reinforced polymer.

12. A wall covering according to claim 11, wherein the fibre reinforced polymer comprises a glass reinforced polyester.

13. A wall covering according to any of claims 6 to 12, wherein the flexible layer has a three-dimensional texture.

14. A wall covering according to any of claims 6 to 13, further comprising a layer of polish on the opposite side thereof to the fibre composite layer.

15. A wall covering according to any of claims 6 to 14, further comprising an adhesive layer on the opposite side thereof to the flexible material.

16. A wall covering according to claim 15, further comprising a removable protective layer on the adhesive layer.

17. A roll of a flexible wall covering according to any one of claims 6 to 16 or made using the method of any of claims 1 to 5.

18. A mould for use in the method of making a flexible wall covering according to any of claims 1 to 5.

19. A method substantially as described herein and/or as shown in Figures 1 and/or 4.

20. A flexible wall covering substantially as described herein and/or as shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, 6 and/or 7.

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*.*. .V PROPERTY OFFICE

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Application No: GB 1202392.5 Examiner: Mr Robert Black

Claims searched: 1-17, 19 and 20 Date of search: 13 June 2012

Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17

Documents considered to be relevant: