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US 11,897,164 B2Granted
Method and system for producing slabs, tiles or sheets of artificial stone with a wide vein effect
AssigneeCosentino Research & Development, S.L.
InventorsSalvador Cristobal Rodriguez Garcia, Carmen Maria Montero Perez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are a method and a system for producing slabs, tiles or sheets of artificial stone, with a wide vein effect, comprising inorganic particles of different sizes and hardened binders, and which simulate the appearance of natural stone.
Claims14
A method for manufacturing slabs, tiles or sheets of artificial stone with a wide vein effect, which comprises the following steps:
- a) a template is positioned on a surface, the template comprising gaps and islands, wherein the islands correspond to at least one vein of the article to be manufactured;
- b) a first mixture comprising inorganic particles and an unhardened binder is discharged onto the template by a first distributor device, such that said first mixture rests on the surface and fills at least a portion of the gaps of the template;
- c) the template is removed, leaving a layer of the first mixture with cavities in said layer, the cavities being defined by the positions of the islands of the template;
- d) a second mixture comprising inorganic particles and an unhardened binder is discharged into at least a portion of the cavities in the layer of the first mixture;
- e) the resulting layer of the combination of first and second mixtures is compacted, and a hardening process is carried out, in order to obtain the slab, tile or sheet of artificial stone with a vein effect comprising the at least one vein;
- wherein in step d) said second mixture is discharged by a second distributor device,
- wherein the second distributor device has a bottom opening with a width less than or equal to a maximum width of the cavities,
- wherein said second distributor device moves along at least a portion of the cavities when dispensing the second mixture therein,
- wherein the second distributor device comprises a conveyor belt for transporting the second mixture,
- wherein the second distributor device is assembled on a robotic device that moves it along at least a portion of the cavities, and
- wherein, when dispensing the second mixture, a computer system controls and/or synchronizes the speed of the conveyor belt, the speed of the robotic device, and the position of the robotic device.
8 more elements
A method for manufacturing slabs, tiles or sheets of artificial stone with a wide vein effect, which comprises the following steps:
- a) a template is positioned on a surface, the template comprising gaps and islands, wherein the islands correspond to at least one vein of an article to be manufactured;
- b) a first mixture comprising inorganic particles and an unhardened binder is discharged onto the template, such that said first mixture rests on the surface and fills at least a portion of the template's gaps;
- b1) the first mixture is compacted, forming a compacted layer of the first mixture within the template's gaps;
- c) the template is removed, leaving cavities within the compacted layer of the first mixture, the cavities being defined by the positions of the islands of the template;
- and
- d) a second dispensing distributor device dispenses a second mixture comprising at least 50% by weight of the total mixture of inorganic particles and an unhardened binder into the cavities in the compacted layer of the first mixture,
- wherein the second distributor device moves along at least a portion of the cavities when dispensing the second mixture therein;
- wherein the second distributor device comprises a conveyor belt for transporting the second mixture,
- wherein the second distributor device is assembled on a robotic device that moves it along at least a portion of the cavities, and
- wherein, when dispensing the second mixture, a computer system controls and/or synchronizes the speed of the conveyor belt, the speed of the robotic device, and the position of the robotic device.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.