Decorating with powder material

Method for applying a pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface (13, 49), comprising in sequence:

• arranging granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a transferring surface (3);
• facing said transferring surface (3) to said receiving surface (13, 49) and applying said pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on said receiving surface (13, 49);
• characterized in that said arranging comprises projecting from rotating means (30) said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) towards said transferring surface (3) and collecting the excess (24) of said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) that was not kept by said transferring surface (3) by means of said rotating means (30).

Apparatus (1) for applying a pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface, (13, 49) comprising:

• a movable transferring surface (3);
• distributing devices (11, 30) suitable for applying said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) to said transferring surface (3);
• characterized in that said distributing devices (11, 30) comprise a rotating means (30) arranged near said transferring surface (3) and suitable for enabling said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) to be projected towards said transferring surface (3) and suitable for collecting the excess (24) of said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) that was not kept by said transferring surface (3).

Method for applying a pattern (21, 57) of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface (13), comprising in sequence:

• associating said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) with a transferring surface (3) together with an aggregating liquid phase (9, 20) and according to a prefiguration (10, 10b, 18, 56) of said pattern (21, 57);
• facing said transferring surface (3) carrying said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) and said liquid phase (9, 20) to said receiving surface (13) in a transferring zone (15, 45);
• characterized in that said method further comprises heating at least one portion of said liquid phase (9, 20) in said transferring zone (15, 45) in order to detach said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) from said transferring surface (3) and apply said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on said receiving surface (13).

Apparatus (1, 1b) for applying a pattern (21, 57) of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface (13), comprising:

• a transferring surface (3) movable along a loop path with a transferring zone (15), said transferring zone (15) being defined in a portion facing said receiving surface (13);
• applying means (8, 8b, 11, 11b, 11c, 11d) arranged upstream of said transferring zone (15), said applying means (8, 8b, 11, 11b, 11e, 11d) being suitable for applying said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) to said transferring surface (3) together with an aggregating liquid phase (9) and according to a prefiguration (10, 18, 56) of said pattern (21, 57);
• characterized in that said apparatus further comprises heating means (16, 25, 26, 46, 47, T) suitable for suddenly evaporating in said transferring zone (15) at least one portion of said aggregating liquid phase (9, 20) and thus causing said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) to detach from said transferring surface (3) and causing said applying on said receiving surface (13).

Method for applying a pattern of material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface (13), comprising:

• associating said material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) with a transferring surface (3), said transferring surface (3) being movable along a loop path around at least one rotation axis (7);
• selecting through computer means (C, 8) a portion of said material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) corresponding to said pattern and moving said portion towards said receiving surface (13);
• characterized in that said method further comprises reciprocatingly moving by translation (63, 67) said axis (7) in a plane parallel to said receiving surface (13).

Method for applying a pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on an incoherent receiving surface (13), comprising in sequence the following steps:

• applying a layer of said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) arranged according to said pattern over said receiving surface (13);
• levelling said layer (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) with respect to said receiving surface (13).

Apparatus (1, 1b) for applying a pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a receiving surface (13), said receiving surface (13) being incoherent and movable in an advance direction (62), comprising:

• rotating applying means (3, 5, 5b) suitable for applying a layer of said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d);
• levelling means (3, 5, 5b, 82) suitable for levelling said layer with respect to said receiving surface (13).

Method for applying a pattern of granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, AG) on a layer of incoherent material (61), comprising in sequence:

• applying a liquid (9) on a transferring surface (3) according to an arrangement (10) prefiguring said pattern;
• associating said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, AG) with said liquid (9), in order to cause said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, AG) to adhere to said transferring surface (3);
• placing into contact said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, AG) with said receiving surface (13) so as to transfer said granular material (12, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, AG) from said transferring surface (3) to said receiving surface (13) by maintaining substantially incoherent said layer (61).