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US 2013/0280494 A1Published application
Decorated rigid panel
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsSteven Grunwald, Jonathan Kyle, Robert D. Hill
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A panel includes a thermoset material, and an image comprising sublimation ink. The sublimation ink is absorbed in the thermoset material. The rigid component may be a rigid structure formed by the thermoset material. The panel may be for a bath or shower enclosure.
Claims20
A decorated rigid structure, comprising:
- a thermoset material forming a rigid structure;
- and
- an image on a surface of the rigid structure, the image comprising sublimation ink absorbed in the thermoset material.
A method of providing a decorated compression molded component, comprising:
- placing a carrier with a transfer image onto a compression molded component, the transfer image being formed of sublimation ink;
- and
- transferring at least a portion of the sublimation ink to the compression molded component by pressing the carrier against the compression molded component at a pressure above approximately 100 psi and simultaneously heating the sublimation ink to between approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit and approximately 360 degrees Fahrenheit until the sublimation ink sublimates and is absorbed into the compression molded component to form a transferred image thereon.
A method of forming a decorated compression molded component, comprising:
- inserting uncured thermoset material between an upper tool and a lower tool, the upper tool and the lower tool having different three-dimensional surfaces for shaping the uncured thermoset material;
- pressing the uncured thermoset material between the upper tool and the lower tool and simultaneiously heating the uncured thermoset material to shape and cure the thermoset material into a compression molded component;
- inserting a carrier with an image between the compression molded component and the upper tool, the image being formed with a sublimation ink;
- pressing the carrier between the upper tool and the compression molded component until the sublimation ink sublimates and is sufficiently absorbed in the thermoset material to form an image on the compression molded component;
- and
- removing the compression molded component from between the upper tool and the lower tool.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.