# US 2014/0193613 A1 · Door skin, a method of etching a plate, and an etched plate formed therefrom

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- Number: US 2014/0193613 A1
- Document ID: US20140193613A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/029,338
- Filed: 2013-09-17
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2003-01-17
- Assignees: Masonite Corporation
- Inventors: Karine A. Luetgert; Mark E. Richter; William R. Immell; Stephen G. Huhn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193613A1

## CPC

- E06B 3/7001: {Coverings therefor; Door leaves imitating traditional raised panel doors, e.g. engraved or embossed surfaces, with trim strips applied to the surfaces}
- B29C 59/022: {characterised by the disposition or the configuration, e.g. dimensions, of the embossments or the shaping tools therefor}
- B44B 5/026: {Dies (B44B5/028 takes precedence)}
- B44F 9/02: wood grain effects
- C23F 1/00: Etching metallic material by chemical means (manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K)
- E06B 3/78: with panels of plastics {(E06B3/721 - E06B3/725 take precedence)}
- Y10T 428/12396: Discontinuous surface component
- Y10T 428/24438: Artificial wood or leather grain surface
- Y10T 428/24479: including variation in thickness
- Y10T 428/24595: and varying density
- Y10T 428/24612: Composite web or sheet
- E06B: FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES (shades or blinds for greenhouses A01G9/22; curtains A47H; lids for car boots or bonnets B62D25/10; skylights E04B7/18; sunshades, awnings E04F10/00)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B44B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING (processes for producing decorative effects B44C; embossing leather C14B)
- B44F: SPECIAL DESIGNS OR PICTURES
- C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a door skin comprising an exterior surface having outer portions lying on a first plane, spaced grooves recessed from the plane of the outer portions, and tonal portions having a planar area and a plurality of spaced depressions recessed from the plane of said planar area. The present invention is also directed to a method of etching a plate, for use with a molded die set, for embossing a wood grain pattern in the door skin, and the etched plate formed therefrom.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A molded door skin, comprising:
an exterior surface having outer portions lying on a first plane;
spaced grooves recessed from the plane of said outer portions;
tonal portions having a planar area and a plurality of spaced depressions recessed from the plane of said planar area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said spaced grooves have variable depths relative to the plane of said outer portions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The door skin of claim 2, wherein said spaced grooves are recessed from the plane of said outer portions from between about 0.005 inches to about 0.015 inches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said spaced grooves are variably spaced from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said spaced grooves extend longitudinally relative to each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The door skin of claim 5, wherein said spaced grooves have variable lengths.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein the plane of said planar portion is coplanar with the first plane of said outer portions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said spaced depressions are recessed from the plane of said planar portions from between about 0.001 inches to about 0.003 inches.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said tonal portions have differing densities of said depressions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein the door skin is manufactured from a material selected from the group consisting of sheet molding compound, polystyrene, polypropylene, steel, medium density fiberboard, hard board, fiberboard, and thermoplastic material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, wherein said outer portions, said spaced grooves and said tonal portions from a wood grain pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The door skin of claim 1, further comprising a stain on said exterior surface.

### Claim 13

A method of etching a wood grain pattern into a plate, comprising the steps of:
providing an image of a piece of wood having ticks and background tones;
providing a metal plate;
applying acid resist on a surface of the plate;
laser ablating the resist according to a tick image derived from the image;
applying acid to the plate according to the tick image to a form ticks having a first height;
repeating said applying acid resist, said laser ablating and said applying acid steps to form some ticks having a second height, wherein the second height differs from the first height;
applying acid resist on the surface of the etched plate;
laser ablating the resist according to a tonal image derived from the image; and
applying acid to the plate, thereby etching the plate and forming the tonal pattern in the plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, including the further steps of:
providing a plurality of images of wood pieces;
arranging the plurality of images in a desired configuration.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the desired configuration is an image of a door.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, including the step of capturing a digital image of a piece of wood.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, comprising the further step of separating the digital image into at least two layering images, wherein each one of the layering images is an image of ticks having a modified width.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, including the step of separating the image into three layering images.

### Claim 19

(canceled)

### Claim 20

(canceled)

### Claim 21

(canceled)

### Claim 22

(canceled)

### Claim 23

(canceled)

### Claim 24

(canceled)

### Claim 25

(canceled)

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27

An etched plate for forming a wood grain pattern into a composition material, comprising:
an etched metal plate having lower portions lying on a first plane;
spaced ticks extending from the plane of said lower portions;
tonal areas having a plurality of channels, said channels defining a plurality of spaced protrusions.

### Claim 28

(canceled)

### Claim 29

(canceled)

### Claim 30

(canceled)

### Claim 31

(canceled)

### Claim 32

(canceled)

### Claim 33

(canceled)

### Claim 34

(canceled)

### Claim 35

(canceled)

### Claim 36

(canceled)

### Claim 37

(canceled)

### Claim 38

(canceled)

### Claim 39

(canceled)

### Claim 40

(canceled)

### Claim 41

(canceled)

### Claim 42

(canceled)

### Claim 43

(canceled)

### Claim 44

(canceled)

### Claim 45

(canceled)

### Claim 46

(canceled)

### Claim 47

(canceled)

### Claim 48

(canceled)

### Claim 49 (depends on 1)

A door, comprising:
a peripheral frame; and
at least one door skin according to claim 1.

### Claim 50

(canceled)