Agglomerated Stone Countertop and Process of Manufacture
OwnerChaobin HEinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a countertop (10) comprising a backer sheet (16) of a relatively lightweight, rigid material; an outer layer (14) of agglomerated stone disposed on a top surface (16a) of the backer sheet (16) to create a central portion (14a) of the countertop; and an outer layer (14) of agglomerated stone disposed on a side surface (16c, 16d) of the backer sheet (16) to create an edge portion (14b, 14c) of the countertop (10); wherein the central portion (14a) and edge portion(s)(14b, 14c) form a one piece agglomerated stone layer (14). The present invention also provides a moulding process to manufacture the agglomerated stone countertop (10).
Claims14
A countertop (10) comprising:
- a backer sheet (16) of a relatively lightweight, rigid material;
- an outer layer of agglomerated stone (14) disposed on a top surface (16a) of the backer sheet (16) to create a central portion (14a) of the countertop;
- and an outer layer of agglomerated stone (14) disposed on a side surface (16c, 16d) of the backer sheet (16) to create an edge portion (14b, 14c) of the countertop (10);
- wherein the central portion (14a) and edge portion(s) (14b, 14c) form a one piece agglomerated stone layer (14).
A countertop (10) comprising:
- a honeycomb backer sheet (16) having a top surface (16a), a bottom surface (16b) and one or more side surfaces (16c, 16d) extending between the top and bottom surfaces;
- a layer of agglomerated stone bonded (14) to the top surface (16a) of the backer sheet (16) defining a top portion (14a) of the countertop (10);
- a layer of agglomerated stone (14) bonded to at least one side surface (16c, 16d) of the backer sheet (16) defining an edge portion (14b, 14c) of the countertop (10);
- wherein the agglomerated stone covering the top surface (14a) and the at least one side surface (14b, 14c) of the backer sheet (16) is a one-piece layer (14) of agglomerated stone.
A process for the manufacture of an agglomerated stone countertop (10), comprising the steps of:
- providing a mould (24) having a mould cavity defined therein, the mould cavity corresponding to a countertop (10), and including a bottom surface (24a) which corresponds to a top (12a) or a bottom surface of the countertop (10), and a side wall (24b, 24c) which corresponds to an edge surface (12b) of the countertop;
- providing a backer sheet (16) having a top surface (16a), a bottom surface (16b) and side surfaces (16c) extending between the top and bottom surfaces;
- providing an agglomerated stone composition (26);
- disposing the backer sheet (16) and the agglomerated stone composition (26) in the mould cavity such that the backer sheet (16) partially fills the mould cavity in a spaced apart relationship with at least one side wall (24b, 24c) of the mould cavity;
- and the agglomerated stone composition (26) fills the space between the side surfaces (16c, 16d) of the backer sheet (16) and the side wall (24b, 24c) of the mould cavity and covers the bottom or top surface (16a) of the backer sheet (16);
- and
- curing the stone composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.