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.
Claims15
A method for manufacturing slabs, tiles or sheets of artificial stone with a wide vein effect, which comprises the following steps:
- a) a template (2) is positioned on a surface (1), the template comprising gaps (23) and islands (22), wherein the islands (22) correspond to at least one vein of the article to be manufactured;
- b) a first mixture (3) is discharged, which comprises inorganic particles and an unhardened binder, onto the template (2), by means of a first distributor device, such that said first mixture (3) rests on the surface (1) and fills at least a portion of the gaps (23) of the template (2);
- c) the template (2) is removed, obtaining a layer of the first mixture (3) with cavities (5) in said layer, defined by the positions of the islands (22) of the template (2);
- d) a second mixture (7) is discharged, which comprises inorganic particles and an unhardened binder, in order to fill at least a portion of the cavities (5) in the layer of the first mixture (3) with said second mixture (7);
- 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, the or sheet of artificial stone with a vein effect;
- characterised in that in step d) said second mixture (7) is discharged in a localised manner on the cavities (5) in the layer of the first mixture (3), by means of a second distributor device, which comprises a collector (6), the bottom opening (62) of which has, in at least one direction, a width (d) less than or equal to the maximum width of the cavities (5), said second device moving along at least a portion of the cavities (5), filling at least partially a portion of said cavities (5) with the second mixture (7).
The method for manufacturing according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second distributor device is assembled on a robotic device that moves it along at least a portion of the cavities (5).
The method for manufacturing according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second distributor device comprises a conveyor belt (9) for the second mixture (7).
The method for manufacturing according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second mixture (7) comprises at least 50% by weight of the total mixture of inorganic particles with a granulornetry above 0.75 mm.
The method for manufacturing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, after step b) of discharging and before step c) of removing the template (2), step b1) of pre-compaction is carried out, wherein the first mixture (3) discharged in the gaps (23) comprised in the template (2) is compacted.
The method for manufacturing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, after step c) of removing the template (2) and before step d) of discharging the second mixture (7), step c1) of profiling is carried out, wherein a profiling mixture is applied comprising unhardened binder, and optionally a pigment, onto the walls of the cavities (5) in the layer of the first mixture (3).
The method for manufacturing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the islands (22) of the template (2) are configured, in the portion thereof which receives the discharge of the first mixture (3), with a shape that prevents the first mixture (3) from accumulating thereon during the discharging in step b).
A system for manufacturing a slab, tile or sheet of artificial stone with a vein effect, particularly wide veins, which fills, with a filling mixture, irregular cavities present in a first substrate layer, system comprising a distributor device assembled on a robotic device, characterised in that the distributor device comprises:
- i. a hopper (8) for storing the filling mixture (7), which has a top opening (81) and a bottom one (82),
- ii. a conveyor belt (9) located underneath the bottom opening (82) of the hopper (8), and
- iii. a collector (6), with a top opening (61) and a bottom one (62), which collects the filling mixture (7) discharged from the conveyor belt (9) and deposits it in the cavities (5) to be filled with the substrate (3).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.