Extrusion product with decorative enhancement and process of making the same
AssigneeMarley Mouldings Inc.
InventorCarroll W. Cope
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a process for forming by extrusion a profile of extrudable material having a hard skin surface on a portion of the profile and a decorative enhancement on another portion of the profile. The decorative enhancement is formed integrally with the profile by use of an embossment technique on the profile before the extrusion material sets and hardens. The profile may be used in applications such as picture frames as well as door, wall and window moldings.
Claims23
A method of forming a solid, elongated member of predetermined profile having a solid skin on a portion of the surface of said member and a decorative enhancement integrally formed on another portion of the surface of said member, comprising the steps of:
- compressing an extrudable foam material at a compression stage by passage through an orifice, said orifice having at one end thereof a predetermined profile;
- hardening a first portion of the surface of said foam material during said compression stage to provide a solid skin;
- embossing a second portion of the surface of said profile following said compression stage by moving a heated embossing wheel over said second portion of the surface of said profile to provide a decorative enhancement, said decorative enhancement being integrally formed in said foam material;
- solidifying said foam material to form a solid, elongated member.
A method of forming a solid, elongated member of predetermined profile having a solid skin on a portion of the surface of said member and a decorative enhancement integrally formed on another portion of the surface of said member, wherein an extrudable foam material is extruded from a die outlet into and through a shaper, the shaper having an internal solid surface defining a channel, including the steps of:
- cooling a portion of the internal solid surface of the shaper to a temperature below the softening point of the extrudable foam material,
- extruding the foam material through the die outlet,
- immediately contacting the external surface of the foam material with the cooled portions of the internal solid surface of the shaper, thereby cooling rapidly a first portion of the external surface of the foam material to a temperature below the softening point of the foam material to form a skin of higher density material on a first portion of the external surface of the foam material,
- permitting the foam material to be extruded through the shaper and be drawn by a puller,
- imprinting a second non-hardened portion of the surface of said foam material by moving a heated embossing wheel over said second portion of the surface of said profile to provide a decorative enhancement, said decorative enhancement being integrally formed in said foam material;
- solidifying said foam material to form a solid, elongated member.
An extruded solid elongated member comprising:
- an extruded body of foam plastic,
- a first portion of said extruded body having a hardened exterior skin, and
- a second portion of said extruded body having an ornamentation pattern integrally formed with said extruded body by moving a heated embossing wheel over said second portion of the surface of said profile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.