US 6,599,576 B1Granted

Decorative panels coated with two thermosetting material layers and its method of manufacture

AssigneeThorstone Business Management Limited

InventorRoger John Leach

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Abstract

A panel having a glass substrate (1), carries a transparent polyester powder-coating (2) with images (5) printed on its back surface (4) for viewing through the glass. A colored polyester powder-coating (6) covers printed surface (4) and is backed by metal foil (7). Manufacture involves heating polyester powder deposited on a silane-treated surface (3) of the glass (1), to form the coating (2) about 70% cured. Images (5) are printed on surface (4) using a color-separation process with ink having u.v.—and thermo-curing properties, the ink being u.v. cured after each printing step of the process. Heat applied to cure polyester powder of coating (6), also thermo-cures the ink (5) and completes curing of coating (2). The foil (7) is brought into contact with the melted powder of coating (6) to bond it to the coating (6).

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a panel having a light-transmitting facing element with the facing element having a back surface, the method comprises the steps of:

depositing powder of a thermosetting polyester powder-coating material on the back surface of the facing element;
heating the deposited powder to form a partly-cured transparent coating on the back surface of the facing element with the deposited powder-coating material being only partially cured to about 70% such that the deposited powder-coating material is sufficiently hardened without fully cross-linking;
printing at least one image on the partly-cured transparent coating;
depositing further thermosetting powder material to cover the printed image on the partly-cured transparent coating;
and
applying heat to fuse the further thermosetting powder material into a coating bonded to the partly-cured transparent coating and completely cure of the partly-cured transparent coating.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/807,056Filed 6 Apr 2001
Priority: GB 98219838 Oct 1998
Granted: 29 Jul 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B32B 27/08
As the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material: of synthetic resin
B05D 5/06
Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures: to obtain…
B32B 7/12
Interconnection of layers: using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
B32B 15/09
Of synthetic resin: comprising polyesters