Formed ligneous body and method of producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908269-B2
Application number	US-201514717021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A formed ligneous body having a highly original and excellent design and exhibiting a novel handsome appearance is provided, and a method of making the formed ligneous body. The formed ligneous body includes a translucent base portion, and decorative spot portions whose degree of translucency is different from that of the base portion and which are integrated with the base portion. The base portion and the decorative spot portion are formed of respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials having respective different color tones. The base portion is formed with a predetermined thickness, while the decorative spot portions are integrally embedded within and/or exposed on at least one of front and back surfaces of the base portion in a predetermined pattern of local arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A formed ligneous body having a front decorative design surface and which is formed of ligneous materials, each impregnated with a resin material, by subjecting the ligneous materials to a flow molding process in which the ligneous materials are heated and pressed such that the ligneous materials are forced to flow and shaped while the ligneous materials are compressed, the formed ligneous body comprising:
a base portion having translucency; and
a plurality of decorative spot portions, whose degree of translucency is different from and lower than that of said base portion, and which are integrated with the base portion,
wherein the base portion and the decorative spot portions are formed of respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials having respective different color tones,
wherein the base portion is formed with a predetermined thickness, and
wherein the plurality of decorative spot portions are disposed in a predetermined pattern of local arrangement, such that each of the plurality of decorative spot portions are integrally embedded within or exposed on a front or back surface of the base portion.

2. The formed ligneous body according to claim 1 , wherein either one of said respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials of said base portion and said decorative spot portions is formed by using a peripheral portion of a lumber, while the other of said respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials is formed by using a core portion of a lumber.

3. The formed ligneous body according to claim 1 , wherein either one of said respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials of said base portion and said decorative spot portions is subjected to a bleaching treatment.

4. The formed ligneous body according to claim 1 , wherein said respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials of said base portion and said decorative spot portions are impregnated with a melamine resin.

5. An automotive vehicle interior part consisting of the formed ligneous body according to claim 1 .

6. A method of producing the formed ligneous body as defined in claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of base-portion sheets for forming said base portion, and a plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments for forming said plurality of decorative spot portions, by using respective ligneous materials which have respective different color tones and which are impregnated with resin materials;
superposing said plurality of base-portion sheets on each other, disposing said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments in a predetermined pattern of local arrangement, such that each of the plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments is embedded between adjacent ones of said base-portion sheets or exposed on at least one of an upper surface of an uppermost one of the base-portion sheets and a lower surface of a lowermost one of the base-portion sheets, and accommodating the plurality of base-portion sheets and the plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments within a forming cavity for forming the formed ligneous body; and
subjecting said plurality of base-portion sheets and said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments accommodated within said forming cavity, to a flow molding process in which the base-portion sheets and the decorative-spot-portion segments are compressed in a direction of superposition of the base-portion sheets, and in which the resin materials contained in the base-portion sheets and the decorative-spot-portion segments are cured or solidified, so that said base portion and said decorative spot portions are integrated with each other, such that each of said plurality of decorative spot portions is embedded within or exposed on the front or back surface of said base portion formed with the predetermined thickness.

7. The method of producing the formed ligneous body according to claim 6 , wherein said flow molding process is practiced while said forming cavity is evacuated.

8. A method of producing the formed ligneous body as defined in claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of base-portion segments for forming said base portion, and a plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments for forming said plurality of decorative spot portions, by using respective ligneous materials which have respective different color tones and which are impregnated with resin materials;
accommodating said plurality of base-portion segments and said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments in a forming cavity for forming the formed ligneous body such that the plurality of base-portion segments and the plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments are superposed on each other and such that the decorative-spot-portion segments are locally arranged at predetermined positions; and
subjecting said plurality of base-portion segments and said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments accommodated within said forming cavity, to a flow molding process in which the base-portion segments and the decorative-spot-portion segments are compressed in a direction of superposition of the base-portion segments and the decorative-spot-portion segments, and in which the resin materials contained in the base-portion segments and the decorative-spot-portion segments are cured or solidified, so that said base portion and said decorative spot portions are integrated with each other, such that each of said plurality of decorative spot portions is embedded within or exposed on the front or back surface of said base portion formed with the predetermined thickness.

9. The method of producing the formed ligneous body according to claim 8 , wherein said flow molding process is practiced while said forming cavity is evacuated.

10. A method of producing the formed ligneous body as defined in claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
providing two base-portion sheets and a plurality of base-portion segments for forming said base portion, and a plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments for forming said plurality of decorative spot portions, by using respective ligneous materials which have respective different color tones and which are impregnated with resin materials;
accommodating said two base-portion sheets, said plurality of base-portion segments and said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments in a forming cavity for forming the formed ligneous body such that the plurality of base-portion segments and the plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments are interposed between the two base-portion sheets and such that the decorative-spot-portion segments are locally arranged at predetermined positions; and
subjecting said two base-portion sheets, said plurality of base-portion segments and said plurality of decorative-spot-portion segments accommodated within said forming cavity, to a flow molding process in which the base-portion sheets, the base-portion segments and the decorative-spot-portion segments are compressed in a direction of superposition of the two base-portion sheets, and in which the resin materials contained in the base-portion sheets, the base-portion segments and the decorative-spot-portion segments are cured or solidified, so that said base portion and said decorative spot portions are integrated with each other, such that each of said plurality of decorative spot portions is embedded within or exposed on the front or back surface of said base portion formed with the predetermined thickness.

11. The method of producing the formed ligneous body according to claim 10 , wherein said flow molding process is practiced while said forming cavity is evacuated.

Assignees

• Kojima Ind Corp

Inventors

• Nagase Kimihiro
• Kanayama Kozo
• Miki Tsunehisa
• Shigematsu Ichinori
• Seki Masako

Classifications

• Y10T428/24802

  Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.] · CPC title

• B29K2711/14

  Wood, e.g. woodboard or fibreboard · CPC title

• B29C43/18 Primary

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C43/206 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C2043/182

  completely · CPC title

• B29K2033/04

  Polymers of esters · CPC title