This invention relates to a cladding system for cladding a surface.

Cladding systems for cladding a surface are known. The known cladding systems are typically permanently fixed in position, and they often require holes to be drilled into the surface to which they are to be attached.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved cladding system.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a cladding system for cladding a surface, the cladding system comprising:

(i) at least one panel which is of a composite nature and which comprises a viewing sheet which is made of a material to be viewed; and

(ii) releasable securing means for releasably securing the panel to the surface; and the cladding system being such that:

(iii) the releasable securing means is a two-part releasable securing means, with a first part being on the panel and a second part being for securing to the surface; (iv) the first part is secured to the panel by at least one adhesive sheet which has adhesive on both of its sides; and

(v) the releasable securing means enables the panel to be removed from the surface and used again.

The cladding system of the present invention is advantageous in that it is able to be reused again, for example on the same surface. The cladding system is preferably for interior use. Thus, for example, the cladding system may be in the form of mural. If a person should redecorate and/or change their furniture, they may wish to relocate the mural. This is easily done with the cladding system of the present invention. The cladding system, for example the mural, is easily able to be removed from the surface and relocated elsewhere, for example on the same surface or on a different surface. The surface may be a wall, a ceiling, a floor, a part of furniture, or any other suitable and appropriate surface. The cladding system may also be advantageous in exhibitions where exhibition stands may need to be clad or covered for the duration of an exhibition. After the exhibition is finished, the stands may be dismantled and the cladding system is then available for being used at subsequent exhibitions. The cladding system may also be for exterior use if desired. The cladding system is easily able to be installed and removed, all without damage to the surface. Because the cladding system is able to be reused, it is not necessary to throw the cladding system away, which is good for the environment, both in terms in avoiding the need to dispose of a used cladding system, and also in terms of not using extra materials, for example extra materials for the viewing sheet when the viewing sheet is made of natural material such for example as stone, slate or wood. The cladding system of the present invention is economical to use, and it may lend itself to being sold, rented out, hired or leased.

The cladding system may be one in which the two-part releasable securing means comprises two matrices of formations that push together for securing, and that pull apart for un-securing. In this case, the formations may be hook and loop formations. The hook and loop formations may be of a type of mini-Velcro (Velcro is a registered trademark). Other types of two-part releasable securing means may be employed.

The two matrices of formations, for example the hook and loop formations, may be male and female formations, in which case the female formations are preferably on the panel, and the male formations are preferably for securing to the surface. The opposite arrangement may however be employed in which the male formations are on the panel, and the female formations are for securing to the surface.

The releasable securing means is preferably one in which the first part of the releasable securing means is a sheet, and in which the second part of the releasable securing means is a plurality of strips. The sheet may be the same size as the viewing sheet. The sheet may be smaller than the viewing sheet if desired. The sheet may be, for example, a textile sheet or any other suitable material. The strips may be disposed in various configurations to form various shapes as may be desired. The two-part releasable securing means may be in other forms if desired.

Preferably, the releasable securing means is one in which the second part includes an adhesive, for example an adhesive sheet, for securing the second part to the surface. The second part may be secured to the surface by other securing means so that, for example, the securing means may be nails, rivets or staples.

Preferably, the viewing sheet is made of a naturally existing material. The naturally existing material may be, for example, stone, slate, wood or marble. Other naturally existing materials may be used. Synthetic materials may also be used instead of naturally existing material if desired. The viewing sheet may be translucent or opaque.

The textile sheet is preferably made of a polyamide synthetic resin. The textile sheet may be made of other materials.

The adhesive sheet is preferably made of paper. Other types of adhesive sheet may be employed. The paper adhesive sheet may be provided with a silicone covering which protects the adhesive, and which is able easily to be peeled off the adhesive sheet during manufacture of the cladding system. The adhesive sheet may be removed by heating, for example at 130°C. The heating may be at the melting point of the adhesive, and such as not to damage other components of the cladding system.

The cladding system may be one in which there is one of the adhesive sheets, and in which the adhesive sheet is positioned between the viewing sheet and the first part of the releasable securing means and thereby adheres the first part of the releasable securing means to the viewing sheet.

Alternatively, the cladding system may include an auxiliary sheet positioned between the viewing sheet and the first part of the releasable securing means, with the cladding system then being one in which there are two of the adhesive sheets with a first one of the adhesive sheets being positioned between the viewing sheet and the auxiliary sheet, and a second one of the adhesive sheets being positioned between the auxiliary sheet and the first part of the releasable securing means. The first part of the releasable securing means may be a textile sheet.

The auxiliary sheet may provide the panel with at least one of the properties of humidity resistance, fire resistance, sound deadening, and water absorption resistance. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary sheet may provide the panel with other properties.

The auxiliary sheet may be made of a foam material. The foam material may be of any suitable type and composition. The auxiliary sheet may be made of non-foam materials if desired. The auxiliary sheet may easily be removed from adjacent layers when the adhesive is applied during the above mentioned thermal fusion.

The cladding system will typically be one in which the panel is flexible. The panel may however be rigid if desired.

The cladding system will usually comprise a plurality of the panels. The precise number of panels employed in the cladding system will typically depend upon the size of the panel, and the size of the surface. The present invention also provides a product having a surface when provided with a cladding system according to the present invention.

The product may be an end use product. Thus, for example, the end use product may be a wall, a ceiling, a floor, or a part of furniture. Other types of end use products may be employed. Alternatively, the surface may be the surface of an intermediate member which is constructed for attaching to a surface of an end use product.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a first panel forming part of a cladding system of the present invention, with the panel being shown in exploded view, and with the panel also being shown schematically being attached to a surface;

Figure 2 is a view like Figure 1 but shows the composite panel in its actual form rather than being exploded as shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a rear view of the panel as shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows the panel of Figures 1 and 2 with the edges being turned up to illustrate the different sheets forming the panel;

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 1 but shows a second panel;

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 2 but shows the second panel;

Figure 7 is a view like Figure 3 but shows the second panel;

Figure 8 is a view like Figure 4 but shows the second panel;

Figure 9 shows three panels attached to a surface, with the panels forming part of a cladding system for cladding the surface, with the three panels just showing the part of the releasable securing means on the panels for ease of illustration, and with the surface being an end use surface; and

Figure 10 shows a plurality of panels attached to a surface of an intermediate member, with the intermediate member being for securing to an end use surface.

Referring to Figure 1 -4, there is shown a cladding system 2 for cladding a surface 4. The cladding system 2 comprises at least one panel 6 which is of a composite structure and which comprises a viewing sheet 8 which is made of a material to be viewed. The cladding system 2 also comprises releasable securing means 10 for releasably securing the panel 6 to the surface 4.

The cladding system 2 is such that the releasable securing means 10 is a two-part releasable securing means 10, with a first part 12 being on the panel 6 and a second part 14 being for securing to the surface 4. The first part 12 is secured to the panel 6 by at least one adhesive sheet 16 which has adhesive on both of its sides. The releasable securing means 0 enables the panel 6 to be removed from the surface 4 and used again, for example as many times as required and over a lengthy period of time. This avoids wastage of materials, which helps the environment.

The two-part releasable securing means 10 comprises two matrices of formations that push together for securing and that pull apart for un-securing. The formations are hook and loop formations, and they are preferably of a type known as mini-Velcro (Velcro is a registered trade mark). The formations are male and female formations, and the female formations form the first part 12 and they are on the panel 6. The male formations form the second part 14 and they are shown for being secured to the surface 4 in Figure 1 by an adhesive 15. Figure 3 shows the second part 14 secured to the surface 4. Figure 3 also shows that the second part 14 is in strip form.

The viewing sheet 8 is made of a naturally existing material. The naturally existing material may be, for example, stone, slate, wood or marble.

The first part 12 is made of a polyamide synthetic resin. The first part 12 is shown as a textile sheet. The adhesive sheet 16 is made of paper. The paper adhesive sheet 16 has a silicone covering for easy release purposes.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 1 and 4, the panel 6 is such that there is only one of the adhesive sheets 16. The adhesive sheet 16 is positioned between the viewing sheet 8 and the first part 12. Thus the adhesive sheet 16 adheres the first part 12 directly to the viewing sheet 8.

Referring now to Figures 5 - 8, there is shown a second cladding system 20. Similar parts as in the cladding system 2 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 5 and 8, the cladding system 20 has a panel 22 which is like the panel 6 but which includes an auxiliary sheet 24, and which has two adhesive sheets 26, 28. The auxiliary sheet 24 is positioned between the viewing sheet 8 and the first part 12. The adhesive sheet 26 is positioned between the viewing sheet 8 and the auxiliary sheet 24. The adhesive sheet 28 is positioned between the auxiliary sheet 24 and the first part 12. The auxiliary sheet 24 provides the panel 22 with at least one of the properties of humidity resistance, fire resistance, sound deadening, and water absorption resistance. The auxiliary sheet 24 is made of a foam material.

Figure 9 shows the surface 4 provided with a cladding system 30. The cladding system 30 comprises three of the panels 6 or the panels 22, or a mixture of the panels 6 and 22. For simplicity of illustration, each panel 6 is shown as being represented only by the second part 14 of the releasable securing means 10.

The panels 6, 22 are thin and flexible, even when the viewing sheet is made of a natural material such for example as stone, slate, wood or marble. The thin nature of the panels 6, 22 enables them to be produced light in weight and easy to handle. The panels 6, 22 are easily located in position, simply by pushing the first and second parts 12, 14 of the releasable securing means 10 together. When it is desired to remove the panels 6, 22 from the surface 4, it is simply necessary to pull the first and second parts 12, 14 apart. The surface 4 will not have been damaged. The panels 6, 22 will not be damaged when they are pulled off the surface 4. The panels 6, 22 are thus available for being reused, for example at another position on the surface 4, or on a different surface 4.

The cladding systems 2, 20 may be such that the adhesive sheets are those known as ADH D036, the polyamide textile sheet is that known as TXT PA V60 N7 A 1600, and the auxiliary sheet is that known as POL FXTC 2mm foam. The foam may be used in thicknesses other than 2mm. The releasable securing means 10 may have the second part 14 such that that it is of mini- Velcro (Velcro is a registered trade mark) black male tape. Tape of other colours may be employed. The above mentioned materials are mentioned by way of example and other materials may be employed.

The cladding systems 2, 20 are advantageous because their panels 6 are reusable, removable and repositionable. The surface 4 to which they are attached may be the surface of a wall, ceiling, floor, a piece of furniture or any other suitable and appropriate surface. The surface 4 is not damaged by the attachment of the panels 6, 22 so that, for example, there is no need to drill holes into the surface 4 for receiving fixing attachments. The panels 6, 22 may be murals, in which case the murals are easily removed from the surface 4 and repositioned elsewhere on the surface 4 or on other surfaces. If the surface 4 forms part of the partition in an exhibition booth in an exhibition hall, then the panels 6, 22 are easily removed and available for another exhibition. If a panel 6, 22 should be located on the surface but slightly out of position, then it is easy to remove the panel 6, 22 and reposition it. The cladding system of the present invention may additionally find use in movie sets, theatrical sets, and in various other locations. The cladding systems 2, 20 are easy to transport, easy to use, easy to install and easy to produce. The cladding systems 2, 20 help to reduce on installation costs, and being easy to transport, helps to reduce on carbon emissions from the transport. Still further, because the cladding system of the present invention is reusable, it is not disposed of, which is again beneficial for the environment.

In Figures 1 - 9, the surface 4 is the surface of an end use product, for example the above mentioned wall, ceiling, floor, piece of furniture, or other suitable and appropriate surface of an end use product. Figure 10 shows an alternative cladding system 32 in which a plurality of panels 6 are attached to a surface 4 of an intermediate member 34. The intermediate member 34 is in the form of a board which is able to be attached by attachment means 36 to an end use product 38. The end use product 38 may be the same as the end use product shown in Figures 1 - 9. The use of the intermediate member 34 may be especially useful at exhibitions where the end use product 38 might be the wall of an exhibition stand. The intermediate member 34 with its panels 6 is easily able to be clipped to the end use product 38, using any suitable and appropriate type of attachment means 36. The attachment means 36 will usually be such that the intermediate member 34 can easily be removed from the end use product 38, and taken away for reuse, for example at another exhibition. The attachment means 36 may be, for example, an adjustable clip, a hook or a clamp. The attachment means 36 is thus typically such that it is easily attached to the end use product 38, and without damaging the end use product 38 or the panels 6, when the intermediate member 34 is removed.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the releasable securing means 10 may be in another form. The panels 6, 22 need not be square or rectangular, and they may be of any suitable and appropriate shape including, for example, circular, elliptical, hexagonal and octagonal. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.