LAMINATED STONE PRODUCT

This invention relates to a laminate material formed from stone, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a fireplace formed from a laminate stone material.

Fireplace surrounds are frequently formed from stone, for example granite or marble, due to the attractive appearance of the material and its fire resistant properties. However stone is an expensive raw material and it has become common for thin sheets of stone to be bonded to a substrate to form a laminate product This laminate is used to face the underlying structure of the fireplace surround thereby giving a similar appearance to a solid stone fireplace.

Whilst this construction of a stone lamina on a substrate is a more cost effective solution than solid stone it does not allow for a curved exterior surface of the fireplace since the lamina must necessarily be thin and therefore not capable of carrying any depth. This limits the use of stone lamina, not only in the production of fireplaces, but in any application where a curved surface might be desirable, for example in furniture construction.

A further problem is that known laminate products have relatively little flex due to the stiff nature of the stone. This can make assembly of products made from stone laminate difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved flame simulating assembly.

According to the invention there is provided a method of producing a strip of laminate stone material, the method including the steps of: slicing a plurality of thin sheets of stone, bonding the sheets to form a laminate structure, cutting the laminate structure end-on to produce the strip of laminate stone material.

Advantageously the cutting of the laminate structure end-on, that is to say at 90 degrees to the flat plane of the thin sheets of stone, allows the strip to accept a certain degree of flex. Also the strip can be cut with a curved profile and still maintain a constant thin section. This allows the outward exterior of the strip be curved in a way that could not normally be achieved in a thin sheet of stone, whilst using considerably less material than would be the case with solid stone.

Preferably, the plurality of thin sheets of stone are comprised of at least two types of stone.

Preferably, the thin sheets of stone have a thickness of between 4mm and 10mm.

Preferably, the strip has a thickness of 20mm.

Preferably, the strip has a curved profile.

Preferably, the strip has a constant cross-section.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a strip of laminate stone material, wherein the strip is formed from a plurality of sections of thin stone bonded together.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a fireplace surround including one or more strips formed according to the earlier aspect of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of a fireplace surround according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectioned end view of the fireplace surround of Figure 1 sectioned along the line H-H : in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectioned plan view of the fireplace surround of Figure 1 sectioned along the line HI-IH in Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows the construction of a part of the fireplace surround shown in Figure 3 in greater detail;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a laminate structure according to a method of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a strip of laminate stone material according to a method of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a fireplace surround is indicated generally at 10. The surround 10 has a top section indicated generally at 12 and side sections indicated generally at 14. The fireplace surround defines a cavity 16 for receiving a fire which is not shown for clarity. Arranged beneath the surround 10 is a hearth 18. Between the top and side sections 12, 14 and the cavity 16 is an inner portion 20. The surround has a top 22 (shown in Figure 2) and ends 24 (shown in Figure 3) which, along with the inner portion 22 and the hearth 18, are made from a stone lamina formed using a known method.

However the top and side sections 22, 24 are formed from strips of laminate stone material as will now be described in further detail.

Firstly two contrasting types of stone are chosen and are then cut into a series of thin sheets (4mm to 10mm thick) according to a known method. These sheets are then bonded together to form a laminate structure 30 (see Figure 5) which is formed from sheets 32 of alternating types of stone. The structure 30 is then cut end-on, that is to say in the plane indicated X in Figure 5, to form a thin (approximately 20mm thick) strip 34 of laminate stone material shown in part in Figure 6.

This strip 34 is then trimmed to the required length to form the top and side sections 22, 24 of the fireplace surround 10 as shown in detail in Figure 4. The surround 10 is otherwise assembled using known techniques.

It will be appreciated that whilstthexise of the strip of laminate stone material is described here with respect to a fireplace it could be equally used in other applications where an attractive stone finish is required. Such applications might include furniture, decorative artifacts and kitchen work surfaces.