Technical Field

The invention relates generally to the technical field of surface treatment of sheet-shaped blanks. The invention relates to a device and a method for providing such surface treatment. The invention also concerns a floorboard with a machined and finished edge. The inven¬ tion is particularly suited for use in floorboards having mechanical locking systems. More specifically, the inven- tion relates above all to floors of the type that has a core and a decorative top layer on the upper side of the core.

Field of Application

The present invention is particularly suited for use in floating floors, which are made of floorboards, which on the one hand are joined mechanically with a joint sys ^¬ tem which is integrated with the floorboard, i.e. factory mounted, and on the other hand are made up of one or more preferably moisture-proof upper layers of decorative laminate, preferably comprising sheet material impregnated with thermosetting resins or other decorative plastic material, an intermediate core of wood fiber- based material or plastic material and preferably a lower balancing layer on the rear side of the core. The following description of prior-art technique, problems of known systems as well as the objects and features of the invention will therefore as non-limiting examples be aimed mainly at this field of application, in particular laminate floors as well as varnished, oiled or painted wooden floors. However, it should be emphasized that the invention can be used for any boards, e.g. floor, wall,

ceilings and wall panels, and in any board materials and in floorboards with any joint systems and also floorboards which are not floating but which are glued or nailed to a subfloor. The invention can thus also be applicable to, for instance, floors with one or more layers of wood, plastic material, linoleum or combinations of different materials, such as wood, plas¬ tic, cork, rubber or other materials that are used as surface layers in floors. The invention can also be applied to make decorative surface portions in homoge¬ neous materials, for instance homogeneous wooden floors, or to apply moisture-repellent layers, friction-changing layers, glue or the like to joint portions in sheet- shaped blanks .

Background of the Invention

Laminate flooring usually consists of a core of a 6-9 mm fiberboard, a 0.2-0.8 mm thick upper decorative top layer of laminate, preferably comprising sheet material impregnated with thermosetting resins and a 0.1-0.6 mm thick lower balancing layer of laminate, plastic, paper or like material. The top layer provides appearance and durability to the floorboards . The core provides stability, and the balancing layer keeps the board plane when the relative humidity (RH) varies during the year. The floorboards are generally laid floating, i.e. without gluing, on an existing subfloor.

Traditional hard floorboards in floating flooring of this type are usually joined by means of glued tongue and groove joints.

In addition to such traditional floors, floorboards have recently been developed which do not require the use

of glue and instead are joined mechanically by means of so-called mechanical joint systems. These systems com¬ prise locking means, which lock the boards horizontally and/or vertically. The mechanical joint systems can be formed by machining of the core of the board. Alterna¬ tively, parts of the locking system can be formed of a separate material, which is integrated with the floor¬ board.

The main advantages of floating floors with mecha- nical joint systems are that they can easily and quickly be laid with great accuracy. A further advantage of the mechanical joint systems is that the edge portions of the floorboards can be made of materials, which need not have good gluing properties. The edge portions of the floor- board can therefore be impregnated with, for instance, wax, in order to improve the moisture properties.

The most common core material is fiberboard with high density and good stability, usually called HDF - High Density Fiberboard. Other wood fiberbased board materials, which could be used are e.g. MDF (Medium

Density Fiberboard) , chipboard, plywood and OSB (Oriented Strand Board) .

Laminate flooring and also many other floorings with a decorative top layer of plastic, linoleum, wood, veneer, cork and the like are made by the surface layer and the balancing layer being applied to a core material. This application may take place by gluing a previously manufactured decorative layer, for instance when the fiberboard is provided with a decorative high pressure laminate which is made in a separate operation where a plurality of sheets of paper, impregnated with

thermosetting resins, are compressed under high pressure and at a high temperature. The currently most common method when making laminate flooring, however, is direct laminating which is based on a more modern principle where both manufacture of the decorative laminate layer and the fastening to the fiberboard take place in one and same manufacturing step. Sheets of paper, impregnated with thermosetting resins, are applied directly to the board and pressed together under pressure and heat without any gluing.

Thick top layers of wood, for instance 1-4 mm, are usually applied to a core consisting of wood blocks whose fiber direction is perpendicular to the fiber direction of the surface layer. Particle board, fiberboard or plywood is also used both when the top layer is thick and also when the top layers are thin veneer with a thickness of, for instance, 0.2-1.0 mm. The top layer of wood is usually protected with one or more layers of oil or varnish. In terms of manufacture it is advantageous if the surface treatment takes place before machining of the edge.

In addition to these methods, a number of other methods are used to provide the core with a surface layer. The core can be painted and varnished. A decora- tive pattern can be printed on the core surface, which is then, for instance, varnished with a wear layer.

As a rule, the above methods result in a floor ele¬ ment in the form of a large board, which is then sawn into, for instance, some ten floor panels, which are then machined along the edges to floorboards.

The machining of the edges is made in advanced mill¬ ing machines where the floor panel is positioned between one or more chains and bands mounted in bearings, so that the floor panel can be moved at high speed and with great accuracy past a number a milling motors, which are pro¬ vided with diamond cutting tools or metal cutting tools, which machine the edge of the floor panel.

In all these manufacturing methods, the floor panel usually has a top layer when forming its edges by machining.

In recent years it has become more common to provide the above-mentioned floor types with bevels or decorative grooves preferably at the joint edges but also on the surface. These parts are made after providing the floor- board with the decorative top layer. After machining, the edge or decorative grooves must thus as a rule be coated in different manners with, for instance, varnish, paint or the like to achieve the necessary decorative properties and to protect the visible and exposed parts from moisture, dirt and wear. Parts of the joint system that are not visible from the surface are often also coated with property-improving agents, for instance wax, to improve the moisture-resistance and the laying func¬ tion.

Prior Art Technique and Problems thereof

In manufacture of a laminate floor with, for instance, beveled edges or decorative grooves, which uncover the HDF core, the uncovered edge is protected with, for instance, paint or adhesive tape. Coating with paint usually occurs immediately after machining of the edge using spray nozzles. It is difficult to achieve

efficient accuracy in relation to the surface of the top layer of the floorboard and in relation to corner portions. It is also difficult to achieve the required speeds. Existing equipments are complicated, expensive and require much maintenance. The paint covering the machined fibers is difficult to apply.

It is known that joint portions in wooden floors can be coated by means of wheels or rolls, which apply a varnish layer to an edge portion. The existing technique does not permit sufficiently high speeds and above all accuracy is not satisfactory. In many cases there will be undesirable residues of varnish on the surface of the decorative top layer. If this is to be avoided, there is a great risk that parts of the edge portions will not be coated.

Summary of the Invention and Objects thereof

A first object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method for coating a surface portion of sheet-shaped blanks, comprising a top layer, with liquid material. The invention eliminates or reduces one or more of the problems occurring in connection with the coating of machined portions, above all edge portions, with great accuracy.

A second object is to provide a floorboard with a decorative top layer of laminate, comprising sheet material impregnated with thermosetting resins, a core of a wood fiber based board, preferably HDF and a machined visible joint edge consisting of the core material. The machined edge, which thus consists of HDF fibers, is impregnated with a liquid material that is moisture- repellent, decorative and which besides is easier to

apply with great accuracy to the machined edge than are the coating materials currently used.

A device, methods and a floorboard according to the independent claims wholly or partly achieve these two objects.

The first object of the invention is achieved by the condition that the coating of, for instance, a machined surface portion, which touches an unmachined surface of a decorative top layer, should take place by means of a wheel which transfers a liquid material to the machined portion as well as to the unmachined surface of the top layer. The device has a compressed air system that blows away excessive rests of the liquid material from the surface of the unmachined top layer and towards the machined surface portion.

By selecting suitable chemicals that do not adhere to the unmachined surface of the top layer, especially if they are blown away preferably immediately after coating, exact application can occur where all machined surface portions closest to the unmachined surface of the top layer have obtained a coating while at the same time the unmachined surface of the top layer is free from the applied chemicals. Laminate floors and many other floors often have a surface, which is embossed to resemble a wood structure. In this context, compressed air is more efficient than other known methods, such as scraping off, to remove excess coating from the unmachined surface.

The invention is particularly suited for use in the joint edge portions of the floorboards, but one or more decorative recessed grooves according to the invention

can also be arranged in any position between the joint edge portions of the floorboards.

The floorboard can thus have a surface that con¬ sists of a plurality of surface portions with decorative recessed grooves so that a surface pattern is formed with a pattern corresponding to tiles or elongate blocks or the like. Decorative surface portions can be placed in any position on the surface of the floorboard and they may have any extent or shape. They can be arranged on both neighboring edges of two joined floorboards, but they can also be arranged on one edge only. The decora¬ tive surface portion can, but need not, have an extent covering the entire joint edge. The decorative surface portion can be parallel to the joint edge but it can also have a deviating shape, such as wave-shaped. Moreover it does not need to have the same depth from the floor sur¬ face along its entire extent or between two neighboring joint edges. Coating of such variants can be effected by means of a wheel moving vertically and/or horizontally as the board is moved past the wheel. Decorative surface grooves in the surface of the board can be coated by means of one or more wheels cooperating with one or more compressed air nozzles that blow liquid excess material towards the inner parts of the grooves.

The invention is particularly suited for use in floorboards with mechanical joint systems which enable exact positioning of the decorative surface portions of the floorboards relative to each other and impregnation of joint edges to increase moisture resistance.

According to a first aspect of the first object of the invention, a device is provided for coating a surface

portion of a sheet-shaped blank, comprising wood or wood fibers and an unmachined top layer, with a liquid coating material, said device consisting of a wheel and a compressed air nozzle. The wheel transfers the coating material to the surface portion by a rotary motion, and the compressed air nozzle moves the coating material in a contactless manner using an air flow.

According to a second aspect of the first object of the invention, a method is provided for making a decora- tive edge on a floorboard, which has an unmachined top layer and a machined surface portion in the edge. The surface portion touches the unmachined surface of the top layer. The method is characterized in that the surface portion and a part of the unmachined surface of the top layer are coated with a liquid coating material, and that the coating material on the surface is then moved by air towards the machined surface portion.

The second object of the invention is achieved by a floorboard with a top layer preferably comprising sheet material impregnated with thermosetting resins a core of HDF and a machined edge of HDF which is impregnated with a pigmented oil.

The uncovered core is impregnated after machining. Such impregnation can take place with great accuracy if chemicals such as different types of pigmented oil or pigmented wax are used. Pigmented oil can be more suit¬ able than wax since it does not have to be melted before application. A characteristic feature of these agents is that, in contrast to paint, they do not adhere to the laminate surface and, when blown away from the surface of the top layer and towards the machined surface portion

with uncovered HDF fibers, they penetrate quickly into the core of the floorboard. Coating of a machined and beveled edge can take place quickly and easily with great accuracy. The invention allows essentially the entire laminate surface closest to the machined HDF edge to be free from coating material while at the same time essentially the entire HDF edge closest to the unmachined surface of the top layer is impregnated.

The machined joint edge of HDF, which is visible when the floorboards are joined can, of course, according to the invention be machined to a number of varying shapes, such as rounded, beveled in combination with different angles and radii. There may also be recessed grooves essentially parallel to the surface.

Examples of embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompany¬ ing drawings .

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figs la-b show a device for coating of board material.

Figs 2a-c show examples of coating of different sur¬ face portions in a floor with a mechanical locking system.

Figs 3a-b show examples of coating with excess paint which is sprayed away from the surface.

Figs 4a-c show coating by means of a plurality of wheels .

01463

11

Figs 5a-b show the embodiments according to figure 2a and 2c enlarged

Description of Embodiments of the Invention

Fig. Ia shows a device according to the invention, for coating a surface portion of sheet-shaped blank

1,comprising a core 30 and a top layer 31, seen parallel to the direction of travel of the board and Fig. Ib shows the device seen perpendicular to the direction of travel of the board.

The sheet-shaped blank, for instance a floorboard 1 with a top layer, is driven preferably through a machining line horizontally in a direction D. In this embodiment, the floorboard 1 is oriented with an unmachined surface of the top layer 31 downwards. A machined surface portion 21, with the top layer removed touches a wheel 2, which rotates in the direction of travel R of the floorboard by means of a driving device 8. The wheel 2 is rotated to the same peripheral speed as the speed of feeding of the floorboard 1. The driving device 8 can rotate the wheel 2 at different speeds, preferably between 10 and 200 m/min. A suitable speed in connection with manufacture of floors is about 60-130 m/min. Using suitable chemicals, wheel diameters and materials selected for the wheel 2, high speeds of up to 200 m/min can be achieved without the coating material leaving the wheel. A suitable wheel diameter is 120-200 mm. The wheel can be provided with a freewheel so that any difference in speed between the board 1 and the wheel 2 can be leveled out. The width of the wheel portion W, which transfers the coating to the sheet- shaped blank, is preferably smaller than the width of the

sheet-shaped blank B and preferably in the range of 0,1 - 20 mm.

The wheel 2 is coated with a liquid material 6, such as pigmented oil, varnish, paint, wax, glue and the like, in a container 6 which preferably has a splash guard. The container can be provided with an inlet, a discharge and an overflow tube 11 for returning purposes.

In order to obtain the correct amount of coating material 6 on the wheel 2 there is preferably a scraper, which can be controlled and locked by a micrometer. It should be possible to adjust the wheel 2 with great accu¬ racy relative to the board at an angle as well as verti¬ cally and horizontally. This is suitably performed by means of a turnable coordinate table 9. In Fig. Ia the wheel has an angle of about 10 degrees to the vertical plane. Suitable angles for coating of beveled edges are 0-45 degrees. A pump 7 can be used to continuously circu¬ late the liquid coating material 6 via a filter.

A photocell, a mechanical device or the like can be arranged to activate a compressed air system with a nozzle 3 which blows excessive coating material away from the unmachined surface of the top layer 31 by an air flow A. Excessive material blown away by compressed air can be caught in a container 10 provided with a filter. The equipment can be provided with a PLC (Programmable

Control System) controlled automatic cleaning system. The device allows coating with narrow tolerances. For instance, coating can be performed with an accuracy of about 0.1 mm in relation to the unmachined surface of the top layer. Optimum results are achieved preferably if the floorboard is correctly positioned relative to the wheel.

This positioning can take place in the machining unit by means of, for instance, chains and bands, or when the floorboard leaves the machining unit by means of rules and pressing rollers. To achieve great accuracy it is also important for the wheel 2 to have essentially the same peripheral speed as the floorboard. It is advantageous if the difference in speed is less than 10 m/min. For a good result, it is not necessary for the wheel 2 to touch the floorboard. The coating material is transferred to the floorboard by surface tension.

Fig. 2a illustrates coating of a decorative groove 21 which is substantially parallel to the surface of the top layer 31. In this embodiment an air flows A is used to blow away excessive coating material 6 from the surface of the top layer. Fig. 2b illustrates a beveled edge 22. Fig. 2c illustrates coating of a groove 23 which is located at a distance from the joint edge. In this embodiment, two air flows A, A' can be used to blow away excessive coating material 6 from the surface and towards the groove.

Figs 3a and 3b illustrate how a beveled edge 22, without the top layer, can be coated with liquid coating material, such as varnish or pigmented oil. In this embodiment, the floorboard 1 has an unmachined surface of a top layer 31 of e.g. a laminate made of sheet material impregnated with thermosetting resins or varnished wood. The beveled edge is coated with coating material 6 which partly settles on the unmachined surface of the top layer 31. Excessive coating material is blown away by compressed air A which in this embodiment is blown parallel to the surface of the board and moves the excess material towards the beveled edge 22. Fig. 3b illustrates

how the coating material 6 penetrates into the core 30 while at the same time the unmachined surface of the top layer 31 is free from coating material. Particularly good penetration can be achieved if the core consists of wood fiber-based materials, such as HDF, and if pigmented oils with a suitable viscosity are used, which is adapted to the absorbing capacity of the HDF material.

Figs 5a and 5b illustrate an enlargement of the coating according to the embodiments in figure 2a and 2c. The machined surface portions are coated with coating material 6 which partly settles on the unmachined surface of the top layer 31. The excessive coating material on the surface of the top layer is removed by an airflow. In the embodiment in figure 5a a grove in the sheet-shaped blank is coated. The width of the wheel portion W, which transfers coating material to the groove, is essential equal to the width of the groove P or slightly smaller. In the embodiment in figure 5b an edge groove of the sheet-shaped blank is coated. The width of the wheel W, which transfers coating material to the edge groove, is preferably larger than the width of the edge groove P.

If the edge of the wheel 2 has a suitable design and if the amount of coating material β is well adjusted while at the same time the amount, pressure and direction of the air are controlled in a convenient manner, coating of the machined edge can be performed with a better result than in using prior-art technique.

Figs 4a-c illustrate how a beveled edge 22, without the top layer and parts of the mechanical joint system, in this case the tongue portion 32, can be coated, for instance, with a decorative material on the beveled edge

22 and with an impregnating moisture-repellent material on the tongue 32.

In this embodiment coating is performed using two wheels 2, 2' . The nozzle 3 has an outlet 24 directing the air substantially parallel to the unmachined surface of the top layer 31 towards the edge portion 22.

In this embodiment the second wheel 2 ' operates sub¬ stantially horizontally. The wheel can be coated with suitable liquid substances in different ways using, for example, a spray nozzle 25, with felt or suitable fiber materials containing the coating material and the like. Alternatively the wheel 2' can rotate in an associated vessel where the edges of the wheel establish a seal against the edges of the vessel. A plurality of wheels can be used. Various chemicals can be dried, hardened and the like after coating according to prior art, using ultrasound, UV light, heat etc.

The edge of the wheels 2 can be designed in various ways and they can operate at optional angles from above and from below. All parts of a mechanical joint system that can be machined by means of large rotating tools can also be coated by means of wheels, preferably, but not necessarily, in combination with compressed air which facilitates positioning of the coating material.

Wheels are preferably made of metal but they can also wholly or partly be made of plastic or rubber material. They can be heated and they can contain ducts directing the coating material to different contact surfaces between wheel and board. A plurality of different coating materials can be applied in different steps in succession. The wheels can also be used to shape, by

pressure, parts of the joint edge by compression of fibers . Vacuum can be applied to the board in order to facilitate penetration. Liquid materials can be applied which after hardening become elastic and which then may constitute a joint seal that prevents moisture from pene¬ trating through the joint system. In this case the edges do not have to be beveled.

The chemical composition of the coating material is important for a good result. A suitable chemical for coating of wood fiber-based board materials such as HDF, MDF, particle board, plywood and the like is pigmented oil. Such a chemical quickly penetrates into wood fiber- based materials, prevents penetration of moisture into the machined surface portion while at the same time dif- ferent pigments make it possible to provide decorative edge portions or grooves which may have the same shades of color as the surface of the top layer, or shades deviating therefrom. Suitable pigments are organic pigments which are used, inter alia, in the graphical industry for printing on paper. These pigments function well together with wood-based board materials. Vegetable alkyds can be used as binder for the pigments. Mineral oil can be used to reduce the viscosity so that the coating material quickly and easily can penetrate into the wood fiber-based core while at the same time it adheres to the wheel and does not leave the wheel at high peripheral speeds. A suitable composition measured in parts by weight is about 10-15% organic pigments, about 30-35% vegetable alkyds and 50-55% mineral oil. These parts by weight can also be 5 percentage units greater or smaller than the range stated. Of course, also other mixtures can be used within the scope of an important

basic principle that the coating material should contain pigments, a binder and a viscosity-reducing agent. Another important basic principle is that the mixing ratios should be such that the greatest share is a viscosity-reducing agent while the lowest share is pigments .

Further chemical substances can be added, such as other types of oils, hardeners and like agents. These agents can also be combined with additives that can improve the durability, such as alumina. It goes without saying that these additives may affect the above mixing ratios.

Pigmented oil is highly convenient for use in floor¬ boards with a surface layer of laminate. The oil does not penetrate into the laminate surface and easily slides off the laminate surface without leaving any visible traces when exposed to a suitable air flow which directs the oil towards the machined joint edge where it is easily and quickly absorbed by the HDF fibers.

The chemical composition described above also con¬ stitutes an invention which can be used independently as a coating material, for instance together with the prior- art methods of, for instance, coating a surface in a joint edge preferably of a floorboard with a wood fiber- based core or surface layer.

There may be a number of variants . The device can be used for coating of previously treated surfaces and for changing the surface properties in terms of appearance and function. Compressed air can be used to position and move liquid coating material also in the cases when coat¬ ing is performed in some other manner than by means of

wheels, for instance by means of coating tools that coat machined surfaces .