DECORATIVE SHEET GLASS MATERIAL

This invention relates to decorative sheet material and, more especially, this invention relates to a process for manufacturing decorative sheet glass material.

A process for producing decorative sheet glass material comprising glass laminated together and containing a pattern is known. A process for producing a single sheet of glass and containing a pattern is also known. However, with these known processes, it is not possible to obtain a pattern which has a three dimensional effect.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a process for manufacturing decorative sheet glass material having a decorative three dimensional effect.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for manufacturing decorative sheet glass material, which process comprises:

(i) providing a sheet of glass;

(ii) providing at least one layer of a hot melt adhesive on a first side of the sheet of glass material;

(iii) providing a pattern former having a pattern; (iv) placing the pattern former directly or indirectly on the hot melt adhesive on the first side of the sheet of transparent material; and

(v) placing the pattern former, the layer of the hot melt adhesive, and the sheet of glass in apparatus which provides heat and suction which cause the pattern on the pattern former to be provided in the hot melt adhesive on the sheet of glass.

The process of the present invention is advantageous in that the pattern is able to be transferred from the pattern former directly or indirectly to the hot melt adhesive at the time of operating the apparatus to cause the heat and suction to suck together the pattern former, the layer of the hot melt adhesive, and the sheet of transparent material. Thus the transfer of the pattern from the pattern former to the hot melt adhesive is able to be done in one simple step in the apparatus by means of the heat and suction. Typically, the suction in the apparatus is through apertured sheet material. The apertured sheet material is preferably in the form of a net sheet. Other types of apertured sheet material may be employed. The pattern in the hot melt adhesive is able to provide a three dimensional effect when the decorative sheet material is viewed. The pattern is able to be simple or complex.

The process of the present invention may be one in which the pattern former is in direct contact with the hot melt adhesive, whereby the pattern on the pattern former becomes embedded in the hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive becomes adhered to the sheet of glass. Optionally, the pattern former may be removed.

The process of the invention may include providing a protection sheet which covers and protects the pattern in the hot melt adhesive, thereby to produce the decorative sheet glass material as a sealed unit. The protection sheet is preferably a sheet of transparent material. In this case, the manufactured decorative sheet glass material may be mounted in use such that it is able to be viewed from either side. Any suitable transparent material may be employed. Preferably the transparent material is glass. If desired, the protection sheet may be a sheet of a non-transparent material. Any suitable non-transparent materials may be employed including, for example, plastics sheet materials, plywood and metal.

The pattern produced in the hot melt adhesive may be coloured. The pattern may be coloured in any colour or mixture of colours, and using any coloured material or mixtures of coloured materials. The colouring may be made by a paint, a dye, a tint, or any suitable colouring material or mixture of colouring materials. The colouring may be effected using different coloured sheets of the hot melt adhesive.

The process of the present invention may be one in which the hot melt adhesive is in the form of a plurality of layers of the hot melt adhesive, with the layers in total being of a thickness to receive the pattern.

The hot melt adhesive is preferably ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The hot melt adhesive may alternatively be polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or any other suitable hot melt adhesive. The pattern former may be made of silicone, medium density fibre board (MDF), wood, resin, metal, paper or a fabric material. The paper may be wallpaper. The fabric material may be silk, nylon or cotton. Any suitable metal may be employed including aluminium and copper.

In the process of the present invention, the apparatus which provides the heat and suction is preferably laminating apparatus. Other types of apparatus may however be used, for example an autoclave. The apparatus, for example the laminating apparatus, may suck through apertured sheet material. The apertured sheet material may be provided only on a second side of the sheet of glass, or it may be provided on the second side of the sheet of glass and on an outer side of the pattern former.

If desired, the process of the present invention may include a step of placing a sheet of pattern-receiving material between the pattern former and the hot melt adhesive, whereby the pattern former become embedded in the pattern-receiving material, the pattern-receiving material becomes adhered to the hot melt adhesive, and the hot melt adhesive becomes adhered to the sheet of transparent material. The pattern-receiving material is preferably a sheet of metal but it may be of another material if desired, for example a deformable plastics material. The metal may be aluminium, copper, brass or any other suitable material. The pattern-receiving material may be removed after its use, or it may be left in position.

In all embodiments of the invention, where a component is to be removed, then at least one of abutting surfaces may be coated with a release agent. The release agent may be a silicone-release agent or any other suitable release agent. The release agent may be in the form of a release film. The release agent may be formed as part of the component containing the release surface, so that, for example, the release agent may be part of a mould.

Where components are removed, the resulting surface from which the component has been removed may have a frosty appearance. This can be avoided by the use of appropriate materials in combination, for example silicone and a silicone release film.

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

Figure 1 illustrates a first example of the process of the present invention, and shows how various components are brought together for the manufacture of the decorative sheet material;

Figure 2 shows a pattern as produced in a hot melt adhesive during the process steps shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows the reverse side of the pattern shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows laminating apparatus for laminating together the parts of the decorative sheet material shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 illustrates a second example of the process of the present invention, and shows how various components are brought together for the manufacture of the decorative sheet material; and

Figure 6 is a section through decorative sheet glass material which is in the form of a double glazed unit and which has been produced by the process of the present invention; Referring to Figures 1 - 4, there is shown an example of a process for manufacturing decorative sheet glass material, with the process comprising providing a sheet of glass 2, and providing at least one layer 4 of a hot melt adhesive on a first side 6 of the sheet of glass 2. As shown in Figure 1 , there are two of the layers 4, with a second layer 4 being provided on top of a first layer 4. Both layers 4 are thus on the first side 6 of the sheet of glass 2.

The process further comprises providing a pattern former 8 having a pattern 10. The pattern former 8 is placed as shown where it is indirectly in contact with the layers 4 of hot melt adhesive on the first side 6 of the sheet of glass 2. A sheet 12 of a pattern-receiving material is positioned between the pattern former 8 and the layers 4 of the holt melt adhesive.

The process of the present invention comprises providing laminating apparatus 14 which provides heat and suction. As shown jn Figure 4, the laminating apparatus 14 has apertured sheet material 16 only on a second side 18 of the sheet of glass 2. The second side 18 of the sheet of glass 2 is opposite the first side 6 of the sheet of glass 2 as can best be appreciated from Figure 1.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the apertured sheet material 16 may be provided on the second side 18 of the sheet of glass 2, and also on the side 9 of the pattern former 8 as shown in Figure 1. This may advantageously provide increased suction to create a tighter seal between the sheet of glass 2 and the pattern former 8.

In the process of the invention, the laminating apparatus 14 is operated to cause the heat and suction to suck together the pattern former 8, the layers 4 of the hot melt adhesive, and the sheet of glass 2. This causes the pattern 10 on the pattern former 8 to be provided on the sheet 12 of the pattern-receiving material. Also, the sheet 12 of the pattern-receiving material becomes adhered to the uppermost layer 4 of the hot melt adhesive. Also, the upper layer 4 of the hot melt adhesive becomes adhered to the lowermost layer 4 of the hot melt adhesive, and the lowermost layer of the hot melt adhesive becomes adhered to the sheet of glass 2.

The sheet 12 of the pattern-receiving material is a sheet of a metal, with the metal preferably being aluminium, copper or brass. Other metals may be used.

In various embodiments of the invention, the sheet 12 of the pattern- receiving material may be left on the produced decorative sheet glass material, or it may be removed from the decorative sheet glass material. If the sheet 12 of the pattern-receiving material is removed, then a release agent such for example as a silicone release agent may be employed to facilitate the removal of the sheet 12 of the pattern-receiving material.

In various embodiments of the invention, the pattern former 8 may be left on the manufactured decorative sheet glass material, or it may be removed from the decorative sheet glass material.

In various embodiments of the invention, the sheet 12 of the pattern receiving material may be omitted. In this case, the pattern former 8 directly contacts the uppermost layer 4 of the hot melt adhesive.

In various embodiments of the invention, the pattern in the layers 4 of the hot melt adhesive may be coloured. The pattern may be coloured with any colour or combination of colours, and with any suitable material or combination of materials. The colouring may be effected using different coloured layers 4 of the hot melt adhesive.

The layers 4 together form a total thickness which is suitable for receiving the pattern 10. A required number of layers 4 may be used to achieve the required total thickness of the hot melt adhesive.

The hot melt adhesive is EVA but it may alternatively be PVB, or any other suitable hot melt adhesive.

The pattern former 8 may be made of a metal such for example as aluminium or copper. Alternatively, the pattern former 8 may be made of paper such for example as wallpaper. Alternatively, the pattern former 8 may be made of a fabric material such for example as silk fabric, nylon fabric or cotton fabric. Other materials may be employed for the pattern former 8.

The sheet of glass 2 may be 6mm thick. Thicker or thinner sheets of glass may be employed. The sheet of glass may be toughened glass.

The decorative sheet glass material may be in the form of an article such as a table top, a work surface, a wall panel, flooring, a wall mounted article, a screen, a balustrading unit, a kitchen splashback screen, a kitchen unit door, a wall tile, or a shower panel. The decorative sheet glass material may be in the form of wall cladding, for example for interior or exterior use. Where the decorative sheet glass material is to be subject to moisture, water or the environment, as for example in the case of exterior wall cladding, then the decorative sheet glass material may be sealed. The sealing may take the form of rear face sealing on the side of the decorative sheet glass material opposite the sheet of glass 2. Additionally or alternatively, the sealing may also be edge sealing around the edges of the decorative sheet glass material. The rear face sealing may be provided by any protection sheet material, for example a backing sheet. Where the rear face of the manufactured decorative sheet glass material is to be viewed, for example as in the case of a screen or a balustrading unit, then any required protection and sealing will normally be such that the sealed side of the manufactured decorative sheet glass material is attractive to look at. This may be effected, for example, by using another sheet of transparent material, for example glass or transparent acrylic material.

The manufactured decorative sheet glass material will usually be rectilinear, for example square, rectangular, hexagonal or octagonal. However, the manufactured decorative sheet glass material may be of a non-rectilinear shape if desired, and thus the decorative sheet glass material may be circular, elliptical, or of irregular form with various curved and/or straight peripheral edge portions. The required shape of the decorative sheet glass material may be obtained during initial manufacture, in which case the sheet of glass 2 will be of the required shape. Alternatively, the sheet of glass 2 may be an oversized sheet of glass which is subsequently cut to one or more required shapes.

The apertured sheet material 16 is a net but other apertured sheet materials may be employed.

The laminating apparatus 14 shown in Figure 4 has only been shown schematically. This is because laminating apparatus is well known. Where the laminating apparatus 14 differs from known laminating apparatus is that the laminating apparatus 14 shown in Figure 4 only has the apertured sheet material 16 on the second side 18 of the sheet of glass 2.

If the pattern former is delicate, for example as in the case of paper, this might create issues with the apertured sheet material if the apertured sheet material is placed on top of the pattern former. The apertures from the apertured sheet material might show and create an undesirable impression on the pattern former due to the suction and heat employed. If desired, in the process of the present invention, a solid pattern former may be used, whereby the use of the apertured sheet material on the first side of the glass and the top of the pattern former will not create any undesirable issues.

Prior to operation of the laminating apparatus 14, the assembly of parts to form the final decorative sheet glass material and also the apertured sheet material 16 are placed inside what is effectively a rubber bag 20 having an upper layer 22 and a lower layer 24. The upper layer 22 is raised as indicated by arrow 26 to allow the insertion of the components onto the lower layer 24 as indicated by the arrow 28. The upper layer 22 is then replaced on the lower layer 24, and the two layers 22, 24 are sealed. The rubber bag 20 is then put back into the body 30 of the laminating apparatus 14, and then the laminating apparatus 14 can be caused to operate to provide the required heat and suction.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown an example of components being brought together in the process of the present invention for manufacturing decorative sheet glass material. Similar parts as in Figures 1 - 4 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown how the process of the present invention may be used to produce a double glazing unit that may be used, for example, in windows and doors. More specifically, there is shown a section through decorative sheet glass material in the form of a double glazed unit 32. The double glazed 32 comprises a sheet of glass 34. The sheet of glass 34 has a pattern 36 on its inside face 38. The pattern 36 has been provided on the inside face 38 of the sheet of glass 34 as described above. More specifically, the pattern 36 is in a layer or layers (not shown) of a hot melt adhesive in the form of EVA.

The double glazed unit 32 has a rear protective sheet of glass 40. The sheets of glass 34, 40 are of toughened glass. The use of toughened glass provides a good safety feature. The sheets of glass 34, 40 are spaced apart to define a cavity 42. The cavity 42 may have a vacuum or it may be filled with an inert gas of the type used in known double glazed units. The sheets of glass 34, 40 are spaced apart by a dessicant-filled spacing tape 44. The double glazed unit 32 is sealed by a seal 46.

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. The decorative sheet glass material produced with reference to Figures 1 - 4 and Figure 5 has been described using laminating apparatus 14 to provide the required heat and suction to press together of the pattern former 8, the layers of the hot melt adhesive 4, and the sheet of transparent material 2. Alternatively, the required heat and pressure may be effected in an autoclave. 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. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and/or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.