Semi-finished wood simulating product and method

Abstract

A semi-finished wood simulating product and method is disclosed. The product is manufactured by providing a substrate having at least one surface to be finished. A liquid basecoat is applied on the substrate and dried. A wood grain pattern is deposited, in liquid form, on the basecoat. Some of the pattern is transferred from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position. The pattern is then cured. A polymerizable protective coating is applied onto the substrate overlying the basecoat and the pattern. The protective coating seals the substrate and is adapted for accepting a colorant to be applied by an end user. The protective coating is then polymerized. Additionally, if a porous substrate is provided, a sealer is applied prior to the liquid basecoat and is then cured.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A semi-finished wood simulating product formed from a substrate, the product having a surface that simulates the appearance and tactile qualities of raw wood and is capable of accepting paint, varnish or stain as applied by an end user, the product produced by the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a substrate having at least one surface to be finished;    b) applying a liquid basecoat on the substrate;    c) drying the basecoat;    d) depositing, in liquid form, a wood grain pattern on the basecoat;    e) transferring some of the pattern from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position;    f) curing the pattern;    g) applying a polymerizable protective coating onto the substrate and overlying the basecoat and the pattern, the protective coating sealing the substrate and adapted for accepting a colorant to be applied by an end user; and    h) polymerizing the protective coating.    
     
     
         2 . A product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate having a porous surface.    
     
     
         3 . A product as produced by the method in  claim 2 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate that is one of a medium density fiberboard and pressboard.    
     
     
         4 . A product as produced by the method in  claim 3 , including the steps of: 
 a) cleaning the surface of the substrate;    b) coating the surface with a sealer; and    c) curing the sealer.    
     
     
         5 . A product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate having a non-porous surface.    
     
     
         6 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 4 , including the step of: 
 providing a sealer having sufficient impermeability to prevent subsequent liquid materials applied thereon from penetrating through the sealer and contacting the substrate.    
     
     
         7 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing a protective coating having sufficient transparency to permit the wood grain pattern to be visible therethrough.    
     
     
         8 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing a protective coating having sufficient porosity to permit the protective coating to absorb and retain a colorant applied thereto.    
     
     
         9 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 depositing the pattern onto the substrate by rotogravure printing, the rotogravure printing utilizing a print cylinder.    
     
     
         10 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 9 , including the step of: 
 causing the print cylinder to roll randomly from one substrate to the next so that the wood grain pattern is deposited randomly relative to the starting edge of the substrate.    
     
     
         11 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the steps of: 
 applying the basecoat in first and second coating layers.    
     
     
         12 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 11 , including the steps of: 
 applying the protective coating in first and second layers.    
     
     
         13 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing an acrylic composition as the sealer.    
     
     
         14 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing as the basecoat a vinyl acrylic copolymer having a controlled viscosity so as to simulate the tactile qualities of raw wood when the basecoat is dry.    
     
     
         15 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 1 , including the step of: 
 providing as the protective coating an acrylic/amino composition.    
     
     
         16 . The product as produced by the method in  claim 12 , including the steps of: 
 a) providing a dwell period following application of the first layer of the basecoat;    b) providing a dwell period following application of the second layer of the basecoat;    c) burnishing the second basecoat layer; and    d) heating the substrate to a temperature sufficient to remove cosolvents from the protective coating.    
     
     
         17 . A semi-finished wood simulating product formed from a substrate, the product having a surface that simulates the appearance and tactile qualities of raw wood and is capable of accepting paint, varnish or stain as applied by an end user, comprising: 
 a) a substrate with a porous surface;    b) a sealing layer coated on said surface;    c) a basecoat on said sealing layer;    d) a wood grain pattern deposited on said basecoat; and    e) a protective coating on said basecoat.    
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said basecoat is a vinyl acrylic copolymer having a controlled viscosity so as to simulate the tactile qualities of raw wood.    
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said sealing layer is an acrylic.    
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said protective costing is sufficiently transparent to permit said wood grain pattern to be visible therethrough.    
     
     
         21 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said protective coating is sufficiently porous to permit said protective coating to absorb and retain a wood stain when applied thereon.    
     
     
         22 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said protective coating is an acrylic amino polymerizable composition.    
     
     
         23 . The product of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said wood grain pattern is deposited randomly relative to an edge of said surface of said substrate.    
     
     
         24 . A method for manufacturing a semi-finished wood simulating product, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a substrate;    b) applying a liquid basecoat on the substrate;    c) drying the basecoat;    d) depositing, in liquid form, a wood grain pattern on the basecoat;    e) transferring some of the pattern from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position;    f) curing the pattern;    g) applying a polymerizable protective coating onto the substrate and overlying the basecoat and the pattern, the protective coating sealing the substrate adapted for accepting a colorant to be applied by an end user; and    h) polymerizing the protective coating.    
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate having a porous surface.    
     
     
         26 . A method as in  claim 25 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate that is one of medium density fiberboard and pressboard.    
     
     
         27 . A method as in  claim 26 , including the steps of: 
 a) cleaning the surface of the substrate;    b) coating the surface with a sealer; and    c) curing the sealer.    
     
     
         28 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing a substrate having a non-porous surface.    
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 27 , including the step of: 
 providing a sealer having sufficient impermeability to prevent liquid materials applied thereon from penetrating through the sealer and contacting the substrate.    
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing a protective coating having sufficient transparency to permit the wood grain pattern to be visible therethrough.    
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing a protective coating having sufficient porosity to permit the protective coating to absorb and retain a colorant applied thereto.    
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 relatively rolling a rotary print cylinder relative to the substrate from a starting edge to an ending edge of said substrate.    
     
     
         33 . A method as in  claim 32 , including the step of: 
 initiating said rolling step so that the rotary print cylinder starts rolling randomly relative to the starting edge such that the wood grain pattern is deposited randomly relative to the starting edge.    
     
     
         34 . The method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 applying the basecoat in at least first and second layers.    
     
     
         35 . The method as in  claim 34 , including the step of: 
 applying protective coating in first and second layers.    
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 35 , including the steps of: 
 a) providing a dwell period following the application of the first basecoat sufficient to permit the first basecoat layer to level;    b) providing a dwell period following application of the second basecoat sufficient to permit the second basecoat layer to level;    c) burnishing the second basecoat layer; and    d) heating the substrate to a temperature sufficient to remove cosolvents from the protective coating.    
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing an acrylic composition as the sealer.    
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing as the basecoat a vinyl acrylic copolymer simulating the tactile qualities of raw wood when dry.    
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 24 , including the step of: 
 providing as the protective coating an acrylic/amino polymerizable composition.