Light transmissive bendable wood panel

Abstract

A light transmissive bendable panel is produced by providing a transparent or translucent bendable panel and adhesively attaching to both sides of the panel a light transmissive wood layer.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a light transmissive, bendable panel comprising the steps:
 providing a planar, light transmissive, bendable non-wood substrate having a first side and a second side;   attaching a light transmissive face layer made of wood to the first side of said substrate using a first adhesive; and   attaching a light transmissive back layer made of wood to the second side of said substrate using a second adhesive;   said first adhesive being different from said second adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first adhesive has a lower viscosity than the second adhesive. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is transparent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is translucent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the face layer is provided with an adhesive-permeable backing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the backing is paper. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the backing is porous. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the backing is a thin sheet of fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is tinted. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is textured. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a light transmissive, bendable panel comprising the steps of:
 providing a light transmissive non-wood bendable substrate having first face and second face, and configured to support a light transmissive wood face layer and a light transmissive wood back layer;   providing the light transmissive wood face layer and the light transmissive wood back layer;   applying an adhesive permeable backing to one side of said wood face layer;   attaching said wood face layer to said non-wood bendable substrate by a first adhesive so that the backing is next to the first face of said non-wood bendable substrate;   attaching said wood back layer to the second face of said non-wood bendable substrate by a second adhesive to produce an assembly comprising said non-wood bendable substrate sandwiched between said wood face layer and said wood back layer; and   compressing the assembly to produce said light transmissive bendable panel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising forming one or more thinner areas in said wood face layer, the one or more thinner areas configured to pass additional light through said wood face layer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising securing a light source behind said wood back layer of said light transmissive, bendable panel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising bending said light transmissive bendable wood panel around a curved structure. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising fastening said light transmissive bendable wood panel to the curved structure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said wood face layer, said non-wood bendable substrate, and said wood back layer are compressed between two plates for a time period sufficient to cure the first adhesive and the second adhesive. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said first adhesive and said second adhesive are cured by application of heat. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the first adhesive has a lower viscosity than the second adhesive. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the backing is attached to the one side of said word face layer using the first adhesive. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said wood face layer and said wood back layer are the same.