Jointable arcuate veneer wood panels

Abstract

The present invention relates to wood laminate panels, a system of two or more panels joined permanently together, the method of making the panels and the fabrication of object with the panels. The wood laminate panel comprises an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and extending a length thereof, the body having an arcuate cross-section in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and comprising first and second spaced apart edge surfaces extending along the length of the elongated body and each including a joint, the attachment joint having a shape that is complementary to that of the second edge surface such that the wood laminate panel is permanently jointable with an adjacent identical laminate panel through an engagement of adjacent complementary edge surfaces.

1 . A wood laminate panel comprising:
 an elongated body having a longitudinal axis and extending a length thereof, the body having an arcuate cross-section in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis defined by:
 a first and second spaced apart curved surfaces, the first surface being concave and the second surface being convex, 
 first and second spaced apart edge surfaces interconnecting longitudinal ends of the first and second curved surfaces; 
   wherein the first and the second spaced apart surface edges extend along the length of the elongated body and each include an attachment joint, the attachment joint of the first spaced apart surface edge having a shape that is complementary to that of a second spaced apart edge surface of a second wood laminate panel such that the wood laminate panel is permanently bonded with the second laminate panel through an engagement of adjacent complementary edge surfaces and such that the first and second spaced apart curved surfaces extend continuously from the attachment joint.   
     
     
         2 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spaced apart surface edges include at least one male profile and a complementary female profile respectively adapted to fit one into the other and jointable with the adjacent identical laminate panel. 
     
     
         3 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 1 , wherein the least one male profile and the complementary female profile are a finger joint comprising two male profiles and at least two female profiles. 
     
     
         4 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 1 , wherein the arcuate cross-section is semi-circular. 
     
     
         5 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 4 , wherein the semi-circular cross-section has an arc-length of less than or equal to 180°. 
     
     
         6 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 5 , wherein the arc-length is selected from the group consisting of 45°, 90°, 120°, and 180°. 
     
     
         7 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 6 , wherein the arc-length is 120°. 
     
     
         8 . The wood laminate panel of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the panel is 8 feet. 
     
     
         9 . A system of wood laminate products, the system comprising:
 at least a first and a second wood laminate panel,   the first and the second wood laminate panel each comprising
 first and second spaced apart curved surfaces, 
 each of the first and second spaced apart curved surfaces having an axial edge surface including an attachment joint that is complementary with the attachment joint of the other wood laminate panel, 
   wherein the attachment joint permanently bonding the first and the second wood laminate panel together through an engagement of the axial edge surfaces and extending the first and second spaced apart curved surfaces.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the wood laminate panel has a semi-circular cross-section with an arc-length of less than or equal to 180°. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wood laminate panel has an arc-length of selected from the group consisting of 45°, 90°, 120°, and 180°. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a third wood laminate panel, wherein the first and the second and the third wood laminate panel each panel has the arc-length of 120°, and are joined to produce a cylindrical cross-section. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first and the second wood laminate panels are attached to produce an S cross-section. 
     
     
         14 . A method of producing an axially jointable edge surface wood laminate panel comprising
 providing a plurality of softwood veneer sheets;   preparing the veneer sheets in a cross-ply arrangement;   providing an adhesive;   applying the adhesive to at least three of the veneer sheets;   aligning the at least three veneer sheets to produce a multilayer adhered flat panel;   pressing the multilayered adhered flat panel into or with an arcuate form to produce a semi-cylindrical panel having two axial edge surfaces; and   profiling the two axial edge surfaces of the semi-cylindrical panel along length of the at least three veneer sheets to produce the jointable wood laminate panel comprising complementary axially jointable edge surfaces.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the profiling of the two axial edge surfaces include at least one male profile and a complementary female profile respectively adapted to fit one into the other and jointable with the adjacent identical laminate panel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the least one male profile and the complementary female profile are a finger joint comprising two male profiles and at least two female profiles. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the softwood veneer sheets have a thickness ⅛″. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the softwood is selected from the group consisting of hemlock, amabilis fir, Douglas fir, SPF and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a wood laminate object comprising the steps of providing a plurality of wood laminate panels of  claim 1 , each having an axial length, and permanently jointing a first axial edge surface of a first panel to a second axial edge surface of a second panel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein jointing the first axial edge surface to the second axial edge surface is with an axial offset of at least 20% of the length of the panel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the panels have an arc length of 120°. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising permanently jointing the first and the second panels together to produce an arc length of 240°. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein permanently jointing a third axial edge surface of a third panel to a non-jointed first and second axial edge surface with an axial offset of at least 20% of the length. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising permanently jointing the first and the second panels together to produce an S-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising permanently jointing a third axial edge surface of a third panel to a non-jointed first axial edge surface and a fourth axial edge surface of a fourth panel to a non-jointed second axial edge surface to producing a tear drop shaped cross-sectional member.