Door skin, a method of etching a plate for forming a wood grain pattern in the door skin, and an etched plate formed therefrom

Abstract

A door skin featuring a facing having an exterior surface and an interior surface can be provided. A wood grain pattern portion can be formed in the exterior surface of the facing. The wood grain pattern portion can feature a plurality of grooves formed in the exterior surface of the facing, the grooves are recessed from a first plane of the exterior surface, and tonal portions formed in the exterior surface of the facing. The tonal portions can include at least a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion. Spacing between the first protrusion and the second protrusion can be different from spacing between the second protrusion and the third protrusion.

1 . A door skin, comprising:
 a door facing comprising a polymeric material and having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the exterior surface containing a wood grain pattern formed therein, the wood grain pattern comprising:   a) a plurality of grooves formed in the exterior surface facing for simulating the appearance of wood ticks, the grooves being recessed from the exterior surface; and   b) tonal portions formed in the exterior surface for simulating the appearance of wood background tone, the tonal portions comprising a plurality of spaced depressions, wherein spacing between the depressions have different widths and depths.   
     
     
         2 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein the tonal portions comprise at least a first depression, a second depression, and a third depression, wherein spacing between the first depression and the second depression is different than spacing between the second depression and the third depression. 
     
     
         3 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein the tonal portions are arrayed in portions of varying density. 
     
     
         4 . The door skin of  claim 3 , wherein the tonal portions have a higher depression density in darker appearing portions and have reduced depression density in lighter appearing portions. 
     
     
         5 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein the depressions are arranged randomly in the exterior surface. 
     
     
         6 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein the depressions are separated from each other by protrusions. 
     
     
         7 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is one of a sheet molding compound and a block molding reinforced by fiberglass. 
     
     
         8 . The door skin of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said tonal portions are disposed between adjacent grooves. 
     
     
         9 . An embossing plate for forming a wood grain pattern into a door skin, the embossing plate comprising:
 a) a metal plate having a first surface;   b) a plurality of ridges etched on the first surface; and   c) tonal portions etched in the first surface of said plate, the tonal portions comprising a plurality of protrusions, wherein spacing between at least some of the protrusions have different widths and heights.   
     
     
         10 . The embossing plate of  claim 9 , wherein the tonal portions comprise at least a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion, wherein spacing between the first protrusion and the second protrusion is different than spacing between the second protrusion and the third protrusion. 
     
     
         11 . The embossing plate of  claim 9 , wherein the ridges are raised from the exterior surface by about 0.001 inches to about 0.003 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The embossing plate of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusions are arranged randomly in the exterior surface. 
     
     
         13 . The embossing plate of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusions are separated from each other by depressions. 
     
     
         14 . The embossing plate of  claim 13 , wherein the depression have depths of about 0.0005 inches to about 0.001 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The embossing plate of  claim 9 , wherein some of said tonal portions are disposed between adjacent ridges. 
     
     
         16 . A method of etching a wood grain pattern into a metal embossing plate, comprising the steps of:
 a) capturing an image of a piece of wood comprising a wood grain pattern, wherein the wood grain pattern comprises ticks and background tones;   b) creating from the image a line art image associated with the ticks of the wood grain pattern;   c) creating from the image a background art image associated with the background tones of the wood grain pattern, said background art image comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein spacing between at least some of the pixels are different from each other;   d) rendering a master image from the line art image and the background art image;   e) creating a pattern transfer from the master image; and   f) etching the metal embossing plate according to said pattern transfer.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step f) produces depressions in areas of a surface of the embossing plate corresponding to the background tones and ridges in areas of the surface of the embossing plate corresponding to ticks. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the master image includes tick portions and background tone portions. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein steps b) to d) are accomplished by photographic or computer modeling techniques.