Decorative tile and decorative printing thereof
US5916662A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 7, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/24876
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A decorative tile is made of molded hard urethane foam, having a surface patterned with smooth areas interrupted by surface textures, and colored by a coloring agent which is concentrated within the surface textures and thinly covers the smooth areas, so as to produce the convincing appearance of a weathered, aged stone tile. The surface of this tile (and other conventional tiles) is decorated in an automated fashion, by printing a clear sheeting with an electrostatic ink in a color laser printer, and then compressing the sheeting against the tile surface in a high temperature press to heat transfer the sheeting to the surface of the tile. This resulting product is a durable, light weight tile having a protected printed surface, indistinguishable from hand painted stone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.