WO1994001290A1

WO1994001290A1 - Decorative article

Info

Publication number: WO1994001290A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/001149
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Mitchell
Original assignee: Grinter, Simon, John; Kneller, Robert
Priority date: 1992-07-01
Filing date: 1993-05-28
Publication date: 1994-01-20
Also published as: GB9426372D0; GB9213952D0; AU4338393A; GB2283707A

Abstract

A decorative article, especially a lampshade or a panel therefor, comprises a substantially rigid, preferably light-transmissive, substrate to which is applied a decorative material such as a netting or lace fabric to which may be applied a pattern, the decorative material being contained in and adhered to the substrate by a cured polymeric resin.

Description

DECORATIVE ARTICLE

This invention relates to decorative articles, that is, articles the appearance of which is intended to be aesthetically pleasing. The invention is especially applicable to lampshades and lamp bases.

It is already known to provide a decorative effect to a substantially smooth surface by painting, printing, stencilling and the like. Articles which are suitable for such decoration include items of furniture, game-boards including game-board patterns applied direct to a horizontal playing surface as part of an item of furniture, lampshades, lamp bases, decorative bowls, vases, ceramic tiles and so on. The only common feature of such surfaces is that they are essentially smooth and non-resilient (albeit possibly pliable) , such that a traditional surface coating may satisfactorily be applied thereto.

Whereas it is already known to apply reinforcement in the form of a fabric material to a panel in sheet or strip form, we have now found that superior decorative effects may be achieved by the application of a fabric material to a substrate which includes a curve about at least one axis, such as a lampshade or a component part thereof, or a lamp base.

According to the invention, therefore, a decorative article comprises a substrate in substantially rigid form and having a decorative material applied to a surface thereof, the substrate having a curve about at least one axis and the material being adhered to the substrate by a cured polymeric resin. The substrate is preferably light-transmissive, that is, either translucent or transparent.

Preferably, the article is a lampshade or a curved component part or segment thereof, such that a superior decorative effect is obtained when illuminated from within the shade. Alternatively, the article may be a lamp base.

The invention also includes articles such as lampshades when made from one or more individual pieces of substrate on one surface of which is applied a decorative material adhered to the substrate by a polymeric resin. Where more than one piece of substrate are used, they are joined or connected together to constitute the finished article.

The substrate may have a constant radius of curvature or a varying radius of curvature and may be formed with a curve about more than one axis, either mutually parallel or disposed at an angle to each other for example orthogonally. Alternatively, the substrate surface may be facetted, such that a general curve is imparted by mutually adjacent planar zones or areas disposed angularly to each other.

It has been found that articles according to the invention display an enhanced decorative effect especially when illuminated from behind or from within. The substrate and/or the decorative material may be coloured or may have a pattern applied thereto before the application of the decorative material, thus creating more sophisticated visual effects. The decoration may be applied in known manner to the cured resin surface for particular decorative effects, for example that obtained by application of metal work such as leadwork or copperwork. Furthermore, the resin may be tinted or coloured by the use of known dyes or pigments. The resin preferably substantially contains or encases the decorative material after curing.

The decorative material may comprise paper, foil, or a worked, open fabric, for example knitted or woven fabric such as netting or a looped or knotted fabric such as lace, formed either from a natural or synthetic fibre material, and/or may comprise metal wires or metallic-effect threads worked therein. The decorative material may be plain or may be worked to include a pattern or, alternatively, may have a pattern applied separately as by etching, dyeing or staining, for example by a screen printing technique. The fabrics used are preferably seamless and may comprise a single open piece of fabric or a closed seamless tube of fabric produced, for example, by knitting with circular needles.

The polymeric resin which adheres the decorative material to the substrate may itself be coloured or tinted. The resin may comprise a water-soluble acrylic polymer or a resin which is soluble in organic solvents, such resins including polyurethanes and epoxy resins. Depending on the intended application, the resin may be selected such that when cured it is resistant to boiling water, acids, alkalis, solvents or greases and generally durable in aggressive environments, thus contributing enhanced strength to the article as well as decoration. The resin may include dispersion agents, dryers, solvents or diluents and the like, as required.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a decorative article comprises applying to a surface of a substantially rigid substrate having a curve about at least one axis a film of a resin composition and a decorative material and curing the resin composition.

The resin composition may be applied to the substrate by any convenient technique such as brushing, rolling or spraying. Preferably, the composition is applied as a first layer or film, followed by application of the decorative material, followed by a second layer or film of the resin composition, either before or after the first layer is fully cured. A pressure-applying step may be carried out after the or the first layer or film of resin composition, to ensure that the decorative material is in intimate contact with the substrate through the layer or film of resin composition and is in contact with substantially the whole of the surface of the substrate. The resin may if necessary be thinned, prior to application, to a suitable viscosity by the use of an appropriate solvent, either water or an organic solvent such as a lower ketone containing C. to C, alkyl groups. The substrate is preferably degreased before application of the resin composition.

Drying or curing preferably occurs by chemical cross-linking following evaporation of the more volatile components and may take place event at low temperatures provided that the ambient atmosphere is reasonably dry. The drying or curing rate may be enhanced in an elevated temperature and/or by the use of a forced draught.

When fabric materials are used as the decorative material of the present invention, the mesh size of the fabric materials may vary between 2 to 3 threads per centimetre up to 50 or more threads per centimetre. Patterns may be pre-applied to any of the decorative materials in one or more colours using any suitable application process including screen printing, engraving, and by photographic means. Suitable fabric materials include cottons, rayons, silks, nylons and other polyester or polyamide synthetic fibre-based materials. Additionally or alternatively, the fabric may be worked to contain a pattern in the body of the material itself. Papers or foils for use in the invention may be of various weights and may be plain, coloured, printed, painted, pleated, textured, scored or watermarked (for papers) or engraved (for foils) .

Suitable resins are commercially-available and include "430 Superseal", a polyurethane-based resin available from Northwest Hoist Co.: "WD Bonder", an epoxy resin adhesive available from Conren Ltd.: "Aquasol", an epoxy water-based resin available from Northwest Hoist Co. : and *'Riposeal", an epoxy resin available from Shackerley (Holdings) Ltd., or the resins known commercially as "Lignotex No. 6" and "Fabtac". Such resins are preferably applied at a solids content of 50% diluted with water or a suitable organic solvent such as acetone or methyl ethyl ketone and applied at a wet film thickness of from 2 to 3 microns up to 1 mm or more per coat in two, three or more separate films, the film thickness depending on the application viscosity.

Additional strength may be achieved by further layers of resin and optionally further layers of decorative material.

The surface of articles according to the invention may be contoured according to the texture of the decorative material and the spaces between adjacent fibres, threads or filaments thereof, depending on the thickness and texture of the material the density thereof (that is, the distance between adjacent fibres, threads or filaments) and the amount and viscosity of the uncured resin. For certain applications, it would be desirable for the surface to be substantially smooth.

In articles according to the invention, the substrate is required to be substantially rigid. By this is meant that the substrate should be a hard material such as glass, ceramics or a hard plastics material which, however, due to its thickness or shape, may have a degree of flexure.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only.

In a first embodiment the substrate to be decorated is a hollow glass sphere with opposed openings therein allowing its use as a lampshade.

The glass sphere is sprayed, on the inside, with "Fabtac" liquid resin, at 50% solids. A balloon or air bag coated with a release agent is placed inside a seamless tube of stretchable fabric, in this example a fine stockinette, which has been decorated by dyeing or screen printing. The fabric with the balloon therein is inserted in the sphere and the balloon is inflated so that the fabric is stretched and is urged against the inner surface of the sphere. In this manner the fabric is pressed into the resin layer. The balloon is plugged or knotted so as to maintain the pressure on the fabric and the article is left until the resin is cured. The balloon is then deflated and removed and the fabric is trimmed around the openings of the sphere. After the balloon has been removed, a second layer of resin may be applied. This is desirable, particularly where the resin is heat resistant and the article to be used is a lampshade.

This method may also be used to apply a decoration to a bowl.

Another resin which may be used instead of "Fabtac" is "Lignotex" No. 6.

In another embodiment, a plane panel of stretchable fabric is loosely mounted, for example with a water-soluble adhesive, on a partly inflated balloon which is then inserted into the substrate and fully inflated. The hollow substrate has previously had a coating of liquid resin applied to the interior surface. After curing, the balloon is released from the fabric by application of water to dissolve the adhesive.

In a third embodiment of the invention, the substrate may be a lamp base formed from glass, a plastics or ceramics material, or glazed or unglazed pottery. The substrate is dipped into a bath of liquid resin so that the outside thereof is covered and then removed. A fabric material is then applied to the coated surface and pressure is applied, either by use of a roller or by stretching the material and maintaining it in the stretched condition until the resin has cured. A further application of resin may be made, either before or after the first coating has cured.

This embodiment is particularly suitable for large objects which have an irregular shape and/or have a small, enclosed interior which would render application of the resin by spraying or brushing difficult. Another embodiment is concerned with the decoration of a curved glass panel for use, in conjunction with other such panels, in the manufacture of a lampshade. A glass panel of generally triangular shape and formed from a sheet of glass having a part-spherical curvature is coated on its inner or concave surface with a liquid resin composition and a decorated fabric material is urged into intimate contact therewith by a suitably-contoured pad or roller. After curing, excess material is trimmed away from the edges. The material may be a pre-printed cotton or linen fabric, or a lace or net material, to one side of which has been applied a pattern by, for example, screen printing. When such panels are used in the manufacture of a lampshade, it has been found that, particularly where the fabric is a lace or net material and the material is applied to the glass with the printed side facing outwardly through the glass, the appearance of the design is different as between ambient light incident on the lampshade on the one hand and the shade being illuminated from within on the other hand. Under ambient light conditions, the colours appear more intense whereas under back-lighting conditions the colours appear more pastel, thus creating an aesthetically-pleasing contrast as between the two conditions.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which depicts a table lamp with a lampshade formed from decorated panels made according to the method described immediately above.

In the drawing, the lamp has a lamp base 10 of known type with a shade shown generally at 11 attached thereto; 12 represents the light bulb, parts of which are visible through gaps in the shade. The shade has a brass frame consisting of curved frame members 13 having a generally triangular shape attached at their apexes to an upper support member 14. A curved glass panel 15 is disposed within the area defined by each generally triangular frame member 13 by means of a central lower clip 16; the upper part of the panel is received by the support member 14. The disposition of the panel 15 within the frame member 13 is such as to leave gaps 17 at the sides of the panel, between the panel side edges and the frame, but such a disposition is of course optional. As illustrated, each panel 15 is of generally triangular form with rounded corners and a re-entrant or scalloped lower edge 18; the panels have a part-spherical curvature. Each panel has applied to its concave side a pre-printed fabric material which, in the illustrated embodiment, is netting worked to an irregular pattern.

Claims

1. A decorative article comprising a substrate in substantially rigid form and having a decorative material applied to a surface thereof, the substrate having a curve about at least one axis and the material being contained in a cured polymeric resin.

2. An article according to Claim 1, in which the article is a lampshade or a curved component part or segment thereof.

3. An article according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the substrate has a radius of curvature about at least one axis.

4. An article according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the substrate is facetted to impart thereto a general curvature imparted by mutually adjacent planar zones disposed at an angle to each other.

5. An article according to any preceding claim, in which the decorative material comprises a fabric material.

6. An article according to Claim 5, in which the fabric material has a pattern applied thereto.

7. An article according to any preceding claim, in which the resin is coloured or tinted.

8. An article according to any preceding claim, in which the resin comprises a water-soluble acrylic polymer.

9. An article according to any of claims 1 to 7, in which the resin comprises a polyurethane or an epoxy resin.

10. A method for the manufacture of a decorative article as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9, the method comprising applying to a surface of a substantially rigid substrate having a curve about at least one axis a film of a resin composition and a decorative material and curing the resin composition.

11. A method according to Claim 10 in which the substrate is hollow and the fabric material is urged into contact with the concave face thereof by means of an inflatable bladder which is removed after the resin is cured.

12. A lampshade comprising one or more substantially rigid light-transmissive elements having at least one axis of curvature, the substrate having applied to a surface thereof a decorative material contained in a cured polymeric resin.