EP2200478B2 - Edge strip for pieces of furniture - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a piece of furniture with an edge strip.

Such edge strips are, for example, from the DE 34 02 923 A1 , EP 1 080 854 B1 or DE 199 40 329 A1 known.

The EP 1 479 524 B1 discloses a chipboard with a plastic edge band. The publication EP 0125336 A1 further discloses a profile or edge strip for covering furniture panels or the like. A rigid strip body of this profile or edge strip has an outer zone which forms the visible side and is partially flexible and which is covered with a decorative film. The strip body comprises two recesses running in the longitudinal direction of the strip, which extend from the inside of the strip into the strip body so far that the width of the profile strip can be reduced by pressing the recesses together. The recesses are slot-shaped and have a wedge-shaped cross-section and taper towards the outer zone. The DE 87 00 536 U1 reveals an edge strip for the furniture industry.

Conventional edge strips are produced in such a way that they are approximately 2 to 4 mm wider than the thickness of a furniture board. For example, the furniture board is 25 mm thick, while the edge strip is approximately 28 mm wide. After the edge strip has been glued to the front of the furniture board, the protruding edge of the edge strip is milled flush using various, well-known processing machines. This means that approximately 10 to 20% of the edge strip is removed during post-processing.

Another disadvantage is that the processing machine has a long machine length and high investment costs due to the extensive post-processing.

The optical impression is also disturbed by the milling, since the base material of the edge strip creates a kind of frame between the decor of the edge strip and the decor of the furniture board (so-called picture frame effect), on which no decor can be seen.

The invention is based on the object of eliminating the disadvantages of the prior art and providing a correspondingly improved piece of furniture.

To solve this problem, the invention provides the piece of furniture according to the features of claim 1.

During production, the edge strip is already made to the thickness of the piece of furniture and is decorated in the transition area, which creates a smooth transition between the top of the edge strip and the top of the piece of furniture. In order to adapt it to a specific application, no material-removing post-processing of the narrow sides of the edge strip is required, so that the decoration is not removed in the transition section and the aims and objectives of the invention defined at the beginning are achieved or solved.

Further preferred embodiments of the present invention are claimed in the subclaims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the transition section has a curvature, preferably a curvature with a constant radius of curvature. This measure has the advantage that such a curvature is easy to produce due to the geometric regularity and that the decoration can be applied conveniently and economically.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the transition section has a surface that is inclined relative to the underside. This measure has the advantage that such an edge strip achieves a particularly high-quality visual impression, e.g. due to light reflections on the inclined surface, and the surface is easy to decorate using conventional methods.

According to the invention, the transition region directly borders on an edge of the base body, i.e. an edge of the upper side of the base body and/or an edge of the lower side of the base body.

This measure has the advantage that a smooth transition to a surface of a piece of furniture adjacent to the edge strip can be achieved.

According to the invention, the decoration covers the entire surface of the transition section. This measure has the advantage that the transition section can be provided with a decoration that extends to the edge of the edge strip, thus creating a correspondingly high-quality appearance.

According to the invention, the decor covers the entire top of the edge strip. This measure has the advantage that the surface of the base body can be sealed at the same time by the decor.

The invention relates to a piece of furniture, the decoration of which is printed on. This measure has the advantage that the printing technology, in particular an inkjet printing technology, but also the so-called digital printing for round surfaces, is particularly suitable for mass production.

According to the invention, the base body is made of plastic. This measure has the advantage that such materials can be easily shaped and are particularly suitable for use as edge strips on high-quality pieces of furniture.

According to the invention, the base body is an extruded profile made of plastic. This measure has the advantage that such an extruded profile can be produced particularly economically as a strand-like extrudate in a continuous process.

The intended cross-sectional shape of the edge strip is produced particularly advantageously using the extrusion process or the co-extrusion process with high dimensional accuracy.

According to the invention, the base body comprises polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), styrene-butadiene (SB), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and/or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This measure has the advantage that such materials are economical and particularly easy to process, particularly for processing by extrusion and/or coextrusion.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a piece of furniture according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the edge strip has a width of 10 mm to 150 mm, preferably 15 mm to 50 mm, preferably 20 mm to 30 mm. This measure has the advantage that the most common applications for pieces of furniture are covered by the edge strips with such widths.

The invention relates to a piece of furniture with an edge strip according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the edge strip is applied to an edge of the piece of furniture. This measure has the advantage that the edge strip visually covers and protects the edge of the furniture, in particular when it is a cut edge of the piece of furniture, for example preventing moisture from entering the piece of furniture via the covered edge.

The top of the piece of furniture is usually more visible to an observer than, for example, the bottom of the piece of furniture.

The invention relates to a piece of furniture according to one of the preceding embodiments, wherein an edge of the edge strip lies flush with at least one edge of the edge of the piece of furniture. This measure has the advantage that the edge strip creates a smooth transition between the edge strip and the piece of furniture without reworking an upper visible edge, so that the visual appearance or the decoration of the edge strip is not impaired.

Short description of the attached drawings

• Figures 1 to 4 show preferred cross-sectional shapes of the edge strip in a section transverse to the longitudinal or extension direction of the edge strip.
• Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a furniture panel with the edge strip applied to one edge of the panel.
• Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the furniture panel with the edge strip applied to the panel edge, to illustrate post-processing of the applied edge strip.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The invention relates to a piece of furniture with an edge strip. The edge strip comprises a base body 1 with a bottom 2 that can be placed on a piece of furniture 6 and an upper side 3, 4 facing away from the bottom 2, wherein the upper side 3, 4 has at least one transition section 3 that slopes down towards an edge UR, OR of the base body 1, wherein the transition section 3 has a decoration 5 at least in sections. The term "transition section" is to be understood in the context of this description as referring to the surface section of a section of the base body 1 in which a thickness of the base body 1 changes in the direction of a width. The term "sloping down towards an edge" in this context means that the thickness of the base body 1 decreases towards a lateral edge UR, OR. The transition section 3 can have a curvature or form an inclined plane to the bottom 2 or to a contact plane defined by the bottom 2.

The distance between the lateral edges of the base body 1 (i.e. the distance between the upper edges OR and the distance between the lower edges UR) is referred to as the width of the base body 1 or the width of the edge strip. An extension of the base body 1 perpendicular to a contact plane defined by the underside 2 is referred to as the thickness of the base body 1 or the thickness of the edge strip.

The Figures 1 to 4 show preferred cross-sectional shapes of the edge strip in a cross-section perpendicular to the respective longitudinal direction L of the edge strip.

The base body 1 of the edge strip is made of plastic.

In the embodiments described below, the base body 1 of the edge strip is an extrusion profile made of a plastic (mixture) of the materials polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC)), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and/or styrene butadiene (SB). The edge strip is extruded in an extrusion device with a width between 10 mm and 150 mm, preferably 15 mm to 50 mm, preferably 20 to 30 mm, calibrated and cooled.

The underside 2 of the base body 1 defines a contact plane and is preferably flat in order to be brought into contact with an edge 7 of a piece of furniture 6. The underside 2 is laterally delimited by the lower edges UR. The upper side 3, 4 is laterally delimited by the upper edges OR.

The decoration 5 is preferably a color print applied using an inkjet process. Any color print pattern can be displayed. The color printing device preferably works with digital technology, i.e. image files can be provided from a computer device for printing on the base body 1.

To improve the adhesion of the decoration 5 to the base body 1 of the edge strip, suitable measures are preferably taken, such as a corona treatment and/or the application of an adhesion promoter to the base body 1 before applying the decoration 5. To protect the decoration 5, the decoration 5 can be subsequently coated with a clear varnish. Multi-layer decorations or varnishes to create a spatial effect are also understood as decoration 5 in the sense of this invention.

A first embodiment of the edge strip is described below with reference to Figure 1 described.

The base body 1 of the edge strip comprises the underside 2 that can be placed on the piece of furniture 6, the upper side 3, 4 facing away from the underside 2, wherein the upper side 3, 4 has two transition sections 3 and a flat section 4. The underside 2 of the base body 1 is flat. In this embodiment, an upper edge OR coincides with a lower edge UR.

The transition sections 3 each have a curvature with a constant radius of curvature and each run from an edge OR of the base body 1 over a width A to the flat section 4, which extends parallel to the underside 2. The flat section 4 spans a width B and extends between the two transition sections 3. The transition sections 3 thus slope down from the flat section 4 towards an edge OR. The thickness of the edge strip in the area of the flat section 4 is between 1 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 3 mm. The radius of curvature of the curvature of the transition section 3 preferably corresponds to the thickness of the base body 1 in the area of the flat section 4, i.e. the distance of the flat section 4 from the underside 2 of the base body 1. The ratio A/B is preferably approximately 0.2 to 1.0.

The decoration 5 covers and conceals the entire upper side 3, 4 of the edge strip, i.e. both the flat section 4 and the two transition sections 3. The edge strip has a mirror-symmetrical structure.

A second embodiment of the edge strip is described below with reference to Figure 2 described. In Figure 2 The base body 1' of the edge strip has a substantially lens-shaped form. The underside 2' is flat and the top side 3' of the base body 1' opposite the underside 2' is continuously curved between the left upper edge OR and the right upper edge OR. The radius of curvature of the curved top side 3' corresponds approximately to the width of the edge strip. A decoration 5' is applied over the entire top side 3'. In contrast to the first embodiment according to Figure 1 there is no flat section 4. The transition sections 3' slope down from the middle of the edge strip 1 (half the distance between the upper edges OR) to the upper edges OR. In this embodiment, an upper edge OR coincides with a lower edge UR.

Another embodiment of the edge strip is described below with reference to Figure 3 described. According to Figure 3 the edge strip has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. The base body 1" comprises the underside 2" to be brought into contact with the piece of furniture 6, the transition sections 3" immediately adjacent to the lower edges UR or upper edges OR, each with an inclined surface inclined at an acute angle of approximately 45° to the underside 2", and the flat section 4" located between the two transition sections 3", which extends parallel to the underside 2" of the edge strip. Each transition section 3" extends from the upper edge OR or lower edge UR over a width A. The flat section 4" extends between the two transition sections 3" over a width B. The ratio A/B is preferably approximately 0.2 to 1.0.

A fourth embodiment of the edge strip is described below with reference to Figure 4 described. According to Figure 4 The edge strip has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape as in Figure 3 , whereby, however, the upper edges OR are spaced from the lower edges UR, so that a narrow side is formed between an upper edge OR and a lower edge UR of the edge strip.

Fig. 5 shows a piece of furniture 6 according to the invention with an edge strip that is applied to an edge 7 of the piece of furniture 6. The piece of furniture 6 is a chipboard/MDF/wooden board. The edge strip is preferably produced with an oversize of less than 0.7 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.3 mm over the board width and is moved to the edge 7 of the piece of furniture 6 in such a way that it ends flush with an edge edge, ie flush with the top 8 of the furniture board 6.

The assembly state of the edge strip is clearly shown in the sectional view of the Figure 6 shown.

The mounted edge strip is flush with the upper edge OR, i.e. flush with the top 8 of the piece of furniture 6, and completely covers the edge 7. This creates a smooth transition at the upper edge between the top 8 of the piece of furniture 6 and the top 3, 4 of the edge strip.

Due to the excess of the edge strip, a slight overhang may occur at the lower edge or underside 9 of the piece of furniture 6, which is removed by means of abrasive machining.

The outline of the assembled edge strip before subsequent machining for adaptation to the specific application is shown with the dashed line. The outline of the assembled and reworked edge strip is shown with the solid line.

During machining, the lower, longitudinal visible edge of the edge strip is subsequently profiled and, for example, rounded, so that the edge strip also ends flush with the lower edge, i.e. flush with the underside 9 of the piece of furniture 6. During machining of the edge strip, the decor 5 is removed in the transition section 3 on the lower visible edge of the edge strip. The underside of the respective table top or kitchen worktop is difficult to see, particularly when the edge strip is used to cover table edges or edges of kitchen worktops.

Therefore, it is not detrimental to the visual appearance of the edge strip if only the lower visible edge of the edge strip is reworked to be flush with the underside 9 of the panel 6. It goes without saying that the edge strips must be cut in accordance with the Figures 2 to 4 in the same way as the edge strip according to Figure 1 be mounted, although in Figure 6 only the application and installation of the edge strip according to Figure 1 shown.

The preferred manufacture and application of the edge strip is described below.

To produce the edge strip, a base body 1 is prepared according to the Figures 1 to 4 e.g. produced as an extrusion profile made of plastic. For this purpose, a plastic material is melted and extruded. The shaping takes place in an extrusion tool and downstream, preferably water-filled calibration devices in order to give the base body 1 its intended cross-sectional shape with high dimensional accuracy. In a downstream decoration application device with e.g. digital color printing device, the top side 3, 4 of the Edge strip is first pre-treated to improve adhesion and receptivity for decor 5.

For this purpose, the upper side 3, 4 of the base body 1 is subjected to a corona treatment or plasma treatment and/or treated with an adhesion promoter. A decoration 5 is then applied over the entire upper side 3, 4 of the base body 1, so that the decoration 5 completely covers and conceals the upper side 3, 4 of the base body 1. In particular, the decoration 5 extends directly to both upper edges OR of the edge strip. The base body 1 is sealed in the process. In order to protect the decoration 5 against scratches or other mechanical influences, a clear varnish can be applied after the decoration 5 has been printed and can be hardened, for example, by ultraviolet radiation. The edge strip is then attached with the underside 2 to the edge 7 of the piece of furniture 6, for example by gluing or welding, and is arranged in such a way that an edge OR, UR of the base body 1 of the edge strip is flush with the upper edge of the piece of furniture 6, i.e. with the top 8 of the piece of furniture 6. On the underside 9 of the piece of furniture 6, a slight overhang may arise due to an excess of the edge strip, which is subsequently removed by means of machining, so that the edge strip is also flush with the underside 9 of the furniture panel 6.

In this case, the decoration 5 is removed from the lower, longitudinal edge of the edge strip, particularly in the area of the transition section 3. As a rule, the underside 9 of the piece of furniture 6 is not visible, so that the removal of material or decoration on the edge strip in the transition section 3 adjacent to the underside 9 of the piece of furniture 6 is not perceived as disadvantageous.

In particular, the decor 5 in the transition section 3 on the upper, longitudinal edge of the edge strip remains unaffected.

Claims (4)

1. Piece of furniture (6) having an edge moulding, wherein the edge moulding comprises a base body (1) with a lower side (2) that can be placed against a piece of furniture (6) and an upper side (3, 4) facing away from the lower side (2), wherein the upper side (3, 4) has at least one transition section (3) sloping down towards an edge (UR, OR) of the base body (1),in which a thickness of the base body (1) changes in the direction of a width, wherein the transition section (3) directly adjoins an edge (UR, OR) of the base body (1) and has a decoration (5) at least in sections, wherein the decoration (5) is printed on the base body (1) of the edge moulding and the upper side (3, 4) of the base body (1) completely covers the edge moulding, wherein the base body (1) is an extrusion profile made of plastic, wherein the base body (1) is made of polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), alcrynitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), styrene-butadiene (SB), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and/or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), wherein this previously printed edge moulding is applied with its lower side (2) to an edge (7) of the piece of furniture (6) formed as a furniture panel, wherein at least one edge (OR, UR) of the base body (1) of the edge moulding lies flush against an edge of the edge (7) of the piece of furniture (6), so that the mounted edge moulding is flush with the upper edge (OR), i.e. flush with the upper side (8) of the piece of furniture (6) and completely covers the edge (7), wherein an overhang is created at the lower edge (UR) or on the lower side (9) of the piece of furniture (6) due to an oversize of the edge moulding, wherein a maximum overhang of the edge moulding over a rim of the edge (7) of the piece of furniture (6) is approximately 0.7 mm, wherein the lower visible edge of the edge moulding on the longitudinal edge side is subsequently profiled and rounded by means of machining, so that the edge moulding is also flush with the lower edge (UR), i.e. flush with the lower side (9) of the piece of furniture (6).
2. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that the transition section (3) has a curvature, preferably a curvature with a constant radius of curvature.
3. Piece of furniture (6) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition section has a surface inclined in relation to the lower side (2).
4. Piece of furniture (6) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base body (1) of the edge moulding has a width of 10 to 150 mm, preferably 15 to 50 mm, more preferably 20 to 30 mm.

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