Claims
- 1. A method for creating an embossed textured article comprising:
mechanically embossing a mechanically embossed texture into the article; quantifying the mechanically embossed texture and determining a resulting profile; and controlling the mechanically embossed texture into the article whereby the resulting profile corresponds to a predetermined profile range.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
chemically embossing a surface texture onto the article; and quantifying the chemically embossed surface texture to determine a profile of the embossed textured article.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the mechanically embossed texture includes cooling the mechanically embossed textured article.
- 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mechanically embossed texture and the chemically embossed texture includes valley features and peak features and the steps of quantifying the mechanically embossed texture and the chemically embossed texture include quantifying the valley features and peak features.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of quantifying the valley features and peak features includes determining a depth of valley features and the distance between adjacent peak features.
- 6. The method of claim 4, further including characterizing valley features and peak features as chemical embossing or mechanical embossing.
- 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the characterization includes comparing the quantified valley features and peak features to predetermined value ranges.
- 8. The method of claim 4, further including determining the number of peak features and valley features in a segment of the article.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes a continuous feedback.
- 10. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of controlling the mechanical embossing texture includes wrapping the article around a portion of a cooled embossing roll and controlling the period of time during which the article contacts the cooled embossing roll.
- 11. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of quantifying the mechanical embossed texture includes differentiating between the chemically embossed features and mechanically embossed features.
- 12. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of controlling the mechanically embossed texture comprises cooling the mechanically embossed article.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of controlling the mechanically embossed texture includes wrapping the article around a portion of a cooled embossing roll and controlling the period of time during which the articles contact the cooled embossing roll.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanically embossed texture includes valley features and peak features and the step of quantifying the mechanically embossed texture includes quantifying the valley features and peak features.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of quantifying the valley features and peak features includes determining a depth of valley features and the distance between adjacent peak features.
- 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the characterization includes comparing the quantified valley features and peak features to predetermined value ranges.
- 17. The method of claim 14, further including determining the number of peak features and valley features in a segment of the article.
- 18. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is continuous.
- 19. An apparatus for mechanically embossing a substrate comprising:
a cooled embossing roller; a backup roller forming with the embossing roller a nip through which the substrate passes to engage the embossing roller for imparting a mechanically embossed texture including valley features and peak features; and a profilometer operatively positioned with the embossing roller to quantify the mechanically embossed texture.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the profilometer includes a laser operatively coupled to a computer.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the profilometer is capable of quantifying the mechanically embossed features and chemically embossed features and differentiating between the chemically embossed features and the mechanically embossed features.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the profilometer is capable of quantifying the mechanically embossed valley features and peak features.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the profilometer is capable of determining the number of peak features and valley features in a segment of the substrate.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means to wrap a substrate around a portion of the cooled embossing roller and controlling the period of time during which the substrate is in contact with the cooled embossing roller.
- 25. A method of making an embossed article comprising:
measuring the surface texture profile of the article prior to mechanically embossing the article; mechanically embossing the article; measuring the surface texture profile of the mechanically embossed article; quantifying the mechanically embossed texture; and adjusting at least one process variable to obtain an embossed texture profile within a predetermined range of texture profiles.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method is continuous.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the continuous method includes feedback to adjust a process variable.
- 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising automatically adjusting at least one process variable.
- 29. The method of claim 25, wherein the method includes wrapping the article around an embossing roll and adjusting the wrap around the embossing roll as the article is being embossed.
- 30. The method of claim 25, wherein the method includes mechanically embossing the article by passing the article through a gap and adjusting the gap setting as the article is being made.
- 31. The method of claim 25, further including adjusting the surface temperature of the article prior to mechanically embossing the article.
- 32. The method of claim 25, wherein the measuring is accomplished using an optical device.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the optical device includes a laser.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the optical device includes a vision system.
- 35. A method of measuring and controlling a mechanical embossed texture profile into a chemically embossed article comprising:
measuring the surface texture profile of the chemically embossed article prior to mechanically embossing the article; mechanically embossing the article; measuring the surface texture profile of the mechanically embossed article; quantifying the mechanically embossed texture; and adjusting a process variable to obtain a desired mechanical embossing texture profile.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the article is a decorative surface covering.
- 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the decorative surface covering is a flooring product.
- 38. The method of claim 35, wherein the quantifying is accomplished by computer analysis of the measured surface texture profile.
- 39. A method for determining the profile of a mechanically and chemically embossed textured article having valley features and peak features comprising:
quantifying the depth of mechanically embossed valley features and the distance between adjacent mechanically embossed peak features; and quantifying the depth of chemically embossed valley features and the distance between adjacent chemically embossed peak features.
- 40. The method of claim 39, further including determining the validity of the valley features and the peak features.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein determining the validity of the valley features and peak features includes comparing the quantified valley features and peak features to predetermined value ranges.
- 42. The method of claim 41, further including determining the number of valid peak features and valley features in a segment of the article.
- 43. The method of claim 42, further including differentiating between the valid chemically embossed features from the valid mechanically embossed features.
- 44. A method of measuring and identifying at least two types of texture from the surface of an article comprising;
scanning the surface of the article with a profilometer and a linear displacement encoder producing an output; feeding the output to a computer; applying a first software filter to the data to generate a first profile; quantifying the features of the first profile; and applying a second software filter to the data to generate a second profile and to quantify texture features.
- 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the profilometer is a laser profilometer.
- 46. The method of claim 44, wherein at least one of the first and second software filters is selected from the group consisting of moving average, frequency, angle, low/high/bandpass filters, subtraction of at least one filtered profile, and combinations thereof.
- 47. The method of claim 44, wherein the sum of the generated, quantified profiles results in the surface texture of the article.
- 48. A method for determining a profile of an embossed textured article having valley features and peak features comprising:
quantifying a mechanically embossed texture by determining an absolute depth of each valley feature and the distance between corresponding adjacent peak features; quantifying the chemically embossed surface texture by determining an absolute depth of each valley feature and the distance between corresponding adjacent peak features; and determining the profile of the embossed textured article.
- 49. The method of claim 48, further including determining the validity of each valley feature and peak feature.
- 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the validity of each valley feature and peak feature includes comparing the quantified valley and peak features to corresponding predetermined values.
- 51. The method of claim 48, further including deterring the number of valid peak features and valley features in a determined segment of the article.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a non-provisional application claiming the benefit of Provisional Application Serial No. 60/396,520, filed Jul. 17, 2002, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60396520 |
Jul 2002 |
US |