Method for the manufacture of panels and panels obtained thereby

1 . A method for manufacturing panels, wherein the panels are rectangular, either square or oblong, wherein the panels comprise a substrate and a top layer,

wherein the panels are provided with a first pair of opposite edges, namely a first edge and an opposite second edge, wherein the method comprises steps of:

applying a liquid on at least a part of the first edge, wherein the liquid penetrates to a certain depth in the first edge,

applying lacquer on at least a part of the first edge while the liquid on the first edge is still in a wet state.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein application of the liquid and application of the lacquer are carried out in the same continuous process.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the lacquer is applied at least partly on a surface of the first edge on which liquid has been applied.

4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein after application of the lacquer the method comprises the step of blowing away, sucking away, or combined blowing away and sucking away of wet lacquer that had been applied on an upper surface of the panel during application of the lacquer on the first edge.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein after application of the lacquer, the lacquer is dried, in the same continuous process as application of the lacquer; wherein during drying, the liquid is also dried.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the lacquer is pigmented and/or comprises colourants.

7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the lacquer is a water-based dispersion, or

wherein the lacquer is or comprises an alkyd resin, or wherein the lacquer is solvent-based.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the liquid is solvent-based, and

wherein the solvent comprises one or more of a glycol ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, hydrocarbons, including aliphatic hydrocarbons and/or iso-hydrocarbons, butyl acetate, propyl acetate—including 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate (MMB-AC) or 1-methoxy-propyl acetate (MPA)—a dibasic ester, a glycol diether, a benzoate ester, or a tetramethoxy ether and/or

wherein the solvent has a flash point above 30° C.

9 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprises one or more of an acrylate, a methacrylate, a fluorinated acrylate, a fluorinated methacrylate, a fluorinated acrylate copolymer, a (per)fluoroalkyl (meth)acrylate or a (per)fluoroalky (meth)acrylate copolymer, an alkyd, an epoxy resin, a fluorinated epoxy resin, a styrene acrylate, a urethane acrylate, an alkyd modified with polyurethane, an alkyd modified with fluorine, a styrene butadiene co-polymer or a polysiloxane; wherein according to a (per)fluoroalkyl (meth)acrylate or a (per)fluoroalky (meth)acrylate copolymer, the fluorinated side chains comprise four, five or six carbon atoms that comprise fluorine atoms and/or at least some fluorinated side groups are based on perfluorobutane sulphonic acid.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first edge comprises a lateral edge of the panel and a chamfer,

wherein during application of the liquid, the liquid is applied at least on a part of the lateral edge of the first edge, and

wherein during application of the lacquer, the lacquer is applied at least on a part of the chamfer of the first edge.

11 . The method as in claim 10 , wherein during application of the liquid on at least a part of the lateral edge of the first edge, liquid is also applied on at least a part of the chamfer of the first edge, so that during application of the lacquer on the chamfer of the first edge takes place while the liquid on the chamfer of the first edge is still in the wet state and/or

wherein the chamfer does not comprise the top layer at least over a part of a surface of the chamfer, so that over at least a part of the surface of the chamfer the lacquer is applied on the substrate.

12 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the lateral edge of the first edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the panel,

wherein the second edge comprises a lateral edge,

wherein the lateral edge of the second edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the panel,

wherein the first edge of the panel can be coupled to the second edge of another such panel,

wherein in a coupled state the sealing face of the first edge of the panel comes into contact with or is located close to the sealing face of the second edge of the other such panel;

wherein during application of the liquid, the liquid is applied on at least a part of the sealing face of the first edge.

13 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the panels comprise coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges of the panels,

wherein the coupling parts comprise locking elements, so that the panel can be coupled on the first edge of the panel to the second edge of another such panel,

wherein in a coupled state, locking occurs in a direction perpendicular to a surface of coupled panels and locking also occurs in a plane of the coupled panels and perpendicular to coupled edges;

wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges are configured as overlapping, so that during coupling on the first pair of opposite edges, coupling with pretension is obtained.

14 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the panel;

wherein the second edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the panel,

wherein the first edge of the panel can be coupled to the second edge of another such panel,

wherein in a coupled state the sealing face of the first edge of the panel comes into contact with or is located close to the sealing face of the second edge of the other such panel;

wherein during application of the liquid, on at least a part in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the panel, the liquid is applied on the sealing face of the first edge and on the sealing face of the second edge.

15 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the panels comprise a second pair of opposite edges, namely a third edge and a fourth edge,

wherein the third edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the panel;

wherein the fourth edge comprises a sealing face substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the panel,

wherein the third edge of the panel can be coupled to the third edge of another such panel,

wherein in a coupled state the sealing face of the third edge of the panel comes into contact with or is located close to the sealing face of the fourth edge of the other such panel;

wherein during application of the liquid, on at least a part in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface, the liquid is applied on the sealing face of the third edge and on the sealing face of the fourth edge.

16 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the panels comprise a second pair of opposite edges, namely a third edge and a fourth edge,

wherein one or more or all of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge and the fourth edge comprise a lowered edge in a form of a chamfer,

wherein, where liquid is applied on the edge(s), and the liquid is also applied on the lowered edge.

17 . A panel, wherein the panel is rectangular, either square or oblong,

wherein the panel comprises a substrate and a top layer,

wherein the panel is provided with a first pair of opposite edges, namely a first edge and an opposite second edge,

wherein the panel comprises coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges, so that the panel can be coupled on the first edge of the second edge of another such panel,

wherein a surface of at least one of the first edge and the second edge of the panel comprise a film,

wherein the film has a thickness less than 50 micrometres.

18 . The panel as in claim 17 , wherein the film comprises or is formed by an alkyd, an acrylate, a polyurethane, a polysiloxane, a styrene acrylate, a urethane acrylate, an alkyd modified with fluorine or a styrene-butadiene copolymer.

19 . A panel, wherein the panel is rectangular, either square or oblong,

wherein the panel comprises a substrate and a top layer,

wherein the panel is provided with a first pair of opposite edges, namely a first edge and an opposite second edge,

wherein the panel comprises coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges, so that the panel can be coupled on the first edge of the panel to the second edge of another such panel,

wherein the coupling parts comprise locking elements so that in a coupled state, locking occurs in a direction perpendicular to a surface of coupled panels and/or locking occurs in a plane of the coupled panels and perpendicular to coupled edges;

wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges are configured as overlapping, so that during coupling on the first pair of opposite edges, coupling with pretension is obtained;

wherein the panel is provided with a second pair of opposite edges, namely a third edge and an opposite fourth edge,

wherein the panels comprise coupling parts on the second pair of opposite edges so that the panel can be coupled on the third edge of the panel to the fourth edge of another such panel,

wherein the coupling parts comprise locking elements so that in the coupled state, locking occurs in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the coupled panels and/or locking occurs in the plane of the coupled panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;

wherein the coupling parts are configured as overlapping on the second pair of opposite edges, so that during coupling on the second pair of opposite edges, coupling with pretension is obtained;

wherein each of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge and the fourth edge comprises a sealing face, substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the panel,

wherein in the coupled state of the panel with the first edge of the panel against the second edge of another such panel, the sealing face of the first edge of the panel is in contact with or is close to the sealing face of the second edge of the other such panel;

wherein in the coupled state of the panel with the third edge of the panel against the fourth edge of another such panel, the sealing face of the third edge of the panel is in contact with or is close to the sealing face of the fourth edge of the other such panel;

wherein the sealing faces of the third edge and of the fourth edge from each of the four corner points of the panel towards the middle of respectively the third edge and the fourth edge, at least over a certain distance from the respective corner point, are provided with an impregnating agent and/or a coating;

wherein an average concentration of the impregnating agent and/or coating over a defined distance is higher than the average of the concentration of impregnating agent and/or coating on the sealing faces in the middle of the first edge and the second edge.

20 . The panel in accordance with claim 19 , wherein one, several or all of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge and the fourth edge are provided with a lowered edge region, in a form of a chamfer,

wherein the lowered edge region is provided with a lacquer,

wherein the lacquer is or comprises an acrylate lacquer, a polyurethane lacquer or an alkyd and/or wherein the lacquer comprises pigment or colourant.