Multi-colored decorative laminate
View Patent ↗A decorative laminate, and method for making the same, includes a core layer, a print layer, an overlay layer, and a luminescent layer. The print layer includes patterns printed thereon using conventional ink. In some embodiments, the overlay layer is impregnated with a resin that includes photoluminescent material of a single color which, when exposed to UV light, causes the single color to be visible throughout. The luminescent layer includes patterns of photoluminescent materials of different colors. In the embodiments where the overlay layer includes a resin with a photoluminescent material, the different colored patterns of the luminescent layer are simultaneously visible with the single color of the overlay layer when exposed to UV light.
1. A method of forming a heat and pressure consolidated decorative laminate, comprising the steps of:
stacking a plurality of layers, which stack includes in order a core layer having one or more core layer sheets, each core layer sheet at least partially impregnated with a resin, a print layer having one or more cellulosic sheets, each of which print layer sheets is resin-free, and at least one of which print layer sheets includes at least one pattern printed thereon that is visible under normal light, a first overlay layer having one or more cellulosic sheets, each first overlay layer sheet having a first basis weight and each sheet impregnated with a resin that includes a first photoluminescent material that is visible as a single first color under ultraviolet light, and a luminescent layer of a cellulosic resin-free sheet having a second basis weight, which second basis weight is less than the first basis weight, with at least one pattern of a second photoluminescent material that is visible as one or more second colors under ultraviolet light, wherein the one or more second colors are different than the first color; and
subjecting the stack to a sufficiently high temperature and pressure for a period of time that the resins cure and bond the layers into the decorative laminate.
2. The method of claim 1 , where an entirety of the first overlay layer luminesces at the first color under ultraviolet light.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the first overlay layer is obstructed from view by the at least one pattern of the luminescent layer under ultraviolet light.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the first photoluminescent material is from a group consisting of a phosphorescent material and a fluorescent material.
5. The method of claim 1 , where the second photoluminescent material is from a group consisting of a phosphorescent material and a fluorescent material.
6. A method of forming a heat and pressure consolidated decorative laminate, comprising the steps of:
providing a stack including a substrate and a plurality of layers, including a print layer having one or more cellulosic sheets, each of which print layer sheets is resin-free, and at least one of which print layer sheets includes at least one pattern printed thereon that is visible under normal light, a first overlay layer having one or more cellulosic sheets, each first overlay layer sheet having a first basis weight and each sheet impregnated with a resin that includes a first photoluminescent material that is visible as a single first color under ultraviolet light, and a luminescent layer of a cellulosic resin-free sheet having a second basis weight, which second basis weight is less than the first basis weight, with at least one pattern of a second photoluminescent material that is visible as one or more second colors under ultraviolet light, wherein the one or more second colors are different than the first color; and
subjecting the stack to a sufficiently high temperature and pressure for a period of time that the resin cures and bonds the layers and substrate into the decorative laminate.