BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a method for creating a curved covering from flat material, particularly mounted graphics for windows.

Mounted graphics include designs printed on substrates that can be mounted on surfaces. Mounted graphics include window graphics, which can be attached to windows, e.g., building windows, car windows, etc.

In certain applications, a window graphic displays a pattern when viewed from one side of the window, but is perceived as transparent from another side of the window. Creating a window graphic that displays an image, but also transmits light, can be accomplished by printing the image on one side of a substrate material and physically perforating the substrate material. When the perforated window graphic is attached to a window of a structure, a person inside the structure can see through the holes in the perforated substrate to the outside, thereby perceiving the window graphic as transparent.

On the other hand, a person outside the structure may see the image printed on the outside surface of the substrate of the window graphic (i.e., the material remaining after perforation), without perceiving light through the holes.

The window graphic may be physically affixed to the window surface via an adhesive. The window graphic is attached to the window surface by coating the substrate with an adhesive, and fixing the substrate to the window surface. The window graphic may also be covered with a laminate.

When the conventional window graphic is mounted on a tilted or curved mounting surface, the image and perforation pattern appears distorted from different viewpoints.

In practice, current products use a single substrate; a single perforation pattern; an additional lamination layer. In addition, conventional window graphics generally must be installed by a professional; on vertical surfaces to ensure that light transmission is not impeded; and on surfaces without wiper blades or defrost wires.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment, a method includes providing a three-dimensional representation of a doubly curved surface as a smooth function or triangulated mesh. The three-dimensional surface is cut into one or more panels representing each panel by a triangulated mesh. A two-dimensional approximation of the set of panels is created by representing the two-dimensional pattern as a triangulated mesh that is topologically equivalent to the three-dimensional meshes representing the panels.

In an embodiment, the method includes minimizing a strain energy in the two-dimensional panel patterns needed to make it conform to the three-dimensional doubly curved panel patterns.

In an embodiment, the method includes computing a map of the principal curvatures across the three-dimensional surface; and introducing cuts that are oriented primarily along directions of maximum principal curvature.

In an embodiment, the cuts divide the surface into separate panels, relief cuts, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, strain energy is minimized to determine a 2D pattern of panels that provides a best fit to the three-dimensional surface.

In another embodiment, a method includes establishing a decorative pattern; determining curvature in two directions of an object to which the pattern is to be applied; determining shapes of at least one panel of a two-dimensional sheet based on the object; printing the pattern on the two-dimensional sheet; and separating the panels from the sheet.

