Method of manufacturing a decorative panel having an etched pattern formed thereon
United States Patent 1 Ishii 1 Apr. 15, 1975 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A DECORATIVE PANEL HAVING AN ETCIIED PATTERN FORMED THEREON [76] Inventor: Yasuji Ishii, 2-2-1, Kunika-dori,  
 Fukiai-ku, Kobe-shi, l-lyogen-ken, Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.2 335,222  
 [52] U.S. Cl. 427/262; 427/264; 427/265; 427/270; 428/142 [51] Int. Cl. B440 l/20; B440 1/22; B440 5/00 [58] Field of Search 117/8, 10, 39, 62, 64, 117/26, 27, 8.5, 11, 45  
 Primary ExaminerWilliam D. Martin Assistant Examiner-Shrive P. Beck [5 7 ABSTRACT A method of manufacturing a decorative panel having an etched pattern formed thereon is disclosed. The method comprises applying a pastelike paint including powder of stone onto the surface of a panel substrate to form a roughened surface. The same paint is spotwise applied to the roughened surface to form a relieved dot pattern of increased unevenness. Top portions in the dot pattern are cut flat, and all over the flat surface is applied a thin film of a transparent lacquer added with reflective metal powder. Subsequently, a coloured lacquer is coated on the flat surfaces in the dot pattern alone.  
 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A DECORATIVE PANEL HAVING AN ETCHED PATTERN FORMED THEREON BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a decorative panel having an die-cast like etched pattern formed thereon for creating massiveness and deepness on the surface of inner and outer decorative panelling of an architecture.  
  The decorative inner and outer panelling found in the prior art typically comprises a planar finished pattern, which gives an unsatisfied feeling. A decorative panel is proposed which is formed by treating the surface of a metal panel in a die-cast fashion to provide a tough, gorgeous and deep sensation, and spraying a paint of acrylic resin nature onto the surface. Since this technique involves the use of cast iron, copper, aluminium, stainless steel or the like as the substrate and is accordingly expensive. In addition, the cost is susceptible to considerable variation as a result of steep rise in the price of metal materials. The process of surface treating to provide a die-cast like finish depends on the particular material being used, which renders the manufacturing rather complex.  
 SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention overcomes above disadvantages of the prior art and provides a decorative panel for inner and outer panelling which has such a degree of massiveness and deepness in appearance as cannot be distinguished from corresponding properties of die-cast metals.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention, an example thereof will be described more fully below with reference to the drawings, which show sequential steps of the method according to the invention.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring to the drawings, a substrate 1 employed in carrying out the invention may comprise any material such as, for example, solid asbestos sheet, hardboard, wood, mortar, concrete sheet and the like. A paint 2 is prepared by sufficiently mixing epoxy resin with powder of stone (preferably silicious sand), ground to 50 to 200 meshes, at a weight proportion of l 3, and adding a small amount of a commercially available resin hardener, followed by stirring to form a paste-like paint. The paint 2 is sprayed uniformly onto the surface of the substrate 1, using a sprayer 3 of any desired design, to form a thin film having a thickness on the order of 2 millimeters. It is found that the sprayer preferably has a nozzle opening on the order of 3 millimeters and uses a pressure of 7 to 8 pounds in forming a spray. This results in the formation of a roughened surface 4 having fine unevenness which completely covers the surface of the substrate 1.  
  After the roughened surface 4 has been dried up, a paint 2 of the same material as the above paint 2 is sprayed onto. the roughened surface 4 by using a separate sprayer 6 of any desired design and having a nozzle 5 of larger opening diameter of 5 to 6 millimeters. The sprayer 6 is operated at a reduced pressure of about 4 pounds, and the amount of spray is adjusted across the roughened surface 4 so as to form a relieved dot pattern 7 thereon which comprises interrupted raised portions having a height on the order of 5 millimeters. After the dot pattern 7 formed by the paint 2&#39; is adequately dried, a doctor knife or roll sanding machine 8 is used to cut off the top portions of the dot pattern 7 flat as shown at 9. A liquid acrylic urethane lacquer 10 is then sprayed in the form of a thin film all over the surface including the dot pattern 7. As used in the in vention, acrylic urethane lacquer is the general name of a known commercially available coating material prepared by mixing about of acrylic resin varnish with urethane. To this lacquer, a colored pigment and a suitable amount of reflective metal powder such as aluminium or brass powder, may be added. Finally, a lacquer 13 of the same material as the lacquer 10, but having an increased colour intensity is applied by a rubber roller 12 to the flat-cut surface 9 alone to provide a thin coating of the lacquer 13 as a last finish.  
  As a result of the above mentioned steps, an enhanced unevenness is formed on the surface of the substrate in a die-cast metal fashion, with the top of the dot pattern being flat to be subject to the incidence of sunbeam thereon, thereby imparting to the decorative panel an increased degree of metallic and/or earthen ware appearance together with deep shadows and massiveness. Since the principal constituent of the paint is epoxy resin which is chemically stable, the decorative panel obtained in accordance with the method of the invention exhibits an extreme toughness and increased weather resistance as well as full anti-rust and erosion resistant effects. Because the use of casting, aluminium alloy or the like is avoided, the invention enables such a decorative panel to be offered at a substantially reduced price which cannot be compared by the price achieved with any other technique.  
  What is claimed is: l. A method of producing a decorative panel having an etched pattern formed on its surface, comprising the steps of:  
 preparing a paste-like paint by mixing epoxy resin with a 50 to 200 mesh sizepowder of stone;  
 spraying a thin film of the paint onto the surface of a given substrate to form a roughened surface having a fine uneveness thereon; drying the roughened surface; spraying a paint of the same material as the first mentioned paint spotwise onto the roughened surface to form a dot pattern of coarse uneveness thereon;  
 subsequently cutting off only the top portions of the dot pattern to provide flat-cut surfaces; applying a thin film of a non-coloured transparent acrylic urethane lacquer containing reflective metal powder all over the roughened surface and the cut dot pattern; and  
 finishing the roughened surface including the cut dot I pattern by coating only the flat-cut surfaces in the dot pattern with a coloured acrylic urethane lac.-  
 quer.