Floor panel and method for manufacturing such floor panels

Abstract

Floor panel, of the type consisting of a laminate panel which comprises at least a printed decorative layer ( 8 ) and a top layer ( 9 ) forming the upper surface ( 10 ) of the floor panel ( 1 ), more particularly a so-called overlay, whereby this top layer ( 9 ), or, thus, overlay, is realized on the basis of a thermosetting resin, characterized in that in the upper side ( 11 ) of the floor panel ( 1 ), indentations ( 12 ) are formed and in that at last in a number of these indentations ( 12 ), a component ( 13 ) is provided, which is obtained in that it has been provided in those indentations ( 12 ) after the provision of the indentations ( 12 ).

1 . A laminated floor panel comprising at least a printed decorative layer and a top overlay layer forming the upper surface of the floor panel, said overlay layer comprising a thermosetting resin, wherein in the upper side of the floor panel, indentations are formed and a component is provided in a plurality of said indentations.  
     
     
         2 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said top layer comprises a melamine resin.  
     
     
         3 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the printed decorative layer represents a wood pattern.  
     
     
         4 . The floor panel according to  claim 3 , wherein said indentations are related in form to the wood pattern, and follow the lines of the wood pattern and/or represent the wood pores.  
     
     
         5 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said component comprises a colored product.  
     
     
         6 . The floor panel according to  claim 5 , wherein the printed decorative layer represents a pattern and wherein said component is chosen such that it displays a patinated effect to the pattern of the printed decorative layer.  
     
     
         7 . The floor panel according to  claim 6 , wherein the panel is imitative of a colored wood surface, and comprises, a wood pattern represented on the decorative layer, and a component in the indentations, said component comprising a colored product.  
     
     
         8 . The floor panel according to  claim 5 , wherein the floor panel, at least at one upper edge, is cut-away leaving a cut-away surface and wherein the cut-away surface is provided, at least partially, with a finish, wherein the appearance of the cut-away surface is related the effect obtained by the colored product in said indentations.  
     
     
         9 . The floor panel according to  claim 8 , wherein said cut-away surface is colored at least partially with a color product of the same or substantially the same color as the colored product comprising said component.  
     
     
         10 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said overlay is a colored transparent layer.  
     
     
         11 . The floor panel according to  claim 10 , wherein said overlay comprises a colored resin.  
     
     
         12 . The floor panel according to  claim 6 , wherein said overlay comprises a colored transparent layer; and whereby the colored overlay, together with said colored product, commonly contribute to an imitation of a colored or patinated floor.  
     
     
         13 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the indentations have a small dimension in at least one direction dimension, for the major part of such indentations, is less than 2 mm.  
     
     
         14 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said component comprises at least one active agent.  
     
     
         15 . The floor panel according to  claim 14 , wherein the active agent is one or more products selected from the group consisting of anti-bacterial, anti-static, dirt-repellent, mildew-repellent, fluorescent, and phosphorescent.  
     
     
         16 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said panel it is a DPL (Direct Pressure Laminate).  
     
     
         17 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said component is comprises an amount of component wiped into the indentations and cured, said wiping resulting from one or more processes selected from a group consisting of rolling wiping and doctoring.  
     
     
         18 . The floor panel according to  claim 1 , wherein said component is disposed on exterior surfaces of the panel defining.  
     
     
         19 . A floor panel comprising a laminated assembly including a decorative layer which is provided with a pattern, and a colored or “patinated” appearance formed at least by means of indentations containing a component in the form of a color product.  
     
     
         20 . The floor panel according to  claim 19 , wherein the pattern represents a wood pattern.  
     
     
         21 . The floor panel according to  claim 19 , wherein the panel comprises colored transparent overlay layer.  
     
     
         22 . The floor panel according to  claim 21 , wherein the top layer comprises a thermosetting resin and said top layer comprises a colored resin.  
     
     
         23 . A floor panel comprising a laminated assembly including a top layer comprising, synthetic material, said floor panel having deepened parts at its upper side, and including, at least at the location of the deepened parts, a component comprising at least an active agent.  
     
     
         24 . The floor panel according to  claim 23 , wherein the deepened parts comprise either or both local indentations of small dimensions and the remaining exposed surface of parts which are formed by removing material parts at the upper side of the floor panel.  
     
     
         25 . A floor panel comprising a laminated assembly including at least one decorative layer which is provided with a selected pattern, and at least an overlay layer which is colored and transparent covering the decorative layer.  
     
     
         26 . The floor panel according to  claim 25 , wherein said overlay layer comprises a colored resin.  
     
     
         27 . A floor panel comprising a laminated assembly including at least a decorative layer which is provided with a pattern imitating a stone floor tile, said panel, at an upper edge, being provided with a chamfer.  
     
     
         28 . The floor panel according to  claim 27 , wherein the chamfer extends along an upper edge portion of the panel and is defined by panel material that has been removed along the respective upper edge in the form of either a bevel or rounding.  
     
     
         29 . The floor panel according to  claim 27 , wherein said chamfer extends along the entire periphery of the floor panel.  
     
     
         30 . The floor panel according to  claim 27 , wherein the floor panel imitates a single tile only, whereby the pattern of the decorative layer is free of printed joints.  
     
     
         31 . The floor panel according to  claim 27 , wherein a coating is provided on the surface of the chamfer.  
     
     
         32 . The floor panel according to  claim 31 , wherein the coating on said chamfer either imitates a joint material, or, at least in respect to the color of the coating, is adapted to the color of the upper surface of the floor panel.  
     
     
         33 . A floor panel comprising a laminated assembly including a resin-based top layer, said top layer provided with a polished glossy surface.  
     
     
         34 . The floor panel according to  claim 33 , wherein the glossy surface is the result of a process whereby said top layer first has been roughened and afterwards has been polished.  
     
     
         35 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         36 . A method for manufacturing a floor panel according to  claim 1 , said method comprising at least a first step wherein one or more basic layers, a decorative layer and a transparent so-called overlay, by means of a thermosetting synthetic material, are pressed together to a whole in a heated press, and, simultaneously with the pressing, indentations are formed in the upper side of the panel; and 
 at least a second step comprising introducing a component into the indentations.    
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein said component is introduced the indentations by depositing an amount of the component into the indentation.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein larger boards from which several floor panels can be manufactured are produced and provided with indentations; and said component is introduced into the indentations; then forming several separate floor panels from the larger boards.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein larger boards from which several floor panels can be manufactured are produced and provided with indentations; and then several separate floor panels are formed from the larger boards, and then a component is introduced into the indentations.