Plastibec Inc.

Royal Group Technologies Inc.

Royal Window Coverings (canada) Inc.

Plastibec Ltee

Angelo Sudano

Benoit Meloche

Described is a process and system for direct printing of a decorative pattern onto an extruded PVC slat. The process includes providing a hot extruded PVC slat; directly contacting a surface of the hot extruded PVC slat with a direct printing cylinder as the slat is moved in a downstream direction, where the cylinder has a pattern with a cell structure that receives ink and rotates to directly apply the ink in the form of the pattern onto the surface of the hot extruded PVC slat. The process also includes controlling a temperature of the direct printing cylinder to inhibit drying of the ink while present on the direct printing cylinder.

Direct printing onto extruded PVC slats

Louver

A co-extrusion process for making decorative moldings having a simulated wood appearance and a given profile includes mixing a base material and color particles to form a mixture, the base material having a rigid polymer and the color particles having a different color from the base material and a higher melt temperature than the base material. The mixture is heated and displaced using a feed screw such that the color particles move helically along the trajectory of the feed screw while avoiding backflow and melting to create corresponding helical vein segments within the base material. The mixture is forced through a tubular channel while controlling heat and shear conditions such that the helical vein segments remain substantially intact. The mixture is fed into a die having at least a first tubular inlet communicating with the tubular channel, a first outlet having a planar shape corresponding to the given profile, and a first cavity between the inlet and the outlet, the cavity having a form to flatten and widen the mixture to produce a planar surface coating at the outlet wherein the helical vein segments are transposed into two-dimensional nested arches simulating wood appearance. The surface coating is extruded onto a first side of a core having cellular polymer material, producing the decorative mouldings.

Co-extrusion process for making decorative moldings having simulated wood appearance and decorative molding made thereby

The invention is the provision of an elongated imitation wood product or component which has a plastic core and a plastic coating on at least one surface with the coating, which is of two different colours and which has a randomly swirled pattern, giving a realistic appearance of the wood grain of natural wood to the product. The invention further is in the method and equipment for producing such a realistic imitation wood product or component made of plastic.

Wood grain extrusions

Valance clip

A cascade shade comprising a horizontal blind and a fabric cover assembly having means to attach it to the blind to produce a series of cascading loops or folds covering the blind without interfering with the raising, lowering, opening or closing of the blind.

Cascade shade

Window valance trim element

Vertical blind head rail

Cornice trim

A cutting apparatus for blinds of the type having a head rail, a bottom rail, and a plurality of slats includes a frame defined by a base and a pair of opposed end walls with a blind receiving and severing area near one of the end walls. A drive screw supported by the end walls extends through a carriage slidable on the base for linear movement between the end walls, whereby the carriage can be driven along the length of the base by rotation of the drive screw. A knife on the carriage severs an end of a blind as the carriage advances through the blind receiving and severing area. A mandrel is removably mounted on an end wall in the blind receiving and severing area for receiving and supporting a head rail of the blind for inhibiting movement and /or distortion of the blind during cutting. A clamping block releasably clamps a blind in the frame.

Growing community of inventors

Boisbriand, Canada

Angelo Sudano