JP2025025536A - Wood veneer and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To highlight the grain of a decorative layer while preserving the natural shading and texture of wood and making the joints between a plurality of members that make up the decorative layer less noticeable.
[Solution] A wood veneer (10) has a surface (34) of multiple veneers (3) made of ring-porous hardwood, on which recesses (32) are formed in which some of the large-diameter vessels (31) present in the pore zone of the ring-porous hardwood are opened, the inside of the recesses (32) is colored, and the uncolored areas (33) are covered with a sealer (4), and the two veneers (3) that make up the veneer set (X) are joined together horizontally with both end faces (37) of each veneer (3) in the longitudinal direction (D1) being flush with each other.
[Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to wood veneer panels used for various interior building materials, furniture, etc., and to a method for manufacturing the same.

Various research and development efforts have been conducted to improve the design of the decorative surfaces of wood veneers used in various interior building materials, furniture, etc. Here, examples of various interior building materials include flooring materials, fittings, staircase materials, wall materials, etc.

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose flooring made of ring-porous hardwood with recesses formed in the decorative surface. The recesses in the flooring of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are made of open vessels. In addition, in the manufacturing process of the flooring of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the entire decorative surface including the recesses is colored multiple times at predetermined timings. This suppresses the occurrence of blowback during drying and ensures the design of the decorative surface. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses flooring with a decorative material made up of multiple pieces joined vertically and widthwise. The flooring of Patent Document 3 achieves both low cost and design by making some pieces widthwise-jointed pieces.

JP 2019-163681 A JP 2020-007835 A JP 2015-129402 A

In the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the areas other than the recesses on the decorative surface are also colored. In particular, the early wood present on the decorative surface, which has a low density and is easily permeated with the coloring agent, is colored. Therefore, when a dark coloring agent is used, the color of the early wood becomes dark and the original shading of the wood is almost lost. Or, even when a light coloring agent is used, the color becomes unnatural and different from the original color of the wood. In addition, the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not assume a case where the material is composed of multiple sawn boards or multiple veneers. Furthermore, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not contain any description suggesting that coloring the areas other than the recesses on the decorative surface would rather make the joints of the sawn boards or veneers stand out. Therefore, it cannot be said that the technique is necessarily sufficient in terms of highlighting the grain so that the joints of the sawn boards or veneers are not noticeable while maintaining the natural shading and texture of the wood. Furthermore, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 cannot be said to be necessarily sufficient in terms of highlighting the grain of the decorative material.

One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a wood veneer board with improved design compared to conventional boards by highlighting the grain of the decorative layer while preserving the natural shading and texture of wood and making the joints between the multiple components that make up the decorative layer less noticeable.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a wood veneer board comprising a plurality of components made of ring-porous hardwood, in which recesses are formed on the surfaces of the plurality of components in which some of the large-diameter vessels present in the pore zone of the ring-porous hardwood are open, the areas on the surfaces of the plurality of components other than the recesses are covered with a sealer, the insides of the recesses are colored, and two or more of the plurality of components are joined together with both end faces in the longitudinal direction of each component flush with each other.

According to the above configuration, the interiors of the recesses that are often present around the periphery of the late wood on the surfaces of the multiple components are colored. This indirectly emphasizes the late wood that is bordered by the recesses with colored interiors. In addition, because the areas on the surfaces of the multiple components other than the recesses are covered with a sealer, the coloring agent does not penetrate excessively into the late wood and early wood. This makes it possible to maintain the natural shading and texture of the wood. This makes it possible to gently highlight the wood grain present on the surfaces of the multiple components.

In addition, according to the above configuration, for the large diameter vessels that exist as numerous intermittent lines around the periphery of the latewood, each of the numerous intermittent lines is emphasized by coloring the inside of the recesses formed by opening up parts of the multiple large diameter vessels. Therefore, the phenomenon of all the emphasized recesses being together and interrupted at the joints of the multiple components does not occur. In addition, since the emphasized recesses are darker in color than the latewood that is interrupted at the joints of the multiple components, the fact that the latewood is interrupted at the joints can be camouflaged by the emphasized recesses. This makes the joints of the multiple components less noticeable.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, two or more components are joined together horizontally with both end faces of each component in the longitudinal direction flush with each other. Here, the longitudinal direction of the components, in other words the extension direction of the joint at the horizontal joint, is approximately the same as the extension direction of the multiple fibers that make up the components. This makes the joint at the horizontal joint less noticeable, and combined with the emphasized wood grain and the presence of the thickly emphasized recesses, the two or more components joined together horizontally look like a single component. As a result, a wood veneer board with improved design compared to conventional boards can be realized.

In one embodiment of the wood veneer board of the present invention, the member is a veneer, and multiple sheets of the veneer are overlapped with the base material. According to the above configuration, two or more sheets of the multiple sheets of veneer are joined together horizontally with both end faces in the length direction of each veneer being flush with each other.

According to the above configuration, a plurality of integrated pieces, in which a plurality of veneer sheets are joined vertically and horizontally, can be obtained from one flitch. This integrated piece then becomes the decorative layer of the wood veneer board according to one embodiment of the present invention. This allows for efficient production of wood veneer boards with improved design compared to conventional methods at low cost.

In one embodiment of the wood veneer board of the present invention, the areas other than the recesses are flat. In conventional methods for manufacturing wood veneer boards, uneven processing such as a raised finish is applied to the decorative surface. As a result, large diameter vessels, which play an important role in highlighting the wood grain, are largely scraped off together with the early wood. In addition, because the surface shape of the remaining part that has been scraped off is complex, applying a sealer to the surface of the remaining part that has been scraped off is likely to result in uneven application, and it is easy for areas where the sealer has not been applied to be unintentionally colored.

In this regard, with the above-mentioned configuration, the surfaces of the multiple components are processed to the extent that recesses are formed, so many of the large diameter vessels remain. In addition, since the areas on the surfaces of the multiple components other than the recesses are flat, even if a sealer is applied to those areas, it is unlikely to become unevenly painted and will not be colored uniformly. This makes it possible to make the grain of the wood stand out more and to make the seams at the horizontal joints between two adjacent components less noticeable, while maintaining the natural shading and texture of the wood.

In order to solve the above problems, a method for manufacturing a wood veneer board according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a wood veneer board having a plurality of members made of ring-porous hardwood, and includes the following steps: a first step of joining two or more of the plurality of members horizontally with both end faces in the longitudinal direction of each member flush with each other; a second step of brushing the surfaces of the plurality of members to form recesses in which some of the large-diameter vessels present in the pore area of the ring-porous material are open; and a third step of applying a sealer to the areas on the surfaces of the plurality of members other than the recesses and coloring the inside of the recesses. With this configuration, the grain of the decorative layer can be accentuated so that the joints between the plurality of members constituting the decorative layer are not noticeable while maintaining the natural shading and texture of the wood, and a wood veneer board with improved design compared to conventional methods can be manufactured.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a wood veneer board, it is possible to maintain the natural shading and texture of wood while highlighting the grain of the decorative layer so that the joints between the multiple components that make up the decorative layer are not noticeable.

The reference numeral 101 is an exploded perspective view showing a general configuration of a wood veneer board according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the reference numeral 102 is a plan view showing an arrangement of a plurality of veneer sheets in the wood veneer board. Reference numerals 201 to 203 show some steps constituting the method for manufacturing the wood decorative board. Reference numerals 301 to 303 show some other steps constituting the method for manufacturing the wood decorative board. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the state of a decorative surface of the wood decorative board. Each of the reference numerals 501 to 505 shows a variation of the veneer set.

[General configuration of wood veneer board 10]
The general configuration of a wood veneer board 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to reference numeral 101 in Fig. 1. The wood veneer board 10 is used for various interior building materials such as flooring, fittings, staircase materials, and wall materials, or furniture, and includes a plurality of components made of ring-porous hardwood materials. Hardwoods have a plurality of large vessels in their pore zones.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned multiple components are multiple veneer boards 3 as shown by reference numeral 101 in FIG. 1. Specifically, the wood veneer board 10 includes a base material 1, a fiberboard (base material) 2, and multiple veneer boards 3. The base material 1, the fiberboard 2, and the multiple veneer boards 3 are stacked in this order.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the fiberboard 2 is located between the base material 1 and the multiple veneers 3. This allows the colorant to penetrate evenly into the fiberboard 2 when the inside of the recess 32 (see Figures 2 and 3: details will be described later) is colored with a colorant. This reduces uneven penetration of the colorant.

The structure of the wood veneer board 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned example. In the example of reference numeral 101 in FIG. 1, only two veneers 3 are shown, but multiple veneers 3 may overlap one fiberboard 2 (see reference numeral 102 in FIG. 1). Also, for example, a two-layer structure of a base material 1 and a veneer 3 may be used without providing a fiberboard 2. Also, for example, a veneer other than the veneer 3 may overlap the fiberboard 2.

Furthermore, instead of the multiple layers of the wood veneer 10 being stacked as in this embodiment, it may be constructed by joining multiple sheets of solid wood together. In this case, the multiple sheets of solid wood will be the multiple components described above, and the structure will be a single layer of solid wood only. Also, wood veneer 10 made of multiple sheets of solid wood can be used for decorative side panels of furniture, shelves, table tops, and mirror panels for building fixtures.

<Substrate 1>
The substrate 1 may be a wood-based board such as plywood, LVL (laminated veneer lumber), MDF (medium density fiberboard), particle board, strand board, or laminated lumber, or may be a laminated material made of a plurality of thin boards of any of the above-mentioned materials stacked together.

<Fiberboard 2>
The fiberboard 2 is the matrix of the wood decorative board 10, and is a board material made by forming and solidifying wood fibers obtained by steaming and defibrating wood chips into a mat shape. Examples of fiberboard 2 include MDF (density 0.35 to 0.80 g/cm ³ ) and hardboard (density 0.80 g/cm ³ or higher). MDF is generally produced by a dry method that uses airflow when forming the wood fibers into a mat shape. Hardboard is generally produced by a wet method that uses water as a medium when forming the wood fibers into a mat shape.

Since the fiberboard 2 has a uniform color, there is almost no color difference or color unevenness that is common in surface veneers used in plywood. As a result, when a particularly thin veneer 3 is attached to the fiberboard 2, the color of the base material 1 is somewhat visible, which is preferable because there is almost no color difference or color unevenness after coloring or painting. In addition, in the wood veneer board 10, it is preferable that the fiberboard 2 is visible from the bottom of the hole of the large diameter vessel 31 (see Figures 2 and 3: details will be described later). This is because, even if the colors of two adjacent veneers 3 are different, the bottom of the hole of the large diameter vessel 31 in each veneer 3 has the same base color and is penetrated with the colorant in the same way. Therefore, if the fiberboard 2 is visible from the bottom of the hole of the large diameter vessel 31, the bottom of the hole will be finished in approximately the same color regardless of the color difference between the two adjacent veneers 3.

In this embodiment, the fiberboard 2 has an average density of 0.65 to 1.00 g/ ^cm3 , and a density difference of 0.05 g/ ^cm3 or less. That is, in this embodiment, the fiberboard 2 has a uniform density distribution, does not have a low-density layer, and is composed only of a high-density layer, so that the peel strength and surface strength are high. Therefore, when the wood veneer board 10 is used as a flooring material, even if the wood veneer board 10 is subjected to a load from casters or the like, not only is interlayer peeling unlikely to occur, but the decorative surface of the wood veneer board 10 (described in detail later) is also unlikely to be damaged, such as dented. In addition, since the density difference is small, at 0.05 g/ ^cm3 or less, the coloring agent permeates the fiberboard 2 uniformly.

<Veneer 3>
The veneer 3 is, for example, a veneer obtained by slicing ring-porous wood of hardwood to a predetermined thickness. The combination of exposed parts of early wood 35 and late wood 36 on the two surfaces of the veneer 3 forms the grain of the veneer 3. The early wood 35 is a light-colored part of the hardwood that is formed from spring to early summer, when the tree is in a vigorous growing season. The late wood 36 is a dark-colored part of the hardwood that is formed from the latter half of the tree's growing season to the end of summer.

In this embodiment, the thickness of the veneer 3 is 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. The reason for this thickness of the veneer 3 is that if the thickness of the veneer 3 is less than 0.2 mm, the area of the dark fiberboard 2 visible from the large diameter vessel 31 (diameter 0.1 to 0.3 mm in the case of Mizunara) increases, which may cause the appearance of the decorative surface to look unnatural. On the other hand, if the thickness of the veneer 3 exceeds 0.4 mm, the fiberboard 2 will not be very visible even if the part of the large diameter vessel 31 on the decorative surface side is opened.

Furthermore, if the thickness of the veneer 3 is 0.15 mm or less, the veneer 3 will be transparent, allowing the dark-colored fiberboard 2 to be directly visible in almost its entirety, resulting in an appearance that gives the impression that the base is exposed. On the other hand, if the thickness of the veneer 3 exceeds 0.6 mm, the thickness of the veneer 3 will be thicker than the maximum diameter of the large-diameter vessel 31, making the fiberboard 2 itself invisible.

Of the two surfaces of the veneer 3, a recess 32 is formed on the surface 34 opposite the surface facing the fiberboard 2 (see FIG. 2). The recess 32 is a groove in which some of the multiple large diameter vessels 31 are open on the surface 34 side. The multiple large diameter vessels 31 exist in the pore zone of the ring-porous material that constitutes the veneer 3. The recess 32 is formed, for example, by brushing the surface 34 to open some of the multiple large diameter vessels 31. This allows the colorant to penetrate inside the recess 32, making the wood grain of the surface 34 stand out.

The densities of the ring-porous woods of major hardwoods are, for example, as follows: red oak 0.70 g/cm ³ , white oak 0.68 to 0.75 g/cm ³ , zelkova 0.69 g/cm ³ , Japanese oak 0.68 g/cm ³ , teak 0.60 g/cm ³ , and walnut 0.59 g/cm ³ . By using these ring-porous woods as the material for forming the veneer 3, the density of the veneer 3 can be made 0.5 g/cm ³ or more.

[Arrangement of veneer 3]
With reference to reference numeral 102 in FIG. 1, the arrangement of the multiple veneer boards 3 in the wood veneer board 10 will be described. As shown by reference numeral 102 in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the multiple veneer boards 3 overlap the fiberboard 2 in a state where multiple veneer board sets X are combined. The veneer board set X is composed of two veneer boards 3 joined horizontally. The two veneer boards 3 constituting the veneer board set X have their vertical joints aligned. The vertical joint is connecting two or more veneer boards 3 in the length direction D1 of the veneer boards 3. The horizontal joint is connecting two or more veneer boards 3 in the width direction D2 of the veneer boards 3. The length direction D1 is the direction in which the long side extends in the rectangular shape of the veneer board 3 when viewed in plan. The width direction D2 is the direction in which the short side extends in the rectangular shape of the veneer board 3 when viewed in plan.

"The vertical joints are aligned" specifically means that in the two veneers 3 that make up the veneer set X, both end faces 37 in the length direction D1 of each veneer 3 are flush. "Both end faces 37 in the length direction D1 of each veneer 3 are flush" specifically means that the lengths of each veneer 3 are the same (the lengths are uniform). In the example shown at 102 in FIG. 1, for example, the veneer 3 (A) and the veneer 3 (B) make up one veneer set X, and both end faces 37 of the veneer 3 (A) and both end faces 37 of the veneer 3 (B) are flush. Also, for example, the veneer 3 (C) and the veneer 3 (D) make up one veneer set X, and both end faces 37 of the veneer 3 (C) and both end faces 37 of the veneer 3 (D) are flush.

In this specification, "both end faces 37 are flush" does not mean that they are completely flush. If the wood veneer board 10 is normally used and can be considered flush at the normal viewing distance of a user with average adult vision, then "both end faces 37 are flush" even if there is some misalignment between the end faces. For example, slight misalignment between the end faces that inevitably occurs in the process of aligning the vertical joints can be ignored, and "both end faces 37 are flush" even when such misalignment occurs.

The multiple veneers 3 overlap the fiberboard 2 in the arrangement described above to form the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10. The decorative layer is the surface layer of the wood veneer board 10. In addition, the surfaces 34 (see Figure 2) of the multiple veneers 3 that form the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10 are integrated together to form the decorative surface of the wood veneer board 10.

By arranging the multiple veneers 3 in the wood veneer board 10 in the above-mentioned manner, the design of the decorative surface is improved compared to when the vertical joints of the two veneers 3 constituting the veneer set X are misaligned. In addition, the large diameter vessels 31 exist as numerous intermittent lines on the periphery of the late wood, and in the wood veneer board 10, the interiors of the recesses 32 formed by opening up parts of the multiple large diameter vessels 31 are colored (details will be described later). This makes each of the numerous intermittent lines thicker and more emphasized by coloring. Therefore, the horizontal joints of the two veneers 3 constituting the veneer set X are less noticeable due to the presence of the recesses 32, and combined with the effect of the vertical joints being aligned, the two veneer sets X look like a single piece of veneer.

The veneer set X may be made of three or more veneers 3. If the wood veneer board 10 is made of multiple solid wood sheets, the veneer set X may be made of two or more solid wood sheets. The wood veneer board 10 may be made of two veneers 3 or solid wood sheets joined horizontally. In this case, it is sufficient that both end faces in the length direction of the two veneers 3 or solid wood sheets joined horizontally are flush. Furthermore, among the multiple veneer sets X constituting the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10, only some of the veneer sets X may have the vertical joints of the two veneers 3 joined horizontally aligned. In other words, it is sufficient that two or more members among the multiple members constituting the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10 are joined horizontally with both end faces in the length direction of each member flush.

[Method of manufacturing wood veneer board 10]
A method for manufacturing the wood veneer board 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Note that the order of steps and the work content described below are merely examples. The order of steps and the work content may be changed as appropriate depending on the shape and size of the wood veneer board 10 and the materials of the components of the wood veneer board 10. Alternatively, some of the steps may be omitted, or new steps may be added.

First, the moisture content of the plywood that is the base material 1 is checked in advance, and the plywood is processed to a specified thickness (thickness adjustment process). The processing method for achieving the specified thickness may be a general processing method for making plywood in general to a specified thickness. Note that when the wood veneer board 10 is composed of multiple sheets of solid wood, the base material for the solid wood is processed to the planned thickness of the wood veneer board 10.

Next, the plywood processed to a predetermined thickness in the thickness adjustment process is layered on the fiber base material that will be the base of the fiberboard 2 (first layering process). Specifically, adhesive is applied to the surface of the plywood, and then the fiber base material is placed on the surface to which the adhesive has been applied. In this state, the plywood and the fiber base material are cold-pressed together to layer the plywood and the fiber base material. Hereinafter, the plywood and the fiber base material layered together in the first layering process will be referred to as the "base base material." The method for cold-pressing the plywood and the fiber base material may be a conventional method. Note that the first layering process is not necessary when the wood veneer board 10 is made of multiple solid wood sheets, or when multiple veneers 3 and the base material 1 are directly layered together.

Next, the original substrate is cut into pieces in the length and width of the wood veneer board 10 (cutting process). The laminate of plywood and fiber substrate obtained by cutting becomes the substrate for the wood veneer board 10. Hereinafter, this substrate for the wood veneer board 10 is referred to as the "laminated substrate." In other words, the plywood constituting the laminated substrate becomes substrate 1, and the fiber substrate constituting the laminated substrate becomes fiberboard 2. The method for cutting the original substrate may be a conventional general cutting method. Note that if the wood veneer board 10 is made of multiple solid wood sheets, the cutting process is not necessary. Also, if multiple veneers 3 and substrate 1 are directly stacked, the plywood is cut into pieces in the length and width of the wood veneer board 10.

Next, the laminated base material and the integrated object formed by joining multiple veneers 3 vertically and horizontally are superimposed (second lamination process). Specifically, first, an adhesive is applied to the surface of the laminated base material facing the fiberboard 2 using an adhesive application device (not shown) such as a spreader. There is no particular limitation on the adhesive used in the second lamination process, but it is preferable to use a thermosetting adhesive. Then, the previously prepared integrated object is placed on the surface of the laminated base material on which the adhesive has been applied. Finally, the laminate of the integrated object and the laminated base material is placed in a press (not shown) and bonded by heat and pressure to produce the first laminate 11 shown by reference numeral 201 in FIG. 2.

Here, the integrated product in which multiple veneer sheets 3 are joined vertically and horizontally to form an integrated product is produced, for example, by the following method (integral product production process). The integrated product production process is an example of the first step included in the manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention. In the following description, the integrated product in which multiple veneer sheets 3 are joined vertically and horizontally to form an integrated product produced in the integrated product production process is simply referred to as a "integral product."

Specifically, first, multiple pieces (not shown) of various lengths and widths are prepared, and multiple piece sets are made, each consisting of two pieces. The pieces are square pieces that will become the base for the veneer 3, and are made of ring-porous hardwood. The piece sets are made, for example, by joining two pieces together horizontally with a urethane adhesive or the like, and then processing both end faces of each piece in the longitudinal direction so that they are flush.

After multiple piece sets are produced, the multiple piece sets are combined to match the grain and color of the planned wood veneer board 10. "Matching the grain and color of the planned wood veneer board 10" means that the grain and color that appear on the decorative surface after brushing will be the grain and color of the planned wood veneer board 10.

Once the multiple piece sets have been combined as desired, they are glued together with a urethane adhesive or similar, joined vertically and horizontally, and integrated into one piece. This integrated multiple piece set is then called a flitch. Well-known devices such as presses and molders are used to manufacture flitches.

The newly completed flitch is then softened by immersing it in warm water at about 60°C for several days. Once the flitch has softened to the desired extent, the surface layer of the flitch is sliced to a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, for example using a slicer (not shown). A slicer is a device that cuts an object by the reciprocating motion of the flitch or a blade. Through the above one-piece manufacturing process, multiple one-piece pieces are obtained from the flitch. This makes it possible to efficiently manufacture wood veneer boards with improved design compared to conventional methods at low cost. For a plan view of the one-piece, see reference numeral 102 in FIG. 1.

Next, the surface 111 of the first laminate 11 is brushed to form recesses 32 (brushing process). The surface 111 is made up of the surfaces of multiple veneers 3 that make up the one piece, and becomes the decorative surface of the wood veneer board 10 by brushing. In other words, the one piece after brushing becomes the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10. The brushing process is one example of the second process included in the manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a roll brush (not shown), which is configured with a channel brush wound around a rotating shaft, is rotated over the surface 111 to perform brushing on the surface 111. During brushing, the roll brush rotates in the length direction D1 of the veneer 3.

The brushing process is performed by cutting only the corners on the surface 111 side of the large diameter vessel 31 in the integral body to open the corners. In other words, the brushing process is performed on the surface 111 so that most of the early wood 35 and late wood 36 that make up the integral body remain. This forms multiple recesses 32 as shown by reference numeral 202 in Figure 2.

In the brushing process, the degree of opening of the large diameter vessels 31 is appropriately adjusted by setting appropriate brushing conditions according to the species of the ring-porous material that constitutes the veneer 3, the hardness of the early wood 35, etc. The degree of opening of the large diameter vessels 31 is, in other words, the size of the opening in the recess 32. Brushing conditions include the way in which the channel brush is wound around the rotating shaft and the outer diameter, the material of the bristles that make up the channel brush, the contact pressure of the roll brush acting on the surface 111, and the rotation speed of the roll brush, etc.

The surface 111 after brushing, in other words the decorative surface (surface 34 of the multiple veneers 3), is composed of the inner surfaces of the recesses 32 and the non-colored areas 33. The non-colored areas 33 are areas on the surface 34 of the veneer 3 other than the recesses 32, and are areas that are not colored. In this embodiment, the brushing is performed so that the non-colored areas 33 are flat. By making the non-colored areas 33 flat, uneven application of the sealer 4 described below to the non-colored areas 33 is less likely to occur, and the non-colored areas 33 are not colored uniformly.

In this specification, "non-colored region 33 is flat" does not mean a completely flat surface. For example, even if non-colored region 33 contains small steps, irregularities, curved areas, etc. that inevitably occur regardless of the adjustment of brushing conditions and the skill level of the person performing the brushing process, "non-colored region 33 is flat." Also, even if irregularities occur due to brushing conditions, brushing method, etc., as long as the irregularities are small enough that sealer 4 can be applied evenly, "non-colored region 33 is flat" even if the irregularities are included in non-colored region 33.

In addition, in this embodiment, the surface of the fiberboard 2 appears on the bottom 3S of some of the recesses 32. In other words, the color of the fiberboard 2 appears on the bottom 3S of some of the recesses 32. This makes the wood grain of the surface 34 stand out more. In addition, since the fiberboard 2 is an industrial product, it has a uniform color with very little color unevenness. Therefore, when the insides of the multiple recesses 32 are colored, there is almost no difference in the color of each bottom 3S. Of course, it is not essential that the surface of the fiberboard 2 appears on the bottom 3S.

Although there are no particular limitations on the type of roll brush used for the brushing process, the bristles constituting the channel brush are preferably made of resin, particularly nylon. From the viewpoint of improving polishing efficiency, a channel brush made of nylon bristles containing abrasive grains is more preferable. Also, instead of a roll brush, for example, a wire brush may be used to brush the surface 111.

Next, the sealer 4 is applied to the decorative surface (surface 34 of the multiple veneers 3) formed through the brushing process (sealer application process). The sealer application process is an example of the third process included in the manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the sealer 4 is applied to the decorative surface using a rubber roll (not shown) of a predetermined hardness. By using this rubber roll, as shown by reference numeral 203 in FIG. 2, the non-colored area 33 on the decorative surface is uniformly covered with the sealer 4, including the part (recess) that has been slightly scraped off by the brushing process. On the other hand, the inner surface of the multiple recesses 32 (large diameter conduits 31) is not covered with the sealer 4. In this way, by using a rubber roll of a predetermined hardness, the selective application of the sealer 4 as described above can be realized, and the object of one aspect of the present invention can be achieved. After the sealer 4 is applied, the decorative surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light from a UV dryer (not shown) to dry the sealer 4.

In this specification, "the inner surface of the recess 32 is not covered with sealer 4" does not mean that there is no area of the inner surface of the recess 32 that is covered with sealer 4. For example, in a case where a small area of the inner surface of the recess 32 is unavoidably covered with sealer 4, if the inside of the recess 32 can be colored to an extent that the effect of highlighting the wood grain of the decorative surface is obtained, then "the inner surface of the recess 32 is not covered with sealer 4."

By applying the sealer 4 in the manner described above, the early wood 35 in the one piece (the decorative layer of the wood veneer board 10) after brushing is not colored and maintains a light color. Therefore, by coloring the insides of the multiple recesses 32 included in the decorative surface, the early wood 35 is emphasized with a relatively light color, and the grain of the decorative surface stands out. It is not essential to apply the sealer 4 with a rubber roll. As long as the non-colored areas 33 in the decorative surface are uniformly covered with the sealer 4 and the inner surfaces of the multiple recesses 32 are not covered with the sealer 4, any device, equipment, etc. may be used.

Next, groove processing is performed on the first laminate 11 with the sealer 4 applied to the non-colored region 33 (groove processing step). Specifically, first, a V groove extending in the length direction D1 of the veneer 3 is formed on the decorative surface. This V groove can be processed by a known processing method using a known device or the like. In this embodiment, one V groove 12 as shown by reference numeral 102 in FIG. 1 is formed in the center of the width direction D2 of the veneer 3 in the first laminate 11. In this way, by forming only one V groove 12 in the length direction D1, the wood veneer board 10 is more likely to look like a single piece than when multiple V grooves are formed. However, there is no problem in forming multiple V grooves extending in the length direction D1.

After one V groove 12 is formed in the length direction D1, a V groove extending in the width direction D2 is formed on the decorative surface. This V groove can also be processed by a known processing method using known devices, etc. There are no particular limitations on the locations and number of V grooves formed, but from the viewpoint of making the wood veneer board 10 look like a single piece, it is preferable to have as few as possible.

Next, the insides of the multiple recesses 32 included in the decorative surface in which the V-grooves are formed are colored (coloring process). The coloring process is an example of the third process included in the manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention.

Specifically, first, the decorative surface on which the V-groove is formed is polished with an abrasive before coloring. The abrasive used for this polishing can be a nylon nonwoven fabric coated with abrasive grains, but other abrasives can also be used.

After polishing, as shown by reference numeral 301 in FIG. 3, the decorative surface on which the V-groove is formed is coated with colorant 5. In this embodiment, a large amount of colorant 5 is coated using a sponge roll (not shown). The sponge roll is a roll with a porous sponge attached to its surface. Since a large amount of colorant 5 is coated, the colorant 5 adheres evenly to the inner surface of the recess 32 all the way to the bottom 3S of the recess 32.

Next, the decorative surface to which the colorant 5 has been applied is wiped as shown by reference numeral 302 in FIG. 3. Wiping is a process of scraping off excess colorant 5 and applying the colorant so that it penetrates into the recesses 32 to the very bottom. In this embodiment, wiping is performed using a reverse roll (not shown). The reverse roll is a metal roll with a flat surface. By rotating and reciprocating the reverse roll over the decorative surface to which the colorant 5 has been applied, the colorant 5 applied to the surface of the sealer 4 covering the non-colored regions 33 is scraped off. In addition, the colorant 5 is applied into the interiors of the multiple recesses 32 included in the decorative surface so that all of the interiors of the multiple recesses 32 are filled.

After wiping, the decorative surface is formed using a natural roll (not shown). The natural roll has a rubber surface. Hot air is then sprayed onto the decorative surface using a jet dryer (not shown) or the like to dry the colorant 5 that has been applied inside the multiple recesses 32.

When the colorant 5 dries, the decorative surface becomes as shown by reference numeral 303 in FIG. 3. That is, the non-colored area 33 remains covered by the sealer 4. Also, the colorant 5 applied to the surface of the sealer 4 has been removed.

In this specification, "colorant 5 removed" does not mean that colorant 5 has been completely removed. Even if colorant 5 inevitably remains on the surface of the sealer 4, regardless of the type and performance of the reverse roll, the wiping method and number of times, and the skill level of the person wiping, it still counts as "colorant 5 removed" if the remaining amount is within an acceptable range. A remaining amount within an acceptable range specifically refers to an amount of colorant 5 remaining within a range that provides the effect of highlighting the wood grain and making the seams of the decorative surface less noticeable.

On the other hand, the coloring agent 5 has been uniformly and evenly permeated into the entire inner surface of each of the multiple recesses 32 included in the decorative surface. In the example shown by reference numeral 303 in FIG. 3, the coloring agent 5 has been permeated into the surface layer of the fiberboard 2 near the bottom 3S of the recess 32. With the decorative surface in this state, the inner surfaces of the multiple recesses 32 are colored in a concentrated manner, making it possible to highlight the wood grain without making the seams stand out.

Next, a sealer (not shown) is applied to the decorative surface in the state shown by reference numeral 303 in FIG. 3, and the sealer is dried by irradiating the decorative surface with ultraviolet light from the UV dryer described above. This is the coloring process. Thereafter, the coloring process is repeated an appropriate number of times to complete the wood veneer board 10.

[Condition of the decorative surface of the wood veneer board 10]
The decorative surface of the wood veneer board 10 completed through the above-mentioned processes will be in the state shown in Figure 4. That is, the late wood 36, which is originally dark in color, combines with the recesses 32, the inner surfaces of which are colored, to emphasize the late wood 36 and its periphery with a relatively dark color. Also, because the uncolored areas 33 are covered with a sealer, the early wood 35 is emphasized with a relatively light color. These effects make the grain of the decorative surface stand out.

In addition, because the inner surfaces of the recesses 32 that exist as numerous intermittent lines on the periphery of the late wood are colored, each of the numerous intermittent lines is emphasized and thickened. Therefore, the emphasized grain and the thickly emphasized recesses 32 make the joints of the multiple veneers 3 less noticeable. Furthermore, the two veneers 3 that make up the veneer set X are joined horizontally with both end faces 37 of each veneer 3 in the length direction D1 flush, making the joints at the horizontal joint less noticeable. Therefore, combined with the emphasized grain and the presence of the thickly emphasized recesses 32, the veneer set X looks like a single veneer.

In Figure 4, the seam at the horizontal joint is hidden by a thin, dashed line drawn over the seam. This shows that the seam at the horizontal joint has only a slight presence on the decorative surface, obscured by the thin, dashed line, or in other words, is not conspicuous on the decorative surface.

[Variations of Veneer Set X]
Variations of the veneer set X will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that "(small)" in Fig. 5 means that the grain is slightly curved, and "(large)" in the same figure means that the grain is greatly curved.

The variation indicated by reference numeral 501 in FIG. 5 shows a veneer set X consisting of a flat-grain veneer 3 and a straight-grain or longitudinal-grain veneer 3. The variation indicated by reference numeral 502 in FIG. 5 shows a veneer set X consisting of two flat-grain or longitudinal-grain veneers 3 book-matched (symmetrical). The variation indicated by reference numeral 503 in FIG. 5 shows a veneer set X consisting of two flat-grain or longitudinal-grain veneers 3. The variation indicated by reference numeral 504 in FIG. 5 shows a veneer set X consisting of two veneers 3 having a dense grain. The variation indicated by reference numeral 505 in FIG. 5 shows a veneer set X consisting of two veneers 3 having a diffuse grain. In any of these five variations, the veneer set X can be made to look like a single piece of veneer.

In addition to devising combinations of wood grains like the variations shown in FIG. 5, for example, by matching the color shades of the two veneers 3 that make up veneer set X, veneer set X can be made to look more like a single piece of veneer. "Matching the color shades" specifically means that two veneers 3 of similar color are used to make veneer set X.

[Contribution to achieving SDG 17]
In the above-mentioned one-piece manufacturing process, a slicer is used to slice the surface of the flitch, thereby obtaining multiple one-piece pieces from one flitch. This allows the ring-porous hardwood material that is the material for forming the wood veneer board 10 to be used without waste, and reduces the amount of ring-porous hardwood used. This contributes to the achievement of, for example, SDGs Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production" and Goal 15 "Protect and Reuse the Life of Land."

[Additional Notes]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the various technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by appropriately combining the various technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments.

1 Base material 2 Fiberboard (base material)
3. Veneer (component)
4 Sealer 10 Wood veneer 31 Large diameter vessel 32 Recess 33 Non-colored area (area other than the recess on the surface of the plurality of components)
34 Surface (surfaces of multiple components)
37 Both end faces D1 Length direction

Claims (4)

A wood veneer board having a plurality of members made of hardwood ring-porous materials,
A recess is formed on the surface of the plurality of members, in which a portion of a plurality of large-diameter vessels existing in the pore area of the ring-porous material is open,
Areas of the surfaces of the plurality of components other than the recesses are covered with a sealer, and the insides of the recesses are colored,
Of the plurality of components, two or more components are joined together horizontally with both end faces of each component in the longitudinal direction being flush with each other. The member is a veneer,
The wood decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of said veneer sheets and said base material are overlapped with each other. The wood veneer board according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the area other than the recess is flat. A method for manufacturing a wood veneer board having a plurality of members made of hardwood ring-porous materials, comprising:
A first step of joining two or more of the plurality of members together so that both end faces of each member in a longitudinal direction are flush with each other;
A second step of forming recesses in which a portion of a plurality of large-diameter vessels existing in the pore area of the ring-porous material is opened by performing a brushing process on the surfaces of the plurality of members;
A method for manufacturing a wood veneer board, comprising: a third step of applying a sealer to areas on the surfaces of the plurality of components other than the recesses, and coloring the insides of the recesses.

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