JP2006069161A - Compressed wood product - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compressed wood product capable of holding high strength even if wood being a raw material is reduced in thickness and suitable as the facing material of a small-sized portable electronic device. <P>SOLUTION: A reinforcing material comprising a large number of fibers containing a wood fiber component such as cellulose or the like is arranged on the surface of wood to be processed so as to be uniformly turned in the direction crossing the fiber direction of the wood to be processed, more preferably in the direction almost crossing the fiber direction of the wood at a right angle. Then, the arranged reinforcing material is compressed collectively along with wood to form the compressed wood product having a predetermined shape. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a compressed wood product formed by compressing wood.

  In recent years, a technique for processing a predetermined shape by compressing wood has been attracting attention. Wood, which is a natural material, has a variety of grain, so individual differences occur depending on the location of the raw wood, which is the raw wood, and the individual differences become the individuality of each product. In addition, scratches and changes in color caused by long-term use may also have a unique texture and may be familiar to the user. For these reasons, wood is attracting attention as a material that can produce unique and tasty products that are not found in products using synthetic resins or light metals.

  As such wood compression processing technology, compressed water-absorbed wood is compressed, and the wood is cut substantially parallel to the compression direction to obtain a plate-like primary fixed product, and then the primary fixed product is heated and absorbed with water. A technique for forming a predetermined three-dimensional shape is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a technique is also known in which wood that has been compressed in a softened state is temporarily fixed with a predetermined mold, and the wood is restored in a mold (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3078452 JP-A-11-77619

  When forming the exterior material of a small portable electronic device such as a mobile phone or a digital camera by applying the wood compression processing technique described above, it is preferable to make the wood as thin as possible. However, when the wood is thinned, there is a possibility that sufficient strength cannot be obtained only by compressing the wood.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a compressed wood product that can maintain high strength even when it is thinned.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a compressed wood product formed by compressing wood, which crosses the fiber direction of the wood on the surface of the wood. A reinforcing material including a plurality of fibers oriented in the direction to be provided is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the plurality of fibers are oriented in a uniform direction.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the plurality of fibers are oriented in a direction substantially orthogonal to a fiber direction of the wood.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of fibers include a wood fiber component.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the exterior material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is an exterior material for exteriorizing an electronic device.

  According to the present invention, by providing a reinforcing material including a plurality of fibers oriented in the direction intersecting the fiber direction of the wood on the surface of the wood, a compressed wood product that can maintain high strength even when thinned is provided. be able to.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the fiber constituting the reinforcing material contains the wood fiber component, the affinity with the wood can be increased and the material can be made uniform, and the reinforcing material damages the fiber of the wood. Therefore, reinforcement can be performed without deteriorating the strength of the wood itself.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a compressed wood product according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. The compressed wood product shown in these drawings is a substantially bowl-shaped cover member 1 that forms a part of a housing of a digital camera that is a small portable electronic device. The cover member 1 includes a main plate portion 1a having a substantially rectangular surface, and two side plate portions 1b having a shape that rises and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion 1a along the longitudinal direction of the main plate portion 1a. And two side plate portions 1c having a shape that rises and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main plate portion 1a along the short direction of the main plate portion 1a. The wood that is the raw material of the cover member 1 is cut out so that the wood fiber direction L is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cover member 1.

  In order to reinforce the strength of the cover member 1, a reinforcing material 3 composed of a plurality of linear fibers 31 oriented in a uniform direction is provided on the surface of the main plate portion 1 a. The fiber 31 constituting the reinforcing material 3 is configured using cotton, hemp, flax, or rayon that is a regenerated cellulose fiber, which is a natural fiber containing a wood fiber component such as cellulose. The fiber direction F in which the plurality of fibers 31 are uniformly oriented is substantially orthogonal to the wood fiber direction L. Accordingly, the reinforcing material 3 reinforces the direction in which the bending strength and tensile strength of the wood are relatively weak. In addition, you may bundle the some fiber 31 which orient | assigns the uniform fiber direction F in the shape of an interdigital.

  A part of the reinforcing material 3 is slightly bited into the surface of the main plate 1a by being compressed (see FIG. 2), but the main component of the fiber 31 forming the reinforcing material 3 is a component contained in wood. Since they are the same, the physical properties such as shrinkage represented by the linear expansion coefficient are similar, and the affinity with wood is high. As a result, the fiber 31 does not damage the fiber of the wood itself by cutting or the like, and adheres to the surface of the wood in a state of being familiar with the wood. Even when the wood is deformed by an external force, the reinforcing material 3 is deformed following the deformation of the wood, so that excessive deformation can be prevented.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a situation where the original wood of the cover member 1 is formed from a solid material in an uncompressed state. The wood 11 cut out from the solid material 10 shown in the figure is formed with a main plate portion 11a, a side plate portion 11b that is curved and connected to the periphery of the main plate portion 11a with a smooth curved surface, and rises substantially perpendicular to the main plate portion 11a. 11c.

  The wood 11 is shaped in a form in which a volume reduced by compression is added in advance, and when the wood 11 is cut out from the solid material 10, the longitudinal direction of the wood to be cut out is the wood fiber direction L of the solid material 10. Cut out along. The wood 11 cut out from the solid material 10 in this way has a layer in which the grain 10g is substantially parallel to the surface of the main plate portion 11a within the thickness of the main plate portion 11a, and the substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 11a. Makes the grain surface. In addition, the solid material 10 is a camellia, a bamboo leaf, a paulownia, a teak, a mahogany, a cedar, a pine, or a cherry tree.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to a plan view seen from the top surface of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when cutting out such that the longitudinal direction of the wood is along the wood fiber direction L of the solid material 10, the wood can be cut out like the wood 12 or the wood 13 in addition to the wood 11 described above. . Of these, the wood 12 has a wood grain 10g layered in an oblique direction with respect to the surface of the main plate portion 11a within the thickness of the main plate portion 11a, and the substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 11a forms a memorial surface. Further, in the wood 13, the grain 10g forms a layer substantially perpendicular to the surface of the main plate portion 11a within the thickness of the main plate portion 11a, and the substantially rectangular surface of the main plate portion 11a forms a grid surface. In any case, the strength can be imparted after the compression processing in the longitudinal direction of the wood 11 where the strength decreases.

  Next, a specific process of compression processing of the wood 11 will be described. First, the wood 11 is left in a high-temperature and high-pressure steam atmosphere for a predetermined time. Thereby, the wood 11 absorbs moisture excessively and softens. Thereafter, the wood 11 is placed at a predetermined position between the mold 50 and the mold 60 in the same steam atmosphere as when softened, and the reinforcing material 3 is placed on the upper surface of the main plate portion 11a, and then the two molds are placed. A predetermined compressive force is applied by sandwiching the wood 11 and the reinforcing material 3 with a mold.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation in which the wood 11 and the reinforcing material 3 are arranged between the mold 50 and the mold 60. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. As shown in these drawings, a mold 50 that applies a compressive force to the wood 11 from above the wood 11 during compression is fitted on the curved inner surface of the wood 11 rising from the main plate portion 11a to the side plate portions 11b and 11c. It has the convex part 51 which makes the shape to match. If the radius of curvature of the curved surface 11ac that curves from the main plate portion 11a to the side plate portion 11c of the inner surface of the wood 11 is RI, and the radius of curvature of the curved surface that contacts the curved surface 11ac of the convex portion 51 is RA, these two radii of curvature. Has a relationship of RI> RA. Although not shown, the radius of curvature of the curved surface that curves from the main plate portion 11a to the side plate portion 11b among the inner surface of the wood 11 is also larger than RA.

  On the other hand, the mold 60 that applies a compressive force to the wood 11 from below the wood 11 during compression rises from the main plate portion 11a of the wood 11 to the side plate portions 11b and 11c and inserts a curved outer surface 61 into the concave portion 61. Have The curvature radius of the curved surface 11ac that curves from the main plate portion 11a to the side plate portion 11c in the outer surface of the wood 11 is RO, and the curvature radius of the curved surface that contacts the outer surface of the curved surface 11ac in the recess 61 is RB. There is a relationship of RO> RB between the radii of curvature. Although not shown here, the curvature radius of the curved surface that curves from the main plate portion 11a to the side plate portion 11b in the outer surface of the wood 11 is also larger than RB.

  FIG. 7 shows that after placing the softened wood 11 in a predetermined position, the mold 50 and the mold 60 are relatively brought close together, and the two molds are fitted together to hold the wood 11 between them. It is a figure which shows the state compressed, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which has the cut surface same as FIG. In this state, a compressive force is applied to the main plate portion 11a of the wood 11 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the wood fiber direction L. In addition, a compressive force is applied to the side plate portions 11b and 11c in a direction substantially orthogonal to the wood fiber direction L, and a compressive force is also applied in a direction along the wood fiber direction L. A compressive force is applied obliquely upward to each outer surface of the curved portion between the main plate portion 11a and the side plate portion 11b and the curved portion between the main plate portion 11a and the side plate portion 11c, while each inner surface thereof. A compressive force is applied diagonally downward.

  In the state shown in FIG. 7, the reinforcing material 3 placed on the main plate portion 11 a also receives a compressive force and is pressed against the surface of the main plate portion 11 a of the wood 11. At this time, since the resin component of the wood 11 oozes out from the surface of the wood 11 and serves as an adhesive, the reinforcing material 3 can be bonded to the main plate portion 11a by compression. Depending on the materials of the wood 11 and the reinforcing material 3, an appropriate amount of adhesive may be applied to at least one of the wood 11 and the reinforcing material 3 before compression.

  After leaving for a predetermined time in the state shown in FIG. 7, the high-temperature and high-pressure steam atmosphere is released, the mold 50 and the mold 60 are separated, the compression is released, and the mold is dried. Thereby, the cover member 1 as a compressed wood product according to the present embodiment is completed.

  As a result of the compression process described above, the thickness of the wood 11 is about 1/2 to 1/3 compared to the thickness of the wood 11 before compression that is formed from the solid material 10. Therefore, the fiber density of the wood 11 after the compression processing, that is, the cover member 1 is increased as compared with that before the compression, and the strength is increased.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of application of the cover member 1 formed as described above. More specifically, the cover member 1 that has been compressed is further subjected to appropriate processing to provide an exterior of the digital camera. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure at the time of digital camera assembly at the time of forming a material. The digital camera 100 shown in the figure is externally mounted by a casing 110 in which a front cover 111 and a rear cover 112 which are two cover members having substantially the same shape are combined.

  The main plate portion 111a of the front cover 111 is provided with an imaging unit 201 having an imaging lens. In the main plate portion 111a, an opening for providing a flash, a finder, or the like can be further formed. Further, a shutter button 202 is exposed at the boundary between the side plate portions 111b and 112b, and a connection device for connecting to an external device such as a personal computer from the opening 203 formed at the boundary between the side plate portions 111c and 112c, For example, a connection terminal such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus), a mounting device for mounting an external storage medium such as an xD picture card or smart media, and a plug-in jack such as a power source are displayed. On the rear cover 112, for example, a display unit, an operation input button, a finder, or the like realized by a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, or the like for displaying image information or character information is installed or exposed. An opening is formed (not shown).

  The openings for exposing these various members may be formed collectively when the wood 11 is cut out from the solid material 10, or may be formed by cutting after the wood 11 is cut out. Good. Further, these openings may be formed by cutting, drilling or the like after the compression step.

  In the digital camera 100 shown in FIG. 8, since the reinforcing material 3 is located inside the housing 110, the strength of the housing 110 can be improved without affecting the appearance of the digital camera 100. On the other hand, the reinforcing material 3 may be installed outside the housing 110. In this case, the reinforcing material 3 plays a role of creating individuality as a part of the design, and also plays a role of anti-slip by the unevenness of the fibers 31 on the surface. It is also possible to provide the reinforcing material 3 on both the inner and outer side surfaces of the housing 110.

  Note that an electronic device to which the compressed wood product according to the present embodiment can be applied as an exterior material is not limited to a digital camera, but a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone or PHS or PDA, an MD or CD, or a cassette tape. It may be a portable audio device, an IC recorder, a portable television, a portable radio, a remote controller for various home appliances, a digital video, or the like that outputs a sound by mounting the above-mentioned audio recording medium.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention described above, a reinforcing material comprising a plurality of fibers including a wood fiber component, which is provided on the surface of wood and is uniformly oriented in a direction substantially orthogonal to the wood fiber direction. By providing, it is possible to provide a compressed wood product that retains high strength even when thinned and is suitable as an exterior material for small electronic devices.

  Further, according to this embodiment, by using a reinforcing material formed from a plurality of fibers containing a wood fiber component, the shrinkage rate of the wood and the reinforcing material becomes substantially the same, and the affinity with the wood is high, The material can be made uniform. Since such a reinforcing material does not cut the fiber of the wood even when pressed against the wood, the strength as a compressed wood product can be further improved without deteriorating the strength of the wood itself. it can.

  Up to this point, the best embodiment for carrying out the present invention has been described in detail, but the present invention is not limited only to this one embodiment. For example, the fiber direction of the reinforcing material only needs to cross at least the wood fiber direction. In this sense, the fiber directions of the reinforcing material do not need to be uniform, and the fiber directions may be random. Further, the reinforcing material may be formed by knitting linear fibers into a net shape.

  Further, carbon fiber or the like may be used as the fiber forming the reinforcing material, and the length of the fiber may not be uniform. Furthermore, the reinforcing material may be formed by using an ultra-thin cloth or non-woven fabric made of silk, hemp, or the like, or the reinforcing material may be formed by attaching predetermined fibers to an appropriate material.

  In addition, the use of the compressed wood product according to this embodiment is not limited to the cover member of the electronic device, and can be applied to the compressed wood product for various uses.

  Thus, the present invention can include various embodiments and the like not described herein, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea specified by the claims. It is possible to apply.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the compression wooden product which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows typically the condition which takes wood from the solid material of an uncompressed state. It is a top view which shows the example of shaping of wood. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the compression process of the timber in one embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline | summary of the compression process of the timber in one embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state at the time of the wood compression in one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the digital camera coat | covered using the cover member which is the compression wood product which concerns on one embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cover member 1a, 11a, 111a, 112a Main board part 1b, 1c, 11b, 11c, 111b, 111c, 112b, 112c Side board part 3 Reinforcement material 10 Solid material 10g Wood grain 11, 12, 13 Wood 11ac Curved surface 31 Fiber 50, 60 Mold 51 Convex part 61 Concave part 100 Digital camera 110 Case 111 Front cover 112 Rear cover 201 Imaging part 202 Shutter button 203 Opening part

Claims (5)

A compressed wood product formed by compressing wood,
A compressed wood product comprising a reinforcing material including a plurality of fibers oriented in a direction intersecting a fiber direction of the wood on the surface of the wood.   The compressed wood product according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fibers are oriented in a uniform direction.   The compressed wood product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of fibers are oriented in a direction substantially orthogonal to a fiber direction of the wood.   The compressed wood product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of fibers include a wood fiber component.   The compressed wood product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the compressed wood product is an exterior material for exterior packaging of electronic equipment.

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