US-12619949-B2 - Product, panel and method for manufacturing and/or authenticating and/or tracking such product

US12619949B2US 12619949 B2US12619949 B2US 12619949B2US-12619949-B2

Abstract

A panel product and related systems and methods comprising a code directly or indirectly linked to data regarding one or more physical parameters and/or the manufacturing of said product or of the batch said product is taken from. The invention also relate to a system and method for manufacturing such panel products, as well as to a method for authenticating and/or tracking panel products with computer-traceable data linked to the code.

Inventors

Laurent Meersseman
Bart Van Der Stockt
Benny Schacht

Assignees

FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230331
Priority Date: 20220525

Claims (20)

1 . A system for tracking at least one panel product for making a floor covering, the system comprising: at least one processor; at least one computer storage media storing computer-traceable data managed by the at least one processor, the computer-traceable data comprising digital data regarding the at least one panel product; at least one computer-readable code displayed and disposed in a visual and physical medium on the at least one panel product, the at least one computer-readable code providing a link to the digital data stored on the at least one computer storage media; and at least one scanner device configured to read the at least one computer-readable code and transfer code-specific information of the at least one computer-readable code to the at least one processor, the computer-traceable data comprising the code-specific information of the at least one computer-readable code; wherein, after installation, the at least one computer-readable code is carried by a surface of the at least one panel product; wherein the at least one processor, the at least one computer storage media, and the at least one scanner device are communicatively coupled by a network to transfer the computer-traceable data; wherein the link to the digital data provides access to information of one or more parameters of the at least one panel product to check against the at least one panel product; wherein the information of one or more parameters of the at least one panel product comprises one or more physical parameters, manufacturing parameters, or both physical and manufacturing parameters of the at least one panel product.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one computer-readable code of the at least one panel product is concealed after installation of the at least one panel product for making the floor covering.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product comprises a measurement defining a mutual distance between a first code and a second code.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the mutual distance is made to vary between panel products.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters comprises a photographic image corresponding to the at least one panel product.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product comprises a physical dimension of the at least one panel product, the physical dimension being a length, a width, or a thickness of panel product or a physical portion of the at least one panel product.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product comprises a nominal physical dimension of the at least one panel product corresponding to a predetermined nominal total surface area that can be covered with the at least one panel product.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product comprises an actual physical dimension of the at least one panel product corresponding to a predetermined actual total surface area that can be covered with the at least one panel product.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable code comprises at least one security feature.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises first and second processors and first and second computer storage media located at first and second locations different from one another.
11 . A system for tracking at least one panel product for making a floor covering, the system comprising: at least one processor; at least one computer storage media storing computer-traceable data managed by the at least one processor, the computer-traceable data comprising digital data regarding the at least one panel product; a plurality of computer-readable codes displayed and disposed in a visual and physical medium on the at least one panel product, the plurality of computer-readable codes being identical and/or providing a, preferably identical, link to the digital data stored on the at least one computer storage media; and at least one scanner device configured to read at least one code of the plurality of computer-readable codes and transfer code-specific information of the at least one code to the at least one processor; wherein the at least one code is carried by a surface of the at least one panel product, the surface and/or said code being concealed at least after installation of the at least one panel product for making the floor covering; wherein the at least one processor, the at least one computer storage media, and the at least one scanner device are communicatively coupled by a network to transfer the computer-traceable data; wherein, in response to the at least one code being read by the at least one scanner device, the processor compares the code-specific information to the digital data stored on the at least one computer storage media to verify authenticity of the at least one code; wherein the link to the digital data provides access to information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product to verify authenticity of the at least one panel product.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the physical medium is provided by at least one of: machine etching, laser etching, printer device, thermal transfer, hologram, magnetic strip, chip with microprocessor enabling near-field communication, and RFID tag.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the information of one or more physical parameters of the at least one panel product is provided to verify authenticity of the at least one panel product.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable code is concealed on a surface that is in itself visible in use.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the surface that is in itself visible in use comprises a decorative pattern, wherein the computer-readable code forms part of the decorative pattern.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable code is concealed within the decorative pattern.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one panel product comprises a substrate, a printed carrier sheet and a wear layer on top of said printed carrier sheet.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one panel product comprises a relief or structure available at the surface that is in itself visible in use.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one panel product comprises coupling parts at at least one pair of opposite edges, wherein said coupling parts in a coupled condition of two such panels bring about a locking between the respective edges in a vertical direction perpendicular to a plane of coupled panels and/or in a horizontal direction in said plane and perpendicular to the coupled edges; wherein the coupling parts are formed in one piece with material of the at least one panel product; and wherein the coupling parts are formed as a tongue and a groove.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one panel product is a floor or panel product containing PVC and an amount of additives, wherein the floor or panel product comprises a substrate of a filled synthetic composite.

Description

BACKGROUND The present invention relates to products, panels and methods for manufacturing such product. The invention particularly relates to such products and panels that are provided with a code. The invention further related to a method of authenticating such product. It is known, for example from WO 2013/023844, to print additional markings while printing the decor on decorative building panels or furniture panels. The markings are used in subsequent manufacturing or logistic steps within the factory environment with the aim to minimize incorrect operations. The markings may take the form of a machine readable EAN-code or QR-code and may be used to provide data for subsequent automated machining or for stock control. In WO 2022/033464, a marking is printed on a ceramic base body to define the printed pattern to be applied in a subsequent production step of a ceramic product. WO 2019/072733 discloses that, in the manufacturing of decorative panels, a code may be inkjet printed while printing a decorative pattern on a decorative paper or foil. The code is linked to the customer or his delivery address. The code may be concealed within said decorative pattern using steganographic methods. The markings and codes proposed by the prior art have a limited use, and may distort the print of the eventually obtained building panel. A cost-effective and/or unique identification or tracking of mass produced goods appears impossible with the techniques available in the prior art. In particular, the available techniques do not allow a thorough identification of goods in the market place, during use, or at end-of-life, leading to an unability to pinpoint manufacturing problems underlying after-sales defaulting products, unability to recycle or re-use due to a lack of information on the material contents of the product and/or its hazardous nature. SUMMARY The present invention in the first place aims at alternative products and/or panels, wherein, in accordance with preferred embodiments, solutions are offered for one or more of the problems associated with the products or panels of the prior art. With this aim, the present invention, in accordance with its first independent aspect, is a product comprising a code directly or indirectly linked to data regarding one or more physical parameters and/or the manufacturing of said product and/or of the batch said product is taken from. Due to the fact that the code is linked to such data, the origin of the product may be better retraced. The manufacturing data preferably comprises data regarding the manufacturing steps the actual product has gone through, as opposed to data purely for use in subsequent operations. In this way, the code provided on products defaulting, for example in use, may be helpful in retracing the manufacturing circumstances that may have led to the default. Preferably, said product is a mass manufactured product, namely manufactured in batches or series of at least 100, or at least 100 thousand, nominally identical, or nearly identical products. Preferably, said product is a product obtained through a method for manufacturing that comprises at least one machining step, i.e. a forming step, an additive manufacturing step and/or a subtractive manufacturing step, such as sawing, milling, laser cutting, laser milling, laser marking, grinding, sand blasting, waterjet cutting, chemical machining, electrochemical machining and/or electrical discharge machining. Alternatively, or in combination therewith, said product may be a product that at one or more surfaces comprises a coating, wrapping, lamination, decoration and/or printed pattern. Preferably, said code is unique to the respective product or batch said product is taken from. In the cases where said code is not unique to a product, but used on a plurality of products or on products from one or more batches, said data preferably relates to data in common with all products said code has been applied on, or to data relating to the statistical distribution attained among the respective products or batches. Whether or not in addition to the unique code in accordance with the above preferred embodiment, preferably, said data allows a, preferably unique or near-unique, identification of said product or of the batch said product is taken from. Herewith it is meant that the data is unique or nearly unique, for a product or batch, for example can maximally relate to 1 out of 100 products or batches, or maximally to 1 out of 100 thousand products or batches. In such case said code may be used in an authentication process. When a product is retrieved in a shop, or at the end-of-life, its authenticity can be checked, by accessing the data through said code, and checking the available data against the physical product. In this manner, a dual authentication may be established with a high probability. Not only should the code be genuine, but also the data linked to it should match the product or batch. An enhanced secur