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Process for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus madeRelated Patent Categories: Stock Material Or Miscellaneous Articles, Three Dimension Imitation Or "treated" Natural ProductProcess for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus made description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070224371, Process for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus made. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application under 37 CFR 1.53(b) of pending prior application Ser. No. 10/772,975 filed Feb. 5, 2004. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention pertains to a process for making a product from artificial rock and a product thus made. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] A product of this type can be used in aquarium-building trade and, in general, in the manufacturing of rocky decorations, and other non-rocky motifs of medium and large dimensions, for use in aquatic and/or public swimming environments wherein stringent requirements of non-toxicity are to be met also after decades of service life. [0004] At present, in the production of artificial rocky environments, use is made use of cement. Such solution has drawbacks such as the need of coloring, possible alteration of water's pH, poor resistance of the color over time because of the contact with the water and the effects of shocks and other external agents action. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] Among the objects of the present invention, one is to replace the cement in the construction of large rocky environments and in the decoration of facilities that are particularly difficult to reach, thereby overcoming the above said drawbacks. [0006] One of the advantage of the present invention lies in that by using a mixture of resin, aggregates, and a series of auxiliary products for processing the resin, there is obtained a product which is realistic to the touch and sight, while eliminating the use of pigments that are likely to discolor and become altered over time because of their exposure to heat or light; in particular, the specific formulation of the mix and the thickness by which it is produced, ensure a long life of the product in terms of strength and color. [0007] Besides, the surface exhibited by a product made according to the invention can be scratched, pierced or abraded and, nevertheless, thanks to its structural characteristics and the high thickness of the mix by which it is made, the homogeneity of the same surface is maintained even when the latter is subjected to mechanical shock or wear. [0008] A further advantage is that the absence of surface's coloring maintains the product unaltered over the time also when it is fully immersed into the water or merely subject to a current of running water, either fresh or salt. [0009] Yet another advantage stems from the mechanical resistance to the abrasion, and to bending and tensile strength, thereby allowing the use of rock also in cases that imply structural withstanding capacity against any possible mechanical stress. [0010] Moreover, the aggregates of the mix are selected free of impurities to such a degree that the use of regenerated artificial rock in aquarium construction--contrary to the cement--does not alter the pool's pH, thereby leaving the physico-chemical parameters of the water unaltered. [0011] Another important factor to be considered when making rocky decorations for aquariums is the grow of algae which enrich the aspect of the expository tank: a careful selection of the quality and physico-chemical proprieties of the aggregates will favor a better and faster colonization of the regenerated rock by red, calcareous encrusting algae than with rocks made from cement or painted plastic materials. In this way, it is possible to build an excellent sub layer for the colonization of sessile plants and animals. [0012] The other high advantage of using regenerated rock is that it can be supplied in panels of any dimension and shape to overcome any logistic staging problem; the relatively light panels allow carrying out any setting in environments difficult to access; care in the details and shapes will make the product a true copy of the real environment. [0013] The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0014] The present process is substantially based on mixing an isophtalic or bisphenolic polyester resin with aggregates of various nature and granulometry, derived from working marble, granite, stone in general, quartz,--selected according to their color, strength and intended use in building aquarium and the like--in order to produce synthetic rock panels to be laid on waterproof rolled sections, said panels being of any possible modular shape, light-weight, waterproof and constructed in a manner that allow them to be transported and to withstand high loads, while being identical to the touch and sight to rocky surfaces of various morphology and color. [0015] In order to manufacture a product that will best reproduce the characteristics of a given type of rock, it is necessary to make a careful identification of the rocks to be imitated. This stage of the process may comprise: localizing the geographical area of the rock, analyzing the typical morphology of the rock in situ, analyzing the atmospheric and climatic conditions in order to determine the type of wear due to water and wind erosion, as well as other possible conditions; analyzing the habitat in general. Samples may also be collected for the analysis of the mineral composition of the rock in relation to the color, shape, texture and color variations. [0016] Afterwards, a mixture is made of the selected aggregates which is able to imitate said color, chromatic variations, texture and shape. The material can be preferably chosen among those indicated below and resulting from rock crushing: [0017] raw material, made up of periodite rock reach in olivine minerals, which is crushed, milled, selected and classified into corns, sands and powders: [0018] isomorphous mixture of magnesium silicates (phosphorite) and iron silicates (fayalite) (Mg, Fe).sub.2 SiO.sub.4; [0019] marble powder (CaCO.sub.3 and MgCO.sub.3) in any color and granulometry, washed, dried in oven, riddled and divided according to its granulometry. [0020] Thereafter, an analysis is made of the final setting of the regenerated rock, that is, of the load that the rock is to withstand, by evaluating the mechanical stress in tension and bending, and the degree of erosion caused by chemical agents, while observing the animals or persons usually present in the environment, the water nature and any other factor that makes integral part of the design. [0021] Then the mixtures are formulated by selecting the aggregates, resins and resin's additives, thixotropic agents, operating temperatures, type of glass fibers, while considering the general working conditions and assembly problems. [0022] The chosen resins are of polyester, and can be preferably identified in the following types: bisphenolic polyester resin and unsaturated isophtalic resin. Continue reading about Process for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus made... Full patent description for Process for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus made Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Process for making a product of artificial rock and a product thus made patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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