权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. Process for duplicating in series an object (1) having a decorative three-dimensional surface (11) comprising a plurality of ridges (12), or protrusions, each ridge (12) of said plurality having a predetermined thickness, or height (s), said process comprising the steps of :
- introducing said object (1) in a hollow container body (120);
- distributing on said object (1) a setting material (70) , said setting material (70) covering said decorative three-dimensional surface (11) of said object (1) ;
- hardening said setting material (70) obtaining a mould (210), said mould (210) providing at the face oriented towards said object (1) a three-dimensional surface (211) reproducing in negative said three- dimensional surface (11) of said object (1);
- arranging a substantially planar support (40) ;
- distributing a predetermined amount of a thermoplastic material (80) on a first face (41) of said support (40) , obtaining a layer (85) of said thermoplastic material (80) having a predetermined height;
- arranging said support (40) and said mould (210) overlapped to one another to obtain a system (250) comprising said support (40) and said mould (210) , wherein said first face (41) of said support (40) is arranged in contact with said three-dimensional surface (211) of said mould (210);
- applying heat and pressure to said system (250) in such a way to cause a substantial melting of said thermoplastic material (80) and its distribution on the three-dimensional surface (211) of the mould (210) obtaining a corresponding substantially molten layer (85') of said thermoplastic material (80);
- cooling said corresponding layer (85') of the thermoplastic material (80) in such a way to cause it to harden obtaining a cast (315) of said object (1), said cast (315) having a decorative surface (316) that reproduces said surface (211) of said mould (210) and then of said surface (11) of said object (1), said decorative surface (316) of said cast (315) comprising a plurality of ridges (312) with thicknesses corresponding to those of said ridges (12) of said ob ect (1) ;
- printing said decorative surface (316) obtaining a printed decorative surface (317) and then a duplication of said object (1).
Process, according to claim 1, wherein said step of distributing said thermoplastic material is made by spraying, or lamination, or by a transfer roller, or using other devices that apply the second material directly on the support.
Process, according to claim 1, wherein said layer (85) of thermoplastic material (80) obtained at the end of said step of distributing said thermoplastic material on said support (40) has a thickness set between 50 μπι and 20 mm.
Process, according to claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic material (80) is selected from the group consisting of:
— a thermoplastic resin;
— a mixture of thermoplastic resins.
Process, according to claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic material (80) has a melting temperature T* less than 200°C.
6. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein said object (1) is a model reproducing an original artwork, said original artwork having a three-dimensional surface comprising a plurality of ridges, or protrusions, each ridge of said plurality having a predetermined thickness, or height, and also a step is provided of making said object comprising: .
- three-dimensional scanning of said original artwork obtaining a three-dimensional virtual image (101) corresponding to said three-dimensional surface of said original artwork, said three-dimensional virtual image (101) comprising a plurality of points, or pixels having determined spatial coordinates (x,y,z);
- producing, on the basis of said spatial coordinates (x,y,z), of said model having a surface that reproduces said three-dimensional virtual image (101), said model being made of an easily formable material.
7. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein said printing step is made by a printing apparatus (350) .
8. Process, according to claim 6, wherein said printing apparatus (350) uses one of the following printing techniques :
- printing, or thermoprinting, with sublimation inks;
- inkjet printing;
- printing with heat transfer inks;
- printing with water based inks;
- printing with UV inks, i.e. ultraviolet inks;
- offset printing;
- printing with solvent based inks;
- printing with resin based inks;
- dye sublimation printing; - screen printing;
- laser printing.
- or a combination thereof,
9. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein before said printing step a step is provided of patination of said decorative surface, said patination adapted to optimize the rate of absorption of colour, in particular ink, from said decorative surface (316) , said patination step providing a step of application of a thin layer (318), or film, of resin on said decorative surface (316) in a way suitable to optimize the colour absorption, in particular of ink, and to improve then the printing quality.
10. Process, according to claim 1, wherein, comprising the further steps of:
- definition on said three-dimensional surface of at least one reference point;
- locating in a way referred between said printing machine and said, or each, reference point, in a way suitable to have the reliability of applying a predetermined amount of a specific colour at a specific area of the three-dimensional surface.
11. Process, according to claim 1, wherein said setting material (70) is a setting material having a coefficient of shrinkage during the step of hardening substantially zero, said setting material (70) being selected from the group consisting of:
- gypsum, in particular a material based on gypsum;
- silicone;
- an epoxy resin;
- a polyurethane resin;
- a silicone rubber; - a photopolymer
- or a combination thereof.
12. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein said base sheet (40) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:
- wood;
- canvas;
- non woven fabric;
- metal material;
- plastic material;
- a stiff material;
- a flexible material;
- paper, or cardboard.
13. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of distributing said thermoplastic material (80) on said sheet (40) is made by spraying, or lamination, or by a transfer roller.
14. Process, according to any of the previous claims, wherein said setting material (70) is a metal material, in particular a metal material in the molten state .
15. Process for making in series an object (1) having a decorative three-dimensional surface (11) comprising a plurality of ridges (12), or protrusions, each ridge (12) of said plurality having a predetermined thickness, or height (s) , said process comprising the steps of:
- making a mould (210' ) of stiff material, or semirigid (150), and having a surface (211) that reproduces in negative said surface (11) of said object (1), said surface (211) of said mould (210') comprising a plurality of depressions (112) with depth corresponding to the thicknesses of said ridges (12) of said object (1);
- moulding, by said mould (210' ) , a surface of a layer of thermoplastic material (80') obtaining a modeled layer (315) , said moulding step providing a pressing and a heating of said layer of thermoplastic material ;
- extracting said modeled layer (315) of the thermoplastic material having a modeled surface (316) that reproduces said surface (11) of said object (1) , said modeled surface (316) comprising a plurality of ridges (312) with thicknesses corresponding to those of said ridges (12) of said object (1) ;
- register printing of said modeled surface (316) obtaining a corresponding decorative surface (315) and then a duplication of said object (1).