i4F and Hymmen announced Monday that new Hymmen patents for digital patterning have been issued in the United States and China. U.S. patent “11141759 B2” and Chinese patent “CN110267813B” cover methods for digitally embossing panel surfaces with varying degrees of gloss. Both new patents are exclusively available through an i4F license. These freshly issued Chinese and U.S. patents provide further protection for Hymmen’s state-of-the-art digital embossing technologies on all types of panel materials.

Effective immediately, both patents will be added to i4F’s Digital Printing Technologies Cluster, which claims to offer the world’s most advanced digital printing and digital embossing technologies. i4F’s patent portfolio covers all relevant jurisdictions worldwide – including the U.S., Europe and China – and is one of the most comprehensive, if not the most comprehensive, digital printing patent portfolio for flooring currently offered.

The strategic partnership with Hymmen gives I4F exclusive licensing rights to all digital printing patents and technologies for flooring production. This includes Hymmen’s multiple innovation award winning “Digital Lacquer Embossing” (DLE and DLEplus) technology. In addition to exclusive licensing rights, i4F works closely with Hymmen to promote new digital printing opportunities in the flooring industry and represents Hymmen in patent protection matters.

Dr. René Pankoke, managing partner of Hymmen, says, “Historically, Hymmen has held a strong position in intellectual property, and the granting of these two new patents further underscores this. Digital printing continues to be on the rise as it will play a critical role in the future of modular flooring. These new technologies offer manufacturers unlimited design and embossing flexibility on a wide range of materials.”

John Rietveldt, CEO of i4F, added, “These recent patents in the U.S. and China reaffirm the strength of the licensable portfolio with digital printing and patterning patents. Access to these technologies is only possible through an i4F license, which provides solid patent protection in all major regions.”