CA1283815C - Decorative inlaid types of sheet materials - Google Patents

Abstract

DECORATIVE INLAID TYPES OF SHEET MATERIALS
Abstract of the Disclosure The invention provides decorative, inlaid sheet materials which incorporate a matrix layer of discreet, low aspect ratio resinous particles embedded in a resinous coating. The use of printed patterns which are visible beneath the adhesive matrix containing the particles constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention. The sheet materials of this invention are real through-patterned inlaids which do not lose their pattern due to wear in use, and which offer unique design advantages and flexibility as well as superior properties.

Description

~338~S

Field of the Invention The pr~oent lnventlon r~l~te~ to decor~tive lnleid sheet moterlal~ and t~e li~e. ~ore p~rt1cul~rly the invent1On iB co~cerned ~ith th~ u~e of polyvinyl chlorlde (here~ns~ter PVC-) poly~er1zation ag~lDmer~tes as decorstiVe particle~ and their applicntion on floor ~nd vall coverin~ ~ub~trate~ to produce rP~li~t1c inlaid patt~rns, ut11iz1~g h~r~tofore unobt~lnable de~lgn strntegie~ and exh1~it1ng superlor propertie~.

The psrticle~ can be spher1cal and, Yhen such i~ the case, are hereinafter ~o~etimes rel'erred to a~ ~ pearl8 ~ .
~he~e p~rl~ ~on ~e rsndom-s1fted on the sub~tr~t~ or ~ppli~d ln geometric~l patt~rn~. Al~o dlscloaed i8 the u~e oi mixea or blends conta1ning tran~parent or pnrtly transparent pearl~ allo~ing vi~ible underprintlng a8 a further ~tr~tegy for unlque design variations.

~ckqround of the Invention She~t mQterials, in particular ~heet vinyl floorlng product~, made vith chips or parti~ulate material, ere commo~ly referred to a~ inlaids. The~e products and processes for thelr manufacture are ~ell knoYn in the floorcovering bu~ine~s and ori~inate b~ck to the early linoleum time~ ~here through patterned floorcoverings, based on linseed oil, cork dust and re~inn ~ere developed by the industry. The process ~as later modified for vlnyl.

Vinyl ~nl~id floorcoverlng cons1~t~ of coerse colored particles, ~uch an chipH or dry blends, ~hich are '~laid on~ a sub~tr~tæ ~nd th~n ~inter~d by heat, or alaid n~ ~ tran~parent liquld or aolid matrlx and fu~e~ ~y heat. The chip0 arr produced from pr~-gelled or fu~ed spre~d, calendered or extruded compound~ cut lnto ~3~S

geometrlcally regular profileg ar ground lnto randomly shaped partlclea.

Th~ dry blend~ are made by mixing ~lne PVC po~der Yith pla~tlclzer, ~lller and color pi~ments ~nd he~tlng abov@ the PYC compound~ 8 sotenlng temperature. Th~ ~m~ll original particle~ Rgro~ ~nd ~orm a 1008e, porou~, cos~æ, :flufy mans.

Currently, to produGe reall~tic inlaid p3tterns for sheet vinyl, conventional manufacturing procedures distribute the coarse particle~ on the substrate ln dl~erent ~teps ~ith the help of ~ree-complementary stencils, follo~d by topcoating with a clear Yearlayer.
This method 18 compllcated and can only be uaed to prDduce large geometrlc patt~rn~.

The lnlald floorcoverlngs are normally characterized those ~hich malntain their decorative eppearance a~ the ~urface i~ YOrn or abraded avay. Thi~ characteri~tic mRkes such products particularly suit~ble for u~e ln commerclal ~reas vhere sign~ficant Year is encountered.

~ odern inlaid~ generally fall into t~o classifications: re~llients and non re~ilient~. ResilientE
include 8 sub~tantlally continuous layer of foam and are u~ually mede by incorporating ~olid particulate material into a pla~ti~ol coating, ~ollo~ed by gelling and fusing.
Non-re~illents do not contain a foam layer and usually are made by sintering and~or calendering, or other~ise compecting, particul~te material.

The non-re~ili~nt products commercially offered are those containing lar~e ~about l/a inch) square chlps in a clear matrix and t~o~e containing small ~about 0.004 lnc~) dry blend re~in particlea made by uinterin~ and~or ~33~3~S

compactlng norm~l dry blend reslns. It i~ ~lleved that the reason no product~ containlng ch~ pB, ~r~nule~, or partlcle~ of an inter~edlnte p~rtlcle ~zæ ~eg, ran~in~
froM ~out 0.004 inch to a~ou~ 0.040 inch) ~re o~er~d resultn from limit~tion~ lnh~rent ln current lnlaid manuf~cturlng technology, dl~cu~ged more fully herelnQfter.

Whlle con~tructlon o~ inl~ld product~ by compactlon ~rom discreet chlpg or p~rtlcles (r.ormally of dlf ~r~nt color~) offers distinct atyllng opportunitie~, a signiflcant premium i8 pald ln term~ of expen~ive, cumber~ome equipment. Furthermore, the nature of the proces~ rectrlct~ the range of de~igns a~ilable. For example, ln order to e~i'ect specific registered p~tern de~in~ticn~ it 18 nece~ary to deposit chips of dli'ferent colors in preselected areas on the sheet. T~ R
dlfflcult mechanlcally, and re8ults ln ~ alo~ cumbær~o~e process ~hich does not produce finely deflned de~ign~.

Some of the inherent difficulties in current productlon techniques for non-resillent inlaids have been minimized by use of increa~ingly ~ophisticated m~teri~ls and design techniques, guch ag u~ing fine particle size, dry blend re~in~, printing over t~e surfac2 of the re~ulting lnlaid product, optlonally, embossing, with and ~ithout application of a vearlayer. Unfortunately, vherea~
the use of the finer particle Bize pre~erves the speclfic ~characteristic of an inlaid product, ie. the pattern does not change ~ the product ~ears through, overprinting the product, vhether or not a ~ear layer i~ applled, es~entially negate~ thi~ characteri~tic because ~earing through the print layer es~entially destroy~ the p~ttern.
This ellminates the product from commercial, hlgh-u~e environments end limitg itg utllity princip~lly to styling eifect in reEldentlal and rel~ted applicstlon~.

Re~ilient inlaid~ are ugu~lly made by embedding \~J

~3~

ground plastic part1cul~te mater1al ln a pla~t1~ol coQt~ng.
United States P~ter~ 4,212,69l e~empli~ie~ such product~
and mæ;hod~ ~or their ma~u~a~t~re. A~ tau~ht ln thl~
patent, the thickn~sc of the part1cle~ of the decor~tive ch1ps or flnke~ lu ~t~ted to be from about 3 mlls ts about mils ~e0. ae~ column 7, llnes 62-64). Ho~ever, it i8 the len~th o~ the perticle, le. 1t8 l~r~e~t dimen~lon, rsther than thicknes~ th~t 18 observed ~hen vleving the pattern. Th~t dimenslon 13 ~tated to be ~rom about 50 to SOO mils at column 8, lines 17-1~. It i8 to be noted that the products diQclosed all contain embedded chlp~ or flakes ground from plastic ~heet ~tock, even ~hen chip~ or flakes from other stock materials are added (eg. see column 8, lines 4 et seq). The~e chip~ or fl~ke~ characterlnt1cslly have a hlgh aspect r~tio ~1e. length/th1cknes~).

Thu~, existing inl~ld technology, although capable of producing commercielly satisfactory inlatd products, has limitations end def1ciencies. State of the art inlaid technolo~y for ~chip~ products first grinds the chips ~rom plast1c sheet~. This predefines the perticle ~hspe nnd la expensive. Furthermore, spherical particle shapec czn n~t be made by the grinding techniquee currently ln use for inlaids.

Additionally, product formed by c~mpecting or ~intering dry blends ~ave al~ays sho~n limited perticle di~tinction due to process limitation~ and av~ilable particle sizes. The particle0 tend to lo~e the~r ldentity due to agglomeretion or lumping c~used by the sintering process.

Purpose~ and Objects of the Inventlon It i~, therefore, 8 princip~l purpose and object of this invention to provide heretofore unobt~in~ble renl throug~ pstterned 1nlaids, offerin~ unique de31~n advantages and flexlblllty, aa ~ell a8 ~uperlor properties. For ex~mple, ~e~r re~istnnce 18 ~lgnlficantly 1ncre~sed ln comparl~on ~ith leadln~ commerc1ally ~v~11able lnlaid~. It 1B al~o a primary purpo~e ~nd obJect of thl~
lnve~tlon to provtde a novel proc~ for produc1n~ such inlaids Yh~ch 1H belleved to be ~mpler and ~i~nl~lc~ntly le~s compllcated th~n ~tatæ-of-the-art inlald productton technology. Another purpose and ob~ect 1~ to pr~vlde proces~ that in the m~in ut111z~s today' 8 plast1sol equlp~ent and technoloyy. Other princ1pal purpose~ and objects of thl~ lnventlon Yill be apparent from the f olloYlng discu~s10n.

Su~mar~_of the Inventton The foreyo1ng and other purposes and obje~ts of this inventlon are acco~pl1shed by prov1d1ng a decorative, inlald i'loor or wall covering product ~hich incorporate~ a8 the essent~al elements thereof ~1~ re~inous particles having an sspect ratio ~19niflcantly lo~er than those currently emp~oyed 1n lnlaid~ commerclally offered in the Un1ted States and a purtlcle gize, preferably falling within the range of from about 0.004 lnch to about 0.040 inch, (ii) an adhesive m~trix in vhich ~aid particles are embedded, and ~1ii) a ~ub~trate ~hich supports these and any other optional elements of the product, ~uch a~ a substrate coatlng or sealant, a print layer, and a wear layer. Such optional elements ~ill be discu~sed more fully hereinafter.

In .general the part1cles employed in thi~ invention have an aapect ratio- of no yreBter than about 2:1 and, preferably, no greater than about l.S:l. Particles having an aspect ratlo of about 1:1 and, in purticul~r~ ~pheroidal part1cles, Qre e~pecially preferred because of the excellent reault~ achieved thereYith, a8 dlscu~ed more fully ~er~inafter. The u~e of purt1cleo vhich are ~3~

easentlally ~ thlck a8 they are flat, ie. havlng ~ lo~
aspect ratlo, provides a product tha* Yill not lo~e it8 p3ttern due to ~e~r ln use, thu~ preservlng the unlque property ~hlch characterlze~ true lnlald~.

The u~e o~ printed patternu ~hiCh sre vlslble beneut~ the adheslve mutrlx contalning the particle~
broadens the option~ avallable to the psttern designer and constltutes unother embodlment of thl~ inventlon.
Exemplary 18 a decorative, inlald floor or ~all coverlng which comprises:
a) a sub~trnte, b) a printed layer, generally comprislng a printable substr~te coating or sesl~nt, onto ~hlch 18 prlnted a pattern in an lnk ~ult~ble for floor or ~all covering appli~tions, applled over and in contact ~lth sald substrate, ~nd c) an adhesive matrix, overlaylng ~aid printed layer, snd in contect thereYith, in ~hlch are embedded the resinou~ particles, sald matrlx helng ~ufficiently transparent or translu~cent to permlt the underprint to show through.

Such product provide~ options for a wide variety of de~lgn strategies heretofore unobtainable ~ith state-of-the-art &~eet vinyl technology and constitutes a preferred embodiment of this invention.

The inlai4 product of thls lnvention offer unique design advant~ge~. Further, co~t advanteges can ~180 bæ
realized by utlllzing rav materials which are belleved to be unlque to lnl~id manufacture. For example, cert~ln of the novel products of the lnventlon incorporatæ an adheoive matrlx con~lntin~ es~entlally o a pla~tisol lsyQr contalnlny a hl~h lo~ding of trun~parent ~nd~or \~

~3~
,~

tr~nsluscent a~d colored, aphe~old~l re~1nou~ p~rt1cles, which, pre~ær~bly, r~n~e ~n ~ize from ~bout 0. 004 lnchea to about 0.040 1nches. When this matrix la applied over a printed pettern, a un~que v1~ual effect i8 produced.

- Such particle~ c~n be made ln unlform oontrolled ~izes by employin~ technolo~y de~cr~ed ln United States Patent 3,856,900, Altærnatively, ~p~cial large particle ~ize dry blend re01nous p~rt1oles, ~ither ~creened to the de~ired s1ze rangee of this lnv~ntlon from oversized material obta1ned from normal productlon variation~, or spec~ally msde p~rtic`e~
in the desir~d 8ize range, can be utillzed .

Another, and preferred, embodlment of ~hi~ inventlon lS a decorative, lnlald i'loor coYering ~hich compr10es:

a) 3 non-a~bestos ~elt ~heet substr3te, b) a gelled, printable, plaatisol coatlng over s~id sub~trate, c~ one or more ~olvent based PVC-polyvinyl acetate copolymer ink~ applied to the ~urface of the plasti~ol layer, d) a gelled adhe~ive matrix, overlaylng said plasti~ol~print layer, and in contact therevith, contalning an effective amount of a homopolymer or a copolymer o~ ~inyl chlor~de, in which are embedded discreet spherical and essentially spherical, gelled and resinou~ particles, at leHst ~me o~
~hlch per~it the underprint to chov through, and Yherein ~ald particles are co~rse PVC
homopolyme~ or copalymer polymerlzation agglomerat~, ~lzed to between about 0.004-0.~6~ ~preferably le~s than 0.040) lnche~, and, optionally~

\~

~38~L~
g e~ ~ fused, tran~p~rent, pl~sti~l ~e~rlayer a~
a top coa~.

General Descrlptlon of the In~ention The product io ~omprl~ed n~ a b~e ~upportlng meterlal, ~hlch, optio~ally, may b~ precoated ~ith a pla8ti~01 to enh~nce prlnt~bllity, a print layer o~erlng decoration, and en ~dhesi~e m~trix contalning tr~n~parent or translucent and/or pigmented resin particles, which are preferably spherlcal or ep~erotdal. In one ~mbodlment the resulting product has an additlonal costl~g on lta op surface to enhance sur~ace propertles, such ~ ~loa~ and the like~ snd insure there i8 no residual porosity resultlng from the prncess oi embeddlng the partlculates ~n the adhesive matrix.

The inc~rporatlon of p~rticulate meterlals of such size and shape, and at the loadlngs herein deRcribed provides the retent~on of pattern ~ the product wear~
through characteristlc of lnlaid products. The incorporation of transparent particles alloving the underprint to sho~ through, provides an addltional ~imension in design capability. T~e combination of a transparent or tran~luscent adhesive matrix loaded Yith transparent or transluscent and/or plgmented or colored particulate m3terial and the u~e o~ rotogravure or other forms of print offering ~ine reglstered detail and definition, provide a product vhich i8 believed to be un~que and a significant ~dv~nce in the art.

One of the advantage~ o~ this invention i~ th~t it employs ingredient~ end processing technology ~ell kno~n to those skilled in the art. Al~o, by employing a fluid plastisol as the matrix mater~al bindlng the p~rticle~
together, the produc~ cnn be manufactured ~lthout the need for the hlgh pre~ur~g or temp~roturee c~ar~cteri~tlc of ~?

~3~

the cal~nderlng or ~gglo~er~tlon ~tep~ o~ the prlor art proce~æe~. Thi~ proc~sln~ ch~rscterl~tlc al~o distlnguishes th? ~ubJect proces~ from ~ho~e o~ the prlor art ~hlch ~mploy only dry bl~nd re~ln~, ~hlch ~re agglomer~ted through heat slnterln~.

Su~trate T~e sub~trate 1~ B r~latlve'y ~lat flbrou~ or non-fibrous ~cklng sheet ~aterlal, ~u~h aa a flbrou~, ~elted or m~tted, relntively flat sheet of overlapping, inter~ecting f~er~, u~u~lly of non-Qsbe~to3 orlgin. The substr~te can, lf de3~red, be asb~stos or non-a~be~tos feltc or pBper8~ ~oven or non-Yoven; knltted or other~l~e fa~rlcated textlle m~terial or fabrics comprlsed of celluloc~, ~l~c~, n~tural or synthetlc organic flbers, or natural or synthetio lnorganic fibers, or aupported or non-supported ~eb~ or sheets msde therefrom or fllled or unfilled thermoplastlc or thermo~et polymerlc m~terials.
The~e and other substr~te or b~se m~terials are ~ell kno~n in the ~rt and need not be further detalled here.

Substrate Coatinq The subctr~te or base material, optionally, can be coated to improve the prlnt qu~lity of the sub~trate. Such coatings can be pla~ti~ol~, organosols, lacquers, filled or unfilled latex coatin~s, or other coatings conventionally employed as preprint ~ealant~ in the manufacture of floor or ~all co~ering products.

A~ used herein, the term ~pla~t~olR i~ intended to co~er a relatively hlgh molecul~r velght polyvinyl chlorlde resin di~persed in one or more placticizerg. The plastlsol upon he~tlng or curlng ~orm~ a tou~ plsstlclzed ~olld. For purpose~ of the pre8ent ~n~ention pla~tl801 compo~ltions are intended to lnclude or~nosol~, ~hich ~r~ ~imilar ~3~1~

di~per~ed polyvinyl chlorlde resln materlsla thst, ln ~ddltion~ contain one or more vol~tlle llquids that are drives. o~ upon hentin~.

Those s~illed in the art wlll ~ppr~cl~t~ that, in sdditlon to the basic resin constltuents, other commonly employed con~tltuent~ can -be pre~ent ln the pl88t1801 compositlon~ ln mlnor proportlnns. Such other constituents commonly include heat and llyht atablllzerQ, vlscoslty depress~nts, and~or pt ~ments or dyes, the latter in order to contribute color to the polyvlnyl chlorlde resin.

Typic~lly the ~u~strate co~tlng employed in the products of this invention 1B a resinou~ polymer compo~ition, preferahly, a polyvlnyl chloride plastlsol ~hich 18 substæntially uniformly applied to the sub~trate 0ur~ace, for example by means of a conventional rever~e roll coater or ~ire vound bar, e~. a neyer Rod Coater, ~herein the grooves provided by the Ylres assist ln meterln~ the flo~ of the plastlsol The particul~r means for applying the substrate coating to the surface of the substrate does not relate to the essence of the invention and any ~uitable coating mean~ can be employed. Exemplary of other coating means are knife-over roll coater, rotary screen, direct roll coater and the like, The thickness of the resinous polymer composition or plastisol, as it i6 ~pplled to the surface of the substrate, is sub~tantlally uniform, and i~ in the range of about 3 mll~ to about 30 mils.
The eubstrate can be thinner or th~cker as may be requlred hy the particul~r product application.

Although the preferred nnd typlcal su~trate coating i8 8 polyvlnyl chloride homopolymer re~in, other vlnyl chlorlde resln~ c3n be employed. Exe~plary are a vlnyl \~

33~5 c~loride-vinyl acetate copolymer, ~ vinyl chlorlde-vlnylldene chloride copolymer, snd copolymers of Y~nyl chlor1de ~ith other vlnyl euter~, ~uch ~8, vinyl butyrate, vlnyl proplonate~ ~nd alkyl ~ub~t~tuted vinyl ester~, Yhere1n the ~lXyl moiety pre~er~bly i~ lover alkyl conta1n1ng bet~een about 1-4 carbon~. Other ~u1table synthetic resin~ ~uch a~ polystyrene, sub~t1tuted polystyrene, pre~erably Yherein the subatituent~ ~re selected from the group consisting of alkyl. ~C~-C10, preferably Cl-C4), aryl tpreferably, C6-C14)~
polyolefins such aQ polyethylene and polypropylene, acrylates and methacrylate~, polyamides, polye~ter~, and any other natural or synthetic resln capable of bein~
applled to the ~uba~r8te or base coatlngs of this lnvention to provlde a sm~oth and uni~orm surface and/or to improve the print quality of the 8~bstrate or base cDatiny surace, are also applicable; provided ~uch res1n 1~ otherYlse compatlble Yith the oYerall product composition and, therefor, ~ithln the principles of this inventlon. Shu~, it 18 not eseential that a pla~tisol al~ays be u~ed.
Or~anosolS and aqueou8 latice~ ~aquasol~ and hydrosol~ are also of use, employing a8 the di~persing or ~uspending media, orsanic ~olvent8 and ~ater, respectlvely, rather than plasticizers, a~ in the ca~e of a pla~tisol.

Where the preferred plastl~ol i8 employed, typical of the the plasticize~8 ~hlch can be used are dibutyl sebacate, butyl benzyl 8ebacate, dibenzyl sebacate, dloctyl adlpatæ, didecyl adi~ate, d1butyl phthalate, dioctyl ~hthalate, dlbutoxy ethyl phthalate, butyl benzyl ~hthalate, diben2yl phthalate, d1~2-ethylhexyl) phthalate~alkYl or aryl modi~ied phth~late esters, alkyl, aryl, or ~lkylaryl hydrocarbon~, trlcre~rl phosphate, octyl diphenyl phosphate, dlpropylene glycol dibenzoate, diba~ic ac~d glycol eeters, and the llke. Other conntltuent~ of the res1nou~ subntrate co~ting can include a blo~lnq or fosm1n~
agent such ~ azodlcarbona~ide ~1f a bloY1ng or foamlng 33~

proceduræ i~ deslred), conventlonal ~t~blllzer~/ accel-erator~, lnitl~tor~, cntalyst~, etc., ~uch ~ zlnc ol~t~, dibasic lead phosphlte, etc., conv2nt1onal heet Qr llght stabillzers, such a~ mQtBlllc so~ps, etc., UV ~bsorber~, color~nts, dyen or pl~ment~, notably, tltanlum oxlde, ~olvents and dlluent~, such ~8 methyl ethyl ketone, methyl i~obutyl ketone, dodecyl ben~ene, etc., ~lllers, ~uch clay, llme~tone, etc, ViBCo~ity modlfiers, untioxld~nts, bacterlostats und bacteriocides and the llke.

Pxint or Printed Layer Suitable inks lnclude those normslly used ln the manufacture of ~loor coverlng, pre~erably resilient floor coverins. These lnclude pls~tisol, aolvent buQed sy~tem~
and ~ater based system~. Such system~ can include ~
chemical suppress~nt in those ca~es ~here the ~ub~trate to vhich the ink 18 to be applled i~ ~ foamable pla~tisol or organosol. Such suppre0sants are well kno~n in the art (eg. see U.S. Patent 3,293,094).

Printing onto ~.he sub~trate can be ef~ected by rotogravure~ ~lexigraphic, screen printing, or other printiny technique~ conventionally e~ployed in making floor or w811 covering products.

Adhesi~e LaYer The adhesive layer i8 normally a plastisol or organonol containing a plasticizer system, as~ociated diluents, visco~ity control alds and stabilizers. Those dlscus~ed above are exemplary. When underprinting is pre~en~, the adhe~lve ~ould not normally contain oolors or pi~ment~ vhich ~ould render the adhe~lve layer opaque.

Althou~h other homopolymer~ and copolymers o~ vinyl t~`
\ c~

-14~ 3~

chloride, ~ie. vlnyl re~ins other th~n H pleBtl~ol or organoaol) such as th~ di~cu~ed ~bove, c~n al ~o be employed, a~ a prRctlc~l ~atter, current economlcs dlct~te the u~e of polyvlnyl chlor~de pla~tisol~ of the type aet ~orth in the ex~mple~ hereln~ter.

Re~lnou~ Partlcles T~e resinous p~rtlcles o~ thi~ ln~entlon c~n be of varlous sizes and ~eometrlc ~hspe~, ~pherical and essentially ~pherloal, ~ometime~ re~erred to hereln a8 ~pheroldal~) belng especlully prefe~red a~ haviny thæ lo~
aspect ratios- discuseed hereln requlred to obtaln the de~lrnble de~ign e~ect~ t~is invention i~ capable of provldlng. ~ach transluscent or opaque partlcle can contaln it~ o~n lndlvldual color~nt, dye or plgmænt, pro~ided that in some embodiments of this invention at leas~ some of the particles must be sufficiently transparent or sufficiently translucent, to permit the ~rinting on the Print layer to show through.
Although decorati~e chip~ end flakes, such a8 tho~e di~closed in U.S. Patent 4,212,691, can be employed, lt i8 preferred to employ discreet spheroldal particles for enhanced visual effect of depth and improved Yesr characteristic~. Illu~tratiYe of tho~e spheroidal particles Yhich are e~pecislly pre~erred are the parti~le~ and the methods for their manufacture taught ln U.S. Patent 3,856,900. Thls procedure i~ partl~~ularly convenient for the productinn of relatively small plastigol besde or ~pe~rls~ having a particle ~izæ of generally about 0.0~0 ~nch or s~eller.

For ~mallær partlcle~ and thosæ ranging up to about 0,04 inch, the~e can be obtalned by ccreenin~ the o~eraized pQrtlcles frGm normnl ~u~pension gr~de re~ln productlon or by ~akln~ special psrticle slze~, for exsmple~ ln accord~nGe Ylth U.S. Pntent ~,856,900. Particle~ ln thl~

~ ' ~3~

~lze rang~ are partlcularly u~eful ~or achl~ving certain desira~le de~ign e~ect~. 5uch p~ocedure~ are al80 capahle of ~aking ~msll~r parti~le ~z~, ~o~ ~xn~ple, r~n~lny fro~
about 0.0015 in~h to a~out 0.0125 inch, ~es. ~e U.5- P~tent ~,345,Z35), but in th~ cn~e o~
sp~ero1dal p~rticle~, the procedure of U.S. ~,856,9~0 ~P
pre err~.

It h~fi been ~und thAt the s1ze of the particle~
employed in carrying out th~ B in~ent10n ~ave a pronouncea e~fect on the result~ obt~ned. Use of relatively ~msll particles, e~. rsnging from abou~ 150 microns (lOO mesh~ tD
about 600 m1crons t30 me~h) are most advantageous 1n producing the de~ired design ef~ect~. Partlcle~, especlally ~pheroidal part1Gle~, averaging about 600 m crons ~by microncopic obeerv~tion) ~re e~pecially pre~erred.

The r~tio of trancpsrent tD colored p~rticles determine~ t~e visi~111ty of the printed patter~ underne~th ~e result1ng adhesiv~ matr~ enerslly, 50X or læs~, and prefer~ly 0-30 'X., tr~nuparent to colored p~rt~cle lo~d1ng ~s pre~erred. The ~mount ~ctually uued Yill, of cour~æ, depend upon t~e type of end-u~e ~pplic~tion ~nd de~gn ef~ect desired. Good re~ult~ have ev~n been ~c~e~ed in t~e ra~ge of O-lOX transparent to colared particle lo~d1ng.

D

WearlQYer Thæ optlon~l overcoat or ~e~rlayer 1~ pre~r~ly B
pl2~tl801 0~ the ~a~e or ~imilsr typæ ~ th~t d1scu~ed above ln connection 31th the re~ln~ employed ln the substrnte cost and the adheaive layer or mntrlx. The ~ormlllstlonE~ generally inc:lude materials to enhE~nce speclal ~pect fic properties, for ex~ple 9108~ ~e~r, ~teln res1~tance, ~nd ~cu~ resistance.

Other re~in~ ~uitable for use as ~ top ~o~tlng can be employed. Exemplary are ~e~r re~ist~nt polyureShane~, 8uch a~ those desoribed in U. 5. P~tent 4,087,400.

Thus in another embodiment of this lnvent~ on the decorative, inlald floor or wall coverings comprise:

a) a ~lexible ~at sub~trate, b) a gelled, reslnous prlnt layer, applied over said ~ubstrate, the surf~ce of ~h1ch i8 printed ~it~ one or more lnk3 ~ultable for use in the manufacture of floor or covering product~, and c) an adhesive matrix, overlaying s~id print layer, contalning an effective amount of a homopolymer or a copolymer of vlnyl chloride, and in ~hic~ are embedded resinou~ part1cles, at least ~ome of vhich permlt the underprint tD ~ho~ throug~, and d) an optional topcoatlng. or ~e~rlayer or ~earlayer~ ~elected frDm the group con~i~tlng of a pla~t~ol, a polyurethane resin or a ~uitable mixture of e~ch.

T~ follo~1ng example~ ~re lntended to demonstr~te preferred e~bod1mentg o~ t~i~ in~entlon ~lthout lim1t1n~
th~ scope ther~o~. In the ~ollo~ example~ ell psrt~ ~nd percent~ge~ ~re by velght.

~3~5 Example 1 Floor CoYerln~ Ylth Overall P~ttern 5ultabJe _for Commerc~l Uses A ~loor coverlng sub~trate ~heet o~ con~en~lonal type non-~sbesto~ felt ~Tarkett lnc., Whiteh~ll, PB. ), approximately 32 mll~ thlck, ~88 bar costed ~Ylr~ Yound bar~ Yith approx~mately 3 mils o~ a l~yer of Yhite printable pla8ti801, the co~posltlon of ~hich vaB ~8 f0110b5:

P~rts bY Wel~t PVC emulsion: relsti~e vi8c081ty 2.05 70 (~ccidental FPC 605) PVC extender: k value 60 30 (PLIOVIC ~-50) Dit2-e~hylhexyl~ phthalate 30 Butyl benzyl p~thalate 30 Titanlum d~oxide 5 Crystalline calclum carbonate ao Barlum-zlnc type ~t~blli7er 3 tIRGASTAB BZ 530) A~ter gelling ag~inst ~ heated chromium drum ~t 300~., the resultlng ~o~th 8ur~ace i~ gravure prlnted on a flat print pre3s u~ing solvent based inks of the foll~wing composition:

~&33~ l5 - 17~ -Parts by Weight . _ PVC-polyvinyl acetate copolymer 100 Pigments 180 (A purchased blend of colours selected from red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, chrome yellow, molybdate orange, carbon black, titanium dioxide, quinanthrone red, phthallo blue and phthallo green.~
Solvent 600 (Methyl ethyl ketone/xylene) Dispersion aid 2 After drylng ln ~arm alr at about 140F., an adhesive layer about 10 mils thlck ~as applled by drn~do~n bar and an exce8~ of premlxed plagtlgol pearl~ ~produced in Example 3 and h~ving the compo8itlon set forth hereinafter), about half o~ ~hich vere transparent and the remainder colored, ~ere ev~nly dlctributed on the sur~ace of the ~et, t~cky adhe8ive layer ~rom a v1br~ting pan ? ~ , ; t,! ~

.3~

tSYNTRON vlbr~tor manufsctured by F~C Corp.).The composl-tion o~ the adhel3ive mlx ~0:
.
Parts bY Welaht PVC d~sper~ion: relstive vl~cosity 2.05 70 ~Occld~nt~l FPC 6458) PYC extender: k ~alue 60 30 tPLIOVIC ~-50~
~utyl benzyl pht~l~te 25 Dl-isononyl phthlate 25 Stabilizer, b~ri~m-zinc type 4 ~SYNPRON 1665) The compo~ltlon of the pe~rl particles V~8 Parts by Wei~ht Colored Transparent Suapen~ion grade PVC re~in: k value 65 100 100 tPEVIXON S658 GK~
3utyl benzyl phthelate 40 40 Stabill~er, b~r um-zinc type 4 4 tSYNPRON 1665) Titanium dioxide 5 ~~
Color-pigment 5 --~Purcha~ed blend of red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide and carbon black disper~ed in dit2-ethyl-he~yl) phthal~te) The PEYIKON 565~ GK re~in had an aspect ratio of abo~t 1 ~the particlea ~ere round) and the partlcle ~ize was found by microscopic ob~ervation to average about 600 microns (approximately 30 mesh). Screen analysis ~a8 as f 0110~8:
hesh% Retalned 28 ~589 micron~) 68.0 65 t208 R ) 25.2 100 tl47 ) 1.4 Thru 100 me~h 5.4 ~F fra c~e ~1 ark ?

-19- ~ 3 ~

The e~ce~s penrl~, vhlch ~ere not ~etted by the sdhe~lve co~tln~ and embedded therein ~ere blo~n e~y by a gentlæ ~lr Htream. The r~sultnnt ~r~lny mntrix ~a~ th~n gelled by contacting the coa~ed ~lde ~g~in~t a heated chro~lum drum ~350F.) and smoothed b~t~een e rub~er pres~ure roller and the drum sur~ace. The thlckne~a of the matrix contnlning the adhe0~ve coat (10 mlls) ~nd the embedded pear1s ~approx~m~tely 20 mlls) Y~8 30 mils.

T~e surface of the m~trix vas then bar coated using a dra~do~n bar ~ith a transparent p~a~ti801 ~nrlayer h~ving the ~ollo~ing composition:

_ _ _ _ _ Parts by Wei~ht Dispersion ~rade PYC, relative Ylscosity 2.05 100 ~Occident~l FPC 6458) Isobutyrlc acld and glycol e~ter o~ benzoic acld 56 ~Monsanto SANITIZER 5-377 plasticizer~
Stabillzer, barium-zinc type 5 ~SYNPRON 1665) Epoxidized soybean oil 5 Kerosene 2 Brook~ield ~iscosity: ~1200 Cp8 The wearlayer ~as fused in a hot air oven at about 380 F. for 3.5 minutes snd then embossed between e cooled embos~ing roll and a rubber pressure roll. The re~ultant wearlayer has a thicknes~ of about 15 mils.

T~e ~ear characteristlcs o~ the decoratlve inlaid product thereby produced are Eet forth in the follo~lng Table I and compured ~ith leading competitive products.

..
; - , -20_ TA BLE
TA~ER ~BRASION
Run on Taber Abr~lon ~odel ~t505 usln~ H-lB ~h~e1s Product Wt. Lo~0 ThlcknesE
Inltl~l Wt X We~r-out Wenr-o-~X~ Smpl Callper 1000 cyc1esPolntPcint PRODUCT ~ a ) ~ q ~~ cyc~1es ) ~ ml1s ) TARKETT
Residentia1 21. 3014 92 .1:1~303 36, 000 36 Commerclal 22. 3489 B3 . 0919 60, 500 45 AR~iSTRONG
" Cro~ne Corlon ~ 46. 0~10 75. 229422, 500 42 "Destgner Sol~rlan ~ 28. 2392 l38 . 2696 27, 500 60_ 5 " Solar~an Supreme II ~ 28. 7303 92 . 3131 3, 000 5 CONGOLEUM
~Innovatlon~ 17. 2543 72 . 0905 8, 000 10 FORBO
"Smaragd" 18.1629 56. 041624, 000 27 -2~ 3~5 ExQmPle 2 Re~ldenti~ oorcoverina ~ith Reql~t~red Prlnted and Embossed P~terns ~Che~ic~llY Embossed) A ~l~rcovering ~ub~trate ~he~t of conventional type non-asbestos ~elt ~T~rkett Inc., Whitehall, Pa.) ~pproxim~tel~ 32 ~ils thlck ~ co~t~ ~lth a foamable pl~stl~ol the co~posltlon of ~hlch ~8 ~8 ~olloYs:

P~rts bY Weiaht PVC dispersior~: k value 65 70 tOccidental ~PC 605) PYC extender reBin: k YalUe 60 30 ~PLIOVIC ~-50) Di(2-ethyl~e~yl) phthl~te 28 Butyl ~enzyl p~thlate 15 ~exanol l~obutyrate (TXIB~ 15 Titanium dloxide lO
Azod~carbona~ide 2.5 ~ero~ene 4 Z~nc ox~de l.S
V:i8C~:18ity: 2500 Cp8 The coated substrate is then pregelled in a hot oven at 275F. for 2.5 minutes. The surface is then gravure printed on a flat bed press using solvent based PVC - polyvinyl acetate copolymer inks having the same composition as those of Example l except that the inks used to cover the pla~e printing the valley areas of the pattern (ie. the grouts) contain additionally 140 parts benzotriazole, a chemical suppressant, to inhibit in these selected areas the expansion of the foamable plastisol.

After drying the print, an adhesive layer having the same compo~ition as that of Example l was applied by a '~
L~

-22- ~ 5 drawdown bar. Premixed colored and transparent pearls, in the same ratio as those of Example 1 and prepared by the procedure of Example 3, were evenly distributed, gelled and smoothed as described in Example 1. The thickness of the resulting matrix containing the pearls (15 mils) embedded in the adhesive (5 mils) was about 20 mils. approximately 10 mils of a transparent wearleayer having the same composition as that of Example 1 was applied with a drawdown bar. The resulting product was then fused and expanded (ie. foamed) in a hot air oven at 380F. for 3 minutes.

The floor covering produced shows a relief structure (embossing) in register with the printed areas. The decorative inlaid product thereby produced has an overall thickness of about 82 mils and exhibited excellent wear and design characteristics.

~3~5 Ex~mDle 3 The plaatlsol sphericul ~pe~rls" u~ed in the fore~oln~ ex~mple~ ~ere prepared usin~ the follo~lng ~ormulatlons:

P~rts by Welqht _ _ Colored Tr~n parent Su~pen~n grade PVC resin, coarse:
k value 65 ~PEVICON S658 GX) lOO lOO
~utyl benzyl phthalate 40 40 Barium-zinc atabtlizer 4 4 ~SYNPRON 1665~
Titonium dioxide 5 ~~
Color-plgment 5 ~~

In preparing the colored and transparent pl~8tl~01 compo~ition, the PVC resin ~at 70F.) ~a8 charged to a high lntensity mi~er running st 3500 RP~ and mixed untll the bàtah temperature reached 160F. ~about 10 minutes).The speed of the mixer~ vas then reduced to 500 re~o1utions per minute and the pigment paste~, plasticizer and stabillzer ~ere added ~lo~ly o~er a period of about 5 minutes. The speed ~as then increased to 2000-3000 rpm and the material mixed until the batch temperature reached 260F. ~approx1mately 15 minutes additional~. The speed ~as then reduced to 500 RPM and the materisl wa8 mixed until the b~tch temperature cooled to 70-90F. ~about 30 addltlon~l mlnutes).

T~e pearls produced ~ere es~entia11y opherical, dry and ~ree running; did not exceed 0.06 lnch in diameter, and had a p~rtlcle size dl~trl~u~ion range of .004 to .040.

The ~olloYing tsble summarizes the proce~ parameter~
employed:

~ ~) 2~ 3~S

Equlp~ent: Hl~h inten~1ty mixer 2.6 ~1. volume E1~PBed Time Temper~tureSp~d ~n. De~ree~ F.Rev~in 160 500 pi~ments, pl~sti-cizer ~d st~bi-11zer added 500 c~ling ~70 Exnmples 1 and 2 demonstrate decor~tlve, inlald loor cover~ng~ ~hich constitute hlghly preferred embodiments of this in~entlon and Yhich compr1se:

a) a sub~tr~te ~heet of convention~l type non-a~bestos felt, b) e gelled, thln, ~hlte, or tinted, printable plastisol coating over said sub~trate, prepared from ef~ective amounts of 8 formulation compri~1ng:
- an emulslon type PVC, preferably hsv1ng a relatlve ~1~cosity about 2.5, - a PVC extender, prefer~bly havlng a k value about 60, - a plast1c~zer, prefer~bly a p~thlAte 8UC~ ~9 di~2-et~ylhexyl) phthlate or butyl benzyl phthal~te, - a plgment, prefer~bly titanium dloxide, - cry~tallinæ cal~ium cRrbon~te, and - 3 b~rium-zinc type ~tabillzer c) a print layer of one or more lnka made from effective ~moùn~s o~ a formul~tlon comprlsln0:
- a PVC-PY~c re~ln copolym~r, I

-25~ 3~S

- one or more plgment~, - a ~olvent, pre~erably con~l~lng ~ntl~lly o~ methyl ethyl ketone nnd xylene, and - ~ dl~per~ion aid;
d) a gelled adhe0ive layer made from effective amount~ of ~ ~or~ul~tion comprl~ing:
- a ~VC dl~per810n, prefera~ly havlng a rel~tive vi8c081ty about 2.5, - a PVC extender, preferably havlng a k Yslue 3bout ~0, - a plaatlclzer, pre~ersbly batyl benzyl phthalate or di-isonon;-l phth~l~te, ~nd - ~ b~rlum-zlnc type ~tabilizer, and e) a m~xture of gellæd, tr~nsp~rent ~nd colored pe~rls, vherein the pe~sls are akout 50X
tr~nsp~rent and about 50X colored, evenly di~tri~uted on the ~dheslve layer, pr~pured ~rom effectlve amounts o~ a formulatlon comprising:
- a PVC ~uspension re~ln, preferably coar~e and hevlng ~ k value about 65, - ~ plasticizer, preferebly butyl benzyl phthal~te, - a b~rium-zinc stabilizer, and, optionally, - a pi~ment or a cnlor selected from the group consi~tlng o~ red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, chrome yello~, molybdate orange, carbon bla~, tltanlum oxide, quinanthrone red, phthallo blue and phthallo green.

Although the forgolng disc~s~lon describe~ thi~
invention in terms o~ ~loor or vell covering products, this lnvention ia lntended to encomp~ ~ny covering lncludlng, but not nece~sarily limited to, floor or vall covering, ~c~ incorporate~ a ma~rix layer of dincre~t, lo~ aspect r~tio re~lnous p~rticles embedded ln a reuinou~ Qoating.

, .
. .

-26 1.~ 5 While the lnve!ntlon h~l3 been deElc:rl~ed Ylth re~3pect to c:ertEIt n embnd~ mentEI thereo:~, lt Ylll be ~pp~rent to thDse skilled ln the Elrt thnt vsrlous ch~nges ~nd modi4icatlons m~y be m~de Ylth3ut depart~ ny ~rom the spirlt and scope of the in~entl~n.

Claims (34)

1. A decorative, inlaid floor or wall covering which comprises:
a) a substrate, b) a printed layer applied over said substrate in the form of a pattern, and c) an adhesive matrix layer, overlaying said printed layer, consisting of an adhesive in which are embedded spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 2:1 wherein said pattern is visible through said adhesive matrix layer.

2. The product of Claim 1 wherein the substrate is a flexible mat.

3. The product of Claim 1 wherein the substrate is a non-asbestos felt sheet.

4. The product of Claim 1 wherein the printed layer is a gelled, resinous layer, the surface of which has been printed with an ink suitable for use in the manufacture of floor or wall covering products.

5. The product of Claim 1 wherein the adhesive matrix layer contains as a major component a homopolymer or copolymer of vinyl chloride.

6. The product of Claim 1 wherein the adhesive matrix layer is applied only in selected areas to give a pattern.

7. The product of Claim 1 wherein the spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles are a blend of pigmented and transparent particles.

8. The product of Claim 7 wherein said resinous particles are plasticized polyvinyl chloride particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 1.5:1.

9. A decorative, inlaid floor or wall covering which comprises:
a) a flexible mat substrate, b) a gelled, resinous printed layer overlaying said substrate, the surface of which is printed in the form of a pattern with one or more inks suitable for use in the manufacture of floor or wall covering products, and c) an adhesive matrix layer, overlaying said printed layer, containing a homopolymer or a copolymer of vinyl chloride, and consisting of an adhesive in which are embedded spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 2:1 wherein said pattern is visible through said adhesive matrix layer.

10. The product of Claim 9 wherein the particles are a blend of transparent particles, and pigmented particles which are selected from a group consisting of translucent and opaque particles.

11. The product of Claim 9 wherein said particles are plasticized polyvinyl chloride particles.

12. The product of Claim 9 wherein the substrate is a non-asbestos felt sheet.

13. The product of Claim 9 wherein the resinous printed layer is a gelled, foamed or foamable layer and at least one of the inks is a suppressant ink.

14. The product of Claim 9 wherein the adhesive matrix layer is applied in selected areas to give a pattern.

15. The product of Claim 9 wherein the particles are discreet, spherical or essentially spherical vinyl chloride, homopolymer or copolymer polymerization agglomerates, sized between about 0.004-0.040 inches.

16. The product of Claim 9 wherein the adhesive matrix layer is coated with at least one wearlayer.

17. A decorative, inlaid floor covering which comprises:
a) a non-asbestos felt sheet substrate, b) a gelled, printable, plastisol coating over said substrate, c) a printed layer comprised of one or more solvent based polyvinyl chloride/polyvinyl acetate inks applied to the surface of the plastisol layer in the form of a pattern, d) a gelled adhesive matrix layer, overlaying said printed layer, containing a homopolymer or a copolymer of vinyl chloride, and consisting of an adhesive layer in which are embedded spherical or essentially spherical, gelled resinous particles having an aspect ratio no greater than 2:1, wherein said particles are polyvinyl chloride homopolymer or copolymer polymerization agglomerates, sized between about 0.004-0.04 inches, and wherein said pattern is visible through said adhesive matrix layer, and e) a fused, transparent, plastisol wearlayer as a top coat.

18. The product of claim 17 wherein the gelled printable, plastisol coating is made from a formulation comprising:
a) a polyvinyl chloride emulsion resin, b) a polyvinyl chloride extender resin, c) one or more phthalate plasticizers, d) a whitening or tinting agent, and e) a stabilizer.

19. The product of Claim 17 wherein the inks are made from a formulation comprising:
a) a polyvinyl chloride/polyvinyl acetake copolymer resin, b) one or more pigments, c) one or more solvents, and d) a dispersion aid.

20. The product of Claim 19 wherein said formulation additionally comprises benzotrianzole and wherein the plastisol is foamable.

21. The product of Claim 17 wherein the adhesive is prepared from a formulation comprising:
a) a dispersion grade polyvinyl chloride resin, b) a polyvinyl chloride extender resin, c) one or more phthalate plasticizers, and d) a stabilizer.

22. The product of Claim 17 wherein the resinous particles are a blend of pigmented and transparent particles which are essentially evenly distributed within the adhesive matrix layer.

23. The product of Claim 17 wherein the top coat wearlayer is prepared from a formulation comprising;

a) a dispersion grade polyvinyl chloride resin, b) one or more organic acid esters, c) a stabilizer, d) epoxidized vegetable oil, and e) kerosene.

24. A decorative inlaid floor covering which comprises:
a) a substrate sheet of non-asbestos felt;
b) a gelled, thin, white or tinted, printable plastisol coating over said substrate, prepared from a formulation comprising:
- a polyvinyl chloride emulsion resin having a relative viscosity of about 2.5, - a polyvinyl chloride extender resin having a k value of about 60, - di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, - butyl benzyl phthalate, - titanium dioxide, - crystalline calcium carbonate, and - a barium-zinc stabilizer;
c) a printed layer of one or more inks made from a formulation comprising;
- a polyvinyl chloride/polyvinyl acetate resin copolymer, - one or more pigments, - a solvent consisting of methyl ethyl ketone and xylene, and - a dispersion aid;
d) an adhesive layer made from a formulation comprising:

- a polyvinyl chloride dispersion resin having a relative viscosity of about 2.5, - a polyvinyl chloride extender resin having a k value of about 60, - butyl benzyl phthalate, - di-isononyl phthalate, and - a barium-zinc stabilizer;
e) a mixture consisting of gelled, transparent and pigmented spherical or essentially spherical particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 2:1, essentially evenly distributed in the adhesive layer, prepared from a formulation comprising:

- a polyvinyl chloride suspension resin having a k value of about 65, - butyl benzyl phthalate, - a barium-zinc stabilizer, and - optionally, a pigment;
wherein said particles are embedded in the adhesive layer to form an adhesive matrix layer and wherein said printed layer is visible through said adhesive matrix layer.

25. The product of Claim 24 wherein the printable plastisol coating is applied using a wire wound bar and is gelled against a heated chromium drum at about 300° F.; the inks are applied to the surface of the printable plastisol coating by gravure printing using a flat print machine; the adhesive layer is applied using a drawdown bar; the spherical or essentially spherical particles are applied to the adhesive layer while it is still wet using a vibrating device wherein the amplitude determines the flow rate of the particles and the resultant intermediate is gelled in contact with a heated chromium drum, thereby embedding the particles into the adhesive layer, the smoothed between a rubber pressure roller and the drum surface at about 300° F.

26. The product of Claim 24 wherein the printable plastisol coating is a foamable plastisol, pregelled in a hot air oven at about 275° F. for about 2.5 minutes, the surface of which is then printed using at least one solvent based polyvinyl chloride/polyvinyl acetate ink containing a chemical suppressant to locally inhibit the expansion of the foamable plastisol in preselected areas, and wherein the product is fused and foamed in a hot air oven at about 380° F. for about 3 minutes to form an embossed pattern.

27. The product of Claim 26 wherein the foamable plastisol is made from a formulation comprising:
a) dispersion grade polyvinyl chloride resin having a k value of 65, b) polyvinyl chloride extender resin having a k value of 60, c) ethyl hexyl phthalate, d) texanol isobutyrate, e) titanium dioxide, and f) azodicarbonamide.

28. The product of Claim 7 wherein said pigmented particles are selected from the group consisting of translucent and opaque particles.

29. The product of Claim 5 wherein the spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles are a blend of pigmented and transparent particles.

30. The product of Claim 29 wherein said resinous particles are plasticized polyvinyl chloride particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 1.5:1.

31. In a decorative, inlaid floor or wall covering comprising a substrate and a printed layer applied over said substrate in the form of a pattern, the improvement which comprises an adhesive matrix layer applied over said printed layer which consists essentially of spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 2:1 embedded in an adhesive, wherein said pattern is visible through said adhesive matrix layer.

32. The product of claim 31 further comprising at least one wearlayer applied over said adhesive matrix layer.

33. A decorative, inlaid floor covering which comprises:
a) a substrate, b) a foamed layer overlaying the substrate, the surface of which is printed in the form of a pattern, and c) an adhesive matrix layer, overlaying the printed foamed layer, consisting of an adhesive in which are embedded spherical or essentially spherical resinous particles having an aspect ratio no greater than about 2:1 wherein said pattern is visible through said adhesive matrix layer.

34. The product of claim 33 further comprising at least one wearlayer applied over said adhesive matrix layer.