EP0533646A1

EP0533646A1 - Floor

Info

Publication number: EP0533646A1
Application number: EP92870147A
Authority: EP
Inventors: André Waumans
Original assignee: TOPFLOOR NV
Current assignee: TOPFLOOR NV
Priority date: 1991-09-16
Filing date: 1992-09-15
Publication date: 1993-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-15
Also published as: DK0533646T3; ATE126855T1; DE533646T1; BE1005395A3; DE69204246T2; DE69204246D1; EP0533646B1

Abstract

Floor, more specifically sports floor, which contains a springy under-layer (2), a pressure dividing layer (3) lying thereon which exists of plates which are harder than the springy under-layer (2) and a top layer (4) applied on this pressure dividing layer (2), characterized in that the pressure dividing layer (3) exists of one layer of plates which are made of synthetic particles - bound together with a moisture-proof binder under high pressure and temperature - with a closed cell structure and glued together by their edges by means of a moisture-proof glue.

Description

The invention relates to a floor, more specifically to a sports floor, containing a springy under-layer, a pressure dividing layer which lies on top thereof and consists of plates which are harder than the springy under-layer, and a top layer applied on this pressure dividing layer.
Floors of the above-mentioned kind with a springy under-layer, a pressure dividing layer and a top layer offer at the same time a large force breakdown, a small energy loss and a large ball reflection and are therefore often used as a sports floor.
With known floors of this kind, the pressure dividing layer consists of two or more layers of plates, made of a mixture of ground wood chips and a binder, which mixture is pressed under high pressure. However, these wood chip plates are moisture sensitive. Moreover, the floor is too stiff in case of low burdening. Moreover, this floor has to be ventilated very well, for two reasons: on the one hand because the wood chip plates have an own moisture content of about 8% and take up much moisture from the environment, which causes them to swell strongly, and, on the other hand, because they contain formaldehyde resin which can emit formaldehyde gas, which is moreover poisonous.
The woody plates are glued together of screwed together and eventually screwed on a wooden lath.
The multi-layered pressure dividing layer contains a large number of plates, which causes high material costs. Applying the plates also takes a lot of time and, due to the high weight, several people are required. Connecting the plates of the different layers together, mostly by means of glue, is also time-consuming and expensive. The construction of the floor is therefore also expensive (glue and hours work).
Floors as described above with a multi-layered pressure dividing layer have the additional disadvantage that the bending under dynamic stress is limited and spreads over a large surface. With a dynamic stress of 75 kg for instance, the bending only amounts to 2 to 2.5 mm, whereas for a sports floor this should amount to at least 4 to 5 mm. Moreover, among other things according to the German DIN-standard, the bending in horizontal direction should be limited to a circular plane of 100 cm at most. With the above-mentioned multi-layered woody pressure dividing layers, the diameter of this plane is 120 to 200 cm.
The invention aims at remedying these disadvantages and providing a floor, more specifically a sports floor, which is simple in construction and relatively cheap, but does have the desired properties which make it appropriate as a sports floor and more specifically has the correct elasticity and bending in horizontal direction and is insensitive to moisture.
To this end, the pressure dividing layer consists of one single layer of plates which are made of synthetic particles with a closed cell structure - bound together with a moisture-proof binder under high pressure and temperature - and which are glued together by their edges with a moisture-proof glue.
The synthetic particles with closed cell structure can be chips or granulates, and form for instance refuse matter from the synthetic material industry. The floor differs from existing floor systems in that the pressure dividing layer is single-layered and lies directly on the springy under-layer without supporting wooden laths.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the pressure dividing layer's plate edges which are glued together connect to each other by means of a suitable tooth-and-groove system. The tooth-and-groove system has the advantage that only the seams are glued to each other.
In an other special embodiment of the invention, the pressure dividing layer's plate edges which are glued together overlap each other.
The pressure dividing layer lies preferably loosely on the springy under-layer.
Practically, the plates of the pressure dividing layer are glued together by their edges by means of one component polyurethane glue.
Practically, the top layer is made of PVC, linoleum of polyurethane.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the floor contains a moisture screen under the springy under-layer.
Other particularities and advantages of the invention will show from the following description of floors according to the invention. This description is only given as an example and does not limit the invention. The reference numbers concern the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a top down view with partial cut-outs of a floor according to the invention;
figure 2 represents a cross-section according to line II-II in figure 1 but on a larger scale;
figure 3 represents a cross-section according to line III-III in figure 1 but on a larger scale;
figure 4 represents a cross-section similar to that of figure 3, but relating to an other embodiment of the floor according to the invention.

In figures 1 to 3, a floor according to the invention is represented which mainly consists of a moisture screen 1, a bottom springy under-layer 2 lying loosely on top thereof, a single-layered pressure dividing layer 3 lying loosely on top of this under-layer 2 and a top layer 4.
The floor is of the floating type and lies loosely on an under-floor 5. The floor is surrounded along the entire circumference by a skirting which connects against the wall and is formed of an aluminium corner-profile 6 in combination with a hollow rubber lock-up profile 7.
The moisture screen 1 exists of a PVC foil with high vapourtightness and tearing resistance and with a thickness of 0.5 mm. This screen exists of breadths of which the overlapping edges are glued together. Along the circumference of the floor, this moisture screen is folded upwards vertically and secured to the top layer 4 by means of the skirting 6, 7.
The springy under-layer 2 exists of flakes of supple polyether or polyurethane foam which are bound together by means of a moisture-proof binder. This under-layer 2 has a specific gravity or density of 80 to 120 kg/m³ and a thickness of 10 to 20 mm. The under-layer 2 may eventually be made fire delaying. This kind of foam layers, mostly made of refuse matter of the synthetic foam industry, are available in commerce as such. They are used as isolation material, packing material or substrate for hydroculture.
The pressure dividing layer 3 exists of one single layer of plates 8 which are placed next to each other, and glued together by their edges, and which are formed of polyurethane chips or a polyurethane granulate, for example of polyurethane hard foam refuse ground to a maximum size of 1 cm³. The chips or pellets are bound together under high pressure and temperature with a special moisture-proof binder, for instance on the basis of isocyanate. The chips or pellets have a closed cell structure which makes them insensitive to moisture. The plates have a density of minimum 600 kg/m³, for example 1000 kg/m³. The density and therefore also the hardness of the plates of the pressure dividing layer 3 are thus greater than the density and hardness of the springy under-layer 2.
The plates 8 are rectangular so that they can be placed in patterns. Their thickness is about 20 mm. They are connected together by their edges by means of a glued tooth-and- groove connection 9, 10. One long and one short edge are thereto provided with a tooth 9 and a groove 10, whereas the other edges are provided with a corresponding groove 10 and a tooth 9. It is best to avoid continuing seams. Therefore, the plates 8 are preferably placed in a diagonal or herring-bone pattern as represented in figure 1, although other patterns are possible. Of course, insofar as necessary in case of a diagonal pattern, along the circumference parts of plates 8 are placed which can be obtain by sawing plates 8.
The edges of the plates 8 are glued together with a moisture-proof glue, namely a foaming one component polyurethane glue which hardens under influence of the air humidity. This glue is applied to the teeth 9 and/or grooves 10 before the plates 8 are slid together with these teeth 9 and grooves 10.
The pressure dividing layer 3 lies loosely on the springy under-layer 2 which is in its turn placed loosely on the moisture screen 1.
The top layer 4 exists in one embodiment of a supple, homogeneous one-layered PVC-covering with frosted smooth surface structures and a thickness of 2 mm.
In an other embodiment, the top layer 4 exists of a supple one-layered linoleum with a thickness of 2; 2.5; 3.2; or 4 mm.
In still another embodiment, the top layer 4 consists of supple polyurethane
This top layer 4 is glued on the pressure dividing layer 3.
The embodiment of the floor represented in figure 4 differs from the embodiment described above mainly in that the plates 8 of the pressure dividing layer 3 are not slid together with teeth 9 and grooves 10, but overlap each other with their edges. The four edges of each plate 8 are thereto provided with excisions respectively at the upper and lower side two by two. Moreover, in order to prevent that the glue forcing itself through the seams between the plates 8 would form hard pieces between the layers 2 and 3 or in the springy under-layer 1, a foil 11 made of synthetic material such as PVC is placed between these layers 2 and 3.
The floors described above have a shock absorption of at least 60% and a large power breakdown with little stress as well as with large stress. The energy loss is very small and ball reflection very large. Also due to the high wear resistance and mechanical strength of the top layer 4, especially when it is made of linoleum, the floor is appropriate for all sports, even roller skating. Moreover, non-sporting activities can take place on this floor without problems, such as stage performances, exhibitions, festivities and dancing manifestations.
The floor not only has unique sport-technical properties with optimal safety, but also a long life-span. It is very simple to maintain, has strong isolating properties and can easily be applied on an existing floor provided a flatness tolerance of 3 mm on 3 m.
The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above and represented in the drawing, but many alterations can be applied to the embodiments within the scope of the patent application.
More specifically, the top layer need not be a PVC covering, linoleum or polyurethane. Other top layers are possible.
The skirting construction is no essential part of the invention and can be left out or of an other construction.

Claims

1.- Floor, more specifically sports floor, which contains a springy under-layer (2), a pressure dividing layer (3) lying thereon which exists of plates which are harder than the springy under-layer (2) and a top layer (4) applied on this pressure dividing layer (2), characterized in that the pressure dividing layer (3) exists of one layer of plates which are made of synthetic particles - bound together with a moisture-proof binder under high pressure and temperature - with a closed cell structure and glued together by their edges by means of a moisture-proof glue.

2.- Floor according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the edges which are glued together of the plates (8) of the pressure dividing layer (3) are connected by means of teeth (9) and grooves (10).

3.- Floor according to claim 1, characterized in that the edges which are glued together of the plates (8) of the pressure dividing layer (3) overlap each other.

4. - Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the synthetic particles of the plates (8) of the pressure dividing layer (3) are chips or granulates.

5.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure dividing layer (3) lies loosely on the springy under-layer (2).

6.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the synthetic particles of the composite pressure dividing layer (3) are polyurethane particles.

7.- Floor according to claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the plates of the pressure dividing layer (3) are made of polyurethane hard foam refuse, ground to a maximum size of 1 cm³.

8.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plates (8) of the pressure dividing layer (3) are glued together by their edges by means of one component polyurethane glue.

9.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plates of the pressure dividing layer (3) have a thickness of almost 20 mm.

10.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plates of the pressure dividing layer (3) have a density of minimum 600 kg/m³.

11.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the springy under-layer (2) is a layer of bound flakes of synthetic foam.

12.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top layer (4) is made of one of the substances formed by PVC, linoleum and polyurethane.

13.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top layer (4) is glued on the pressure dividing layer (3).

14.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains a moisture screen (1) under the springy under-layer (2).

15.- Floor according to either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the springy under-layer (2) and the pressure dividing layer (3) a synthetic foil (11) is applied.