Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
  • E04F15/04—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members
  • E04F15/041—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members with a top layer of wood in combination with a lower layer of other material
  • E04F15/042—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members with a top layer of wood in combination with a lower layer of other material the lower layer being of fibrous or chipped material, e.g. bonded with synthetic resins
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
  • B27M—WORKING OF WOOD NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES B27B - B27L; MANUFACTURE OF SPECIFIC WOODEN ARTICLES
  • B27M1/00—Working of wood not provided for in subclasses B27B - B27L, e.g. by stretching
  • B27M1/02—Working of wood not provided for in subclasses B27B - B27L, e.g. by stretching by compressing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B21/00—Layered products comprising a layer of wood, e.g. wood board, veneer, wood particle board
  • B32B21/02—Layered products comprising a layer of wood, e.g. wood board, veneer, wood particle board the layer being formed of fibres, chips, or particles, e.g. MDF, HDF, OSB, chipboard, particle board, hardboard
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B21/00—Layered products comprising a layer of wood, e.g. wood board, veneer, wood particle board
  • B32B21/10—Next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B3/00—Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form
  • B32B3/02—Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions
  • B32B3/06—Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support, or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B7/00—Layered products characterised by the relation between layers; Layered products characterised by the relative orientation of features between layers, or by the relative values of a measurable parameter between layers, i.e. products comprising layers having different physical, chemical or physicochemical properties; Layered products characterised by the interconnection of layers
  • B32B7/04—Interconnection of layers
  • B32B7/12—Interconnection of layers using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2262/00—Composition or structural features of fibres which form a fibrous or filamentary layer or are present as additives
  • B32B2262/06—Vegetal fibres
  • B32B2262/062—Cellulose fibres, e.g. cotton
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2307/00—Properties of the layers or laminate
  • B32B2307/50—Properties of the layers or laminate having particular mechanical properties
  • B32B2307/51—Elastic
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2307/00—Properties of the layers or laminate
  • B32B2307/50—Properties of the layers or laminate having particular mechanical properties
  • B32B2307/558—Impact strength, toughness
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2307/00—Properties of the layers or laminate
  • B32B2307/70—Other properties
  • B32B2307/732—Dimensional properties
  • B32B2307/734—Dimensional stability
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2471/00—Floor coverings

Definitions

• the present invention is directed to a treated cellulosic material. More specifically, the present invention is directed to flooring having a densified cellulosic subtrate.
• Wood flooring endures seasonal expansion and contraction when exposed to variations in equilibrium moisture content (EMC). When EMC levels plummet, boards shrink, creating spaces between the wood flooring boards. During periods of both elevated EMC and depressed EMC, installed wood flooring boards change dimension creating cupping (moisture adsorption from the bottom of the product), a condition in which the edges of the board are high and the center is low; or crowning (moisture adsorption from the top or face of the product), the opposite of cupping, where the middle of the board is higher than the edges of the board.
• cupping moisture adsorption from the bottom of the product
• crowning moisture adsorption from the top or face of the product
• Engineered wood flooring is a multiple-layered structure having a top layer of decorative wood veneer bonded to multiple core or base layers of a manufactured wood product, for example, fiberboard and veneer core plywood.
• Engineered wood floors have a greater resistance to dimensional change in elevated EMC conditions than solid wood flooring and appeal to use in below grade and in regions of high EMC. In the case of dry EMC conditions however, dimensional changes in engineered wood flooring lead to in-service issues.
• Engineered wood flooring made with rotary-peeled face veneers tends to exhibit veneer checking or lathe checks, a condition that creates micro cracks in the decorative wood veneer layer of the product.
• a wood flooring product that is dimensionally stable to variations in EMC, resists veneer checks, indent resistant, and resists fading from exposure to sunlight would be desirable in the art.
• Some embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid wood product, comprising: a first layer comprising a first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate; a second layer comprising a fiberboard, a wood-plastic composite, or a vinyl composite; and a locking profile.
• a densified wood product having a first layer and a second layer wherein the first layer is a densified wood veneer and the second layer is bonded to the first layer.
• thermal compression refers to products or processes that use - inter alia - heat and mechanical compression to densify a substrate.
• Exemplary thermal compression techniques are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,404,422 to Kamke et al., the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety.
• the compression process comprises the following steps: providing an apparatus comprising: a top calendar roll; a bottom calendar roll; a heat source; and an in-feed conveyor; wherein the distance between the top calendar roll and the bottom calendar roll defines a separation gap; providing a cellulosic substrate having a thickness greater than the separation gap; and feeding the cellulosic substrate through the separation gap between the top calendar roll and the bottom calendar roll.
• Some embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid wood product, comprising: a first layer comprising a first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate; a second layer comprising a fiberboard, a wood-plastic composite, or a vinyl composite; and a locking profile.
• the first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate comprises a cellulosic material derived from a soft wood or a tropical wood.
• the first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate comprises a cellulosic material derived from Caribbean walnut, coffee bean, natural bamboo, Australian cypress, white oak, Kenyan oak, ribbon gum, ash, American beech, red oak, Caribbean heart pine, yellow birch, Movingui, heart pine, Carapa Guianensis, larch, carbonized bamboo, teak, cocobolo, rose gum, Makore, Siberian larch, Peruvian walnut, Boreal, black walnut, cherry, red maple, boire, paper birch, eastern red cedar, southern yellow pine, lacewood, African mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Parana, sycamore, Shedua, silver maple, Douglas fir, juniper, chestnut, hemlock, western white pine, basswood, eastern white pine, balsa
• the first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate comprises a cellulosic material derived from eastern white pine, hemlock, catalpa, alder, cypress, Douglas fir, hackberry, cherry or a combination thereof.
• the second layer comprises a fiberboard.
• the fiberboard comprises a matrix of cellulosic fibers.
• the fiberboard further comprises a binder.
• the binder comprises a formaldehyde based resin, isocyanate, polyvinyl alcohol, soy, or a combination of two or more thereof.
• the formaldehyde based resin is selected from urea formaldehyde; phenol formaldehyde; and a combination thereof.
• the fiberboard has a moisture content of less than 9%. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a moisture content of less than 8%. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a moisture content of less than 7%. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a moisture content of less than 6%. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a moisture content of less than 5%.
• the fiberboard has a density of from about 10 lbs./ft to about 75
• the fiberboard has a density of from about 15 lbs./ft to about 70
• the fiberboard has a density of from about 20 lbs./ft to about 65
• the fiberboard has a density of from about 25 lbs./ft to about 50 lbs./ft 3 .
• the fiberboard has a thickness of from about 3 mm to about 14 mm. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a thickness of from about 4 mm to about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the fiberboard has a thickness of from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.
• the second layer has a modulus of elasticity of from about 30,000 psi to about 1,000,000 psi. Some embodiments provide a second layer having a modulus of elasticity of from about 40,000 psi to about 900,000 psi. Other embodiments provide a second layer having a modulus of elasticity of from about 50,000 psi to about 500,000 psi.
• the second layer is bonded to the first layer using an adhesive.
• the hybrid product comprises a locking profile is selected from tongue and groove; lock and fold; ship-lap; angle-angle; and click-lock.
• the locking profile is selected from tongue and groove and lock and fold. Suitable locking profiles are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 8,544,234 to Pervan et al. or U.S. Patent No. 6,874,292 to Moriau et al., the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties.
• the second layer comprises the locking profile.
• the adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive. In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises a heat sensitive adhesive, e.g. ethylene vinyl acetate. [0026] In some embodiments, the hybrid product has a thickness of from about 6 mm to about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the hybrid product has a width of from about 75 mm to about 200 mm.
• Some embodiments provide a product comprising a third layer.
• the third layer comprises a second thermally compressed cellulosic substrate.
• the second thermally compressed cellulosic substrate comprises a cellulosic material derived from a soft wood or a tropical wood. In some embodiments, the second thermally compressed cellulosic substrate comprises a cellulosic material derived from
• the first thermally compressed cellulosic substrate and the second thermally compressed cellulosic substrate are comprised of the same material.
• Some embodiments of the present disclosure permit the manufacture of densified wood products and materials that are indent resistant, dimensionally stable from variations in equilibrium moisture content, and resistant to fading. Some embodiments are further processed by cutting and shaping to include flooring and underlayment materials, trim, and furniture manufacture.
• a veneer is a thin sheet of wood, rotary cut, sliced, or sawed from a log, bolt, or flitch.
• the formation of densified wood and densified veneer products would permit the manufacture of, for example, wood flooring having densified wood or veneer in the core construction or as decorative layer.
• Veneer checks usually appear as uniformly spaced hairline cracks in the finish, or in severe cases, cracks with accompanying ridges on the wood surface which actually can be detected by touch. Veneer checks are typically formed when tensile stress failures occur in the face veneer, caused by differential shrinkage or swelling between the face veneer and the panel substrate to which it is applied. As the EMC of the environment changes, so does the moisture content of the wood panel. Changes in moisture content of the wood panel affect shrinkage and swelling of the wood panel.
• veneer checks formed from the veneer process were compressed and closed after densifying the wood veneer, and, therefore, engineered wood flooring made with densified rotary-peeled face veneers are suitable for installations having dry environmental conditions.
• the wood flooring product includes multiple layers. Although two layers are detailed herein, the wood flooring product includes about three layers, about four layers, about five layers, about six layers, about seven layers, about eight layers, about nine layers, about ten layers, about eleven layers, or additional layers as warranted by the product construction.
• a densified wood or veneer is positioned as a top or decorative layer in a multi-layer wood flooring product.
• the densified wood or veneer forms the base of a layered wood flooring product.
• the densified wood is positioned throughout a layered wood flooring product to improve the dimensional stability of the layered wood flooring product.
• the top layer also referred to as a first layer or decorative layer, includes a densified veneer.
• the top layer is bonded to one or more layers by epoxy, urethane, acrylate, acetate, phenol formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, isocyanate, soy, starch, or protein- based, or other biobased adhesives, or any other bonding agent as known in the arts.
• the base layer is solid wood such as a hard wood, a soft wood, or a porous material such as cork.
• the densified top layer is bonded to one or more layers where the base layer is a manufactured cellulosic product, for example medium density fiberboard, high density fiberboard, plywood, oriented strand board, chipboard, felt, or any other suitable product.
• the densified top layer is bonded to one or more layers where the base layer is cement, concrete, or composites thereof.
• the base layer contains a polymeric binder, for example, but not limited to, extruded wood products, filled polymeric compositions, urethane foams, or any other suitable material.
• the polymeric binder of the base layer is an acrylated, epoxidized, or esterified biobased polymer such that the polymer components are derived from natural, renewable sources as opposed to petroleum products. Additionally or alternatively, filled polymeric compositions have fillers obtained from natural, renewable sources, such as, aragonite. Additionally, the base layer could be a rubber- based, elastomeric-based material or a wood plastic composite type of material which is a combination of cellulosic with polymeric or filled polymeric or elastomeric material.
• Densified wood is prepared by several methods, for example, by injecting a resin such as phenol, into the wood to strengthen the wood by the curing of the resin. Wood may also be densified by a combination of injecting resins and compressing the wood. Other methods include a process whereby the wood is subjected to an elevated temperature and moisture, compressing the wood component perpendicular to the grain, and annealing the wood to ambient conditions.
• a resin such as phenol
• the densification of wood increased the density to about 1.30 times or greater of the initial density of the wood.
• the densified wood product having a densified veneer is obtained from species of hard wood, soft wood, or tropical wood.
• a densified wood product having a densified veneer is fashioned into planks, having an edge perpendicular to the face and any combination of thickness, width, and length as required.
• the densified wood product having a densified veneer is fashioned into planks, having any combination of thickness, width, and length as required and the elongated edges machined to include a tongue and groove feature.
• the densified wood product having a densified veneer is fashioned into planks, having any combination of thickness, width and length as required and the elongated edges further machined to have locking tongue and groove features.
• a wood flooring product having dimensions of thickness, width and length vary to suit the application. Thickness varies from about 1/16 inch to about 1 inch, from about 1/16 inch to about 1/4 inch, from about 1/4 inch to about 3/8 inch, from about 5/16 inch to about 1/2 inch, from about 5/8 inch to about 7/16 inch, from 3/4 inch to about 1 inch, or any size in between.
• Flooring width varies from about 2 inches to about 24 inches, from about 2 inches to about 3-1/4 inches, from about 3-1/4 inches to about 5 inches, and from about 5 inches to about to 12 inches, from about 12 inches to about 16 inches, from about 12 inches to about 24 inches, or any size in between.
• Lengths are, for example, but not limited to, about one-half foot to about twelve feet, from about one-half foot to about one foot, from about three feet to about six feet, from about eight feet to about ten feet, from about ten feet to about twelve feet, from about one- half meter to about one meter, from about two meters to about three meters and from about three meters to about four meters, or any size in between.
• the flooring is a square tile having equal dimensions of two adjacent sides from about 2 inches to about 24 inches, from about 2 inches to about 2 inches, from about 4 inches to about 4 inches, from about 6 inches to about 6 inches, from about 9 inches to about 9 inches, from about 12 inches to about 12 inches, from about 16 inches to about 16 inches, from about 18 inches to about 18 inches, from about 24 inches to about 24 inches, or any size in between.
• Wood flooring products are subjected to impacts from objects that may be inadvertently dropped onto flooring surfaces. It is not possible to know all of the factors related to the dropped objects (shape, weight, height of drop) or the condition of the environment in which the floor is located (types of sub floor, degree of adhesion to sub floor, temperature). Wood floor specimens having a densified first layer are evaluated for impact resistance using a ball drop test method which provides a relative measure of resistance to impact of wood flooring. In one embodiment, the wood flooring product having densified first layer has an indent resistance greater than untreated wood.
• Width and thickness dimensions of wood flooring typically change when wood flooring is exposed to variations in EMC. Wood flooring maintains dimensional stability in the ambient relative humidity range between about 30 percent to about 50 percent. Humid conditions occur when the ambient relative humidity is above 50 percent, above 60 percent, above 70 percent, and above 80 percent. Conversely, dry conditions occur when the ambient relative humidity is less than 30 percent, less than 20 percent, and less than 10 percent. In moist conditions, moisture adsorption causes wood flooring boards to expand across the width of the boards. Conversely, in dry conditions, moisture desorption causes wood flooring boards to contract across the width of the boards. In both moist and dry conditions, the cumulative effects of expansion and contraction result in cupping and crowning across wood flooring boards.
• the potential to cup or crown is a limitation for use of wood flooring in below grade or other installations which typically have wet or moist conditions as well as dry conditions and is further exacerbated when wider width wood flooring, for example, greater than 3.25 inches wide, is installed.
• the densified wood product having a densified veneer has greater resistance to dimensional changes due to EMC changes than untreated wood.
• the wood flooring product having a densified veneer is dimensionally stable as associated with wet and dry conditions and, therefore, is suitable for installations below grade or having moist conditions as well as dry conditions.
• a wood flooring product having a densified veneer has a width greater than 3.25 inches.
• Wood flooring products especially solid wood and veneer, fade or change shades over time. Exposure to sunlight greatly exacerbates this problem. Methods in the art to slow the fading process include treatments, for example, a surface treatment containing ultraviolet inhibitors that add additional cost to the manufactured product and further hinder refinishing techniques. In one embodiment, wood flooring products having a densified first layer without additional treatments have favorable light stability as compared to untreated wood.
• Impact resistance is conducted where a 1-1/2 inch diameter steel ball, supported in a housing, is dropped from a predetermined height and the impact depth, if any, in the surface of the flooring product is measured at its greatest depth. A smaller depth or penetration denotes a greater impact resistance.
• First layers comprising an exemplary hard wood (hard maple) and an exemplary soft wood (yellow pine) were evaluated to understand the influence of thermal compression on impact resistance. As shown in Table 1, the influence of thermal compression on a hard wood is minimal. In contrast, Table 2 illustrates that the influence of thermal compression on soft wood is significant. Specifically, the data described in Table 2 demonstrates that exemplary products of the present invention demonstrate an unexpected improvement in impact resistance.
• Thermally compressed and untreated samples are evaluated for color difference based on the calculation of delta values as the deviation of the measured x, y color coordinates from a black body radiator.
• Test duration affords exposure to 100 hours of xenon arc, having 280 nm - 800 nm wavelength, and filtered to approximate sunlight through window glass.
• results are the differential from the initial color reading to the final color reading. Less of a difference is favorable, as shown in Table 3, a wood product having a thermally compressed first layer has a greater resistance to fading than untreated wood.
• Moisture resistance is evaluated where specimens of untreated and densified wood are conditioned to yield an equilibrium moisture content of approximately 4 percent. Initial specimen weights are recorded. Test specimens are subjected to 79 percent relative humidity, at 25° C, (approximately fifteen percent EMC) for nine days. At the conclusion of the test, specimens are weighed and the percent of moisture gain reported. As shown in Table 3, densified wood has a lower moisture uptake than untreated wood.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)

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• 2014
  • 2014-03-28 AU AU2014240948A patent/AU2014240948B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2014-03-28 WO PCT/US2014/032174 patent/WO2014160938A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2014-03-28 EP EP14722915.7A patent/EP2978910A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-03-28 CN CN201480019928.2A patent/CN105102738A/zh active Pending

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