FR2935413A1 - Floor and wall covering for building, has stabilization layer formed with material elements and integrated with decorative surface layer, where stabilization layer limits dimensional deformations of covering during temperature variations - Google Patents

Abstract

The covering has a stabilization layer (5) formed with material elements. The material elements are arranged in a random manner and in a proportion of 5-50 percentages in mass of the layer. A ratio between large and small dimensions of particles forming the material elements is higher than 50. The layer is integrated with an upper decorative surface layer (1). The stabilization layer limits dimensional deformations of the covering during temperature variations. The material elements in the stabilization layer are made of vegetable fiber, metal, carbon, anamid or glass.

Description

The invention relates to the technical sector of floor and wall coverings used in the fields of construction and building and also to spaces of large dimensions in various areas. applications. These floor and wall coverings can be presented in a very conventional manner in slabs or strips and are positioned in free or glued or semi-free pose (takeoff and repositionable on their support). The term covers in format coatings in the form of slabs, blades, configuration for example square or rectangular. The invention does not relate to coatings of large dimensions in rolls.

These floor and wall coverings have a wide variety of composition structures including a plurality of layers such as transparent surface layers, decorative layers, plastic-based or foam-based interlayer layers, and compact, foam, or textile backing layers. with, for example, woven or non-woven components. The applicant himself holds many patents on particular coating structures.

FIG. 1 shows, as an example of the prior art, a floor covering including a decorative surface layer (1), a woven or non-woven fiberglass reinforcement (2) and a backing (3). ) for the comfort function.

The problem posed is that of dilation or contraction of the format coating from its multilayer structure due to the change in ambient temperature resulting in a temperature variation of the components of the plastic material of the calendered polyvinyl chloride type, particularly during free pose. The cold causes a contraction of the material and therefore a spacing of the slabs or parts of coating showing spaces at their junction lines and jointing. In the case of temperature increase occurs a phenomenon of expansion and therefore increase in volume may cause a recovery of the initially joined coating parts by the joint effect of thrust due to expansion. This is fully appreciated in so-called free laying said coatings and this is particularly troublesome.

In the case where the coatings are glued, gluing limits this expansion but does not remove it. One or more fiberglass reinforcements are generally introduced which stiffen the coating. This nonetheless generates additional costs for manufacturing. This requires an extra step to bring back the glass veil. In addition, this type of process limits the use of woven or nonwoven materials and equipment.

The problem of dilation or contraction of the floor coverings has been addressed in the following patent publications: WO 0247905, WO 2006/023407, WO 03062557. However, the proposed solutions remain complex to implement with specific configurations of concave parts and convex means defining a space for the absorption of thermal expansion according to the patent WO 0247905, by the configuration of slabs connectors and shaped slabs according to WO 3062557, or the use of woven or non-woven fiberglass mat reinforcement for the patent WO 2006/023407.

The applicant's approach was thus to design a new type of floor and wall covering in a format that responds to the problem of control of expansion and / or contraction due to temperature variations, applicable to both free-standing and bonded coatings. inexpensive manufacturing.

The solution provided by the applicant meets these objectives by leaving, from the concept of the invention, the wide and varied possibilities of producing floor and wall coverings in format, which is clearly not the case in the documents. cited under the prior art known to the applicant.

The invention therefore aims at a new design of floor and wall coverings in formats.

According to a first feature, the type of floor and wall covering of the type comprising a multilayer structure with, at least, a top layer of apparent decorative surface is remarkable in that it includes a stabilizing layer including in the material constituting said stabilizing layer one or more randomly arranged material elements in a proportion of 5 to 50% by weight of said stabilizing layer, and in that the ratio between the largest dimension and the smallest dimension of the particles constituting the element or elements of material introduced and mixed in the stabilization layer is L / d greater than 50, and in that the stabilization layer, is secured to the upper layer of the decorative surface, and in that said layer stabilization makes it possible to limit the dimensional deformations of the coating formed during temperature variations.

According to another characteristic, the floor and wall covering in format comprises in its structure a stabilizing layer including a mixture with the constituent base of the plastic stabilization layer of the randomly arranged material elements from 5 to 50 % by mass of material, trigonal structure, or lamellar, or fibrous or filamentary These and other characteristics will be apparent from the rest of the description.

For fixing the object of the invention illustrated in a nonlimiting manner in the figures of the drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a floor covering in the format according to the prior art with decomposition of these main components. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a format floor and wall covering designed according to the invention with an intermediate stabilizing layer for controlling the expansion / contraction as a function of temperature. - Figure 3 is a view according to Figure 2 as an alternative embodiment. - Figure 4 is a schematic view of a flooring and wall format according to another embodiment and without back. - Figure 5 is a schematic view of another alternative coating in which the decorative layer is in one part. FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are photographic views illustrating exemplary embodiments of the material element introduced into the stabilization layer.

In order to make the object of the invention more concrete, it is now described in a nonlimiting manner illustrated in the figures and drawings.

The floor and wall covering is of the type comprising a multilayer structure with at least one upper layer of apparent decorative surface (1) including, for example, a decorative film (1b) and a transparent film (1c) secured in any known way in the technology of floor and wall coverings. This top layer of decorative surface (1) may be in one part with the decoration integrated in the mass of the layer, as represented in FIG. 5. Said multilayer structure may also comprise one or more intermediate layers in a known manner depending on the desired characteristics. , and possibly a back layer.

According to the invention, the coating of floors and walls in size is remarkable in that it comprises a stabilizing layer (5) including, mixed in the constituent material of said stabilizing layer, randomly arranged elements of material and in a proportion of 5 to 50% by weight of the mass of said stabilizing layer. The stabilization layer (5) thus has a structure of a mixture of two or more material elements, that of the constituent base of said layer, and that or those which are reported under the aforementioned conditions.

The stabilization layer is thus obtained and made from 5 to 50% by weight of elements of trigonal or monocyclic lamellar or fibrous or filamentary structure material, with an L / d ratio greater than 50. This ratio is the ratio between the largest dimension and the smallest dimension of the particles constituting the element or elements of material introduced and mixed in the stabilization layer.

Thus, according to the invention, the stabilization layer is previously defined by allowing to reproduce the expected floor and wall covering. This stabilizing layer is integrated in all types of coating structures and can be transformed in different forms and used in the various plastics processing technologies. The implementation of the invention is such that the average thermal displacement of the floor coverings given by the measurement of the longitudinal and transverse expansion coefficient is between 0.05% and 0.15% for a temperature variation of between 12 and 15%. ° C and 38 ° C in use. The elements integrated in the stabilization layer (5) consist of fibers, hollow or solid beads, free or formulated, or by mineral fillers, metallic, or vegetable fibers or carbon or aramid or glass, identical or different properties or a mixture thereof. The contribution of these elements in the stabilization layer limits the longitudinal and transverse dimensional deformations during temperature variations. The stabilization layer at its base is established from plastic material of all shapes (plastisol, powder, dry-blend, wet-blend, granulated, compound). Depending on the characteristics of the desired coating, one or more elements can be used in various compositions while remaining within the range of the abovementioned mass ratio. Floor and wall coverings can be obtained by different plastic processing technologies such as extrusion, calendering, pressing, grinding, injection, injection-compression, coating. The invention therefore makes it possible to produce heterogeneous floor and wall coverings (directional, semi-directional or non-directional) and of any format.

The method of manufacturing floor and wall coverings thus consists in introducing, during its manufacture, the production of a stabilizing layer including elements in a random manner in a mixture with the plastic material constituting said stabilizing layer, in a specific massive proportion, the other layer or layers, at least upper of the decor and others such as of opposite being of any constitution.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show, for example, the constitution of the elements intended to be mixed in the stabilization layer. Figure 6, it is glass fibers, Figure 7 of polyvinyl chloride granules with glass fibers, Figure 8 of lamellar mineral fillers of the mica type.

To illustrate the invention in its implementation, two specific examples are quoted by way of non-limiting example with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the case of FIG. 2, the applicant has designed a heterogeneous floor covering by calendering with the mixture of chopped fiberglass elements in the stabilizing layer.

For this specific implementation, the manufacturing process of the floor and wall covering is divided into several stages, the two main ones namely: The first phase is the incorporation of 6% by mass of cut glass fibers of initial length 4.5 mm or 3 mm and a diameter of 10 m or 13 m in a compound based on plasticized polyvinyl chloride. This material is calendered in the form of 1.84 mm thick sheet thus constituting the stabilizing layer (5). This layer (5) is heat-bonded by pressure with a decorative film (1b) of polyvinyl chloride and a film (1a) of transparent polyvinyl chloride.

The second phase then consists of thermally assembling the stabilizing layer (5) with a backing layer (4) which, in this case, is a sheet of polyvinyl chloride 2 mm thick containing cork.

The coating thus manufactured, according to the above-mentioned phases, is then subjected to the following stages of varnishing, stabilization, and then cutting into formats of slab or blade types.

The tests carried out on this implementation have confirmed the interest of the invention.

Example 2

In the context of FIG. 3, the applicant has designed a heterogeneous floor covering with the mixture incorporating mica in the stabilizing layer. For this specific implementation, the corresponding floor and wall coating manufacturing process is broken down into several stages, two of which are: The first phase is the incorporation of 20% by mass of mica of size from 40 m to 10 m. m, so that the ratio between the largest dimension and the smallest dimension of each constitutive particle of the mica element is about L / d equal 60, and this in a compound based on polyvinyl chloride. plasticized vinyl. Its calendering is carried out in the form of 1.84 mm thick sheet thus constituting the stabilizing layer (5). This layer (5) is heat-bonded by pressure with a decorative film (1b) of polyvinyl chloride and a film (1a) of transparent polyvinyl chloride.

The second phase then consists in thermally assembling the stabilizing layer with a backing layer (4) which, in this case, is a 2 mm thick polyvinyl chloride sheet containing cork.

The coating thus manufactured, according to the above-mentioned phases 1 and 2, is then subjected to the following stages of varnishing, stabilization, and then cutting into slabs or slats.

FIG. 4 shows another variant of the invention which includes the upper layer (1) and the stabilization layer (5) but without a backing layer. The stabilizing layer is illustrated with the decorative film (1b) and the transparent film (1a). According to Figure 5, the upper layer directly integrates the decorative layer.

The tests carried out on this implementation have confirmed the interest of the invention.

The invention has many advantages in that it makes it possible to associate the stabilization layer as defined by its component mixture, with a wide variety of additional conventional layers to floor and wall coverings, decorative layers, backing layers and the like. giving a single answer to the problem of controlling the expansion or contraction of coatings, according to the conditions and variations of temperature.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS 1- Floor and wall covering in a format of the type comprising a multilayer structure with, at least, a top layer of decorative surface (1) apparent characterized in that it includes the stabilizing layer (5) including in the material component of said stabilization layer one or more randomly arranged material elements and in a proportion of 5 to 50% by weight of said stabilization layer, and in that the ratio between the largest dimension and the most dimension small particles constituting the element or elements of material introduced and mixed in the stabilization layer is L / d greater than 50, and in that the stabilization layer, is secured to the upper layer of the decorative surface (1), and in that said stabilization layer makes it possible to limit the dimensional deformations of the coating formed during temperature variations. - 2. Coating according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises in its structure a stabilizing layer (5) including a mixture with the constituent base of the plastic stabilization layer of the elements of material arranged randomly at from 5 to 50% by weight of material, trigonal structure, or lamellar, or fibrous or filamentary. - 3- coating, according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the elements integrated in the stabilization layer (5) are constituted by fibers, hollow or solid beads, free or formulated.-4- Coating, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elements integrated in the stabilization layer are constituted by mineral or metal fillers -5- coating, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that that the material elements integrated in the stabilization layer consist of plant fibers or carbon or aramid or glass. Coating according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper decorative surface layer (1) includes a decorative film (1b) and a transparent film (1a). Coating according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an upper decorative surface layer (1), the stabilization layer (5) and a backing layer (3).