GB2320679A

GB2320679A - Floor covering

Info

Publication number: GB2320679A
Application number: GB9626956A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Pym; Ian Karl Pawson
Original assignee: Nuway Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nuway Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1996-12-27
Filing date: 1996-12-27
Publication date: 1998-07-01
Also published as: NL1007911C2; NL1007911A1; GB9626956D0; DE19757584A1; FR2757892A1; BE1011399A3

Abstract

In a floor covering (10) comprising a plurality of mutually parallel, spaced apart tread strips (11) each comprising layers (13) of reinforcing material embedded in a body (12) of polymeric material with each said layer arranged to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and the layers of filamentary reinforcing material lying spaced apart transversely relative to the plane of the floor covering, at least some tread strips (11) are fibrous tread strips which have a fibrous tread space (14) comprised by exposed ends of the reinforcing material and the strips are retained in said spaced apart relationship by means of a backing layer (15) comprising a layer of polymeric material having a support surface to which said tread strips (11) are secured.

Description

1. 2320679 Ingravements in and relating to Floor Ccr, This invention

relates to a floor covering suitable for use as an entrance mat or tile, and to a method of manufacture of a floor covering of a kind comprising a plurality of strips of polymeric material which each support a tread surface of fibrous material.

A well established and successful modular construction of an entrance mat comprises a plurality of first strips of substantially rigid material, for ele of aluminium or a plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene, and a plurality of second strips of substantially flexible and resilient polymeric material such as natural or synthetic rubber having an eued reinforcement fabric. The second strips are interposed alternately between the first strips and the first and second strips are secured together in side-by-side relationship by means of one or more connecting wires which extend through aligned apertures in the first and second strips.

Conventionally each said second strip has an embedded reinforcement of one or more layers of fabric arranged to lie substantially transverse to the plane of the mat, and the surface of the rubber or like substantially resilient material is ren, typically by buffing, from a face of the strip which is to define the tread surface.

provides a fibrous tread surface.

This exposes the fibres and A mat as described above will successfully remove loose or excess dirt from passing footwear, both when dry or when wet or heavily soiled. It is also easy to maintain, provides a pleasant visual appearance and is cadortable to walk over.

Manufacture of the mat is simple, but the need to position arrays of alternating strips of rigid and resilient material and the need to align apertures and insert and secure connecting wires inevitably against a low manufacturing cost. It is also necessary to provide a floor well in which to fit the mat.

The present invention seeks to provide a floor covering and a method of manufacture of a floor covering suitable for use as an entrance mat or tile 2 - and which eliminates the need for at least same of the aforedescribed manufacturing and installation operations.

The invention seeks also to provide a floor covering which can be of modular form, e.g. of a ti-le type section.

The present invention provides a floor cwoexing ccoprising a plurality of tread strips each ccoprising a body of polymeric material having an embedded reinforcement of a plurality of layers of reinforcing material with ea h said layer arranged to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor =rering and the layers of filanentary reinforcing material lying spaced apart transversely relative to the plane of the f loor covering, at least scue of said tread strips being fibrous tread strips which have a fibrous tread surface ccuprised by exposed ends of said ened reinforcing material and the strips being arranged to extend parallel with me another with successive strips or groups of strips lying spaced apart and with the respective fibrous tread surfaces substantially aligned, the strips being retained in said spaced apart relationship by means of a backing layer, said backing layer ccuprising a layer of polymeric material having a support surface to which said tread strips a secured.

The invention further provides a method of manufacture of a floor covering ccuprising providing a plurality of tread strips each ccuprising a body of polymeric material having an embedded reinforcement of a plurality of layers of reinforcing material with each said layer arranged, in the finished product, to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and with the layers of fl-lamentary reinforcing materIal lying spaced apart transversely relative to the plane of the floor covering, at least scme of said tread strips being fibrous tread strips which have a fibrous tread surface comprised by protruding exposed ends of said ened reinforcing material, providing a layer of a backing material ccuprising a layer of polymeric material having a support surface to which tread strips way be secured, and securing said tread strips to said support surface of the backing layer with the strips lying spaced apart and mtually parallel.

The polymeric material of the tread strips may be substantially resilient and may be an unvulcanised or part vulcanised material. The backing layer optionally my ccuprise a reinforcement structure to assist resistance to 3.

extension in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tread strips.

In addition to the fibrous type tread strips the floor covering may ccoprise spacer tread strips of a similar construction of spaced layers of reinforcing material embedded in polymeric material, but with the tread surface cised primarily by the polymeric material and without the reinforcing material protruding or extending substantially beyond the adjacent polymeric material.

Preferably the embedded reinforcing material of the tread strips camprises filaments which lie inclined to the surface of the floor covering. The filaments of one reinforcing layer preferably lie inclined in an opposite direction to the inclination of filaments in a neighbouring layer. The filaments my be filaments of bias cut filamentary reinforcing material. The filaments preferably lie at an angle between 30' and 701 relative to the tread surface. The filaments in successive reinforcement layers preferably lie at equal but opposite angles of inclination.

The surface of a tread strip, particularly a spacer type tread strip, may have a grooved upper tread surface, typically having at least four grooves, each groove extending in the direction of the length of the tread strip.

Alternate layers of the reinforcement material my lie each at a respective peak between two grooves and q:)tionally the reinforcemnt material may protrude slightly. The intervening layers of reinforcement material may lie each at a respective base of a groave and the reinforcement material my protrude slightly fram the base or be flush with the embedding polymeric material.

The backing layer may be united with the tread strips by means of an adhesive or it may be substantially pemanently united by borKling. The backing layer and strips may be of vulcanisable elastcaeric material and bonding may be achieved by a hot or a cold cure vulcanisation procedure, e.g. at a temperature in the order of 1000C for cold cure and in the order of 1600 C for hot cure. Bonding may be achieved by a procedure of the kind known for the re-treading of pneumatic tyres. Tread strips may ccuprise 4.

vulcanisable material which may be part vulcanised prior to said vulcanisation procedure.

Exposed regions of the backing layer between the pairs of successive tread strips may be provided with a shape feature, such as a decorative shape feature, prior to or during an operation, such as vulcanisation, which secures the tread strips to the backing layer to lie mutually parallel and spaced apart.

The shape feature may be a rib type feature. The rib feature may be provided, for example, as a single rib which exterxis lengthwise, parallel with the tread strips, in the exposed zone of the support surface which lies between each successive pair of tread strips. In one embodiment a single rib is provided centrally between each successive pair of tread strips. It is preferred that the rib extends above the backing layer support surface by less than half the height, i.e. thickness, of the tread strips. A height of less than a third of the tread strip thickness is also proposed. In an alternative embodiment a plurality of ribs my be provided in a recess. A pair of ribs way be provided in a recess, and may be synmtrically positioned in that recess. The pair of ribs typically is arranged to lie substantially centrally in the recess.

The exposed zones of the support surface preferably are substantially coplanar with the interface between the support surface and underside of ea h tread strip.

The backing layer may be caused to flaw and contact side edges of the tread strips during manufacture, e.g. during vulcanisation of vulcanisable material. Said flow way be caused by mould means provided to lie between successive tread strips during manufacture. An example of one suitable mould means is a pair of metal wires whose diameter is half the spacing of successive tread strips. The wi-res a positioned side-by-side in contact with one another and each in contact with a side edge of a respective one of a pair of successive tread strips so as to provide a mould shape for the backing layer material.

Each tread strip in a floor covering may be of substantially the same thickness, as considered in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the 5.

floor covering, thereby to provide a substantially smooth, planar tread surface. Alternatively the floor covering way comprise tread strips of two or more different thicknesses, e.g. to provide a ribbed tread surface if strips of two thicknesses alternate.

The floor covering structure may ccuprise a plurality of strips of the same type or scoe my provide a substantially plain surface and others a fibrous tread surface. Strips of two types may alternate with one another; strips with fibrous tread surfaces way have a thickness which results in the tread surfaces being slightly raised above the surfaces of adjacent strips which a bereft of a fibrous tread surface.

The tread strips may have a common tread surface colour, or strips of two or more different colours may be ccubined. Each tread strip typically has a thickness less than 10 m. A thickness in the range 4 m to 7 mm is preferred. Each tread strip may have a width greater than the thickness of the tread strip, preferably at least 20% greater.

Each tread strip typically has a width of at least three quarters and preferably at least equal to the spacing between successive tread strips. Strip widths of double or treble the spacing a envisaged. Greater widths are not excluded, but the invention teaches that advantageously the tread strip width is in the range between that of the spacing between the tread strips and three times that spacing.

The references herein to the or each "tread strip" include both a single tread strip member for which each respective side is spaced frcm a successive tread strip, and an assembly of two or more tread strip members arranged side by side in contact with one another, a side of a strip menter assembly being spaced frcin a successive tread strip which way also be an assembly comprising two or more tread strip members arranged side by side.

The backing layer may contain a reinforcement that reinforces in only one direction or it may provide reinforcement in two mutually perpendicular directions. Preferably the reinforcement is substantially wholly embeWed in the backing layer.

6.

The backing layer preferably has a thickness between 1. 2 mm and 6 m, at least where it lies underneath a tread strip. A thickness in the range 1. 6 mm to 4 m is preferred.

The floor covering preferably has a thickness less than 12 mm, nore preferably less than 10 m. A thickness in the range 6 mm to 8 m often is particularly preferred.

Whilst it has been described that a f ibrous tread surface way be formed by removing polymeric material to expose ened reinforcement material, and create a high pile content surface, it is envisaged that the opposite surface of a tread strip, being the surface by which the strip is retained on the backing layer, will not have been subject to removal of a surface layer of polymeric material and will have a zero or low pile content surface.

The tread strips for manufacture of a floor covering preferably do not ccuprise extruded material. The tread strips, and also the backing layer, way ccmprise calendered unvulcanised material; during manufacture the materials of the strip and backing layer are vulcanised and united with one another.

The invention thus enables vulcanised material of a tread strip to be vulcanised in the same operation that causes the strip to become secured to the backing layer.

The f loor covering may be of a reversible type in which the backing layer is an interlayer each side of which is united with a respective one of a pair of pluralities of tread strips.

Two embodiments of the invention as applied to an entrance mat are now described with reference to the acccning drawings, which each show a perspective view of part of an assenbled mat.

The mat 10 of Figure 1 ccuprises a plurality of discrete, elongate, rectilinear tread strips 11 each ccuprising a body 12 of natural or synthetic rubber with a plurality of layers 13 of bias cut nylon fibre fabric eed therein. The rubber has been removed, by buffing, frcm part 7.

of each strip 11 where the edges of fibre layers 13 are exposed thereby to cause the fibre material to stand proud of the rubber and provide a footwiping tread surface 14. The strips 11 have a high pile content and serve as fibrous type tread strips.

The strips 11 all lie in mutually parallel, spaced-apart relationship and are maintained in that relationship by means of a backing layer 15 to which they are each united.

The backing layer 15 comprises a sheet of natural or synthetic rubber and, optionally, has an embedded reinforcement of nylon fabric 16 which renders the layer 15 substantially inextensible.

The strips all have substantially the sane thickness and the high pile content surfaces cooperate to provide substantially flat, co-planar tread surfaces.

The exposed regions of the upper support surface of the backing layer between the successive pairs of tread strips 11 are each formed with a central, longitudinally extending rib 17. The rib has a height of 2 m approximately. Corner regions 18 between the backing layer support surface and side edges 19 of the tread strips 11 are curved.

Each tread strip has a width of 14 mm, a thickness of 6 m and a spacing of 12.5 mm from a next successive tread strip. The backing layer, in this embodiment, has a thickness of 2 mm. The total thickness therefore is 8 BM. That thickness is significantly less than the thickness of prior art mats as described herein. The reduced thickness allows the mat to be laid alongside carpeting or floor tiles without the need to construct a mat well.

The mat 20 of Figure 2 is substantially similar to that of Figure 1 except that each tread strip 21 is double the wadth of the tread strip 11 of Figure l. The thickness of each tread strip 11, the spacing of the tread strips and the backing layer construction and proportions between successive tread strips 21 is as described for Figure 1. For convenience the embedded reinforcement material is not shown in Figure 2.

8.

Each strip 21 comprises two identical tread strip nimbers 27 which each correspond with the discrete tread strip 11 described herein with reference to Figure 1. Contacting side faces of tread strips may be directly secured together, for exarrple by bonding, or they may be free to separate e.g. by tilting, so as to allow the mat more ea ily to be rolled.

9.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Method of manufacture of a f loor covering cising providing a plurality of tread strips each comprising a body of polymeric material having an emed reinforcement of a plurality of layers of reinforcing material with each said layer arranged, in the f=shed product, to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and with the layers of filamentary reinforcing material lying spaced apart transversely relative to the plane of the floor covering, at least same of said tread strips being fibrous tread strips which have a fibrous tread surface canprised by protruding exposed ends of said embedded reinforcing material, providing a layer of a backing material comprising a layer of polymeric material having a support surface to which tread strips may be secured, and securing said tread strips to said support surface of the backing layer with the strips lying spaced apart and mutually parallel.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tread strips and backing layer cauprise unvulcanised. vulcanisable material which is vulcanised subsequent to arranging the tread strips to lie spaced apart on said support surface of the backing layer thereby to cause the strips to beccme secured to the backing layer.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein use is made of a backing layer which cises a reinforcement which provides reinforcement in at least one of two mutually perpendicular directions and the tread strips are arranged to extend in the direct-ion of the other of said two mutually perpendicular directions.

4. A method in accordance with any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein use is made of a tread strip which ccmprises at least two tread strip members arranged side-by-side in contact with one another.

5. A method in accordance with any one of claim 1 - 4, wherein backing layer material is caused to flow and contact side edges of tread strips.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein mould means is positioned between tread strips and arranged ' to cause said flow of backing layer material.

10.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said mould means is arranged to provide the backing layer with a rib type feature.

8. A method of manufacture of a floor covering in accordance with claim 1 and substantially as described herein.

9. A floor covering comprising a plurality of tread strips each comprising a body of polymeric material having an embedded reinforcement of a plurality of layers of reinforcing material with each said layer arranged to lie substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and the layers of filamentary reinforcing material lying spaced apart transversely relative to the plane of the floor covering, at least satre of said tread strips being fibrous tread strips which have a fibrous tread surface comprised by exposed ends of said embedded reinforcing material and the strips being arranged to extend parallel with one another with successive strips or groups of strips lying spaced apart and with the respective fibrous tread surfaces substantially aligned, the strips being retained in said spaced apart relationship by means of a backing layer, said backing layer comprising a layer of polymeric material having a support surface to which said tread strips are secured.

10. A floor covering in accordance with claim 9, wherein the backing layer cises a reinforcemnt structure adapted to resist extension in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tread strips.

11. A floor covering in accordance with claim 10, wherein said reinforcement structure is substantaally wholly enbedded in the backing layer.

12. A floor covering in accordance with arry one of claim 9 - 11, wherein at least where the backing layer lies underneath a tread strip the thickness of the backing layer is between 1. 2 mm and 6 m.

13. A floor covering in accordance with any one of claim 9 - 12, wherein exposed regions of the backing layer between the pairs of successive tread strips are provided with a rib type shape feature.

11.

14. A floor covering in accordance with claim 13 wherein the rib type shape feature cenprises a rib which extends lengthwise between a successive pair of tread strips.

15. A floor covering in accordance with claim 13 or claim 14, wherein said rib type shape feature extends above the backing layer support surface by less than half the height of the tread strips.

16. A floor covering in accordance with any one of claim 9 - 15, wherein exposed zones of the support surface are substantially co-planar with the interface between the support surface and the underside of each tread strip.

17. A floor covering in a ordance with any one of claims 9 - 16, wherein the backing layer contacts side edges of the tread strips.

18. A floor covering In accordance with any one of claims 9-17, wherein a tread strip has a width greater than the thickness of the tread strip.

19. A floor covering in accordance with any one of claims 9 - 18 and cising tread strips which have a width of at least three quarters the spacing between successive tread strips.

20. A floor covering in accordance with any one of claim 9 - 19, wherein the backing layer and tread strips are bonded together.

21. A floor covering in accordance with arry one of claim 9 - 20, wherein the thickness of the floor covering is less than 12 irm.

22. A floor covering in accordance with claim 9 and substantially as described herein.

JRB/W - NUW 10833