GB2332859A

GB2332859A - Floor covering

Info

Publication number: GB2332859A
Application number: GB9721882A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Charles Stead
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-10-15
Filing date: 1997-10-15
Publication date: 1999-07-07
Also published as: GB9721882D0

Abstract

A floor covering comprises a web of durable material adhered to a layer of resilient material. The layer of resilient material is substantially thicker than that of the web. The web is preferably a flat tightly woven textile material. The resilient material is preferably a foam material, such as foam rubber to which the web is adhered by a process in which the foam has been heated to a temperature at which it becomes adhesive.

Description

FLOOR COVERING This invention relates to floor covering.

In the carpet industry, underlay is usually made of resilient material, such as flat or moulded foam rubber or synthetic foam. The uppermost surface of the foam is usually covered with reinforced crimped paper, or plastics or a film of plastics to provide a semi slippery surface to facilitate carpet laying (the foam surface itself would otherwise cause too much drag on the carpet when it is being fitted). This upper covering is only for temporary use, since it will be covered by the carpet, and it has no durable, nor decorative properties. The lowermost surface of the foam can be covered by gauze, for example, which is laid downwards onto an adhesive, so that the gauze adheres to the floor. If the underlay is subsequently taken up, for example to be renewed, the gauze tears easily to allow the old underlay to be removed from the floor. The gauze is therefore non-durable, it is intended to be laid face downwards against the floor, and it has no decorative appeal.

High quality expensive carpets are made of fabrics, such as wool, firmly woven to a backing. Less expensive foam backed carpets have no sewn backing and are made, for example, by spraying a latex foam onto a layer of polyprolyne loops.

This binds the loops together to give the carpet its form and, at the same time, provide an integral underlay. Whilst these carpets are inexpensive, they are not as durable as the high quality backed carpets and are currently less popular with consumers. They also have far less durability.

In the building industry, it is often the case that new suites of offices or living accommodation in houses or flats are often carpeted with good quality carpeting in order to create the best impression to prospective purchasers. Leaving bare floors, such as concrete floors, could severely detract from the value of the property.

However, the cost of the carpeting can be considerable. When residential property is offered for sale, a prospective purchaser may dislike the pattern and/or colour of the carpet and may therefore only agree to purchase without the carpet. The vendor may then be obliged to deduct the cost of the carpeting in order to complete the sale. Moreover, the vendor would also be inconvenienced by having to remove existing carpeting, which is of no further use, since it has been purpose fitted.

Leaving just a conventional underlay on the floor does not solve this problem.

Underlay has no decorative finish or wearing quality and it is unattractive to prospective purchasers. It is also generally made in widths of about 1 metre and these strips can easily be perceived on the floor hence making the room look unattractive. As conventional underlay is not durable, if it is laid for any length of time, it will show signs of wear. In particular, with the passage of prospective purchasers in properties offered for sale, the upper surface of the underlay will soon show signs of wear and tear. A further problem is that a stiletto heel could penetrate and tear the underlay as soon as the wearer stands on it. Thus, underlay is not intended for permanent (or temporary use) on its own; its primary purpose being its intended use with a carpet.

Floor coverings of the linoleum type, which are intended for kitchens, can have a very durable upper surface, such as a continuous relatively thick layer of vinyl plastics material with a decorative pattern. Some of these coverings have a cushioned backing layer, but this is nowhere near as thick as the foam layer, for example, in underlay. The thicknesses of the upper covering layer and lower cushioning layer are often similar. Whilst such floor coverings have durability, they are not a substitute for carpet. The upper surface is generally smooth and reflective and hence appears shiny, and this is more attractive for a kitchen than a living room or lounge.

As carpeting is expensive, there is a demand for the very cheap underlay.

However, cheap underlay is clearly not an alternative to attractive carpeting and is not durable. There is therefore a need for a low cost alternative which is both durable and attractive and could serve both as a temporary floor covering as an underlay (dual purpose), or as a permanent floor covering.

The present invention seeks to solve the foregoing problems.

According to the invention, floor covering comprises a layer of resilient material and a web of durable decorative material adhered to a major surface of the resilient material; the layer of resilient material being substantially thicker than that of the of the web and the durability of the web enabling the floor covering, when laid on a floor, to be used at least as a temporary floor covering, when it will also serve as a carpet underlay, or to be used as a more permanent floor covering without also serving as a carpet underlay; the decorative finish of the web enabling the floor covering to be perceived as an attractive alternative to a carpet when it is laid on a floor.

The web is far thinner than the resilient layer and may be of the order of 1/10 to 1/20 of its thickness. The thickness of the resilient layer may be of the order of 0.5 - 1.0cm. However, these dimensions are only examples of the invention and are not limiting. The web may be a film of material which is either continuous, e.g. impervious, or perforate. It is preferably made of a flat closely woven textile material. This may be natural material or an artificial material such as nylon, polypropylene or some similar plastics. The web may or may not have some form of porosity. We have found that a particularly suitable material is that which is used as an inner sole, in shoes or trainers, since it is thin, durable and has wicking properties. The material made by Camtex Fabrics Limited under their registered trade mark "Cambrelle" is useful in this respect. However, a nylon, terylene or polypropylene fabric, particularly of closely woven construction, may also be used, for example such as that used in the upholstery industry. The web may be tightly woven so that it does not absorb allergens, such as dust particles and/or dust mites as much as the thick pile of a carpet. In this case, the floor covering can be more readily vacuumed so that it is particularly suitable for users who suffer from allergies, such as asthmatics. It would also be useful in hospitals. The web is preferably made of a material which is not shiny (like a kitchen floor covering) and which tends to scatter or diffuse light. This creates a better visual effect when the floor covering is laid. It is also preferably made of material which is smooth but not slippery. If the floor covering is intended to be used at some time as a carpet underlay, it is preferable that web has a surface which facilitates carpet fitting.

The decorative finish can be of any kind of pattern but we have found that certain patterns are preferable in diverting the eye, when the floor covering is laid, so that the floor covering appears as a continuous area of carpeting. For example, a basket weave running diagonally across the strips of underlay is particularly effective. However, other similar repeating patterns can be used to give the same effect.

The resilient layer is preferably foam rubber or synthetic foam and the web is adhered to a major surface of the resilient layer by a process in which e.g. a latex foam has been heated to a temperature at which it becomes adhesive to the web when applied thereto. This greatly simplifies the process of manufacture, since different webs of durable material may be applied to the foam rubber layer during the course of manufacture. This means that the decorative finish can be easily changed, since it would only be necessary to remove one roll and to replace it with another, having a different decorative finish, and to lead the web over the hot sticky surface of the foam rubber and under pressure rollers (to secure firm adhesion) as it is produced during manufacture. However a latex or foam adhesive could alternatively be sprayed onto the resilient layer and/or web to secure adhesion. A further alternative is to crimp the web onto the resilient layer, or to form a crimped web, which is attached to a backing that is then adhered to the resilient layer. The depth of crimping can provide a textured effect on the upper surface, as another decorative finish. It can also improve the wear quality of the floor covering.

If the web is made slightly wider than the resilient material, narrow strips, at each side, can be folded over and adhered to the edges of the resilient layer. This can easily be achieved, during manufacture, by first adhering the web to the major surface of the (e.g.) foam rubber and subsequently folding down edges of the decorative web so that they adhere to the sticky edges of the foam. Any excess could be trimmed so that the edge of the web is flush with the lower major surface of the foam. However, the folded down part of the web need not cover the entire side edge of the underlay. Alternatively, where the web and the foam have the same width, the edge of the web can be heat sealed. This could be achieved by applying heat and pressure either during or after manufacture of the foam. The advantages of covering the edge of the underlay, or sealing the edge of the web, is that it is more durable when the floor covering is laid. It would also be possible to heat seal or chemically adhere the abutting edges of the webs of adjoining strips of resilient material so as to form a continuous join.

The web may be decorated in accordance with particular requirements, e.g. to suit the shape or style of the room. For example, the decorative pattern may be of a kind having a border and a design, to suit the particular shape or style of the room, within the border. It could also be in the form of a logo or other advertising material in the case of producing a floor covering for commercial use. The web may also be made of fireproof material, or treated so as to be fireproof.

The invention also provides a method of making a floor covering which includes the steps of producing a resilient layer and causing a web of durable material to adhere to a major surface of the resilient layer; said web either having, or having applied thereto a decorative pattern.

Preferably, the layer is made of material which can be softened, under heat, to become sticky enough for the web to adhere thereto. Foam rubber is particularly, but not exclusively suitable for this purpose.

The web is preferably made of material which facilitates the application of a decorative finish and also adherence to the major surface of the resilient material during the process of its manufacture. A web of flat woven textile material is particularly, but not exclusively suitable for this purpose. A web of strong woven filaments can be thin but still provide excellent durability. The strength of the web can be suitable for the intended use of the floor covering (e.g. a permanent covering being made of thicker and stronger materials).

Examples of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a section through a floor covering according to one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is also a section showing a detail of the edge, Fig. 3 is a further section of another embodiment with a folded edge portion.

Fig. 4 is also a section showing two strips of floor covering with abutting edges.

Fig. 5 shows an example of a decorative finish.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a floor covering comprising a layer 1 of resilient material, such as foam rubber. A web or film of material 2 of durable decorative material is adhered to the major surface of the resilient material of foam rubber 1. The resilient material is substantially thicker than the web.

Fig. 2 shows an edge detail where a bead 3 has been formed along the lateral edge of the web, e.g. by heat sealing. This provides a more durable finish to the edge portion of the floor covering.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment where the web is wider than the resilient material and a narrow strip 2a along the side edge has been folded and adhered to the side edge of the resilient material 1. This provides an even better finish.

However, it is not necessary for the folded edge of the web to cover the entire side edge of the foam.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment where adjacent strips la, 1b of the resilient material have been laid side by side in abutting relationship, and the adjoining edges of the respective webs 2a, 2b have been heat sealed to form a bead 3. This enables adjoining strips to be sealed together hence providing a more durable continuous finish.

Fig. 5 shows a basket weave pattern which is particularly suitable as a decorative finish. When strips of the floor covering are laid side by side, with the pattern matching, this helps to divert the eye away from the joining edges. As a relatively high decorative finish can be applied to the web, even though it is flat, the effect is very attractive and comparable with a covering of carpeting. This makes the room attractive to e.g. prospective purchasers, whilst keeping the cost of the floor covering to a minimum. Moreover, if the prospective purchaser does not like the decorative finish, the floor covering simply serves as an underlay for the carpeting to be fitted later by the user. Since the web is durable, besides being attractive, it can withstand far more pedestrian traffic than ordinary underlay and it will not show signs of wear, even though laid for a long length of time. The floor covering may also be used as a permanent inexpensive floor covering as an alternative to carpeting. Since various decorative finishes can easily be applied, the floor covering can be readily designed to suit particular rooms. Also, it may be fireproofed, or made so that it is more impervious to dust or dust mites, hence enabling the floor covering to be thoroughly cleaned, thereby avoiding the usual penetration of such allergens into carpet pile.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Floor covering comprising a layer of resilient material and a web of durable decorative material adhered to a major surface of the layer of resilient material; the layer of resilient material being substantially thicker than that of the web and the durability of the web enabling the floor covering, when laid on the floor, to be used at least as a temporary floor covering, when it will also serve as a carpet underlay, or to be used as a more permanent floor covering without also serving as carpet underlay; the decorative finish of the film enabling the floor covering to be perceived as an attractive alternative to a carpet when it is laid on the floor.
2. Floor covering according to claim 1, in which the resilient material is a foam material and the web is adhered to the major surface of the foam by a process in which the foam has been heated to a temperature at which it becomes adhesive to the web when applied thereto.
3. Floor covering according to claim 1 or 2 in which the resilient material is foam rubber.
4. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the web is a film of material which is either continuous or perforate.
5. Floor covering according to any of claims 1-3 in which the web is made is made of flat tightly woven textile material.
6. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the web is made of nylon polypropylene or a similar durable plastics material.
7. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the resilient layer is of the order of 10-20 times thicker than the thickness of the web.
8. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the web facilitates removal of allergens, such as dust particles and/or dust mites.
9. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the web includes or is treated with a fire proofing material.
10. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which edge portions of the web are folded over and adhered to the edges of the resilient layer.
11. Floor covering according to any of claims 1-9 in which edges of the web are heat sealed.
12. Floor covering according to any preceding claim in which the web is decorated with a repeating pattern intended to divert the eye when the floor covering is laid on the floor, so that the floor covering appears to resemble a continuous area of carpeting.
13. Floor covering according to claim 12, in which the decorative pattern resembles a lattice or a basket weave.
14. A method of making a floor covering which includes the steps of producing a layer of resilient material and causing a web of durable material to adhere to a major surface of the resilient material; said web either having, or having applied thereto a decorative pattern.
15. A method according to claim 14 in which the resilient layer is a foam material.
16. A method according to claim 15 in which the layer is made of foam rubber.
17. A method according to any of claims 14, 15 and 16 in which the layer is made of material which softens under heat and becomes adhesive to the web of material.
18. A method according to claim 17 in which the web of material is applied to the resilient layer in a continuous process.
19. A method according to any of claims 14-18 in which the web is a flat woven textile material.