JP2869655B2 - Nonwoven fabric and synthetic resin flooring using the same - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a folded nonwoven fabric having no directivity as a whole and a synthetic resin flooring using the same.

2. Description of the Related Art A nonwoven fabric is a material obtained by integrating fibers by weaving or the like without weaving. Unlike a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric is generally positioned as a material having no directionality. Nonwoven fabrics are widely used as base materials and reinforcing materials, and it is also known to laminate and embed nonwoven fabrics such as glass fibers on synthetic resin flooring to improve reinforcement and dimensional stability. However, conventionally, one nonwoven fabric was generally used. Also, US Pat. No. 4,654,244 describes embedding two nonwoven fabrics in a flooring material, but does not give any consideration to the directionality of the nonwoven fabrics.

However, when a glass fiber nonwoven fabric is embedded in a flooring material, an intended reinforcing effect and dimensional stability may not always be obtained.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on the function of a nonwoven fabric or its function as a flooring reinforcing material, and found that the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric flow in a certain direction during the production thereof, that is, the production direction of the nonwoven fabric It is noted that there is a tendency to be oriented.

A nonwoven fabric is obtained by, for example, forming an aggregate of fibers called a web by a papermaking method or the like and bonding the fibers with an adhesive or the like, but the fibers are oriented to some extent in a flow direction (web forming direction) during papermaking. The fibers constituting the obtained band-shaped nonwoven fabric are also oriented in the length direction of the band-shaped nonwoven fabric. Although the nonwoven fabric varies in its degree depending on the manufacturing method, it has a tendency that the fibers are oriented to a certain direction to some extent as described above.

Generally speaking, one of the characteristics of nonwoven fabrics is that they have no directionality. Strictly speaking, however, the composition is slightly mixed in the flow direction as described above, and there is a field in which slight directionality is important depending on the material, and a reinforcing material in synthetic resin flooring is one of them.

Laminate a nonwoven fabric with fibers oriented in the length direction, and
If the fiber orientation directions of the upper and lower nonwoven fabrics are crossed, there is a problem in industrial production. For example, if two strip-shaped nonwoven fabrics are prepared, one of the nonwoven fabrics is cut into a square in the length direction, and the cut square nonwoven fabric is rotated by 90 degrees and placed on the other strip-shaped nonwoven fabric, then two sheets are arranged. Are laminated, and a nonwoven fabric whose orientation directions are orthogonal to each other is obtained. However, when trying to produce a long laminated nonwoven fabric by this method, productivity is poor.

That is, the present invention provides a nonwoven fabric in which nonwoven fabrics in which the orientation directions of constituent fibers are orthogonal to each other are laminated in two layers, and which is particularly suitable as a long product.

The present invention also provides a synthetic resin flooring using the above nonwoven fabric.

Constitution of the Invention The nonwoven fabric of the present invention is obtained by folding a continuous strip of nonwoven fabric at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the length direction, and extending on the nonwoven fabric adjacent to the folded portion. The nonwoven fabric is folded at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the length direction so as to be connected to the folded portion, and the folded structure is linearly connected.

Further, the synthetic resin flooring material of the present invention is characterized in that the nonwoven fabric is embedded or laminated.

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A to 1G are explanatory views showing an embodiment of the nonwoven fabric of the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows a long strip-shaped nonwoven fabric sheet 11, in which the orientation directions 13 of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric (indicated by two thin lines)
However, it is substantially parallel to the length direction of the nonwoven fabric sheet 11. Along the mountain fold line 15, the nonwoven fabric sheet 11 is folded at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the length direction thereof, and the overlapping piece 2 surrounded by points A, B, and C
1a is folded on the nonwoven fabric sheet 11 (see FIG. 1B). By folding in this manner, a folded portion 23a is formed. The orientation direction of the lower nonwoven fabric sheet 11 of the folded portion 23a is indicated by a dotted line as 13 '. Now, the folded part
Paying attention to the orientation direction 13 of 23a, it can be seen that the orientation direction 13 of the upper layer of the folded portion 23a and the orientation direction 13 'of the lower layer intersect at right angles.

Next, in the nonwoven fabric sheet 11 adjacent to the folded portion 23a, a portion indicated by points D, E, and F in FIG. 1B is defined as an overlap piece 21b, and this portion is continuously provided along the valley fold line 17. When folded over 11, it is connected to the folded portion 21a and the folded portion 23b
Is formed. Also in the folded portion 23b, it can be seen that the orientation directions 13 and 13 'are orthogonal.

Next, by repeating the operation from FIG. 1A to FIG. 1B in the same manner, by folding along the mountain fold line 15 in FIG. 1C,
The folded portion 23c is formed (FIG. 1D).

Further, in the same manner as the operation from FIG. 1B to FIG. 1C, FIG.
By folding along the valley fold line 17 in FIG. 1D, a folded portion 23d is formed continuously (FIG. 1E).

By repeating the above operation, the folded portions 23a... 23n are continuously provided as shown in FIG. 1F, and the orientation direction 13 of the upper layer and the lower layer in all the folded portions, that is, over the entire length. , 13 ′ are orthogonal to each other. FIG. 1G is an external view showing the upper layer and the lower layer in a slightly separated state. Assuming that the width of the original band-shaped nonwoven fabric sheet 11 is W ₀ , the width W of the obtained band-shaped folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 is Becomes

This folded non-woven fabric sheet 31 can be used as one non-woven fabric sheet 11 without cutting or changing the direction of the non-woven fabric.
Can be easily obtained simply by folding it back, and since it does not require cutting, it is easy and efficient to make it a long object. Since the orientation directions 13 and 13 ′ of the folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 are orthogonal to each other in the upper layer and the lower layer, there is no directionality in the sheet plane direction, and there are differences in various properties such as expansion and strength in the sheet plane direction. Does not show anisotropy.

Table 1 below is an example of data indicating the directionality of the nonwoven fabric sheet, and shows the physical property values of a commercially available glass fiber nonwoven fabric using glass fibers having an average diameter of 9 μm and an average length of 13 mm.

It can be seen that there is a difference in physical property values between the vertical direction (length direction) and the horizontal direction (width direction).

In FIG. 1, the nonwoven fabric sheet is folded by repeating the mountain fold and the valley fold, but the orientation direction is similarly orthogonal by repeating the mountain fold continuously or by continuously repeating the valley fold. A folded nonwoven sheet is obtained.

2A to 2G are explanatory views showing this method, and correspond to FIGS. 1A to 1G, respectively. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the parts that perform the same operation.

By folding the overlapping portion 21a along the valley fold line 17 in FIG. 2A, a folded portion 23a is formed (FIG. 2B).

Next, by folding the overlapping portion 21b along the valley fold line 17 in FIG. 2B, the overlapping portion 23b is formed continuously with the folding portion 23a (FIG. 2C).

Hereinafter, by repeating the same operation and folding along the valley fold line 17, the folded portion as shown in FIG.
23c and 23d are continuously provided, and the folded nonwoven fabric sheet 3 shown in FIG.
1 'is obtained. This folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 'is also perpendicular to the entire length as in FIG. 1F, except that the orientation directions 13, 13' of the upper layer and the lower layer are the same (parallel) over the entire length. . FIG. 2G is an external view showing the upper layer and the lower layer in a slightly separated state.

Also, by repeatedly performing mountain fold according to FIGS. 2A to 2E, a folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 'similar to that of FIG. 2F can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing still another manufacturing method. First, the nonwoven fabric sheet 11 shown in FIG.
The cylindrical tube 33 as shown in FIG. 3B is formed such that the one side 11a and the other side 11b are brought into contact with each other and wound around a virtual cylinder. At this time, assuming that the width of the nonwoven fabric sheet 11 is W, the diameter D of the cylindrical tube 33 is So that

Next, by crushing the cylindrical tube 33 in the diametric direction, a width similar to that of FIG. Is obtained.

The obtained nonwoven fabric sheets 31 and 31 'may be used in the state of being folded, or the upper and lower layers may be bonded and integrated. This integration may be performed by welding the nonwoven fabric sheet itself by heating, by separately impregnating and solidifying a resin, or by another integration method.

As the material fibers of the nonwoven fabric, glass fibers, synthetic fibers,
Natural fibers and the like are used.

Next, a synthetic resin flooring using the nonwoven fabric of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the flooring material of the present invention. The folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 is laminated on the base material layer 41,
Further, a finishing layer 43 and a top coat layer 45 are laminated.

The base layer 41 is mainly composed of a synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride.

As described above, the orientation direction of the fibers of the folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 is orthogonal to that of the upper layer and the lower layer, and has no directivity. Therefore, a good thermal expansion coefficient, dimensional stability and strength are imparted uniformly in any direction of the flooring material, and the flooring material is excellent in reinforcement. For example, even if the nonwoven fabric sheet as shown in FIG. 1A is embedded in the flooring material, a sufficient effect of improving the dimensional stability of the flooring material in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the flow direction at the time of manufacturing) can be obtained. It is difficult. On the other hand, according to the folded nonwoven fabric sheet of the present invention, the dimensional stability can be improved even in the lateral direction, which has been conventionally difficult.

The material of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, but a glass fiber nonwoven fabric is preferable.

The finishing layer 43 is formed from a synthetic resin mainly composed of vinyl chloride or the like.
It may be made of a foam to impart cushioning properties or to be embossed.

The top coat layer 45 is formed of a transparent or translucent synthetic resin film, and has a function of imparting abrasion resistance and protecting a floor material.

Such a floor material is particularly suitable as a long floor material because the folded nonwoven fabric sheet 31 can be easily prepared as a long material. Of course, it can also be used as other flooring materials, such as a flooring-type flooring tile constructed without being adhered to the base floor.

Effect of the Invention According to the nonwoven fabric of the present invention, the belt-shaped nonwoven fabric is
A folded portion is formed by folding at 45 degrees to form a folded portion, and the folded portion is linearly connected to form a folded nonwoven fabric in which the orientation directions of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric intersect at the upper layer and the lower layer. be able to. This folded non-woven fabric can easily obtain a long product, and since it has no directionality in the plane direction, various properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion are homogeneous without anisotropy,
It can be used for various applications.

In addition, the flooring material of the present invention, by embedding or laminating the folded nonwoven fabric, exhibits uniform effects in all directions without variation in the effects of imparting thermal expansion coefficient, dimensional stability, strength, etc. Is excellent. In particular, it is possible to improve the dimensional stability in the horizontal direction (the direction perpendicular to the flow direction at the time of manufacturing) of the flooring material, which has been conventionally difficult.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1A to 1G, 2A to 2G, and 3A and 3B are explanatory views showing examples of the nonwoven fabric of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the flooring material of the present invention. 11 ... non-woven fabric sheet, 13, 13 '... orientation direction 15 ... mountain fold line, 17 ... valley fold line 21a, 21b, ... 21n ... overlapping pieces 23a, 23b, ... 23n ... folding parts 31, 31' … Folded nonwoven fabric sheet 33 …… Cylindrical tube, 41 …… Base material 43 …… Finish layer, 45 …… Top coat layer

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A continuous strip of nonwoven fabric is folded at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the length direction, and the nonwoven fabric extending on the nonwoven fabric adjacent to the folded portion is A nonwoven fabric characterized by being folded at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with respect to the length direction so as to be continuously connected to a folded portion, and the folded structure being continuously connected in a straight line. 2. The nonwoven fabric according to claim 1, wherein the orientation direction of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric is the length direction of the band-shaped nonwoven fabric. 3. A flooring made of synthetic resin obtained by embedding or laminating the nonwoven fabric according to claim 1 or 2.