KR20190067213A - Stable flooring products and method of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manufacturing article suitable for flooring applications and a method of manufacturing the same, comprising a flooring panel configured for interlocking connection with a correspondingly configured other flooring panel, the product comprising one or more The article having at least one edge with at least one component formed to operate in registration with the intercomponent, the product having a friction which is non-adhesive to the surface when contacting the surface under the article, Further comprising a support material.

Description

STABLE FLOORING PRODUCTS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME [0001]

This application claims priority to U.S. Serial No. 61 / 702,992 filed September 19, 2012 and U.S. Serial No. 14 / 030,580, filed September 18, 2013, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, ≪ / RTI >

The present invention relates to a flooring product, wherein the flooring product is constructed such that adjacent units of the flooring product can be interlocked with each other and includes a laminate flooring panel, such as a floor tile.

The susceptibility to safety and durability concerns for flooring products is increasing, including minimizing the movement of flooring products after installation, while maintaining durability and attractive performance profiles in the flooring industry. One particularly important challenge is the use of highly desirable interconnections, such as tongue-and-groove systems, to connect the units of the flooring product together without displacement and / or movement of these units upon contact with the underlying surface being covered. Tightening mechanism.

Examples of articles having interlocking elements are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,584,747, 7,516,587 and 6,684,592; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0138560 and 2005/0144880; And EP Patent Publications 0,843,763 and 1,024,234, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In one interlocking mechanism, the flooring product (e.g., the floor panel) may embed an edge profile in at least two opposing edges with the tongue elements of one edge and the groove elements of the other edge. As an illustrative example, the panel is interconnected through tongue-and-groove joints with tongues of one edge of the first panel being inserted into the groove of the associated edge of the second panel. A dilemma occurs because through the tongue-and-groove or other interlocking adapter is highly desirable in some ways, but at the same time can impede the traction and stability of the flooring panel to the underlying surface. Thus, on the one hand, the interlocking connection is robust, efficient and convenient. On the other hand, however, securing the panel by interlocking connection may also lead to lack of stability. This is especially true where interlocking joints are achieved only on two opposing sides of a rectangular product, which is the customary approach, since mutual fastening of all four sides results in unsuitable difficulties. This compromises the performance profile of the interlocked flooring product because it can be displaced when the product unit interconnected for only two sides as described above is not secured against the underlying surface. There are aesthetic disadvantages of creeping misalignment over time and overlapping of adjacent panels typically at the edge. The cumulative effect of uniform small displacements over a wide space of the panel can cause lamination and hence nonuniformity at the panel boundaries. This is not good. And, even more importantly, displacement, if there is a non-uniform surface due to under-product movement or lamination of the panel, can lead to falls and the like, respectively, creates a risk of injury.

To properly secure the flooring product, one approach was to use an adhesive to secure the flooring product to the bottom layer. However, the advantage of using an interlocking mechanism, i.e., the ease of installation due to the omission of the adhesive, is lost. Also, the use of an adhesive can be difficult because removal of the product is difficult and the product is induced to follow the defect on the surface below.

The above description is true not only for natural and synthetic flooring materials but also for laminated flooring materials. Laminate flooring has become particularly popular because it provides many advantages such as low cost, ease of replacement and light weight for natural flooring materials, and also benefits such as improved durability, abrasion resistance and sound-damping properties for synthetic materials. Also, an interesting aspect of laminate flooring in particular is the possibility that the thickness can be reduced for other types of floor panels. That is, thicker panels have two major drawbacks, which require more material to make and are heavier. These factors increase manufacturing and shipping costs, and then are passed on to consumers in the form of higher floor panel prices. In addition, thicker flooring products face environmental concerns such as increased fuel consumption and difficulty in disposal associated with shipping more volume and weight of thicker flooring products. (The above problems make both compliance with government regulations and complying with voluntary standards for the publication of a competitive advantage to someone difficult.) Thus, although laminate products are becoming increasingly interesting, Their interconnections through the same have the same problems that can be applied to more traditional products.

If natural, synthetic and especially laminate flooring products featuring an interlocking mechanism but with reduced susceptibility to underground instability and nonuniformity can be achieved, this would be a significant advance in the relevant art.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a secure interlocking flooring product.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an interlocking flooring product with reduced in-situ stability and non-uniformity.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an interlocking flooring product comprising a friction-supporting material that alleviates movement of the product against the surface on which the product is placed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an interlocking flooring product that is not adhesively secured to the surface on which the product is placed and resists movement to the surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an interlocking flooring product which is easy for consumers to install.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of making such a flooring product.

These and other objects are achieved by the following embodiments of the present invention.

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a manufactured article suitable for use in a flooring, comprising a flooring panel configured for interlocking connection with another correspondingly constructed flooring panel, the product comprising one or more At least one edge having at least one component formed to operate in registration with the intercomponent, wherein the product is frictionless that is non-adhesive to the surface beneath the product, but resistant to movement to the surface when in contact with the surface Further comprising a support material.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of making a manufactured article suitable for use in a flooring, the article comprising a flooring panel configured for interlocking connection with another correspondingly constructed flooring panel, The method comprising providing at least one edge with at least one component formed to operate in registration with at least one interrelated component associated with another constructed flooring panel, the method comprising: providing a friction supporting material on the flooring panel; The friction support material is non-adhesive to the surface underneath the product, but is resistant to movement relative to the product when in contact with the surface.

When used in connection with an interlocking component that interconnects a flooring product (e.g., a panel) in this specification - refers to a component, either directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediate components - It is understood that the interlocking component is integrally fabricated with the flooring panel or separately manufactured and then affixed to the panel or surrounding the component to join adjacent flooring products (such as flooring panels). Thus, a flooring panel can be formed, for example, using a mold that receives the precursor material of the panel, which molds at one or more edges a portion that allows the manufacture of the preferred interlocking component as an undivided extension of the flooring panel . On the other hand, the interlocking component may be manufactured in a separate operation and then added to the panel prior to use after manufacture. Thus, the flooring products and methods of the present invention are not in the broadest embodiment excluding any form of such interlocking component.

The present invention has considerable advantages over the current state of the art. Thus, the desired efficiency, aesthetics, convenience associated with installation, use and removal of non-adhesive applied interlaced flooring products can be achieved without the usual instability associated with such non-adhesively applied interlocking products, do. In addition, the detrimental effect on the flooring product exposed to moisture and alkalinity can also be mitigated by the present invention since the friction-supporting material may be resistant to its passage.

More specifically, the practice of the present invention provides significant advantages. The present invention reduces the undesirable effects of interlocking joints (e. G., Cumulative stacking and panel movement) and maintains a performance characteristic that is of interest to the interlocking mechanisms. This includes the preservation of good "optics" caused by not adhering the flooring product to the underlying surface.

It is also within the present invention that the transfer of undesirable floor products and the mitigation of other instabilities are not accompanied by a significant degradation of the desired properties of the interlocking flooring. The success of this innovative approach to the reduction of movement and other instabilities consistent with the prior art implementations has not been proposed and therefore has not been hinted before.

The advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a manufactured article according to the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of an article of manufacture including a laminate flooring panel in accordance with the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of a manufactured article illustrating an interlocking feature according to the present invention.

An important aspect of the present invention is that for interlocked flooring products such as panels, it is believed that providing frictional support materials that resist movement against the surface on which the panels are placed is effective in mitigating undesirable instabilities of the panel during and after installation It is in discovery. The present invention extends to all types of flooring materials, including natural or synthetic materials or combinations thereof, including laminate panels, and in particular such panels are described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / And has a reduced thickness according to the invention disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 114,873. Preferably, the panel is provided with a friction-supporting material and the friction-supporting material exhibits a coefficient of friction, typically a static or kinetic coefficient of friction, with respect to the constituent material making up the surface on which the panel is placed. This coefficient is typically greater than the coefficient between the underlying surface and the unsupported panel according to the present invention. This coefficient therefore represents a sufficient amount of friction to achieve the object of the present invention and is preferably at least 50 percent, in particular at least 75 percent, in comparison with the movement which may occur if the invention is not carried out, .

As an illustrative example, the friction associated with the present invention is a dry friction that resists the relative lateral movement of the two solid surfaces in contact. The two sets of dry friction are the 'static friction' between the non-moving surfaces and the dynamic friction (sometimes referred to as sliding friction or dynamic friction) between the moving surfaces. The coefficient of friction ("COF") is a dimensionless scalar value that describes the ratio of the frictional force between the two bodies and the force that forces them together. The COF depends on the material used, for example the ice on the steel has a low COF and the rubber on the road has a high COF. The coefficients of static friction for the surfaces placed against each other are of interest. The relative factor for the relative motion surface is the coefficient of kinetic friction. COF is an empirical measure - it must be measured experimentally and not calculated. Rough surfaces tend to have high effective values. Both the coefficient of static friction and the coefficient of dynamic friction are dependent on the surface pair to be contacted, and for a given surface pair, the coefficient of static friction is usually greater than the coefficient of dynamic friction, and in some cases the two coefficients of friction are the same. COF is often referred to as "material properties", but it is better to classify them as "system properties". Unlike the inherent material properties (such as conductivity, dielectric constant, and yield strength), the COF for any two materials depends on system variables such as temperature, speed, and atmosphere, and also on the geometric properties of the boundary between materials As well as aging and non-aging treatment times. Of course, static friction and kinetic friction are relevant for the purposes of the present invention, but are not the same. Thus, momentary sliding occurs, and static friction can no longer be applied - the friction between the two surfaces is then referred to as kinetic friction. The maximum value of static friction when motion is imminent is sometimes referred to as limiting friction, although this term is not universally used. It is also known as static friction. Motion (or dynamic) friction occurs when two objects move relative to each other and rub together (like a sledge on the ground). It is now understood that kinetic friction is often caused by chemical bonding between surfaces in many cases, but in many other cases, for example, in the rubber friction on the road, the roughness effect is dominant. All in all, static friction is theoretically a more important factor, typically because it is better to prevent the panel from moving than to allow the panel to translate to any degree, but if the threshold of movement is crossed, It is advantageous to improve the resistance to heat.

From the above it is clear that COF - whether static or motion - is determined by the friction support material because it interacts with the surface material below. However, the dimensionless coefficients are advantageously formed at least 0.3 (stop), 0.2 (motion), preferably at least 0.5 (stop), 0.3 (motion), but not necessarily. More specifically, the coefficient may be formed to be within the range of 0.3 to 1.3 (stop) and 0.2 to 1.2 (motion), regardless of the particular combination of the friction support material and the underlying surface material. This range is preferably 0.5 to 1.3 (stop) and 0.3 to 1.1 (motion). This is followed by the fact that the friction support material for the flooring product should be selected using the viewpoint towards each interaction with the specific surface below.

The friction support material can be natural or synthetic material (s), or a combination of natural and synthetic materials. Which may typically be of polymeric nature. Exemplary types of friction support materials are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, epoxy resin, acrylic, latex, rubber (e.g., modified or encapsulated rubber), neoprene, and coated or natural fibers.

The friction support material is selected in terms of the material over which the flooring product can be placed. The material is typically concrete but may be other materials such as wood, rubber, plastic, asphalt, and the like. Each configuration of the friction support material and the underlying surface is adjusted to obtain a desired coefficient.

The article of manufacture comprised by the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to figures in the drawings. The individual layer thicknesses described below are intended to be illustrative and not limiting.

In an advantageous embodiment, the products and methods of the present invention are such that the underside of the friction support layer and the floor panel is adjacent. When the panel is non-laminated, the cross section is as shown in Fig. On the other hand, when the panel is a laminate structure, as shown in Fig. 2, there are multiple layers on the friction supporting material. Generally, multiple layers of the laminate may include one or more balance layers, an embossing layer, and first and second stabilization layers. The wear layer is directly adjacent to the surface of the design layer and the protective layer is located on the surface of the wear layer opposite the wear layer adjacent to the design layer and the structure support layer is adjacent the opposite surface of the design layer through the intermediate layer, Comprises the second stabilizing layer, the balance layer, the first stabilizing layer and the embossing layer, in which the intermediate layer is optional and any one or more of them may be omitted The point is understood.

1, there is shown a single layer panel 10, a surface 20 (typically below the panel) where the panel lies, and a friction support material 30 interposed therebetween. The single-layer panel 10 comprises an interlocking mechanism comprising interconnection elements 10A and 10B. Specifically, the interlocking component 10A of the first panel 10 is configured to engage the interlocking component 10B of the second panel 10. [ 2, five layers are shown within the panel (not shown in scale). From top to bottom, these are the protective coating, the wear layer, the design layer, the embossing layer and the structural support layer. These layers are elements '110', '120', '130', '140' and '150', respectively, in FIG. The panel includes an interlocking mechanism (not shown for simplicity), such as, for example, components 10A and 10B of FIG. The lower surface is the element '160' and the friction support material is the element '170'. The friction support material 170 may be attached to the structural support layer 150.

The protective coating layer 110 functions as a main mechanism for producing gloss as well as acting as a first barrier against abrasion. The protective coating layer can be adjusted to provide a variety of shine, such as high gloss or low gloss. In a preferred embodiment, the protective coating layer has a pre-production step thickness of approximately 0.085 to 0.115 mm. In another embodiment, the protective coating has a pre-production thickness of 0.144 mm or less.

Design layer 130 provides the main visible component of the floor tile. This layer is a polyvinyl chloride or other flooring design polymer and is typically in the form of a printed film or decorated with suitable decorations that provide a desirable appearance, such as a wooden design, to the flooring. The design layer is the primary visible component that is visible underneath the generally transparent wear layer is the decoration of the design layer. In a preferred embodiment, the design layer has a pre-production thickness of approximately 0.05 to 0.13 mm. In another embodiment, the design layer has a pre-production step thickness of less than 0.16 mm.

The abrasion layer 120 is the primary protective layer and is positioned over the design layer 130. While the protective coating initially provides shielding, the protective coating often worn after use. The wear layer provides long-term wear resistance that protects against damage to the design layer. In a preferred embodiment, the wear layer has a thickness after the production step of approximately 0.45 to 0.55 mm. In another embodiment, the wear layer has a thickness after the production step of less than 0.688 mm.

The embossing layer 140 provides a more realistic appearance, for example, by adding textures of appearance. In one embodiment, when the flooring panel embeds a separate balance layer, the embossing layer 140 has a pre-production thickness of approximately 0.95 to 1.05 mm. In another embodiment, when the flooring panel embeds a separate balance layer, the embossing layer 140 has a pre-production thickness of less than 1.31 mm. In another embodiment, if the flooring panel does not contain a separate balance layer, the embossing layer 140 has a pre-production thickness of approximately 2.25 to 2.35 mm. In another embodiment, the embossing layer 140 has a pre-production thickness less than 2.94 mm when the flooring panel does not contain a separate balance layer.

The structural support layer 150 lies below the design layer and provides a balance of pressure or deformation to the wear layer. The structural support layer 150 is the smallest porous layer and the reduced permeability delays the liquid from entering from below into the flooring. In a preferred embodiment, the structural support layer 150 has a pre-production thickness of approximately 0.95 to 1.05 mm. In another embodiment, the structural support layer 150 has a pre-production thickness of less than 1.31 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the friction support material 170 is adhered or affixed to the structural support layer 150.

The additional and important function of both the friction support material 30 (FIG. 1) and the friction support material 170 (FIG. 2) is that in the preferred embodiment of the present invention they are composed of a material resistant to the passage of the aqueous fluid. Thus, in the example of a laminate wherein the bottom layer is protected by the backing material to a useful degree from the potentially deleterious effects of moisture trapped beneath it and the backing panel comprises a relatively low permeable backing layer, Increases existing resistance. Also, since the support material does not substantially react with the alkaline species, any alkaline component is interrupted by penetration by the alkaline material or any other influx. In this way, the flooring can also be more effectively protected from the deleterious effects of the presence of alkalinity.

In another aspect of the present invention, various examples of interlocking mechanisms 310, 320, and 330 are shown in FIG.

In the context of the present invention, a " layer " is a " close " one surface or other surface of a " design layer " of a laminate floor panel, One or more other layers interposed between the " layer " and the " design layer " may be interposed, as shown in the figures of the drawings contained herein. As is clear from the figures of the drawings, the layer of one surface of the " adjacent " portion of the design layer is closer to the surface of the design layer than is present on the opposite surface of the design layer. The wear layer and the structural support layer are each a corresponding " close " surface of the design layer.

The flooring product of the present invention can be made by a method of including a part of or all of the lower side of the position of the friction supporting material (i.e., the flooring panel side is intended to come into contact with the covering surface). The position can be implemented by attaching the support material through applying heat and pressure to the panel and the assembly of the friction support material. The thickness and properties of the panel may vary from one embodiment to another, and different amounts of heat and pressure may need to be applied to the combination of various embodiments, respectively. The friction support material may also be attached to the underside of the flooring panel using an adhesive. Alternatively, the position can be implemented by covering all or a part of the underside of the flooring panel using, for example, a support material that can be laminated and cured on the underside. In any event, having ownership of the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art (s) will be able, by routine and empirical estimation, to experiment with precursor assemblies to produce the inventive articles of manufacture without further experimentation It will be possible to determine the appropriate conditions for The application of heat and pressure or other curing conditions is preferably effective to secure the friction-supporting material to the panel, but heat and / or pressure (optionally a combination of one or more of the dominant conditions) It is natural that it should be sufficiently controlled such that it is damaged or any property of the flooring product or any of the properties found is materially damaged or not sustained.

Thus, as described above, various embodiments of interlockable flooring panels are provided that use appropriate friction-supporting materials while maintaining quality and structural integrity.

The above-described configurations of the present invention as the various constituent elements of the present invention are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable configurations that can perform the same or similar functions as the described configuration can be included within the scope of the present invention. Such other configurations may include, for example, configurations that are developed after the development of the present invention.

Claims (1)

Manufactured for flooring applications,
And at least one component having at least one component configured to operatively mate with one or more interconnection elements associated with the correspondingly configured other flooring panel, the floor panel comprising a floor panel configured for interlocking connection with another correspondingly constructed flooring panel, Wherein the article further comprises a friction-supporting material having a solid and a polymer, the article being non-adhesive to the solid surface beneath the article but resistant to movement with respect to the surface when in contact with the surface, Wherein the surface under the product has a coefficient of static friction between 0.3 and 1.3 between the solid surface of the friction supporting material and the solid surface under the product when the friction supporting material contacts the surface under the product, Rubber, plastic or asphalt.

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