KR20220006500A - Glue Free Dust Free Composite Floor Material System - Google Patents

Abstract

Glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system provides a PVC-based floor with waterproof layers that provide different qualities of hardness, abrasion resistance, noise attenuation and decorative patterns, avoiding the use of compressed cellulose-based filler that is susceptible to moisture and , has layers fused together, avoids the manufacturing complexity and peeling risks of using glue or adhesives, and has a fast curing UV-cured top coating that provides long lasting high performance and shortens and simplifies manufacturing, -form can be made in an essentially continuous-run fashion, have the ability to quickly and simply change the resulting optional design prints and texturing, and have an optional underlay layer.

Description

Glue Free Dust Free Composite Floor Material System

[0001] This application claims priority to my Application No. 16/287,840 filed on February 27, 2019 and entitled "Glueless Dustless Composite Flooring Material System", the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. incorporated and hereby asserted as priority.

[0002] The present invention provides a PVC-based glueless dustless composite flooring material system that is efficiently manufactured and produces long lasting, high performance flooring.

[0003] Existing floor-material products using compacted sawdust or dust as a core material are susceptible to damage from water or other liquids and premature damage, especially in wet environments and in applications requiring frequent cleaning. However, the compacted-dust core provides certain desirable properties to the flooring material, such as sound-deadening. The removal of compacted dust from floor composites requires new ways to regain these properties through the use of different materials or different manufacturing processes.

[0004] Existing laminated floor-material products that use glue or adhesives to bond the layers are susceptible to delamination and premature damage, especially in humid environments. The handling, application and setting or curing of adhesives adds complexity to the process of manufacturing the floor, creating a potential bottleneck for this step, which can be used in efficient continuous-run or long-run manufacturing. ) interferes with

[0005] Applying a finish coating to a flooring material is a good way to improve the look and wear-resistance of the flooring materials. However, when the flooring material comprises PVC, there are problems and issues in achieving proper adhesion of the finish coating in the manufacturing process, and further potential problems of premature peeling after installation. In order to obtain good adhesion during manufacture, coatings that require long curing times or complicated handling are currently used. The polyurethane undergoes oxidative curing, which is likely to take 8 to 10 hours. Two-part epoxy will likely take at least 30 minutes to cure, which is still a long time and is another potential bottleneck preventing continuous-run manufacturing. In addition, two-part epoxies require additional mixing and handling in the manufacturing process.

[0006] Surface designs and textures are usually printed and pressed into the flooring material, frequently imitating wood, stone or tile. Current methods of applying such decorative patterns and textures are mostly limited to short, frequently repeating patterns imprinted by a finitely sized roller or plate. Problems often arise with print registration when more than one color, tint, tone or shade has to be applied. These limitations go against any ability to switch production from one decorative pattern to another. Once the production of a particular decorative pattern has been calibrated and print registered, there is some reluctance to change it.

[0007] If a flooring material manufacturer has to deal with these problems, it is likely that prices will rise or profits will fall. If the problems are not addressed, the floor material is likely to be damaged prematurely. There is therefore a need for a flooring material that is free of any water-based products such as inks, dyes and that there is no compacted cellulosic material such as sawdust or dust, but still has the desired qualities. There is also a current need for a manufacturing method that is more efficient, more economical, has a greater variety of decorative patterns, and produces a faster, more durable and high-performance flooring material.

[0008] US Publication No. 2011/0030300, published by David C. Liu on February 10, 2011, for "Floor and Tile with Padding," discloses a flexible sole plate in which a pad is attached to the lowermost side of the flexible sole plate. start The pad partially covers the lowermost side of the soleplate and extends beyond the soleplate. The bottom side of the pad is covered with a layer of restickable glue, and the sole plate has a male lock on one end and a female lock on the other end. The soleplate is brought into engagement with an adjacent soleplate by depressing the female locking device of the first soleplate with the male locking device of the second soleplate. The lowermost side of the first sole plate not covered by the pad is disposed in contact with the pad of the second sole plate extending beyond the second sole plate. Liu flooring was developed out of the need for a hardwood floor, without the problems of both glue-down and floating installation. Hardwood floors were meant to be installed easily, with no messy glue, no peeling, no hollow areas, and no quick water damage.

[0009] US Publication No. 2009/0223162 for "Connecting System for Surface Coverings," published September 10, 2009 by Hao A. Chen et al., describes opposing first and second opposing A flank is disclosed having ends, opposing first and second longitudinal sides extending along the length of the flank, and opposing top and bottom surfaces. The flank may have a tongue edge at a first end and a groove edge at a second end. The tongue edge may be releasably locked into the groove edge of an adjacent, identical flank. A surface covering system having a plurality of flanks connected together is also provided. In particular, preferred embodiments of the bottom flank include: (1) a top surface; (2) the lowermost surface; (3) a first longitudinal side; (4) a second longitudinal side opposite the first longitudinal side; (5) a first end extending along a width of the bottom flank and comprising a tongue edge; and (6) a second end opposite the first end and extending along a width of the bottom flank and comprising a groove edge. The tongue edge has a vertical distal surface substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces; a top planar inclined surface extending from the vertical end surface toward the top surface; a vertical lip extending downward from the top surface; a channel disposed substantially between the top planar slanted surface and the top surface, the channel comprising a channel bottom and a channel back, the channel back extending from the channel bottom toward the vertical lip; a pinnacle rail connecting the channel with the uppermost planar inclined surface, the channel bottom extending vertically below the pinnacle rail and the channel rear extending laterally further from the vertical end surface than the vertical lip; an inclined surface of a lowermost plane extending from the vertical end surface toward the lowermost surface; and a vertical shoulder extending from the lowermost planar inclined surface to the lowermost surface.

[0010] U.S. Patent No. 6,558,795 for "Strippable Coating System", issued May 6, 2003 to Keith E. Olson et al. A radiation curable coating is provided. The agent may be incorporated into a coating or one or more subsequently applied maintenance coats. The curable coating may be waterborne and composed of inorganic particles, and agents that impart greater peelability may improve the adhesion of the radiation curable retention coating to the curable coating. The agent may further comprise a chain transfer agent that reduces the molecular weight of the curable coating, and in a preferred embodiment may comprise an alcohol, ester, aldehyde or mixtures thereof.

[0011] U.S. Patent No. 6,730,388 for "Coating Having Macroscopic Texture and Process for Making Same," issued May 4, 2004 to Richard C. MacQueen et al., in one embodiment, discloses a substrate, a radiation curable coating on at least a portion of the substrate. or a coated substrate comprising a thermally curable coating, wherein the coating comprises an inherent macroscopic texture. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-curable coating mixture comprising a radiation curable resin and an initiator, or a thermally-curable resin and a thermal initiator, wherein the radiation curable resin and the thermosetting resin and the individual of the initiator forms a pre-curable coating mixture capable of forming a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In yet another embodiment, a pre-curable coating mixture is provided comprising a radiation curable or thermosetting resin, an initiator, and texture-generating particles having an effective size for providing a macroscopic texture upon application of the mixture on a substrate. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a coated substrate comprising a substrate and a radiation curable or thermosetting coating on at least a portion of the substrate, the coating comprising an inherent macroscopic texture. Additionally, dispersing a pre-cured coating mixture comprising a radiation curable resin and an initiator or a thermosetting resin and a thermal initiator over at least a portion of the substrate to form a pre-cured coating having a macroscopic texture, and A process for making a coating on a substrate is provided, comprising radiation curing or thermal curing, respectively, of the pre-cured coating to form a radiation curable or thermosetting coating having a phosphor texture.

[0012] Chinese Publication No. 204920130 for “Porcelain Timber Apron Brick” published on December 30, 2015 by Yang P. is a porcelain timber apron brick comprising a ceramic tile layer, a wooden board layer and a waterproofing layer. ).The wooden board layer and the waterproofing layer are respectively fixed on both sides of the ceramic tile layer, and the wooden board layer is placed on the upper surface of the ceramic tile layer.In the Yang tile, the thickness of the wooden board layer and the waterproofing layer is: In combination, less than the thickness of the ceramic tile layer.The mounting of the wood board layer prevents the brick surface temperature from becoming too low, and improves the comfort during use.The waterproofing layer prevents waterlogging in the ground from the ceramic tile layer and It effectively prevents entry into the wooden board layer, giving the tile waterproof performance.

[0013] Chinese Publication No. 201972361 for "Wood and Ceramic Composite Floor Tile" published on September 14, 2011 by Liang Y. discloses a wood and ceramic composite floor tile comprising a core material, a panel and a bottom plate, , where the core material is arranged between the panel and the bottom plate. The core material is respectively connected to the panel and the bottom plate through an adhesive layer, and is one or more ceramic tiles. Frame bars are also provided and disposed on the periphery of the core material. Tile attempts to solve the problems of ceramic tiles in that conventional wood and ceramic composite floor tiles are prone to damage and are characterized by high manufacturing costs. The disclosed tile provides a composite floor tile that is difficult to damage, is easy to process, is convenient to install, and has high non-deformability features, thereby effectively lowering the cost of the tile.

[0014] U.S. Patent No. 8,166,718 for "Horizontally Engineered Hardwood Floor and Method of Installation," issued May 1, 2012 to David C. Liu, to David C. Liu, provides a flooring comprising a top decorative layer having a plurality of strips disposed thereon do. The plurality of strips are arranged to have a portion in an X-axis orientation and a portion in a Y-axis orientation. The plurality of strips also have properties that allow the wood flooring to be installed as a tile. Specifically, the Liu patent discloses that (1) a top wood layer having wood grains arranged along the length of the floorboard, wherein the top wood layer has a top surface and a bottom surface, and (2) below the top wood layer. attached plurality of support strips, wherein a plurality of support strips of a first subset are oriented in a first direction, a plurality of support strips of a second subset are oriented in a second direction, and wherein the plurality of support strips of the first subset are oriented in a second direction. the strips are physically separated from and not in contact with the plurality of support strips of the second subset, the uppermost wood layer substantially covering the support strips of the first and second subsets; (3) the uppermost wood layer and an adhesive layer disposed between the plurality of support strips. The adhesive layer covers the lowermost surface of the uppermost wooden layer. The adhesive layer covers the lowermost surface of the uppermost wooden layer. Additionally, a first support strip in the plurality of support strips has a locking lip and a second support strip in the plurality of support strips has a recessed slot, The locking lip of the first support strip may be coupled to the recessed slot of the second support strip of the sole plate.

[0015] International Publication No. WO 2005/116362A1 for "A Ceramic Wood Laminated Floor", published on December 8, 2005 by Delong Tao, is a floor consisting of a base layer made of ceramic tiles, and a surface layer made of wood or bamboo to start Between the surface layer and the base layer, a bonding coating is established. An elastic pad is mounted on the undersurface of the base layer.

[0016] The present invention provides a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of a PVC-based floor, the glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system comprising waterproofing layers providing different qualities of hardness, abrasion resistance, noise attenuation and decorative patterns. has layers fused together without glue or adhesives, has a UV-cured top coating, optional, changeable design printing and texturing, optionally, an underlayment layer, in sheet-form It can be manufactured in an essentially continuous-run fashion and has the ability to quickly and simply change the resulting selective design printing and texturing, resulting in long-lasting and high-performance flooring products.

[0017] The present invention avoids the use of permeable compacted cellulosic materials, such as sawdust fillers, that are susceptible to freshwater damage such as swelling and damage. The present invention avoids the use of glues or adhesives that are susceptible to premature peel damage and increase manufacturing costs and complexity. The flooring material provides a floor covering material that is free of water-based materials such as water-based inks or dyes. The desirable qualities of the compacted dust filler or glue or adhesive are provided in novel ways.

Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.
1 is a schematic cut-away view of an embodiment of a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention.
2 is a schematic exploded view of an embodiment of the glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention.
3 is a schematic exploded view of embodiments of the glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention.
4 is a schematic cut-away view of another embodiment of a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention, mimicking a terrazzo.
5 is a schematic cut-away view of another embodiment of a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention, imitating marble.
6 is a schematic cut-away view of an embodiment of a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention, having a single-extruded base layer;
7 is a schematic cut-away view of an embodiment of a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention, having a double-extruded base layer;
8 is a flowchart of a method for producing a glue-free dust-free composite flooring material system of the present invention.

[0027] Referring generally to all figures, embodiments of a glue free dust free composite flooring system 100 and a production method 200 are illustrated.

[0028] 1 and 2 , a glue free dust free composite flooring system 100 comprises three waterproof layers 20 , 30 , 40 of different materials strongly bonded to each other without the use of separate glues or adhesives, and and an optional underlay layer (10). The optional underlay layer 10 may be a natural material such as cork or rubber, or a composite material such as an open-cell or closed-cell plastic foam. EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) is a suitable material. The glue free dust free composite flooring system 100 provides a waterproof cover for the optional underlayment optional layer 10 of any type used, allowing the use of water sensitive materials for the underlayment. The optional underlay layer 10 may be omitted, may be attached to the finished floor during manufacture, or may be made available as a separately packaged article. Depending on the ability of any particular underlayment material to withstand the hot-melt overlaying process described below, the underlayment will adhere to the remainder of the glue free dust free composite flooring system 100 either early or later in the manufacturing process. can

[0029] Glue Free Dust Free Composite Flooring System 100 is prepared by fusing, extrusion and A waterproof bottom base layer (20) formed by mold forming is provided. Optionally, two or more different mixtures of PVC resins and other fusion-compatible materials can be co-extruded into the same mold, which is the illustrated first base extruder 21 and second base extruder. It will create a fused bottom base layer 20 with different sublayers or strata such as (22). The PVC-resin mixture can be tailored through the use of different materials and fillers, or different ratios of materials and fillers, to have different properties when fused and extruded. If one PVC-resin mixture produces the desired hardness and stability but lacks noise-attenuation or other sponginess qualities, then a different PVC-resin mixture or different extrusion technique can be used in co-extrusion to provide the otherwise missing qualities. can be applied. In a preferred co-extruded embodiment, a stiffer, harder monolayer is formed for strength, and a denser foam, more resilient monolayer is formed for cushioning and sound absorption.

[0030] By adjusting one or more PVC-resin mixtures and one or more extrusion methods, the ability to adjust the properties of the waterproof floor base layer 20, and thus the overall finished floor, eliminates the need to use compacted dust, Vulnerable to moisture, otherwise problematic in some climates and for some applications. For example, in accordance with the simultaneous demand for stiffness, the formation of a densely controlled amount of dense foam within its entire layer or in the stratified bottom base layer 20 within that layer does not have the drawbacks of dust, but it does not have the disadvantages of a compacted dust core. Desirable qualities can be replicated.

[0031] In one of the preferred embodiments, the blend of fusion-compatible materials included in the suitable floor base layer 20 comprises: (a) 50 kg PVC; (b) 100-175 kg 800-1000 mesh calcium carbonate (CaCO3); (c) 3.8-5.0 kg calcium/zinc heat stabilizer; (d) 2.5-5.0 kg chlorinated polyethylene elastomer; (e) 1.0-4.0 kg acrylic polymer modifier; (f) 0.4-0.6 kg internal lubricant; and (g) 0.5-1.5 kg high melting point polymer; and optionally (h) 0.2-0.3 kg high density polyethylene oxide.

[0032] In preferred embodiments, the PVC mixture comprises, by weight, the PVC resin mixture: 20% to 35% polyvinyl chloride, 63% to 73% calcium carbonate, 2% to 2.5% calcium/zinc heat stabilizer, 1.6% to 2.5% Chlorinated polyethylene elastomer, 0.6% to 1.7% acrylic polymer modifier, 0.2% to 0.25% internal lubricant, 0.32% to 0.62% high melting point polymer, and optionally 0.06% to 1.22%, and optionally 0.1% to 0.12% high density polyethylene oxide. This mixture is suitable for either a single extruded base layer or a co-extruded layer.

[0033] The method of creating a glue free dust free floor material system provides for mixing the materials for the floor base layer 20 in a suitable large container until the materials are thoroughly mixed. Then, in the same large vessel or in a different vessel, the fusing step provides heating of the mixture of materials while continuing mixing of the materials. A preferred embodiment of the method heats the mixture to 115-130° C. while stirring at high speeds approaching but not exceeding 1600 RPM. After fusion is complete, the fused PVC material is allowed to cool somewhat. The PVC material is destined to be reheated in the extrusion process so that when a batch of fused mixture is immediately sent to the extruder, the fused mixture is transferred from the dusty mixing and fusion zone to the cleaner environment of the extrusion and molding zone. They need to be cooled sufficiently to be safely and efficiently delivered to Such transport or transfer may be effected by using large pipes, as is known in the art. Water or other coolant may be circulated in the jacket around the vessel used for fusing to transfer heat from the fused PVC mixture, cooling too quickly, which may affect the plastic properties of the bottom base layer 20 . Be careful not to do that.

[0034] The mixing, fusion and cooling steps are natural batch processes. However, by careful coordination and control of the processes, or by setting up more than one production line and staggering its operation, an essentially continuous supply of fused PVC material is created, which is not necessary for subsequent operations. can be supplied.

[0035] The fused PVC mixture is transferred, at elevated temperature and pressure, to a screw extruder for extrusion into an extrusion mold. A preferred embodiment is extruded using an 80 mm-diameter screw at a speed not exceeding 40 RPM, an extrusion pressure of 20-35 mpa and a temperature of 160-186°C. More than one mixture may be co-extruded into the same extrusion mold for the purpose of forming different monolayers, as disclosed above. This extrusion and mold-forming process produces one sheet of the bottom base layer 20 . The sheets may be very long or may be continuous in nature. When the mixing-fusing-cooling-transfer steps of the process are properly adjusted to provide a continuous supply of fused PVC material to the screw extruder, the extruder is a hot-melt overlaying of the bottom layer 30 of an essentially continuous sheet. For this purpose it is possible to supply the bottom base layer 20 of an essentially continuous sheet.

[0036] A flooring face layer 30 includes a decorative face sublayer 31 fused to a wearing face sublayer 32 . The decorative surface sublayer 31 may be formed of a PVC decorative film, generally opaque, and any decorative pattern 33 intended to be applied, such as imitations of wood, stone or tile, or other It will be a color that serves as a base color or background color for decorative patterns. The wear surface sublayer 32 may be formed of a generally clear or near clear polymeric abrasion resistant PVC polymer film so that the decorative surface sublayer 31 is visible. In most embodiments of the glue-free dust-free composite flooring system 100 , the decorative pattern 33 is applied to the decorative surface sub-layer ( 31) will be applied. The decorative pattern 33 is likely to be an imitation of traditional flooring materials such as wood, stone or tiles. Referring briefly to FIG. 3 which schematically illustrates that the flooring layer 30 may have a decorative pattern mimicking marble, terrazzo or wood, the different decorative patterns 33 may include a glue free dust free composite floor system ( 100) can be used together. The patterns may be applied using a printing roller or digital image-printing device. An advantage of digital printing is that, in contrast to the repetition inherent in roller printing, images can be produced that do not have exact repetitions or even very long repetition cycles. Another advantage of digital printing is that several different colors, shades or shades can be applied in place or even mixed, which is very cumbersome or impossible with roller printing in a floor-making environment.

[0037] The PVC decorative film forming the decorative surface sub-layer 31 may be supplied in large rolls. The strength and abrasion properties of this PVC decorative film do not significantly affect the strength and abrasion properties of the finished floor, since other elements provide these strength and abrasion properties. As a practical matter, the PVC decorative film must be strong enough to avoid tearing during the floor-making process.

[0038] The use of a polymeric abrasion resistant PVC polymer membrane for the wear surface sublayer 32 provides a significant portion of the desired abrasion resistance of the finished floor, with the floor coating layer 40 providing the rest. This film can also be fed in large rolls.

[0039] An essentially continuous sheet of bottom layer 30 can be created by using large rolls of PVC membranes, or by using an efficient re-loading method.

[0040] Although the wear surface sub-layer 32 may be fused to the decorative surface sub-layer 31 as a separate step in the manufacturing process prior to subsequent fusion with the floor base layer 20, the glue free dust free composite floor system method The preferred embodiment of 200 provides for simultaneous fusing of the wear surface sub-layer 32 , the decorative surface sub-layer 31 , and the bottom base layer 20 in one pass. This fusing brings the hot-melt overlaying, sublayers and layers into contact with each other in the proper order, simultaneously heating the stack and applying compression to fuse the layers together without the use of glue or adhesives, thus This is achieved by essentially eliminating the potential problems of delamination or other damage to the finished floor. Hot-melt overlaying may be performed by feeding the wear surface sub-layer 32 , the decorative surface sub-layer 31 and the bottom base layer 20 to a set of heated rollers. Wear side sublayer 32 and decorative side sublayer 31 are supplied as large rolls of essentially equal width PVC polymer films, and bottom base layer 20 in sheets of essentially equal width as the rolls of films or When formed in divisions of its width allowing side-by-side simultaneous processing of multiple sheets, hot-melt overlaying can be performed in continuous or near-continuous operation.

[0041] Optionally, a textured, embossed, synchronized embossed, debossed, or synchronized debossed surface pattern may be applied to the bottom surface layer 30 of the fused base and face layers. This texture may be an imitative decorative texture that complements the printed decorative pattern 33 , or it may be a texture intended to enhance traction, light reflection or other qualities of the finished floor. A textured, embossed or debossed surface pattern may be applied to the bottom layer 30 of the fused base and face layers simultaneously or immediately after the hot-melt overlaying compression step, while the bottom layer ( 30) is still partially melted and pliable. The hot-melt roller or rollers in contact with the bottom layer 30 may be configured to emboss the texture, although the arrangement will require either a small repeat cycle texture or a large roller. Embossing is performed by one or more rollers, plates or other devices, such as rakes, which, immediately after hot-melt overlay compression, press into the bottom layer 30 of the currently fused base and face layers. can be, while the partial assembly still flexes well. Depending on the amount and nature of texturing, cylinders of stiff wire can be used as rollers for debossing, perforated cylinders can be used as rollers for embossing, or possibly other tines to create deformation. A rake arrangement that allows movement of the tines may be used.

[0042] Hot-melt overlaying fuses the bottom surface layer 30 and the bottom base layer 20 together without the use of glue or adhesives. The face-and-base subassembly comes from selective texturing and hot-melt overlaying at very high temperatures. The face-and-base subassembly is then conditioned. This conditioning step may allow the face-and-base subassembly to cool to ambient temperature fairly slowly and evenly, without quench or other rapid cooling, to prevent the development of stresses in the seat. Because the face-and-base subassembly is an almost entirely superficial thin sheet, cooling does not require an excessive amount of time, and conditioning can be carried out in continuous-running by providing a conveyor belt of sufficient extra length to allow cooling. can Optionally, additional conditioning procedures, such as corona discharge or flaming, may be performed to prepare the PVC surface for application of the floor coating layer 40 . An optional underlay 10 may be added to the subassembly at this point or subsequent points after hot-melt overlaying and selective texturing have been performed.

[0043] If there is a continuous supply of base-layer and face-layer sheets, an essentially continuous sheet of face-and-base assembly can be produced by the hot-melt overlaying step.

[0044] After the side-and-base subassembly is cooled in the conditioning step, the subassembly is then applied on the top or bottom-side-layer 30 side with a plastic resin that can be cured under ultraviolet (UV) light, so that the bottom coating layer (40) is formed. Suitable UV-curing primers and top coatings for application on PVC are known in the art. In general, the UV-curing primer and top coating are clear, colorless, and transparent, allowing the decorative pattern 33 to be visible therethrough. In general, colorless coatings can cure more quickly and with less exposure than colored coatings. UV-cured top coatings are available that provide a glossy or matte finish and have these desirable properties, such as scratch resistance. Optionally, a gritty particulate material such as aluminum oxide or ceramic powder or other anti-abrasive material may be added to the UV-cured plastic resin and incorporated into the floor coating 40 to provide additional traction and additional wear resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the UV primer and UV top coatings are applied with a series of rollers in a long run or continuous run.

[0045] Although more than one application of a UV-cured top coating may improve the appearance and durability of the finished floor, there should be an application of a UV-cured primer and at least one application of a UV-cured top coating. Curing is effected, for example, by exposure to UV light from mercury (Hg) lamps or gallium (Ga) lamps. UV curing is done very quickly in seconds and can be accomplished in the time the workpiece is moving on a conveyor belt passing under a bank of UV lights. In contrast, oxidative curing of polyurethanes is likely to take 8-10 hours, and curing of two-part epoxies is likely to take at least 30 minutes or longer.

[0046] The use of UV-curable plastic resins in the floor coating layer 40 of the glue free dust free composite floor system method 200 eliminates a potential bottleneck in the manufacturing process, which is fully assembled, fused, decorated and coated and enables the production of an essentially continuous sheet of cured flooring material. Coating and UV curing of the fused base-and-surface subassembly is performed by applying a composite flooring material incorporating a floor base layer 20 , a floor surface layer 30 and a floor coating layer 40 with an optional underlay layer 10 . Produces large finished seat assemblies. This finished large sheet assembly is intended to be divided into segments of the desired size and configuration, such as tiles or flanks, or large rolled sheets, which can be easily handled during installation.

[0047] The final steps of the Glue Free Dust Free Composite Flooring System Method 200 are profile processing, wherein a large sheet of finished flooring material is cut to a desired size and formed with appropriate notches, grooves, tabs, or other installation-related component. have them Optionally the bevels are sometimes used on wood, tile, such as gray color on bevels to simulate grout lines between tiles and black or dark colors to simulate French bleed on wood. It can be processed on two or four sides of a profiled flooring material painted in colors to mimic the design on fields, fabrics or marble. From the profile view, the bevels can be in different shapes, such as straight lines forming angles, squares or round arcs. The finished flooring material is then inspected and packaged for transport and sale.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 8, which is a flow diagram of a method 200 for manufacturing a glue-free dust-free composite flooring system, the floor base layer 20 is formed of PVC and It is formed from other raw materials, resulting in a sheet-like supply of the bottom base layer 20 which may be essentially continuous. The bottom layer 30 is formed individually and potentially simultaneously by providing a PVC decorative film, optionally printing a decorative pattern 33 thereon, and then adding a PVC abrasion resistant film to the floor, which may also be essentially continuous. A sheet-form supply of the cotton layer 30 takes place. The sheets of bottom base layer 20 and bottom layer 30 are then brought together in a suitable orientation and fused together by hot-melt overlaying, optionally followed by texturing, without glue or adhesives, and also resulting in a sheet-form supply of base-and-face subassemblies that can be essentially continuous. A conditioning step may then allow the hot-melt base-and-surface subassembly to cool, optionally providing other conditioning procedures. A coating of UV-curable plastic resin is then applied as a primer layer and at least one top coating layer. After each application of the UV-curing plastic resin, the coated sheet of flooring material is subjected to UV curing by exposure to UV light, resulting in a very fast curing. Conditioning, coating, and UV curing processes can be performed on an essentially continuous, sheet-form supply of the base-and-side subassembly, and can also be essentially continuous finished, fused, coated, cured It results in a sheet-form supply of floor material. The finished flooring sheet is then cut to size and has any notches, grooves, or tabs for installation purposes formed in the profile processing step. Inspecting and packing the profiled floor-material pieces are the final steps.

[0049] The glue free dust free composite floor system method 200 provides the ability to manufacture floors on a continuous-run assembly-line conveyor belt basis. It also provides the ability to efficiently change production from one color or design pattern to another. This produces a floor-material product which does not contain any dust and any glue but possesses the desirable qualities associated with dust and glue, which is achieved by other novel means.

[0050] It is envisioned that digital printing may be applied to the underlying bottom layer 20 . In this case, prior to application, a hydro UV primer is applied for good adhesion properties, followed by UV putty for a smooth base. Next, a UV sealer is applied against a standard white base for printing on PVC. Especially when it comes to digital printing, the design options are virtually limitless. Prior to printing, texture can be achieved by using different rollers to achieve the desired textured look, for example smooth, hand-scratched, registered embossed, graduations, saw marks, BP and grain. have. After printing, an anti-abrasive sealer, a sanding sealer, a structural coating and an anti-scratch top coat will be applied to provide an anti-scratch and anti-abrasive layer. In this case, there may be no need for a bottom layer 30 having a PVC decorative membrane and a polymer abrasion resistant PVC polymer membrane.

[0051] Numerous other changes and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, it is intended that our rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

A glue-free dust-free composite flooring article having a nominal top and bottom orientation, the dust-free composite flooring material comprising:
(i) said waterproofing floor base layer comprising a PVC resin mixture having a compacted cellulosic material and compatible materials that are free of glue and are adapted to provide the desired qualities in the waterproof floor base layer in use, the mixture comprising: mixing, fusing, cooling; formable by transfer, extrusion, co-extrusion and mold forming;
(ii) a waterproofing flooring layer comprising a decorative surface sub-layer fixed over the floor base layer and a wear surface sub-layer fixed over the decorative surface layer, wherein the decorative surface sub-layer comprises a PVC decorative polymer film and the wear surface sub-layer comprises a PVC abrasion resistant film, wherein the bottom layer is fused by a hot melt overlying top face of the bottom base layer and forms a single base-and-face subassembly; and
(iii) a waterproof floor coating layer comprising a UV-curable plastic resin and fixed over the wear surface layer, the floor coating layer forming the top surface of the base-and-surface subassembly with at least one UV-curable plastic resin. It can be formed by coating,
the base-and-face assembly and the bottom coating layer are fusible together to form a large sheet assembly with a waterproof finish; and
wherein the finished large seat assembly is profile-processable to a desired size and shape, yielding multiple floor segments of a waterproof floor covering free of water-based materials;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
the bottom base layer comprises a first extruded base sub-layer and a second co-extruded base sub-layer fused over the first base sub-layer, the first and second base layers being moldable;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
(iv) further comprising an underlayment layer;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
The PVC decorative polymer film further comprises a color film,
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the PVC decorative polymer film further comprises an applied decorative pattern;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
further comprising an embossed textured surface on the base-and-face assembly;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the PVC abrasion-resistant polymer membrane is transparent;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
The bottom coating layer is transparent,
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the bottom coating layer further comprises a gritty particulate material;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
The bottom coating layer further comprises aluminum oxide,
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
The PVC resin mixture is
(a) 50 kg polyvinyl chloride (PVC);
(b) 100-175 kg 800-1000 mesh calcium carbonate;
(c) 3.8-5.0 kg calcium/zinc heat stabilizer;
(d) 2.5-5.0 kg chlorinated polyethylene elastomer;
(e) 1.0-4.0 kg acrylic polymer modifier;
(f) 0.4-0.6 kg internal lubricant; and
(g) 0.5-1.5 kg high melting point polymer;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. 12. The method of claim 11,
The PVC resin mixture is
(h) 0.2-0.3 kg high density polyethylene oxide,
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the bottom coating layer further comprises a UV-curable primer and at least one UV-curable top coating;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the UV-curable plastic resin is curable by exposure to mercury (Hg) lamps;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the UV-curable plastic resin is curable by exposure to gallium (Ga) lamps;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the bottom basal layer is formable by heating the mixture to 115-130° C. while stirring at a high speed approaching but not exceeding 1600 RPM.
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
wherein the hot-melt overlaying of the bottom layer and the bottom base layer is fuseable by passing the bottom base layer and the bottom layer through at least one set of heated rollers.
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. According to claim 1,
Extrusion of the bottom base layer further comprises extrusion using an 80 mm-diameter screw at a speed not exceeding 40 RPM, an extrusion pressure of 20-35 mpa and a temperature of 160-186° C.
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. A glue-free dust-free composite flooring article having a nominal top and bottom orientation, the dust-free composite flooring material comprising:
(i) a waterproofing floor base layer comprising a compressed cellulosic material and an adhesive-free PVC resin mixture, wherein the PVC resin blend has compatible materials adapted to provide the desired qualities in the floor base layer in use, wherein the blend comprises: , fusing, cooling, transferring, co-extrusion and mold forming, wherein the PVC resin mixture comprises, by weight, 20% to 35% polyvinyl chloride, 63% to 73% calcium carbonate, 2% to 2.5% calcium/ a zinc heat stabilizer, 1.6% to 2.5% chlorinated polyethylene elastomer, 0.6% to 1.7% acrylic polymer modifier, 0.2% to 0.25% internal lubricant, and 0.32% to 0.62% high melting point polymer;
(ii) a waterproofing flooring layer comprising a decorative surface sub-layer fixed over the floor base layer and a wear surface sub-layer fixed above the decorative surface layer, wherein the decorative surface sub-layer comprises a PVC decorative film having an applied decorative pattern; wherein the wear surface sub-layer comprises a PVC wear resistant film, the bottom surface layer being fused by a hot melt overlying top surface of the bottom base layer and forming a single base-and-surface subassembly; and
(iii) a waterproof floor coating layer comprising a UV-curable plastic resin and fixed over the wear surface layer, the floor coating layer forming the top surface of the base-and-surface subassembly with at least one UV-curable plastic resin. can be formed by coating;
the layers of the base-and-surface assembly and the floor coating layer together form a fuseable, watertight finished large sheet assembly; and
wherein the finished large seat assembly is profile-processable to a desired size and shape, yielding multiple floor segments of a waterproof floor covering free of water-based material;
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations. 20. The method of claim 19,
The PVC resin mixture further comprises, by weight, 0.1% to 1.2% high density polyethylene oxide,
Glue-free, dust-free composite flooring products with nominal top and bottom orientations.

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