LU87112A1 - SURFACE COVERING AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF - Google Patents

Description

^ * ___ Λ Λ BL 4082

fi "7 ^ T-1 / GRAND-DUCHÉ DE LUXEMBOURG

Brevet N ° Cf I *

Monsieur le Ministre du j anvier 198 8 de l’Economie et des Classes Moyennes _, “Âi Service de la Propriété Intellectuelle

TltredellVré —.....— I ||| p LUXEMBOURG

Demande de Brevet d'invention -------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- -------------------- - -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- (1) I. Requête

La société dite: ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES, INC (2)

Liberty & Charlotte Streets, Lançaster, Pennsylvania 17604 USA ........... ......... ............ ........ .................................................. .................................... v .......'..... . ...................

représentée "par MM E.TΓ" 'p ^ eyXTngër & ...... Mëÿérs, "in g.cons. t ^ ën_pf ^ T ^ n ^ 7" ^ 5 ^ ôë ^ ûrT: ijmëI ^ êrë'7 10II Lüxëïifo ^ déposent) ce vingt-cinq janvier mil neuf cent ~ qûatre-vïrigt-huit ^ à '~ Q - · heures, au Ministère de l'Économie et des Classes Moyennes, à Luxembourg: 1. la présente requête pour l'obtention d'un brevet d'invention concernant: ...... "Surface covering and Serla ears .............................. .................................................. ............................. (5) ......... for its manufacture "..... .................................................. ...................

2. la description en langue allemande ....... de l'invention en trois exemplaires; 3. _____________________________planches de dessin, en trois exemplaires; 4. la quittance des taxes versées au Bureau de l'Enregistrement à Luxembourg, le 13 ....... j anvier 19 88 ........; 5. la délégation de pouvoir, datée de ..... .................................... ................................................ le. ........................................... ....... . ........ ; 6. le document d’ayant cause (authorization); déclare (nt) en assumant la responsabilité de cette déclaration, que l '(es) inventeurs) est (sont): (6) 1. Raymond Graham Davely, 564 Norlam Drive, Lancaster PA ..... 17601 j USA .. .................................................. .................................................. . ^ _________________________________ 2.Martin Dees, Jr., 779 Eastside Drive, Landisville, ............. ~ .......... ~ ........ .7 '........... "revendique (nt) pour la susdite demande de brevet la priorité3g5SHë * $ l% £ gë§i§83t? Gff4ê de deux deingp ^ es de brevet d * invention déposée (s) en (8) aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique le (9) 30 janvier 1987 et le 27 novembre 19 87 sous le N ° (10) ........ 8,732 et 127,036 ..... .................................................. ....

au nom de (11) Raymond Graham Davely & Martin Dees, ........ Jr ...

élit (élisent) domicile pour lui (elle) et, si désigné, pour son mandataire, à Luxembourg ............................. ....................................

.................................................. ......... 46 rue ...... du Cimetière, ...... 1011 Luxembourg ..............-....... ................................... (12) soHicite (nt) la délivrance d'un brevet d ' invention pour l'objet décrit et représenté dans les annexes susmentionnées, avec ajournement de cette délivrance à ................. / ............. .................................................. .................................................. ....................................... mois. (13)

Le déposa? # / Mandataire: ................... .................................................. ..... (14) '^ y' \ * ~ Π. Procès-verbal de Dépôt

La susdrte "3emande de brevet d’invention a été déposée au Ministère de l’Économie et des Classes Moyennes, Service de la Propriété Intellaefuçlte k« fei ^ ïtibourg, en date du: 2 5 i at four 1988

/ v ** A J

I /.·· ^ i Pr. Le Ministre de l’Économie et des Classes Moyennes, V ·. à ............ heures I §f \ J j pd, \\ j Le chef du service de la propriété intellectuelle, 3) 06 A / —_- ^ v * EXPLICATIONS RELATIVES AU FORMULAIRE DE DEPOT.

(1) s'il ya hay "Demande de certificat d'addition au brevet principal, à b demande de brevet principal No ............ du ........... . "- (2) inscrire les nom. prénom, professional.

fj Λ n Q adresse du demandeur, lorsque celui-ci est un particulier ou les dénomination sociale, forme juridique, adresse du siège social, lorsque le demandeur est une personne morale - (3) inscrire jj ,: J pt les nom, prénom, address du mandataire agréé, conseil en propriété industrial, muni d'un pouvoir spécial, s'il ya lieu: "représente par ............ agissant en qualité de mandataire" 4 · - ï BL 4082

Revendication de la priorité de deux demandes de brevet déposées aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique le 30 janvier 1987 et le 27 novembre 1 987 sous les N ° s 8.732 et 127.036 respectivement.

Mémoire descriptif déposé à l'appui d'une demande de brevet d'invention luxembourgeois pour:

Surface covering and process for its manufacture

par: ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES, INC

Liberty & Charlotte Streets Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604 Etats-Unis d'Amérique - 1 - * 1

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SURFACE COVERING AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

The invention relates to a surface covering, consisting of a substrate with an impermeable coating applied thereon, and a method for its manufacture.

Surface coverings are known, on which raised elements are arranged, which contain solid particles. For example, from US Pat. No. 4,348,447 non-slip plastic floor coverings are known, in which inorganic particles are embedded in a hardened plastic base material, essentially adjoining one another. Since the adhesive can be printed in a selective pattern, the raised elements give the appearance of a covering that is embossed with cover. Since the particles are applied to the adhesion-promoting surface of the base mass, t | * · They usually do not spread the plastic base evenly. In addition, the number of particles is very limited and the

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Particles must be covered with a thin coating of a transparent plastic in order to fully bond with the material. When the particles are coated with this thin film, the underlying coating, which is arranged between the raised elements, is also coated.

In the known solutions, the raised elements can have a certain decorative meaning, but would undermine and darken an underlying decor, if any. In addition, raised elements are beneficial for increasing wear and slip resistance, but cause additional difficulties in the care of surfaces and floors with such coverings.

* ** - 2 - 1 i *

The object of the invention is to increase the number of solid particles which can be arranged in the raised elements on a surface covering, to provide a surface covering in which the solid particles present on the upper surface of the raised elements are distributed more evenly over the raised elements * and in the case of creating coined features without chemical or mechanical embossing, the raised elements are selectively arranged, and the provision 10 of a surface covering, in which the raised elements do not require a cover made of transparent plastic.

This object is achieved with the features specified in claim 1, which are advantageously widely formed in the subclaims.

15 An embodiment of the invention relates to a surface covering which comprises a substrate, an impermeable coating arranged thereon and raised elements which are selectively arranged on the coating and which represent a thixotropic plastic which contains solid particles 20.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method for producing a surface covering, which comprises providing an impermeable coating on a substrate, selectively arranging raised elements 25 of a thixotropic plastic containing solid particles, and fusing the raised elements with the substrate to form a Preservation of one-piece structure.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. There 30 show: * tl - 3 -

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the covering according to the invention,

2 shows a cross section through the covering according to US Pat. No. 4,348,447 and 5 FIG. 3 shows in a diagram the pseudoplastic properties of a polyvinyl chloride i dpi asti sois.

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Elements with a raised surface, and in particular those which contain solid particles, have long been used to increase the slip and abrasion resistance of surface coverings. According to the invention, a product with such raised surface elements of greater thickness can be produced by a method that does not require any coating of the elements and the surrounding areas.

15 So far, a schi ch bauf construction, such as that shown in Figure 2, has been produced in that a substrate 7 with a suitable coating 8 with the selective application of an adhesive 15 such as a non-gelled plastisol was produced. The solid particles, such as elements 10 and 20 11, were then applied evenly but adhered only to the adhesive areas, with the rest removed. In order to hold the particles in position, the material was then coated with a uniform layer of a transparent wear layer material 13.

According to the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a substrate 20 is produced with a suitable impermeable coating 22 and then selectively provided with raised elements 24 representing thixotropic plastic 26, which contains solid particles 28. Since a transparent wear-resistant layer is not required in order to permanently bond the particles to one another, as is the case in the known method, those with 30 * ι *.

- 4 - I i l designated sections of the underlying coating 22 in the end product are left uncoated.

The invention does not depend on the substrate used. For

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the practice of the invention can be any of the 5 substrates commonly used in the art. A suitable substrate can be the glass mat saturated with plastisol described in the example below. A felt web placed in the wet state could also have the same advantageous effect, as is also generally used in surface coating technology. In addition, each substrate can form an intermediate layer on the rear side

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foamed or compact coating.

It is believed that the invention is by choice

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15 of the substrate is in no way restricted. The selection from the accessible substrates is based on the demand for inexpensive production or the physical properties of the end product.

The chosen substrate should be coated with a suitable impermeable material. While it is possible to apply the raised plastic elements directly to the felt when it is wet, without applying an impermeable layer to protect the felt in between, such a product would have only limited commercial value. At least a decorative coating is usually applied, even if the end product is to be provided with a wear-resistant layer for protection purposes.

Usually a glass mat with an impervious - 5 - 4 l

To produce a coating, usually a plastisol, which can optionally be foamable in order to impregnate the mat and to seal the glass fibers.

The coating that must be used can thus be simple, e.g. a sealant for a felt or complex felt when wet, e.g. one made up of several layers or elements

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Body. In all cases, the impermeable coating must be of the quality of a wear-resistant layer 10, that is, it must withstand the wear and tear that a floor covering is normally exposed to. The implementation of the invention is not tied to a specific impermeable coating. Many coatings and coating methods are known to those skilled in the art and can also be used to practice the invention.

These include foamable and non-foamable plastisols, dry resin mixtures, the application of pads using stencils, etc.

However, the coating should be impermeable to the material applied to it, so that the applied thixotropic material remains on the surface so that the raised elements can be formed.

The raised elements are produced on the impermeable coating by beads of a pseudoplastic thixotropic containing solid particles

Applying liquid. The coating can be carried out according to various known methods. However, the screen printing described in the following example has been used with good success, although this is normally used to apply printing inks to porous surfaces.

The raised elements can be in any shape or with

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- 6 - <ι any pattern can be arranged, but geometric shapes such as repeating patterns of raised circles, squares, rhombuses and the like have proven to be optically effective. As with other Er-5 certificates in this area, the number of elements per unit should be sufficient for the effective formation of a wear-resistant surface for the covering. The recessed areas between the raised ones have both decorative and structural functions such as 10 for example as channels for draining spilled liquids etc.

The raised elements protrude from the underlying substrate by approx. 0.75 mm CO, 003 inches!) To 20.3 mm C0.08 inches} »preferably by 3.8 mm C0.015 inches!) To 11.4 mm C0, 045 inches} 15, and especially 7.6 mm C0.03 inches}. In addition, the raised elements should cover approximately 30 to 80% of the total area of the end product in order to ensure an effective wear-resistant surface, the exact percentage being a function of the geometry of the elements obtained.

The invention was made possible by the combination of an impermeable coated substrate with the rheological properties of the applied plastic. In a coating technique using, for example, a rotary screen, a pseudoplastic thixotropic material can be applied to the coated substrate in a thickness that exceeds the thickness with which ordinary printing inks are applied. Due to the properties of the material, the lateral expansion can be kept within 30 limits or avoided at all.

Thixotropic substances are substances that show a double theological behavior, that means high viscosity with low shear stress and low viscosity with high shear beans test.

Fumed and precipitated SiO ^ are probably the most commonly used thixotropic agents, although various other inorganic and organic substances are also known to be effective, such as e.g. such inorganic substances as finely divided organophilic clays and organic substances such as highly substituted sorbatols or calcium-organic complexes. In the following example, the use of pyrogenic silica C as it is commercially available under the trade name Aerosil 200 from Degussa Company! proven to be cheap.

The amount of this material added to the resin paste determines the thixotropic nature of the system obtained and i> 15 its viscosities at the various shear rates. These properties also determine the lateral expulsion of the plastisol applied to the substrate in the form of raised elements. The viscosity and shear rate of the thixotropic plastisol material are related to each other. The viscosity of the thixotropic

Material is therefore measured in order to ensure the desired lateral expulsion of the applied material.

The viscosity, measured with a Brookfield viscometer using a No. 6 spindle at 20 revolutions per 25 minutes, is in the range from 8 to 16 Pa. s C80 to 160

Poisel. It is adjusted by varying the amount of plasticizer or other suitable viscosity reducing agent added.

Various resin materials can be used according to the invention as thixotropic substances and include any suitable resin plastisols. In the following example * Μ! - 8 - the use of polyvinyl chloride resins proved to be favorable.

In order to be useful in the practice of the invention, the thixotropic substance must be present in an amount sufficient for the resin system to remain plastic under shear but to lose its pseudoplastic properties immediately when the shear force is removed.

The diagram in FIG. 3, which was created using a Haake RV-1 viscometer, shows the pseudoplastic properties of the material.

From the illustration it can be seen that the thixotropic substance, a slurried PVC plastisol, shows high viscosity with low shear stress and low viscosity with high shear stress.

15 Although the thixotropic substance itself forms a wear-resistant layer on the end product, the abrasion properties of such a wear-resistant layer are significantly improved by adding solid particles. Such particles can be organic. 20 material such as rubber, or a plastic such as vinyl, or an inorganic material such as quartz or the like. These particles can be transparent or coated or somewhat colored, such as known resin-coated sands.

For the purposes of the present invention, the particles should have a suitable size to pass a No. 10 sieve according to the US standard sieve series, that is to say a sieve with a mesh size of approximately 2.0 mm, on a 200 mesh Sieve C according to US ~ Standard3 with a mesh size of about 30 70 μτα but remain. Preferred results were obtained with particles that pass a 25-mesh sieve C according to the US standard!> With a mesh size of about 600 μm, on a 50-mesh sieve C according to the US standard!) With a Mesh width of about 250 μm but remaining. The 5 solid particles have a Mohs hardness of 7 to 9, preferably of about 7.

With soi el 1

A 487.7 m C1600 feet!) Roll of a 4 m wide g

Glass fiber mat from Schüller Company, was saturated with 500 g / m 10 of a plastisol composition below and gelled in contact with an oil-filled drum heated to 143 to 146 ° C (C290 to 295 ° F!).

Component Trade name Origin% by weight PVC resin CLucovyl BP-1702!) ΑΤ0 Chemical 65.3 15 Products CGB!) PVC resin CPevikon PE-820!) KemaNord Plastics 23.9 CGB!) PVC resin CVinnol C65VD Wacker CBRD! ) 11.7

Plasticizer CHexaplas OPND Imperial Chem. 5.1 20 Ind. CGB0

Plasticizer CSanticizer DP- Monsanto Europe 9.2 268!) C Brussels!)

Plasticizer CTXIB} Eastman Chemical 2.5

Plasticizer CCereclor S-45!) Imperial Chem. Ind. 2.5 25 CGB!)

Stabilizer CIngestab BZ-505!) Ciba Geigy 1.5

Plasticizer CED-62 Lankro Chemical Ltd. 0.8 CGB!) Alumina trihydrate filler BA Chemicals Ltd. 21.0 30 CGB!)

Gray pigment in paste form 6 * 5 100.0 - 10 -

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Thereafter, the smooth surface of the mat saturated with plastisol was coated with 380 g / m plastisol of the following composition and gelled in contact with

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a second oil-filled drum preheated to 141 to 143 C C285 to o * * * 1 5 290 Fl to obtain an impermeable coating with the quality of a wear-resistant layer.

Component Trade name Origin% by weight PVC resin CLucovyl BP-17021 ATO Chemical 20.7 10 Products CGB1 PVC resin CPevikon PE-8201 KemaNord Plastics 32.4 CGB1 PVC resin CVinnol C65V1 Wacker CBRD1 15.9

Plasticizer CHexaplas 0PN1 Imperial Chem. 6.9 15 Ind. CGB1

Plasticizer CSanticizer DP- Monsanto Europe 9.0 2681 CBrussell

Plasticizer CTXIB1 Eastman Chemical 3.4

Plasticizer CCereclor S-451 Imperial Chem. Ind. 3,4 20 CGB1

Stabilizer CIngestab BZ-5051 Ciba Geigy 2.0

Plasticizer CED-61 Lankro Chemical Ltd. 1.0 CGB1

Gray pigment in paste form 5.3 Ξ5 100 · °

A plastisol containing particulate matter of the following composition was screen printed onto the surface of the gelled impermeable coating in the form of a regular geometric pattern.

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Component Trade name Origin% by weight PVC resin CPevikon PE-8205 KemaNord Plastics 43.1 CGB5 PVC resin CVinnol C65V5 Wacker CBRD5 10.8 5 Plasticizer CSanticizer DP- Monsanto Europe 11.9 2685 CBrussel3

Plasticizer CHexaplas OPN5 Imperial Chem. Ind. 2,7 CGB5

Plasticizer CTXIB5 Eastman Chemical 10.8 10 Epoxyol Lankro Chemical CGB5 1.6

Stabilizer CIngestab BZ-5055 Ciba Geigy 1.1

Pyrogens

Silicic acid CAerosil 2005 Degussa Corp. 0.5

Quartz particles 15.0 15 gray pigment in paste form 2.5 100.0

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The viscosity of the above plastisol interspersed with solid particles must be in the range of 8 to 16 Pa. s C80 to 160 Poise5 lie in order to obtain the desired result. 20 The viscosity is adjusted by varying the amount of TXIB plasticizer.

The printed plastisol was then gelled and melted by passing it through a hot air oven, the temperature of which was maintained at about 199 ° C C390 ° F5, for 2 minutes.

25 The composite body obtained had regularly arranged raised elements which simulate a decor embossed in cover and consistently contain a practically homogeneous dispersion of solid particles.

* ** ί - 12 -

Example 2

It is also possible to design the present product with a flat surface.

The present product is produced in the same way as the product of Example 1, with the difference that an additional coating is applied before the product is melted. After the raised elements have gelled, a coating of the above impermeable coating material is applied to the entire surface thereof to fill in the recessed areas around the raised elements. When the gray pigment paste is removed from the opaque coating material, the coating filling the recessed areas is transparent and the products of Example 1 and Example 2 look practically the same, with the difference that the product of Example 2 has a flat top.

Claims (12)

1. Surface covering, characterized in that it 5 a) a substrate bD an impermeable coating which is connected to at least one surface of the substrate, and c!> On the coating selectively arranged, a thixotropic plastic with solid particles lenticular raised elements with a thickness of about 0.75 mm CO, 003 InchD to 20.3 mm C0.080 InchD, wherein the thixotropic plastic at least one thixotropic agent selected from the group of pyrogenic silicas, precipitated silicas, fine powder Contains 15 organophilic clays, highly substituted sorbatols and calcium-organic complexes. 2. Surface covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is a glass fiber mat. 'J -14- * »*»' '* „Μ, I« • I 3. Surface covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate is a fibrous composite film placed in the wet state. 4. Surface covering according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the solid particles have a Mohs hardness of 7 to 9. t 5. Surface covering according to claim 4, characterized g e -kennzei chnet that the solid particles 10 are at least partially organic in nature. 6. Surface covering according to claim 5, characterized g e -kennzei chnet that the particles are at least partially vinyl resin chips. 7. Surface covering according to claim 4, characterized in that the solid particles are at least partially inorganic in nature. 8. Surface covering according to claim 7, characterized in that the particles are at least 20 partially quartz particles. <t II 9. Surface covering according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the raised elements are arranged in a regular geometric pattern. 10. Surface covering according to one of claims 1 to 8, since by gekennzei chnet that the raised elements are arranged so that they give the product a coined appearance and cover 30 to 80% of the t I · i area of the surface covering. * - 15 - 'if 11. Oberf1achenbelag according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized gekennzei chnei that the area between the raised areas is filled to give t »a film with a flat surface. 12. Process for the production of a surface covering, characterized in that an impermeable coating is applied to at least one surface of a substrate, b5 is printed selectively on the coated substrate with a screen printing device, IQ which are a thixotropic plastic, contains the solid particles, the raised elements being arranged at such a distance from one another that recessed regions are formed between them and the raised elements preferably have a height of 38 mm CO, 15 inch D to 11.4 mm CO, 045 inch D and c} that material formed in this way melts.