MXPA99009376A - Backer laminate - Google Patents

Abstract

A thermally fused aluminum/phenolic backer laminate is disclosed. The backer laminate includes a core and a coated aluminum layer bound to the core. The coated aluminum layer inhibits the penetration of moisture and oxidation of the aluminum layer.

Description

LAMINATE OF BACKREST INFORMATION OF THE RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation in part of commonly-owned U.S. patent application Serial No. 09 / 173,065, filed on October 16, 1999, and entitled "Laminate." BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to backing laminates. More particularly, the invention relates to thermally cast aluminum / phenolic backing laminates used for the manufacture of decorative laminate products. Floorboards or floorboards are referred to throughout all of the following disclosure in an exemplary manner, and those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present backing laminate can be used in a wide variety of applications. 2. Description of the Prior Art Decorative laminates have found wide use as the ability to reproduce natural materials has been substantially improved over the years. For example, decorative materials have replaced natural materials in the construction of furniture, cabinets, and bar covers In each of these applications, a decorative surface is applied to a substrate, especially wood plywood, chipboard, chip board, medium density fiberboard, etc. Typically, a backing layer is secured to the opposite side of the substrate. Because furniture, cabinets and bar covers, as well as other applications in which decorative laminates are used, generally do not find the destructive forces of the environment, the moisture response characteristics of decorative laminates are not of primary interest . However, not all decorative laminates are used in environments where their exposure to moisture can be easily controlled and verified. For example, stave panels are constantly exposed to double contending environments which can damage the tread. Specifically, all floor or floor panels are exposed to an "A environment" above the floor panel (ie, the controlled environment commonly found in a home or office) and an "Environment B" below the floor. floor panel or floorboard (that is, the environment that exists in the floorboards, concrete, well spaces, etc. located below the floor panel). Most floor panels of the prior art are not, however, designed to exist between contending environments A and B. Where the floor panels of the prior art are designed with the environments A and B contending in mind, the floor panels of the prior art employ expensive and / or bulky constructions to confront the double environments. The floor panels 10 are commonly manufactured with a decorative layer 12, a substrate 13 and a backing layer 14 as shown in Figure 1. The decorative layer 12 is commonly exposed to environment A, which typically does not exhibit abundance. of problems that the environment B presents to the backing layer 14, which may subsequently affect the substrate 13. The decorative layer 12 commonly consists of two layers of kraft paper impregnated with resin phenolic 16, 18, a patterned layer 20, and a melamine cover layer 22 incorporating AIO2 for wear resistance. The backing layer 14, from bottom to top, is commonly composed of a paper impregnated with melamine 24 and two layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resin 26, 28. As discussed above, the substrate 13 can be chosen from a variety of materials, especially laminated wood, chipboard, chipboard, medium density fiberboard, etc. As those of ordinary skill in the art will certainly appreciate, the decorative and backing layers discussed above are purely exemplary. The decorative and backing layers can take various forms and employ laminated layers in a variety of combinations. Although paper impregnated with melamine acts as a barrier to water, the melamine layer reacts adversely when exposed to water vapor, or to relative humidity (commonly found when water tries to escape from damp floorboards or concrete). Similarly, phenolic layers, and even most substrates, tend to expand substantially when exposed to moisture. In view of the commonly used panel construction, the decorative layer, the substrate layer and the backing layer react to the difference between the two environments when environments A and B compete. As in most circumstances where an object is pulled in opposite directions by multiple forces, a floor panel that sits between two different and different environments will often fail to remain flat. For example, where there is excess moisture in the B-environment, the floor panel will generally expand along its lower surface causing the floor panel to buckle with its side edges. pointing up (positive warping). Such warping is highly undesirable aesthetic and functional. Negative warping (ie, expansion of the top layer causes the edges of the panel to bend down) is less common with floor panels since the top surface of the floor panels are not generally exposed to the environmental conditions that They can result in the expansion of the top layer of the floor panels. Specifically, environment A is well controlled through the use of heating systems, air conditioners, general cleaning, and the like. For example, where water is spilled on a floor, water will generally be £). wiped with cloth or evaporated into the atmosphere before it negatively affects the top layers of the floor panel. Similarly, relative humidity and temperature are generally controlled by those who live in the specific environment. If moisture enters the floor panel from ambient A and causes the decorative layer of the floor panel to expand and warp, the warpage can be easily corrected by controlling the environment A, over which the personnel has easy control . When the environment A is controlled, the excess moisture maintained therein is released and the floor panel generally returns to its original shape. 0 In addition, negative warping is generally less noticeable than positive warping. Where the center of a panel bent upward (negative warping), most consumers will not notice in a light roll on the floor panel. However, the edges that extend upwards found in the positively warped panels are very distinguishable. 5 The prior art has previously attempted to remedy the problems associated with warping of the floor panels by, or, attempting to balance the layers used in the construction of the panels or use strong backs that resist the warping forces created by the presence of moisture. No remedy has been found with total success. Although the balance is highly successful where both sides of a laminate are exposed to the same environmental conditions, balancing does not produce similar results where the top and bottom surfaces of a laminate are exposed to very different environments, and this is where the change arrives to be distinguishable. The approach adopted when designing backup layers when confronting moisture problems in the B environment is made up of the test procedures currently used throughout the industry. These test procedures do not consider the differences between environments A and B, but rather focus on the attempt to balance the expansion and contraction of the layers on opposite sides of the panel. Specifically, conventional testing procedures suggest that the panel must be exposed to moisture levels ranging from 30% to 90% over a prolonged period of time. Although this test may be appropriate where the panel will be exposed to the same environment on opposite sides, this is not the case for floor panels. As discussed above, the floor panels are constantly exposed to two very different environments; the environment above the floor panel (the environment A) and the environment below the floor panel (the environment B). The above test procedures fail to consider the differences and, therefore, fail to assess in an appropriate manner the suitability of the floor panels for actual use. As such, there is a need for a backing laminate that easily and prevents the penetration of undesirable moisture and oxidation. There is also a need for a floor panel that is not susceptible to damage represented by exposure to moisture. There is a further need for a laminated product that takes into account the different environmental media found on opposite sides of the laminated product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a backing laminate for use in protecting a substrate to which the backing Jam is secured. The backing laminate includes a core and a coated aluminum layer bonded to the core. The coated aluminum layer inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a laminate including a substrate and a backing laminate attached to the substrate, wherein the backing laminate inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation. The backing laminate includes a core and a coated backing layer bonded to the core. The core is attached directly to the substrate and the coated aluminum layer is directed away from the substrate. It is another object of the present invention to provide a decorative panel that includes a decorative layer and a backing laminate which inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation. The backing laminate includes a core and a coated aluminum layer bonded to the core, wherein the core is directly bonded to the substrate and the coated aluminum layer is directed away from the substrate. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in combination with the accompanying drawings, which establish certain embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic of a floor panel of the state of the art. Figure 2 is a floor panel schematic according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic of the coated aluminum layer according to the present invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the test chamber according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic of a small scale test apparatus according to the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic of an alternate embodiment of a backup layer according to the present invention. Figure 7 is a laminate made in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it must be understood that the disclosed modalities are. only examples of the invention, which can be encompassed in several ways. Therefore, the details disclosed herein should not be construed as limited, but merely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and / or use the invention. As discussed, the present invention is directed to a thermally melted aluminum / phenolic backing or support laminate. The backing laminate is designed to be used as a backing layer with materials that are susceptible to effects of humidity. For example, the present backing laminate can be used in the manufacture of floor panels. With reference to Figure 2, a floor panel 32 according to the present invention is disclosed. The floor panel 32 according to the present invention is not only water repellent, but is substantially impermeable. As with conventional floor panels, the floor panel 32 herein includes a decorative layer 34, a substrate 35 and a backing layer 36 (or backing laminate). The decorative layer 34 and the backing layer 36 are respectively attached to the substrate 35 in a conventional manner to form the floor panel 32 of the present. The decorative layer. The exemplary includes two layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin 38, 40, a pattern layer 42, and a cover 44 that includes AIO2 for wear resistance. The lower layer impregnated with resin 38, that is, the rear part of the decorative layer 34, is sanded to bond it with the substrate 35. The decorative layer 34 discussed above is considered to be exemplary of the decorative layers that can be employed in accordance with the present invention, the decorative layers can adopt various shapes and employ laminated layers in a variety of combinations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As such, the resin impregnated layers of the backing layer 34 present may be varied to complement the changes in the decorative layer 34 without departing from the spirit of the present invention. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the backing layer 36 is a composite backing laminate, from the bottom up, an impermeable hydrophobic layer 46 and three layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin 48, 50, 52 As with the bottom or base layer impregnated with resin 38 of the decorative layer 34, the upper layer impregnated with resin 52 of the backing layer 36 is sanded to bond it to the substrate 35. The waterproof hydrophobic layer 46 is preferably the coated aluminum foil. With reference to Figure 3, the aluminum foil 53 is coated on one side with a resin 54 which permits thermal fusion with the phenolic resin core under high heat and pressure. A urethane is preferably used in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, although other coating materials may be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The aluminum sheet 53 is coated on the other side with a resin 55 which inhibits the penetration of moisture and the oxidation of the aluminum sheet. An epoxy resin is preferably used according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, although other coating materials may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, although kraft paper impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin is used according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, other papers impregnated with resin (or similar materials) can be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The substrate 35 is preferably the poly (acrylonitrile-c-butadiene-c-styrene) (ABS) foam. The commonly assigned U.S. patent application Serial No. 08 / 978,026, entitled "Polymer Foam Substrate and its Use in Combination with Decorative Surfaces ", filed 25 November 1997, discloses ABS substrates which may be used according to the present invention. As such, the patent application US Serial No. 08 / 978.026 is incorporated herein by reference Although the ABS foam is disclosed for use with the embodiment disclosed in Figure 2, the alternate embodiments of the present invention employ other substrate materials without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The construction of the backing layer 36 and the substrate 35 result in a waterproof or waterproof floor panel 32, which is not susceptible to damage by environmental conditions commonly entered into the environment B. Specifically, the substrate ABS 35 and the coated aluminum layer 46 create a moisture barrier which protects the layers impregnated with resin 48, 50, 52, from the undesirable effects of moisture. It is not only desirable to prevent moisture from penetrating backing layer 36 but also to maintain the original moisture content as manufactured from panel 32 to prevent warpage of the panel. The present invention focuses on counteracting the effects of the differential between environments A and B on the characteristics of the panels, if this differential involves extreme humidity or extreme dryness. The resin impregnated layers 48, 50, 52 are maintained in the backing layer 36 present to balance the impregnated resin layers commonly found in the decorative layers, which can be used in combination with the backing layer 36 disclosed. That is, the resin impregnated layers in the decorative layer 34 and backing layer 36 expand and contract similarly as a result of temperature and moisture to maintain the substantially flat configuration of the floor panel 32. If the impregnated layers resin 48, 50, 52 in the backing layer 36 were not included, the decorative panel 34 would expand and shrink to a different coefficient backing layer 36. This causaría- the floor panel 32 in an undesirable manner combe. As such, this would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the phenolic layers can be varied without departing from the spirit of the present invention to maintain a balanced relationship between the backing layer 36 and the decorative layer 34.

The floor panel 32 present has been substantially tested to evaluate its reaction to moisture commonly found in the environment B. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the floor panels 32 are tested within an environmentally controlled room. (see Figure 4). Specifically, a bonded urethane pad 58 is placed to fully cover the floor of the environmentally controlled room 56. Pad 58 is preferably REBOND®, and is manufactured by E. R. Carpenter, Co., Temple, Texas. The pad 58 is placed with its lower side directed upward (this increases the ability of the pad to absorb the water poured therein). Pad 58 is then wetted with water to simulate an extremely moist B environment. tf The floor panels 32 are installed on the pad wet with water 58 as if they were being installed on a normal floor. As such, floor panels 32 are installed to cover the floor of the total room 56, and the molding is installed around the edges of the floor. If parts of the pad 58 are exposed, these can be covered with sheets of ABS to prevent evaporation of water. Once the floor panels 32 are properly installed on the wet pad 58, the environmental conditions within the room 56 are varied for seven days with a temperature ranging from about 10 ° C to 49 ° C (50 ° F). at 120 ° F) and a relative humidity that ranges from about 0% to 95%.

After seven days in this environment, floor panels 32 were observed and found to remain substantially flat. Control tests were performed with the floor panels of the prior art. The tested control panels all exhibited substantial warping and degradation as a result of the test conditions. 25 Similar tests were also conducted on a smaller scale (see Figure 5). Specifically, a foam pad 62 is placed inside a tray of steel 64 sized to encompass one or two floor panels 43. The foam pad 62 is soaked with water and the panels 32 are placed on the pad 62 with the coated aluminum layer 46 facing down. The remaining exposed pad 62 is covered with sheets or sheets of ABS 64 to prevent evaporation of unwanted water from the pad 62. The panels 32 are then allowed to stand for about 16 hours, after which a heat source is used 66 above the tray 64 to heat the decorative surface 34 of the floor panels 32. The heat source 66 remains for approximately seven hours, during which the temperature reaches approximately 52 ° C (125 ° F). After seven hours of heating, the 32 floor panels are removed and studied. As with the larger scale tests, the floor panels 32 according to the present invention exhibited an absence of warping and remained substantially planar. In addition, the control tests were performed with floor panels of the prior art. All tested control panels exhibited warping and substantial degradation as a result of the test conditions. The barrier properties of moisture- layer coated aluminum as well as the bonding properties between the coated aluminum layer and the phenolic resin impregnated kraft paper, it may be similarly incorporated with conventional backing layers in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, and with reference to Figure 6, the melamine layer discussed above can be easily replaced with the coated aluminum layer 68 to create a backing layer 70 and the substrate 76 less susceptible to the undesirable effects of moisture. When applied in this way an aluminum layer 68 coated, the backing layer 70 resulting includes, from bottom to top, an aluminum layer 68 and two layers coated kraft paper impregnated with phenolic resin 72, 74. As With the embodiment disclosed in Figure 2, the layers impregnated with resin can be varied to be suitable for various applications without departing from the. spirit of present invention. The backing layer 68 is bonded to a medium density agglomerate substrate 76. In use, the coated aluminum layer 68 protects the layers impregnated with resin 72, 74 and the substrate 76 against moisture that can be found in the environment B In this way, conventional floor panels with medium density chipboard substrates, or other substrate materials adversely affected by moisture, can be constructed in such a way that they are resistant to the moisture problems commonly encountered in the environment B. Specifically, the coated aluminum layer prevents water vapor from penetrating the backing layer, which would otherwise cause warping. A further embodiment for the backing layer / substrate 80 is disclosed in Figure 7. This embodiment includes only a substrate 82 and a coated aluminum layer 84. The substrate 82 is preferably the ABS foam, although other waterproofing materials may be used. substrate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Resin impregnated layers are normally included to balance impregnated layers with resins found in conventional decorative layers. The backing layer / substrate 80 consisting of a layer of ABS foam 82 and a coated aluminum layer 84 can be employed where the decorative layer is self-balanced. Furthermore, although the laminates described above have been disclosed for use in the construction of impermeable floor panels, the characteristics of the various laminates make them ideal for use in a wide variety of applications where dual environments are encountered. For example, laminates can be used as roof panels, wall panels and partition exterior and interior, covers of bars, furniture or anywhere where different environments are found on opposite sides of a panel. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate the many applications for which the disclosed laminate layers can be used. For example, it may be possible to use the backing layer and the decorative layer without a substrate between them. Similarly, it may be desirable to use the backing layer with various substrates and without a decorative layer. Although these are examples of possible uses, they should not be considered as limiting. Although the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that it is not intended here to limit the invention by this disclosure, but instead, it is intended to protect all alternating modifications and constructions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (23)

1. A backing laminate for use in protecting a substrate • which backing laminate is secured, comprising: a core; and a coated aluminum layer attached to the core, which inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation.

The backing laminate according to claim 1, wherein the coated aluminum layer includes a first side coated with a resin that allows thermal bonding to the core and a second side coated with a resin that inhibits moisture penetration and the oxidation.

3. The backing laminate according to claim 1, wherein the first side is coated with a urethane and the second side is coated with an epoxy.

4. The backing laminate according to claim 1, wherein the core is a paper layer impregnated with resin.

5. The backing laminate according to claim 4, wherein the core is a paper impregnated with phenolic resin.

6. A laminate comprising: a substrate; a backing laminate attached to the substrate, where the backing laminate inhibits moisture penetration - and oxidation; and the backing laminate includes a core and a coated aluminum layer bonded to the core, wherein the core is directly bonded to the substrate and the coated aluminum layer is directed away from the substrate.

7. The laminate according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is an ABS foam.

8. The laminate according to claim 6, wherein the substrate layer is a medium density agglomerate.

9. The laminate according to claim 6, wherein the core is a paper layer impregnated with resin.

The laminate according to claim 6, wherein the coated aluminum layer includes a first side coated with a resin that allows thermal bonding to the core and a second side coated with a resin that inhibits moisture penetration and the oxidation.

11. The laminate according to claim 10, wherein the substrate layer is an ABS foam.

12. The laminate according to claim 11, wherein the core is a paper layer impregnated with resin.

13. The laminate according to claim 10, wherein the substrate layer is a medium density agglomerate.

14. The laminate according to claim 13, wherein the core is a paper layer impregnated with phenolic resin.

15. A decorative panel, comprising: a decorative layer; and a backing laminate that inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation, the backing laminate including a core and a coated aluminum layer bonded to the core; and wherein the core is directly bonded to the substrate and the coated aluminum layer is directed away from the substrate.

16. The decorative panel according to claim 15, further including a substrate placed between the backing laminate and the decorative layer.

17. The decorative panel according to claim 16, wherein the substrate is an ABS foam.

18. The decorative panel according to claim 16, wherein the substrate is medium density agglomerate. The decorative panel according to claim 16, wherein the coated aluminum layer includes a first side coated with a resin that allows thermal bonding with the core and a second side coated with a resin that inhibits moisture penetration and the oxidation. tf The decorative panel according to claim 15, wherein the coated aluminum layer includes a first side coated with a resin that allows thermal bonding with the core and a second side coated with a resin that inhibits moisture penetration and oxidation. 21. The decorative panel according to claim 20, wherein the first side is coated with a urethane and the second side is coated with an epoxy. 22. The decorative panel according to claim 20, further including a substrate placed between the backing laminate and the decorative layer. 23. The decorative panel according to claim 22, wherein the substrate is ABS foam.