WO2007117952A1

WO2007117952A1 - Pressure-sensitive adhesive film and method for maintaining floor surfaces

Info

Publication number: WO2007117952A1
Application number: PCT/US2007/064773
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoshihito Nogashira; Kenichi Miyakawa; Satoshi Kayamori; Takao Suzuki; Noboru Sakaushi; Atsushi Matsui
Original assignee: Johnsondiversey, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-03-31
Filing date: 2007-03-23
Publication date: 2007-10-18

Abstract

A pressure-sensitive adhesive film that floors that is peelably attached to a floor surface, comprising: a tacky sheet having a pressure- sensitive adhesive layer for attaching to the floor surface; and an overlaminated film that is laminated directly or via another layer on an upper surface of the tacky sheet, wherein a coat layer which forms a protective coating film and comprises at least one resin from an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin is formed on an upper surface of a substrate film constituting said overlaminated film, and the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on a surface of said pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors after the attachment ot the floor surface.

Description

PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE FILM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING

FLOOR SURFACES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors, a floor structure using same, and a method for preserving and maintaining the floor surface.

2. Description of the Related Art

Display films (including those that are termed "sheets") printed with a design such as an advertisement or a guiding sign have been used in special spaces of a floor surface, e.g., in shops, to correlate the traffic lines of people with the location of the displayed products. Such display films, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, have a configuration in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 51 for attachment to a floor surface is formed on the lower surface of a substrate layer 50, and a graphic layer 52 comprising a display section created by printing is formed on the upper surface of the substrate layer 50. An overlaminated film 53 comprising a poly (vinyl chloride) resin or polyethylene terephthalate resin is laminated on the upper surface of the graphic layer 52 to protect this layer. A peeling paper 54 is attached to the lower surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 51 to protect it prior to use. For example, a pressure- sensitive adhesive sheet composite body in which a printing-receptive pressure- sensitive adhesive sheet on which a design can be printed is combined with an overlaminated film for protecting the surface of the printing-receptive pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet after the printing has been disclosed as a pasting sheet for advertisement that can be advantageously used by adhesively bonding to a floor surface (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-70686). The outermost surface of the overlaminated film comprises a transparent surface resin layer in which inorganic particles are contained in a cured product of an ionizing radiation curable resin, those particles having a hardness higher than that of the cured product, and a transparent substrate sheet comprising a thermoplastic resin, a transparent pressure- sensitive adhesive layer, and a parting sheet are successively laminated on the rear surface of the transparent surface resin layer.

Such configuration provides a display sheet with good endurance, despite a small sheet thickness, because the outermost surface layer of the overlaminated film is made from an exceptionally hard special transparent surface resin layer. However, though such configuration reliably protects the surface of the printing-receptive pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet, the surface of the overlaminated film itself is not compatible with floor polish compositions, similarly to the conventional display sheets, and the beauty and endurance thereof cannot be preserved and maintained by waxing. Furthermore, because the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the rear surface of the printing-receptive pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet is not by itself peelable and is strongly attached to the floor surface, it cannot be stripped even when it becomes unnecessary. On the other hand, a method for decorating a floor surface and a decorative material for a floor surface have been disclosed by which a variety of durable designs can be provided by placing a decorative film on the surface of a floor material attached to the floor surface or providing a design on the surface of a floor material by directly forming an image with a water-resistant coloration material for drawing, then providing a coating film of at least one layer of an aqueous UV-curable coating agent on the decorative film, and curing by irradiating the coating film with ultraviolet radiation (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-113668) .

Furthermore, a laminate in which an alkali -soluble top coat, a crosslinkable top coat, and a permanent top coat are provided on the upper surface of a carrier film and a laminate in which a top coat is provided on the upper surface of a laminated film have been disclosed (see International Patent Applications Laid-open Mo. WO2004/056562 and WO2004/056563) . A treated surface in which an evaporation-curable coating agent, an atmosphere- curable coating agent, an energy-curable coating agent, and a permanent crosslinkable coating agent are provided on the upper surface of a film and a treatment method have been disclosed (see International Patent Applications Laid-open No. WO2004/108409) .

Further, a re-applicable floor film for shops that is suitable as a protective coating film for a floor surface of shops has been disclosed, this film comprising a base film made from a flexible resin and a foundation layer that is formed on the rear surface of the base film and serves for attachment to the floor surface, wherein the floor films for shops of a plurality of different colors and designs are prepared and can be selected (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 3STo. 2003-247175) . Moreover, an advertisement display structure in which an advertisement sheet having the advertisement information of a displayed merchandise indicated on the surface thereof is removably installed on a floor surface in front of the display zone of the merchandise in the merchandize display section where the merchandise is displayed, the advantages of the merchandise that is the advertisement object over other products are brought out, and a customer is motivated to purchase the merchandise and an advertisement sheet for use in such advertisement display structure have also been disclosed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000- 276087) .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, the constituent feature of the invention of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-113668 is that a coating layer of at least one aqueous ultraviolet- curable coating agent is formed on a decorative film. In order to provide such coating, an ultraviolet irradiation device is necessary. Yet another limitation is that the operations cannot be performed unless the device is operated by a specialist capable of handling ultraviolet radiation. Other problems include the necessity to prevent the irradiation with ultraviolet radiation from affecting the merchandise, e.g., display shelves and inner trim of the shops or the like, and to move the merchandize. Furthermore, because the ultraviolet-curable coating agent is a semi-permanent coating film, it is difficult to strip, In addition because of a strong adhesion to the floor surface, strong tackiness remains when the film is removed and the original state is difficult to restore. International Patent Applications Laid-open No. WO2004/056562, WO2004/056563 , and WO2004/108409 describe that various coating agents are coated on a carrier film having an ensign, but the coating agents correspond to floor polish composition used for waxing. Therefore, even when they are coated as a thin film on the upper surface of a carrier film composed of a typical materials, sufficient adhesion to the carrier film and endurance cannot be obtained and the beauty of the film surface cannot be preserved and maintained for a long time, like that of the usual floor surface.

Furthermore, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No, 2003-247175 and 2000-276087 describe a film or sheet in which an information display such as a design is provided on one surface, this film or sheet having a comparatively low adhesion to the floor surface and good stripping ability. It is presumed that the film or sheet can be re-applied within a short interval, but how to preserve and maintain the beauty of its surface is neither described nor suggested.

Thus, though the conventional display films have been described to have display zones covered and held by the overlarninated film, the process of coating the surface thereof with a floor polish composition used for preserving and maintaining the floors, bonding the film strongly with the surface of the overlaminated film, and integrally protecting the floor surface and the film surface was neither described not suggested. Furthermore, if the film surface is not protected from contamination and stained, e.g., by walking, the contamination is easily deposited on the film. As a result, in the film having a display section, the decorative features such as letters or color are easily lost and the advertisement effect or sign effect are poor.

On the other hand, when the film surface is subjected to contamination preventing treatment, the film surface tends to be slippery. Moreover, because the surface state (slip resistance) in the zones coated with the film is different from that in the uncoated zones, a feeling of physical disorder appears during walking.

In the films for indoor use, the thickness of the entire film is generally about 300 um, and in the films for indoor or outdoor use, the thickness of the entire film is 250-400 μm. In the films specifically designed to have a high surface endurance, the thickness of the entire film is most often 1-2 mm. As a result, a small step is created that hinders walking. Yet another problem is that end sections of the film are often torn off or damaged by implementing general floor maintenance operations (surface washing performed with a polisher or an automatic floor washing machine or buffing performed with a burnisher) that are performed with respect to hard floor in shops or facilities. Accordingly, most indication films are provided with a strong adhesive force with respect to floor materials and attached to the floors semi-permanentIy, with the exception of those designed for re-application within a comparatively short interval as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-247175 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-276087.

However, when display films that are semi-permanently attached to the floor material are used, if they are stripped or re-applied during shop renovation or due to a change of people traffic routes or the end of the advertisement period, the film cracks and is difficult to strip. Moreover, if the film is unintentionally peeled off, the zones where the film was peeled off remain sticky and a difference in external appearance occurs between the zone with and without the film. For this reason, in many cases the display film that has once been attached is left attached to the original place even if the arrangement of merchandise is changed. Yet another problem is that even if the film can be stripped, since the floor surface is damaged, a significant working time is required to restore the original state of the floor.

Accordingly, there is a need for a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors which has excellent adhesion to floor polish compositions and endurance, in which the beauty of the upper surface can be preserved and maintained by a protective coating film of a floor polish composition, and which enables an easy stripping operation. There is an especially strong demand for pressure-sensitive adhesive films for floors that have improved eye-catching effect and advertisement and promotion effect of merchandise or the like because a graphic layer that displays an advertisement or a sign is provided thereon.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors that excels in adhesion to a floor polish composition and endurance and can be readily stripped. It is another object of the present invention to provide a floor structure using a pressure-sensitive adhesive film that excels in adhesion to a floor polish composition and endurance and a method for preserving and maintaining the floor surface.

In order to attain this object, the present invention provides a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors that is peelably attached to a floor surface, the first gist of the invention being that the film comprises a tacky sheet having a pressure- sensitive adhesive layer for attaching to the floor surface and an overlaminated film that is laminated directly or via another layer on an upper surface of the tacky sheet, wherein a coat layer which forms a protective coating film and comprises at least one resin from an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin is formed on an upper surface of a substrate film constituting the overlaminated film, and the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on a surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors after the attachment to the floor surface .

The second gist of the present invention is IB the above-described, pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which the material of the substrate film constituting said overlaminated film is any of polyethylene terephthalate, poly {vinyl chloride) , and a polyolefin, and the third gist is in the above-described pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which the tacky sheet is a synthetic paper having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a lower surface.

The fourth gist of the present invention is in the above-described pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which a graphic layer having a display section comprising at least one of a letter, a figure, and a color is formed on an upper surface of the tacky sheet and the fifth gist is in the above-described pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which an adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the tacky sheet is set so that an adhesive force vs. SUS measured according to JIS Z 0237 is 50 to 500 N/m. The sixth gist of the present invention is in the above-described pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the tacky sheet has a plurality of concave sections and outer edge convex sections that are adjacent at least to parts of the outer edges of the concave sections.

The seventh gist of the present invention is in a floor structure in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors that is any gist of the above-described first to sixth gist is pasted directly or via another layer on an upper surface of a floor material and a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on an upper surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film. The eighth gist of the present invention is in the above- described floor structure in which a foundation film comprising at least one from a floor sealer composition and a floor polish composition is formed on the upper surface of the floor material, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors is pasted on the foundation film.

The ninth gist of the present invention is in a method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of the floor structure that is the seventh or eighth gist, by which preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (a) washing a floor surface; (b) drying the floor surface; and (c) thermally plasticizing a protective coating film on the floor surface by buffing to improve smoothness and increase gloss are performed daily according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on the floor surface.

The tenth gist of the present invention is in a method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of the floor structure that is the seventh or eighth gist, wherein preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (a) washing a floor surface; (b) drying the floor surface; and (d) additionally forming a new protective coating film by coating a material identical to a material forming the protective coating film of the floor surface on the coated protective coating film and drying the same periodically according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on the floor surface.

The eleventh gist of the present invention is in the above-described method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface, wherein in the step (a) , washing is conducted by using a polisher or an automatic floor washing machine.

The twelfth gist of the present invention is in a method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of the floor structure that is the seventh or eighth gist, wherein preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (e) stripping at least part of the protective coating film of the floor surface, washing, rinsing, and then drying, and {f) forming again a new protective coating film by coating a material identical to a material forming the protective coating film of the floor surface on at least partly striped coated protective coating film and drying the same together with at least one process of the process including preservation and maintenance of a floor surface according to claim 9 and the process including preservation and maintenance of a floor surface according to claim 10 according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on the floor surface.

The thirteenth gist of the present invention is in the above-described method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface, wherein in the step (e) , stripping and washing and also rinsing are conducted by using a polisher or an automatic floor washing machine. The fourteenth gist of the present invention is in a method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface, comprising the steps of stripping a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors from the floor surface preserved by the method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface according to any gist of the ninth, to thirteenth gist and restoring the beauty and returning to the original state of the floor material surface.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention is a pressure- sensitive adhesive film that is configured to be peelably attached to a floor surface and to form on the surface thereof a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition after the attachment, this pressure-sensitive adhesive film having a configuration in which a tacky sheet having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer for attaching to the floor surface and an overlaminated film are laminated, wherein a coat layer for forming the protective coating film and comprising at least one resin from an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin is formed on an upper surface of a substrate film. Therefore, a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition can be formed with excellent adhesive strength on the upper surface of the coat layer.

Thus, with the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention, although the strength of the film itself and the adhesion thereof to a floor are not that high, due to the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition formed on the upper surface thereof, the film surface and the adhesion of the film and the floor surface can be protected at a sufficiently high level, thereby making it possible to produce a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors with a very small thickness. This is an important feature of the present invention.

Furthermore, because the protective coating film, e.g., of a floor polisher covers the upper surface and end sections of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in a state in which practically no step is created with respect to the surrounding floor surface, the end sections of the film are not torn off even when people walk thereon or general maintenance operations (washing, buffing) are performed. Yet another advantage is that by providing a protective coating film, e.g., of a floor polisher, continuously on the zones where the film is attached and zones where the film is not attached, the slip resistance in the attachment sections of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors can be made equal to that in other portions and walking is not associated with a feeling of physical disorder or danger.

When a graphic layer having a display section comprising at least one of a letter, a figure, and a color is formed on the upper surface of the tacky sheet in the pressure- sensitive adhesive film in accordance with the present invention, in addition to the above-described advantages, the advertisement effect, e.g., of a merchandise, or a sign effect are increased on the floor surface of the floor structure using the film.

With the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in which the graphic layer has been formed, in order to change the display due to shop renovation or the end of the advertisement period, the operations of peeling off the film from the floor surface and re-applying the film are performed, but because the film is installed peelably with respect to the floor surface, no tacky residue remains on the floor surface, the film can be stripped easily, and the original state can be easily restored.

The advantage of the floor structure in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive film in accordance with the present invention is attached to a floor material and a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on the film is that because the protective coating film has excellent adhesive properties and endurance, the film hardly gets dirty even when people walk thereon and does not become slippery. In addition, although the pressure-sensitive adhesive film itself is peelable from the floor surface, the advantage of forming the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is that the pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors that was attached to the floor surface is neither peeled nor damaged even when walked upon or in the course of preservation and maintenance such as floor washing.

Furthermore, with the method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface in accordance with the present invention, the adhesion of the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition and the pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention and the endurance thereof can be maintained at a high level over a long period, whereby the stain-free surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors can be maintained at all times. Further, the floor surface can be maintained in a clean and safe state in shops, facilities and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an embodiment of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an explanatory drawing illustrating another embodiment of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an explanatory drawing illustrating yet another embodiment of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention ;

Fig. 4 is an explanatory drawing illustrating an embodiment of the floor structure in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an explanatory drawing illustrating the effect of the floor structure in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is an explanatory drawing illustrating another embodiment of the floor structure in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 7 is art explanatory drawing illustrating an example of the conventional display sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in greater detail.

Fig. 1 shows a pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors that is an embodiment of the present invention. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors 1 is configured to be peelably attached to a floor surface and to form on the surface thereof a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition after the attachment, this pressure-sensitive adhesive film having a configuration in which an overlaminated film 5 having a three-layer structure and a tacky sheet 8 having a two- layer structure are laminated as shown in the figure. In the overlaminated film 5, a coat layer 3 for forming the protective coating film is formed on the upper surface of a substrate film 2, and a pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4 is formed on the lower surface of the substrate film 2. In the tacky sheet 8, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 for peelable attachment to the floor surface is formed on the lower surface of the substrate layer 6. The lower surface of the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 7 of the tacky sheet 8 is coated with a peeling paper 9 that is removed when the pressure- sensitive adhesive film is used.

Examples of materials suitable for the substrate film 2 of the overlaminated film 5 include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polyesters (polyethylene terephthalate and the like), polystyrene, polyacryls, polyurethanes, polyamides, and polyacetals. Among them, from the standpoint of endurance, polyethylene terephthalate, poly (vinyl chloride) and polyolefins are preferred, and from the standpoint of heat resistance in the buffing operation, polyethylene terephthalate is especially preferred.

The thickness of the substrate film 2 is appropriately selected according to application, but is usually preferred to be set at about 10-200 μm, more preferably 15-100 urn. If the thickness is less than 10 μm, there is a risk of the endurance being insufficient in floor applications. Conversely, if the thickness exceeds 200 μm, a step is formed between the pressure-sensitive adhesive film and the floor surface without the film, and this step may cause peeling of the installed pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors.

Any one of an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin can be used as a material for the coat layer for forming a protective coating film, this coat layer 3 being formed on the upper surface of the substrate film 2.

Examples of acryl-type resins include resins obtained by using individually a monomer, e.g., an acrylic monomer such as methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, n- propyl (meth) acrylate, isopropyl (meth) acrylate, n-butyl (meth) acrylate, isobutyl (meth) acrylate, sec-butyl (meth) acrylate, tert -butyl (meth) acrylate, n-amyl (meth) acrylate, isoamyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylbutyl (meth) acrylate, n-hexyl (meth) acrylate, n-octyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate , 2-chloroethyl (meth) acrylate, trifluoroethyl (meth) acrylate, benzyl (meth) acrylate, hexafluoroisopropyl (meth) acrylate, 2- ethoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2-n-butoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2 -methoxybutyl (meth) acrylate, 3-methoxybutyl (meth) acrylate, 2-nitro-2-methylpropyl (meth) acrylate, furfuryl (meth) acrylate, cyclopentyl (meth) acrylate, cyclohexyl (meth) acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl (meth) acrylate, tetrapyranyl (meth) acrylate, benzyl (meth) acrylate, cinnamyl (meth) acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl (meth) acrylate, 2-phenylethyl (meth) acrylate, phenyl (meth) acrylate, and (meth) acrylic acid and an ethylenic monomer such as acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, vinyl pyridine, vinyl pyrrolidone, methyl crotonate, maleic anhydride, styrene, α-methyl styrene, and copolymers obtained by copolymerizing two or more of such monomers. The term " (meth) acrylate" herein means "at least one of an acrylate and a methacrylate" , and the term " (meth) acrylic acid" means "at least one of acrylic acid and methaσrylic acid" .

The preferred urethane-type resin is the so-called urethane resin that is manufactured by using a component comprising an isocyanate group as the main agent, using a component comprising an active hydrogen as an auxiliary agent, and conducting a reaction of the two, and this resin may also be a copolymer of the urethane resin and another polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid. Examples of other copolymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acids include acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, and itaconic acid.

The aforementioned vinyl acetate-type resin comprises a vinyl acetate-type resin as the main component and may use vinyl acetate alone or be a copolymer of vinyl acetate and another copolymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid.

In those resins, if necessary, an organic pigment or inorganic pigment can be blended in a coat layer to prevent blocking. Among them, organic pigments with excellent transparency are preferred. The blending ratio of the pigment is preferably 5 wt% or less in the coat layer. When the blending ratio is more than 5 wt%, the transparency of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors is easily decreased.

An appropriate coating method selected from a metering bar method, a gravure roll method, an air knife method, a spraying method, and a reverse roll method can be used as a method for forming the coat layer 3. The coating quantity (dry weight of the coated film) for obtaining the coat layer 3 is preferably 0.05-5.0 g/m², more preferably 0.1-1.5 g/m². If this quantity is less than 0.05 g/m², a uniform coating layer may be difficult to form. If this quantity is more than 1.5 g/m², the transparency decreases and blocking may easily occur.

The thickness of the coat layer 3 is preferably 0.05-8 μm, more preferably 0.1-2 μm. If the thickness is less than 0.05 μm, a uniform coating film cannot be formed, and if the thickness is more than 8 μm, transparency decreases and blocking can easily occur.

3STo specific limitation is placed on the material of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4 formed on the lower surface of the substrate film 2. From the standpoint of transparency and weather resistance, an acrylic pressure- sensitive adhesive comprising an acryl-type prepolymer or an acryl-type monomer as the main component is preferred. No specific limitation is placed on the acryl-type pressure- sensitive adhesive, and examples of suitable pressure- sensitive adhesives include those comprising a vinyl monomer comprising an acryl group, a vinyl monomer comprising an epoxy group, a vinyl monomer comprising an alkoxy group, a vinyl monomer comprising an ethylene oxide group, a vinyl monomer comprising an amino group, a vinyl monomer comprising an amido group, a vinyl monomer comprising a halogen atom, a vinyl monomer comprising a phosphate group, a vinyl monomer comprising a sulfonate group, a vinyl monomer comprising a silane group, a vinyl monomer comprising a phenyl group, a vinyl monomer comprising a benzyl group, a vinyl monomer comprising a tetrahydrofurfuryl group, and other copolymerizable monomers .

The adhesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4 is preferably set so that an adhesive force vs SUS measured according to JIS Z 0237 is 200 N/m (about 500 gf/25 mm) or more. Thus, if the adhesive strength is less than 200 N/m, the overlaminated film 5 may peel off from the tacky sheet 8 (a graphic layer when the graphic layer is introduced between the tacky sheet 8 and the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4, as described hereinbelow) . In order to improve pressure adhesivity and physical properties of the resin material serving as the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4 a variety of additives can be used, if necessary, those additives including agents imparting pressure sensitivity to the layer, e.g., natural resins such as rosin, modified rosin, derivatives or rosin and modified rosin, polyterpene-type resins, terpene modification products, aliphatic hydrocarbon resins, cyclopentadiene-type resins, aromatic petroleum resins, phenolic resins, alkyl-phenol -acetylene resins, coumarone- indene reins, and vinyl toluene - α-methyl styrene copolymer, crosslinking agent, antiaging agents, stabilizers, softeners such as oils, and fillers. If necessary, those additives can be used in combinations of two or more thereof. If weather resistance is to be increased, an organic ultraviolet absorber such as benzophenone or benzotriazole may be added to the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4.

The conventional well-known crosslinking agents can be used. Examples of crosslinking agents suitable for synthesizing an acrylic resin for use in the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4 include polyfunctional vinyl compounds such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate, hexane diol diacrylate, polyethylene diol diacrylate, polypropylene glycol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, pentaerythritol diacrylate, and dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate . Examples of crosslinking agents that can be added to and compounded with the synthesized acrylic resin include compounds having an epoxy group such as ethylene glycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, glycerin diglycidyl ether, glycerin triglycidyl ether, 1,6- hexane diol glycidyl ether, trimethylol propane triglycidyl ether, diglycidyl aniline, diamineglycidyl amine, N, N, 3SJ', N' - tetraglycidyl-m-xylylene diamine, and 1, 3 -bis (N, N ' -diamine glycidyl aminomethyl) cyclohexane, compounds comprising an isocyanate group such as tolylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, diphenyl methane isocyanate, tetramethyl xylylene diisocyanate, naphthalene diisocyanate, triphenylmethane triisocyanate, and polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate, metal chelate compounds such as aluminum chelate compounds and titanium chelate compounds represented by aluminum tris (acetyl acetonate) , aluminum tris (ethyl acetoacetate) , and ethyl acetoacetate aluminum diisopropylate, and aziridine crosslinking agent represented by trimethylolpropane-β-aziridinyl propionate.

On the other hand, materials that have been used for similar applications, for example the so-called synthetic paper and plastic films may be used for the substrate layer 6 constituting the tacky sheet 8. The thickness of this layer is preferably set to 15-300 μm. Thus, if this thickness is less than 15 μm, the strength may become insufficient during processing, e.g., during printing. Conversely, if the thickness is more than 300 μm, the entire thickness increases and there is a risk of creating a step between the film and the surrounding floor surface.

The synthetic paper may comprise polypropylene, a polyester, or polystyrene as a substrate and may have a printing receptive layer on the substrate surface. Examples of materials for the plastic film include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, poly (vinyl chloride), polyesters, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethanes, polyamides, and polyacetalε. Among the above-described materials, a synthetic paper comprising polypropylene as the substrate and a pigment coating layer as a printing receptive layer is preferably used because it demonstrates excellent printing characteristic when the below-described graphic layer is formed.

The tensile strength of the synthetic layer o plastic film used for the substrate layer 6 is preferably 4-25 kN/m. Thus, if the tensile strength is less than 4 kN/m, the substrate layer 6 can be ruptured during a re-stripping operation, and when the tensile strength is more than 25 kN/m, the attachment operation is difficult to perform.

Furthermore, examples of preferred materials for the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 that is formed on the lower surface of the substrate layer 6 include a rubber-type compound, an acryl-type compound, a vinyl ether-type compound, an urethane-type compound, and a silicone-type compound, and those compounds are preferably used in the form of a solvent, emulsion, or hot melt. In order to facilitate the removal of gas bubbles, it is especially preferred that the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 7 has a structure comprising a plurality of

of concave sections and outer edge convex sections that are adjacent at least to some outer edges of the concave sections (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-298674) . In the preferred pressure-sensitive adhesive advantageous for producing a peelable pressure- sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors, the above-described crosslinking agent that can be employed in the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer 4 is used in the acryl-type pressure- sensitive adhesive.

An adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 formed on the lower surface of the substrate layer 6 is preferably set so that an adhesive force vs SUS measured according to JIS Z 0237 is 50-500 N/ra (about 130-1280 gf/25 mm) , and a range of 200-400 N/m (about 510-1020 gf/25 mm) is especially preferred. When the adhesive strength vs SUS is less than 50 N/m, the adhesive force is too low and the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors can easily peel off from the floor surface. Conversely, when the adhesive force is more than 500 N/m, the adhesive force is too high, the stripping operation is difficult, and a tacky residue easily remains on the floor.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors can be manufactured, for example, in the manner as follows. Thus, first, the overlaminated film 5 is produced by forming the coat layer 3 on the upper surface of the substrate film 2 and forming the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4 on the lower surface of the coat layer. A peeling paper is then attached to the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4. On the other hand, the tacky sheet 8 is fabricated by forming the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 on one surface of the substrate layer 6. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors, such as shown in Fig. 1, can be obtained by pasting the overlaminated film and the tacky sheet together, while peeling off the peeling paper located on the lower surface of the overlaminated film 5.

In the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors thus obtained, in the configuration obtained by laminating the overlaminated film 5 and the tacky sheet 8 having the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 7 for attaching to a floor surface, the coat layer 3 comprising any one resin from an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin is formed on the upper surface of the substrate film 2 of the overlaminated film 5. Therefore, protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition can be formed with excellent adhesivity and endurance on the upper surface of the coat layer 3. In particular, in the case where the coat layer 3 is formed from an acryl-type resin, a coating film comprising a floor polish composition that is coated on the upper surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors excels in initial gloss, and when the coat layer is formed from an urethane-type resin, the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors with excellent resistance to contamination can be obtained. Among the above-described materials, it is preferred that an acryl-type resin or urethane-type resin be selected to form the coat layer 3 in the case of applications for advertisement in shops or facilities because the coat layer obtained has excellent external appearance.

When the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors in accordance with the present invention is used for advertisement in shops or facilities for applications where any display is performed, a graphic layer 10 comprising a letter, a color, or a figure is formed as the tacky sheet 8 on the upper surface of the substrate layer S, as shown in Fig. 2. The graphic layer 10 can be obtained by performing printing on the upper surface of the substrate layer 6 by using the usually used solvent-based ink, aqueous ink, or an energy- curable ink such as ultraviolet-curable ink. From the standpoint of preserving the color tone, hue, and lightness, it is preferred that printing be performed, by using an energy-curable ink.

Furthermore, a configuration in which a coat layer 3 ' similar to the coat layer 3 in the overlaminated film 5 is provided on a plastic film 6a and a graphic layer 10 is provided on the coat layer 3', as shown in Fig. 3, may be also used as the substrate layer 6 of the tacky sheet 8. The graphic layer 10 may be formed not only by printing a direct image on the upper surface of the coat layer 3 ' , but also by printing an inverted, image on the back (transparent) surface of the plastic film 6a.

A usually employed printing method for the graphic layer includes such as offset printing suitable in the case of a large number of printing sheets and on-demand printing suitable in the case of a small number of printing sheets, such as electrophotography, ink-jet recording, and thermal transfer recording.

Examples of the material of the plastic film 6a used as the substrate layer 6 of the tacky sheet 8 include poly (vinyl chloride), polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, polyesters, (polyethylene terephthalate and the like), polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) , polyurethanes, polyamides, and polyacetals.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors may be obtained by pasting together the films of two types: overlaminated film 5 and tacky sheet 8, as described hereinabove, and may also be a laminated film obtained by appropriately combining the overlaminated film 5, tacky sheet 8, and at least one of any plastic films. In order to improve convenience of such sheet or film laminates in use, it is preferred that a configuration be used in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed in advance on one surface and this surface is protected with a peeling paper and that the peeling paper be peeled off and lamination be performed in advance .

Pieces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention that have a comparatively small size, for example, a length of 200-1000 mm and a width of 300-1500 mm can be used for applications in which they are attached to specific sections of the floor surface of a shop that match the location of displayed merchandise or traffic lines of people. Furthermore, in the passages of salesrooms of department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and the like, a long film strip can be attached in the lengthwise direction of pieces of a special size can be spread all over the passage. Likewise, the film can be spread over the entire floor.

In particular, a significant feature of the pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors in accordance with the present invention is that, because the pressure- sensitive adhesive film is peelable from the floor surface, it can be easily peeled off by simple operations when the salesroom layout is changed or the limited-term advertisement is removed because the term thereof has ended, without encountering the problems associated with the conventional display films that cannot be peeled off and have to be left on the floor. Therefore, the effect of the present invention can be advantageously demonstrated to its maximum in applications in a size (length 200-1000 mm, width 300- 1500 mm) that has been widely employed for advertisement POP or signs with the so-called "films for floor marking". Furthermore, as has already been described hereinabove, since the very small thickness, for example, 230 μm or less, of the entire configuration can be set, no step is formed on the floor surface and the film can be used effectively over a long period.

The floor structure in accordance with the present invention will be described below.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the floor structure in accordance with the present invention. The floor structure has a configuration the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors (detailed description of the laminated structure of the overlaminated film 5 and tacky sheet 8 is omitted) is attached on a floor material 20 and a protective coating film 21 is formed on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film.

No specific limitation is placed on the floor material 20, and a floor material constituting a variety of floors such as chemical floors represented by vinyl or synthetic resin-coated floors, stone floors, cement floors, and flooring (wood floors) can be used. Among them, the so- called "hard floors" represented by chemical floors or stone floors that demonstrate an especially remarkable effect of restoring gloss on thermal plasticization by buffing are preferred.

The protective coating film 21 is formed with a floor polish composition.

The floor polish composition is defined as follows in the section Definition of Terms in Testing Methods for Floor Polishes, General Rules, in "JFPA (Japan Floor Polish Association) Standard-00" : "Those chemical products suitable for cleaning that are coated to protect the floor material and preserve the beauty thereof, form a coating film on drying, and can be easily removed by a chemical or physical method, when necessary; such products have also a general name "floor waxes"".

The floor polish compositions are classified into aqueous, emulsion-type, and oily compositions. Aqueous compositions can be of a polymer type and a wax type, and oily compositions are of a wax type. Wax-type compositions are likewise classified as oily compositions.

Product quality standards for floor polishes are established by "JFPA Standard- 101" for floor aqueous floor polishes, "JFPA Standard-102" for oily aqueous floor polishes, and "JFPA Standard-103" for emulsion aqueous floor polishes. Among them, aqueous floor polish compositions comprise an aqueous resin dispersion for floors, a plasticizer, a film-forming additive, an alkali-soluble resin, a slip adjusting agent, a wetting ability enhancer, and other components .

No specific limitation is placed on the floor polish compositions used in accordance with the present invention, and aqueous, emulsion-type, or oily types may be used. However, since aqueous compositions are presently the compositions of choice and because they are easy to handle and cost effective, it is preferred that an aqueous composition be selected.

Examples of commercial floor polish compositions include: trade name: J-Saver (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Signature Premium

(manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Status EX (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) , trade name: Spring Wet Look (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Sprint Floor

(manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: New Stardom (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Shield (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Gloria (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: One-Step

(manufactured by Johnson Professional Co._r Ltd.}, trade name: Fast Step (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Status (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: High Noon (manufactured by Butcher Co., Ltd.), trade name: Trade Mark (manufactured by Ramaji Co., Ltd) . Among them, in accordance with the present invention, the following floor polish compositions: J-Saver (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Signature Premium (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Status EX (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), High Noon (manufactured by Butcher Co., Ltd.), and trade name: Trade Mark (manufactured by Ramaj i Co., Ltd) are preferably used because they demonstrate good plasticization ability in buffing.

In the floor structure thus obtained, the protective coating film 21 comprising a floor polish composition is formed on the uppermost surface. Therefore, the structure excels in gloss restoration ability, resistance to black heel marks (BHM) , and resistance to scuffing (SM) . Furthermore, as shown schematically in Fig. 5, because the protective coating film 21 comprising a floor polish composition is formed continuously on the floor surface surrounding the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors, although the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors is by itself peelable from the floor surface, because the surrounding area is strongly bonded to and protected by the protective coating film 21, the end sections of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film are neither damaged nor torn off. When the protective coating film 21 located on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors is worn out with time and the beauty thereof is degraded, since the floor surface can be preserved and maintained by the below described simple operations that represent another feature of the present invention, the operation time can be advantageously shortened and the cost can be reduced.

In the floor structure in accordance with the present invention, at least one coating film (referred to hereinbelow as a "foundation film") 22 comprising a floor polish composition, a floor sealant composition, a paint, and the like may be formed, as shown in Pig. 6, between the floor material 20 and pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors .

The floor polish composition used to form the foundation film 22 is usually repeatedly coated and dried at a coating quantity of 10-15 g/m² per 1 layer on a washed and dried floor surface. In accordance with the present invention, 2-6 layers may be coated successively, as in the conventional process.

Depending on the type of the floor material 20, for example, in order to seal the peaks and valleys when the floor surface is porous, a coating film of a floor sealant composition may be formed prior to forming the coating film of the floor polish composition. In this case, a two-layer configuration comprising a floor sealant coating film and a floor polish coating film is formed as the foundation film 22. A floor sealant coating film alone also may be formed as the foundation coating film 22 on the floor material 20.

The "floor sealant composition" is defined as follows in the section Definition of Terms in Testing Methods for Floor Polishes, General Rules, in "JFPA (Japan Floor Polish Association) Standard-00" : "A product that is formed as a film after drying and cannot be removed easily by physical and chemical methods" .

The floor sealant composition is usually repeatedly coated and dried at a coating quantity ratio of 10-20 g/m² per one layer, and usually 1-4 layers are coated. In accordance with the present invention, when the floor sealant composition is used with the object of sealing peaks and valleys of the porous floor material surface, coating of 1-2 layers is sufficient. Coating more than 2 layers is ineffective from the standpoint of cost and operation time (operability) . In addition, the effect of using the sealing agent with the above-described object reaches a saturation level .

The floor polish composition and floor sealant composition can be coated by a usual method such as spray coating, roller coating, brush coating, paint brush coating, and mopping method. The adjustment of temperature and moisture as coating conditions can be conducted with an appropriate drier, air blower, air conditioner, and the like.

Drying after coating is usually conducted at normal temperature (5-35°C> , but it is more preferred that drying be performed at a temperature about 20-25⁰C. As a result, a peelable protective film is formed. A moisture removal means such as air blowing, heating, or a combination thereof may be used appropriately to enhance moisture evaporation in the process of forming the foundation film. The formation time of the foundation film can thus be easily adjusted. The heating means is used exclusively to evaporate moisture, and heating is not a mandatory constituent feature of the process for forming the foundation film 22.

Instead of the foundation film 22 using a floor polish composition and floor sealant composition, a foundation film 22 comprising a paint may be formed by coating and drying a paint such as urethane paint or ultraviolet-curable paint.

On the other hand, the protective coating film 21 comprising a floor polish composition that is formed on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors can be formed by operations identical to those employed for forming the foundation film 22 comprising a floor polish composition. In particular, it is preferred that the 1-3 layers of the film be coated on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 1 for floors . The protective coating film 21 comprising a floor polish composition can be thermally plasticized by buffing to re-form it as a smooth coating film with improved gloss.

The buffing operation is usually performed by using a polisher or burnisher according to the work zone or surface area. In this case, special pads for high-speed buffing are used as the floor pads mounted on the polisher or burnisher. The preferred examples of such pads include comparatively soft floor pads that are used for light cleaning-polishing operations and burnishing operations on wax, such as: trade name: Shining Pad for Buffing (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.}, trade name: Burnish Dirisoft (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Burnish Dirihard (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), white pads (for example, trade name: White Superpolish Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.), mopping pads (for example, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) . It is especially preferred that the following pads be used: trade name: Shining Pad for Buffing (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) and trade name: Burnish Dirisoft (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) . The rotation speed of the pad in this process is usually 1500-3000 rpm, and from the standpoint of gloss restoration performance and operability, the rotation speed of 2000-2500 rpm is preferred.

The method for preserving and maintaining the floor surface in accordance with the present invention will be described below in greater detail.

Thus, the methods for preserving and maintaining the floor surface in accordance with the present invention are designed for the above-described floor structure in accordance with the present invention, and the methods for preserving and maintaining the floor surface of the following three types can be appropriately used according to the wear degree of the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition that is formed on the pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors: (1) a method for daily preserving and maintaining the floor surface; (2) a method for periodically preserving and maintaining the floor surface; and (3) a method for comprehensively preserving and maintaining the floor surface.

The method (1) for daily preserving and maintaining the floor surface comprises three steps of:

washing the floor surface (surface washing step) ;

drying the floor surface (surface drying step) ; and

smoothing and increasing the gloss by thermally plasticizing the protective coating film by buffing (buffing step) . This method is carried out to restore and preserve the desired degree of gloss, beauty, and endurance by implementing the aforementioned steps basically every day, for example, at a ratio of 1-3 times per day.

The method (2) for periodically preserving and maintaining the floor surface comprises three steps of:

washing the floor surface (surface washing step) ,-

drying the floor surface (surface drying step) ; and

coating and drying a floor polish composition to reform the protective coating film comprising the floor polish composition (step of re-forming the protective coating film) . This method is implemented according to the wear of the protective coating film of the floor polish composition formed on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors, such as damage or gloss reduction caused by walking, heel marks, or adhesion or dirt. This method is carried out to restore and preserve the desired degree of gloss, beauty, and endurance by implementing the aforementioned steps, for example, 4-12 times a year. In the case of convenience stores, it is conducted once a month.

Describing in greater detail, the aforementioned method (1) for daily preserving and maintaining the floor surface comprises the steps of: (a) washing the floor surface; (b) drying the floor surface; and (c) smoothing and increasing the gloss by thermally plasticizing the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition by buffing.

In the step (a) of washing the floor surface, dust and dirt present on the floor surface are removed by using a dust mop or broom and dirt or the like is then wiped with a mop or the like by using water or a diluted solution of a floor cleaner. Alternatively, the floor surface is washed by using an automatic floor washing machine. This method is implemented with the object of washing only the surface of the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition, without damaging the coating film. In this process the wastewater of the surface washing is preferably recovered by using a wet vacuum or floor squeezer.

After floor washing, rinsing is conducted with tap water, and the wastewater of rinsing is recovered by using a vacuum or squeezer. After thorough wiping, the floor surface is dried (step (b) ) .

Then, a step of smoothing and increasing the gloss by thermally plasticizing the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is performed by buffing (step (c) ) . When the frequency of walking is high or wear or dirt is observed on the protective film of the floor polish composition, the washed and beautiful state of the floor surface is restored by repeating the above-descried series of operations usually every day, for example, 1-14 times a week. In the case of convenience stores, the operations are usually carried out at a ratio of 2-3 times a day.

In the step (a) of washing the surface of the protective coating film of the floor polish composition, washing is carried out mechanically by using a polisher or an automatic washing material for floors or by manual operations in which a mop or a brush is used correspondingly to the degree of floor surface contamination, work zone, or work surface area.

In particular, in the case of mechanical washing, it is preferred that comparatively soft floor pads that are used for light cleaning-polishing operations on coating films of floor polish compositions, such as : white pads (for example, trade name: White Superpolish Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) and red pads (for example, trade name: Red Buffer Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.), be used as the floor pads for mounting on polishers and automatic washing machines.

Examples of cleaners for floors that can be advantageously used in the step (a) of washing the floor surface include surfactant-based compositions such as trade name: No-rinse Forward (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Forward Non-rinse (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), Washing Magnate (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), deep scrubber (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Banno Cleaner (manufactured by Teepoi Diversey Co., Ltd.), and trade name: Sanitary Cleaner (manufactured by Teepol Diversey Co., Ltd.). The below-described stripping agents for floors also can be used after appropriate dilution. From the standpoint of easiness of diluting operations and handleability of the chemicals, it is especially preferred that the above-described cleaners for floors be used.

In the step (c) of smoothing and increasing the gloss by thermally plasticizing the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition by buffing, a polisher or burnisher is used according to the work zone or surface area. Comparatively soft floor pads that are used for light cleaning-polishing operations and burnishing operations on wax, such as: trade name: Shining Pad for Buffing {manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Burnish Dirisoft (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Burnish Dirihard (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Burnish Pad B50 (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) , and white pads (for example, trade name: White Superpolish Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) are preferably used as floor pads for mounting on the polisher or burnisher. It is especially preferred that the following pads be used: trade name: Shining Pad for Buffing (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) and trade name: Burnish Dirisoft (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) . The rotation speed of the pad in this process is usually 1500- 3000 rpm, and from the standpoint of gloss restoration performance and operability, the rotation speed of 2000-2500 rpm is preferred.

Furthermore, in the method (2) for periodically preserving and maintaining the floor surface, a step (a) of washing the floor surface, a step (b) of drying the floor, and. a step (d) of coating and drying a floor polish composition to form additionally the protective coating film are implemented.

The steps (a) , (b) of washing and drying the floor surface are identical to the steps (a) , (b) of washing and drying the floor surface in the above-described method for daily preserving and maintaining the floor surface, and the explanation thereof is herein omitted.

A step of coating a floor polish composition on the floor surface by using a mop or an applicator at a ratio of the coating amount of about 10-15 g/m² per one layer and drying is conducted in order to coat and dry the floor polish composition and to form additionally the protective coating film. One or two layers of the protective coating are additionally formed (step (d) ) .

When the frequency of walking is high or wear or dirt is observed on the protective film of the floor polish composition, the washed and beautiful state of the floor surface is restored by repeating the above-descried series of operations usually at a ratio of 4-12 times a year.

The step of washing the surface of the protective coating film that was additionally formed and the step of smoothing and increasing the gloss by thermally plasticizing the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition by buffing are identical to the respective steps of the above-described method for daily preserving and maintaining, and the explanation thereof is herein omitted.

Furthermore, the comprehensive method (3) for preserving and maintaining the floor surface involves repeating the above-described method (1} for daily preserving and maintaining the floor surface and method (2) for periodically preserving and maintaining the floor surface and also the steps of (e) stripping at least part of the protective coating film of the floor surface, washing, and rinsing, (a step of stripping and washing-rinsing the surface) , and (f) drying the floor surface and forming again a new protective coating film by coating the floor polish composition and drying (a step of re-forming the protective coating film) implemented in each predetermined period.

Stripping and washing in the comprehensive method for preserving and maintaining the floor surface are carried out with the object of stripping and washing at least part of the protective coating film of the floor polish composition for which the desired gloss, beauty, and endurance were difficult to restore, for example, by using a stripping agent for floors. In this process the number of layers of the protective coating film that will be removed by stripping and washing can be set appropriately by adjusting the concentration of an aqueous solution of the stripping agent for floors according to the deterioration degree of the protective coating film. Usually, the entire protective coating film present on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film is removed and a new protective coating film is formed, but there are also cases where the part of the protective coating film that is still good is left and reused. In such cases, because the number of coating operations of the protective coating film (the number of additional layers of the protective coating film that are formed anew) can be reduced, the operation time can be shortened and the control cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the wastewater of stripping and washing is preferably recovered by using a wet vacuum or floor polisher.

After the above-described stripping and washing, rinsing is conducted with tap water, and the wastewater of rinsing is recovered by using a vacuum or squeezer. After thorough wiping, the floor surface is dried.

A step of coating a floor polish composition on the floor surface by using a mop or an applicator at a ratio of the coating amount of about 10-15 g/m² per one layer and drying is repeated on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film or pressure-sensitive adhesive film in which part of the protective coating film is still good and a protective coating film composed of 1-3 layers is formed.

In the step of stripping and washing, mechanical washing using a polisher or an automatic washing machine for floors or stripping and washing performed by manual operations using a mop, a brush, or the like are carried out according to a work zone or surface are, but from the standpoint of operation efficiency, it is preferred that mechanical stripping and washing using a polisher or an automatic washing machine for floors be performed.

In particular when mechanical stripping and washing are performed, black pads (for example, trade names: High-Pro Pad, Stripping Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.} and brown pads (for example, trade names: Brown Stripping Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) that are usually used for stripping the floor polish composition films can be used for stripping at least part of the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition film as the floor pads for mounting on a polisher or an automatic washing machine .

No specific limitation is placed on the stripping agents for floors that can be advantageously used in the aforementioned step of stripping and washing. For example, alkali agents such as alkali metal hydroxides, amine compounds such as ethanolamine, and glycol solvents such as diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, and dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, and compounds comprising as the main component a solvent selected from aromatic alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, for example, trade name: Get-Off (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), trade name: Tornado (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), Orgo HG low-odor (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), and Power Go Premium (manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.).

Furthermore, the step of washing the surface of the protective coating film that was formed again and the process of buffing the protective coating film that was formed again to plasticize the film and improve the smoothness and gloss thereof are identical to corresponding steps of the above-descried method for daily preserving and maintaining the film.

When the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors is used to produce an advertisement effect or sign effect, the stripping and re-application operations are conducted after the predetermined interval has elapsed. With these operations the protective coating film formed on the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors may be removed by surface washing or stripping and washing or the entire end section of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors or part thereof is removed with a cutter or the like from above the protective coating film and then peeling is conducted, followed by surface washing or stripping and washing. In this process, because the pressure-sensitive adhesive film in accordance with the present invention is peelable, the film is neither cracked nor greatly elongated. Moreover peeling can be conducted so that practically no sticky residue remains. Therefore, the original state can be easily restored.

Embodiments

The embodiments of the present invention will be explained below in greater detail together with comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments .

Embodiment 1

First, a polyethylene terephthalate film (trade name: Emblet S25, manufactured by Unitica Co., Ltd.) with a thickness of 25 μm was used as a substrate film of an overlaminated film, and a coat layer was formed thereon by coating an acryl-type resin coating agent (acrylic acid alkyl copolymer ammonium, trade name: Jurymer AT-210, manufactured by Japan Jun'yaku Co., Ltd.) at 1 g/m². A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer was formed by coating an acryl-type pressure-sensitive adhesive (an acrylic acid ester copolymer comprising 2-ethylhexyl acrylate as the main component; trade name: BPSIlO9, manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd.) at 15 g/m² on the rear surface of the substrate film, and a peeling paper (glassine paper subjected to parting treatment by coating an organopolysiloxane, trade name: Glassine Sepa G6W, manufactured by Oj i Takku KK) .

On the other hand, synthetic paper (trade name: Yupo SGS80, manufactured by Yupo Corporation) with a thickness of 80 μm was used as a substrate layer of a tack sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer was formed on one surface thereof by coating an acryl-type pressure- sensitive adhesive (trade name: BPS-3841, manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd.) at 30 g/m², a biaxially stretched polypropylene film (trade name: PY-102 #60, manufactured by Oji Paper Co., Ltd.) with a thickness of 60 μm was subjected to a hot needle piercing treatment, and a peeling paper (hole diameter 400 μm, number of holes 180/cm²) was attached to one surface thereof. As a result, the hole open sections of the peeling paper were transferred onto the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, whereby a plurality of concave sections and outer edge convex section that are adjacent to at least some of the outer edges of the concave sections that serve as gas bubble release paths were formed.

The target pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors was then obtained by removing the peeling paper of the overlaminated film and pasting onto the upper layer (the surface where the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has not been formed) of the substrate layer of the tacky sheet.

Samples of pressure-sensitive adhesive films for floors of Embodiments 2-15 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were obtained in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, except that the configuration of the pressure-sensitive film for floors was changed at shown in Tables 1-5 below. The total thickness of each pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors thus obtained is also shown in the tables. As for the coating film thickness, this thickness at a coating quantity of 1 g/^'cirr was caken to be 1 μm.

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

The materials used in Embodiments 2-15 and Comparative Examples 1-4 shown in Tables 1-5 are described in detail hereinbelow. Those that are not indicated herein are identical to the products of Embodiment 1.

[Substrate Film] *1: Poly (vinyl chloride) film, trade name: FCZA2481, manufactured by Achilles Co., Ltd.

*2 : Polyolefin-type film (polyolefin-type resin comprising polypropylene as the main component) , manufactured by Riken Vinyl Kogyo KK

*3: Biaxially stretched polypropylene film, trade name: Alphane SD-101, 0j i Paper Co., Ltd.

*6: Polyethylene terephthalate film (thickness 50 μm) , trade name: Emblet S5, manufactured by Unitika Co., Ltd.

*7 : Polyethylene terephthalate film {thickness 188 μm) , trade name: Emblet 0188, manufactured by Unitika Co., Ltd.

[Coating Agent]

*4 : Coating agent comprising an urethane-type resin, trade name: AH420, manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Co., Ltd.

*5: Coating agent comprising a vinyl acetate-type resin, trade name: Lamister R Medium, manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd.

[Tack Sheet Substrate Layer]

*8: Synthetic paper (thickness: 150 μm) , trade name: Yupo FPG150, manufactured by Yupo Corporation.

*9: Synthetic paper {thickness: 300 μm) , trade name: Yupo PPG300, manufactured by Yupo Corporation

[Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Layer of Tacky Sheet]

*11-14: Composition of acryl-type pressure-sensitive adhesive agent composition is adjusted so as to obtain an adhesive force such as shown in Table 4. [Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Layer of Lower Surface of Substrate Film and Adhesive Force of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Layer of Tacky Sheet]

*10: The value of adhesive strength vs SUS that is measured according to JIS Z 0237, units: N/m (the same in Table 11).

The evaluation tests of five types: adhesiveness test 1, adhesiveness test 2, test on resistance to washing with a washing machine, test on resistance to buffing, and test on film endurance were carried out by the below-described methods by using the above-described pressure- sensitive adhesive films for floors. In all the tests, an acryl/styrene-type floor polish composition (trade name: Signature Premium, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) was used as the floor polish composition in Embodiments 1-5, 9-15, and an acryl-urethane-type floor polish composition (trade name: Status EX, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) was used in Embodiments 6-8.

(1) Adhesivity Test 1

[Test Method]

A floor polish composition as a foundation film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² on a homogeneous tile (manufactured by Tori KK, MS Plane 5626) and cured. Then a sample of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film was pasted and a floor polish composition as a protective coating film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² and cured. After a week, a filtration paper wetted with tap water was placed for 10 min or 1 h on the protective coating film, the protective coating film was caused to swell, the moisture was wiped out with a paper towel (trade name: Kimuwipe®) , and then a Cellotape® was immediately pasted on the surface of the protective coating film and peeled off. The adhesion state of the protective coating film and film was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

O: protective coating film remains,

X: protective coating film peels off.

(2) Adhesiveness Test 2

[Test Method]

A floor polish composition as a foundation film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² on a homogeneous tile (manufactured by Tori KK, MS Plane 5626) and cured. Then a sample of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film was pasted and a floor polish, composition as a protective coating film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² and cured. A test sample was then obtained by drying for 1 day.

(a) The test sample was installed in the predetermined position of a snell capsule (heel mark resistance test machine) .

(b) Six standard rubber blocks were placed into a test drum and the test machine was activated for a total of 1400 sec at 70 revolutions per minute: 100 cycles, each of 7 sec, in one direction and then 100 cycles, each of 7 sec, in the other direction.

(c) The test sample was removed from the heel mark resistance test machine, the surface thereof was gently rubbed with a paper towel (trade name: Kirnuwipe®) to remove dust or dirt that adhered to the surface, and then the degree of damage of the protective coating film was evaluated according to the following criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

Evaluation was conducted based on a 10 point system.

1-2: easily peels off,

3-4: mostly peels off,

5-8: somewhat peels off;

9-10: practically does not peel off.

The sample with an evaluation grade of 5 or more was considered to be suitable for practical use.

(3) Washing Resistance Test

[Test Method]

The floor surface that has been preserved and maintained with a floor polish composition was washed by using a washing pad (trade name: Red Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.} and a diluted solution (by a factor of 60} of an alkali cleaner for floors (trade name: No-rinse Forward,, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.). After drying, a sample of the pressure- sensitive adhesive film was pasted and a floor polish composition as a protective coating film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² and cured. After drying for 1 week, the floor was washed 10 times by using an automatic floor washing machine (trade name: JA- 17, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.}, a diluted solution (by a factor of 60) of an alkali cleaner for floors (trade name: No-rinse Forward, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), and a washing pad (trade name: Red Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) . The adhesion state of the protective coating film was then observed and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

O: protective coating film is preserved,

Δ: partial damage of protective coating film is observed,

X: significant damage of protective coating film.

(4) Buffing Resistance Test

[Test Method]

The protective coating film subjected to a washing resistance test was dried and subjected to 10 cycles of reciprocatory buffing by using a buffing machine (trade name: Cleanster D-380N, manufactured by Amano KK) and a buffing pad (trade name: Eraser Burnish Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) . The state of the protective coating film after buffing was observed and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.

[Evaluation Criteria]

O: protective coating film is preserved,

Δ: partial damage of protective coating film is observed,

X : significant damage of protective coating film.

(5) Film Endurance Test

[Test method] The floor surface that has been preserved and maintained with a floor polish composition was washed by using a washing pad (trade name: Red Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) and a diluted solution (by a factor of 60) of an alkali cleaner for floors (trade name: No-rinse Forward, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.) . After drying, a sample of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film was pasted and a floor polish composition as a protective coating film was twice coated at a coating quantity of 15 g/m² and cured. Starting the next day, the floor was washed by using an automatic floor washing machine (trade name: JA-17, manufactured by Johnson Professional Co., Ltd.), tap water, and a washing pad (trade name: Red Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) and buffed every day by using a buffing machine (trade name: Cleanster D- 380N, manufactured by Amano KK) and a buffing pad (trade name: Eraser Burnish Pad, manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.) . The state of the protective coating film after 1 month was visually observed and the endurance of the film was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria .

[Evaluation Criteria]

O: good,

Δ: slight damage is observed,

X : damage is observed at the end sections of the film,

XX: damage is observed over the entire film.

The evaluation results are shown in Tables 6-10. Table 6

Table 7

Table 8

Table 9

Table 10

Comparative Examples 5-9

In Comparative Examples 5-7 a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition was not provided, on the upper surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive films for floors of Embodiments 1-3. In Comparative Examples 8, 9, as shown in Table 11 below, a coat layer of a type different from that of the configuration of the present invention was provided as an overlaminated film. Other aspects of the obtained sample pressure-sensitive adhesive films for floors were identical to those of the above- described embodiments. In these comparative examples, too, a floor polish composition was not provided on the upper surface . Table 11

The materials used in Comparative Examples 8 and 9 in Table 11 are described in greater detail below. Those that are not indicated herein are identical to the products of Embodiment 1.

[Coating Agent]

*15 : Silicone resin, trade name SD-7320, manufactured by Toray - Dow Corning Co . , Ltd .

*16: poiyolefin resin, trade name: Alobase SB-1010, manufactured by Unitica Co., Ltd. They were also subjected to a washing resistance test (materials of Comparative Examples 5-7 were not treated, and only the materials of Comparative Examples 8, 9 were treated) , buffing resistance test, and film endurance test in the same manner as described above. The results obtained are shown in Table 12 and Table 13.

Table 12

Table 13

After the endurance of the films has been evaluated, the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors was manually peeled off from the floor surface and the peeling ability of the films and the ability thereof to leave a sticky residue during the peeling operation were evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 14-17 below.

Evaluation Criteria - Peeling ability of the film (cracking and breaking of the film during peeling)

O: none,

Δ: slight cracking and breaking,

X: cracking and breaking.

- Presence of sticky residue

O: none,

Δ: slightly present,

X : present .

Table 14

Table 15

Table 16

Table 17

The results shown in Tables 6-10 and Tables 12-17 demonstrate that the pressure-sensitive adhesive films for floors that are obtained in the embodiments are superior to the products obtained in comparative examples with respect all the evaluation items. Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 5-9, a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition was not installed. As a result, the film was directly damaged by walking or earth and sand and the peeling ability of the film was degraded by cracking and breaking. In addition, contamination by walking or earth and sand was visible, the external appearance of the film deteriorated, and the advertisement effect and sign effect were reduced.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors that is peelably attached to a floor surface, comprising: a tacky sheet having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer for attaching to the floor surface,- and an overlaminated film that is laminated directly or via another layer on an upper surface of the tacky sheet, wherein a coat layer which forms a protective coating film and comprises at least one resin from an acryl-type resin, an urethane-type resin, and a vinyl acetate-type resin is formed on an upper surface of a substrate film constituting said overlaminated film, and the protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on a surface of said pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors after the attachment to the floor surface .

2. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors according to claim 1, wherein the material of the substrate film constituting said overlaminated film is any of polyethylene terephthalate, poly (vinyl chloride) , and a polyolefin.

3. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said tacky sheet is a synthetic paper having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a lower surface.

4. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a graphic layer having a display section comprising at least one of a letter, a figure, and a color is formed on an upper surface of said tacky sheet .

5. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein an adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the said tacky sheet is set so that an adhesive force vs. SUS measured according to JIS Z 0237 is 50 to 500 N/m.

6. The pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pressure- sensitive adhesive layer of said tacky sheet has a plurality of concave sections and outer edge convex sections that are adjacent at least to parts of the outer edges of said concave sections.

7. A floor structure in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors according to any of claims 1 to 6 is pasted directly or via another layer on an upper surface of a floor material and a protective coating film comprising a floor polish composition is formed on an upper surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film.

8. The floor structure according to claim 7, wherein a foundation film comprising at least one from a floor sealer composition and a floor polish composition is formed on the upper surface of said floor material, and said pressure-sensitive adhesive film for floors is pasted on the foundation film.

9. A method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of the floor structure of claim 7 or 8, by which preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (a) washing a floor surface; {b} drying the floor surface; and

(c) thermally plasticizing a protective coating film on the floor surface by buffing to improve smoothness and increase gloss are performed daily according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on said floor surface.

10. A method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of a floor structure of claim 7 or 8, by which preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (a) washing a floor surface; (b) drying the floor surface; and

(d) additionally forming a new protective coating film by coating a material identical to a material forming the protective coating film of the floor surface on the coated protective coating film and drying the same periodically according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on said floor surface.

11. The method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface according to claim 9 or 10, wherein in said step

(a) , washing is conducted by using a polisher or an automatic floor washing machine.

12. A method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface of a floor structure of claim 7 or 8, wherein preservation and maintenance comprising the steps of: (e) stripping at least part of the protective coating film of the floor surface, washing, rinsing, and then drying, and (f) forming again a new protective coating film by coating a material identical to a material forming the protective coating film of the floor surface on at least the partly striped coated protective coating film and drying the same together with at least one process of the process including preservation and maintenance of a floor surface according to claim 9 and the process including preservation and maintenance of a floor surface according to claim 10, according to wear and damage of the protective coating film on said floor surface.

13. The method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface according to claim 12, wherein in said step (e) , stripping and washing and also rinsing are conducted by using a polisher or an automatic floor washing machine.

14. A method for preserving and maintaining a floor surface, comprising the steps of stripping a pressure- sensitive adhesive film for floors from the floor surface of the floor structure preserved by the preservation and maintenance method according to any of claims 9 to 13 and restoring the beauty and returning to the original state of the floor material surface.