WO2017033202A1

WO2017033202A1 - Composite reusable multilayer protective floor mat

Info

Publication number: WO2017033202A1
Application number: PCT/IN2016/000089
Authority: WO
Inventors: Amit Kumar Ghosh; C Sachin DESHPANDE; Ajay Kumar GULERIA; Gourishanker Jha
Original assignee: The Supreme Industries Limited
Priority date: 2015-08-25
Filing date: 2016-04-07
Publication date: 2017-03-02
Also published as: IN2015MU03252A

Abstract

This invention relates to a floor protector composite multilayer mat which comprises of three layers. These three layers comprise of an expanded uncrosslinked polyethelene foam, an HD film and a cross laminated poly ethylene or alternatively a woven sacks mat. The floor protector mat imparts an anti skid property and an improved puncture and wear resistance.

Description

TITLE

COMPOSITE REUSABLE MULTILAYER PROTECTIVE FLOOR MAT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a floor protector composite multi layer mat with expanded polyethylene foam with HD Film and cross linked PE film or woven sacks mat.

The invention provides for multi layer composite floor mats for jobs site floors, which is kept floor safe and free from external damage.

These composite multilayer mats manufactured in from expanded polyethylene foam (EPE) sheets with thickness (2-5 mm) densities (18- 30 kg/m³) laminated by both side by HD film (15-30 micron) and cross laminated polyethylene film (35-40GSM) or woven sacks mat (110-130 GSM) , whereby the expanded polyethylene foam sheet with the low density provides a new generation cost effective cushioning products, cross laminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mat provides the improve puncture and wear resistance and HD film provides absolutely flat surface for floor contact.

It has been found that expanded polyethylene foam mats laminated with HD film on bottom side and upper side laminated with cross laminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mats which improves the anti skid property after the special embossed treatment on surface. Special embossed treatment provides a safe work environment at floor. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that polyethylene foam mat with high densities or those laminated with other material like polyethylene film do in fact suffice for many requirements like softness, durability etc. However properties like Anti-skidding and extended protection has not been possible. Also, the difficulty areas that suitable floor protective coating made of thermo plastic such as PVC cannot be relied upon for bonding directly by welding or gloving or cross linking by foam. Also these methods have not been cost effective.

The present invention is an attempt to provide for a floor mat of expended polyethylene foam which is low density with a floor -protecting surface by providing an applied covering layer made of a combination of thermo plastic film and cross linked PE film or woven mat, heatable pressing & heating and in high frequency hot gas flow by electric field heating.

Cost cutting is one of the major focuses for an extremely competitive market of polymeric foams. At the same time, decreasing the cost should not compromise with the properties of the product. In this invention, we have come up with a novel design of low density polymeric foams with less usage of expensive polymers and better insulation as well as other application properties of the product. The material is crosslinked LDPE foam sheets laminated to each other to build up the desired thickness with thermal conductivity of the material is 0.034 W/m°K OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide for a recycled and re-usable composite multilayer floor protector mats from multi layer laminated uncross -linked expanded low density polyethylene foams along with HD film and cross laminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mat to provide better wear and puncture resistance property.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide for a floor mat of low density expanded polyethylene foam with a floor protecting surface by providing an applied covering.

Layers made of a combination of thermo plastic film and crosslaminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mat, laminated by pressing & heating and high frequency trough hot gas flow by electric field heating.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a floor mat using thermo plastic HD film which is dielectrically heatable in an under pressing in electric heated roll at 190 °C to 220 °C, makes it possible to produce in an indirect fashion a permanent bonding of the floor-protecting surface layer with the floor-mat and cross laminated polyethylene film or woven mat. The same is heatable by pressing & heating in high frequency hot gas flow by electric field heating.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Floor protector multilayer composite mats for keep job site floors safe from external damage, shaped by the application of pressing &heating and hot air flow for lamination with , cross laminated polyethylene film woven sacks mat, HD film and uncross-linked low density expanded polyethylene foam with form a density of 70 to 100 kg/m³. These composite multilayer mats manufactured in from expanded polyethylene foam (EPE) sheets with thickness (2-5 mm) densities (18-30 kg/m³) and thicknesses with lamination of HD film (15-30 micron) and cross laminated polyethylene film (35-40GSM) or woven sacks mat (110-130 GSM) , whereby the expanded polyethylene foam sheet with the lower density provides a new generation cost effective cushioning product, cross linked PE film or woven sacks mat provides to improve wear and puncture resistance and HD film provides absolutely flat surface for floor surface contact. It has been found that expanded polyethylene foam mats laminated with polyethylene film on bottom side and upper side is laminated with cross laminated polyethylene film or woven mats which improving the anti skid property after the special embossed treatment on surface. Special embossed treatment provides a safe work environment at floor.

The basic floor mat, i.e. the base portion of the total mat construction, preferably consists of a thermoplastic film sheet and middle layer consisting an expanded polyethylene foam for cushioning property and under upper layer consisting an embedded PE crosslaminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mat for improve wearing and puncture resistanceas well asanti skid property by embossing. Preferably floor protector shaped under the influence of heating & pressing and flow of hot air to the form, i.e. to the contact the floor during the construction at site. Generally the base is shaped after application of the protective surface layer to selected surface portions or areas. If the floor mat is made in one layer from a expanded polyethylene foam sheet, a foam with a density of 18-30 kg/m³ with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm is preferably employed. This foam meets both the requirements for insulating properties and the cushion properties for the surface outside the floor area subjected to high wear. The expanded polyethylene foam sheet with the lower density has a sufficient cushioning and insulating effect on the lining for protect from any damage.

An important idea for the floor mat is the use of a floor-protecting layer made of a laminate, whereby the bottom side of the floor-protecting layer to be bonded to the thermoplastics HD film for floor contact and upper exposed surface of the floor mat is formed by a layer of the crosslaminated polyethylene PE film or Woven sacks fabrics mats for wear and puncture resistance and middle layer consist expanded polyethylene foam as the floor mat for cushioning property, which may have a different density. This permits the production of a homogeneous connection by melt welding; between the base floor mat and the floor- protecting layer, caused by the heating & pressing and flow of hot air of the thermoplastic film of the protecting cover layer. This connection reliably prevents the floor-protecting layer from coming loose from the floor mat during use. According to another embodiment of the invention, the plastic film and the polyolefin foam layer which form the floor- protecting surface layer are bonded together by the influence of heat. This laminate can be applied to the desired floor mat as the floor- protecting surface, and worked area. Preferably, according to the invention, the polyolefin foam layer in the floor-protecting surface layer has a density of 70 to 100 kg/ m³ and a layer thickness of 2 to 5 mm.

Process for manufacturing a floor mat with a floor-protecting surface layer according to the invention provides two stage process for applying the floor-protecting surface layer with its foam both side on the polyolefin foam sheet, which thermoplastics HD film sheet forms the floor mat base. Exposing the floor-protecting surface layer to a cross laminated polyethylene film or woven sacks mat that the plastic film and upper layer of the floor-protecting surface layer is heated by the high-frequency burner and the heat is transferred by hot air from the heated plastic film to the bonded polyolefin foam sheet which forms part of the floor- protecting surface layer, where upon the surfaces of the polyolefin foam sheet of the floor-protecting surface layer and the thermoplastics film sheet base of the floor mat are melted by the transferred heat by hot air and welded together to provide a composite floor mat having a polyolefin foam sheet in middle base (which may be a single or multiple layered structure) and a floor-protecting surface layer of woven sacks fabrics or cross laminated polyethylene film, whereupon this floor mat is embedded into appropriate segments by stamping and heated to a temperature of between 160 ^°C to 200 ^"C. In second stage thermoplastics HD film with EPE foam under pressing at specified temperature (190 °C to 220 °C). The bond between the three layer floor- protecting surface layer and the floor mat base under the influence of a heating and pressure. The process according to the invention for joining the floor-protecting surface layer to the floor mat base, therefore, provides for using, in the bonding area, weldable expanded polyethylene foam. The heat for melting and welding the foam is indirectly transferred and produced via the hot air heating or heating & pressing of a plastic film.

The primary directly heating of the plastic film of the floor-protecting surface layer is accomplished by using high frequency burner, and this heat is then transferred secondarily to the polyolefin foam layer being in associated contact therewith, and then further transferred through the polyolefin foam layer to the surface of the floor mat base, which is likewise made of polyolefin foam sheet, and by this heat transmission the foam layers are heated indirectly up to their melting temperature, whereupon the boundary layers become plastic and melt together.

Claims

We Claim:

1) A multilayered floor mat comprising a) an uncrosslinked low density polyethylene foam,

b) a cross laminated polyethylene film or alternatively a woven sacks mat and

c) an HD Film; whereby all the layers are attached to each other through the process of lamination.

2) An uncrosslinked polyethylene foam as claimed in claim 1

which is of low density which is recycled and re usable in nature and posseses cushioning properties.

3) A cross laminated polyethylene film or or woven sacks mat as claimed in claim 1 which provides for the properties of improved wear and puncture resistance.

4) A cross laminated polyethylene film or or woven sacks mat as claimed in claim 1 which providing the anti skid property after the special embossed treatment on surface.

5) An HD film as claimed in claim 1 which provides absolutely flat surface for floor surface contact. 6) An HD film as claimed in claim 4 which is dielectrically heatable under a pressure in an electric heated roll to cause a permanent bonding between the layers.

7) A process to manufacture the same that incorporates heating by the high frequency burner whereby the heat is transferred by hot air that melts the layers and welds them to provide a multilayered floor mat.

8) A multilayered floor mat as claimed alongwith the accompanying drawings.