FLOOR PANEL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLOOR PANELS

Abstract

Floor panel, wherein this floor panel comprises at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of thermoplastic material and/or filler materials, wherein the substrate encloses one or more glass fiber cloths, wherein the total weight of glass fiber cloths is more than 85 grams per square meter. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing floor panels which enclose a glass fiber cloth.

Claims

1. A floor panel, comprising at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of thermoplastic material and/or filler materials, wherein the substrate encloses one or more glass fiber cloths such that the substrate extends at least on both sides of the one or more glass fiber cloths, and wherein a total weight of glass fiber cloths is more than 85 grams per square meter.

2. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein the total weight of glass fiber cloths is between 100 and 150 grams per square meter.

3. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate encloses only one glass fiber cloth.

4. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate substantially consists of a strewn and pressed granulate of said thermoplastic material and/or filler materials.

5. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said glass fiber cloths are situated outside a central line of said substrate.

6. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said glass fiber cloths relate to so-called non-woven glass fiber layers.

7. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said glass fiber cloths are covered with an adherence material and/or a stabilizing material.

8. The floor panel of claim 7, wherein said glass fiber cloths are covered with a thermosetting material.

9. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic material has a glass transition temperature of less than 100 C.

10. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic material relates to polyvinyl chloride with an amount of plasticizer which is higher than 12%.

11. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said filler materials comprise chalk and/or limestone.

12. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein said filler materials form at least 40 percent by weight of the substrate material.

13. A floor panel, comprising at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of thermoplastic material and/or filler materials, wherein the substrate encloses one or more glass fiber cloths such that the substrate extends at least on both sides of the one or more glass fiber cloths, and wherein at least one of said glass fiber cloths is or are covered with a thermosetting material.

14. A floor panel, comprising at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of thermoplastic material and/or filler materials, and wherein the substrate encloses at least two directly interlinked glass fiber cloths such that the substrate extends at least on both sides of the glass fiber cloths.

15. The floor panel of claim 14, wherein said two glass fiber cloths relate to, on the one hand, a woven and, on the other hand, a non-woven glass fiber layer.

16. The floor panel of claim 14, wherein said two glass fiber cloths are interlinked in that they are connected by means of a respective adherence material and/or stabilizing material.

17. A floor panel, comprising at least a substrate and a decor provided thereon, wherein said substrate substantially consists of polyvinyl chloride, plasticizer and/or filler materials, wherein the substrate encloses one or more glass fiber cloths such that the substrate extends at least on both sides of the one or more glass fiber cloths, and wherein at least one of said glass fiber cloths is enclosed in a substrate portion which comprises a locally higher amount of plasticizer.

18-20. (canceled)

21. The floor panel of claim 10, wherein said thermoplastic material relates to polyvinyl chloride with an amount of plasticizer which is higher than 20%.

22. The floor panel of claim 12, wherein said filler materials form more than 50 percent by weight of the substrate material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, herein below, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0057] FIG. 1 represents a panel with the characteristics of the invention;

[0058] FIG. 2, at a larger scale, represents a cross-section according to line II-II in FIG. 1;

[0059] FIG. 3 schematically shows some steps in a method for manufacturing the panel of FIG. 1;

[0060] FIGS. 4 and 5, in a view similar to that of FIG. 2, represent other variants; and

[0061] FIG. 6, in a view similar to that of FIG. 3, represents another method for manufacturing floor panels similar to that of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0062] FIG. 1 represents a rectangular and oblong floor panel 1 having a pair of long sides 2-3 and a pair of short sides 4-5.

[0063] FIG. 2 represents that the respective floor panel 1 is composed of different layers 6-7-8-9A-9B-10.

[0064] The substrate 11 is formed by the layers 9A and 9B of thermoplastic material, in this case soft PVC, which substantially consist of strewn and pressed granulate. The respective substrate layer 9 further comprises an enclosed glass fiber fleece 12. Above the respective layers 9A-9B, a top layer 13 is provided, which as such comprises a printed decor film 7 and a transparent wear layer 6 on the basis of thermoplastic material. The top layer 13 further also comprises a back layer 8 situated underneath the decor film 7. In the example, the back layer 8, the decor film 7 as well as the wear layer 6 are made on the basis of polyvinyl chloride.

[0065] In the example, the decor film 7 is provided with a print with a wood pattern 14, wherein per panel 1 each time the image of a single wooden plank is provided.

[0066] On the underside 15 of the substrate 11, a backing layer 10 is provided, which is also based on soft PVC. According to the invention, it is also possible that one of two said layers 9A-9B, namely the lowermost layer 9B, forms the underside of the panel.

[0067] FIG. 2 represents that at least one of the layers 9A-9B is at least present in the middle of the thickness T of the substrate 11. In this case, the respective layers 9A-9B, and the enclosed glass fiber layer 12, form the entire substrate 11.

[0068] FIG. 2 further also represents that the respective layers 9A-9B form at least 40 percent and here even more than half of the thickness T1 of the panel 1.

[0069] Further, the panel 1 of the example is provided with mechanical coupling means or coupling parts 16 on both opposite edges 2-3. FIG. 2 shows that at least the mechanical coupling means 16 on the long pair of edges 2-3 allow that two of such floor panels 1 can be coupled to each other, such that a locking is created in a vertical direction V1 perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels 1, as well as in a horizontal direction H1 perpendicular to the coupled edges 2-3 and in the plane of the panels 1. The depicted coupling means 16 show the characteristic that they are substantially made as a tongue 17 and a groove 18 bordered by an upper lip 19 and a lower lip 20, wherein said tongue 17 and groove 18 substantially are responsible for the locking in said vertical direction V1, and wherein the tongue 17 and the groove 18 are provided with additional locking parts 21-22, substantially responsible for the locking in said horizontal direction H1. In this case, the locking parts comprise a protrusion 21 on the underside of the tongue 17 and a cooperating therewith recess 22 in the lower lip 20.

[0070] The coupling means 16 represented here allow at least a coupling by means of a pivoting movement W along the respective edges 2-3.

[0071] The mechanical coupling means 16 are substantially made in the layers 9A-9B, which enclose the glass fiber layer 12. In the example, they are provided by means of a milling treatment, for example, with rotating tools.

[0072] FIG. 3 represents some steps of a method for manufacturing the panel of FIGS. 1 and 2. More particularly, the step is represented of the layers 9A-9B with thermoplastic material, which enclose the glass fiber layer 12.

[0073] In the example of FIG. 3, the respective layers 9A-9B are formed on the basis of a granulate 23 of the respective thermoplastic material.

[0074] FIG. 3 represents that the granulate 23 of the first layer 9B as well as of the second layer 9A initially is deposed on a transport device 25, on the glass fiber layer 12, respectively, by means of a strewing device 24, after which it is consolidated between the belts 26 of a continuous pressing device 27. Herein, the granulate 23 is transported alongside one or more heating devices 28 and possibly may be cooled again after the press treatment or at the end of the press treatment. By cooling down, it is obtained that the pressed plates, sheets or layers relatively fast are manageable for further processing.

[0075] FIG. 3 further also represents that simultaneously with pressing, a further layer, in this case at least the decor film 7, can be provided or incorporated by supplying this in the press treatment on the granulate 23. Instead of a decor foil, this may also relate to, for example, an additional glass fiber layer 12 or a back layer 8, or a wear layer 6. It may also relate to a composition of layers already laminated to each other, such as an already completely or partially composed top layer 3, which, for example, comprises at least a decor film 7 and a wear layer 6, or at least a back layer 8 and a decor film 7, or the back layer 8, the decor film 7 as well as the wear layer 6. A possible superficial lacquer layer preferably is applied after the press treatment. This is not represented here.

[0076] Although FIG. 3 represents only two strewing devices 24, of course also further, for example, a third and a fourth, strewing devices can be provided. Further, it is clear that these strewing devices 24 can deposit granulates 23 of a mutually differing composition and/or average particle size.

[0077] FIG. 4 represents another example of a panel, wherein the substrate 11 is obtained on the basis of at least two granulates 23, which are mutually differing in composition and/or average particle size. In the example, the layers 9B and 9C are formed on the basis of a granulate comprising PVC with at least 12 percent by weight of plasticizer, whereas the layer 9A situated centrally in the substrate is formed on the basis of a granulate comprising PVC with less than 5 percent by weight of plasticizer or without plasticizer. The glass fiber layer 12 is situated in the layer 9C, which contains a higher amount of plasticizer than layer 9A.

[0078] FIG. 4 also shows that the layer 9A can be made thinner than the layers 9B and 9C. In this case, the layer 9A on the basis of the hard or semi-rigid PVC has a thickness T2 which is less than 20 percent of the total thickness T of the substrate 11. This embodiment may lead to a significant reduction of telegraphy or showing of any unevenness in the underlying surface towards the decorative side of the floor panel 1.

[0079] FIG. 5 represents a floor panel 1 with the characteristics of the fifth measure mentioned in the introduction. To this aim, the floor panel 1 comprises a substrate 11 which encloses a glass fiber cloth 12. Herein, the respective glass fiber cloth 12 is enclosed against a substrate portion 9D obtained by means of hardening a plastisol 29. Herein, the plastisol 29 penetrates up into the glass fiber cloth 12. Preferably, the glass fiber cloth is a so-called non-woven. However, it is not excluded to apply a woven. Preferably, the glass fiber cloth is chosen such that the first measure mentioned in the introduction is fulfilled, too.

[0080] FIG. 6 represents a method for manufacturing floor panels 1, wherein a floor panel 1, as represented in FIG. 5, can be obtained, or at least a semi-finished product of which one or more of such floor panels 1 can be formed. The method comprises the step S1 of providing a first substrate layer 9B by strewing granulate 23. FIG. 6 shows only one strewing device 24, however, it is evident that two or more successive strewing devices 24 can be applied for realizing the first substrate layer 9B. After step S1 follows the step S2 of providing a glass fiber cloth 12 on the first substrate layer 9B. This preferably relates to a glass fiber cloth having a weight of more than 85 grams per square meter. In a step S3, plastisol 29 is provided on the glass fiber cloth 12. In this case, for this purpose a spreading device 30 or a blade are applied. Of course, other application techniques, such as techniques with one or more roller devices, are not excluded. The plastisol 29 penetrates into the glass fiber cloth 12 and reaches the, in this case rough, surface of the first substrate layer 9B, in which it possibly can penetrate. The applied plastisol 29 is gelled by means of an oven or heating device 28. In the step S4, the whole is pressed, and in step S5, a decor is provided, in this case by applying a printed carrier or a decor film 7 on the pressed whole. For the application of the decor film 7, of course use can be made of a press device. Possibly, subsequently to the decor film 7 or simultaneously to the decor film 7, a transparent wear layer 6 can be applied.

[0081] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above described embodiments, on the contrary may such panels and methods be realized according to various variants, without exceeding the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the panels, instead of floor panels, may also be made as wall panels or ceiling panels or even as furniture panels.