PANEL FOR FORMING A FLOOR COVERING AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH PANELS

Abstract

A panel including at least a substrate of thermoplastic material and a top layer with a printed decor and a translucent or transparent wear layer. The substrate has a thickness larger than one half of the thickness of the entire panel, and the substrate at least includes two layers, where the two layers each include thermoplastic material. A first one of the two layers further includes at least 60 percent by weight of filler materials and a second one of the two layers includes less fillers or is not filled, and is situated above the first one of the two layers.

Claims

1. A panel comprising: a substrate formed at least by a layer of thermoplastic material and filler material; wherein said thermoplastic material is polypropylene or PET and wherein said filler material forms at least 50 percent by weight of said layer; a printed decor provided on the substrate; and a translucent or transparent wear layer located on an upper side of the printed decor, wherein said substrate has a thickness larger than one half of an overall thickness of the panel, wherein said panel is a floor panel for a floating floor covering, wherein at two or more opposite edges of the panel, coupling parts are formed in that two of the floor panels are arranged to be coupled at the opposite edges to mutually lock in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the respective edge and in the plane of the floor panels, and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels, wherein said coupling parts are essentially formed from and in said substrate, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue and a groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein said lower lip extends beyond said upper lip.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein a lacquer layer is applied as the uppermost layer of the panel, said lacquer layer being one of a UV- or electron beam hardening lacquer layer and/or a PU lacquer layer.

3. The panel of claim 1, wherein said printed decor is a print provided on a polypropylene or PET film.

4. The panel of claim 1, wherein said panel has a thickness between 2.5 and 6 millimeters.

5. The panel of claim 1, wherein said filler material is chalk or limestone.

6. The panel of claim 1, wherein said panel is rectangular and oblong, wherein said panel has a width of 8 centimeters or more, and a length between 118 and 220 centimeters.

7. The panel of claim 6, wherein said printed decor provides the image of a single wooden board.

8. The panel of claim 1, wherein said coupling parts are arranged for coupling by a turning movement along the respective edges.

9. The panel of claim 1, wherein on the underside of said substrate a counter layer or underlay consisting of a thermoplastic synthetic material layer is provided.

10. The panel of claim 9, wherein said counter layer functions as a balancing layer.

11. The panel of claim 1, wherein said wear layer also comprises a thermoplastic material, wherein said thermoplastic material is polypropylene or PET.

12. The panel of claim 11, wherein an IP value of 2000 or more in the Taber tests, as described in EN 13329, annex E is obtained for the wear resistance of said panel.

13. A panel being rectangular and oblong, wherein said panel has a width of 8 centimeters or more, a length between 118 and 220 centimeters and a thickness between 2.5 and 6 millimeters, said panel comprising: a substrate formed at least by a layer of thermoplastic material and filler material, wherein said thermoplastic material is polypropylene or PET and wherein said filler material forms at least 50 percent by weight of said layer, a printed dcor located on the substrate, and a translucent or transparent wear layer located on an upper side of the printed decor, wherein said wear layer also comprises a thermoplastic material, wherein said thermoplastic material is polypropylene or PET; wherein said substrate has a thickness larger than one half of an overall thickness of the panel; wherein an underlay or counter layer is provided on and extends along the underside of the substrate, wherein said panel is a floor panel for a floating floor covering, wherein at two or more opposite edges of the panel, coupling parts are formed in that two of the floor panels are arranged to be coupled at the opposite edges to mutually lock in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the respective edge and in the plane of the floor panels, and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels, wherein said coupling parts are essentially formed from and in said substrate, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue and a groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein said lower lip extends beyond said upper lip wherein said coupling parts are arranged for coupling by a turning movement along the respective edges, wherein an IP value of 2000 or more in the Taber tests, as described in EN 13329, annex E is obtained for the wear resistance of said panel.

14. The panel of claim 13, wherein said counter layer functions as a balancing layer.

15. The panel of claim 13, wherein said filler material is chalk or limestone.

16. The panel of claim 13, wherein a UV- or electron beam-hardening lacquer layer and/or a PU lacquer layer is applied as an uppermost layer of the panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0069] FIG. 1 represents a panel with the characteristics of the invention;

[0070] FIG. 2, at a larger scale, represents a cross-section according to lines II-II in FIG. 1;

[0071] FIG. 3 schematically represents some steps in a method with the characteristics of the second aspect; and

[0072] FIG. 4, in a view similar to that of FIG. 2, represents another variant, obtained by means of a method with the characteristics of the third aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0073] FIG. 1 represents a rectangular and oblong floor panel 1 with a pair of long sides 2-3 and a pair of short sides 4-5.

[0074] FIG. 2 represents that the respective floor panel 1 is composed of various layers 6-7-8-9A-9B-10.

[0075] The substrate 11 is formed by the layers 9A and 9B of thermoplastic material, in this case soft PVC, which substantially consists of strewn and pressed granulate. Further, the substrate layer 9 concerned 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 backing layer 8 located underneath the decor film 7. In the example, the backing layer 8, the dcor film 7 and the wear layer 6 are made on the basis of polyvinyl chloride.

[0076] 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 board is provided. On the lower side 15 of the substrate 11, a counter layer 10 is provided, which is also based on soft PVC. According to the invention, it is also possible that one of said two layers 9A-9B, namely the lowermost layer 9B, forms the lower side of the panel.

[0077] FIG. 2 represents that at least one of the layers 9A-9B is present at. least 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 forms the entire substrate 11.

[0078] FIG. 2 further also represents that the respective layers 9A-9B constitute at least 40 percent and here even more than one half of the thickness T of the panel 1.

[0079] 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 in such a manner that a locking is created in a vertical direction V 1 perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels 1, as well as in a horizontal direction Hl perpendicular to the coupled edges 2-3 and in the plane of the panels 1. The illustrated coupling means 16 show the characteristic that they are substantially realized 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 V 1, 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 H 1. In this case, the locking parts comprise a protrusion 21 on the lower side of the tongue 17 and a cooperating-therewith recess 22 in the lower lip 20.

[0080] The coupling means 16 represented here allow at least a coupling by means of a turning movement W along the respective edges 2-3.

[0081] The mechanical coupling means 16 are substantially realized in the layers 9A-9B, which, according to the invention, enclose the glass fiber layer. In the example, they are provided by means of a milling treatment, for example, by means of rotating tools.

[0082] FIG. 3 represents some steps of a method for manufacturing the panel of FIGS. 1 and 2. More particularly, the step is represented of forming the layers 9A-9B with thermoplastic material, which, according to the invention, enclose the glass fiber layer 12.

[0083] 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.

[0084] FIG. 3 represents that the granulate 23 of the first layer 9B as well as of the second layer 9A initially is deposited 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 17. Herein, the granulate 23 is transported along one or more heating devices 28 and possibly it can be cooled again after the press treatment or at the end of the press treatment. By cooling, it is achieved that the pressed plates, sheets or layers relatively fast are manageable for further processing.

[0085] FIG. 3 further also represents that simultaneously with pressing, a further layer, in this case at least the decor film 7, can be applied or inserted by providing it on the granulate 23 in the press treatment. Instead of to a decor film, this may also relate, for example, to an additional glass fiber layer 12 or to a backing layer 8, or a wear layer 6. It may also relate to a composition of layers already laminated together, such as an already entirely 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 backing layer 8 and a decor film 7; or the backing layer 8, decor film 7 as well as the wear layer 6. A possible superficial lacquer layer preferably is provided after the press treatment. This is not represented here.

[0086] Although FIG. 3 represents only two strewing devices 24, of course also further strewing devices, for example, a third and a fourth strewing device, 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. In such a case, an embodiment of the third aspect mentioned in the introduction is obtained.

[0087] FIG. 4 represents another example of a panel which is obtained by means of a method with the characteristics of the third aspect, wherein the substrate 11 is obtained on the basis of at least two granulates 23 having a mutually differing 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. FIG. 4 thus forms an example of the first practical embodiment, mentioned in the introduction, of the first possibility within the third aspect. FIG. 4 also shows that the layer 9A can be made thinner than the layers 9A 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 overall thickness T1 of the substrate 11. This embodiment may lead to a significant reduction of the emerging or showing of any unevenness in the underlying surface towards the decorative side of the floor panel 1.

[0088] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above-described embodiments; on the contrary, such panels, methods and granulates can be realized according to various variants, without leaving the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the panels, instead of as floor panels, can also be realized as wall panels or ceiling panels or even as furniture panels.