DIRECT LAMINATED FLOOR

REVETEMENT DE SOL STRATIFIE

English Abstract

New direct laminated floor, of the kind that contain, on their surface, cellulose sheets impregnated in polymerisable resins, on which some characteristics have been drawn and where, once pressed and mechanised, the finished strips have an offset/sunk area on the peripheral edge and the optic/tactile texture of the surface corresponds and adapts to the characteristics drawn on the cellulose sheets. For application in the construction industry.

French Abstract

Nouveau revêtement de sol direct, stratifié, du type contenant sur sa surface des feuilles de cellulose imprégnées dans des résines polymérisables, comportant certains motifs et où, une fois pressées et mécanisées, les lames finies présentent une zone décalée/encastrée sur la rive périphérique et la texture visuelle/tactile de la surface correspond aux motifs dessinés sur les feuilles de cellulose et s'y adaptent. Pour applications dans l'industrie de la construction.

Claims

-7-
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A laminated material comprised of polymer impregnated sheets of which a
polymer-impregnated sheet includes a visual pattern, wherein the polymer-
impregnated
sheet is embossed in registration with the visual pattern.
2. A laminated material according to claim 1, wherein the visual pattern
depicts a
building product having a surface texture.
3. A laminated material according to claim 2, wherein the embossing coincides
with the visual pattern to produce the surface texture that corresponds to
that of the building
product.
4 A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the building product is
wood.
5. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the building product is
ceramic.
6. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the building product is
stone.
7. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein embossing is performed
by
mechanical pressing.

-8-
8. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the surface includes a
perimeter area having an edge contour and an interior region, wherein the
perimeter area is
relieved such that the edge contour is below the interior region.
9. A laminated material according to claim 8, wherein the edge contours is
less
than a millimeter below the interior region.
10. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the surface texture
includes
a concave feature.
11. A laminated material according to claim 3, wherein the surface texture
includes
a convex feature.
12. A laminated material according to claim 2, wherein the surface texture is
characterized by a surface roughness.

Description

CA 02628655 2008-05-13
-1-
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
DIRECT LAMINATED FLOOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a divisional of Canadian patent application Serial No.
2,390,174 filed internationally on November 25, 1999 and entered nationally on
May 6,
2002.
It is well known to hot press cellulose sheets (papers) impregnated in
phenol or melamine (or similar-resins) with wooden boards or panels (plus
other
components specified by the manufacturer) to produce products such as boards,
laminated boards, panels, and direct laminated floors that imitate wood,
ceramic, and
natural stone. Such imitation materials are mainly used for floors.
If melamine is used, and if the product is to have a single work surface
(for example a floor), the melaminized board that comes from the press
typically has a
surface area between 3 and 8 square meters. Such boards are then cut into
units
(strips) approximately 1,200×200 mm. Each unit is beneficially tongued
and
grooved for ready installation. The result is a decorative and resistant
paving that
imitates wood, ceramic or natural stone.
Such known products have two significant defects:
1. They are not very wear resistant.
2. They do not closely imitate natural products (such as ceramic and wood).

CA 02628655 2008-05-13
-2-
The applicant has investigated reason why such products are not very
wear resistant. It has been observed that premature aging (wear) begins at or
near the
perimeter edges and/or along tongue and groove lines.
The known products have an even (level) surface texture such that the
user, such as a pedestrian, treads (the soles of his shoes make contact)
equally on the
center of a tile on its perimeter edge. But, since the perimeter edge is the
weakest area
it deteriorates first.
The applicant has also investigated the reason for the second defect. He
has reached the conclusion that if an imitation product is not a suitable
imitation of a
natural product, it is at least partially because the imitation's surface
texture, both optical
and tactile, have design errors.
In current products, a decorative surface effect is achieved by a design
that is printed on an impregnated (by resin) paper. However, the surface
texture of
products with such printed designs is typically monotonous (flat) over the
whole surface.
This is because the press mold produces a flat surface.
Thus, while a surface design represents the different characteristics (line,
color) of a natural product, the texture (relief) provided by the press mold
does not
match a natural product's surface level variations, both with regard to sight
and to touch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to overcome the wear problem of products
(tile, strip, board, etc.), which typically have a polygonal shape such as a
rectangle or
square. The object is achieved by providing a relieved perimeter. That is, a
product's
perimeter edge is contoured to be a few tenths of a millimeter below the rest
of the

CA 02628655 2008-05-13
-3-
product's surface. Thus, when a user treads on the product the user's soles do
not rest
on the perimeter edges. Likewise friction or wear caused by other agents
coming into
contact with the product is avoided.
Another object of this invention is to overcome the problem wherein a
product's surface (such as that of a tile, a strip, or a board) is totally
even or
monotonous. This object is achieved by producing a product having a surface
texture
that corresponds and adapts to a printed design. The result is close optical
and textural
identifications with a natural product.
That is if, for example, a wood knot appears in a design the final product
is adapted to that design by providing an area having a volumetric,
conceptual, and
physical correspondence, both visual and textual, with a wood knot. A similar
thing
happens if there is a wood pore, a stone roughness, or bubbles on a ceramic.
The foregoing is achieved using an exact correspondence-concordance
between the image on the impregnated papers and the relief texture of a press
mold.
Example,
a) Ceramic tiles in which the unions Qoints) between tiles are relieved to
produce a paving of earthenware ceramics;
b) Wood designs where the streaks, pores, and knots of a paper design
coincide with the surface texture.
In short, products with a very marked surface texture that adapts and
corresponds to the design on a resin impregnated paper. What is achieved is a
more
realistic affect than when the surface texture does not adapt and correspond
to the
design on a resin impregnated paper. Not only is an optical effect created,
but also the
different reliefs, which appear in the correct areas, can be touched.

CA 02628655 2008-05-13
-4-
Also, the product's life increases as relieved joints do not undergo wear.
This is because the relieved joints are not contacted when being trod upon.
This invention advocates new direct laminated flooring of cellulose sheets
impregnated with polymerizable resins and having design characteristics, and
that, once
pressed, have offset/sunk areas in peripheral edges.
This invention is also characterized because the optical/tactile texture of
the surface of the floor, once pressed, corresponds and adapts to the
characteristics
designed on cellulose sheets.
The invention thus provides according to an aspect, for a laminated
material comprising cellulose sheets impregnated with a polymer resin that are
mechanically pressed and cut into a product, wherein the product includes a
surface
having a visual pattern, the surface having both a perimeter area having an
edge
contour and an interior region, and the perimeter area being relieved such
that a portion
of the edge contour is at a different height than the interior region.
The invention also provides, according to another aspect, for a laminated
material comprised of polymer impregnated sheets of which a polymer-
impregnated
sheet includes a visual pattern, wherein the polymer-impregnated sheet is
embossed in
registration with the visual pattern.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To understand this invention better, a preferential way of practical
execution is illustrated on the drawings, which are subject to accessory
changes that
take nothing away from their basic content.

CA 02628655 2009-01-13
-5-
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a design on a resin-impregnated paper before a
product with that design is pressed and cut.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a product that uses the resin-impregnated paper
of FIG. 1, after that product is pressed.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A--A of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
An example of a practical execution of this invention, but not a limiting
one, is described below.
This type of product usually has cellulose cores impregnated by
polymerizable resins (such as phenols), in particular by melamine. The core
may
include wooden sheets or other products, such as silica, that resist abrasion.
A product has a rim area, as illustrated in FIG. 1, which may be a different
color than the remainder of the product. The rim gives rise to a relieved
perimeter rim 1
after pressing (see FIG. 2).
Turning now to FIG. 2, the pressed product unit 4, which is to be used in
a paving, has a perimeter rim 1 that is sunk below the rest of the surface S
of the
product unit. The perimeter rim 1 forms a joint 2 as shown in FIG. 3. The
joint 2 can be
formed using numerous procedures, for example, tongue and groove.
The (mechanized) cutting, or quartering, of the first board is performed by
a press and can be done in units (strips) of, for example, 300×300 mm,
or
400×400 mm, or 600×600 mm. Several units can be maintained
together in
blocks of, for example, 1,200×300 mm. (four units) or 1,200×400 mm
(three
units).

CA 02628655 2008-05-13
-6-
According to the principles of the present invention, the pressed board
attempts to imitate another product. In the illustrated embodiment the product
unit 4
imitates a ceramic, thus two deformities (a) and (b) that are similar to those
of a ceramic
are produced. It should be understood that the deformities extend normal to
the surface
of the product unit 4.
As ceramic tiles are usually butt joined with a small layer of cement, it will
be seen that the perimeter rim 1 successfully imitates that of a ceramic tile,
both by
touch and sight. This is due to its offset, and possibly by adding a cement
color to the
design of the cellulose papers (of FIG. 1).
Turning now to FIG. 3, if a user treads between product unit 4 tiles the
sole 3 of the user's shoe never reaches the perimeter rim edge (a).
It can be seen that once the characteristics (a₁) and (b₁) of the
product to be imitated (ceramic) have been defined in the design drawing of a
paper
(FIG. 1), the volume-relief-texture (deformities) in the end product at (a)
and (b),
reference FIG. 2, correspond perfectly with respect to the position, concept,
physical
aspects, and volume to the design drawing characteristics (a₁) and
(b₁) of the
product to be imitated.
In the specific case of the perimeter rim 1, those of a ceramic tile can be
considered.
Further mechanizing (working) of the product (flooring) that comes from
the press usually includes dividing it into units (strips) that are to be
placed on a floor,
and in providing the units (if necessary) with connection means, for example,
tongue
and groove features.
This mechanizing is not the object of the invention.

Representative Drawing