Patent Application
20190003189
The present invention relates to floor panels which are in particular suitable for outdoor areas or wet areas and which can drain water in an improved manner, as well as the use of such floor panels.
In the art, a plurality of floor panels is known. For outdoor areas, i.e. outside of closed rooms, where the floors are exposed to atmospheric influence more or less without being protected, as well as in wet areas, such as in the field of swimming pools and the like, typically solid wood boards are used, which are suitably impregnated. To drain surface water, such as rain water or dripping water, these boards are typically mounted on a solid cross beam and in the outer area additionally installed on a gravel or sand bed. The cross beams are normally sufficiently dimensioned so that the underside respectively the rear face of the boards are spaced apart from the ground.
For the indoor area, in the recent years, particularly so called laminate panels are widely spread. Laminate panels are relatively inexpensive and are easy to install. They are typically based on a carrier plate of MDF-or HDF-material on which top face (front face) multiple resin impregnated papers are applied. Such laminate panels are not suitable for the use in an outdoor area or in a wet area (such as e.g. bathrooms, spa areas, indoor swimming pools etc.). The carrier board of MDF or HDF is not moisture resistant and swells under longer water contact. The typically used décor papers further are not sufficiently UV resistant, so that the printing colors age over time, so that the décor will be unsightly after a short period of time.
The known laminate panels have in common the advantage that the use of so called click connection profiles is possible, namely special tongue and groove connection profiles provided on the edges of the panels, which allow a simple interconnecting by an angular movement around the connecting profiles, so that installing of the panels is simply possible for a layman.
In WO 2014/053 186 of the same applicant, an improved floor panel for the outdoor area is disclosed, which combines the advantages of known laminate panels for the indoor area with suitable materials and surfaces for a use in outdoor areas. In this document, floor panels are suggested having connecting means in form of tongue and groove elements, wherein the panels comprise a carrier plate which consists of MDF or HDF of acetylated wood, fiber cement or of polyvinylchloride. On the front face of the floor panels a special décor respectively protection layer is applied, which is in particular suitable for being used in the outdoor area. To allow the drainage of for example rain water, in particular with regard to these floor panels, the floor underground should be provided with a layer, respectively a bed, of gritting material or gravel, or the like and the panels should be installed on that gritting material layer. Water can therefore flow off the gaps between the installed floor panels into the gritting material bed and can be suitably conducted or seeped away into the earth. The gritting material further prevents that the rear faces of the installed panels lay for a longer period of time in a standing water puddle, which would also be permanently harmful for the suitable basis materials of these floor panels. For draining water, and for protecting the flooring in outdoor or indoor areas with high moisture strain (i.e. wet area, such as in the area of swimming pools or the like usually surface drainages are used). Surface drainages typically consist of a mesh of a suitable polymer and are installed between the ground and the floor panels. The floor panels or plates rest on the mesh of the surface drainage. Such a surface drainage allow fast drainage, however has a disadvantage in that an additional installing step is necessary and high costs for this surface drainage occur.
The present invention has the object to improve the known state of the art and in particular to provide improved floor panels which provide the advantages of known laminate panels for the indoor area with respect to the simplicity of installation and which preferably allow omitting separate surface drainages and/or gravel or drain material beds. These and other objects, which will be named during reading of the following description will become apparent for a person skilled in the art and are solved with a floor panel according to claim 1 and are use according to claim 21.
The floor panels of the present invention include a carrier plate having a front face and rear face, wherein the carrier plates are provided with a décor and/or protective layer on their front face. On the sides, the carrier plate comprises preferably coupling means in the form of tongue and groove elements, which allow a connection of multiple similar panels in directions parallel to the front face as well as perpendicular to the front face by means of form fit. The coupling means are preferably provided on all sides respectively edges of the floor panels. On the rear face of the carrier plate, drainage protrusions are provided. The drainage protrusions are therefore fixedly connected with the carrier plate or integrally formed with the carrier plate, such that during installation of such floor panels no separate surface drainages in form of e.g. meshes are necessary (although, these can be used additionally, if it should be desired or necessary). Since the drainage protrusions are pre-fabricated on the floor panels, the installation of those floor panels is in particular easy and fast. Due to the drainage protrusions, the use of gravel, sand or gritting material beds is generally superfluous and the floor panels can be installed directly on a planar and solid ground. Of course it is also possible to additionally provide such a gravel, sand or gritting material bed, if it is desired.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions are adhered on the rear face of the carrier plate i.e. the drainage protrusions can be separate components which are adhered to the rear face with a suitable adhesive. Particularly preferred, a melt adhesive is used for adhering the drainage protrusions on the rear face, particularly a melt adhesive based on polyurethane or polyolefin. Such melt adhesives are easy and fast to process and offer a high weather resistance.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions consist of a melt adhesive. The drainage protrusions therefore are no separate components, which are adhered with an adhesive on the rear face of the carrier plate, but rather suitable thick melt adhesive strips or points are applied on the rear face. After curing, respectively cooling, these adhesive strips form the inventive drainage protrusions. If it is herein described that the drainage protrusions on the rear face of the carrier plate are adhered, embodiments are also covered, wherein the drainage protrusions themselves consist of an adhesive, respectively of an used adhesive. Manufacturing the drainage protrusions from the adhesive itself provides great advantages with regard to manufacturing: The carrier plate, respectively floor panels simply have to be guided under respectively arranged adhesive nozzles, so that the protrusions can be applied precisely with low technical equipment and with high throughput speeds. The adhesive applying device can be readily integrated in the normal transport process of the floor panels so that the panels have not to be removed from the manufacturing process for the application of the drainage protrusions. The production speed therefore can be maintained at a high level.
Preferably, the melt adhesive is a reactive adhesive, particularly from the group of polyurethanes or thermoplastic melt adhesives with a resistance to thermal distortion of at least 45° C. The resistance to thermal distortion is important, that the drainage protrusions have a sufficient stability, even under increased temperatures, in order to maintain their shape.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions comprise circular protrusions and/or elongated ribs. Thereby the ribs can extent over the full length or width of a panel as well as perpendicular thereto, or they are particularly preferred provided along their longitudinal extension with multiple interruptions. If the panels are transported e.g. under the nozzles, through which the material for the protrusions is applied and applied on the rear face of a panel, it is easier, if the nozzles are clocked such that the formed rib is built in form of multiple small single ribs. For each of these forms, a short impulse of the nozzle is applied. The final form of the rib, respectively the ribs, is dependent on the nozzle form, the clocking and the feeding speed during output. This is advantageous with regard to continuous ribs, since the border area of panels can remain free, which allows an improved machining of the profile. Further, the drainage is further improved and is not direction dependent.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions are oriented parallel to each other and define there between open channels. The open channels serve for the drainage of e.g. rain or ground water under the floor panels, if the drainage protrusions rest on the ground or floor. Between the virtual ground and the rear face or underside of the floor panels thus, flow channels are built, through which the water can be drained and air can flow, in order to dry the rear face, respectively underside, of the installed panels.
Particularly preferable, the drainage protrusions extend in particular over the complete area of the rear face. Particularly preferably, the drainage protrusions are thereby provided in parallel rows, such that in the installed state between two or more floor panels the drainage protrusions of the adjacent panels fall in line with each other, so that that the open channels extend over multiple adjacent panels. This allows a particular efficient drainage of fluid.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions have a width of 2-40 mm, even more preferably from 3-25 mm, and most preferably of 3-15 mm. It has shown that these widths are sufficiently strong to provide a secure resting of a floor panel. Particular, for the case that the drainage protrusions consist of an adhesive, these widths are well suitable, since the adhesive strips in these widths can be manufactured, respectively applied, simple and good.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions have a height of 2-10 mm, even more preferably from 2-8 mm, and most preferably from 3-6 mm. The height of the drainage protrusions defines the distance of the rear face, respectively underside, of the panels from the ground. Due to the chosen height of the drainage protrusions, flowing or drainage channels between the protrusions of sufficient height are formed, in order to provide a secure drainage, even under high appearance of drainable water.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions comprise elongated ribs, that are oriented parallel to each other and define open channels between themselves, wherein the distance between the peaks of the drainage ribs is 2-15 mm, preferably 4-12 mm and most preferably 5-10 mm. Under such a distance between the peaks of the ribs (measured from mid to mid of adjacent ribs) sufficiently big open channels are formed and the ribs form a sufficient strong rest for the floor panels.
Preferably, the drainage protrusions comprise elongated ribs, wherein the length of the ribs is dependent on the dimension of the panel. Preferably, the ribs shall have an outer distance to the panel from 5-25 mm.
The named preferred dimensions for width, height and length and distance of the drainage protrusions can be combined arbitrary.
Preferably, the ribs comprise a particular semi-circular cross-section. Semi-circular in this respect means herein each form of non-angled but curved circular shape, and in particular a part circle or part ovals or the like.
As a material for the carrier plate preferably MDF or HDF boards of acetylated wood are used as well as fiber cement boards or boards based on PVC or WPC (wood-plastic composite) as well as fiber boards of mineral wool. These materials are well suited for the use e.g. in the outdoor area and in the same time weather resistant, particularly with regards to moisture.
MDF or HDF boards of acetylated wood are in particular preferred. Acetylated wood is generally known in the art. During acetylation, the wood respectively the wood fibers, which are used to produce the MDF or HDF boards, are treated in a chemical process with acetic anhydride. Thereby, the structure of the wood is permanently changed and in particular the moisture absorption of such treated wood fibers is significantly reduced. MDF or HDF boards of such treated wood are surprisingly weather resistant and excellently suitable for the use in outdoor areas or in wet areas (bathing rooms, wellness areas, swimming pools etc.).
It has generally shown that fiber cement boards are also generally suitable, which are known from supplier under the trade name Eternit. Fiber cement boards can be processed easily and in particular provided on their edges with coupling means. Further, it has shown that the carrier plates based on PVC or WPC are also well suited in combination with the inventive drainage protrusions. Very suitable are further fiber boards based on mineral wood fibers, such as distributed by the company Rockpanel.
Preferably a décor or protective layer is provided on the front face, which is chosen from the group composed of: radiation cured acrylate containing foil, or a polymer layer having a hardness gradient, wherein the hardness of the polymer layer decreases in particular continuous with increasing depth seen from the surface of the polymer layer.
The décor respectively protective layer can consist of a radiation cured poly-acrylate containing foil. The foil is in particular based on paper that is impregnated and/or coated with a radiation curing acrylate system. A radiation curing can be provided for example by treatment with electron rays or UV rays. Such foils are for example commercially available from company DTS Systemoberflächen GmbH under the tradename “Elesgo”. A decorative polypropylene foil can also be used as foil, which comprises on the visible face a décor for example in form of a wood décor. The décor imprint is again protected by radiation curable acrylate lacquers, which are at the same time respectively weather proof. Such foils are commercially available. As an alternative for these special foils, it has shown that a polymer layer with hardness gradient comprises the necessary weather resistance properties, which are necessary for a floor panel e.g. for the outdoor area. The manufacturing of a polymer layer with hardness gradient according to the present invention is for example described in detail in WO 2008/061 791 of the same applicant, which is incorporated entirely by reference. From the above it will become apparent that the décor respectively protective layer is not necessarily a single layer but rather can comprise multiple different layers, which cooperate to provide a protective function.
Using a foil for a décor respectively protective layer, this layer is preferably adhered by means of an adhesive and in particular by means of a polyurethane adhesive (such as polyurethane melt adhesive) on the front face of the carrier plate. Polyurethane adhesives are particularly suitable and increase the resistance of the composite against weather influences. In all embodiments described herein, it is preferred that the foil itself is imprinted with a decorative pattern such as a real wood décor or a stone- or a tile décor. Alternatively, it is also possible that the foil is used without an own decorative décor, such that it serves as pure protective layer.
Preferably, fiber cement boards are provided on their rear face with a water impermeable layer to block the liquid entry of water. Fiber cement boards have a very high density. Already the one sided entry of small amounts of water results in a bending of the panels to the front face, such that the optical impression of the installation is disturbed. The blocking of the rear face can e.g. be provided by an acrylate lacquer or a PVC foil can be laminated by means of a polyurethane melting adhesive. A glass non-woven, which is applied with polyurethane adhesive also provides a very good protection. When using a carrier plate based on a fiber cement board, preferably a glass non-woven and water impermeable foil such as for example PVC or an acrylate coating is applied on the rear face of the fiber cement board.
The carrier plate has preferably a thickness between 3-20 mm, even more preferably between 4-15 mm and still more preferably between 4-12 mm, most preferably between 5-10 mm. These thicknesses are suitably designed, such that a coupling means in form of groove and tongue elements in the sides of the carrier plates can be included and the carrier plates have a sufficient strength, so that floor panels are very resilient. At the same time, the carrier plate is thin enough, so that relatively little material is needed and a complete panel is not too heavy, such that they are easy to process or to install.
The present invention also relates to the use of a panel for manufacturing a flooring, in particular in the outdoor area, wherein the above described panels are installed by connecting the panels via the respective coupling means. Due to the drainage protrusions, provided on the rear face of the carrier plate, the panels can be advantageously installed without using a gravel, sand or gritting material bed on a flat and solid ground.
The person skilled in the art understands that on the rear face of the carrier plate further layers or films such as reinforcement layers, moisture protective layers, impact sound insulation layers and so on can be provided, and that the drainage protrusions on the rear face of the carrier plate are applied on these additional layers. It is just essential that the drainage protrusions can fulfill their functions, i.e. the drainage of liquids respectively rain or leakage water, when the floor panels are installed.
In the following, the invention is described in detail based on the figures, wherein:
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| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/081137 | 12/23/2015 | WO | 00 |
