JPH0351579B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing decorative laminate products in the form of tiles, panels or webs.

Coatings or covering materials for decorative purposes are manufactured in various embodiments and are composed, for example, of synthetic or natural materials or of combinations thereof. These materials can form smooth or raised surfaces that are wear resistant. In many cases, raised surfaces are preferred for both practical and aesthetic reasons. The embossed material has a contrast-rich, three-dimensional appearance, which requires perfect synchronization of the pattern and embossment. Ordinary raised embossing treatments applied to the surface of plastics do not match the printing pattern and therefore cannot achieve the above effect.

Apart from plastic all-wood imitations, excellent imitation cork with raised surfaces has been produced in the past few years. As with all-pure natural substances, imitations of this type can be used both for flooring and wall coverings. Conditions are slightly different with regard to coatings and covering materials of combinations of natural and synthetic materials in the form of relatively thick plastic sheet materials to which natural materials are covered. This is because in order to ensure coverage of a thick abrasion-resistant plastic layer over, for example, cork, the embossment effect had to be sacrificed, which is difficult to achieve with these coatings and covering materials. Products are limited to those with smooth, wear-resistant surfaces.

This kind of smooth cork flooring tile, which has been produced since ancient times, has a wear-resistant layer of plastic, a decorative layer,
Consists of an elastic layer and a base layer. The abrasion resistant layer preferably comprises a calendered or coated plastisol of clear, softened PVC which has excellent abrasion resistance and stain resistance. The elastic layer is composed of a sheet manufactured by lathing or crushing cork grain blocks. If necessary, this layer can be pre-laid with a thin decorative cork veneer to improve its appearance. The base layer serves as a means of relieving mechanical stress, and it or another layer that assists the wear layer prevents dishing of the tiles and inhibits the diffusion of moisture from the subfloor. The last-mentioned layer includes a softened layer with a modulus of strength equal to or higher than the abrasion-resistant layer.
A PVC coating is used. This provides a balance of forces within the finished floor structure and ensures the flatness of the tiles.

Cork is the most suitable material for this type of purpose, but its extremely high porosity and high air content make it problematic for making tiles.
As a natural product, cork also has many other drawbacks, including large and small pores and depressions that are unacceptable in finished tiles. Therefore, strict selection is required,
The layers that appear during manufacturing increase the cost. In particular, thin cork veneers that have been subjected to only a slight compression process have holes in them that must be filled before the sheets can be laminated.

Typically, the abrasion resistant layer is integrated with the underlay layer by pressure bonding. Others have attempted to produce cork webs containing continuous varnish and roll gluing, but none of these experiments have been successful.

In summary, natural materials in combination with abrasion-resistant layers of plastic coatings can only be obtained in the form of collectors with a smooth cover coating layer.

The object of the invention is to provide a smooth and raised surface of this type, suitable for both walling and flooring, and less expensive than conventional products, as it produces almost no waste, by adopting a new manufacturing method. The aim is to enable the production of both tiles, panels and webs.

granulating a first cellulosic material, mixing the granules with a fusible plastic to form matte from the mixture, and thinly slicing a second cellulosic material of the same or different type as said first cellulosic material. and placing these slices, which in their as-cut state, contain the through holes and depressions, on said mat, applying a coating of fusible plastic over the thin slices of cellulosic material;
The laminate thus obtained is then compressed under the supply of heat such that the plastic melts and the mat material is introduced into the holes and depressions of the slices, and then this compressed laminate is cooled. Thereby, the object of the present invention is achieved.

The most distinctive feature of the method according to the invention is the use of a base layer of a very novel type, consisting of a granulated first cellulosic material contained within a matrix of fusible plastic. If the first cellulosic material is cork and the base layer thickness is about 2 mm, the particle size should not exceed 2 mm and preferably be less than 1.5 mm. In the manufacture of tiles, panels or webs, a thin decorative layer of a second cellulosic material is placed on top of the base layer and these layers are compressed at temperatures at which the plastic cures/melts, resulting in filling. The plastic mass containing the cork agent "swells" and fills the holes and depressions in the decorative layer. A decorative layer with a smooth surface and perfect appearance is thereby obtained. The filling material can have any desired texture. For example, it can be provided with a texture that more or less matches the main texture of the decorative layer, or it can be provided with a texture that is in contrast to the main texture.

An abrasion resistant layer, usually consisting of a 0.5 mm coating of pre-coated softened PVC, is placed on top of the decorative layer before combining the base layer and the decorative layer, i.e.
All three layers are merged together by the same operation. In the course of the compaction operation, the abrasion-resistant layer is also melted so that it adheres well to the decorative layer. In addition, the abrasion resistance layer may be made of a coating material other than a film,
For example, it can be composed of plastisol, various lacquers, polyurethane, etc.

After the product has been subjected to a compression treatment for a predetermined period of time, it is transferred to a cold press in which it is cooled and simultaneously exposed to high pressure, which is approximately twice as high as in hot pressing. is preferable.
The tiles, panels or webs removed from the cold press have the aforementioned advantageous appearance and a completely smooth, abrasion-resistant surface and can be used as wall coverings and floor coverings.

To obtain tiles, panels or webs with raised surfaces, a natural material consisting of a first cellulosic material with a so-called "elastic memory" is required. Cork is such a material. Due to its unique cell structure, cork compresses when pressure is applied, but it partially returns to its original shape after a while when the load is removed. In this case, if the load is not removed until the plastic has cooled, the tension in the cork will be sealed and the abrasion resistant layer of the tile, panel or web will have a smooth surface. However, if the cooled tile, panel, or web is heated in a free state (i.e., unaffected by a press plate, etc.) to a temperature above the softening point of the plastic, the cork will be released from tension; Returns to the shape before the press operation. When using softened PVC, a reheating temperature of 70-150°C is suitable. After reheating, the tiles, panels or webs are also cooled in the free state. This change of state makes it possible to obtain a raised surface abrasion resistant layer with a very advantageous appearance. This is because the embossing of the abrasion resistant layer is controlled by the material of the decorative layer, so that perfect synchronization of pattern and embossing is achieved.

As mentioned above, it has been demonstrated that cork is extremely advantageous for producing natural material tiles consisting of a first cellulosic material with a raised surface, but the decorative appearance is limited by the thin layer or It depends on the structure and composition of the veneer. This layer is formed by breaking blocks of cork nodule into thin sheets. These sheets exhibit growth zones of varying relative orientation and compressibility over a wide range. Since each growth zone differs in its elasticity and resilience, the formation of reliefs can range from simple knottiness to complete works of art by nature. Currently, cork is the most suitable material, but it has the "elastic memory" required to form the embossment.
Other cellulosic materials having or capable of being endowed with can be used as well.

By using the method of the invention, a particular advantage is obtained that no cellulosic material is wasted, since all the waste of the first cellulosic material is converted into granules. Needless to say, this leads to cost savings compared to conventional products, since there is no need to plug the pores in the decorative layer, and only a small portion of the finished product is wasted.

Abrasion of a base layer produced by the method described above and comprising a first cellulosic material granulated in a matrix of fusible plastic, a thin decorative layer on the base layer, and a plastic coating of fusible plastic. Resistive layer (provided that this layer has a smooth upper surface when subjected to a cold pressing operation after hot pressing, and has a raised surface when reheated in the free state after a cold pressing operation) Tiles, panels or webs with 300% polyester are highly decorative and resistant to abrasion due to their elasticity and insulating ability, and are of great practical advantage because they are easy to walk on. .

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples.

A 1 mm thick cork veneer is placed on top of a 2 mm calendered base layer containing softened PVC and granular cork with a maximum grain size of 1.5 mm, and then a 0.5 mm thick abrasion resistant layer of softened PVC is placed on top of this cork veneer. A layer coating was applied. The above material was placed in a molding press equipped with a spacer and covered with paper coated with a mold release agent on both sides. 5 while gradually increasing the pressure up to a maximum of 2Kg/ ^cm2 .
Pressing was performed using a hot press (180°C) for minutes.
The mold containing the material is transferred to a cold press while still hot, and the pressure is increased from 2Kg/ ^cm2 to 5Kg/cm2 in 5 minutes.
cm ² and then the cooled product was removed from the mold. The product was completely flat. However, when heated to 130℃ for 2 minutes,
An embossed pattern formed on the surface, the appearance of which depended on the structure used in the cork veneer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Granulate a first cellulose material, mix the granules with fusible plastic, make a mat from this mixture, and add a second cellulose material of the same or different type to the first cellulose material. cutting a thin slice from the cellulosic material, placing the slice, which in its as-cut state includes the through holes or depressions, on the mat; applying a fusible plastic coating over the thin slice of cellulosic material; The laminate thus obtained is compressed under the supply of heat to melt the plastic and introduce the mat material into the holes and depressions of the slices, and then the compressed laminate is cooled. A manufacturing method for decorative laminate products. 2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that when cooling the product in the cold press, a higher pressure is applied to the laminate than in the hot pressing operation. 3. The method according to item 1 or 2 above, characterized in that the laminate after cooling is subjected to free-state heating and cooling to form an embossed pattern of the plastic film. 4. Any one of 1 to 3 above, wherein at least the second cellulose material is cork.
The method described in section. 5. The method according to any one of 1 to 3 above, wherein at least the first cellulose material is woody. 6. The method according to any one of items 1 to 5 above, characterized in that the plastic is softened PVC.