Rubber Flooring and Methods of Production Thereof

Abstract

In various aspects the present application provides flooring materials and methods of making the same wherein the flooring material comprises an adhesion surface for attaching the flooring material to a substrate and an opposing bearing surface, wherein a cross-section of the flooring material has substantially the same composition along an axis from the bearing surface to the adhesion surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] Flooring for commercial settings may be trodden by hundreds or even thousands of people every day. Most of those people will track dirt or other materials onto the floor or drop something on it. Every day, the flooring will also be worn by the action of people walking and also grinding the dirt and other rubbish into the floor. The flooring may also be cleaned daily, often using strong cleansers and solvents to remove the dirt. [0002] Particle reinforced rubbers offer a strong, wear resistant material that also provide a resilient walking surface. In comparison to wood or concrete, rubber flooring is less tiring to walk and stand on. The increased lifetime reduces maintenance costs. In a retail setting, this can help maintain the stamina of shoppers, keeping them from getting tired and increasing traffic for the retailers. In a medical setting, reduction of fatigue can prevent medical mistakes, and easily cleaned floors can help prevent diseases fr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] In various embodiments, the methods of the present inventions provide methods for providing the uncured polymer particles having a size in the range between about 6 mesh and about 24 mesh. For example, in various embodiments, a sheet of uncured polymer material is feed through a granulator comprising: (a) at least one non-stationary blade for cutting the sheet; (b) at least one stationary blade for cutting the sheet; and a screen through which particles having a dimension less than a predetermined size can pass into a hopper. In various embodiments, the particles are drawn through the screen using a vacuum. The non-stationary blade is spaced at a predetermined distance from the screen and the stationary blade when the non-stationary blade is adjacent to the screen and the stationary blade to, for example, facilitate cutting and reduce tearing of the sheet of uncured polymer.

Problems solved by technology

Every day, the flooring will also be worn by the action of people walking and also grinding the dirt and other rubbish into the floor.

However, rubbers present unique fabrication challenges.

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