Floor covering element for adhesive installation

Abstract

The present application relates to a floor covering element for adhesive installation. The floor covering element comprises at least one functional layer and a felt underlay layer, which is firmly bonded to a main surface of the at least one functional layer. The felt is made of fibers of a polymer material.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a floor covering element for adhesive installation, which can be easily removed from a subfloor without leaving any adhesive residue. State of the art

[0002] Floor coverings for adhesive installation are known in the art. Such floor coverings typically consist of numerous floor covering elements, such as strips or tiles, which are bonded to a subfloor, usually equipped with impact sound insulation, such as a concrete or screed floor, using an adhesive. However, when removing such a floor, a recurring problem arises: when the floor covering elements are pulled out, some of the adhesive used during installation remains stuck to them, or even parts of the subfloor are torn out along with them. This leads to problems with any potential recycling of the removed floor covering elements, as the adhesive residue or residue from the subfloor must be removed before the floor covering element can be recycled, since this residue may constitute an undesirable contaminant in the recycled material.This problem arises particularly when the flooring elements consist of a single material, such as a specific polymer material. Description of the invention

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to create a floor covering element for adhesive installation which can be easily detached from a subfloor when the floor covering is replaced, without leaving any adhesive residue or broken pieces of the subfloor adhering to the floor covering element.

[0004] The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, the floor covering element for adhesive installation comprises at least one functional layer and a backing layer made of felt, which is firmly bonded to a main surface of the at least one functional layer, characterized in that the felt is made of fibers of a polymer material.

[0005] Because the fibers in the felt are not interwoven, the felt has a lower tensile strength than the adhesive used to bond the flooring element to the subfloor. This means the felt tears with less force than is required to break the adhesive bond. As a result, the flooring element can be completely removed from the subfloor without leaving any adhesive residue. Furthermore, there is no risk of tearing out parts of the subfloor when removing the flooring element. Despite this, the felt exhibits relatively high shear strength. In addition, the felt gives the flooring element mechanical and acoustic damping properties, allowing it to be used to create a floor covering that is both gentle on joints and prevents the transmission of impact noise to rooms below.

[0006] The floor covering element according to the invention is designed for adhesive installation, meaning that when laying a floor covering with a plurality of floor covering elements according to the invention, these are attached to a substrate, such as a concrete floor or screed, by means of a suitable adhesive. The adhesive is located between the substrate and the underlayment.

[0007] The polymer material is preferably a plasticizer-free polymer material. In the following application, "plasticizer-free" means that the felt contains no plasticizer or only a trace amount. <onzentration an Weichmacher von weniger als 3 Gew.-%, vorzugsweise von weniger als 1 Gew.-%, aufweist.

[0008] The use of a plasticizer-free polymer material has the advantage that it does not shrink due to outgassing of the plasticizer, thus preventing the formation of joints between adjacent floor covering elements in a floor covering.

[0009] A functional layer within the meaning of the present application is a layer that performs a specific function in the flooring element, such as a wear layer on which people can stand or walk and on which furniture and objects can be placed. The flooring element may have only one functional layer. Preferably, however, the flooring element comprises several functional layers.

[0010] The at least one functional layer preferably consists of a polymer material, in particular the same polymer material as the felt. Alternatively, the at least one functional layer can also consist of a different material, such as wood or stoneware. If the at least one functional layer consists of a polymer material, it can be produced by extrusion or calendering.

[0011] The underlayment is the layer that is laid on a subfloor and bonded to it. The felt consists of fibers of a solvent-free polymer material, which have been bonded together to form a sheet. The fibers are not interwoven.

[0012] The main surfaces are defined as those surfaces of the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer that have the largest two-dimensional extent. The main surfaces are thus defined by the width and length of the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer. Each of the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer has two parallel main surfaces positioned at a defined distance from each other. This distance corresponds to the thickness of the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer, respectively. Each of the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer has at least one side surface that completely surrounds the respective layer.

[0013] Preferably, the floor covering element has a cuboid shape, i.e., the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer have rectangular or square main surfaces.

[0014] The substrate layer is preferably bonded to a major surface of the at least one functional layer using an adhesive. Alternatively, this bond can also be achieved by welding or laminating.

[0015] Any suitable polymer material can be used for the felt fibers. The polymer material can be a homopolymer or a copolymer. Preferably, all felt fibers consist of the same polymer material. Alternatively, however, fibers of two or more different polymer materials can also be present in the felt.

[0016] Preferably, the felt is made from polyethylene terephthalate fibers. Polyethylene terephthalate has a relatively high degree of hardness and is generally free of plasticizers, which is why it is particularly well-suited as a polymer material for the felt fibers. Furthermore, polyethylene terephthalate exhibits high dimensional stability, meaning that no gaps form between adjacent flooring elements when the floor covering is installed. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate felt absorbs shear forces, which is a significant advantage of polyethylene terephthalate over other polymer materials, such as polypropylene. Furthermore, recycled polyethylene terephthalate can be used in the production of the felt, thus improving the environmental compatibility of the flooring element.Furthermore, polyethylene terephthalate exhibits particularly high dimensional stability, which completely eliminates the risk of gap formation due to shrinkage of the substrate layer.

[0017] In alternative embodiments, a different polymer material is used, e.g. polypropylene.

[0018] The felt is preferably manufactured such that the backing layer can be separated essentially parallel to its main surfaces. This means that, by applying a sufficiently high force, the felt can be separated relatively cleanly and easily into two parts parallel to the main surfaces of the backing layer. This significantly simplifies the removal of a floor covering formed with a multitude of the floor covering elements according to the invention. Furthermore, it reliably prevents parts of the adhesive or even broken-off pieces of the backing from adhering to a removed floor covering element.

[0019] Preferably, the backing layer comprises at least two layers of felt that are pressed together or spot-bonded, in particular by a material bond. This design of the backing layer makes it relatively easy to create a backing layer that can be separated into two parts when the flooring element is removed.

[0020] The flooring element, particularly with its underlayment, is laid on a floor surface that has already been coated with adhesive. Suitable adhesives include, in particular, the well-known dispersion adhesives, polyurethane-based adhesives, or premixed two-component adhesives. These can be applied to the floor surface and then spread using a trowel. Adhesives that can be sprayed onto the substrate before the flooring elements are laid are also known.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the underlayment has an adhesive on its main surface facing away from the at least one functional layer. Preferably, the adhesive is covered with a release liner that can be removed before laying a floor covering. Alternatively, the adhesive can be a two-component adhesive, with only one component applied to the underlayment. In this embodiment, the second component can be applied to the first component immediately before laying the floor covering, in order to allow the floor covering element to bond to the underlayment.

[0022] Both the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer preferably consist of the same polymer material. The polymer material is preferably polyethylene terephthalate.

[0023] As a result, all layers consist of the same polymer material, making the flooring element easily recyclable, as it can be returned to the appropriate material cycle without prior separation of the layers.

[0024] If the floor covering element has more than one functional layer, preferably all functional layers consist of the same polymer material, in particular polyethylene terephthalate.

[0025] The polymer material is preferably a recycled polymer material, in particular recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

[0026] Polyethylene terephthalate exhibits higher mechanical strength than the polyvinyl chloride currently used for flooring elements, allowing the thickness of at least one functional layer to be reduced while maintaining the same strength of the flooring element. Furthermore, since polyethylene terephthalate is processed at higher temperatures (approx. 250°C) compared to polyvinyl chloride (approx. 150°C), fewer thermal effects occur during the production of a flooring element according to the invention. Another advantage of the flooring element according to the invention is that the thermal behavior of all layers is virtually identical due to the use of the same material.

[0027] Preferably, the floor covering element comprises at least one wear layer and at least one base layer as functional layers, wherein the base layer is firmly connected to the base layer.

[0028] The wear layer is the layer that faces upwards after the flooring element has been laid, i.e., the layer opposite the subfloor. The wear layer is therefore the layer that forms the surface of a floor covering made up of a multitude of flooring elements according to the invention, on which people stand or walk, or on which furniture and objects are placed.

[0029] The base layer is positioned between the wear layer and the sub-base layer. The base layer provides the necessary stability and impact resistance to the flooring element. Therefore, the base layer is preferably the thickest layer of the flooring element.

[0030] Preferably, the underlayment has a thickness of 1 mm to 4 mm, particularly preferably a thickness of 1.5 mm to 3 mm. With an underlayment of such thickness, the flooring element exhibits optimal damping properties.

[0031] Thickness is understood to be the extent of the flooring element that is normal to the main surfaces of a layer.

[0032] Preferably, the wear layer has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, particularly preferably of 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm.

[0033] A flooring element used in private areas, i.e., in houses or apartments, preferably has a thinner wear layer with a thickness of 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm. For flooring in commercial or public areas, such as in a shop, office, school, or the like, the wear layer has a greater thickness, in particular from 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm.

[0034] The base layer preferably has a thickness of 1 mm to 8 mm, preferably 2 mm to 4 mm. With a base layer of this thickness, the flooring element exhibits sufficiently good stability.

[0035] Preferably, the floor covering element has an additional functional layer, a decorative layer which is arranged between the wear layer and the base layer and is firmly connected to them, wherein the decorative layer is in particular in the form of a film.

[0036] The decorative layer can be colored in a specific shade or feature a pattern, such as a wood grain. If the decorative layer has a pattern or color, the wear layer is preferably transparent so that the pattern or color is visible through it.

[0037] Preferably, the decorative layer is printed at least on one side facing the wear layer.

[0038] As an alternative to a decorative layer, the wear layer can also be patterned or colored on a main surface facing the base layer. In a further alternative embodiment, the base layer can also be colored or patterned on a main surface facing the wear layer. In these embodiments, a pattern or coloration of a floor covering formed with a plurality of floor covering elements according to the invention can be achieved even without a decorative layer. If the wear layer or the base layer has a pattern on one of its main surfaces, this pattern is preferably printed onto the respective main surface, in particular by means of digital printing.

[0039] By printing on the decorative layer or a main surface of the wear or load-bearing layer, the floor covering element can be given the look of wood or stoneware, thus allowing high-quality floors to be at least visually imitated with the floor covering element.

[0040] If one of the functional layers has a color, pattern, or print, the wear layer is preferably made of a transparent polymer material. In this case, recycled polymer material is preferably not used for the transparent polymer material.

[0041] Preferably, the floor covering element has an additional functional layer, a counter-tension layer, which is arranged between the wear layer and the substrate layer and is firmly connected to them.

[0042] The counter-tension layer is preferably arranged such that its extrusion direction is parallel to the extrusion direction of the base layer. Alternatively, however, the counter-tension layer can also be arranged such that it is perpendicular to the base layer. This means that, in the case of an extruded base layer and counter-tension layer, the direction along which the counter-tension layer was extruded is perpendicular to the direction in which the base layer was extruded. This can be achieved by appropriately arranging the layers before they are joined.

[0043] The backing layer is preferably arranged directly adjacent to the substrate layer. This means that in a flooring element with multiple functional layers, the backing layer is the lowest of the functional layers when the flooring element is used as intended, lying directly above the substrate layer. If the flooring element has a base layer, the backing layer is preferably arranged between the base layer and the substrate layer.

[0044] Preferably, the floor covering element is designed as a tile or strip.

[0045] If the floor covering element is designed as a tile, it preferably has a rectangular, and in particular a square, base. Alternatively, a tile-shaped floor covering element can also have any polygonal base, for example a hexagonal base.

[0046] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention can be derived from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims.

[0047] Preferably, the substrate layer is connected to the at least one functional layer in at least one defined area, wherein the at least one defined area covers less than 75% of the surface area of ​​a main surface of the substrate layer. This means that the substrate layer is not firmly connected to the at least one functional layer over the entirety of one of its main surfaces, but only partially in the at least one defined area. As a result, the substrate layer can be detached from the at least one functional layer with significantly less force than is required to remove the adhesive used when laying a floor covering. This ensures that when a floor covering consisting of a plurality of floor covering elements according to the invention is removed, the removed floor covering elements remain free of the adhesive used during installation.

[0048] The at least one defined area can have any shape and dimensions, as long as it covers less than 75% of the surface area of ​​a main surface of the substrate layer. Preferably, however, the at least one defined area covers less than 60% of the surface area of ​​a main surface of the substrate layer, and in particular less than 40% of the surface area. The at least one defined area is preferably shaped, dimensioned, and arranged on a main surface of the substrate layer such that the substrate layer is tightly attached to the at least one functional layer, i.e., without sagging areas.

[0049] Preferably, the substrate layer is connected to the at least one functional layer at several defined areas, such as two, three, four, or more defined areas. If the substrate layer is attached to the at least one functional layer at several defined areas, these areas are preferably evenly distributed across the corresponding main surface of the substrate layer.

[0050] Alternatively, the substrate layer can be bonded to the at least one functional layer around the perimeter of one of its main surfaces. For this purpose, for example, a strip of adhesive of a defined width can be applied along the edges of the corresponding main surface of the substrate layer, thereby attaching the substrate layer to the at least one functional layer. Alternatively, the corresponding main surface of the substrate layer can be laminated or welded to the at least one functional layer only at its perimeter. In addition to the perimeter bonding, the main surface of the substrate layer can also be bonded to the at least one functional layer at specific points, such as at its geometric center. Brief description of the drawings

[0051] The drawings used to illustrate the exemplary embodiment show: Fig. 1 a first embodiment of a floor covering element according to the invention in a schematic three-dimensional view; Fig. 2 the floor covering element according to the Fig. 1 when tearing the floor covering element from a subfloor; Fig. 3 a second embodiment of a floor covering element according to the invention in a schematic perspective view; Fig. 4 the floor covering element according to the Fig. 3 with separate felt layers; Fig. 5 an embodiment of a substrate layer with two felt layers.

[0052] Basically, identical parts in the figures are marked with the same reference symbols. Ways to implement the invention

[0053] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a floor covering element 1 according to the invention in a schematic three-dimensional view. The floor covering element 1 according to this embodiment comprises two functional layers 2. One of the functional layers 2 is a wear layer 4, while the second functional layer 2 is a support layer 5. The floor covering element 1 further comprises a backing layer 3 made of a felt of fibers of a polymer material. The backing layer 3 is firmly bonded to the support layer 5 via one of its main surfaces, in particular by adhesive bonding. Furthermore, the support layer 5 is firmly bonded to the wear layer 4, for example by adhesive bonding or lamination. If the support layer 5 and the wear layer 4 are made of the same polymer material, these two layers 4, 5 can also be produced by co-extrusion.When laying a floor covering, the underlayment layer 3 is bonded to a subfloor over one of its main surfaces using an adhesive 8.

[0054] The Fig. Figure 2 shows the floor covering element 1 according to the Fig. 1. When the flooring element 1 is torn from a subfloor, the felt material of the backing layer 3 has a lower tensile strength than the adhesive 8 used to bond the flooring element 1 to the subfloor. This allows the backing layer 3 to be torn into two parts 3a, 3b. This enables the flooring element 1 to be removed from the subfloor without leaving any adhesive 8 residue on it. Furthermore, it prevents parts of the subfloor from being torn out along with the flooring element. In particular, if all layers 3, 4, 5 of the flooring element 1 consist of the same polymer material, the flooring element 1 can be easily recycled.

[0055] Fig. Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of a floor covering element 1 according to the invention in a schematic perspective view. In contrast to the first embodiment, the floor covering element 1 has three functional layers 2, wherein, in addition to the wear layer 4 and the base layer 5, a decorative layer 6 is arranged between them. The decorative layer 6 is firmly bonded to the wear layer 4 and the base layer 5 via its two main surfaces, wherein the decorative layer 6 is designed as a film, in particular a film made of polyethylene terephthalate. The decorative layer is preferably printed on its main surface, which faces the wear layer 4, for example with a wood grain pattern. If the decorative layer 6 is printed, the wear layer consists of a transparent polymer material.

[0056] Furthermore, the underlayment 3 has two felt layers 3.1, 3.2, which are connected to each other in such a way that, when a floor covering element 1 is bonded to a substrate by means of an adhesive 8, they can be irreversibly separated from each other by applying a force directed, in particular, perpendicular to the main surfaces of layers 3, 4, 5, 6. This allows the underlayment 3 to be easily separated into two parts when a floor covering consisting of a multitude of floor covering elements 1 is torn out. Thus, no residues of the adhesive 8 or even torn-out parts of the substrate remain on the removed floor covering element 1. The two felt layers 3.1, 3.22 can, for example, be joined together by pressing in such a way that they remain adhered to each other during normal use of the flooring element 1 in a floor covering, but separate from each other when the forces exerted on the floor covering element are pulled out, as shown on the . Fig. 4 is shown.

[0057] The Fig. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a backing layer 3 with two felt layers 3.1, 3.2 in a schematic perspective view. The two felt layers 3.1, 3.2 are only connected to each other at specific points in areas 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, for example by gluing, welding, or fusing. When removing a floor covering element 1 with such a backing layer 3, only the fixed connections between the felt layers 3.1, 3.2 in the specific areas need to be released, in particular by tearing.

Claims

[1] Floor covering element for adhesive installation, comprising at least one functional layer and a backing layer made of felt, which is firmly bonded to a main surface of the at least one functional layer, characterized by that the felt is made from fibers of a polymer material. [2] Floor covering element according to claim 1, characterized by that the felt is made from polyethylene terephthalate fibers. [3] Floor covering element according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by , that the felt is manufactured in such a way that the underlay layer can be separated essentially parallel to its main surfaces. [4] Floor covering element according to claim 3, characterized by that the underlay layer comprises at least two layers of felt that are pressed together or connected at points, in particular by a material bond. [5] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized bythat the substrate layer has an adhesive on its main surface facing away from at least one wear layer. [6] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that both the at least one functional layer and the substrate layer consist of the same polymer material, preferably polyethylene terephthalate. [7] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the floor covering element comprises at least one wear layer and at least one base layer as functional layers, wherein the base layer is firmly connected to the base layer. [8] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the substrate layer has a thickness of 1 mm to 4 mm, preferably a thickness of 1.5 mm to 3 mm. [9] Floor covering element according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized bythat the wear layer has a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm. [10] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by that the base layer has a thickness of 1 mm to 8 mm, preferably 2 to 4 mm. [11] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized by that the floor covering element has an additional functional layer, a decorative layer which is arranged between the wear layer and the base layer and is firmly connected to them, wherein the decorative layer is in particular in the form of a film. [12] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized by that the floor covering element has an additional functional layer, a counter-tension layer, which is arranged between the wear layer and the substrate layer and is firmly connected to them. [13] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized bythat the floor covering element is designed as a tile or strip. [14] Floor covering element according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by that the substrate layer is connected to the at least one functional layer at at least one defined area, wherein the at least one defined area covers less than 75% of the surface area of ​​a main surface of the substrate layer.

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