A method for forming a cladding element

Abstract

A method for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, the method comprising: heating the blank 430; engaging the heated blank with a former 440; and applying pressure to the

Description

Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a cladding element, and to a cladding element formed according to the method. Background In recent years luxury vinyl flooring materials have grown in popularity for use in both commercial and domestic settings, due to their appearance, durability, ease of installation and relative affordability compared to other materials such as natural wood, stone and ceramic tiles. Luxury vinyl flooring materials are typically produced as square or rectangular tiles, which are sometimes referred to as luxury vinyl tiles or LVTs, or as rectangular planks, which are sometimes referred to as luxury vinyl planks or LVPs. Luxury vinyl flooring materials can be made to resemble materials such as natural wood, stone or marble. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional representation of the composition of a luxury vinyl flooring material. A luxury vinyl flooring material is typically made up of a plurality of flexible layers. In the example shown in Figure 1, a luxury vinyl flooring material (shown generally at 100) comprises a surface wear layer 110, a design layer 120 and a core layer 130. The surface wear layer 110 is typically a flexible transparent or translucent layer of urethane or similar material that provides protection against wear such as a scratches, scuffs, stains and other damage. The surface wear layer 110 is the uppermost layer of the material 100 when installed on a floor. The design layer 120 is a flexible layer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a composite of PVC and a fibre material, on which a design (typically representing natural wood, stone or another material) is printed or otherwise provided. The core layer 130 is a further flexible layer of PVC or a composite of PVC and a fibre material that provides the structure for the material. The core layer 130 is typically thicker than the surface wear layer 110 and the design layer 120. The core layer 130 is the lowermost layer of the material 100 when installed on a floor. Individual tiles or planks of the material 100 may be provided with engagement formations to allow them to be coupled to one another to ensure a tight and gap-free fit between individual tiles or planks when installed on a floor, as shown generally at 200 in Figure 2, which is a schematic cross-sectional representation of two similar luxury vinyl tiles or planks coupled together by engagement formations. In the example shown in Figure 2, a first luxury vinyl tile or plank 210 has a first edge 212 and a second edge 214. A projection 216 extends along the first edge 212 and a correspondingly shaped receptacle 218 extends along the second edge 214. Similarly, a second luxury vinyl tile or plank 220 has a first edge 222 and a second edge 224. A projection 216 extends along the first edge 222 and a correspondingly shaped receptacle 218 (not visible in Figure 2) extends along the second edge 224. To couple the first and second tiles or planks 210, 220, the projection 216 of the first tile or plank 210 is received in the receptacle of the second tile or plank 220. In the example shown in Figure 2, a protrusion 216a is provided at a distal end of the projection 216, extending laterally of the projection 216, and a recess 218a is provided at a distal end of the receptacle 218, extending laterally of the receptacle 218 into the core layer 130. When the first and second tiles or planks 210, 220 are coupled together, the protrusion 216a of the first tile or plank 210 is received in and engages with the recess 218a of the second tile or plank 220, thus interlocking the two tiles or planks 210, 220. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the arrangement described above with reference to Figure 2 is merely one example of an arrangement for securely coupling or interlocking a first tile or plank 210 to a second tile or plank 220. Other arrangements of engagement formations, e.g. tongue and groove arrangements, may be provided for securely coupling or interlocking a first tile or plank 210 to a second tile or plank 220. Luxury vinyl flooring materials are commonly used as floor cladding materials, but it has hitherto not been possible to clad stairs with such materials, because of the shape and configuration of stair parts. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional representation of a portion of a staircase. A staircase, shown generally at 300 in Figure 3, comprises a plurality of stairs 310, 320 which each comprise a tread 312 and a riser 314. A part of the tread 312 that overhands the riser 314 is known as a nosing 316. The nosing 316 in the example shown in Figure 3 has a generally C-shaped profile, but other profile shapes are also possible. Although luxury vinyl flooring material has a degree of flexibility, it is designed for installation on generally flat floor surfaces, rather than on curved or other shaped surfaces. This makes it difficult to completely clad a staircase in such material, as the material does not conform to the shape of the nosings 316 of the treads 312. Summary According to a first aspect, the invention provides a method for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, the method comprising: heating the blank; engaging the heated blank with a former; and applying pressure to the heated blank while it is engaged with the former. The method may further comprise cooling the heated blank. Cooling the heated blank may comprise cooling the heated blank while the heated blank is engaged with the former. Additionally or alternatively, cooling the heated blank may comprise cooling the heated blank after the heated blank has been disengaged from the former. Cooling the heated blank may comprise passively cooling the heated blank and / or actively cooling the heated blank. Heating the blank may comprise heating the blank to a temperature of between 90 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius. For example, heating the blank may comprise heating the blank to a temperature of between 105 degrees Celsius and 115 degrees Celsius. In particular, heating the blank may comprise heating the blank to a temperature of 110 degrees Celsius. Heating the blank may comprise heating the whole of the blank to a substantially uniform temperature. The blank may comprise an engagement formation for coupling the blank with another piece of flooring material. Applying pressure to the heated blank while it is engaged with the former may comprise applying the pressure substantially uniformly across the whole of the blank. The pressure is applied to the blank for a period of 15 minutes or more. The cladding material may comprise vinyl floor cladding material. The cladding element may be for cladding a nosing of stair tread. According to a second aspect, the invention provides a cladding element formed using the method of the first aspect. According to a third aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, the apparatus comprising: a former for forming a heated blank into a desired shape of the stair cladding element; and compression means for compressing the heated blank while it is engaged with the former. The apparatus may further comprise heating means for heating the blank. The apparatus may further comprise a jig configured to engage with an external surface of the blank. The apparatus may further comprise a conveyor for conveying the blank between a heating station comprising the heating means and a forming station comprising the former. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, strictly by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a is a schematic cross-sectional representation of the composition of a luxury vinyl flooring material; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional representation of two similar luxury vinyl tiles or planks coupled together by engagement formations; Figure 3 is a is a schematic cross-sectional representation of a portion of a staircase; Figure 4 is a flow diagram of a method for forming a cladding element according to the present disclosure; Figures 5a - 5c illustrate a jig and former arrangement for use in a method for forming a cladding element according to the present disclosure; Figures 6a - 6c illustrate an alternative jig and former arrangement for use in a method for forming a cladding element according to the present disclosure; and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic representation of an example production line for forming cladding elements from blanks of floor cladding material. Detailed Description The present disclosure provides a method for forming a cladding element from a piece or blank of luxury vinyl flooring material (also referred to herein as floor cladding or floor cladding material). Using the disclosed method, a cladding element that conforms to the shape of a structural element to be clad can be formed from the luxury vinyl flooring material. For example, using the disclosed method, a cladding element that conforms to the shape of a nosing 316 of a stair tread 312 can be formed, thus permitting effective cladding of a staircase with luxury vinyl flooring material. Figure 4 is a flow diagram of a method for forming a cladding element according to the present disclosure. The method is shown generally at 400 in Figure 4, and commences with a step 410 of obtaining a blank of floor cladding material. The blank of floor cladding material may be, for example, a manufactured luxury vinyl tile or a luxury vinyl plank. The blank may be pre-cut to a desired shape (e.g. to the width of a stair tread having a nosing that is to be clad by the finished cladding element), or alternatively, in an optional step 420, the blank may be cut to a desired shape. If the blank of floor cladding material does not have engagement formations (e.g. of the kind described above with reference to Figure 2) for securely coupling or interlocking it with another piece of floor cladding material, the blank may be cut to a desired width (e.g. corresponding to the width of a stair tread) and depth (e.g. sufficient that the finished cladding element will cover a portion of the tread as well as the whole of the nosing to be clad). If the blank does have engagement formations, it will typically only be cut to a desired width, as cutting the blank to a desired depth may involve cutting off the engagement formations. In a further step 430, the blank of floor cladding material is heated to soften it so that it can be formed in a subsequent forming step. Heating may be performed in any 6 convenient manner. For example, the blank may be heated in an oven, or by one or more radiant heating elements, or by hot air from a heat gun or similar. The blank may be heated to a temperature of between 90°C and 130°C, and preferably to a temperature of approximately 110°C (e.g. to a temperature of between 105°C and 115°C). The blank may be heated for a period of three minutes or more. In a subsequent step 440, the heated blank of floor cladding material is brought into engagement with a former having a shape corresponding to the desired shape of the finished cladding element. For example, for a stair cladding element for cladding a nosing of a stair tread, the former may be a wooden or metal former having a shape or profile corresponding to the shape or profile of an external surface of the nosing, and the heated blank may be brought into engagement by wrapping it around an outside surface of the former. Alternatively, the former may be a wooden or metal former having a recess with an internal shape or profile corresponding to the desired shape of the finished cladding element (e.g. corresponding to the shape of an external surface of a nosing, where the cladding element is for cladding a stair tread), and the heated blank may be brought into engagement with the former by urging it into the recess in the former. Once the heated blank has been brought into engagement with the former, at a subsequent step 450, pressure is applied to the blank while it is engaged with the former. In some examples, pressure may be applied by clamping or otherwise compressing the former and the heated blank in a jig. Preferably, the pressure is applied substantially uniformly to the whole of the blank (by which it is meant that no portion of the blank experiences a significantly higher pressure than another portion of the blank). This helps to avoid undesired deformation of the blank during the application of the pressure. The pressure may be applied to the blank for a predetermined period of time, which may be, for example, 15 minutes or longer. In a further step 460, the pressure is removed from the blank. The step 460 may involve, for example, unclamping and removing the (now formed) blank from a jig used in the preceding step 450. In a further step 470, the now formed blank is cooled, e.g. to an ambient temperature of a location in which the method 400 is being performed, or to another temperature, which 7 may be predefined. In some examples the cooling may be passive, e.g. by simply leaving the formed blank to cool naturally to the ambient temperature of the location in which the method is being performed. In other examples, active or forced cooling may be employed, e.g. by directing air flow over and / or around the formed blank using a fan or similar, or by placing the formed blank in a refrigerator, water bath or other cooling apparatus, to cool the formed blank more quickly that would be possible by passive cooling alone. As will be appreciated, a degree of cooling will naturally take place as soon as heating of the blank of floor cladding material stops, i.e. the blank will naturally cool during steps 440 - 460. The cooling step 470 is an additional step that is performed to ensure that the formed blank is at a suitable temperature for handling, storage, transportation or the like. In some examples, the cooling step 470 may be performed before the step 460 of removing the pressure from the blank. For example, the piece may be allowed to cool (either passively or using active cooling means such as a fan) while it is still in a jig used in step 460 to apply pressure. However, performing the cooling step 470 before the step 460 of removing the pressure may reduce production throughput, and thus it is anticipated that it may be preferable to perform step 460 before step 470. In cases where the blank of floor cladding material to be formed into the cladding element includes engagement formations of the kind described above with reference to Figure 2, it is advantageous for the whole of the blank of floor cladding material to be heated to a substantially uniform temperature in the heating step 430 (by which it is meant that heat is applied to the whole of the blank such that no significant difference in temperature exists between one portion of the blank and another portion of the blank). In known methods for forming substantially flat vinyl sheet material into three-dimensional shapes that involve forming a bend in the material, typically only a portion of the sheet material in the vicinity of the bend is heated, i.e. the blank is not heated to a substantially uniform temperature. The inventor of the present disclosure has discovered a surprising technical benefit that arises from deviating from this known approach by heating the whole of the blank of floor cladding material to be formed into a cladding element to a substantially uniform temperature. If only the portion of the blank in which a bend is to be formed is heated, deformation of one or both the engagement formations on the edges of the piece (e.g. deformation of a projection 216 that extends along a first edge 212 and / or of a receptacle 218 that extends along a second edge 214) may arise. Such deformation can make it impossible or difficult to properly engage or interlock an engagement formation of the finished cladding element with a complementary engagement formation of another piece of vinyl flooring material such as an LVT or LVP. The inventor has discovered that if the whole of the blank of floor cladding material is heated to a substantially uniform temperature in the heating step 430, this problem does not arise. It is thought that heating the whole of the blank in this way allows substantially uniform expansion and subsequent contraction (on cooling) of the blank. In contrast, it is thought that only heating a portion of the blank causes the heated portion to expand, and this localised heating causes deformation of the rest of the blank. This deformation remains when the heated portion of the blank subsequently cools, leading to deformation at the edges of the blank. Thus, heating the whole of the blank of floor cladding material to a substantially uniform temperature in the heating step 430 gives rise to a technical benefit of preventing (or at least minimising or reducing) deformation or distortion of the edges of the blank, thus facilitating the engagement of the finished cladding element with other pieces of cladding material, e.g. LVTs or LVPs. As will be appreciated, even where the blank does not have engagement formations, minimising deformation of the edges of the blank by heating the whole of the blank to a substantially uniform temperature is beneficial, as it enables a close fit between the finished cladding element and other pieces of flooring material during installation of the finished cladding element. There are numerous ways in which some or all the steps of the method 400 may be performed. Figures 5a - 5c illustrate the use of a jig and former arrangement for use in performing the steps of the method of Figure 4 of engaging the heated blank of floor cladding material with a former (step 440) and applying pressure to the blank while it is engaged with the former (step 450). In the jig and former arrangement shown generally at 500 in Figure 5, a jig 510 includes a first clamp member 512 and a second clamp member 514. The second clamp member 514 is connected to the first clamp member 512 by a flap 516 of flexible heat-proof material, such as canvas. In use of the jig and former arrangement 500, in a first step the jig 510 is opened such that the flap 516 is substantially flat, and a heated blank 520 of floor cladding material is placed on the flap 516, with one edge abutting the first clamp member 512 as shown in Figure 5a. A former 530 is placed over the heated blank 520 with a proximal edge 532 abutting the first clamp member 512. A distal portion of the blank 520 extends beyond a distal edge 534 of the former 530 in this first step. The distal edge 534 of the former 530 has an external shape or profile corresponding to a desired internal shape or profile of the finished cladding element. In a second step, the flap 516 is closed as shown in Figure 5b, by wrapping it (and consequently also the portion of the heated blank 520 that extends beyond the distal edge 534 of the former 530) over the distal edge 534 of the former 530. In this second step, the heated blank 520 engages with the former 530, and that portion of the blank 520 that is in contact with the distal edge 534 of the former takes on the shape of the distal edge 534 of the former 530. In a third step, pressure is applied to the heated blank 520 while it is engaged with the former 530, by securing the second clamp member 514 to the first clamp member 512. In the example shown in Figure 5c the second clamp member 514 is secured to the first clamp member 512 by means of threaded bolts 542 and corresponding nuts 544, which are tightened (e.g. to a predefined torque) to apply pressure to the heated blank 520 10 while it is engaged with the former 530. It will be understood, however, that other mechanisms could be used to secure the second clamp member 514 to the first clamp member 512 and apply pressure to the heated blank 520, such as clips, clamps, compression straps, pegs, or the like. The heated blank 520 is retained in the closed jig 510, in engagement with the former 530, and the pressure applied by the secured jig 510 is maintained for a predefined period of time, e.g. 15 minutes or more. During this period, the heated blank 520 partially cools while still under pressure from the secured jig 510. After the predefined period of time the jig 510 is loosened, the flap 516 is opened and the blank 520, which is now formed into the desired shape of cladding element, is removed from the jig 510. The formed cladding element may be further cooled, passively or actively, as described above. In this example the final form of the finished cladding element is defined by the profile or shape of the distal edge of the former 530. Figures 6a - 6c illustrate an alternative jig and former arrangement for use in performing the steps of the method of Figure 4 of engaging the heated blank of floor cladding material with a former (step 440) and applying pressure to the blank while it is engaged with the former (step 450). In the jig and former arrangement shown generally at 600 in Figure 6, a jig 610 is formed with a recess 612 having an internal shape or profile corresponding to a desired external shape or profile of the finished cladding element. A former 620 has a distal edge 622 with an external shape or profile corresponding to a desired internal shape or profile of the finished cladding element. In use of the jig and former arrangement 600, in a first step the former 620 is positioned on top of the heated blank 630, with a proximal edge 624 of the former 620 aligned with a proximal edge 632 of the heated blank 630, such that a distal portion 634 of the heated blank 630 extends beyond the distal edge 622 of the former 620. In a second step, the former 620 and the heated blank 630 are urged or pushed into the jig 610, such that the heated blank 630 engages with the former 620, with the distal portion 634 of the heated blank 630 being compressed between the distal edge 622 of the former 620 and the interior profile of the recess 612, as shown in Figure 6b. Compression of the heated blank 630 can be achieved in a variety of different ways, e.g. using compression straps, springs or the like to urge the former 620 towards the heated blank 630. The heated blank 630 is retained in this compressed condition between the former 620 and the recess 612 for a predefined period of time, e.g. 15 minutes or more. During this period, the heated blank 630 partially cools while still under pressure from the secured former 620. After the predefined period of time the former 620 and the blank 630, which is now formed into the desired shape of cladding element, are removed from the jig 610. The formed cladding element may be further cooled, passively or actively, as described above. In this example the final form of the finished cladding element is defined by the profile or shape of both the distal edge of the former 620 (which defines the internal shape or profile of the distal portion 634 of the finished cladding element) and the internal profile of the recess 610 (which defines the external shape or profile of the distal portion 634 of the finished cladding element. Figure 7 is a diagrammatic representation of an example production line for forming cladding elements from blanks of floor cladding material. As shown generally at 700 in Figure 7, the production line includes a conveyor 710, a heating station 720 and a forming station 730. The conveyor 710 may comprise, for example, an endless belt conveyor or a plurality of motorised rollers. The conveyor 710 is configured to receive blanks 740 of floor cladding material, and to convey them between the stations 720, 730 of the production line 700. The conveyor 710 may be formed in a plurality of sections (e.g. one section for each of the stations 720, 730), or may be a single conveyor. The heating station 720 is configured to receive a blank 740 of floor cladding material that has been placed on the conveyor 710 and to heat the blank 740 to soften it for subsequent forming into a desired shape of a finished cladding element. The heating station 720 may comprise, for example, one or more radiant heating elements and / or hot air generators (e.g. heat guns). The heating station is preferably configured to heat the blank 740 to a substantially uniform temperature, which may be a temperature of between 90°C and 130°C, and preferably a temperature of approximately 110°C (e.g. a temperature of between 105°C and 115°C). The heating station 730 may be configured to heat the blank 720 may be heated for a period of three minutes or more. The forming station 730 is configured to receive a heated blank 740 from the heating station 720, and to form the heated blank 740 into the desired shape of the finished cladding element. The forming station 730 comprises a former 732 having a distal end 734 having an external shape or profile corresponding to a desired internal shape or profile of the finished cladding element. In use of the production line 700, is brought into engagement with the heated blank 740, such that a distal portion of the heated blank 740 extends beyond the distal end 734 of the former 732. The distal portion of the heated blank 740 is then wrapped around the distal end 734 of the former 732, e.g. by one or more rollers, jigs or other suitable means. Pressure is then applied to the heated blank 740 while it is engaged with the former, such that the distal portion of the heated blank 740 takes on the shape of the distal end 734 of the former 732. The heated blank 740 is retained in this pressurised engagement with the former 732 for a predefined period of time, e.g. 15 minutes or more. During this period, the heated blank 740 partially cools while still in pressurised engagement with the former 732. After the predefined period of time the blank 740, which is now formed into the desired shape of cladding element, are disengaged from the former 732. The formed cladding element 750 is then moved away from the forming station 730 by the conveyor 710, and may be further cooled, passively or actively, as described above. It will be appreciated that the arrangements described above with reference to Figures 5a - 5c, 6a - 6c and 7 are merely examples of suitable arrangements for performing steps of the method 400 described above with reference to Figure 4, and that other arrangements are possible. The present disclosure thus encompasses any arrangement for performing the steps of the method 400. The present disclosure describes a method for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, in particular luxury vinyl (e.g. PVC or PVC-based) floor cladding material such as a luxury vinyl tile or a luxury vinyl plank. However, it will be appreciated that the described method can equally be employed to form a cladding element from a blank of another type of floor cladding material such as WPC (Stone Plastic (or Polymer) Composite), WPC (Wood Plastic (or Polymer) Composite) or another thermoplastic material. It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single feature or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference numerals or labels in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.

Claims

1. A method for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, the method comprising:heating the blank;engaging the heated blank with a former; andapplying pressure to the heated blank while it is engaged with the former.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: cooling the heated blank.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein cooling the heated blank comprises cooling the heated blank while the heated blank is engaged with the former.

4. A method according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein cooling the heated blank comprises cooling the heated blank after the heated blank has been disengaged from the former.

5. A method according to any of claims 2-4, wherein cooling the heated blank comprises passively cooling the heated blank and / or actively cooling the heated blank.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein heating the blank comprises heating the blank to a temperature of between 90 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein heating the blank comprises heating the blank to a temperature of between 105 degrees Celsius and 115 degrees Celsius.

8. A method according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein heating the blank comprises heating the blank to a temperature of 110 degrees Celsius.

9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein heating the blank comprises heating the whole of the blank to a substantially uniform temperature.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the blank comprises an engagement formation for coupling the blank with another piece of flooring material11. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein applying pressure to the heated blank while it is engaged with the former comprises applying the pressure substantially uniformly across the whole of the blank.

12. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pressure is applied to the blank for a period of 15 minutes or more.

13. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cladding material comprises vinyl floor cladding material.

14. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cladding element is for cladding a nosing of stair tread.

15. A cladding element formed using the method of any of the preceding claims.

16. An apparatus for forming a cladding element from a blank of floor cladding material, the apparatus comprising:a former for forming a heated blank into a desired shape of the stair cladding element; andcompression means for compressing the heated blank while it is engaged with the former.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising heating means for heating the blank.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a jig configured to engage with an external surface of the blank.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 or claim 18, further comprising a conveyor for conveying the blank between a heating station comprising the heating means and a forming station comprising the former.

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