Tiles, especially carpet tiles, and coverings made of such tiles

Abstract

The present invention relates to tiles, in particular carpet tiles. The present invention also relates to the use of the tiles of the present invention as floor tiles, wall tiles or ceiling tiles. The present invention further relates to a tile covering comprising a plurality of the tiles of the present invention. The present invention further relates to a carpet covering comprising at least one carpet tile of the present invention.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to tiles, particularly carpet tiles. The present invention also relates to the use of the tiles of the present invention as floor tiles, wall tiles or ceiling tiles. The present invention further relates to a tile covering composed of a plurality of tiles of the present invention. The present invention also relates to a carpet covering composed of at least one carpet tile of the present invention.

Background Art

[0002] Historically, carpet tiles have generally been used in high-traffic areas because of their high flexibility and practicality. However, today, because of its similarity to carpet in terms of quality, it is regarded as an item with high fashionability and practicality. Carpet tiles can meet all the flooring requirements for both high-traffic residential and commercial areas. There are various styles and sizes of carpet tiles, which are useful for covering complex floor spaces. It has several advantages but also its own disadvantages. There are various textures and various base materials for carpet tiles. Low-quality tiles usually have a rubber-based backing. When purchasing rubber-based ones, you will notice that the tiles may deform over time, for example, the edges of the tiles may curl upwards. This can happen when cleaning the tiles with water or chemicals, thereby increasing the likelihood of damaging the carpet tiles. Furthermore, known tiles are generally installed as floating floor coverings without an adhesive, which may cause undesirable displacement of the tiles relative to their supporting surfaces.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved tile, particularly a carpet tile, which overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] For this purpose, the present invention provides a tile, more particularly a carpet tile, which comprises a first carpet base having a base, preferably pile yarn projecting upward therefrom, and a backing structure attached to the lower surface of the base, preferably the first carpet base, the backing structure having an elastic layer forming the lower surface of the tile, wherein at least the lower surface of the elastic layer has a plurality of (surface) suction holes, thereby enabling the rapid attachment and removal of the tile to and from a supporting surface.

[0005] Preferably, the elastic layer is formed from an anisotropic material. Preferably, a plurality of surface suction holes are formed at least on the underside of the elastic layer, these surface suction holes opening in a direction away from the base and substantially closed in a direction facing the base. Typically, the surface suction holes cooperate to form a void footprint, where the material on the underside of the elastic layer between the surface suction holes defines a material footprint. Preferably, the ratio of the surface area between the void footprints to the material footprint is at least 4, preferably at least 5, and more preferably at least 6, which allows the tile to be attached to the support surface quickly and relatively strongly while maintaining easy removal of the tile from its support surface. A key advantage of the tile, in particular carpet tile, according to the present invention is that the quick-release adhesive backing structure allows the tile to be attached to the support surface quickly and stably and durablely, and at the same time, allows the tile to be removed from the support surface quickly and easily without leaving any traces. These properties provide tiles, particularly carpet tiles, with good dimensional stability, good flat mounting, and flexibility for easy attachment and removal of the tiles to and from support surfaces, preferably non-porous and substantially flat, such as floors, walls, or ceilings. The underside of the elastic layer is not provided with adhesive, preferably no adhesive or other chemical adhesive. The adhesion of the underside of the elastic layer is generated by the presence of small suction holes (microholes, shell-shaped cavities, and / or hemispherical microspaces with suction properties). During installation, the tile to be installed is pressed against the support surface, thereby forcing air out through the suction holes, where the periphery edges of the suction holes and / or the elastic material of the underside located between these suction holes create a substantial airtight seal between the underside of the elastic layer and the support surface. When the downward force applied to the installed tile is released, a vacuum (low atmospheric pressure) is created in the suction holes, which pulls the tile downward and holds it in contact with the support surface.Consequently, the tiles have far less tendency to curl and remain stable against the supporting surface until their suction force is overcome, for example, by a tensile force applied to the tile in the opposite direction during removal. Since no chemical adhesives are used, the tiles of the present invention can be efficiently manufactured by an in-line manufacturing method. The tiles of the present invention are preferably carpet tiles, the pile yarns of which can be formed from a number of natural or synthetic fibers. However, a number of different types of yarns can be formed, here typically two types of yarns are provided: spun fibers and filaments. These yarns can be formed from nylon, but other suitable synthetic yarns such as polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, or blends thereof can also be used. The carpet tiles can be rigid or flexible. It is also possible that the base does not contain any yarn or fibers.

[0006] The elastic layer is configured to exhibit the principle of "hard bonding, soft release," which can be simply understood as follows: When pulled in the hard direction, less elastic energy can be stored in the material (very similar to how a stiff spring can store less energy than a soft spring), resulting in less energy release that leads to random crack-like defects caused by the roughness of the supporting surface. On the other hand, when pulled in the soft direction, especially if the material has high anisotropy, a much larger amount of elastic energy can be stored in the material, resulting in a much larger rate of energy release that leads to crack-like defects caused by the roughness of the supporting surface.

[0007] Preferably, substantially the entire lower surface of the elastic layer is provided with suction holes. This generally improves and increases the overall suction effect that can be achieved during installation of the tile to the supporting surface. The size of the suction holes can be uniform, in which case these suction holes can be attached to the lower surface of the elastic layer, for example, by stamping, punching, and / or physically. However, it is generally advantageous to configure the suction holes to vary in size throughout the entire lower surface of the elastic layer, thereby allowing, for example, the elastic layer to be formed from a foam material. The elastic foam material may have closed cells (cavities) or open cells (cavities). In foam materials, cells of different sizes are usually present. In one embodiment, the elastic layer is made of a foam material consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), rubber, polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), (plasticized) polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or a mixture thereof. The elastic layer may optionally contain other components such as fillers including chalk, talc, sand, fibers, wood, minerals, and / or carbon; foaming agents including azodicarbonamide; crosslinking agents including dicumyl peroxide; foaming agents including zinc oxide, and / or colorants. Preferably, the elastic layer of the tile of the present invention provides a rubber-like foam material with respect to flexibility and pliability. The material has low-temperature toughness, stress crack resistance, waterproofing, airtight sealing properties, and foam recovery after compression.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment, a majority or substantially all of the suction holes have a diameter of 5 μm to about 1 mm, preferably 10 μm to 500 μm, and more preferably 10 to 300 μm. The density of the elastic layer can be varied along the thickness of the elastic layer. For example, the density of the elastic layer may be about 30 kg / m³. 3 Or approximately 280 kg / m 3The diameter can be in the range of . In another preferred embodiment, the diameter of the suction holes is 1 μm to 450 μm, more preferably 2 μm to 400 μm, and more preferably 4 μm to 350 μm. Such a distribution ensures a uniform distribution of suction holes across the bottom surface of the tile with holes of a suitable shape for suction or adhesion to the underlying structure.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 10 mm, more preferably 0.1 to 5 mm. Generally, this layer thickness is sufficient to achieve the desired suction during tile installation. The elastic layer also generally exhibits sound insulation properties depending on its thickness, so it may be preferred that the elastic layer be thicker rather than thinner. Preferably, the thickness of the elastic layer is greater than the maximum diameter or radius of the hole so that the inner surface of the hole is reliably closed by the material of the elastic layer.

[0010] To improve the suction effect of the tiles, it is conceivable to provide an airtight seal coating, preferably also called a sealant or impermeable coating, on the lower surface of the elastic layer. The seal material can be any suitable seal material capable of providing substantial airtightness between the suction hole and the support surface. Preferably, the seal material contains polyurethane (PU).

[0011] To protect the suction holes before use, and especially during transport and storage, a removable protective film may be initially attached to the lower surface of the elastic layer. This protective film can be formed from a release liner, generally made of paper and / or plastic.

[0012] The backing structure of the tile of the present invention preferably comprises a pre-coat layer disposed on the first carpet base, and at least one, preferably solvent-free, hot-melt adhesive layer disposed on the pre-coat layer. More preferably, the backing structure comprises tufted yarn, a first backing (functioning as a yarn-supporting layer), at least three polymer-containing layers, a pre-coat layer, and at least two solvent-free layers. The pre-coat layer preferably consists of a hot-melt adhesive (HMA) containing at least about 20% by weight (wt%) of adhesive resin. In the examples, the pre-coat layer contains about 2 wt% to about 80 wt% polyethylene and about 20 wt% to about 98 wt% of adhesive resin. The adhesive resin itself may contain, for example, up to about 15 wt% of oil, wax, and antioxidants. The precoat layer preferably has a viscosity of about 50 centivores (cps) to about 50,000 cps at a temperature of about 121°C to about 221°C. More preferably, the precoat layer has a viscosity of about 100 cps to about 35,000 cps at a temperature of about 166°C to about 218°C, and more preferably, a viscosity of about 500 cps at about 177°C. The precoat layer can be roll-coated, extruded, or applied using a conventional slot coater. The first extruded polymer layer and the second extruded polymer layer consist of a solvent-free HMA composition. The HMA composition may include ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), ethyl ethylene acrylate copolymer (EEA), ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), bitumen, or a blend thereof (for example, a blend of polypropylene and EPDM), where EVA is preferred. Either or both of the extruded polymer layers may contain fillers. For example, EVA is relatively expensive when used alone, and therefore, attempts have been made to reduce costs by blending it with relatively inexpensive fillers such as high-level fillers.Therefore, approximately 60 wt% of filler may be required to provide an economically viable composition. Since fillers increase viscosity, it is important to use a filler HMA composition that has a proper balance between fluidity and physical properties in order to function as a suitable polymer layer.

[0013] Those skilled in the art will understand that the general terms “hot melt adhesive” or “HMA” composition as used herein may include, in some cases, filled HMAs (in various ranges), and that the range of specifications of unfilled HMAs and such compositions, e.g., viscosity, temperature, etc., will vary with different filled / unfilled HMA compositions.

[0014] For example, if unfilled, the first and second extruded polymer layers of the EVA composition would contain about 60 wt% to about 98 wt% polyethylene and about 2 wt% to about 40 wt% poly(vinyl acetate). The copolymer would have a melting point of about 60°C to about 232°C, depending on the relative amounts of each component of the copolymer. The unfilled EVA hot melt adhesive would also have a viscosity of about 250,000 cps to about 1,500,000 cps at a temperature of about 199°C to about 221°C, more preferably about 402,000 cps at about 210°C.

[0015] The first and second extruded polymer layers can also be filled. The blend of polymer (e.g., EVA) with the filler is nominally about 40 wt% polymer to about 60 wt% filler. However, this range can be varied from about 10 wt% polymer to about 95 wt% polymer, with the filler constituting the remainder of the blend.

[0016] The carpet tile may further include a scrim positioned between the first extruded polymer layer and the second extruded polymer layer to provide dimensional stability. This scrim may be a woven or nonwoven layer. The scrim is typically made of fiberglass, nylon, polyester, or polypropylene. The carpet tile may further include a cushion backing attached to the underside of the second extruded polymer layer to provide the carpet tile with appropriate cushioning. Alternatively, instead of the cushion backing on the base, the elastic layer of the backing structure may provide the desired cushioning to the (carpet) tile. Finally, the carpet tile may include one or more topical chemicals, such as stain repellents, antifouling agents, antistatic agents, antimicrobial agents, or combinations thereof, applied to the tufted face yarn.

[0017] The first carpet base typically consists of a fibrous face abrasion surface fixed to a first backing sheet, where the first backing sheet preferably has a fibrous back surface. As described above, the backing structure preferably has at least one precoat layer on the underside of the first backing sheet and a hot melt adhesive to assist in fixing the fibrous back surface to the first backing sheet, where the hot melt adhesive preferably comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of bitumen and petroleum resin compositions. The first carpet base may include a second backing sheet material, fixed to at least one precoat layer, to provide dimensional stability to the carpet tile. The first backing sheet preferably consists of a nonwoven sheet, a woven sheet, a nonwoven polyester sheet, a polypropylene sheet, a glass fiber scrim, or a woven sheet, or a combination thereof. Preferably, at least one precoat layer has a hot melt bitumen composition comprising about 1 wt% to 15 wt% ethylene vinyl ester or ethylene acrylic acid ester polymer. Preferably, at least one precoat layer comprises a hot melt bitumin composition containing about 1% to 10% by weight of ethylene vinyl acetate polymer. Preferably, at least one precoat layer comprises a hot melt bitumin composition containing about 1 wt% to 20 wt% of a rubbery thermoplastic polymer, preferably a rubbery thermoplastic styrene-diene-styrene block copolymer.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the backing structure has at least one intermediate layer, preferably a base layer, located between the base and the elastic layer. The intermediate layer may be rigid or flexible. The intermediate layer preferably comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of wood, particularly MDF or HDF, polymers, particularly PVC, PE, PP or PU, minerals, glass, particularly fiberglass, or mixtures thereof. The intermediate layer may further comprise one or more reinforcing layers, such as a glass fiber layer or a polyester layer, for reinforcing the panel. The tile may, for example, be longitudinal and have a width of 10 to 100 cm and a length of 50 to 250 cm. At least a portion of the intermediate layer preferably consists of a relatively environmentally friendly material, including plastic materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polyurethane (PU), polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyester, preferably compostable polyester, or a combination thereof. The intermediate layer may include mineral fillers, such as particles, dust, and / or fibers. The tile, and in particular the intermediate layer, may further include plasticizers to make the panel more flexible. The intermediate layer of the panel may consist at least in part of a wood fiber core, such as a recycled wood fiber core. The intermediate layer may consist of a mixture of recycled plastic and recycled fillers, in particular recycled wood fibers or recycled fibers of other particles.

[0019] The thickness of the intermediate layer is at least 3 mm. There is no maximum thickness for the intermediate layer, but its thickness typically varies from 3 to 10 mm, more specifically from 3 to 8 mm. The intermediate layer can also be considered as the base layer or core layer of the tile.

[0020] The tile has at least one pair of opposing tile edges, where the opposing tile edge pair comprises a pair of complementary connecting portions that enable multiple such tiles to be connected to each other. Preferably, these complementary connecting portions are configured to connect at least two tiles, enabling tile locking in a first direction perpendicular to the tile plane and tile locking in a second direction parallel to the panel plane. At least one of the pair of complementary connecting portions may be configured to be connected by an angling movement, and / or at least one (or the other) of the pair of complementary connecting portions may be configured to be connected by an angling movement. Preferably, each tile edge has a connecting portion, preferably with the tile edges on both sides having complementary connecting portions.

[0021] Since the intermediate layer is particularly suitable for forming and / or attaching connecting portions, the connecting portions preferably form an integral part of the intermediate layer and / or are attached to the intermediate layer.

[0022] At least one of the first connecting portions may comprise an upward-facing tongue, an upward-facing side surface spaced apart from the upward-facing tongue, and an upward-facing groove located between the upward-facing tongue and the upward-facing side surface; and at least one of the second connecting portions may comprise a downward-facing tongue, a downward-facing side surface spaced apart from the downward-facing tongue, and a downward-facing groove located between the downward-facing tongue and the downward-facing side surface, wherein the downward-facing tongue may be configured to be pressed into the upward-facing groove for connection. Such a configuration of a connecting portion comprising an upward-facing tongue and a downward-facing groove is also referred to as a hook-type connecting system. Such a system is particularly useful in the push-in locking motion. The upward-facing groove of the first connecting portion is generally configured to lock and receive at least a portion of the downward-facing tongue of the second connecting portion of an adjacent panel. Thus, the first lock is formed by inserting the downward-facing tongue of one panel into the upward-facing groove of the adjacent panel, and the upward-facing tongue of the adjacent panel into the upward-facing groove of the adjacent panel.

[0023] The surface of the upward-facing tongue facing the core can be at least partially inclined toward the core or the upward-facing groove, and the surface of the downward-facing tongue facing the core can be at least partially inclined toward the core or the downward-facing groove, and the locking portion may be formed by the inclined portion, in particular, the two surfaces of the tongues and the plane of the panel form an angle of 90 to 10 degrees between them. The inclination of the tongues toward each of the grooves forms a so-called closed groove, meaning that the minimum width of the groove is smaller than the maximum width of the tongue, and that at least one deformation of the connecting portion is required to push the tongue into the groove.

[0024] Because the connection portion is given a specific shape, the substantially complementary connection portions of adjacent panels can be connected to each other relatively easily, yet durablely and efficiently. During the connection of adjacent panels, a force is applied to one or both of the connection portions, thereby causing one or both of the connection portions to elastically deform (move elastically), and as a result, the volume occupied by the downward groove and / or the upward groove increases, making it possible to relatively easily position the upward tongue and the downward tongue in the downward groove and the upward groove, respectively. By allowing both connection portions to elastically return to their original positions when force is applied, a reliable locking connection is achieved between the two connection portions, and therefore between the two connected panels. This locking connection, in which both connection portions engage securely relative to each other, counteracts friction between the connection portions, thereby resulting in relatively low noise generated by the connection.

[0025] The 90 to 10 degree angle between the inclined surface and the flat surface of the panel forms the closing groove of at least one of the connecting portions. In this embodiment, the angle is exactly 90 degrees, but this is not the intended range as it results in an open groove system.

[0026] At least a part of at least one surface of the upward tongue portion facing away from the upward side surface can be provided with a first locking member configured to cooperate with a second locking member in the shape of, for example, an outward bulge or a recess of an adjacent panel, such as in the shape of a recess or an outward bulge. At least a part of at least one surface of the downward side surface can be provided with a second locking member configured to cooperate with the first locking member in the shape of, for example, a recess or an outward bulge of an adjacent panel, such as in the shape of an outward bulge or a recess. Alternatively, the reverse configuration is also possible.

[0027] The surface of the upward tongue portion facing away from the upward side surface can also be regarded as the outside of the upward tongue portion, and this can be the surface of the upward tongue portion on the opposite side of its inclined surface. The two locking members lock the two panels in a connected and locked state through cooperation, thereby contributing to a strong and durable lock. Therefore, the locking portion of the panel can include these first and second locking members. In this case, for the locking portion of the connection portion, these first and second locking members can be provided at all connection portions, or can be provided at selected connection portions. For example, these locking portions can be provided at one of the first and second connection portions, and the other coupling portions do not contribute to the lock. Alternatively, these locking portions can be provided at the first and second of the second connection portion, or can be provided at all connection portions.

[0028] At least a portion of the upper surface of the upward-facing tongue can be inclined with respect to the plane of the panel, and preferably the entire upper surface of the upward-facing tongue can be inclined. At least a portion of the bottom surface of the downward-facing groove can also be inclined with respect to the plane of the panel, and preferably the entire bottom surface of the downward-facing groove can be inclined. As a result, the thickness of the upward-facing tongue is reduced in the direction of the surface of the tongue that is spaced apart from the upward-facing side surface. By substantially connecting the downward-facing groove to the upper surface of the upward-facing tongue, a second connection can be provided at the connection point of two panels according to the present invention, where the upper surface of the downward-facing groove extends in the direction of the vertical line of the lower surface of the core, which is relatively strong and solid on one side and provides sufficient elasticity on the other side to enable connection to the first connection point of the adjacent floor panel. Furthermore, this inclination creates a connection point with varying thickness, where a portion of both connection points has the minimum thickness or thinnest region. This region is the most elastically deformable, and therefore, the position of deformation can be predetermined and determined during connection.

[0029] At least one of the first and second connecting portions may further include a separate locking member configured to cooperate with the locking portion to provide locking in at least one of the two directions. Such a separate locking member is disclosed, for example, in EP1415056, which combines its disclosures hereby, or referred to as a snap tab in EP1415056. The separate locking member can be used for both the first and second connecting portions and is typically configured to deform at least temporarily during the connection of the two panels.

[0030] In the connected state, there may be a gap between at least one upper surface of the upward tongue portion and at least one lower surface of the downward groove. Due to the existence of this gap between the upper surface of the upward tongue portion and the lower surface of the downward groove, the upward tongue portion and the downward groove do not come into direct contact. Instead, the inner and outer sides of both tongue portions are in a contact state. This gap enables the collection of foreign matter without interfering with the connection of the panel. This gap also allows such substances to be scraped off from both connecting portions during connection, for example, and the panel material to be collected. This can occur, for example, when one of the connecting portions is slightly larger than the available space due to manufacturing errors.

[0031] In the connection state between the first connection portion and the second connection portion, at least one of these two connection portions can be deformed and / or compressed, thereby improving the locking action realized by these connection portions. In another embodiment, the mutually connected connection portions are connected in a form-fitting manner without applying (a large) force to each other in the normal state. Preferably, the first connection portion and the second connection portion do not allow play in the connected state. However, in another embodiment, play, preferably up to 0.2 mm, can be provided between the two panels.

[0032] On the core, the panel can be provided with a decorative layer, for example, preferably a decorative print layer made of plastic and / or paper, or a decorative print directly printed on the core. A protective layer for protecting the decorative layer can be provided on the decorative layer. A balance or (sound) buffer layer can be provided under the core. When the decorative layer is a print layer, preferably a printed polymer sheet, more preferably a printed PVC layer, a transparent wear layer, a protective layer, and / or a lacquer layer for protecting and holding this decorative layer can be provided on the decorative layer.

[0033] The decorative layer may include, for example, paper. This paper may be printed melamine-impregnated paper, for example, a decorative sheet made of melamine resin-impregnated cellulose fibers. The paper may be placed directly on the carrier, for example, an HDF board. The paper may be placed on a scattered decorative powder mix. For example, the decorative powder may include wood fibers, a binder, and optionally pigments and / or abrasion-resistant particles. The wood fibers in the decorative powder may be treated wood fibers or untreated wood fibers such as recycled wood fibers.

[0034] The decorative layer may include, for example, the application of a decorative powder mix. For example, the decorative powder may include wood fibers and a binder, and optionally, pigments and / or abrasion-resistant particles. The wood fibers in the decorative powder may be treated wood fibers or untreated wood fibers such as recycled wood fibers. The decorative layer may include, for example, multiple layers of applied decorative powder mix.

[0035] The decorative layer may include, for example, wood veneer. The wood veneer can be placed directly on the carrier, for example, an HDF board. The wood veneer can be placed on a spray of decorative powder mix. For example, the decorative powder may include wood fibers, a binder, and optionally pigments and / or abrasion-resistant particles. The wood fibers in the decorative powder may be treated wood fibers or untreated wood fibers such as recycled wood fibers.

[0036] The decorative layer may include, for example, cork. The cork may be placed directly on the carrier, for example, an HDF board. The cork may be placed on a spray of decorative powder mix. For example, the decorative powder may include wood fibers, a binder, and optionally pigments and / or abrasion-resistant particles. The wood fibers in the decorative powder may be treated wood fibers or untreated wood fibers such as recycled wood fibers.

[0037] The tiles according to the present invention typically have one of the following shapes: square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal. The tiles can also be considered as panels or boards. The tiles according to the present invention are typically used as floor tiles, especially floor panels, wall tiles, especially wall panels, ceiling tiles, especially ceiling panels, column tiles, and / or beam tiles. The tiles can also be used to cover objects such as furniture by overlay. The tiles according to the present invention may have flat and / or non-flat, especially angular and / or curved geometry. The tiles may be flexible or rigid. The size of the tiles according to the present invention is highly variable, with a typical width and length of 40 cm to 140 cm. However, it is also conceivable to use very large tiles as carpet coverings, and it is possible to form such carpet coverings with a single tile.

[0038] The present invention further relates to methods of using the tiles according to the present invention as floor tiles, in particular floor panels, wall tiles, in particular wall panels, and / or ceiling tiles, in particular ceiling panels.

[0039] The present invention further relates to a tile covering comprising a plurality of the tiles of the present invention, wherein the tiles may or may not be connected to one another.

[0040] The present invention also relates to a carpet covering comprising at least one carpet tile of the present invention.

[0041] Preferred embodiments of the floor tile of the present invention are illustrated in the following non-limiting clauses.

[0042] term 1. Tiles, especially carpet tiles, - A first carpet base having a base, preferably a pile yarn projecting upward therefrom, - The base, preferably the first carpet base, has a backing structure attached to its lower surface, the backing structure having an elastic layer that forms the lower surface of the tile, Multiple suction holes are formed on at least the lower surface of the elastic layer, thereby enabling the tile to be quickly attached to and removed from the support surface.

[0043] 2. The tile according to item 1, wherein suction holes are provided on substantially the entire lower surface of the elastic layer.

[0044] 3. The size of the suction holes varies throughout the entire lower surface of the elastic layer, as in item 1 or 2.

[0045] 4. The elastic layer is any tile from item 1 to 3 made of foam material.

[0046] 5. The elastic layer is any tile from item 1 to 4 that contains a foaming agent.

[0047] 6. The elastic layer is a tile according to any one of claims 1 to 5, consisting at least in part of one material selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber, or mixtures thereof.

[0048] 7. The elastic layer is any tile according to item 1 to 6, comprising at least one crosslinking agent.

[0049] 8. The elastic layer is a tile according to any of items 1 to 7, comprising a filler, particularly talc, chalk, wood and / or calcium carbonate.

[0050] 9. A majority or substantially all of the suction holes are any tile of item 1 to 8 having a diameter of 5 μm to about 1 mm, preferably 10 μm to 500 μm.

[0051] 10. Any tile according to item 1 to 9, wherein the density of the elastic layer is variable along the thickness of the elastic layer.

[0052] 11. The elastic layer is any tile from item 1 to 10 having a thickness of 0.1 to 6 mm.

[0053] 12. A tile according to any of items 1 to 11, wherein, preferably, no adhesive is present on the entire lower surface of each of the suction holes.

[0054] 13. The lower surface of the elastic layer is any tile from item 1 to 12 having a sealing function, preferably an airtight sealing function.

[0055] 14. The lower surface of the elastic layer is provided with a seal coating, preferably an airtight seal coating, of any tile according to item 1 to 13.

[0056] 15. One of the tiles from items 1 to 14, in which a removable protective film is attached to the underside of the elastic layer before use.

[0057] 16. The backing structure is any tile according to claim 1 to 15, having a pre-coat layer disposed on the first carpet base and at least one, preferably solvent-free hot-melt adhesive layer, disposed on the pre-coat layer.

[0058] 17. The tile according to item 16, wherein the pre-coat layer comprises a tackifying resin.

[0059] 18. The tile comprising a thermoplastic material for fixing the first carpet base to the backing structure, wherein the thermoplastic material preferably comprises at least one stabilizer embedded therein.

[0060] 19. The first carpet base has a fiber face abrasion surface fixed to a first backing sheet, and the first backing sheet is preferably any tile of item 1 to 18 having a fiber back surface.

[0061] 20. The backing structure has at least one precoat layer on the lower surface of the first backing sheet and a hot melt adhesive to assist in fixing the fibrous back surface to the first backing sheet, wherein the hot melt adhesive preferably comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of bitumen and petroleum resin compositions.

[0062] 21. The tile of item 19 or 20, wherein the first carpet base includes a second backing sheet material fixed to at least one precoat layer for providing dimensional stability to the carpet tile.

[0063] 22. The first backing sheet is any tile of items 19 to 21 having a nonwoven sheet, a woven sheet, a nonwoven polyester sheet, a polypropylene sheet, a glass fiber scrim, or a woven sheet, or a combination thereof.

[0064] 23. Any tile according to claim 19 to 22, wherein at least one precoat layer comprises a hot melt bitumin composition containing about 1 wt% to 15 wt% ethylene vinyl ester or ethylene acrylic acid ester polymer.

[0065] 24. Any tile according to claim 19 to 23, wherein at least one precoat layer has a hot melt bitumin composition comprising about 1 wt% to 10 wt% ethylene vinyl acetate polymer.

[0066] 25. Any tile of claims 19 to 24 having a hot melt bitumin composition comprising at least one precoat layer containing about 1 wt% to 20 wt% of a rubbery thermoplastic polymer, preferably a rubbery thermoplastic styrene-diene-styrene block copolymer.

[0067] 26. The backing structure is any tile of claim 1 to 25 having at least one intermediate layer, preferably a base layer, located between the base and the elastic layer.

[0068] 27. The tile of item 26, wherein the intermediate layer is rigid or flexible, and the intermediate layer comprises at least one material selected from the group of materials consisting of wood, in particular MDF or HDF, polymers, in particular PVC, PE, PP or PU, minerals, or mixtures thereof.

[0069] 28. The tile of item 26 or 27, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is at least 3 mm.

[0070] 29. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the tile has at least one pair of opposing tile edges, and the pair of opposing tile edges has a pair of complementary connecting parts that enable the connection of a plurality of tiles.

[0071] 30. The tile of item 29, wherein the complementary connection is configured to connect at least two tiles, thereby achieving locking of the tile in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the tile and locking of the tile in a second direction parallel to the plane of the panel.

[0072] 31. The tile of item 29 or 30, wherein at least one of the pair of complementary connecting portions is configured to be connected by an angling movement.

[0073] 32. Any tile of items 29 to 31, wherein at least one pair of complementary connecting parts are configured to be connected by folding movement.

[0074] 33. Each tile edge is provided with a connecting portion, preferably, the opposing tile edges have complementary connecting portions, according to any tile of claims 29 to 32.

[0075] 34. The connecting portion is an integral part of the intermediate layer and / or a tile from any of items 26-28 and any of items 29-33 attached to the intermediate layer.

[0076] 35. The base is a tile according to any one of claims 1 to 34, having a decorative layer and a transparent abrasion layer covering the decorative layer.

[0077] 36. The tile of item 35, wherein the decorative layer is a printed layer, preferably a printed polymer sheet, and more preferably a printed PVC layer.

[0078] 37. The tile is any tile from items 1 to 36 having one of the shapes of a square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon.

[0079] 38. Any tile of items 1 to 37, wherein the surface suction holes are substantially hemispherical in shape.

[0080] 39. The elastic layer material forming the surface suction holes is any tile from item 1 to 38, which has an impermeable coating.

[0081] 40. The elastic layer material is any tile from items 1 to 39, comprising a plurality of interconnected open cells.

[0082] 41. Uses of any tile from items 1 to 40 as floor tiles, in particular floor panels, wall tiles, in particular wall panels, and / or ceiling tiles, in particular ceiling panels.

[0083] 42. A covering consisting of multiple tiles from any of items 1 to 40.

[0084] 43. The tiles are connected to each other as a covering of item 42.

[0085] 44. A carpet covering consisting of at least one carpet tile from any of items 1 to 40.

[0086] The present invention will become apparent based on the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0087] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a first possible embodiment of the tile according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a second possible embodiment of the tile according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows a third possible embodiment of the tile according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view shown by section AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view shown by section BB in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0088] Figure 1 illustrates a carpet tile (101), more specifically, a carpet tile (101) having a base (102) and a backing structure (103) attached to the underside of the base (102). The base (102) in the illustrated embodiment is a first carpet base (102) having pile yarns (104) projecting upward therefrom. The illustrated pile yarns (104) consist of loop yarns (104). However, the pile yarns (104) may also consist of cut pile, twisted pile, or any other pile yarn, for example, in a level or multi-level configuration. The loop piles (104) can be synthetic yarns such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, or blends thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the loop piles (104) are tufted on the first carpet base (102). The first carpet base (102) includes a first backing sheet (105), which can be, for example, a nonwoven sheet, a woven sheet, a nonwoven polyester sheet, a polypropylene sheet, a glass fiber scrim, or a textured sheet, or a combination thereof. A precoat layer (106) is attached to the base (102), more specifically, to the first backing sheet (105), to bond the tufts. This precoat layer (106) can be, for example, a latex layer (106). This precoat layer (106) can also form part of the backing structure (103). The backing structure (103) includes an elastic layer (107). The elastic layer (107) forms the underside of the tile (101). The elastic layer (107) has a plurality of suction holes (108), which are shown schematicly only in the drawings. The suction holes (108) contain air or gas inside. The suction holes (108) provided on the lower surface of the elastic layer (107) are referred to as surface suction holes (108), and these allow the elastic layer (107) to be quickly attached to and removed from a support surface (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the entire elastic layer (107) is provided with suction holes (108) in a random arrangement.However, the elastic layer (107) may be configured to have suction holes (108) in a uniform pattern. Alternatively, only the lower surface of the elastic layer (107) may be provided with suction holes (108). In the illustrated embodiment, the size of the suction holes (108) varies throughout the elastic layer (107). The diameter of the numerous suction holes (108) is, for example, 5 μm to 1 mm. The diameter of the numerous suction holes (108) is, for example, 10 μm to 500 μm. The elastic layer (107) has a thickness of, for example, 0.1 mm to 6 mm. The elastic layer (107) may have a uniform density, but it is also possible to configure the density of the elastic layer to vary along its thickness. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic layer (107) consists of a foaming material and / or includes a foaming agent. The lower surface of the elastic layer (107) provides an airtight sealing effect. In the illustrated embodiment, the tile (101) has a removable protective film (109) attached to the lower surface of the elastic layer (107). This protective film (109) is, for example, a release layer (109) that is removed before or during use of the tile (101), thereby exposing the suction holes (108). The backing structure (103) further has an adhesive layer (110). This adhesive layer (110) is, for example, a solvent-free hot melt layer (110) placed on the precoat layer (106). Such a hot melt adhesive (110) is preferably at least one material selected from the group consisting of bitumen and petroleum resin compositions. Preferably, the ratio between the void footprint defined by the surface suction holes (and their surface area) and the material footprint defined by the (non-void) material portion on the lower surface of the elastic layer (107) is at least 4, preferably at least 5, and more preferably at least 6, which allows the tile to be attached to the support surface quickly and relatively firmly, while simultaneously maintaining easy removal of the tile from the support surface.

[0089] Figure 2 illustrates a carpet tile (201), more specifically, a carpet tile (201) having a base (202) or a first carpet base (202) having pile yarns (204) projecting upward therefrom. The carpet tile (201) further has a backing structure (203) attached to the underside of the first carpet base (202). The backing structure (203) has an elastic layer (207) forming the underside of the tile (201), where a plurality of suction holes (208) are formed, enabling the tile to be quickly attached to and removed from a support surface (not shown). These suction holes (208) are randomly arranged, and the size of these suction holes (208) varies throughout the entire underside of the elastic layer (207). The elastic layer (207) consists of a foaming material and may also contain a foaming agent. Non-limiting specific examples of materials from which the elastic layer (207) can be formed include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber, or mixtures thereof. The elastic layer (207) may further include a crosslinking agent and / or fillers such as talc, chalk, wood, and / or calcium carbonate. However, each of the suction holes (208) does not contain adhesive. The pile yarn (204) illustrated in this embodiment consists of cut pile yarn (204). These cut pile yarns (204) may consist of nylon or other suitable material, which is laminated to a first backing sheet (205), which may also be called a reinforcing layer (205), in a PVC or hot melt adhesive (206). The first backing sheet (205) may consist of, for example, a woven or nonwoven fabric. The hot-melt adhesive (206) can be made of, for example, bitumen and / or a petroleum resin composition. The first carpet base (202) may further have a fibrous face abrasion surface fixed to the first backing sheet (205), where the first backing sheet (205) preferably has a fibrous back surface.The backing structure (203) further includes an intermediate layer (211) located between the base (202) and the elastic layer (203). The intermediate layer (211) is rigid or flexible and comprises at least one material selected from the group of materials consisting of wood, particularly MDF or MDF, polymers, particularly PVC, PE, PP or PU, minerals, or mixtures thereof. The tile (201) may also include a protective layer (not shown), for example, as illustrated in Figure 1.

[0090] Figure 3 illustrates a tile (301), more particularly a panel (301), more specifically a floor panel (301) or wall panel (301) according to the present invention. The tile (301) is interconnectable with similar tiles (301) to form a floor covering. The tile (301) has a base (302) and a backing structure (303) attached to the underside of the base (302). The backing structure (303) has an elastic layer (307) forming the underside of the tile (301), wherein a plurality of suction holes (308) are formed in the elastic layer (307) to enable the tile (301) to be quickly attached to and removed from a support surface (not shown). Furthermore, the tile (301), particularly the backing structure (303), has an intermediate layer (311), preferably a base layer (311), located between the base (302) and the elastic layer (303). The intermediate layer (311) is rigid or flexible and comprises at least one material selected from the group of materials consisting of wood, particularly MDF or MDF, polymers, particularly PVC, PE, PP or PU, minerals, or mixtures thereof. The thickness of the intermediate layer (311) is, for example, at least 3 mm. The base (302) may comprise a superstructure including a decorative layer, which can be printed on the base layer and on which a protective layer can be attached. The base (302) may be a first carpet base having pile yarns projecting upward therefrom, for example, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The intermediate layer (311) includes a centrally located core (312) having an upper surface (313) and a lower surface (314). The core (312) is integrally connected to a first pair of opposing edges, specifically a first edge (315) located on the longitudinal side of the tile (301) and a complementary second edge (316). The core (312) is also integrally connected to a second pair of opposing edges, specifically, in this embodiment, to a complementary fourth edge (318) located on the short side of the tile (301) and to a third edge (317). As illustrated in Figure 3, the advantage of having the intermediate layer (311) is that it enables mutual locking of adjacent tiles (301).This enables locking of adjacent tiles (301) in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the tile (301), and further locking of the tiles (301) in a second direction parallel to the plane of the tile (301). Furthermore, changes in curling and damage to the appearance of the tile (301) are reduced. The illustrated tile (301) has a rectangular shape. However, the tile (301) can also be a square, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon. The tile (301) may be equipped with a protective film, such as a release layer (not shown), which can be removed before or during use of the tile (301) so that the suction hole (308) is exposed. An example of such a protective film is shown in Figure 1.

[0091] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view shown by section AA in Figure 3. In this cross-sectional view, the shapes of the complementary first edge (315) and second edge (316) are illustrated in detail. The first edge (315) has a lateral tongue (329) integrally connected to the core (312). The boundary between the lateral tongue (329) and the core (312) is visualized by a vertical dashed line. The front region (329A) of the lateral tongue (329) has a rounded bottom surface (320). The outer end of this rounded bottom surface (320) is adjacent to the inclined lock surface (321). The opposite end of the rounded bottom surface (320) is adjacent to a support surface (322) which forms part of the rear region (329B) of the lateral tongue (329). The second edge (316) of the intermediate layer (311) has an upper lip (323) and a lower lip (324) that form a recess (325). Both of these lips (323, 324) are integrally connected to the core (312). The vertical dashed line visualizes the boundary between the two lips (323, 324) and the core (312). As shown in Figure 3, the width of the upper lip (323) is much smaller than the width of the lower lip (324). The recess (325) has a shape complementary to the shape of the lateral tongue (329). More specifically, the upper surface (326) of the rear region (324a) of the lower lip (324) has a (complementary) rounded shape configured to cooperate with the rounded front region (329a) of the lateral tongue (329), while the front region (324b) of the lower lip (324) has an upwardly projecting shoulder (327) configured to cooperate with the support surface (322) of the lateral tongue (329). The lower surface (328) of the upper lip (323) is inclined to correspond to the locking surface (321) of the lateral tongue (329). The lateral tongue portion (329) of tile (301) is inserted to connect to the recess (325), thereby locking it at the first edge (315) and second edge (316) of the adjacent tile (301), where tile (301) is initially held in an inclined position.After inserting the lateral tongue (329) into the recess, the tile to be connected (301) is swung (rotated) downward around an axis parallel to the first edge (315) until both tiles (301) are positioned in the same common horizontal plane. At this point, the locking surface (321) of the lateral tongue (329) engages with the locking surface of the upper lip (328), and at least the bottom front portion is housed substantially shape-fittingly in the recess (325), with the support surface (322) supported by the shoulder (327). The locking at the first edge (315) and the second edge (316) locks both connected tiles (301) in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The downward rotation locking principle of the first and second edges (315, 316) is a relatively simple locking principle that greatly simplifies the interconnection of tiles at these edges (315, 316).

[0092] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view shown by section BB in Figure 3. In this section, the shapes of the complementary third edge (317) and the second (328) edge are shown in detail. The third edge (317) has an upper tongue portion (339), an upper side portion (330), and an upper groove (331) formed between the upper tongue portion (339) and the upper side portion (330). The upper tongue portion (339) is preferably connected to the core (312) by a bridge (332) having some degree of elasticity. The surface (339a) of the upper tongue portion (339) facing the upper side portion (330) extends in the direction of the perpendicular N1 to the upper surface (313) of the core (312). As a result, the tangent line R1 and the perpendicular line N1 of the upper surface (313) of the core (312) are oriented toward each other (converging), and the angle enclosed by R1 and N1 is preferably 0 to 10 degrees in this embodiment. Due to the convergence of the upper side portion (330) and the surface (339a) of the upper tongue portion (339) facing the upper side portion (330), the upper groove is configured as a closed groove that is accessible only to complementary portions due to deformation of the upper tongue portion (339) and / or bridge (332). Another surface (339b) of the upper tongue portion (339) facing the upper side portion (330) forms an alignment edge that enables easy connection to the adjacent tile (301). As illustrated, this surface (339b), which functions as an alignment edge, is oriented away from the perpendicular N1 of the upper surface (313) of the core (312). However, the upper surface (339d) of the upper tongue (339) extends in the direction of the perpendicular N1 of the upper surface (313) of the core (312) and extends inclined downward in the direction of the surface (339e) of the upper tongue (339) away from the upper side (330). This chamfer provides an option to give the complementary fourth edge (318) a more robust and therefore stronger shape. A portion of the surface (339e) of the upper tongue (339) away from the upper side (330) is oriented substantially vertically and further comprises an outward bulge (333).The lower portion (330a) of the upper side portion (330) is oriented diagonally, while the upper portion (330b) of the upper side portion (330) is shown to be substantially vertical, forming the stopping surface of the fourth edge (318). An additional connecting member, specifically an additional bulge (334), is provided between the inclined portion (330a) and the substantially vertical portion (330b) of the upper side portion. The lower side wall portion (331a) of the upper groove (331) is oriented substantially horizontally in this embodiment. The fourth edge (318) is substantially complementary to the third edge (317). The fourth edge (318) has a downward tongue portion (345), a downward side portion (346), and a downward groove (347) formed between the downward tongue portion (345) and the downward side portion (346). The downward-facing tongue portion (345) is preferably connected to the core (312) by a bridge (348) having some degree of elasticity. The surface (345a) of the downward-facing tongue portion (345) facing the downward-facing side portion (346) is located in the direction of the perpendicular N2 to the lower surface (413) of the core (312). This means that the tangent R2 of the surface (345a) of the downward-facing tongue portion (345) and the perpendicular to the lower surface (314) of the core (312) converge to each other, and the angle enclosed by R2 and N2 is preferably 0 to 10 degrees in this embodiment. More preferably, the inclination of R1 is the same as the inclination of R2, and therefore R1 and R2 are preferably parallel. Due to the convergence direction of the lower side portion (346) and the surface (345a) of the lower tongue portion (345) facing the lower side portion (346), the lower groove is configured as a closed groove accessible only to the upper tongue portion (339) of the adjacent tile (301) by deformation of the lower tongue portion (345) and / or bridge (348), thereby making it possible to (temporarily) widen the entrance to the lower groove. The surface (345b) of the lower tongue portion (345) facing away from the lower side portion (346) is oriented diagonally but is flatter than the orientation of the complementary surface (330a) of the upper side portion (330), thereby forming a gap (air space) at a joint position that generally facilitates the connection between two tiles (301).The inclined surface (345b) of the lower tongue (345) also acts as an alignment edge to further facilitate the connection between the two tiles (301). Another surface (345c) facing away from the lower side (346) has a substantially vertical shape and includes a small cavity (349) configured to cooperate with the additional bulge (334) of the other tile (301). The upper portion of the surface (345c) facing away from the lower side (346) forms a complementary stop surface for the stop surface (330b) of the upper side (330) (of the adjacent tile). The lower side (346) faces substantially vertically and includes a recess (340) configured to receive the outward bulge (333) of the upper tongue (339) (of the adjacent tile).

[0093] The inventive concepts described above are illustrated by several embodiments. Each inventive concept can be used without applying other details of the specific examples described. Since those skilled in the art will understand that many inventive concepts can be combined to conceive of a particular use, it is not necessary to detail all possible combinations of the inventive concepts described above.

[0094] The present invention is not limited to the specific examples illustrated and described herein, and it will be clear that a wide variety of variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0095] In this patent publication, the verb "comprise" and its conjugations are understood to mean not only the word "comprise," but also "include," "substantially consist of," "formed by," and their conjugations.

Claims

1. A tile, - Base and a backing structure attached to the underside of the base, the backing structure having a resilient layer made of anisotropic material and forming the underside of the tile; A plurality of surface suction holes are formed on at least the lower surface of the elastic layer, In the elastic layer, the surface suction holes are open in a direction away from the base and substantially closed in a direction substantially toward the base; the plurality of surface suction holes cooperate to define a void footprint; material on the underside of the resilient layer between the surface suction holes defines a material footprint; a ratio between said void footprint and said material footprint is at least 4, thereby allowing for quick installation and removal of said tile from a support surface; the tiles have at least one pair of opposing tile edges, the opposing tile edge pair having a pair of complementary connectors that allow the tiles to be connected together; the backing structure having at least one intermediate layer positioned between the base and the elastic layer; the intermediate layer comprises at least one of a polymer, a mineral, or a mixture thereof; the complementary connectors are an integral part of the intermediate layer and / or are attached to the intermediate layer; The base is a tile having a decorative layer and a transparent wear layer covering the decorative layer.

2. The tile described in claim 1 which is a carpet tile.

3. A tile as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface suction holes are distributed over substantially the entire underside of the elastic layer.

4. A tile described in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the size of the surface suction holes varies throughout the entire underside of the elastic layer.

5. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic layer is made of a foam material.

6. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the elastic layer contains a foaming agent.

7. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the elastic layer is at least partially made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber and mixtures thereof.

8. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the elastic layer comprises at least one cross-linking agent.

9. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the resilient layer comprises a filler selected from the group consisting of talc, chalk, wood and calcium carbonate.

10. A tile as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the majority or substantially all of the surface suction holes have a diameter of between 5 μm and 1 mm.

11. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the density of the resilient layer varies along a thickness of the resilient layer.

12. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the elastic layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 6 mm.

13. A tile as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each of the surface suction holes is free of adhesive.

14. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the lower surface of the elastic layer has a sealing effect.

15. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the underside of the resilient layer is provided with a seal coating.

16. A tile as described in any of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a removable protective membrane attached to the underside of the elastic layer and configured to be removed prior to or during use.

17. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of at least 3 mm.

18. 2. The tile of claim 1, wherein the complementary connectors are configured to connect at least two tiles, thereby achieving locking of the tiles in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the tile and locking of the tiles in a second direction parallel to the plane of the panel.

19. A tile as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein at least one pair of complementary connecting portions are configured to be connected by a rotational movement.

20. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one pair of complementary connectors are adapted to be connected by vertical movement.

21. The tile according to claim 20, wherein the decorative layer is a print layer.

22. The tile according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the tile has any one of a square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal and octagonal shape.

23. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the surface suction holes are substantially hemispherical in shape.

24. A tile according to any preceding claim, wherein the resilient layer material comprises a plurality of interconnected open cells.

25. Use of a tile according to any one of claims 1 to 24 as a floor tile.

26. A covering comprising a plurality of tiles according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

27. 27. The covering of claim 26, wherein the tiles are connected to each other.

28. A covering consisting of at least one tile according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

Images