Resin flooring material

Abstract

To provide a resin flooring material that provides a pleasant walking feeling and excellent slip resistance.SOLUTION: A resin flooring material 1 has a surface layer 2. On a surface of the surface layer 2, a plurality of protrusions 5 having a polygonal shape in plan view and a top surface 5b with an area of more than 10 mm2 and 100 mm2 or less are formed. Between the protrusion 5 and the protrusion 5, a groove 6 extending in a straight line in plan view is formed, and two grooves 6 intersect at an intersection point. The two grooves 6 with the intersection point serving as the vertex of the angle have a plurality of curved grooves 66 that form acute angles or obtuse angles in plan view. The plurality of curved grooves 66 are continuous in the planar direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin flooring material that provides a good walking feel and has excellent anti-slip properties. [Background technology]

[0002] Resin flooring is laid on outdoor or semi-outdoor floor surfaces. Outdoors refers to places without a roof, sunshade, or rain cover and exposed to rainwater and other water. Examples of outdoor places where resin flooring is laid include rooftops, outdoor walkways, berms, playgrounds, etc. of hotels, office buildings, commercial facilities, apartment buildings, hospitals, poolside areas, ship decks, etc. Semi-outdoor places are places that have a roof or sunshade but may be exposed to water. Examples of semi-outdoor places where resin flooring is laid include in front of entrances, open corridors, connecting corridors, courtyards, verandas, etc. of hotels, office buildings, commercial facilities, apartment buildings, hospitals, etc. Resin flooring materials installed outdoors or semi-outdoors must be designed to prevent slipping when wet with rainwater, etc. Resin flooring materials installed indoors by pools also need to be designed to prevent slipping when wet. Patent Document 1 describes a glass substrate having a surface layer with a solar reflectance of 40 to 80% in the wavelength region of 300 to 2100 nm, which contains one or more color pigments selected from condensed azo-based, iron oxide-based, and composite oxide-based pigments, and which has a plurality of convex portions formed on the surface of the surface layer, and the upper area of the convex portions is 3.0 to 10.0 mm 2 Patent Document 1 discloses a poolside heat-shielding thermoplastic resin flooring material in which the distance between one convex portion and the adjacent convex portion is 1.0 to 3.0 mm and the height of the convex portions above the surface of the surface layer is 0.7 to 1.5 mm. Patent Document 1 also describes that the poolside heat-shielding thermoplastic resin flooring material reduces the area that the soles of the feet come into contact with, making it difficult to feel heat even when standing or walking barefoot, and that it also has excellent anti-slip properties, drainage properties, cleanability, and embossability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5614871 Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, the above-mentioned heat-shielding resin flooring has a problem in that the upper surface area of the convex parts is relatively small, which makes it difficult to walk on barefoot. Furthermore, in places that are frequently wet, such as poolsides, water tends to get between the soles of the feet and the resin flooring, making it slippery, so a resin flooring material with particularly excellent slip resistance is required. [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a resin flooring material that provides a good walking feel and has excellent slip resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The resin flooring material of the first embodiment has a surface layer, and on the surface of the surface layer, a polygonal shape in a plan view and a top surface area of 10 mm 2 Over 100mm 2 A plurality of convex portions as described below are formed, and groove portions extending linearly in a planar view are formed between the convex portions, two groove portions intersect at an intersection point, and the two groove portions with the intersection point as the vertex have a plurality of bent grooves that form an acute or obtuse angle in a planar view, and the plurality of bent grooves are continuous in the surface direction.

[0007] The second type of resin flooring material is the resin flooring material of the first type, wherein the convex portions include convex portions that are triangular in plan view, convex portions that are square in plan view, and convex portions that are pentagonal in plan view. A third embodiment of the resin flooring material is the resin flooring material of the first or second embodiment, wherein the width of the groove portion is 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm. The fourth form of resin flooring is a resin flooring material of any of the first to third forms, wherein the convex portion has a rising surface and a top surface that is continuous with the rising surface, and the rising surface is formed at an angle of 85 degrees to 160 degrees to the top surface. The fifth form of resin flooring is a resin flooring material of any of the first to fourth forms, in which, of the multiple convex portions, a textured pattern is formed on the top surface of a first convex portion, and a textured pattern different from the textured pattern of the first convex portion is formed on the top surface of a second convex portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The resin flooring has a top surface area of 10 mm 2 Over 100mm 2 The formation of the convex portions described below provides a comfortable walking experience for barefoot pedestrians. Furthermore, the resin flooring material has excellent water diffusibility, so it dries easily even when wet and has excellent slip resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially omitted plan view of an example of a resin flooring material according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Schematic cross-sectional view of a modified resin flooring material according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Schematic cross-sectional view of a further modified resin flooring material. [Figure 5] Schematic cross-sectional view of a further modified resin flooring material. [Figure 6] 1 is an enlarged plan view of the surface of a sheet of resin flooring material (enlarged plan view of part VI in FIG. 1). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an end view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged end view of a portion cut along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a surface layer formed using vinyl chloride resin particles. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view of a vinyl chloride resin particle. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of a resin flooring manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the surface of the resin flooring material of the second embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is an enlarged end view of a portion cut along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an enlarged end view of the portion cut along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 12. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the surface of the resin flooring material of the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an enlarged end view of the portion cut along line XVI-XVI in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] Photograph of the surface of the resin flooring material of Example 1. [Figure 19] Photograph of the surface of the resin flooring material of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 20] Photograph of the surface of the resin flooring material of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a test method for water diffusibility, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a plan view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, "plan view" refers to a view from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the resin flooring, and "plan view shape" refers to the shape when viewed from that direction. Also, "cross-sectional view shape" refers to the shape when the resin flooring is cut in the thickness direction. In this specification, a numerical range expressed as "lower limit X to upper limit Y" means a range from lower limit X to upper limit Y. When a plurality of such numerical ranges are separately described, any lower limit and any upper limit can be selected to set "any lower limit to any upper limit." It should be noted that the thickness of layers, dimensions such as particle size, and various shapes shown in each drawing may differ from the actual ones.

[0011] [First embodiment] <Outline of resin flooring materials> In FIG. 1, the resin flooring material has a surface layer 2 . The resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment may be formed in a long strip shape, as shown in Figure 1, or may be formed in a sheet shape, although this is not specifically shown. The long strip shape refers to a generally rectangular shape in plan view, with one dimension being significantly longer than the other dimensions. The long strip resin flooring material 1 has, for example, a length in the first direction of 1000mm to 4000mm and a length in the second direction of 5m or more, preferably 10m or more. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The long strip resin flooring material 1 is also called a floor sheet. The "single-shaped" refers to a material formed in a predetermined shape, such as a substantially square shape in plan view, and generally refers to a shape that can be stacked for storage and transportation. Examples of the single-shaped resin flooring material include a substantially rectangular shape with a length in the first direction of 200 mm to 1000 mm and a length in the second direction of 200 mm to 1000 mm. Single-shaped resin flooring materials are also called floor tiles.

[0012] The resin flooring 1 does not have to be flexible, but is preferably flexible. For example, the degree of flexibility is such that the back side of the resin flooring 1 can be wound around a core with a diameter of 10 cm. The thickness of the resin flooring 1 is not particularly limited and is, for example, 2 mm to 7 mm, and preferably 2.5 mm to 5 mm.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a resin flooring material 1 according to one example of the first embodiment, Figure 3 shows a resin flooring material 1 according to a modified version of the first embodiment, Figure 4 shows a resin flooring material 1 according to yet another modified version of the first embodiment, and Figure 5 shows a resin flooring material 1 according to yet another modified version of the first embodiment. Plan views of the resin flooring material 1 of each modified version are omitted because they are similar to Figure 1. In FIG. 2, one example of a resin flooring material 1 has, in order from the surface side, a surface layer 2, a fiber-reinforced layer 3, and a back layer 4. In Figure 3, another example of a resin flooring material 1 has a surface layer 2, a back layer 4 consisting of a two-layer structure of a first layer 41 and a second layer 42, and a fiber reinforcement layer 3 interposed between the first layer 41 and the second layer 42. In FIG. 4, another example of a resin flooring material 1 has, in order from the surface side, a surface layer 2, a back layer 4, and a fiber-reinforced layer 3. In FIG. 5, another example of a resin flooring material 1 has, in order from the surface side, a surface layer 2 and a back layer 4 having a three-layer structure of a first layer 41, a second layer 42 and a third layer 43.

[0014] <Surface layer> The surface layer 2 constitutes the surface of the resin flooring 1 . The surface layer 2 may be colorless and transparent, but is preferably decorated. The decoration may be a single color with no pattern, or may have a pattern, lettering, and / or a picture in one or more colors. The surface layer 2 may be foamed or non-foamed.

[0015] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion of the surface of the resin flooring material 1, Fig. 7 is an end view thereof, and Fig. 8 is an end view showing an enlarged cross section cut in the thickness direction along a direction perpendicular to the linear grooves 6. The end view shows only the shape of the cross section and does not show the shape behind the cross section. Note that Figs. 1 to 5 do not show the convex portions 5 and grooves 6 formed on the surface of the surface layer 2.

[0016] 6 to 8, a plurality of protrusions 5 are formed on the surface of the surface layer 2. In addition, grooves 6, which are recessed portions relative to the protrusions 5, are formed on the surface of the surface layer 2. The protrusions 5 formed on the surface layer 2 have a polygonal shape in plan view. Although the protrusions 5 are common in the category of polygonal shapes in plan view, the plurality of protrusions 5 differ from one another in their specific individual shapes. The polygonal shape of the protrusions 5 is a polygonal shape excluding regular polygons, rhombuses, and parallelograms (hereinafter, this polygonal shape will be referred to as an "irregular polygonal shape"). The number of corners (the number of vertices) of the irregular polygonal shape is, for example, 3 to 8. The surface layer 2 includes, on its surface, two or more protrusions 5 having irregular polygonal shapes that differ in shape in plan view. With reference to FIG. 6 , the protrusions 5 include, for example, protrusions 5 that are triangular in plan view and not equilateral triangles, protrusions 5 that are quadrangular in plan view and not regular quadrilaterals (square and rectangle), rhombuses, parallelograms, or trapezoids, and protrusions 5 that are pentagonal in plan view and not regular pentagons. Furthermore, a plurality of protrusions 5 having a triangular shape in plan view, a plurality of protrusions 5 having a quadrangular shape in plan view, and a plurality of protrusions 5 having a pentagonal shape in plan view are formed. All or most of the multiple triangular protrusions 5 in plan view have different shapes from each other, all or most of the multiple quadrangular protrusions 5 in plan view have different shapes from each other, and all or most of the multiple pentagonal protrusions 5 in plan view have different shapes from each other.

[0017] In the illustrated example, all of the protrusions 5 formed on the surface layer 2 are formed in an irregular polygonal shape in plan view. However, some of the protrusions 5 may be formed in a shape other than an irregular polygon, such as a regular polygon, rhombus, parallelogram, circle, etc. (not shown). In other words, most of the protrusions 5 may be irregular polygonal in plan view, and some of the protrusions 5 may be shapes other than an irregular polygon in plan view. When protrusions 5 having a shape other than an irregular polygon in plan view are included, the proportion thereof is, for example, 10% or less, preferably 5% or less, and more preferably 3% or less. The proportion of protrusions 5 having a shape other than an irregular polygon in plan view can be calculated using the following formula. The proportion (%) of protrusions 5 having a shape other than a non-regular polygon in plan view = (number of protrusions 5 having a non-regular polygon shape in plan view included in a specified area / total number of protrusions 5 included in a specified area) × 100. The specified area in this formula refers to an area of 10 cm x 10 cm arbitrarily extracted from the surface of the surface layer 2. In the following, in all formulas for calculating the ratio, the "predetermined range" in the formula refers to a range of 10 cm x 10 cm arbitrarily extracted from the surface of the surface layer 2.

[0018] The angle of each corner of the irregular polygonal shape is preferably less than 180 degrees, and more preferably includes an acute or obtuse angle, and even more preferably all corners are acute or obtuse. However, this does not mean that all irregular polygonal protrusions 5 satisfy the above-mentioned relationship of corners, and may include, for example, irregular polygonal protrusions 5 in which all corners are acute or obtuse angles, and irregular polygonal protrusions 5 in which at least one corner is an acute or obtuse angle and at least one corner is a right angle. An obtuse angle is an angle greater than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees, a right angle is 90 degrees, and an acute angle is an angle greater than 0 degrees but less than 90 degrees.

[0019] The plurality of irregular polygonal convex portions 5 having different shapes are arranged randomly in the surface direction. However, in an industrial manufacturing process, for example, an embossing plate is used to form the convex portions 5 (concave and convex portions) on the surface layer 2, and the embossing plate is used as one unit, and the shape of that one unit (plurality of convex portions 5) is repeatedly formed on the surface layer 2. In other words, the plurality of convex portions 5 formed by one unit of the embossing plate have different shapes and are arranged randomly in the surface direction. However, it should be noted that the boundary between the shape of one unit of the embossing plate and the shape of the following same unit is continuous without interruption.

[0020] 7 and 8, the protrusion 5 has a rising surface 5a and a top surface 5b continuous with the rising surface 5a. The rising surface 5a is a wall surface rising upward from the groove 6. The top surface 5b of the protrusion 5 is formed in a substantially flat shape. A connecting portion 5c between the rising surface 5a and the top surface 5b of the protrusion 5 is bent, and the connecting portion 5c defines the planar shape of the protrusion 5. The angle α formed by the rising surface 5a with the top surface 5b is set to 85 degrees to 160 degrees, and preferably 90 degrees to 140 degrees. The connecting portion 5c is preferably as angular as possible. When the angularity of the connecting portion 5c is indicated by the radius, the radius of the connecting portion 5c in a cross section cut in a direction perpendicular to the linear groove portion 6 as shown in FIG. 8 is, for example, 0.80 mm or less, preferably 0.70 mm or less, and more preferably 0.65 mm or less. A radius of AAA mm corresponds to an arc with a radius of AAA mm. By ensuring that the radius of the connecting portion 5c is equal to or less than the upper limit value mm, the anti-slip properties can be improved, and the planar shape of the protrusion 5 can be clearly seen, resulting in a good appearance of the resin flooring material 1. The angle R can be measured as follows: The surface of the resin flooring material 1 is photographed using a commercially available laser microscope (Keyence Corporation, product name "VK-X 3050"), and the cross section is observed using the profile function of analysis software (Keyence Corporation, product name "VK-X 3000 Multi-File Analysis Application"); the arc R of the measurement tool of the analysis software is used to align the measurement tool with the connecting portion 5c between the rising surface 5a and the top surface 5b of the convex portion 5, and the radius of each R is determined.

[0021] The area of the top surface 5b of the protrusion 5 is 10 mm 2 Over 100mm 2 The range is as follows, preferably 11 mm 2 ~90mm 2 and more preferably 12 mm 2 ~80mm 2 Hereinafter, the area of the top surface 5b of the protrusions 5 will be referred to as the "top area," and the range from the lower limit to the upper limit will sometimes be referred to as the "specific area range." When the top area of the protrusions 5 is within the specific area range, the contact area of the soles of the feet with the protrusions 5 becomes relatively large when a pedestrian walks barefoot on the surface of the resin flooring 1, providing the pedestrian with a comfortable walking sensation. Furthermore, when the top area of the protrusions 5 is the upper limit value, the anti-slip properties, drainage properties, and contact warmth sensation are improved. Herein, the "walking sensation" referred to in this specification refers to the feeling of ease of walking, such as the ability to walk or stand up stably. The top area of the protrusions 5 is measured, for example, by applying ink to the surface of the resin flooring 1 with a roller, allowing the ink to dry, scanning the flooring surface to obtain image data, extracting any desired area from the image (for example, an arbitrary area measuring 10 cm x 10 cm or 15 cm x 15 cm), and using software to calculate the top area of each protrusion 5 in that area. For specific methods for measuring the top area of the protrusions 5, see the description in the Examples below.

[0022] In the illustrated example, all of the protrusions 5 formed on the surface layer 2 have a top area within the specific area range. However, some of the protrusions 5 may have a top area outside the specific area range. In other words, most of the protrusions 5 may have a top area within the specific area range, and some of the protrusions 5 may have a top area outside the specific area range. When protrusions 5 having a top area outside the specific area range are included, the proportion thereof is, for example, 5% or less, preferably 3% or less. The proportion of protrusions 5 having a top area outside the specific area range can be calculated using the following formula. The percentage (%) of protrusions 5 having a top area outside the specific area range = (number of protrusions 5 outside the specific area range within the specified range / total number of protrusions 5 included within the specified range) x 100.

[0023] Referring to Figure 8, the height 5H of the projections 5 is not particularly limited, but if it is too small, the difference between the projections 5 and the grooves 6 will be small, and if it is too large, the walking feel may be poor. From this perspective, the height 5H of the projections 5 is, for example, 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, and preferably 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. If the height 5H of the projections 5 is within the above range, a flooring material with excellent slip resistance and drainage properties can be provided. The height 5H of the projections 5 is synonymous with the depth of the grooves 6. The thickness 6H of the surface layer 2 at the locations where the protrusions 5 are not present is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and preferably 0.2 mm to 0.7 mm. If the thickness 6H is within the above range, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the strength of the flooring material and also to achieve the effect of concealing the color of the layers below the surface layer 2. The thickness of the surface layer 2 at the locations where the protrusions 5 are not present can also be said to be the thickness of the surface layer 2 at the locations where the grooves 6 are formed, and the sum of the height 5H and the thickness 6H can also be said to be the thickness of the surface layer 2 at the locations where the protrusions 5 are formed.

[0024] The grooves 6 are formed between the adjacent protrusions 5. In the surface layer 2 where the plurality of protrusions 5 are arranged in the surface direction, a plurality of grooves 6 are formed corresponding to the protrusions 5. For example, the grooves 6 are formed between one side of a protrusion 5 formed in an irregular polygonal shape in plan view and one side of another protrusion 5 also in an irregular polygonal shape in plan view that is adjacent to the side of the protrusion 5. Therefore, the grooves 6 extend linearly along the sides of the protrusions 5 in plan view. Referring to FIG. 6 , taking an arbitrary protrusion 5 as an example, the protrusion 5 has a first side 5A and a second side 5B that intersects with the first side 5A at a vertex 5C. A first groove 6-1 extending along the first side 5A and a second groove 6-2 extending along the second side 5B intersect near the vertex 5C of the protrusion 5. The intersection of two grooves 6 is called an “intersection,” and two grooves 6 that intersect at an intersection are called “two grooves.” The two grooves refer to two grooves 6 that intersect at a single intersection and have no other grooves between them. In other words, although three or more grooves 6 may intersect at a single intersection, the two grooves refer to two grooves 6 that intersect at an angle of less than 180 degrees and have no other grooves between them. In FIG. 6, crosses are shown at conceptual intersections, but since there are many intersections, only some of them are marked with crosses.

[0025] When the relationship of the two grooves is expressed in plan view, the grooves include two groove portions 6 that form an acute or obtuse angle with the intersection point as the vertex. Two groove portions 6 that form an acute or obtuse angle with the intersection point as the vertex are called "bent grooves 66." A plurality of these bent grooves 66 exists depending on the number of sides of the protrusions 5 and the number of protrusions 5, and the bent grooves 66 are continuously connected in the surface direction. Therefore, tracing each groove portion 6 in plan view results in a disordered zigzag shape. In Figure 6, the bent grooves are denoted by the reference numeral 66, but since there are many bent grooves that are continuous in the surface direction, only some of them are denoted by the reference numeral 66. Regarding the relationship between the two grooves in a plan view, not all the two grooves are limited to forming an obtuse angle or an acute angle (i.e., not all are limited to bend grooves), and some of the two grooves may form a right angle. When two grooves forming a right angle are included, the proportion is 5% or less, preferably 3% or less. Percentage (%) of two grooves that intersect at right angles at an intersection point = (number of two grooves that intersect at right angles at an intersection point within a specified range / total number of two grooves within a specified range) × 100.

[0026] From another perspective, two or more grooves 6 intersect at each intersection. There are multiple intersections, and the number of grooves 6 intersecting at each intersection is, for example, 3 to 5, and preferably 3 or 4. If too many grooves 6 intersect at one intersection, the shape of the protrusion 5 in plan view may become too complicated. For example, where three grooves 6 intersect at one intersection, the grooves 6 form a three-way intersection in plan view. When two grooves 6 are arbitrarily extracted from the grooves 6 that form a three-way intersection, it is preferable that they are not connected at a right angle or 180 degrees in plan view. Also, where four grooves 6 intersect at one intersection, the grooves 6 form a four-way intersection in plan view. When two grooves 6 are arbitrarily extracted from the grooves 6 that form a four-way intersection, it is preferable that they are not connected at a right angle or 180 degrees in plan view. The ratio of the intersections at which the three grooves 6 intersect is, for example, 80% or more, and preferably 85% or more. The percentage (%) of intersections (three-way intersections) where three groove sections 6 intersect = (number of intersections where three groove sections 6 intersect within a specified range / total number of intersections within a specified range) × 100.

[0027] The width 6W of the groove 6 can be set as appropriate, but if it is too small, water will not easily penetrate, and if it is too large, the contact area between the sole of the foot and the protrusion 5 will be small, which may result in a poor walking feel. From this perspective, the width 6W of the groove 6 is preferably 1 mm to 3 mm, and more preferably 1.2 mm to 2 mm. The width 6W of the groove 6 is measured from the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the rising surface 5a of the protrusion 5, as shown in FIG. 8. The grooves 6 may have different widths in the direction in which the grooves 6 extend, but from the viewpoint of presenting a good appearance, it is preferable that the widths are uniform in the direction in which the grooves 6 extend. Furthermore, when focusing on multiple grooves 6, the widths of the grooves 6 may be different, but from the viewpoint of presenting a good appearance, it is preferable that the widths of the grooves 6 are the same.

[0028] The bottom surface 6a of the groove 6 is flat so that the thickness of the water film that flows into the bottom surface of the groove 6 and forms a film on the bottom surface is approximately uniform.

[0029] The surface layer 2 is usually composed of a resin layer. Examples of synthetic resins that can be used to compose the surface layer 2 include thermoplastic resins, preferably soft thermoplastic resins. Examples of the thermoplastic resins include vinyl chloride resins such as vinyl chloride and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers; polyolefin resins; urethane resins; vinyl acetate resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; acrylic resins such as ethylene-methacrylate resins; polyamide resins; ester resins; various elastomers such as olefin elastomers and styrene elastomers; and rubber. These resins can be used alone or in combination. From the viewpoints of low cost, excellent flexibility, and durability, the surface layer 2 is preferably a resin layer whose main resin component is vinyl chloride resin. In this specification, the main component resin refers to the component (by weight) that is the largest among the resin components (excluding additives) that make up the layer. The amount of the main component resin is more than 50% by weight, preferably 70% by weight or more, and more preferably 80% by weight or more, when the total resin components that make up the layer are taken as 100% by weight. The upper limit of the amount of the main component resin is 100% by weight. When the amount of the main component resin is less than 100% by weight, the resins other than the main component resin contained in the layer are not particularly limited, and known resin components can be used.

[0030] The resin layer containing a vinyl chloride resin as a main component contains a vinyl chloride resin and a plasticizer, and optionally contains a filler and / or any suitable additive. Vinyl chloride resins include polymers formed by polymerizing at least vinyl chloride monomer (chloroethylene). Vinyl chloride resins include not only homopolymers (polymers formed by homopolymerizing chloroethylene), but also copolymers (copolymers) of chloroethylene and other monomers copolymerizable with chloroethylene, mixtures of homopolymers and copolymers, and mixtures of two or more copolymers. The term "mixture" refers to a homopolymer and copolymer, or a polymer in which copolymers are kneaded together without substantial polymerization. Examples of vinyl chloride resins include vinyl chloride polymers (homopolymers); chlorinated vinyl chloride; partially crosslinked vinyl chloride; copolymers containing vinyl chloride, such as vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride-ethylene copolymer, vinyl chloride-propylene copolymer, vinyl chloride-styrene copolymer, vinyl chloride-isobutylene copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride copolymer, vinyl chloride-butadiene copolymer, vinyl chloride-isoprene copolymer, and vinyl chloride-chlorinated propylene copolymer; mixtures of a homopolymer and one or more copolymers; and mixtures of two or more copolymers. Preferably, vinyl chloride polymers (homopolymers) are used. These vinyl chloride resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Virgin materials are used as the vinyl chloride resins, but recycled materials may be used as needed, or a mixture of virgin and recycled materials may be used.

[0031] The vinyl chloride polymer (homopolymer) can be produced by emulsion polymerization, suspension polymerization, solution polymerization, bulk polymerization, or the like, and it is preferable to use a paste vinyl chloride resin and / or a suspension vinyl chloride resin. The vinyl chloride paste resin is a vinyl chloride paste obtained by, for example, emulsion polymerization, and its viscosity can be appropriately adjusted by adding a plasticizer. The average degree of polymerization of the vinyl chloride paste resin is preferably about 1000 to 2000. The suspension vinyl chloride resin is, for example, a vinyl chloride resin obtained by suspension polymerization. The average polymerization degree of the suspension vinyl chloride resin is preferably about 700 to 1500, more preferably about 700 to 1100, and even more preferably about 700 to 1000.

[0032] The plasticizer is added mainly for the purpose of improving the flexibility of the vinyl chloride resin, and examples of the plasticizer include polyester-based plasticizers, glycerin-based plasticizers, polycarboxylic acid ester-based plasticizers, and polyalkylene glycol-based plasticizers. Fillers are added mainly for the purpose of improving processability and physical properties, and examples of fillers include inorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate, titanium oxide, calcium oxide, barium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, clay, talc, and mica. As the additives, conventionally known additives can be used, and examples thereof include colorants, flame retardants, stabilizers, antioxidants, lubricants, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, surfactants, and the like.

[0033] It is preferable to form the surface layer 2 using vinyl chloride resin particles with a particle size of 20 μm to 300 μm, since this allows the connecting portions 5c between the rising surfaces 5a and the top surfaces 5b of the projections 5 to be formed in an angular shape.Furthermore, it is preferable to form the surface layer 2 using vinyl chloride resin particles with filler fine particles scattered on the surface, since this allows the surface layer 2 to have a fine grained pattern.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the surface layer 2 formed using vinyl chloride resin particles 71 with particle sizes of 20 μm to 300 μm, showing an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are aggregated. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, this preferred surface layer 2 has a portion where a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are aggregated. Hereinafter, the portion where a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are aggregated is referred to as an "aggregated portion 7." The vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are blended with a colorant and colored to a desired color. The aggregated portion 7 may be composed of a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 of one color, or may be composed of a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 of two or more different colors. The surface of the surface layer 2 has aggregated portions 7 and recessed portions 73 formed between adjacent vinyl chloride resin particles 71. When vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having filler particles 72 scattered on the surface are used, the filler particles 72 are attached to the recessed portions 73. The filler particles 72 can be selected from the inorganic fillers described above and preferably contain calcium carbonate. The interior of the surface layer 2 also has the aggregated portions 7, recessed portions 73, and filler particles 72, which are stacked in the thickness direction to form the surface layer 2. When vinyl chloride resin particles 71 of two or more colors are used, the surface of the surface layer 2 may have a region of an arbitrary first color and a region of a different second color, or a region of an arbitrary first color, a region of a different second color, and a region where the first color and the second color are mixed, or may be composed only of a region where the first color and the second color are mixed. The size of the filler particles 72 is smaller than that of the vinyl chloride resin particles 71, and in FIG. 9, the filler particles 72 are represented by diagonal lines rather than by a specific shape. In the aggregated portion 7, a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are adjacent to each other and bonded to form a layer. Note that although the spaces between adjacent vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are shown by clear solid lines in Fig. 9, it should be noted that adjacent vinyl chloride resin particles 71 may not have clear boundaries due to bonding (fusion).

[0035] The size and number (proportion) of the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 exposed on the surface of the surface layer 2 preferably satisfy at least one of the following conditions (a) to (c). (a) The number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having a maximum length of the exposed portion in the range of 50 μm to 100 μm per square mm is 16 or more, preferably 30 or more, and more preferably 40 or more. There is no particular upper limit to the number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 in the range of 50 μm to 100 μm, but it is, for example, 400 or less, or even 300 or less. (b) The number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having a maximum length of more than 100 μm and not more than 150 μm per square mm is 12 or more, preferably 18 or more, and more preferably 30 or more. There is no particular upper limit to the number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having a maximum length of more than 100 μm and not more than 150 μm, but it is, for example, 100 or less, or even 80 or less. (c) The number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having a maximum length of more than 150 μm and not more than 200 μm per square mm is 8 or more, preferably 15 or more, and more preferably 20 or more. There is no particular upper limit to the number of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 having a maximum length of more than 150 μm and not more than 200 μm, but it is, for example, 50 or less, or even 40 or less. Even when vinyl chloride resin particles with a particle size of 20 μm to 300 μm are used, the particles are deformed due to the application of heat and pressure during the molding process of the surface layer 2, and the exposed vinyl chloride resin particles 71 often become smaller than 300 μm.

[0036] The exposed vinyl chloride resin particles 71 refer to vinyl chloride resin particles 71 that are visible from the surface of the surface layer 2. The size and number of the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 can be measured from an SEM image of the surface of the surface layer 2. An SEM photograph is obtained by taking an image of an arbitrary location of the aggregated portion 7 on the surface of the surface layer 2 at 100x magnification, and exposed vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are extracted from any 1 square mm area in the SEM image. The maximum length of the exposed portion of all the extracted vinyl chloride resin particles 71 can be measured to identify the above (a), (b), and (c). The maximum length of the exposed portion refers to the maximum length of a straight line that passes through the plane of the exposed portion and intersects with the opposite edge of the exposed portion.

[0037] 9, slight depressions 73 are formed on the surface of the aggregation portion 7 (surface of the surface layer 2). A plurality of filler particles 72 are collected and adhered to the depressions 73. The planar and three-dimensional shapes of the filler particles 72 are amorphous. The filler particles 72 are much smaller than the vinyl chloride resin particles 71. The filler particles 72 have a maximum length of, for example, 20 μm or less, preferably 10 μm or less, and more preferably 6 μm or less. The maximum length of the filler particles 72 can be measured from an SEM image of the surface of the surface layer 2. An SEM photograph is obtained by taking an image of an arbitrary location on the surface of the aggregated portion 7 of the surface layer 2 at 1000x magnification, and several relatively large filler particles 72 are extracted from the exposed filler particles 72 in any 100 μm2 area in the SEM image. The maximum lengths of all the extracted filler particles 72 are measured.

[0038] <Fiber reinforcement layer> The fiber reinforcement layer 3 is provided to impart dimensional stability to the resin flooring 1. Note that the resin flooring 1 may not have a fiber reinforcement layer, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 to 4 show the case where one fiber reinforcement layer 3 is provided, but the resin flooring material 1 may be provided with two or more fiber reinforcement layers 3 (not shown). Examples of the fiber reinforcement layer 3 include nonwoven fabric and woven fabric. The material of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric or woven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples include synthetic resin fibers such as polyester and polyolefin; inorganic fibers such as glass and carbon; and natural fibers. In particular, it is preferable to use glass nonwoven fabric or glass woven fabric containing glass fibers as the fiber reinforcement layer 3 because dimensional change due to temperature is small. By providing the fiber reinforcement layer 3 on the back side of the surface layer 2, when embossing is performed to form the convex portions 5 (and grooves 6) in the surface layer 2, the fiber reinforcement layer 3 resists the pressure of the embossing plate, making it easier to form the convex portions 5 and grooves 6 that conform to the concave shapes of the embossing plate. In particular, as shown in Figure 2, by laminating the fiber reinforcement layer 3 directly on the back side of the surface layer 2, that is, so that it is in contact with the back side of the surface layer 2, it becomes easier to form the convex portions 5 and grooves 6 that conform to the concave shapes of the embossing plate. However, for example, as shown in Figure 5, the resin flooring material 1 may not have a fiber reinforcement layer.

[0039] <Backing layer> The back layer 4 is provided on the back side of the front layer 2. The back side of the back layer 4 forms the back side of the resin flooring material 1. The thickness of the back layer 4 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 mm to 5 mm, and preferably 1.2 mm to 3 mm. The back layer 4 may have a single layer structure as shown in Figures 2 and 4, or may have a two layer structure as shown in Figure 3, or may have a three layer structure as shown in Figure 5. Although not specifically shown, the back layer 4 may have a multi-layer structure of four or more layers. The backing layer 4 may be foamed or may not be foamed. For example, in the case of a backing layer 4 having a multi-layer structure of two or more layers such as that shown in FIG. 3, all of the layers may be foamed or may not be foamed, or at least one layer may be foamed and the remaining layers may not be foamed.

[0040] The back layer 4 is usually composed of a resin layer. Examples of the synthetic resin that constitutes the back layer 4 include the thermoplastic resins exemplified in the above <Surface layer> section. The back layer 4 is preferably a resin layer whose main resin component is vinyl chloride resin.

[0041] When the backing layer 4 has a multi-layer structure, each layer may be a resin layer having the same main component resin, or each layer may be a resin layer having a different main component resin. For example, when the backing layer 4 has a multi-layer structure, it is preferable that all layers are resin layers having a vinyl chloride resin as the main component resin. In this case, each resin layer having a vinyl chloride resin as the main component may have the same or different composition. "Different compositions" refers to differences in the type of vinyl chloride resin, components other than vinyl chloride resin, content of vinyl chloride resin, and / or content of components other than vinyl chloride resin.

[0042] <Manufacturing method for resin flooring> The resin flooring material 1 can be produced, for example, by the following method. Resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment is obtained through the steps of preparing vinyl chloride resin particles having a particle size of 20 μm to 300 μm, collecting the vinyl chloride resin particles and applying heat and pressure to form surface layer 2, and embossing to form convex portions 5 and grooves 6 in surface layer 2. Preferably, resin flooring material 1 is obtained through the steps of preparing vinyl chloride resin particles having a particle size of 20 μm to 300 μm, producing raw material particles in which fine filler particles smaller than the vinyl chloride resin particles are scattered on the surface of the vinyl chloride resin particles, collecting the raw material particles and applying heat and pressure to form surface layer 2, and embossing to form convex portions 5 and grooves 6 in surface layer 2. In explaining the manufacturing method, for the purpose of distinguishing terminology between the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 and filler microparticles 72 after they have been formed into the resin flooring material 1 and the vinyl chloride resin particles and filler microparticles as raw materials before the resin flooring material 1 is formed, the vinyl chloride resin particles and filler microparticles as raw materials will be referred to as "raw material resin particles A" and "raw material filler microparticles B."

[0043] (Production of raw materials) Examples of vinyl chloride resins constituting the raw material resin particles A include those produced by emulsion polymerization, suspension polymerization, solution polymerization, bulk polymerization, etc. Because they are easily formed into particles, vinyl chloride resins obtained by emulsion polymerization or suspension polymerization are preferred, and vinyl chloride resins obtained by suspension polymerization are particularly preferred. For example, particles made of vinyl chloride resin obtained by the suspension polymerization method are sieved using a screen to extract raw material resin particles A of a desired particle size. The volume average particle size (50% diameter) of raw material resin particles A is preferably 20 μm to 300 μm, more preferably 30 μm to 250 μm, and even more preferably 50 μm to 200 μm. The volume average particle size of the raw material resin particles A can be measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer.

[0044] The average degree of polymerization of the vinyl chloride resin constituting the raw material resin particles A is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 650 to 1000, and preferably 700 to 900. The average degree of polymerization can be measured by a solution viscosity measurement method using an Ubbelohde viscometer according to JIS K 6721. The K value of the vinyl chloride resin is also not particularly limited, but is, for example, 58 to 70, and preferably 60 to 65. The K value can be measured in accordance with JIS K 7367-2. The apparent density of the vinyl chloride resin is also not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.45 to 0.75, and preferably 0.5 to 0.7. The apparent density can be measured in accordance with JIS K 7365.

[0045] Furthermore, raw material particle C has raw material filler fine particles B, which are smaller than raw material resin particles A, scattered on the surface of the raw material resin particles A, as shown in Fig. 10. In Fig. 10, the areas where multiple raw material filler fine particles B are attached are shown shaded, and the solid areas in Fig. 10 indicate areas where the surface of raw material resin particles A is exposed.

[0046] As the raw filler fine particles B, an inorganic filler that is solid under standard conditions (standard conditions are 25°C and 1 atmosphere) can be appropriately used, and the inorganic fillers described above can be used. Because of their low cost, it is preferable to use calcium carbonate fine particles as the raw filler fine particles B. The volume average particle size (50% diameter) of raw filler fine particles B is, for example, 0.05 μm to 20 μm, preferably 1 μm to 10 μm, and more preferably 2 μm to 6 μm. The volume average particle size of raw filler fine particles B can be measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer. The volume average particle size of raw filler fine particles B represents the volume average value of the equivalent sphere diameter. The colorant may be a conventionally known pigment or dye, but is preferably a pigment because it is less likely to fade. The colorant may be in liquid or powder form, but is preferably a liquid colorant because it is more likely to mix with the raw material resin particles A.

[0047] Raw material particles C can be obtained by mixing the raw material resin particles A, raw material filler fine particles B, colorant, plasticizer, and, if necessary, additives. The amount of raw filler particles B is not particularly limited, but if it is too much, the raw filler particles B may adhere to almost the entire surface of the raw resin particles A, while if it is too little, too much of the surface of the raw resin particles A may be exposed. From this perspective, the amount of raw filler particles B is 1 to 100 parts by weight, preferably 1 to 50 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of raw resin particles A. The amount of plasticizer is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 20 to 50 parts by weight, preferably 30 to 40 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of raw resin particles A. The amount of colorant can be appropriately set depending on the type of colorant, and is, for example, 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, preferably 1 to 5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of raw resin particles A.

[0048] The raw resin particles A, raw filler fine particles B, colorant, plasticizer, and optional additives are mixed at a temperature sufficiently higher than room temperature (25°C) but below a temperature at which the vinyl chloride resin does not melt. For example, the mixing is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range of 80°C to 140°C, more preferably 100°C to 130°C, and even more preferably 110°C to 125°C. The mixing is also preferably carried out at normal pressure (particularly without external pressure). By mixing within the above temperature range, the raw resin particles A do not melt but become slightly softer while maintaining their roughly spherical shape, and the raw filler fine particles B and colorant etc. come into contact with the surfaces of the raw resin particles A. In this way, raw material particles C can be obtained, as shown in FIG. 10, in which fine raw material filler particles B smaller than colored raw material resin particles A are scattered on the surface of the particles.

[0049] (Manufacturing of resin flooring materials) The resin flooring material 1 can be obtained by layering the raw material particles C on a base sheet which is made of a resin sheet which will be the backing layer 4 and which is made of a glass nonwoven fabric or the like which will be the fiber reinforcement layer 3, and then embossing the base sheet while heating and pressurizing it. FIG. 11 shows a manufacturing device for the resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment. 11, the manufacturing apparatus 9 has a first unwinding section 91 loaded with a long strip-shaped resin sheet 49 that will become the backing layer 4, a second unwinding section 92 loaded with a long strip-shaped sheet body 39 such as a glass nonwoven fabric that will become the fiber reinforced layer 3, a feeder 94 that supplies raw material particles C, a leveling tool 95 that levels the raw material particles C, a heating device 96, an embossing machine 97, and a winding section 98 that winds up the resin flooring material 1. The feeder 94 has a hopper and a supply roll. A resin sheet 49 that will become the back layer 4 is unwound from a first unwinding section 91 and conveyed along the line. A resin sheet containing vinyl chloride resin as a main component can be used as the resin sheet 49. A sheet body 39 that will become the fiber reinforced layer 3 is unwound from a second unwinding section 92 and laminated on the resin sheet 49 to form a laminate 99. Raw material particles C that will become the surface layer 2 are sprayed from a feeder 94 onto the sheet body 39 of this laminate 99. The outlet of a hopper 941 of the feeder 94 extends in the width direction (a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the laminate 99). Raw material particles C are placed in the hopper 941. The outlet, which opens downward from the hopper 941, is provided with a pair of feed rolls 942, 943 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the first roll 942 and the second roll 943). For example, the first roll 942 has a smooth peripheral surface, and the second roll 943 has an uneven peripheral surface. As the feed rolls rotate, the raw material particles C in the hopper 941 are scattered and deposited between the first roll 942 and the second roll 943 onto the sheet body 39 of the laminate 99. The deposited raw material particles C move in conjunction with the transport of the laminate 99, but are leveled into a layer of approximately uniform thickness by a leveling tool 95 disposed downstream of the hopper 941. In this way, a precursor is obtained that is composed of, in order from the surface side, a layer of raw material particles C (surface layer), a sheet body 39 (fiber-reinforced layer), and a resin sheet 49 (back layer). This precursor is heated in a heating device 96 such as an oven to melt the vinyl chloride resin of the raw material particles C. Note that the solid arrow in Figure 11 indicates the conveyance direction of the laminate 99, etc. The heating temperature may be equal to or higher than the temperature at which the vinyl chloride resin melts, and is, for example, 170°C to 200°C.

[0050] After heating, the precursor is pressed in the thickness direction by an embossing machine 97 to be processed into a sheet. The pressure is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 1.5 kgf / cm. 2 ~5kgf / cm 2 The embossing machine 97 may be a press with a plate-shaped embossing plate, but when using an apparatus for continuously producing long strip-shaped resin flooring 1 as shown in the figure, it is preferable to use an embossing roll 971 with an embossing plate on its peripheral surface and a backing roll 972. By passing the precursor between the embossing roll 971 and the backing roll 972, the raw material particles C are irregularly deformed into an indefinite shape, adjacent raw material resin particles A are bonded together, and the above-mentioned convex portions 5 and groove portions 6 are formed on the surface. It is also possible to use an embossing machine 97 heated to a temperature at which the vinyl chloride resin melts, in which case the heating device 96 may be omitted. In the above, the process of forming the surface layer 2 and the process of forming the convex portions 5 and the groove portions 6 are carried out simultaneously, and the convex portions 5 and the groove portions 6 are formed at the same time as the formation of the surface layer 2. However, after the precursor is heated and pressurized to form the surface layer 2, the convex portions 5 and the groove portions 6 may be formed by embossing.

[0051] <Effects and uses of resin flooring> The resin flooring material 1 of the present invention is applied to floor surfaces in hotels, office buildings, commercial facilities, apartment buildings, hospitals, etc. It is particularly effective to apply the resin flooring material 1 of the present invention to locations where water may splash. Examples of locations where water may splash include indoor, outdoor, or semi-outdoor poolside floors; outdoor or semi-outdoor floors, such as rooftops, outdoor walkways, berms, ship decks, parks, stadiums, etc. Among these, it is preferable to apply the resin flooring material 1 of the present invention to locations where pedestrians may walk barefoot, typically poolside floors. There are no particular limitations on the method for attaching the resin flooring 1 to the floor surface, and examples include using an adhesive to fix the back surface of the resin flooring 1 to the floor surface.

[0052] In the above-mentioned resin flooring material 1, the top area of the convex portions 5 formed on the surface of the surface layer 2 is within a specific area range, so that when a pedestrian walks barefoot on the surface of the resin flooring material 1, the contact area of the sole of the foot with the convex portions 5 becomes relatively large, giving the pedestrian a good feeling when walking. Furthermore, the resin flooring material 1 has excellent water diffusion properties because grooves 6 are formed between the convex portions 5 and the two grooves 6 form multiple bent grooves 66, each of which forms an acute or obtuse angle in a planar view and is continuous in the plane direction. Here, water diffusion refers to the property of water spreading in the plane direction on the surface of the resin flooring material, and differs from drainage properties, in which water flows in one direction. Note that the plane direction refers to the radial direction of any point on the surface, while the one direction refers to the linear direction passing through any point on the surface. While water adhering to the top surfaces 5b of the convex portions 5 on the surface of the resin flooring material 1 flows into the grooves 6, because the bent grooves 66 are continuous in the plane direction as described above, water that enters the grooves 6 spreads while bending along the grooves 6. As water spreads in the plane direction, the water film becomes thinner and its area increases, making it easier for water on the top surfaces 5b of the convex portions 5 to dry. In this way, the resin flooring material 1 of the present invention, in which the top surfaces 5b of the protrusions 5 dry easily, has excellent slip resistance because there is less opportunity for water to get between the soles of the feet and the resin flooring material 1. In particular, the corner radius (R) of the connecting portion (5c) between the rising surface (5a) and the top surface (5b) of each protrusion (5) is 0.80 mm or less, preferably 0.7 mm or less, and more preferably 0.65 mm or less. This enhances the grip of the sole of the foot on the protrusion (5) at the connecting portion (5c). This provides a resin flooring material 1 with excellent slip resistance, not only when water is attached to the surface of the resin flooring material 1, but also when water is not attached. By forming the surface layer (2) using vinyl chloride resin particles (71) with a particle size of 20 μm to 300 μm as described above, when pressed with an embossing plate, the resin particles easily penetrate into the edges of the depressions of the embossing plate along the shape of the embossing plate, and there is little return after the embossing plate is released, ensuring the formation of a connecting portion (5c) with a corner radius (R) of no more than the upper limit. Similarly, the depressions of the uneven pattern of the second embodiment described below can also be reliably formed.

[0053] Furthermore, since the width of the groove 6 is set to 1 mm to 3 mm, even if foreign matter such as sand gets into the groove 6, the foreign matter can be easily swept out of the groove 6 using a deck brush or broom.

[0054] Furthermore, because the surface layer 2 is formed with a variety of irregular polygonal projections 5 of different shapes, the resin flooring 1 can be provided with an appearance never before seen. In particular, because the surface layer 2 has a structure comprising aggregated portions 7 where multiple vinyl chloride resin particles 71 aggregate, and filler particles 72 that gather and adhere to the recesses 73 of the aggregated portions 7, when viewed closely, the surface of the surface layer 2 (the surface of the resin flooring 1) has a three-dimensional appearance (grained pattern) that looks as if fine sand has been sprinkled on it. This grained pattern, combined with the irregular polygonal shape of the projections 5, allows the resin flooring 1 to be provided with an unprecedented and novel appearance never before seen.

[0055] [Second embodiment] The resin flooring material 1 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a concave-convex pattern 8 is formed on the top surfaces 5b of the convex portions 5 of the surface layer 2. The second embodiment will be described below. In this description, the configuration and effects that differ from those of the above-described embodiment will be mainly described. For similar configurations, the terms or symbols will be used as they are, and the description of the configuration may be omitted (the same applies to the third embodiment).

[0056] Fig. 12 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion of the surface of the resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment, and Figs. 13 and 14 are end views showing enlarged cross sections of the surface cut in the thickness direction across the area where the uneven pattern is formed. In particular, Fig. 13 is an enlarged end view cut at a location including the uneven pattern 8 consisting of a plurality of triangular depressions 81 in plan view, and Fig. 14 is an enlarged end view cut at a location including the uneven pattern 8 consisting of a plurality of streak-like depressions 81 in plan view. As shown in Figures 12 to 14, a textured pattern 8 is formed on the top surfaces 5b of the protrusions 5. The textured pattern 8 is made up of depressions 81 of any shape formed on the surface of the protrusions 5. It is preferable that a plurality of depressions 81 are formed on one protrusion 5. The depth of the depressions 81 of the textured pattern 8 is much smaller than the depth of the grooves 6. The textured pattern 8 may be formed on the top surfaces 5b of all of the protrusions 5. Alternatively, there may be protrusions 5 on which the textured pattern 8 is not formed. In other words, most of the protrusions 5 may have the textured pattern 8 on their top surfaces 5b, and some of the protrusions 5 may not have the textured pattern 8. The top surfaces 5b of the protrusions 5 that do not have the textured pattern 8 are flat. The uneven pattern 8 on the top surface 5b of each convex portion 5 may be the same for each convex portion 5, but in order to improve slip resistance, it is preferable that at least two different types of uneven pattern 8 are included. For example, it is preferable that an arbitrary uneven pattern 8 is formed on the top surface 5b of a first convex portion 5, and an uneven pattern 8 different from the uneven pattern 8 of the first convex portion 5 is formed on the top surface 5b of a second convex portion 5.

[0057] 12, a concave-convex pattern 8 consisting of depressions 81 that are triangular in plan view is formed on the top surfaces 5b of some of the first protrusions 5-1, a concave-convex pattern 8 consisting of depressions 81 that are stripe-like in plan view is formed on the top surfaces 5b of some of the second protrusions 5-2, and a concave-convex pattern 8 consisting of depressions 81 that are matte-like in plan view is formed on the top surfaces 5b of some of the third protrusions 5-3. In this way, at least three types of concave-convex patterns 8 with different shapes are formed on each protrusion 5. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, a concave-convex pattern 8 having a different shape in plan view may also be formed. For example, the top surfaces 5b of some of the fourth protrusions 5-4 have a concave-convex pattern 8 made up of depressions 81 that are circular or elliptical in plan view, the top surfaces 5b of some of the fifth protrusions 5-5 have a concave-convex pattern 8 made up of depressions 81 that are square in plan view, and the top surfaces 5b of some of the sixth protrusions 5-6 have a concave-convex pattern 8 made up of depressions 81 that have two or more different shapes in plan view (for example, triangular and striped).The top surfaces 5b of some of the seventh protrusions 5-7 do not have a concave-convex pattern 8, but the top surfaces 5b of these seventh protrusions 5-7 may also have a concave-convex pattern 8 made up of depressions 81 that have any shape in plan view. The uneven patterns 8 having a triangular shape in a plan view formed on some of the first protrusions 5-1 may be the same as each other, or may include patterns that differ for each protrusion 5 by changing the size, orientation, arrangement, number, etc. of the triangles that are depressions 81 as shown in the figure. The uneven patterns 8 formed on some of the second to sixth protrusions 5-6 may also be the same as the uneven pattern 8 of the first protrusion 5-1, or may include patterns that differ for each protrusion 5 by changing the size, orientation, arrangement, number, etc. of the depressions 81 as shown in the figure.

[0058] 13 and 14, the depth 81H of the depressions 81 is, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm, and preferably 0.08 mm to 0.2 mm. If the depth of the depressions 81 is too small, it will be the same as if the uneven pattern 8 is not formed, and if the depth of the depressions 81 is too large, water and foreign matter will easily accumulate in the depressions 81.

[0059] In this embodiment, uneven patterns 8 of different shapes are formed on the top surface 5b of each convex portion 5, which increases the grip of the soles of the feet on the convex portions 5 and provides a resin flooring material 1 with better slip resistance. In particular, by setting the depth 81H of the depressions 81 to 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm, a resin flooring material 1 that is less likely to slip when walking barefoot can be provided.

[0060] [Third embodiment] The resin flooring material 1 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the material that constitutes the surface layer 2 contains resin flakes 28. In the first embodiment, the surface layer 2 has an agglomerated portion 7 where a plurality of vinyl chloride-based resin particles 71 are agglomerated, whereas in the present embodiment, the surface layer 2 has resin flakes 28 fixed to the agglomerated portion 7 where a plurality of vinyl chloride-based resin particles 71 are agglomerated. Fig. 15 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion of the surface of the resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment, and Fig. 16 is an end view showing an enlarged cross section cut in the thickness direction across the exposed resin flakes 28. Note that for convenience, in Fig. 16, the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 in the aggregated portion 7 are represented by circles, but in reality, the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 in the aggregated portion 7 are irregularly deformed as shown in Fig. 9. 15 and 16, the surface layer 2 has an aggregated portion 7 in which a plurality of vinyl chloride resin particles 71 are aggregated, and resin flakes 28 fixed to the surface of the aggregated portion 7. As in the first embodiment, convex portions 5 and groove portions 6 are formed on the surface of the surface layer 2. In the plan view, it is difficult to distinguish the outlines of the convex portions 5 formed on the surface layer 2 from the outlines of the resin flakes 28, so grid lines are added to the resin flakes 28.

[0061] The resin flakes 28 are bonded to and integrated with the vinyl chloride resin particles 71 on the surface of the aggregation portion 7. The resin flakes 28 are present in some places only on the top surfaces 5b of the protrusions 5 and in other places across the protrusions 5 and the grooves 6, and their arrangement is random. The material forming the resin flakes 28 is a resin material containing a vinyl chloride resin as a main component resin, because it can be firmly bonded to the aggregation portions 7. Furthermore, the resin flakes 28 are colored a color different from the color of the aggregation portions 7. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an exemplary resin flake 28. The planar shape of the resin flakes 28 is amorphous. In other words, the shape of the multiple resin flakes 28 cannot be specified. The thickness of the resin flakes 28 is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, and preferably 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm. If the thickness of the resin flakes 28 is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the resin flakes 28 are more likely to align well on the surface of the precursor when sprayed during the manufacture of the flooring material described below. If the thickness of the resin flakes 28 is equal to or less than the upper limit, the resin flakes 28 can be easily heated while maintaining their planar shape, allowing for good embossing. Such resin flakes 28 can be obtained by forming a resin material such as vinyl chloride resin into a sheet of the above thickness by calendering or the like, and then randomly crushing the sheet.

[0062] The resin flooring 1 of this embodiment can be manufactured by spraying resin flakes 28 onto the method described in the "Method for Manufacturing Resin Flooring" section of the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a resin material, such as vinyl chloride resin, is formed into a sheet of a predetermined thickness, and the sheet is randomly crushed to prepare multiple resin flakes 28. After forming a precursor consisting of a layered material of raw material particles C / sheet / resin sheet, as described in the "Manufacturing Resin Flooring" section of the first embodiment, the resin flakes 28 are sprayed onto the surface of the precursor (the surface of the layered material of raw material particles C) before embossing. If the amount of resin flakes 28 sprayed is increased, a relatively large number of resin flakes 28 will be exposed on the surface of the surface layer 2. The resin flooring 1 of this embodiment is obtained by spraying the resin flakes 28 and then embossing.

[0063] In the resin flooring material 1 of this embodiment, the aggregated portions 7 and resin flakes 28 are exposed on the surface of the surface layer 2. The resin flakes 28 are a different color from the aggregated portions 7, so the resin flakes 28 act as a design accent on the surface of the resin flooring material 1, creating an appearance that has never been seen before. [Example]

[0064] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0065] [Example 1] <Preparation of raw material particles> As the vinyl chloride resin (raw resin particles), granular vinyl chloride resin (trade name "ZEST 800Y" manufactured by Shin-Dai-Ichi Vinyl Corporation, average degree of polymerization: 760-860, K value: 60.5-63.1, apparent density: 0.53-0.63 (catalog value)) was prepared by suspension polymerization. The particle size of this vinyl chloride resin was approximately 100 μm to 300 μm. Granular calcium carbonate (product name "Escalon #200" manufactured by Sankyo Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) was prepared as a filler. As the plasticizer, DOP (general-purpose product) was prepared, and as the colorant, liquids of white, heat-shielding black, red, and yellow (manufactured by Nichiko Bix Co., Ltd.) were prepared.

[0066] Under standard conditions, 100 parts by weight of the vinyl chloride resin, 5 parts by weight of filler, 35 parts by weight of plasticizer, and 2 parts by weight of white colorant were added to a mixer and mixed for about 10 minutes without external heating. The temperature began to rise from the start of mixing and reached about 120°C after about 10 minutes. In this way, white raw material particles C were prepared, in which fine raw material filler particles were attached to the surfaces of the raw material resin particles. Black raw material particles C, red raw material particles C, and yellow raw material particles C were prepared in the same manner as above, except that the white colorant was changed to a heat-shielding black colorant, a red colorant, and a yellow colorant, respectively.

[0067] <Production of resin flooring> Resin flooring was produced using a manufacturing device such as that shown in Figure 11. Specifically, a glass nonwoven fabric approximately 0.4 mm thick was layered on a vinyl chloride resin sheet 1.5 mm thick, forming a laminate consisting of glass nonwoven fabric / resin sheet in that order from the surface side, and raw material particles were then scattered on top of the glass nonwoven fabric. The raw material particles were mixed in a weight ratio of white raw material particles: black raw material particles: red raw material particles: yellow raw material particles = 28:6:1:5. Following the conveyance on the line, the raw material particles were passed under a leveling tool to form a layered material approximately 1.5 mm thick, which was then heated and melted in a hot air circulating oven at 200°C for approximately 4 minutes, and then passed through an embossing machine (embossing roll and backing roll) at room temperature to a pressure of approximately 3 kgf / cm. 2 By applying a pressure of 1000 kJ / cm, convex and concave portions and groove portions having a concave-convex pattern were formed. In this way, a resin flooring material with a total thickness of approximately 2.9 mm was produced, where the total thickness was based on the location where the convex portion was formed. The embossing plate of the embossing roll is designed and processed so that the thickness 6H of the surface layer in areas without convexities is approximately 0.75 mm, the height 5H of the convexities is approximately 0.8 mm, the width of the grooves is approximately 1.5 mm, and the depth of the depressions in the uneven pattern is approximately 0.1 mm (see Figure 8 for symbols 5H and 6H).

[0068] Figure 18 is a photograph of the surface of the resin flooring material prepared in Example 1. As shown in Figure 18, the photograph shows a 15 cm square arbitrarily trimmed from the surface of the resin flooring material. Note that the top surfaces of the convex portions of the resin flooring material appear black because the image was taken after measuring the top area, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 18, the planar shape of the convex portion is an irregular polygon, and its arrangement can be arbitrary. In addition, the surface of the resin flooring has multiple continuous curved grooves (two grooves that form an acute or obtuse angle with the intersection point as the vertex) running along the surface.

[0069] [Measurement of the top area of the convex part] The top area of the protrusions formed on the surface of the resin flooring material obtained in Example 1 was measured by the following method. Black paint was applied to the surface of the resin flooring (surface of the outer layer) using an applicator consisting of a plastic roller (manufactured by Kakanuki Roller Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) wrapped around a 2 mm thick urethane foam. The roller was not pressed against the surface of the resin flooring, but was moved back and forth and left and right along the surface while in contact with the surface, thereby applying the black paint to the surface of the resin flooring. By applying in this manner, the paint adheres solidly to the tops of the convex portions, coloring them. After the surface was dried, the resin flooring material was cut into random 15cm x 15cm squares, and an image of the surface was scanned at 300 dpi using a commercially available scanner. Using image processing software (software name: ImageJ), the colored parts of the scanned image were selected, and the area of the colored parts was measured as the apex area of each convex part. As a result, the top area of all the convex parts is 18mm 2 ~71mm 2 was within the range.

[0070] [Comparative Example 1] A commercially available resin flooring material for poolside use (trade name "Lonmat ME (for poolside) Restalia HS" manufactured by Lonseal Corporation) was used as the resin flooring material of Comparative Example 1. The resin flooring material of Comparative Example 1 has a top surface area of 2 mm 2 ~9mm 2 The convex portions are formed, and the grooves between the convex portions are generally continuous in a straight line as shown in Fig. 19. The top area of the convex portions in Comparative Example 1 was also measured according to the above-mentioned "Measurement of the top area of convex portions". 19 is a photograph of the surface of Comparative Example 1. In the photograph of FIG. 19, a 15 cm square was arbitrarily trimmed, as in Example 1.

[0071] Comparative Example 2 A commercially available resin flooring material for poolside use (trade name "Viewsista AQUA" manufactured by Tajima Roofing Co., Ltd.) was used as the resin flooring material of Comparative Example 2. The resin flooring material of Comparative Example 2 has a top surface area of 9 mm 2 ~11mm 2 The convex portions are formed, and the grooves between the convex portions form a generally regular curved shape as shown in Fig. 20. The top area of the convex portions in Comparative Example 2 was also measured according to the above-mentioned "Measurement of the top area of convex portions". 20 is a photograph of the surface of Comparative Example 2. In the photograph of FIG. 20, a 15 cm square was arbitrarily trimmed, as in Example 1.

[0072] [CSR·B] The CSR·B value of the resin flooring materials of the examples was measured using a method in accordance with JIS A 1454. The CSR·B value is an index of slip resistance assuming walking barefoot. Specifically, a load of 785N was applied to the surface of the resin flooring, with a base area of 56cm 2 The maximum and minimum tensile strengths were measured when a piece of rubber with an uneven surface was slid at an elevation angle of 18 degrees at a tensile load rate of 785 N / s, and the CSR·B value was calculated. Measurements were also made in the same manner for the resin flooring materials of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, Example 1 had the highest CSR·B value, indicating that it was a flooring material with low slip resistance. CSR B value = (Pmax(N)+Pmin(N)) / Vertical load (785N).

[0073] [Sensory slip test] The resin flooring material of Example 1 was fixed to a flat floor surface, and 26 randomly selected adults were asked to walk barefoot on the surface, and each person evaluated the slipperiness according to the following criteria. The resin flooring materials of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were also evaluated in the same manner. The average values of the 26 people's evaluations of each resin flooring material are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the flooring material of Example 1 is found to be less slippery. Evaluation criteria 1: Slippery. 2: Slightly slippery. 3: Neither. 4: Slightly slippery. 5: Not slippery.

[0074] [Heat transfer test] The resin flooring material of Example 1 was placed on a flat table and heated to approximately 47°C. Then, a cooling sensation tester (manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd., product name "KES-F7 Thermo Lab (JIS L 1927 compliant)") set at 20°C was placed on the surface of the resin flooring material, and the heat transfer rate (W / cm 2 ) was measured. The same measurement was also carried out for the resin flooring materials of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1. It can be evaluated that the smaller the heat transfer value, the less hot it feels.

[0075] [Sensory contact warmth test] The resin flooring materials of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 were lined up and fixed on a flat floor surface, each heated to approximately 47°C, and then eight randomly selected adults were asked to stand barefoot on the surface in order and rank the materials in order of how hot they felt. The flooring material that felt the hottest was given a rating of "1," the flooring material that felt the next hottest a rating of "2," and the flooring material that felt the least hot a rating of "3." The average values of the rankings given by the eight people are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the flooring material of Example 1 felt less hot than the comparative example.

[0076] [Water diffusibility test] As shown in Figure 21(a), the resin flooring material of Example 1 was placed on a flat glass plate inclined at approximately 1.4 degrees. In an environment maintained at 22-23°C and 60% RH, 30 mL of tap water was dripped onto any one spot on the surface of the resin flooring material, as shown in Figure 21(b), and the width of the water spread was measured at the point where the water began to flow (1 cm) and at the point where the water stopped flowing (15 cm). The results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the flooring material of Example 1 has excellent water diffusibility and dries easily.

[0077] [Table 1] [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Resin flooring 2 Surface layer 5, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3 Convex part 5a Raised surface of convex part 5b Top surface of convex part 5c Connection part 6 Groove 66 Bend groove

Claims

1. A resin flooring material having a surface layer, The surface of the surface layer has a polygonal shape in a plan view and a top surface area of 10 mm ２ Over 100mm ２ A plurality of convex portions are formed, each of which is as follows: a groove portion extending linearly in a plan view is formed between the convex portions, The grooves have a plurality of bent grooves in which two groove portions intersect at an intersection point, and the two groove portions with the intersection point as a vertex form an acute angle or an obtuse angle in a plan view; A resin flooring material in which the plurality of curved grooves are continuous in the surface direction.

2. The resin flooring material according to claim 1, wherein the convex portions include convex portions having a triangular shape in a planar view, a rectangular shape in a planar view, and a pentagonal shape in a planar view.

3. The resin flooring material according to claim 1, wherein the width of the groove is 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm.

4. the protrusion has a rising surface and the top surface continuous with the rising surface, The resin flooring material according to claim 1, wherein the raised surface is formed at an angle of 85 to 160 degrees relative to the top surface.

5. A resin flooring material as described in claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of convex portions, a first convex portion has a textured pattern formed on its top surface, and a second convex portion has a textured pattern different from the textured pattern of the first convex portion formed on its top surface.

Images