rug

Abstract

The present invention provides a mat on which product information is printed on an adsorbent layer or adhesive layer without the need to attach or detach a release film. [Solution] A mat in which an adsorbent layer or adsorbent layer 5 is provided on the back surface of a base material 1, and the adsorbent layer or adsorbent layer 5 is covered with a release film 6, and product information 8 is printed on the adsorbent layer or adsorbent layer 5, and the printing is due to discoloration of titanium dioxide contained in the adsorbent layer or adsorbent layer 5 caused by irradiation with laser light irradiated from outside the release film 6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to various floor coverings such as kitchen mats, toilet mats, bath mats, entrance mats, center rugs, tile carpets (also referred to as tile mats), or toilet seat covers, etc., and the floor covering provided with an adsorbent layer or an adhesive layer on the back surface so that displacement at the installation location does not occur.

Background Art

[0002] In the above various floor coverings, a release film is provided to protect the adsorbent layer or the adhesive layer (hereinafter referred to as the adsorbent layer, etc.) on the back surface. This release film is peeled off and discarded when the floor covering is used. After the release film is peeled off, the floor covering is installed at a predetermined position and adheres to the floor surface, etc. by the adsorbent, etc. on the back surface, so it does not shift even when a little external force is applied.

[0003] By the way, in the above various floor coverings, at the time of sale, various information such as a product name, a trademark, a manufacturer name, a material name, and further precautions for use are attached. However, due to the nature of the product, it is not possible to directly display such information by printing or the like. Therefore, conventionally, for example, tags printed with them are fastened with tag pins (see Patent Document 1), the information is printed on the release film, a cloth piece printed with the information is directly sewn, or the information is stamped on the adsorbent layer, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the conventional rugs mentioned above, unless the fabric is sewn directly onto the rug or printed with a stamp, the tags and release films are usually removed and discarded before use, thus eliminating all information about the product. As a result, once use begins, this information becomes unavailable, and consumers who want to repurchase the product are unable to find out the product name or manufacturer. Consequently, consumers give up on obtaining information and search for and purchase a substitute product in stores or on e-commerce sites. This behavior by consumers represents a loss of sales opportunity for the manufacturer and seller of the product, resulting in considerable economic damage for them.

[0006] On the other hand, in products where printed fabric pieces are directly sewn onto the product, the above-mentioned problems can be prevented. However, since the sewn areas are visible on the surface of the product, carelessly selecting sewing locations can negatively impact the design and reduce the product's value. Furthermore, even if sewing can be done in a location that does not affect the design, it can only be done on the back side. And since there is a release film on the back side, it is necessary to either sew over the release film or sew to the adhesive layer before applying the release film. In the former case, the fabric pieces can get in the way when peeling off the release film, causing it to tear, making it impossible to cleanly peel off the release film in one operation. In the latter case, it does not affect the peeling off of the release film, but since the release film must be peeled off before sewing on the fabric pieces, there is a risk that dust may adhere to the adhesive layer, etc. If this occurs, the performance of the adhesive layer, etc. will be reduced, and the function of preventing misalignment will not be able to be performed. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to neatly attach the release film to the adhesive layer, etc., when fabric fragments are present, and there is a risk that the release film may protrude from the edges of the product, spoiling its aesthetic appearance.

[0007] Furthermore, in the case of products in which information is printed on an adsorbent layer using a stamp, the stamp ink does not adhere stably to the adsorbent layer, and depending on the installation location, people may stand on it and press it frequently with considerable pressure. As a result, if the product is used for a long period of time, the ink can transfer to the floor or other surfaces, causing stains.

[0008] To date, no means have been proposed to fundamentally solve the numerous problems with floor coverings described above, and these problems remain unresolved. Therefore, the present invention was made to solve the above problems and aims to provide a floor covering in which product information is printed on the adsorbent layer, etc., without the need to attach or detach a release film. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a mat in which an adsorbent layer or adhesive layer is provided on the back surface of a base material, and the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer is covered with a release film, and product information is printed on the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer, characterized in that the printing is due to discoloration of titanium oxide contained in the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer caused by irradiation with laser light irradiated from outside the release film.

[0010] The above-described mat may also be characterized in that, when a flocked layer is provided on the surface of the base material, and the back surface of the base material or the fibers of the flocked layer on the back surface are exposed from the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer, the titanium dioxide contained in the base material and the fibers also contributes to the discoloration caused by irradiation with laser light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mat on which product information is printed on the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer without the need to attach or detach a release film. Therefore, since information about the mat can be continuously provided to consumers, consumers can be encouraged to make repeated purchases over time, thus preventing the loss of sales opportunities for manufacturers and retailers and providing them with economic benefits. Furthermore, since the release film is not peeled off until use begins, there is no risk of damaging the design. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a reverse view showing one embodiment of the mat according to the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing both the cross-section along line a1-a1 and the cross-section along line a2-a2 in Figure 1, and (b) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the cross-section along line bb in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Another embodiment of the mat according to the present invention is shown, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a back view. [Figure 4] Further embodiments of the mat according to the present invention are shown, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a back view. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In this embodiment, a tile carpet (also called a tile mat) will be used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example and can be broadly applied to various types of mats such as kitchen mats, toilet mats, bath mats, entrance mats, center rugs, tile carpets, or toilet seat covers.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rug according to the present invention comprises a base material 1 consisting of a base fabric layer 2 and a cushion layer 3 provided on the surface side of the base fabric layer 2. The base fabric layer 2 and the cushion layer 3 are tufted with yarn (fibers) 41 that constitute a loop pile layer 4, which is a flocked layer. An adsorbent layer or adhesive layer (hereinafter simply referred to as the adsorbent layer) 5 is provided on the back side of the base fabric layer 2, and this adsorbent layer 5 is covered with a release film 6. Several sizes of this rug are available depending on the application and location of use, and are generally square with sides of approximately 30 cm to 60 cm.

[0015] In this example, the adsorbent layer 5, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, consists of a thin layer 51 formed to be approximately equal in thickness to or slightly thicker than the dimension to which the yarns 41 of the loop pile layer 4 protrude from the back surface of the base fabric layer 2, and a thick layer 52 formed in multiple strips along the direction of the yarn flocking. In the thin layer 51, due to variations unavoidable in the manufacturing process of this type of product, the yarns 41 are exposed in places from the adsorbent layer 5.

[0016] As described above, the adsorbent layer 5 is formed of layers with different thicknesses, a thin layer 51 and a thick layer 52, resulting in an uneven surface. Therefore, the numerous thick layers 52 increase the frictional force with the installation surface during use, providing a slip prevention effect. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, an air layer 7 exists between the release film 6 and the thin layer 51 of the adsorbent layer 5.

[0017] The cushion layer 3 is fixed to the base fabric layer 2, and the total basis weight of these two layers 2 and 3 is, for example, 200 to 500 g / m2. When the basis weight of the two layers 2 and 3 is 400 g / m2, the cushion layer 3 can be, for example, a 310 g / m2 polyester nonwoven fabric, and the base fabric layer 2 can be, for example, a 90 g / m2 polypropylene woven fabric.

[0018] The yarn 41 that makes up the loop pile layer 4 can be made of, for example, polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, cotton, etc.

[0019] As the adsorbent constituting the adsorbent layer 5, while an adsorbability that does not shift or move during use is required, it is required to be easily peeled off from the floor surface during replacement at the time of washing, so it must have an appropriate adsorbing force. As long as such conditions are satisfied, any known adsorbent may be used. Preferred examples include pressure-sensitive acrylic and polyurethane adsorbents (adhesives). In this example, the basis weight of the adsorbent layer 5 is 210 g / m

[0023] , , , ,

[0022] is set as such.

[0020] The release film 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can protect the adsorbent layer 5, and examples include a polyethylene sheet and a polyethylene terephthalate sheet. In this example, a polyethylene sheet with a thickness of 20 μm is used.

[0021] Although the adsorbent constituting the adsorbent layer 5 has been described above, generally, a colorant is included in the adsorbent for the purpose of adjusting its color. Further, usually, titanium oxide is included in the colorant. Titanium oxide is a white pigment but is also a material that functions as a laser coloring agent. Therefore, the present invention focuses on the function of titanium oxide as a laser coloring agent, and by irradiating the adsorbent layer 5 with laser light from the outside of the release film 6, the titanium oxide contained in the adsorbent layer 5 is discolored, and by utilizing this, as shown in FIG. 1, product information 8 is printed on the adsorbent layer 5.

[0022] The mechanism by which titanium oxide is discolored by laser light is that oxygen is desorbed from the crystal of titanium oxide by laser energy to generate oxygen defects, and accordingly, it is reduced from the white tetravalent state to the blue-gray trivalent state. Examples of the laser light used here include a YAG laser, a YVO4 laser, or a fiber laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm, a green laser with a wavelength of 532 nm, and a UV laser with a wavelength of 355 nm. <0​The conditions for laser printing as exemplified above cannot be specified in general terms, as they depend on the specifications of the laser device and the material of the adsorbent layer 5. However, the laser output, pulse frequency, laser scanning speed during printing, and laser output are adjusted appropriately so that the product information 8 is clearly displayed on the adsorbent layer 5 by laser irradiation.

[0024] Furthermore, since colorants containing titanium dioxide are commonly used when coloring the base material 1 and the yarn 41, if the yarn 41 of the loop pile layer (flocked layer) 4 on the back surface of the base material 1 is exposed from the adsorbent layer 5, the titanium dioxide contained in the base material 1 and the yarn 41 also contributes to discoloration caused by laser light irradiation. For this reason, the printing of product information 8 is not affected by the presence or absence of the adsorbent layer 5 and does not become smudged.

[0025] As described above, according to the present invention, a mat can be provided in which product information 8 is printed on the adsorbent layer 5 without the need to attach or detach the release film 6. Therefore, since information about the mat can be continuously provided to consumers, consumers can be encouraged to make repeated purchases over time, thus preventing the loss of sales opportunities for manufacturers and sellers and providing them with economic benefits. In addition, since the release film 6 is not peeled off until use begins, there is no risk of damaging the design.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from its spirit or main features. Therefore, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as restrictive.

[0027] In other words, although the above embodiment used tile carpet as an example of a floor covering, the present invention is not limited to that and can also be applied to kitchen mats as shown in Figure 3, or toilet seat covers as shown in Figure 4.

[0028] The above kitchen mat has a pile weight of, for example, 100g / m². 2 From 250g / m 2The base material 1 is composed of one layer of polyester nonwoven fabric, and an adsorbent layer 5 is provided on the back side of the base material 1, and this adsorbent layer 5 is covered with a release film 6. The adsorbent layer 5 is composed of a thin layer portion 51 and multiple thick layer portions 52, similar to the tile carpet according to the above embodiment. The spacing between the thick layer portions 52 is arbitrary. Because the adsorbent layer 5 is formed of layers with different thicknesses, such as the thin layer portion 51 and the thick layer portion 52, the surface of the adsorbent layer 5 is uneven. Therefore, the multiple thick layer portions 52 increase the frictional force with the installation surface during use, providing an anti-slip effect. Also, similar to the tile carpet example above, an air layer exists between the release film 6 and the thin layer portion 51 of the adsorbent layer 5. Note that the release film 6 and product information 8 are the same as in the tile carpet example above, so their explanation is omitted.

[0029] The above toilet seat cover is composed of a pair of mutually symmetrical left and right sections formed in an arc shape to match the shape of the toilet seat. Note that only one section is shown in the figure. The base material 1 of this toilet seat cover consists of a base fabric layer (not shown) made of polyester fibers and a cushion layer 3 made of acrylic fibers with a pile finish. An adsorbent layer 5 is provided on the back side of the base fabric layer 2, and this adsorbent layer 5 is covered with a release film 6. In this toilet seat cover as well, the adsorbent layer 5 consists of a thin section 51 and a thick section 52, but unlike the tile carpet and kitchen mat according to the above embodiment, the thin section 51 and the thick section 52 are arranged in a linear fashion. Note that the release film 6 and product information 8 are the same as in the example of the tile carpet above, so their explanation is omitted.

[0030] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not bound by the descriptions in the text and drawings. Furthermore, any modifications or changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 1 Base material 2 Base fabric layer 3. Cushioning layer 4. The pile layer (loop pile layer) 41 thread 5. Adsorbent layer or adhesive layer 6. Release film 7. Air layer 8 Product information

Claims

1. A mat having an adsorbent layer or adhesive layer on the back surface of a base material, with the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer covered by a release film, and product information printed on the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer, The mat is characterized in that the printing is due to discoloration of titanium dioxide contained in the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer caused by irradiation with laser light from outside the release film.

2. A mat according to claim 1, The surface of the substrate is provided with a flocked layer, A rug characterized in that, when the back surface of the substrate or the fibers of the flocked layer on the back surface are exposed from the adsorbent layer or adhesive layer, titanium dioxide contained in the substrate and the fibers also contributes to the discoloration caused by irradiation with laser light.

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