Bathroom flooring and bathroom units

Abstract

To provide a bathroom floor material and a bathroom unit that have both proper warmth and softness.SOLUTION: A bathroom floor material has a skin material, a cushion layer and a hard base material stacked in this order, and the cushion layer has a heat conductivity of 0.01 to 0.14 W / (m K) and an Asker hardness of 10 to 80.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom floor material and a bathroom unit provided with a skin material, a cushion layer, and a hard base material laminated in this order.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, hard floor materials such as thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, fiber-reinforced plastics using unsaturated polyester resins and glass fibers, and hard magnetic tiles have often been used for washbasins installed in bathrooms.

[0003] However, when such traditional hard floor materials are installed in a bathroom, the thermal conductivity of the floor material is high, and especially in winter, the coldness of the bathroom is easily felt on the feet. Coupled with this, there is a problem that there is a risk that infants and the elderly may slip and fall.

[0004] As a product for avoiding such risks, a flexible floor material in which a soft material made of a thermoplastic elastomer layer is laminated and integrated as a surface layer on a backup base material made of a resin material is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the invention according to this Patent Document 1, by arranging a flexible floor material in a bathroom, even if infants, the elderly, etc. fall in the washbasin, the impact can be well absorbed by the soft material, and the safety can be improved.

[0005] <00000!8>In addition, in the invention according to Patent Document 1, when a wall panel is arranged on the cushion layer, there is a problem that the wall panel inclines due to the elastic deformation of the cushion layer, and a pool of hot water can form in the concave portion. As a product that can solve such a problem, an invention in which a wall mounting portion is provided around the flexible floor material is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, the inventions described in the aforementioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, while making it less likely to feel cold when stepping into the bathroom and touching the flooring material due to its high thermal conductivity, had problems such as an unnatural feel due to its softness and difficulty moving around in the bathroom due to the amount of sinking.

[0008] In an effort to address these challenges, many soft flooring materials with multi-layered structures have been developed to prevent discomfort caused by coldness and unnatural textures. However, eliminating discomfort remains difficult, and a comfortable bathroom flooring material that combines moderate warmth and softness has yet to be realized.

[0009] The objective of this invention is to provide a comfortable bathroom flooring material and bathroom unit that combines moderate warmth and softness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The bathroom flooring material of the present invention is The surface material, cushioning layer, and rigid base material are laminated in this order. The cushion layer has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.01 to 0.14 W / (m·K) and an Asker CS hardness in the range of 10 to 80. In this way, by combining moderate warmth and softness, it is possible to provide a comfortable bathroom flooring material.

[0011] Furthermore, the bathroom flooring material of the present invention is The aforementioned surface material consists of a thermoplastic sheet with a thickness of 1 to 5 mm. The rigid substrate is made of fiber-reinforced plastic with a thickness of 2 to 100 mm. In other words, to achieve a comfortable bathroom flooring material, it is preferable to have a surface material and a hard base material of such materials and thickness.

[0012] Furthermore, the bathroom flooring material of the present invention is The cushion layer is made of foamed polyurethane or foamed polyolefin with a thickness of 1 to 10 mm. In other words, to achieve a comfortable bathroom flooring, it is preferable to have a cushioning layer of such material and thickness.

[0013] The bathroom unit of the present invention is The bathroom flooring material described above is provided. In other words, by providing bathroom flooring that combines moderate warmth and softness, a comfortable bathroom unit can be offered. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a comfortable bathroom flooring material and bathroom unit that combines moderate warmth and softness. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of the bathroom flooring material according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This table shows the experimental results obtained using the bathroom flooring material according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This table shows the experimental results of comparative examples using other bathroom flooring materials. [Figure 4] This table shows the experimental results of comparative examples using other bathroom flooring materials. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, the invention according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bathroom floor material according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the bathroom floor material 2 is formed by laminating a skin material 4, a cushion layer 6, and a hard base material 8 in this order, and is loaded on the legs 10 on the floor surface in a bathroom unit not shown.

[0017] <Skin material> The skin material 4 is composed of a thermoplastic sheet with a thickness of 1 to 5 mm. In addition, the skin material 4 is formed from a relatively hard and tough material to satisfy the basic performance (durability) required for the surface of the washroom floor, such as water resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and impact resistance. Examples of the material for the skin material 4 include FRP, PVC (vinyl chloride), polypropylene, olefin-based materials such as polyethylene, urethane resin, polyester resin, acrylic resin, various styrenic-polyester-olefin-acrylic elastomers, rubber (hard) - based materials such as EVA, EPDM, and silicone rubber, or those adjusted to a hardness level where sufficient durability can be expected, or composite materials with fillers or reinforcing materials added based on these. Among them, it is preferable to contain PVC (vinyl chloride), polypropylene, polyethylene, and olefin-based elastomers. These materials are just examples, and other materials for the skin material 4 may be any tough material having sufficient durability for general use in the bathroom and are not limited to those described above.

[0018] By having the above-described configuration, the skin material 4 can exhibit a hardness such that the portion does not locally deform even when a load is applied. Considering the quick-drying property of the skin material 4, it is preferable to use PVC (vinyl chloride) and olefin-based elastomers as the material.

[0019] <Cushion layer> The cushion layer 6 is made of a material composed of foamed polyurethane or foamed polyolefin with a thickness of 1 to 10 mm, and its thermal conductivity is in the range of 0.01 to 0.14 W / (m·K), and its Asker CS hardness is in the range of 10 to 80, more preferably 20 to 70.

[0020] A thermal conductivity below the above upper limit is preferable in terms of warmth. Specifically, the thermal conductivity is preferably 0.01 to 0.13 W / (m·K), more preferably 0.01 to 0.11 W / (m·K), and particularly preferably 0.01 to 0.10 W / (m·K).

[0021] Furthermore, by ensuring that the Asker CS hardness is above the lower limit and below the upper limit mentioned above, it can achieve an appropriate balance of hardness and softness. The foam constituting the cushion layer 6 of this embodiment has a closed-cell structure. However, it may also contain a semi-continuous semi-closed-cell structure (a cell structure in which closed-cell and open-cell structures are mixed, and the ratio is not particularly limited). This mixture of closed-cell and open-cell structures makes it possible to achieve a balance between thermal conductivity and flexibility.

[0022] <Hard base material> The rigid base material 8 is a base material with a thickness in the range of 2 to 100 mm, and is preferably formed from fiber-reinforced plastic, and more preferably from a sheet molding compound of an unsaturated polyester and reinforcing fiber composition.

[0023] The resin material for the rigid base material 8 may include, but is not limited to, thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer. Similarly, thermosetting resins may include, but is not limited to, phenolic resin, urea resin, melamine resin, urethane resin, unsaturated polyester resin, epoxy resin, and thermosetting acrylic resin. Furthermore, the above-mentioned thermosetting resins can be used as resins for FRP, and molding methods such as hand lay-up molding, hot press molding, casting, and resin transfer molding can be employed.

[0024] According to this embodiment of the invention, it is possible to provide a comfortable bathroom flooring material 2 that combines moderate warmth and softness. Furthermore, by arranging such bathroom flooring material 2 in a bathroom unit, a comfortable bathroom unit can be provided. Furthermore, an adhesive layer, such as double-sided tape or adhesive, may be present between the surface material 4 and the cushioning layer 6, and between the cushioning layer 6 and the rigid base material 8. [Examples]

[0025] <Examples> Next, the experimental results for the first to fourth examples of bathroom flooring material 2 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the table shown in Figure 2.

[0026] First, in order to conduct the experiment, the base layers (rigid substrate 8) of the 1st to 4th test products were prepared. Specifically, 21.8 kg of Japan Composite's Polymer Mat 5013 (a compound of unsaturated polyester and glass fiber (GF-SMC)) was weighed and placed in molds heated to 145°C for the upper mold and 130°C for the lower mold. Then, the molds were closed and pressurized at a pressure of 7 MPa for 8 minutes. After pressurization, the molds were opened and the base layers produced as molded products were removed.

[0027] Next, using this base layer, the first to fourth embodiments, which are bathroom flooring materials 2 according to the embodiment, were manufactured. In the first embodiment, PE Light, a cushioning material, was used as the cushioning layer 6. Double-sided tape No. 5015 manufactured by Nitto Denko Corporation was attached to both sides of the cushioning layer, and then the base layer and the surface material were bonded together to form a laminated structure in the order of base layer, cushioning material, and surface material. For the surface material, TOLI's Basna Real Design BNR3101 (vinyl flooring material, 3.5 mm thick) was used, and for the PE Light cushioning material, Inoac's P·E-Light (registered trademark) (polyolefin foam) PT-102 was used.

[0028] Furthermore, the second to fourth prototypes were manufactured in the same manner as the first prototype, but differed from the first prototype in that the cushion layer 6 used urethane A in the second prototype, urethane B in the third prototype, and urethane C in the fourth prototype. The methods for manufacturing these cushion layers are described below.

[0029] First, the polyol raw material (resin premix containing active hydrogen compounds, foam stabilizers, and catalysts) and the isocyanate raw material (isocyanate compounds) were prepared in the liquid ratios shown in Table 1, taking into consideration the amount remaining in the poly jug to achieve the predetermined set density.

[0030] Next, the polyol raw material was weighed into 5L, 2L, and 3L poly jugs, taking into account the amount of material remaining in the jugs, and the liquid temperature was adjusted to 25°C. Then, the temperature-controlled polyurethane raw material was added to the temperature-controlled polyol raw material, and the mixture was stirred for 10 seconds at 5000 revolutions per minute using a stirring device with a stirring blade attached to a three-one motor. The mixed polyurethane raw material was then poured into an 800mm x 800mm x 15mm mold with an upper mold heated to 40°C, and the mold was clamped.

[0031] After clamping the mold, the polyurethane foam resin was held for 10 minutes until it hardened. Then the mold was opened and the polyurethane foam was demolded. After being stored at room temperature overnight, a sample of polyurethane foam for evaluation was obtained. Subjectively, the thermal conductivity of urethanes A through C is roughly the same, while urethanes A and C are slightly harder, and urethane B is softer.

[0032] [Table 1]

[0033] In all of the first to fourth prototypes, the thickness of the surface material 4 is 3.5 mm, and the thickness of the cushion layer 6 is 4 mm (see Figure 2). Next, experiments were conducted to evaluate the warmth and softness of the first to fourth products described above.

[0034] <Warmth> Regarding warmth, we first measured the thermal conductivity. Specifically, for the first to fourth samples, the cushioning material was cut to a diameter of 50 mm, and then the thermal conductivity was measured using a TA Instruments DTC-300 model with a disk heat flow meter compliant with ASTM E1530 under the conditions of a hot plate at 35°C, a cool plate at 5°C, and a measurement temperature of 20°C.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the thermal conductivity measurements were 0.093 W / (m·K) for the first sample, 0.108 W / (m·K) for the second sample, 0.081 W / (m·K) for the third sample, and 0.118 W / (m·K) for the fourth sample.

[0036] Next, the temperature of the soles of the feet was measured using a foot thermography thermometer. Specifically, a cooling plate set to 0°C was first left in a room at 10°C for 15 minutes, and then the 1st to 4th test samples, cut to a size of 300 mm square, were placed on the cooling plate for 30 minutes. In parallel with this, the temperature of the soles of the feet was measured in advance using a Testo 865 foot thermography thermometer (original measurement). Next, after placing the feet on the 1st to 4th test samples prepared as described above and waiting for 15 seconds, the temperature of the soles of the feet was measured again with the foot thermography thermometer (re-measurement), and the change in sole temperature between the original measurement and the re-measurement was calculated.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the measured changes in sole temperature were 2.2°C for the first test, 2.5°C for the second test, 2.3°C for the third test, and 2.9°C for the fourth test.

[0038] <Softness> Next, to measure softness, hardness was measured using a CS hardness tester. Specifically, the cushioning material of the first to fourth samples was cut into 200mm squares, and the hardness of the cushioning material was measured using an Asker CS hardness tester. As a result, the Asker CS hardness was 21 for the first sample, 70 for the second sample, 27 for the third sample, and 65 for the fourth sample.

[0039] In addition, the compression displacement of the products was measured. Specifically, using a universal testing machine (Shimadzu Corporation, Universal Testing Machine AG-100kNX-Plus), the bathroom floor material 2 (300mm square size) of the first to fourth products was compressed at a speed of 2mm / min with an indenter diameter of 150mm until a load of 588N was reached, and the displacement of the crosshead at that time was defined as the compression displacement. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the displacements obtained were 0.88mm for the first product, 0.71mm for the second product, 0.98mm for the third product, and 0.58mm for the fourth product.

[0040] Next, a sensory evaluation was conducted for the first to fourth products. Specifically, a subjective evaluation was made of the feel of stepping on the 500mm square size bathroom flooring material 2 (first to fourth products). The evaluation was on a 5-point scale, with "5" indicating good feel and "1" indicating poor feel. The above evaluation was conducted by 10 men and women aged 25 to 55, and the average score for each flooring material was calculated. A score of "4" or higher was marked as "〇", a score of "3" or higher but less than "4" was marked as "△", and a score of "1" or higher but less than "3" was marked as "×".

[0041] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the first to third products received a "○" rating, while the fourth product received a "△" rating. Based on the experimental results described above, as shown in Figure 2, the first to third products can be evaluated as "○" for both warmth and softness, while the fourth product can be evaluated as "○" for warmth, but only "△" for softness. Therefore, there is no problem in adopting the first to third products as products. Furthermore, although the fourth product is slightly inferior to the first to third products in terms of softness, it can still be adopted as a product.

[0042] <Comparative Example> Next, we will explain the experimental results for the 10 comparative bathroom flooring materials, referring to the tables shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0043] In conducting the comparative experiments, a base layer similar to that used for the 1st to 4th prototypes was prepared, and this base layer was used to create the 10th comparative bathroom flooring material. The same materials as those used for the 1st to 4th prototypes were also used for the surface material.

[0044] For the cushioning material, the first comparative product used EMO (urethane foam) manufactured by Inoac Co., Ltd., the second comparative product used EMT (urethane foam) manufactured by the same company, and the third comparative product used HR80 (urethane foam) manufactured by the same company.

[0045] Furthermore, for the fourth comparative sample, Urethane D was used; for the fifth comparative sample, Paronia (PP 3x foam sheet) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello was used; and for the sixth comparative sample, Hypergel Sheet 30 manufactured by Exceel Co., Ltd. was used.

[0046] Urethane D was manufactured using the same method as urethanes A-C described above, according to the conditions shown in Table 2. Subjectively, the thermal conductivity of urethane D is about the same as that of urethanes A-C, while its hardness is perceived to be harder than that of A-C.

[0047] [Table 2]

[0048] Furthermore, the Hypergel Sheet 30 is a soft urethane gel sheet with excellent vibration damping, cushioning, and shock absorption properties. Furthermore, in the seventh comparative product, a skin-like gel sheet (hardness 7) manufactured by Exceel Co., Ltd. was used as the cushioning material; in the eighth comparative product, a skin-like gel sheet (hardness 0) manufactured by the same company was used; in the ninth comparative product, αGEL θ-5 (shock-absorbing gel sheet) manufactured by Taica Corporation was used; and in the tenth comparative product, θ-6 of the same sheet was used.

[0049] The procedure for manufacturing the bathroom flooring using the aforementioned base layer, cushioning material, and surface material was the same as for the first to fourth prototypes. Furthermore, in all ten comparative prototypes (first to ten), the surface material thickness was 3.5 mm and the cushioning layer thickness was 4 mm, similar to the first to fourth prototypes (see Figures 3 and 4). Next, experiments were conducted to evaluate the warmth and softness of the 10 comparative products mentioned above. These evaluation experiments were also carried out in the same manner as those for the 1st to 4th products.

[0050] <Warmth> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the thermal conductivity measurements were 0.085 W / (m·K) for the first to third comparative samples, 0.107 W / (m·K) for the fourth comparative sample, 0.127 W / (m·K) for the fifth comparative sample, 0.154 W / (m·K) for the sixth comparative sample, 0.192 W / (m·K) for the seventh comparative sample, 0.166 W / (m·K) for the eighth comparative sample, 0.182 W / (m·K) for the ninth comparative sample, and 0.201 W / (m·K) for the tenth comparative sample.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the measured changes in sole temperature were 2.1°C for the first comparison product, 2.2°C for the second comparison product, 2.3°C for the third comparison product, 2.4°C for the fourth comparison product, 3.4°C for the fifth comparison product, 4.2°C for the sixth comparison product, 4.7°C for the seventh comparison product, 4.1°C for the eighth comparison product, 4.5°C for the ninth comparison product, and 4.9°C for the tenth comparison product.

[0052] <Softness> The Asker CS hardness measurements using a CS hardness tester yielded the following results: 5 for the first comparative sample, 7 for the second, 3 for the third, 94 for the fourth, 95 for the fifth, 75 for the sixth, 24 for the seventh, 17 for the eighth, 26 for the ninth, and 65 for the tenth.

[0053] Furthermore, the experimental results of product compression displacement measurement showed that the crosshead displacements were 2.4 mm for the first comparative product, 2.5 mm for the second comparative product, 2.4 mm for the third comparative product, 0.49 mm for the fourth comparative product, 0.44 mm for the fifth comparative product, 0.66 mm for the sixth comparative product, 0.68 mm for the seventh comparative product, 0.72 mm for the eighth comparative product, 0.70 mm for the ninth comparative product, and 0.67 mm for the tenth comparative product.

[0054] Next, sensory evaluations were conducted for the 1st to 10th comparative products. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, comparative products 1 to 5 received a "×" rating, while comparative products 6 to 10 received a "〇" rating.

[0055] Based on the experimental results shown in Figures 3 and 4, while the first to fifth comparative samples met the requirements in terms of warmth, the first to third comparative samples were too soft, and the fourth and fifth comparative samples were too hard. Therefore, we concluded that none of the first to fifth comparative samples could be adopted as products.

[0056] On the other hand, while comparative samples 6 through 10 were slightly harder than comparative sample 6, they were generally satisfactory in terms of softness. However, all of comparative samples 6 through 10 were too cold, failing to meet the requirements in terms of warmth, and therefore could not be adopted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 2. Bathroom flooring 4 Skin material 6. Cushioning layer 8. Hard substrate 10. Feet

Claims

1. The surface material, cushioning layer, and rigid base material are laminated in this order. The cushion layer has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.01 to 0.14 W / (m·K) and an Asker CS hardness in the range of 10 to 80. A bathroom flooring material wherein the foam constituting the cushion layer partially has a semi-continuous semi-closed cell structure in which closed-cell and open-cell structures are mixed.

2. The aforementioned surface material consists of a thermoplastic sheet with a thickness of 1 to 5 mm. The bathroom flooring material according to claim 1, wherein the rigid base material is made of fiber-reinforced plastic with a thickness of 2 to 100 mm.

3. The bathroom flooring material according to claim 1, wherein the cushion layer is made of foamed polyurethane or foamed polyolefin with a thickness of 1 to 10 mm.

4. A bathroom unit comprising the bathroom flooring material according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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