Vinyl tiles and methods to make vinyl tiles.

Abstract

The present invention relates to vinyl tiles and methods to make them. The tiles may be used as flooring and may have pressed chips that have colors, pressed chips that are transparent, and with pressed chips that are translucent. The tiles may also be made to have the capability to discharge electrostatic charges.

Description

[0001] Vinyl tiles and methods to make vinyl tiles.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Patent Application 63 / 696,894, filed on September 20, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] People walking on floors generally appreciate visually appealing flooring or wall coverings. The addition of colors at least within the decorative wearing surface of tiles or other decorative articles may make the flooring or wall covering more visually appealing and may also make the floor or wall consistent with the decor, color, and tone of the space. Most floor tiles or webs present a decorative wearing surface or upper surface that is planar and appears to be planar. In that, the upper surfaces of the decorative articles or floor tiles are a solid and unbroken upper surface, and they appear to have a solid and unbroken surface. Being solid and unbroken does not mean that the decorative article or floor cannot be texturized in some way, such as with a pattern of raised and lowered portions, or with randomized portions that are grained or otherwise textured.

[0006] Vinyl chips or chips of another thermoplastic material may be heated and pressed to form a decorative article, for example a floor tile. This may have the appearance of a mosaic where different colored chips are pressed together such that the decorative wearing surface of the article or floor tile may be seen as a mosaic of the differently colored pressed chips.

[0007] The invention in the first place seeks to provide an alternative decorative article, wherein, in accordance with preferred embodiments, one or more problems are solved in relation to the decorative articles of the prior art. While a plethora of colors may provide a visually pleasing appearance, even with texture it still presents a surface that is two dimensional in that it has a width and a length. Applicant has found that a more visually appealing appearance is obtained when the flooring or wall covering also presents a depth such that it has a three- dimensional appearance.

[0008] In some situations, flooring or wall covering that provides electrostatic charge dissipation or dilution may be preferred.

[0009] As such, there exists a need for a tile or other flooring or wall article that appears to present a depth as well as a width and a length, and that provides electrostatic charge dissipation or dilution.

[0010] Some background publications include the following:

[0011] Machine translation of JP2002127171 A discloses a composition vinyl polymer floor tile high in designability. The tile comprises a colored opaque pattern part and a translucent pattern part containing 30-70 wt.% of an opaque filler and 10-50 wt.% of talc.

[0012] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 2004 / 197515 Al discloses a non-directional tile. The tile is obtained by surface applying and consolidating a relatively thin, non- porous, multi-colored, resin particulate decorative layer onto a backing layer. The non-directionality is the result of the proper selection of resin particle size distribution and the use of contrasting colors. The result is a tile that an ordinary observer cannot discern the machine direction of and a tile floor having seams that are indiscernible by an ordinary observer.

[0013] The foregoing publications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0014] BRIEF SUMMARY

[0015] Applicant has created flooring tiles that have transparent areas and opaque area on the surface of each flooring tile.

[0016] The present invention relates to resilient decorative article, such as vinyl tiles, and methods to make them. The resilient decorative article, e.g., tiles, may be used as flooring or wall covering and may have pressed chips that have colors, pressed chips that are transparent, and with pressed chips that are translucent.

[0017] The pressed chips may at least form part of a decorative wearing surface of the respective resilient decorative article. The pressed chips may, in addition, form 50% or more of the thickness of the respective resilient decorative article. In some embodiments, some of the pressed chips may have a portion on the top surface of the tile and a portion on the bottom surface of the tile.

[0018] The resilient decorative article may essentially be formed from pressed chips, with the exception of a potential superficial upper surface coating applied as a topmost layer of the decorative wearing surface and / or with the exception of a potential padding forming the bottommost surface of the resilient decorative article. A superficial upper surface may serve to create an enhanced resistance to staining or chemicals, or may provide a defined gloss or matte level to the decorative wearing surface. A padding may provide for enhanced walking comfort and / or sound attenuation.

[0019] Alternatively, the pressed chips form part of a decorative wearing surface applied to a substrate or backing layer, wherein the substrate may or may not be assembled from chips. For example, the substrate may comprise one or more extruded or calendared layers of a thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, and potentially additionally one or more reinforcement layers, such as a woven or non-woven layer of glass fiber. As mentioned, to the bottom of the resilient decorative article, a padding may be applied, for example a textile padding, a cork padding, or a foamed padding, such as a padding of IXPE (irradiated crosslinked polyethylene) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate).

[0020] The resilient decorative product, more particularly the tiles, may also be made to have the capability to discharge electrostatic charges.

[0021] The tiles of the invention may be square, rectangular and elongated, or may have any polygonal shape or free-form shape. Alternatively, instead of being tile-shaped, the resilient decorative article may be web-shaped, for example a floor covering that is supplied in rolled-up form. In a first independent aspect, the invention relates to a flooring tile, comprising: a plurality of pressed chips; wherein: a first plurality of the pressed chips are transparent; a second plurality of the pressed chips are opaque; and a distribution of the transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the flooring tile.

[0022] In a second independent aspect, the invention relates to a floor made of a plurality of flooring tiles, wherein: a first group of flooring tiles is comprised of a first plurality of opaque pressed chips and a second plurality of transparent pressed chips; and a distribution of the second plurality of transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the floor.

[0023] In a third independent aspect, the invention relates to a method of making a flooring tile, comprising: providing a first plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the first plurality of chips: is transparent; has passed through a first filtering screen of a first size; has a first density; providing a second plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the second plurality of chips: is opaque; has passed through a second filtering screen of a second size; has a second density; mixing the first plurality of chips with the second plurality of chips to produce a mixture of chips; heating and pressing the mixture of chips to form the flooring tile.

[0024] In a fourth independent aspect, the invention relates to a decorative article in tileshape or web-shape, wherein said decorative article at least comprises a decorative wearing surface, wherein said decorative wearing surface is assembled at least from a plurality of first areas formed by a plurality of first chips and a plurality of second areas formed by a plurality of second chips, wherein said first chips and said second chips comprise one or a combination of two or more of the following properties: - the property that said first chips are transparent and said second chips are opaque; - the property that said first areas define a first average surface in said decorative wearing surface that is smaller than a second average surface defined by said second areas in said decorative wearing surface; preferably, said first average surface is at most 75% or at most 50% of said second average surface; - the property that said first areas make up for a first portion of said decorative wearing surface that is smaller than a second portion of said decorative wearing surface that is made up from said second areas; preferably said first portion is at most 75% or at most 50% of said second area; - the property that said first chips are free from filler and pigment or comprise a cumulative content of pigment and filler that is lower than the content of pigment and filler in said second chips; preferably the cumulative content of pigment and filler in said first chips is at most 50% of the content of pigment and filler in said second chips; - the property that said plurality of first areas and said plurality of second areas are substantially consistently distributed across said decorative wearing surface.

[0025] Descriptions of these inventions will be defined in the appended independent claims, while preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0026] If the degree of limits is not otherwise defined or ascertainable by a person of ordinary skill in the art, as used herein, the term “about” will represent the value with a margin of plus or minus five percent. For example, a length of about 1 inch (about 2.54 centimeters) may be interpreted to mean that it may be between 1 inch less five percent of the one inch and 1 inch plus five percent of the one inch (between 2.54 centimeters less five percent of the 2.54 centimeters and 2.54 centimeters plus five percent of the 2.54 centimeters).

[0027] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, herein after, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0029] Figure 1 gives a perspective view on a flooring tile with the characteristics taught and disclosed herein;

[0030] Figure 2 at a larger scale shows a cross-section in accordance with line II-II in Figure 1;

[0031] Figure 3 shows a top view of the tile of figures 1 and 2;

[0032] Figure 4 in a similar view of the tile of figures 1 and 2 shows a variant; and Figure 5 in a view similar to that of figure 2 shows a variant.

[0033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION Applicant has created decorative articles, for example flooring tiles, that have pressed chips of color, pressed chips that are translucent, and transparent pressed chips. As such, these decorative articles, more particularly flooring tiles, present the appearance of having a length, a width, and a depth.

[0034] In this specification, the decorative wearing surface of a floor tile made at least by heating and pressing thermoplastic chips, more particularly vinyl chips, may be referred to as a mosaic surface. In this, the thermoplastic chips or vinyl chips that have been heated and pressed within a mold or by a press will plastically deform and merge together. In many embodiments, the heated and pressed chips will still retain a visible boundary between them. The individual pieces that are visible and have boundaries may be referred to within this specification as pressed chips. This is to say that a chip that has been heated and pressed with other chips in making a vinyl floor tile may be identified as a pressed chip within a finished tile. Each pressed chip will have borders adjacent other pressed chips and / or surrounding the respective pressed chip, as seen on the decorative wearing surface of the article or tile.

[0035] As disclosed and taught herein, the process of manufacturing the decorative articles of the present invention is described by means of an exemplary floor tile embodiment. It is clear that one can proceed with the manufacturing of decorative articles other than floor tiles in a similar way, mutatis mutandis.

[0036] Methods of Making Tiles

[0037] Some types of tiles may be made by compression molding polyvinyl chips. In this, the polyvinyl chips may be made with fillers and / or pigments. The pigments may attribute a color to the individual chips. Alternatively, the polyvinyl chips may be colored by means of one or more dyes. The fillers may create opacity in the chips, and may add weight. The fillers may also serve to replace an amount of thermoplastic material, such as the PVC, while maintaining good surface and mechanical properties in the decorative wearing surface.

[0038] The filler may comprise or be talc, calcium carbonate, or any of the other compounds known to those ordinarily skilled in the art. The pigments, or alternatively dyes, may be any natural or synthetic formulation that provides a color or hue within a chip. The pigments and / or dyes may be mixed with said filler. In this, the filler may transport and distribute the pigment or dye throughout each chip. As such, each chip thus provided may be opaque.

[0039] The filler also provides additional weight to the finished floor tile. In this, the filler may be used to increase the weight of each chip therefore providing a floor tile that has a greater density than a floor tile made of chips that do not contain any filler.

[0040] The density of a chip that has no filler and no pigment may be less than the density of a chip that has filler. The addition of a pigment or dye to the filler may also change the density of the chip. In one way, the replacement of the filler with the pigment will not change the density of the chip if the weight and volume of the chip remains constant. However, in some embodiments the weight and / or volume of the chip may be changed by the addition of a pigment or a dye to a chip.

[0041] The size of a chip may be measured by the size of the grinder that produces the chips and a filtering screen through which acceptable chips pass. Applicant has found that chips ground from a grinder and able to go through a filtering screen of about 3 / 8- inch openings (about 0.375 inches, or about 9.5 millimeters) produces a floor tile having desirable characteristics. The resulting chips are of varying shapes and are not consistently at or less than about 3 / 8-inch openings (about 0.375 inches, or about 9.5 millimeters). In some cases, a chip may have a minor axis and a major axis somewhat similar to a grain of rice. In that case, a chip having a minor axis of about 3 / 8-inch openings (about 0.375 inches, or about 9.5 millimeters) will fit through the screen even though the major axis is greater than the minor axis.

[0042] From this, the molding of the chips with different colors may produce a tile in which each color may be seen individually. The colors may appear with some smearing if a roller press is used, but will produce distinct color boundaries when the tile is made with a flat bed press or a double belt press. In any method of making a tile, a chip from grinding and passing through an about 3 / 8-inch (about 9.5 millimeters) screen produces a floor tile having desirable characteristics of color distribution and distinction.

[0043] Using chips of the same density and size will produce desirable tiles when the chips are mixed sufficiently before being laid onto the press. In a preferred embodiment, the press may be or comprise block molds, however, the inventions taught and disclosed herein are not limited to only block molds, but may be used in any process known and envisioned by those ordinarily skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the inventions claimed herein.

[0044] A distribution of colors from a group of differently colored chips may be obtained in a tile by loading the tile chips into a press mixer and blending the chips to reach a homogeneous mix. The blended chips may then be transferred to a holding hopper, where they may be let down onto the block molds. In the block molds, they may be compressed and heated to form blocks. These blocks then go through various other processes to create the final tile.

[0045] Applicant has found that this process may be used to mass producing flooring tile with transparent chips. In small tests, the distribution of the chips may be maintained by hand if necessary. However, in an at-scale production, it has been found that transparent chips of roughly the same size as the opaque chips that have filler and pigment have different densities and may tend to lose a well-mixed condition in the processes of transferring and loading into molds. In this, the transparent chips from grinding and passing through a screen with about 3 / 8-inch (about 9.5 millimeters) openings have a density of e.g., about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter. However, the chips with filler and pigment have densities of e.g., about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter, or greater. In some cases, the chips with filler and pigment have densities from about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter to about 2.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

[0046] Even without any filler in the translucent or transparent chips, other additives may be added, which may affect the density of the chip. In some embodiments where a pigment or dye is loaded into a chip without any filler, the density of a chip may be between about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter, up to about 1.6 or 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter. When more pigment is loaded, the transparency of the chip is reduced such that at higher amounts the chip may become translucent. At even higher amounts of pigment, even without filler, the chip may become opaque.

[0047] The inconsistency or mutual difference in the densities of chips with filler and chips without filler results in a redistribution in the chips even after they have been heterogeneously mixed in the mixer. The transfer of the mixture of chips to the hopper and the loading of them into a mold may result in an uneven distribution with more transparent chips clustered together in some tiles and more opaque chips clustered together in others. This may still result in a desirable tile, but the unpredictable clustering may lead to undesirable color inconsistency between product batches. By giving preference to an even and consistent distribution of transparent pressed chips across the surfaces of the tiles, the overall color of the tiles from several batches can be matched in a more predictable manner. This then also provides an even and consistent distribution of transparent pressed chips across the entire floor assembled from such tiles. Also, the obtained depth effect may give a less synthetic impression.

[0048] To achieve this, applicant has ground the transparent chips to different sizes and found that a transparent chip (e.g., one with no filler and no pigment) having gone through a grinder and a filtering screen of a smaller size will keep its distribution after being blended. In a preferred embodiment, a transparent chip made from a grinder and allowed to pass through a filtering screen having openings of about 1 / 4- inch (about 0.25 inches, about 6.35 millimeters) will maintain a consistent distribution with ground chips having filler passed through a filtering screen of about 3 / 8-inch (about 9.5 millimeters). This is to say that ground transparent chips having a density of e.g. about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter and having passed through a screen of about 1 / 4-inch (about 6.35 millimeters) will maintain a consistent distribution with chips having a filler and a pigment having a density of e.g. about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter and passed through a screen having openings of about 3 / 8-inch (about 9.5 millimeters).

[0049] Once mixed, this consistent distribution has high probability of holding through the processes described herein to produce floor tiles such that the transparent pressed chips of the floor tiles are evenly distributed across the floor as are the colored pressed chips.

[0050] In a similar way, chips having only a pigment may have a different density than either the chips loaded with filler and those that are transparent. These pigmented chips may be ground to a size such that they also may keep a consistent distribution in the process and in the subsequently made floor tile. The same may be applied to chips having different densities from the use of different fillers. That is to say that a chip filled with talc may have a different density from a chip filled with calcium carbonate. As such, they may be used together and will produce flooring tiles with substantially consistent distributions of each through the use of the inventions taught and disclosed herein.

[0051] From this, it may be understood by those in possession of the teachings and claims of the inventions disclosed herein that a relationship exists between the size of the filtering screen used to pass the transparent chips, the translucent chips, and the size of the filtering screen used to pass the opaque chips. This relationship is proportional to the density of the transparent chips, the density of the translucent chips and the density of the opaque chips. With this understanding, the sizes of the screens to filter chips having different densities may be found through simple and easy to perform experiments, or by interpolating and extrapolating from the sizes and densities disclosed and taught herein.

[0052] This method of configuring the grinder and filtering screen to produce groups of chips based upon their densities to maintain a consistent distribution may be applied to chips with other properties as well. For example, and without limitation, one group of chips may be loaded with filler and a first amount of pigment or dye, while another group of chips may be loaded with the same amount of filler with a second amount of pigment or dye. This may result in the two groups having different densities and may not hold their distribution once mixed as they are transported and loaded. However, applying the methods disclosed and taught herein may provide a mixture of the first group and the second group with the ability to hold a consistent distribution through a production process at-scale. This will result in a tile with evenly distributed pressed chips. In another example, a first group may have a filler of talc while a second group may have a filler of calcium carbonate, thus yielding chips of different densities. Again, applying the methods disclosed and taught herein may provide a mixture of the first group and the second group with the ability to hold a consistent distribution through a production process at-scale.

[0053] While the configured sizes of groups of different densities of chips may provide a consistent distribution of chips through the process of making polyvinyl floor tiles, applicant has found that some additional measures may be taken to maintain a desired consistent distribution. For example, adding more chips to the hopper may be done before the chips in the hopper are exhausted. This may prevent a low amount of chips in the hopper from losing their consistent distribution.

[0054] Applicant has found that a substantially consistent distribution of pressed chips in a tile may be maintained by providing a smooth, vertical let-down drop in the hopper. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it may be that a smooth, vertical letdown drop allows the chips to progress through the let-down drop in formation. That is to say that there is little tumbling within a group of chips as they progress through a smooth and vertical let-down drop as a laminar group. Applicant has achieved this by providing a flexible or semi-flexible chute within the let-down drop in the hopper. In one embodiment the chute may comprise a lining that is smooth and oriented substantially vertically above a mold or other receiver of the chips. This lining may be self-supporting or may be secured within an exterior frame. In some embodiments, the lining may be a fabric such as a sheet made of natural or synthetic fibers.

[0055] Those of skill in the art will know of discharge valves that may be used at the bottom of the let-down chute that will also aid in maintaining a laminar progression of chips, e.g., without substantial unmixing of transparent, translucent and opaque colored chips.

[0056] Tile Characteristics

[0057] As noted, Applicant has found that floor tiles with transparent and / or translucent pressed chips are more appealing to people walking on the floor than tiles that only have surface-colored pressed chips. In this, people looking at the tiles with transparent and / or translucent pressed chips aver that they have a depth to them that is not seen in tiles with opaque pressed chips.

[0058] The appearance of the depth from using transparent or translucent chips in the manufacture of the tiles is different from the appearance of a depth in a tile that has a texture.

[0059] As noted, adjacent colors in a tile may present a distinct boundary. This is developed when chips of different colors are compressed and heated in a mold or in a press. While being compressed and heated, the polyvinyl chips undergo plastic deformation such that they merge and eliminate interstitial gaps. The chips also bond to each other such that the resulting tile will be resilient and maintain its structure after cooling.

[0060] During compression and heating, portions of the plasticized chips may flow under and over each other. That is to say that the chips may or may not form a single layer so that each pressed chip has a face that is on the top of the tile and a face that is on the bottom of the tile. In some embodiments, the chips may be layered so that when they are heated and compressed, a portion of an upper-layer chip (as a pressed chip) may be present on the top surface of the tile, but does not have a portion on the bottom surface of the tile. Instead, in this embodiment, the bottom portion of that exemplary pressed chip may interface with a pressed chip below it. The pressed chip below may have a portion on the bottom surface of the tile, or it may also have a portion that interfaces with another pressed chip below it, or with a substrate or backing layer.

[0061] In some embodiments where some portion of the transparent pressed chips have faces on the top and on the bottom of the flooring tile, it may be preferable to adhere a film or sheet to the bottom of the decorative wearing surface, or, as the case may be, to the bottom of the flooring tile. This may be to prevent a viewer from seeing through the transparent pressed chips to the substrate or backing layer, or, respectively, as the case may be, to the subfloor. This may be to prevent any light shining through the transparent or translucent pressed chips from being subsumed by an underlaying substrate or backing layer, or by the subfloor. In some embodiments, the sheet or film may be reflective or refractive. In some embodiments, the film or sheet may have a color. In these embodiments some of the light passing through the transparent or translucent pressed chips would either be directly reflected from the film or sheet on the bottom of the tile, or the frequency of the light would be altered by the film or sheet to display a color at the bottoms of the transparent pressed chips.

[0062] The sheet or film applied to the bottom of the decorative wearing surface or to the bottom of the tiles need not be consistent across each tile, or consistent across an array of tiles making up a floor. For example, some tiles in a floor may have a greencolored film or sheet on them while others may have a blue-colored film or sheet. The appearance of these tiles in a floor will provide a subtle difference between each of these tiles. Similarly, each tile may be made with a portion having a reflective film or sheet while another portion may have a red film or sheet. The sheet or film applied to the bottom of the decorative wearing surface or to the bottom of the tiles may also have two or more colors, or be patterned. In such case a difference in color may be created between portions of a same tile in accordance with the colors or pattern of said sheet or film.

[0063] As will be apparent to those in possession of this specification and its teachings, sections of films or sheets of different colors or reflectivity may be applied under a same tile, for example to form a pattern. A pattern under a floor made of tiles disclosed herein may lack definition since only portions of the entire patterns would be visible through the transparent and / or translucent pressed chips, however it may still be visually appealing.

[0064] However, regardless of the depth to which each pressed chip reaches within the tile, there will be some number of pressed chips that do maintain a face that forms the upper surface of the tile. For example, if a chip that has a filler with a red pigment is surrounded by chips that have filler with blue pigment, and the chips are heated and compressed to form a tile, the red pigment will still be distinct from the surrounding blue pigment. This will be visibly identifiable if the chip with the red pigment was positioned such that it has a face on the upper surface of the tile. In this, the red color will have a distinct boundary from the surrounding blue. The boundary is not limited to the surface, but is present below the surface as well. From this, each chip maintains a volume and an outer surface while it undergoes plastic deformation from the heat and pressure to become a pressed chip in the tile. The outer surface of each plasticized chip is contacted by outer surfaces of other adjoining plasticized chips. When the plasticized chips cool and become the pressed chips, they retain the shapes obtained during plastic deformation within the mold or press.

[0065] When transparent chips are used in forming tiles, in accordance with the invention, they may behave like the chips with filler. Each transparent chip will plastically deform under the heat and pressure to maintain its volume and its outer surface. The outer surfaces of each transparent chip will bond to adjacent plasticized chips and will still maintain their boundaries after cooling. From this, transparent pressed chips on the surface of the tile will allow a viewer to see the boundaries of the outer surface of the transparent pressed chip below the upper surface of the tile. That is to say that a viewer will be able to see through the face of a transparent pressed chip on the surface of a tile to view its boundaries where it adjoins other pressed chips. These other pressed chips that are adjacent to the transparent pressed chip may be colored, transparent, or translucent.

[0066] In embodiments where each chip is coated with a carbon-based composition as disclosed elsewhere herein, some portion of the carbon may be retained on the surfaces of a pressed chip that adjoins other pressed chips. This will present a darker interface between pressed chips as seen through a transparent or translucent pressed chip.

[0067] The same so applies to translucent chips. Translucent pressed chips that are present on the surface of the tile will allow a viewer to see the boundaries of the outer surface of the translucent pressed chips below the upper surface of the tile as long as the chip was not made with so much pigment that it became opaque.

[0068] Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it may be that the visibility of the boundaries and outer surfaces of pressed chips with filler and pigment through the transparent and / or translucent pressed chips on the surface of the tile is what gives a viewer the impression of depth in the flooring. As noted elsewhere herein, this impression of depth is appealing to viewers of the flooring.

[0069] As disclosed herein, the distribution of the transparent chips, and / or translucent chips, may be maintained such that there is a consistent distribution of pressed chips across the surface of the finished tile. From that, it may be said that a floor may be formed consisting of a consistent distribution of transparent pressed chips, where the transparent pressed chips may be identified such that the boundaries of the transparent pressed chips are visible at the upper surface of the floor. The floor may also comprise colored pressed chips, where the colors of the colored pressed chips may have similar or dissimilar colors. In the boundary of a transparent pressed chip, the color and / or boundary of an adjacent pressed chip may be visible to some depth below the upper surface of the floor.

[0070] While the distribution of the transparent or translucent chips may be consistent as they are moved from the hopper into the mold, some of the transparent or translucent pressed chips may not be exposed on the surface of the tile after the chips are heated in compressed in the mold. One way to describe the consistent distribution of transparent or translucent pressed chips in a formed tile may be to divide the tile in half and count the number of transparent areas visible from the surface in each half. A tile having a substantially consistent distribution will have the same number of transparent or translucent areas in each half within a 20% tolerance. The tolerance of 20% accounts for the number of transparent or translucent pressed chips that are within each half of the tile but are not visible on the surface, and for sample size variations. In a more preferred embodiment, the tolerance will be within 15%. In a more preferred embodiment, the tolerance will be within 12%, within 10%, within 8%, within 6%, or within 5%.

[0071] In a similar way, a floor made of several tiles utilizing the inventions taught and disclosed herein may have a substantially consistent distribution of each floor tile having the same number of transparent areas within a 20% tolerance. Again, the tolerance of 20% accounts for the number of transparent or translucent pressed chips that are within each half of the tile but are not visible on the surface, and for sample size variations. In a more preferred embodiment, the tolerance will be within 15%. In a more preferred embodiment, the tolerance will be within 12%, within 10%, within 8%, within 6%, or within 5%.

[0072] This distribution of transparent pressed chips and their properties as described may be applied to each tile individually as well. The distribution of translucent pressed chips and their properties as described may be applied to a floor and to each tile individually as well.

[0073] Exemplary embodiments of the inventions taught and disclosed herein may be illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

[0074] Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a first style of vinyl tile 100 made from some dark-colored pressed chips 110, some intermediate-colored pressed chips 120, some light-colored pressed chips 130 and some transparent pressed chips, which, in this disclosure are referred to as transparent areas 140.

[0075] Figure 2 shows that the vinyl tile 100 is, in this case, a tile having layered chips 110- 120-130. A portion of an upper-layer chip 160 is present on the upper surface 170 of the tile 100, but does not have a portion on the bottom surface 180 of the tile 100. In the example, the upper-layer chips have portions that interface with further pressed chips below it.

[0076] Figure 2 further illustrates that the tile 100 may be provided with bevels 190 at one or more pairs of opposite edges 191-192. Preferably, as is the case here, the surface of said bevels 190 is formed exclusively by pressed chips. In another embodiment, the bevels may be formed by milling after the formed tile has cooled and is machinable.

[0077] The layer of pressed chips or decorative wearing surface has in this case a thickness Tw which equals the thickness T of the tile 100. In other words, the tile 100 is exclusively formed by the layers of pressed chips.

[0078] Figure 3 illustrates a second style of vinyl tile 200 made from some light-colored pressed chips 210, some intermediate-colored pressed chips 220, some dark-colored pressed chips 230 and some transparent pressed chips, which, in this disclosure are referred to as transparent areas 240. As may be seen, the first vinyl tile 100 has an overall darker appearance than the second vinyl tile 200.

[0079] Figure 5 shows an embodiment with a combination of special features that each may be applied separately as well.

[0080] According to a first special feature, the layer of pressed chips is applied to a backing layer or substrate 260. Such substrate may for example be a layer of extruded polyvinyl chloride, or a board material, like MDF or HDF (medium-density or high- density fiberboard).

[0081] In dashed line 261, a second feature is illustrated wherein a padding 262 may be applied to the bottom 180 of the tile 100. The padding may be a foam of ethylene vinyl acetate or IXPE.

[0082] According to a third feature a sheet or film 263 is applied underneath the layer formed by the pressed chips, or, in other words to the bottom of the decorative wearing surface 264. The sheet or film 263 may be colored and is visible through paths of transparent areas 140, 240 or transparent chips through the thickness Tw of said decorative wearing surface 264, where available. In some embodiments of the inventions taught and disclosed herein, a floor may be made of tiles having only transparent pressed chips. In another embodiment, a floor may be made of tiles having only translucent pressed chips. In another embodiment, a floor may be made of some tiles having transparent pressed chips and other tiles having translucent pressed chips. In other embodiments, a floor may be made of tiles having both transparent and translucent pressed chips. As will be known by those of skill in the art, many other combinations of floors may be envisioned and made by those in possession of this disclosure and its teachings herein. Those embodiments do not depart from the spirit of the inventions claimed herein.

[0083] While this specification discloses the use of filtering screens to produce flooring tiles with preferred characteristics, the inventions taught, disclosed, and claimed are not limited to the use of filtering screens having those properties. Rather, the sizes of the filtering screens are illustrative of a preferred embodiment and the use of filtering screens may be changed by those using the inventions claimed herein without departing from the spirit of those inventions.

[0084] Electrostatic Properties

[0085] Applicant has also created flooring tiles with transparent and / or translucent pressed chips that dissipate electrostatic charges.

[0086] In one embodiment, the chips as have been disclosed herein may be coated with a electrically conductive substance, for example a substance comprising carbon. Alternatively, a metal may be used, or a conductive polymer, such as poly pyrrole, polyaniline or polyacetylene. In some embodiments this may be powdered carbon, graphite, or any other form of carbon as is known to those of skill in the art.

[0087] While the amount of carbon coating on each chip may be used to configure the conductivity of the resulting tile, a preferred embodiment is to use different types of carbon coating to configure the conductivity of the tile. A type of carbon coating with a high conductivity on each chip will result in a floor tile that is entirely conductive and will immediately dissipate an electrostatic charge that comes into contact with it. A type of carbon coating having a lower conductivity will result in a floor that is charge dilutive. Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, the veining 150, 250 of the carbon between the pressed chips may be illustrated.

[0088] It may be that the carbon may wear off of smaller sized chips faster than larger sized chips as they are moved from the mixer to the hopper, and as they are loaded into the molds. As noted herein, a preferred method of distributing the mixed chips utilizes a smooth vertical let-down drop from the hopper. The reduction of bends in the drop by making it vertical, and having a smooth surface of the drop chute has been found to maintain the distribution of chips as they are moved and are being loaded, and may prevent the erosion of the carbon coating from all chips.

[0089] The availability of the conductive coating on the chips may be beneficial to prevent clogging and subsequent unmixing due to electrostatic attraction between the chips, especially between the transparent or translucent chips of smaller size and / or lesser density.

[0090] Utilizing the inventions taught and disclosed herein will allow tiles to be made that meet all requirements for electrical resistance for ESD flooring such as those required in ANSI / ESD STM7.1-2013.

[0091] Preferably, in accordance with the invention, the thickness of the layers within the decorative article that are made up by said pressed chips is at least 0.5 mm. For example, said thickness may be between 1 and 5 mm, for example about 3 mm. The decorative article may have the same thickness or be thicker, for example because the decorative article further comprises a superficial coating, a substrate or backing layer and / or a padding. Preferably, however, the decorative article of the invention consists of said pressed chips and / or the upper surface as well as the bottom surface of the decorative article of the invention is composed of said pressed chips. In other words, the decorative articles lacks any superficial coating, substrate, backing layer and padding.

[0092] Tile Dimensions

[0093] Preferably, the decorative resilient product of the invention is a tile having a width of at least 10 inch or at least 25 cm. The tile may be square. When rectangular, the length of the tile is preferably at least one and half, or at least twice the width of the tile.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the tile may be about 36-inches by about 36-inches (about 0.9144 meters by about 0.9144 meters). In another preferred embodiment, the tile may be about 36-inches by about 18-inches (about 0.9144 meters by about 0.4572 meters).

[0095] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above-described embodiments. On the contrary, many such decorative resilient articles or flooring tiles may be devised using transparent, translucent, and opaque chips according to various variations of the inventions disclosed and taught herein, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims1. A flooring tile, comprising: a plurality of pressed chips; wherein: a first plurality of the pressed chips are transparent; a second plurality of the pressed chips are opaque; and a distribution of the transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the flooring tile.

2. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein the distribution is measured by comparing a first number of transparent pressed chips in a first area of the tile to a second number of transparent pressed chips in a second area of the tile, and wherein the first area has the same area as the second area.

3. The flooring tile of claim 2, wherein a substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 20% of the second number.

4. The flooring tile of claim 3, wherein the substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 15%, within 12%, within 10%, within 8%, within 6%, or within 5% of the second number.

5. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 1-4, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a filler.

6. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 1-5, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a pigment.

7. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 1-6, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter.

8. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 1-7, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter.

9. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 1-8, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density from about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter to about 2.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

10. A floor made of a plurality of flooring tiles, wherein: a first group of flooring tiles is comprised of a first plurality of opaque pressed chips and a second plurality of transparent pressed chips; and a distribution of the second plurality of transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the floor.

11. The flooring tile of claim 10, wherein the distribution is measured by comparing a first number of transparent pressed chips in a first tile of the first group of flooring tiles to a second number of transparent pressed chips in a second tile of the first group of flooring tiles.

12. The flooring tile of claim 11, wherein a substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 20% of the second number.

13. The flooring tile of claim 12, wherein the substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 15%, within 12%, within 10%, within 8%, within 6%, or within 5% of the second number.

14. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 10-13, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a filler.

15. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 10-14, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a pigment.

16. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 10-15, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter.

17. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 10-16, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter.

18. The flooring tile of any preceding claim 10-17, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density from about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter to about 2.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

19. The floor tile or floor of any preceding claim 1-18, wherein each flooring tile comprises a third plurality of translucent pressed chips.

20. The flooring tile or floor of claim 19, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a pigment.

21. The flooring tile or floor of claim 20, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a density of between about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter and about 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter.

22. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 19-21, wherein a distribution of the third plurality of translucent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of each floor tile.

23. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 1-22, wherein each flooring tile is electrically conductive.

24. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 23, wherein each flooring tile is electrically resistive.

25. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 1-24, wherein each flooring tile meets the requirements for electrical resistance for ESD flooring such as those required in ANSI / ESD STM7.1-2013.

26. A method of making a flooring tile, comprising: providing a first plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the first plurality of chips: is transparent; has passed through a first filtering screen of a first size; has a first density; providing a second plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the second plurality of chips: is opaque; has passed through a second filtering screen of a second size; has a second density; mixing the first plurality of chips with the second plurality of chips to produce a mixture of chips; heating and pressing the mixture of chips to form the flooring tile.

27. The method of making a flooring tile of claim 26, wherein the relationship between the first size of the first filtering screen and the second size of the second filtering screen is proportional to the relationship between the first density and the second density.

28. The method of making a flooring tile of any preceding claim 26-27, wherein a third plurality of chips is mixed with the first and second pluralities of chips; wherein each chip of the third plurality of chips is translucent.

29. The method of making a flooring tile of any preceding claim 26-28, wherein the first plurality of chips is coated with a carbon substance.

30. The method of making a flooring tile of any preceding claim 26-29, wherein the method comprises loading the mixture of chips into a let-down chute.

31. The method of making a flooring tile of claim 30, wherein the let-down chute is smooth and substantially vertical.

32. A flooring tile made from the method of any preceding claim 26-31, wherein a distribution of the first plurality of chips is substantially consistent at a surface of the flooring tile.

33. The flooring tile of claim 32, wherein the distribution is measured by comparing a first number of transparent pressed chips in a first area of the tile to a second number of transparent pressed chips in a second area of the tile, and wherein the first area has the same area as the second area.

34. The flooring tile of claim 33, wherein a substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 20% of the second number.

35. The flooring tile of claim 34, wherein the substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 15%, within 12%, within 10%, within 8%, within 6%, or within 5% of the second number.

36. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 32-35, wherein each flooring tile is electrically conductive.

37. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 36, wherein each flooring tile is electrically resistive.

38. The flooring tile or floor of any preceding claim 32-37, wherein each flooring tile meets the requirements for electrical resistance for ESD flooring such as those required in ANSVESD STM7.1-2013.39.- A decorative article in tile-shape or web-shape, wherein said decorative article at least comprises a decorative wearing surface, wherein said decorative wearingsurface is assembled at least from a plurality of first areas formed by a plurality of first chips and a plurality of second areas formed by a plurality of second chips, wherein said first chips and said second chips comprise one or a combination of two or more of the following properties:- the property that said first chips are transparent and said second chips are opaque;- the property that said first areas define a first average surface in said decorative wearing surface that is smaller than a second average surface defined by said second areas in said decorative wearing surface; preferably, said first average surface is at most 75% or at most 50% of said second average surface;- the property that said first areas make up for a first portion of said decorative wearing surface that is smaller than a second portion of said decorative wearing surface that is made up from said second areas; preferably said first portion is at most 75% or at most 50% of said second area;- the property that said first chips are free from filler and pigment or comprise a cumulative content of pigment and filler that is lower than the content of pigment and filler in said second chips; preferably the cumulative content of pigment and filler in said first chips is at most 50% of the content of pigment and filler in said second chips;- the property that said plurality of first areas and said plurality of second areas are substantially consistently distributed across said decorative wearing surface.40.- The decorative article of claim 39, wherein said decorative wearing surface is further assembled from a plurality of third areas formed by a plurality of third chips, wherein said third chips are translucent and / or wherein said third areas define a third average surface in said decorative wearing surface larger than said first average surface and smaller than said second average surface and / or wherein said third areas make up for a third portion of said decorative wearing surface that is larger than said first portion and smaller than said second portion of said decorative wearing surface and / or that said first chips are free from filler andpigment or comprise a cumulative content of pigment and filler that is lower than the content of pigment and filler in said second chips; wherein said third chips comprise a cumulative content of pigment and filler that is lower than the content of pigment and filler in said second chips and higher than the content of pigment and filler in said first chips; wherein said plurality of third areas are substantially consistently distributed across said decorative wearing surface.41.- The decorative article of claim 39 or 40, wherein said decorative wearing surface is further assembled from veins at least partially adjacent to the circumference of said first and / or second chips and / or third chips, when available.

42. A flooring tile, comprising: a plurality of pressed chips; wherein: a first plurality of the pressed chips are transparent; a second plurality of the pressed chips are opaque; and a distribution of the transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the flooring tile.

43. The flooring tile of claim 42, wherein the distribution is measured by comparing a first number of transparent pressed chips in a first area of the tile to a second number of transparent pressed chips in a second area of the tile, and wherein the first area has the same area as the second area.

44. The flooring tile of claim 43, wherein a substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 20% of the second number.

45. The flooring tile of claim 46, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a filler.

46. The flooring tile of claim 45, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a pigment.

147. The flooring tile of claim 46, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter.

48. The flooring tile of claim 47, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter.

49. The flooring tile of claim 48, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density from about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter to about 2.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

50. The flooring tile of claim 49, wherein the flooring tile is electrically conductive.

51. The flooring tile of claim 49, wherein the flooring tile is electrically resistive.

52. The flooring tile of claim 49, wherein the flooring tile meets the requirements for electrical resistance for ESD flooring as required in ANSIZESD STM7.1-2013.

53. A floor made of a plurality of flooring tiles, wherein: a first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of floor tiles is comprised of a first plurality of opaque pressed chips and a second plurality of transparent pressed chips; and a distribution of the second plurality of transparent pressed chips is substantially consistent across a top surface of the floor.

54. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 53, wherein the distribution is measured by comparing a first number of transparent pressed chips in a first tile of the first group of flooring tiles to a second number of transparent pressed chips in a second tile of the first group of flooring tiles.

55. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 54, wherein a substantially consistent distribution is where the first number is within 20% of the second number.

56. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 55, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a filler.

57. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 56, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a pigment.

58. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 57, wherein the translucent pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.4 grams per cubic centimeter.

59. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 58, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density of about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter.

60. The first group of flooring tiles of the plurality of flooring tiles of claim 59, wherein the opaque pressed chips comprise a density from about 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter to about 2.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

61. A method of making a flooring tile, comprising: providing a first plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the first plurality of chips: is transparent; has passed through a first filtering screen of a first size; has a first density; providing a second plurality of chips, wherein each chip of the second plurality of chips: is opaque; has passed through a second filtering screen of a second size; has a second density;wherein a relationship between the first size of the first filtering screen and the second size of the second filtering screen is proportional to a relationship between the first density and the second density; mixing the first plurality of chips with the second plurality of chips to produce a mixture of chips; and heating and pressing the mixture of chips to form the flooring tile.

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