Leather Particle Floor Panel Sound Insulation Wear

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wood-based material boards for floor panels lack improved sound insulation, wear resistance, and aesthetic variety, with existing solutions like cork and PVC posing ecological concerns and limited durability.

Innovation Solution

A wood-based material board comprising a carrier board with leather particles, a decorative layer printed on the leather particles, and a wear layer, using a binder and optional additives like isocyanates and flame retardants, with the leather particles providing enhanced sound insulation and the wear layer improving durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cork layer is applied to improve impact sound insulation and warmth, then sound insulation and comfort are improved, but wear resistance deteriorates and ecological compatibility worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact sound insulationVSAvoidwear resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a composite material structure consisting of a carrier board, a leather particle layer, and a decorative layer. The leather particle layer serves multiple functions: it provides impact sound insulation similar to cork, while also offering improved wear resistance and ecological compatibility. The combination of these layers creates a floor panel that resolves the contradiction between softness/sound insulation and durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Manufacturing precision

If decorative layer is applied to cork surface to improve aesthetics, then appearance quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to hole filling operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic qualityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The leather particles are pre-treated with a binder before being applied to the carrier board, creating a uniform, hole-free surface structure. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for subsequent hole-filling operations that would be required with cork surfaces, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining aesthetic quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The use of leather particles instead of cork creates a more uniform composite material structure without the natural holes and defects found in cork. This uniform structure allows for direct application of decorative layers without requiring intermediate filling operations, simplifying the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If PVC lamination is applied to improve footfall sound insulation, then sound insulation is improved, but ecological compatibility deteriorates due to difficulty in degradation and recycling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefootfall sound insulationVSAvoidecological impact
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from synthetic PVC to natural leather particles, fundamentally altering the ecological properties of the sound insulation layer. Leather particles provide comparable acoustic insulation properties while being biodegradable and environmentally friendly, thus resolving the contradiction between performance and ecological compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The use of leather particles, which are natural and biodegradable, replaces durable but environmentally harmful PVC. The leather-based solution aligns with sustainable building materials that can naturally degrade at the end of their service life, eliminating the ecological burden of PVC disposal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Ease of operation

If leather fiber material is used to improve warmth and comfort, then comfort is improved, but wear resistance and color design deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecomfortVSAvoidwear resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite structure where the leather particle layer provides comfort and warmth, while the decorative layer applied on top provides wear resistance and color design. This multi-layer composite approach allows each layer to fulfill its specific function, resolving the contradiction between comfort and durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The floor panel is segmented into distinct functional layers: the carrier board provides structural support, the leather particle layer provides comfort and sound insulation, and the decorative layer provides wear resistance and aesthetics. This segmentation allows optimization of each layer for its specific purpose without compromising the others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution achieves improved sound insulation, increased wear resistance, and decorative variety, reducing room and footfall noise while being more environmentally friendly compared to traditional materials.

Implementation Method 1

at least one binder and optionally further additives, in particular flame retardants, are added to the wood particles or the mixture of wood particles and leather particles to produce a carrier board

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

leather fiber materials are currently used for a wide variety of applications such as shoes, packaging material, furniture and floor coverings... The use of leather fibers for book binding material is also known... Furthermore, as already indicated above, the leather can also be used as an insulating layer to reduce footfall and room noise from floor panels

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Implementation Method 3

at least one wearing layer arranged on the printed decorative layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion resistance: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP2808463B1Composite wood panel with leather particles or printed layer of leather particles and process for their preparation
Publication Date: 2015.05.20 FLOORING TECH LTD
  • EP2808463B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2808463B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention relates to a wood-based panel (1) comprising at least one carrier panel (2a, 2b), at least one layer comprising leather particles (3) arranged on one side of the carrier panel (2a, 2b), at least one decorative layer (5) printed on the layer of leather particles (3), and at least one wear layer (4) arranged on the printed decorative layer (5). The present invention further relates to methods for manufacturing these wood-based panels.