Rigid Thermoplastic Floor Panel Structure for Warping Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor panels made of thermoplastic materials, such as PVC, suffer from telegraphy effects, warping, flexibility, and delamination issues, especially in humid environments, and lack sufficient wear and scratch resistance.
Innovation Solution
A floor panel design featuring a rigid substrate layer made of thermoplastic material with a glass fiber layer, using minimal plasticizers and fillers like talc, and optionally a more flexible substrate layer, to enhance dimensional stability and reduce warping, with mechanical locking mechanisms for secure installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a glass fiber layer is added to increase dimensional stability, then warping and telegraphy effects are reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a thermoplastic substrate layer with a glass fiber layer. The glass fiber layer (30-70 weight %) is embedded within the thermoplastic material to create a composite structure that significantly improves dimensional stability, reduces warping, and prevents telegraphy effects while maintaining processability through extrusion molding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by controlling the glass fiber content (30-70 weight %) and using specific thermoplastic materials with appropriate melt flow indices. This parameter optimization ensures the composite material achieves both dimensional stability and ease of processing, resolving the contradiction between performance and manufacturing complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the substrate is made rigid to reduce flexibility and warping, then dimensional stability improves, but the ease of installation and sound damping decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-layer structure where the glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic substrate provides rigidity and dimensional stability in the plane of the panel, while the cross-sectional geometry and coupling parts are designed to provide flexibility during installation. This localized functional differentiation allows the panel to be both dimensionally stable and easy to install.
3Ease of operation
If plasticizers are added to improve flexibility and installation ease, then ease of operation improves, but the risk of warping and telegraphy effects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flexibility function from plasticizers and transfers it to the thermoplastic material's inherent properties and the multi-layer composite structure. By using thermoplastic materials with appropriate melt flow indices and creating a layered structure with coupling parts, the patent achieves installation flexibility without relying on plasticizers that would compromise dimensional stability.
4Shape
If a veneer layer is glued to the substrate to improve decor quality, then the aesthetic appearance improves, but the risk of delamination and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the substrate and decor layer into a single integrated thermoplastic component formed by extrusion molding. The decor pattern is incorporated directly into the substrate structure during manufacturing, eliminating separate gluing operations and ensuring permanent bonding without delamination risks. This integration also simplifies manufacturing compared to traditional multi-step lamination processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor panel with a substrate, including thermoplastic material, a decor provided thereon, and, on at least one pair of opposite edges, coupling parts realized at least partially from the substrate. The coupling parts allow a mechanical locking between two of such floor panels, where the substrate includes a rigid, non-foamed substrate layer of thermoplastic material.