Floor element for forming a floor covering, a floor covering, and a method for manufacturing a floor element
AssigneeDaltile Corporation
InventorsRahul Patki, Claudio Caselli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises a decorative layer made of a ceramic material and a support layer arranged below this decorative layer, wherein the support layer comprises edges provided with coupling elements configured to allow a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of an adjacent floor element and wherein the floor element comprises an intermediate layer having a resin material that permeates a lower surface of the decorative layer.
Claims20
A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises:
- a decorative layer made of a ceramic material;
- and
- a support layer arranged below the decorative layer,
- wherein the support layer comprises edges provided with coupling elements configured to allow a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of an adjacent floor element, and
- wherein the floor element comprises an intermediate layer comprising a resin material having a viscosity below 1000 Pas at 20° C. that permeates a lower surface of the decorative layer.
A method for manufacturing a floor element, comprising the steps of:
- providing a decorative layer made of a ceramic material;
- providing a support layer;
- providing a resin material for bonding the decorative layer and the support layer together;
- and
- pressing the layers together for forming the floor element such that the resin material permeates the ceramic layer,
- wherein the resin material has a viscosity below 1000 Pas at 20° C.
A floor element comprising:
- a decorative layer made of a ceramic material;
- and
- a support layer arranged below the decorative layer,
- wherein the support layer comprises at least two couples of opposite edges,
- wherein the opposite edges comprise coupling elements configured to allow a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of adjacent floor elements,
- wherein the first coupling elements at the first couple of opposite edges are configured for being coupled to the coupling elements of adjacent floor elements by means of an angling motion around a horizontal axis parallel to the respective edges,
- wherein the second coupling elements at the second couple of opposite edges are configured for being coupled to the coupling elements of adjacent floor elements by means of a translational downward direction of the respective edges towards each other, and
- wherein the floor element further comprises an intermediate layer comprising a resin material having a viscosity below 1000 Pas at 20° C. that permeates a lower surface of the decorative layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.