# US 11,440,232 B2 · Method of producing a glueless dustless composite flooring material system

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- Number: US 11,440,232 B2
- Document ID: US11440232B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/146,087
- Filed: 2021-01-11
- Published: 2021-05-06
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-28
- Assignees: Sunrise Spc Technology, LLC
- Applicants: Sunrise Spc Technology, LLC
- Inventors: John B. Troendle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440232B2

## CPC

- B29C 48/022: {characterised by the choice of material}
- B32B 27/08: of synthetic resin
- B32B 27/304: {comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF}
- B32B 37/06: characterised by the heating method
- B32B 37/182: {one or more of the layers being plastic}
- B44C 5/0453: {produced by processes involving moulding}
- E04F 15/105: {of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials}
- E04F 15/107: {composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels (layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04)}
- B29K 2027/06: PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
- B29L 2031/10: Building elements, e.g. bricks, blocks, tiles, panels, posts, beams {(frameless domes B29L2025/00, doors B29L2031/724)}
- B32B 2255/10: on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer
- B32B 2255/20: Inorganic coating
- B32B 2255/26: Polymeric coating
- B32B 2307/402: Coloured
- B32B 2307/412: Transparent
- B32B 2307/554: Wear resistance
- B32B 2419/04: Tiles for floors or walls
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B44C: PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS (processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general B05D; shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; printing processes to produce transfer pictures B41M3/12; thermographic duplication or marking methods B41M5/00); MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK (imitation of mosaic or tarsia work patterns B44F11/04); PAPERHANGING {(labels G09F; multi-step processes for making paper labels or tags B31D1/02)}
- E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B)
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A method of producing a glueless dustless composite flooring material system providing PVC-based flooring having waterproof layers providing different qualities of hardness, wear-resistance, sound deadening, and decorative patterns, avoiding the use of moisture-susceptible compressed cellulose-based filler, with layers fused together, avoiding the manufacturing complexity and delamination risks of using glue or adhesive, with a quickly-cured, UV-cured top coating providing long-lasting high performance and shortening and simplifying the manufacturing, which can be done in a sheet-form, essentially continuous-run manner, with an ability to quickly and simply change the optional design printing and texturing produced, and having an optional underlayment layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing composite flooring material segments, comprising the steps:
(i) forming a flooring base layer by:
(a) providing a mixture of PVC resin and calcium carbonate, wherein said mixture is free of glue;
(b) extruding the mixture at elevated temperature and pressure;
(c) mold forming the extruded mixture into a sheet of said flooring base layer; and
(d) cooling the sheet of said flooring base layer;
(ii) forming a waterproof flooring face layer, by:
(a) providing a PVC decorative polymer film and a PVC wear-resistant polymer film; and
(b) adding the PVC wear-resistant polymer film to a top face of said PVC decorative polymer film;
(iii) hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer, yielding a sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
(iv) conditioning said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
(v) coating said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly with a UV-curing plastic resin, thereby forming a waterproof flooring coating layer;
(vi) UV curing said coating of UV-curing plastic resin by exposure to UV light, yielding a finished-large-sheet assembly;
(vii) profile processing said finished-large-sheet assembly, yielding multiple composite flooring material segments of desired size and shape; and
(viii) packing said composite-flooring-material segments;
where forming of said flooring face layer and forming of said flooring base layer are performed simultaneously, yielding a supply of both for the step of hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer;
where said step of hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer accommodates an essentially continuous supply of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer, and produces a pace of an essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
where said step of conditioning said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly is performed without slowing or stopping the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
where said step of coating said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly is performed at the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly; and
where said step of UV curing said coating is performed at the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said step of forming the flooring base layer further comprises steps of forming a first extruded base sub-layer and a second co-extruded base sub-layer fused atop the first base sub-layer, the second co-extruded sub-layer having a mixture comprising PVC resin and fusion-compatible materials.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, further comprising attaching an underlayment layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said PVC decorative polymer film further comprises a colored film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said forming the waterproof flooring face layer further comprises printing of a design upon said PVC decorative polymer film before addition of said PVC wear-resistant polymer film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said forming the waterproof flooring face layer further comprises digitally printing of a design upon said PVC decorative polymer film before addition of said PVC wear-resistant polymer film.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, further comprising a step of texturing a face surface of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly after said step of hot-melt overlaying and before completion of said step of conditioning.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, further comprising a step of texturing a face surface of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly after said step of hot-melt overlaying and before completion of said step of conditioning, such that the textured surface is complementary to a design of the decorative layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said PVC wear-resistant polymer film is transparent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring coating layer is transparent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring coating layer further comprises a gritty particulate material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring coating layer further comprises aluminum oxide.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring base layer further is free of compressed cellulose material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring base layer is a waterproof layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said flooring coating layer further comprises an application of UV-curing primer and at least one application of UV-curing top coat.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said curing by exposure to UV light further comprises exposure to Mercury (Hg) lamps or Gallium (Ga) lamps.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer further comprises a step of passing the assembled flooring base layer and the flooring face layer through at least one set of heated rollers.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where said step of conditioning said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly is prior to coating said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly with a UV-curing plastic resin according to step (v).

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, further comprising a step of inspecting said composite flooring material segments prior to packing said composite-flooring-material segments according to step (viii).

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, where the mixture provided during step (i)(a) comprises, by weight, between 20% and 35% polyvinylchloride, and between 63% and 73% calcium carbonate.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 20, where the mixture provided during step (i)(a) comprises, by weight, between 2% and 2.5% calcium/zinc heat stabilizer, between 1.6% and 2.5% chlorinated polyethylene elastomer, between 0.6% and 1.7% acrylic polymer modifier, between 0.2% and 0.25% internal lubricant, and between 0.32% and 0.62% high melting point polymer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The method of producing the composite flooring material segments of claim 1, wherein the mixture provided during step (i)(a) is formed by mixing PVC resin and calcium carbonate, fusing the mixture by application of heat and continued mixing, cooling the fused mixture; and delivering the cooled fused PVC-resin mixture to another area for further processing.

### Claim 23

A method of producing composite flooring material segments, comprising the steps:
(i) forming a flooring base layer by:
(a) providing a mixture of PVC resin and calcium carbonate, wherein said mixture is free of glue and free of compressed cellulose material;
(b) extruding the mixture at elevated temperature and pressure;
(c) mold forming the extruded mixture into a sheet of said flooring base layer; and
(d) cooling the sheet of said flooring base layer;
(ii) forming a waterproof flooring face layer, by:
(a) providing a PVC decorative polymer film and a PVC wear-resistant polymer film; and
(b) adding the PVC wear-resistant polymer film to a top face of said PVC decorative polymer film;
(iii) hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer, yielding a sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
(iv) conditioning said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
(v) coating said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly with a UV-curing plastic resin, thereby forming a waterproof flooring coating layer;
(vi) UV curing said coating of UV-curing plastic resin by exposure to UV light, yielding a finished-large-sheet assembly;
(vii) profile processing said finished-large-sheet assembly, yielding multiple composite flooring material segments of desired size and shape; and
(viii) packing said composite-flooring-material segments;
where forming of said flooring face layer and forming of said flooring base layer are performed simultaneously, yielding a supply of both for the step of hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer;
where said step of hot-melt overlaying of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer accommodates an essentially continuous supply of said flooring face layer and said flooring base layer, and produces a pace of an essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
where said step of conditioning said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly is performed without slowing or stopping the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly;
where said step of coating said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly is performed at the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly; and
where said step of UV curing said coating is performed at the pace of the essentially continuous supply of said sheet-form base-and-face subassembly.