Floor covering and method for the production thereof
AssigneeNora Systems GmbH
InventorsHanna Schüle, Mario Kröger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a floor covering comprising a sheet material (11) having a polymer composition comprising a first polymeric component (K1) and a second polymeric component (K2), wherein the first polymeric component (K1) comprises at least one substance selected from a group consisting of a thermoplastic and a thermoplastic elastomer. The invention is characterized in that the second polymeric component (K2) comprises a rubber and in that the polymer composition is produced by mixing the first polymeric component (K1) and the second polymeric component (K2) after the first and second polymeric components (K1, K2) have been softened by supplying energy. The invention also relates to a method for producing the floor covering.
Claims12
A floor covering comprising a base layer comprising a sheet material with a usage face and an opposing rear face, and a wear layer adjacent the usage face of the base layer, the sheet material comprising a polymer blend comprising a first polymeric component and a second polymeric component,
- wherein the first polymeric component comprises at least one component C comprising a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer,
- wherein the first polymeric component further comprises at least one of very low density polyethylene (VLDPE) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA),
- wherein the second polymeric component comprises a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber (NR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), acrylate rubber (ACM), ethylene acrylate rubber (AEM), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), and silicone rubber (VSI),
- wherein the rubber is present in the floor covering as a non-crosslinked rubber,
- wherein the polymer blend does not include a crosslinking system for the rubber, and
- wherein the wear layer is a transparent film.
A method for producing a floor covering comprising the following steps:
- providing a first polymeric component comprising at least one of a very low density polyethylene (VLDPE) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and wherein the first polymeric component further comprises at least one component C comprising a styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer;
- providing a second polymeric component comprising a rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber (NR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), acrylate rubber (ACM), ethylene acrylate rubber (AEM), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM), and silicone rubber (VSI);
- softening the first polymeric component and the second polymeric component by supplying energy;
- producing a polymer blend by mixing the first polymeric component and the second polymeric component in the softened state in a mixer;
- forming the polymer blend into a sheet material for a base layer of a floor covering, and
- laminating a transparent wear layer to a usage face of the base layer,
- wherein the method does not include a vulcanization step, and
- wherein the rubber is present in the floor covering as a non-crosslinked rubber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.