Floor coverings

A method of manufacturing floor covering comprising a wear layer, a first backing film beneath the wear layer, and a second backing film beneath the first backing film, the method comprising:

• forming a first colored section of a laminate from a first colored polymer composition having a first color, and a masking polymer composition;
• changing a formulation of the first colored polymer composition to form a second colored polymer composition having a second color;
• forming an intermediate colored section of said laminate from a mixture of said first and second polymer compositions, the intermediate colored section having a color that changes through intermediate shades from the first color to the second color;
• using a quantity of the first colored section of said laminate as the first backing film in a first floor covering;
• and
• using a quantity of the intermediate colored section of said laminate as the second backing film in a second floor covering.

A method of manufacturing resilient floor covering that makes use of waste film created when the color of a face ply is changed, said resilient floor covering having a wear layer and a backing layer;

• said method comprising:
• forming a laminate from a colored polymer composition and a masking polymer composition, to thereby form first colored laminate comprising a polymer layer having a first color;
• changing a formulation of the colored polymer composition while continuing to form additional laminate, thereby forming waste film comprising intermediately colored laminate having a polymer layer whose color changes through intermediate shades from the first color to a second color;
• using a quantity of said first colored laminate as a backing film in a resilient floor covering;
• and
• using a quantity of said intermediately colored laminate in the backing layer of a resilient floor covering, such that the intermediately colored laminate's polymer layer whose color changes is positioned away from the wear layer and is not visible therethrough.

A method of manufacturing resilient floor covering that makes use of waste film created when the color of a face ply is changed, said method comprising:

• co-extruding at least a first polymer composition having a first color and a masking polymer composition to thereby form first colored laminate that comprises a polymer layer having said first color, said masking polymer composition comprising a color which minimizes the visual effect of matter beneath it;
• changing a formulation of the first polymer composition to provide a second color while continuing to co-extrude at least until the first color is flushed out, thereby forming waste film comprising intermediately colored laminate that comprises a polymer layer whose color changes through intermediate shades from the first color to the second color;
• and
• using a quantity of said first colored laminate as a first backing film in a resilient floor covering;
• and
• laminating together a wear layer, a first backing film and a quantity of said intermediately colored laminate, with the first backing film positioned between the wear layer and said quantity of intermediately colored laminate.

A method of manufacturing resilient floor covering that makes use of waste film created when the color of a face ply is changed, said resilient floor covering having a wear layer and a backing layer comprising a first and a second backing film wherein said first and second backing films comprise a laminate of a first and a second polymer composition comprising the steps of:

• supplying a first polymer composition having a first color, from a first hopper to a first screw extruder, melting the first polymer composition in the first screw extruder, feeding the molten first polymer composition to a feed block;
• supplying a masking polymer composition from a second hopper to a second screw extruder, melting the masking polymer composition in the second screw extruder and feeding the molten masking polymer composition to said feed block;
• combining the first polymer composition and the masking polymer composition in the feed block and extruding through a die to thereby produce co-extruded first colored laminate comprising a first polymer layer having said first color and a masking polymer layer;
• changing a formulation of the first polymer composition to provide a second color while continuing to extrude the first polymer composition and the masking polymer composition, thereby producing waste film comprising co-extruded intermediately colored laminate comprising a first polymer layer whose color changes through intermediate shades from the first color to the second color, and a masking polymer layer;
• and
• laminating together a wear layer, a quantity of the first colored laminate, and a quantity of the intermediately colored laminate, wherein:
• said quantity of the first colored laminate is positioned between the wear layer and said quantity of the intermediately colored laminate;
• and
• the first polymer layer of said quantity of the intermediately colored laminate faces the masking polymer layer of said quantity of the first colored laminate.