IP Library Granted Patent US 12662825
Granted Patent B2
US 12662825 · App. 18/410,181 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Floor covering, underlayment and floor element

Inventors: Jochen Bossuyt (Wielsbeke, BE); Jonas Van Hecke (Wielsbeke, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN, BV
E04F15/107B29C48/022B32B7/12B32B27/08B32B27/20B32B27/22B32B27/304B32B27/40E04F15/105B29K2027/06B29L2031/732B32B2250/02B32B2250/24B32B2264/10B32B2307/748B32B2419/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12662825
App. No.
18/410,181
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A floor covering includes an underlayment basic layer, at least one floor element and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is positioned in between the underlayment basic layer and the floor element. The underlayment basic layer includes fillers. The majority of the fillers have a Moh's hardness of 5 or less and/or the majority of the fillers is formed by CaCO 3 and/or talcum. The bottom of the underlayment is formed by a foil of polypropylene.

Claims (28)

1 . A floor covering comprising an underlayment with an underlayment basic layer, at least a plurality of floor elements and an adhesive layer, wherein said adhesive layer is positioned in between said underlayment basic layer and said floor elements, and wherein said floor element comprises at least polyvinyl chloride, wherein said underlayment basic layer comprises polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, wherein said underlayment further comprises the following properties in combination:

said underlayment basic layer comprises fillers, wherein the majority of said fillers have a Moh's hardness of 5 or less and/or wherein the majority of said fillers is formed by CaCO 3 and/or talcum;

a bottom of said underlayment is formed by a foil of polypropylene or a foil of polyethylene.

2 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein said floor elements further at least comprise plasticizer, and a barrier is formed to reduce plasticizer migration from said floor elements towards said adhesive layer, said barrier is formed by one or more of the following measures:

said adhesive layer has a lowered potential towards plasticizer absorption; and/or

said floor element on its lower surface is treated to form said barrier; and/or

said floor element comprises a barrier layer at a distance from its upper surface forming said barrier.

3 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein said adhesive layer is present in an amount of between 5 and 90 g/m, and that said adhesive layer has a peeling strength as measured by DIN EN 1345:1993-12 of between 10 and 50 N/50 mm.

4 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein said adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive and/or one or more acrylic compounds, silicone compounds, elastomers, or combinations thereof.

5 . The floor covering according to claim 4 , wherein said acrylic compounds are formed on the basis of between 70-90 wt. % of low Tg monomers, of between 0-30 wt. % of high Tg monomers, and of between 3-10 wt. % of polar monomers.

6 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein said underlayment basic layer and said adhesive layer form part of an underlayment.

7 . The floor covering according to claim 6 , wherein said underlayment further comprises a scrim layer, wherein said scrim layer is positioned in between the underlayment basic layer and the adhesive layer or wherein the scrim layer is at least partly embedded in the adhesive layer.

8 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein said underlayment basic layer comprises a synthetic material.

9 . A method for manufacturing objects, comprising at least the following steps:

shredding a floor covering having the characteristics of claim 1 into a ground material;

forming a moldable thermoplastic composition at least by heating and/or filtering said ground material;

extruding said moldable thermoplastic composition into pellets for subsequent molding of said object or part thereof, or the step of extruding said moldable thermoplastic composition into said object or part thereof.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein said step of forming a moldable thermoplastic composition comprises adding said ground material to a hot-cold mixing vessel and/or adding said ground material into the feed of an extruder.

11 . The floor element obtained through the method of claim 9 , wherein said floor element comprises a core and a provided thereon decorative layer, and in that said core is obtained from said moldable thermoplastic composition.

12 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of said underlayment is formed by a foil of oriented polypropylene (OPP).

13 . The floor covering according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom of said underlayment is formed by a foil of high density polyethylene (HDPE).

14 . A floor covering comprising an underlayment with an underlayment basic layer, at least a plurality of floor elements and an adhesive layer, wherein said adhesive layer is positioned in between said underlayment basic layer and said floor elements, and wherein said floor element comprises at least polyvinyl chloride, wherein said underlayment basic layer comprises polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, wherein said underlayment further comprises the following properties in combination:

the property that said underlayment basic layer comprises fillers, wherein the majority of said fillers have a Moh's hardness of 5 or less and/or wherein the majority of said fillers is formed by CaCO 3 and/or talcum;

the property that the bottom of said underlayment is formed by a foil of polypropylene or by a foil of polyethylene;

wherein said underlayment basic layer and said adhesive layer form part of an underlayment;

wherein said adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA);

wherein the underlayment comprises a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) foil between the adhesive layer and the underlayment basic layer.

15 . The floor covering of claim 14 , wherein said underlayment further comprises a scrim layer, wherein said scrim layer is positioned in between the underlayment basic layer and the adhesive layer or wherein the scrim layer is at least partly embedded in the adhesive layer.