Method of making a resilient floor tile
View Patent ↗A resilient floor tile includes a base layer, a film layer, a decorative film layer, and a topcoat. The resilient floor tile has a shaped edge formed on an upper surface thereof that extends about at least a portion of a perimeter of the resilient floor tile. In order to make the resilient floor tile, a continuous sheet of a base layer is conveyed into a press die. The press die is actuated from an open position to a closed position. The continuous sheet is cut with a blade of a cutting tool of the press die to form side surfaces of the resilient floor tile when the press die is in the closed position. A shaped edge is formed on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with a forming tool of the press die when the press die is in the closed position.
1. A method of making a resilient floor tile, comprising
conveying a continuous sheet of a base layer into a press;
moving a press die included in the press to a closed position, the press die including a cutting tool, a forming tool and a stripper plate, the forming tool abutting the cutting tool, a clearance provided between the stripper plate and the forming tool;
cutting the continuous sheet with a blade of the cutting tool of the press die to form side walls of the resilient floor tile when the press die is actuated;
concurrently forming a shaped edge on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with the forming tool of the press die when the press die is actuated;
returning the press die to an open position upon completion of the concurrent cutting and forming;
stripping the cut and formed resilient floor tile from the press die with the stripper plate;
moving the cut and formed resilient floor tile and an associated frame scrap from the press die; and
advancing a next portion of the continuous sheet of the base layer into the press.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the continuous sheet, to a temperature of about 135-145 degrees Fahrenheit prior to conveying the continuous sheet into the press die.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein more than one of the resilient floor tiles is cut and formed from the continuous sheet.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blade is inclined at an angle of about 30 degrees.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming tool has a shaped surface for forming, the shaped edge.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaped edge is rounded or beveled.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the side walls has a recessed portion.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recessed portion has a depth of up to about 20 mils.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recessed portion has a depth of about 15-20 mils.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a knife support block abuts a side of the cutting tool opposite the forming tool.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising laminating at least one of a film layers or a decorative film layer to the base layer prior to conveying the continuous sheet into the press die.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a topcoat overtop of the at least one film layer or decorative film layer.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least on film or decorative film layer extends over at least a portion of the shaped edge.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least on film or decorative film aver extends over an entirety of the shaped edge.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a binder and a filler.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the base layer comprises less than about 25% weight of the binder.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the binder comprises a polymeric resin, a plasticizer, and a stabilizer.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polymeric resin comprises a homopolymer and a copolymer.