IP Library Granted Patent US 12,276,117
Granted Patent B2
US 12,276,117 · App. 17/625,253 · Granted Apr 15, 2025

Board and floor panel based on such board

Inventors: Benjamin Clement (Waregem, BE); Sam Ledegen (Ghent, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN BV
E04F15/02038B32B13/02B32B13/10B32B19/02B32B19/042B32B21/02E04F15/102E04F15/107B32B2250/02B32B2260/025B32B2260/046B32B2471/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,276,117
App. No.
17/625,253
Granted
Apr 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Sheet material includes at least two layers of material, wherein a first layer of material forms more than half the thickness of the sheet material and is mainly built up from wood particles glued by means of a first binder and pressed. The first binder is thermosetting, wherein the second layer of material is present on the surface of the aforementioned sheet material and is mainly built up from particulate particles glued by a second binder and pressed. The second binder is thermoplastic and/or elastomeric.

Claims (50)

1. A sheet material with at least first and second layers of material, wherein the first layer of material forms more than half of the thickness of the sheet material and is mainly built up from wood particles glued by means of a first binder and pressed,

wherein the first binder is thermosetting,

wherein the wood particles of the first layer of material are wood fibres;

wherein the second layer of material is present on a first surface of the sheet material and is mainly built up from particulate particles glued by means of a second binder and pressed,

wherein the second binder is thermoplastic or elastomeric;

wherein the particulate particles of the second layer of material are or comprise wood chips or wood fibres;

wherein the sheet material has a density profile over the thickness of the sheet material, wherein the density profile has a first peak density formed in the material of the first layer of material, and a second peak density formed in the material of the second layer of material;

wherein a decorative top layer is arranged on the second layer of material;

wherein the decorative top layer comprises a printed paper sheet and a transparent or translucent layer applied thereon;

wherein the transparent or translucent layer comprises synthetic material that is a thermally cured acrylate resin based on a multifunctional acrylate monomer and an acrylate oligomer;

wherein a polyurethane coating is applied on at least one surface of the printed paper, the at least one surface of the printed paper sheet facing the transparent or translucent layer.

2. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the first binder is chosen from the group consisting of melamine formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, melamine-urea-formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, phenol-urea-formaldehyde, MDI (“methylene diphenyl diisocyanate”), pMDI (“polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate”), thermosetting acrylate resin and a binder obtained by reaction with dextrose.

3. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the particulate particles of the second layer of material have a particle size of 500 micrometres or more, as expressed with the d50 value measured by laser diffraction granulometry, in accordance with ISO13320 (2009).

4. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the second binder is thermoplastic and is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polyvinyl butyrate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl dichloride (PVdC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic aliphatic polyester, such as polylactic acid (PLA), thermoplastic olefin (TPO); or

wherein the second binder is elastomeric and is selected from the group of synthetic rubber, silicone, polyvinyl butyral and natural rubber.

5. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the second binder comprises polyvinyl butyral;

or cross-linked polyvinyl butyral,

or polyvinyl butyral comprises plasticizers,

or cross-linked polyvinyl butyral comprising plasticizers.

6. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the particulate particles are coated with a thermosetting binder before being glued and pressed.

7. The sheet material of claim 6 , wherein the thermosetting binder with which the particulate particles are coated before being glued and pressed comprises melamine formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, melamine-urea-formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, phenol-urea-formaldehyde, MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), pMDI (“polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate”), thermosetting acrylate resin or a binder obtained by reaction with dextrose, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or polymeric methylene diisocyanate (pMDI) which comprise a polyol or a polycaprolactam or another flexible chain extender.

8. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the sheet material comprises a third layer of material,

wherein the first layer of material is situated between the second layer of material and the third layer of material,

wherein the third layer of material is mainly built up from particulate particles glued by means of the second binder and pressed,

wherein the second binder is thermoplastic or elastomeric;

wherein the particulate particles of the second layer of material are or comprise wood chips or wood fibres.

9. The sheet material of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the first layer of material has a first colour, and the first surface of the second layer of material has a second colour,

wherein the first surface of the first layer of material is visible on the surface of the sheet material next to the first surface of the second layer of material according to a regular or irregular pattern.

10. A floor panel comprising a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a sheet material;

wherein the sheet material comprises at least two layers of material,

wherein a first layer of material forms more than half of the thickness of the sheet material and is mainly built up from wood particles glued by means of a first binder and pressed,

wherein the first binder is thermosetting,

wherein the wood particles of the first layer of material are wood fibres;

wherein a second layer of material is present on the surface of the sheet material and is mainly built up from particulate particles glued by means of a second binder and pressed, wherein the second binder is thermoplastic or elastomeric;

the particulate particles of the second layer of material are or comprise wood chips or wood fibres;

wherein the floor panel comprises a decorative top layer applied on the second layer of material;

wherein the decorative top layer comprises a printed paper sheet and a transparent or translucent layer applied thereon;

wherein the transparent or translucent layer comprises synthetic material that is a thermally cured acrylate resin based on a multifunctional acrylate monomer and an acrylate oligomer;

wherein a polyurethane coating is applied on at least one surface of the printed paper, the at least one surface of the printed paper sheet facing the transparent or translucent layer.

11. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the decorative top layer has a relief with structural features that have a depth greater than the thickness of the decorative top layer, wherein the relief comprises elements with a depth of between 200 and 2000 micrometres.

12. The floor panel of claim 11 , wherein the structural features form lower edge regions at least on one or more edges of the floor panel, including edge regions in the form of a chamfer.

13. A sheet material with at least one layer of material, wherein this layer of material is substantially built up from particulate particles which are glued by means of a binder and pressed,

wherein the binder is thermoplastic or elastomeric;

wherein the particulate particles are wood chips or wood fibres;

wherein the binder is polyvinyl butyral (PVB);

wherein at least one decorative top layer is arranged on the at least one layer of material;

wherein the decorative top layer comprises a printed paper sheet and a transparent or translucent layer applied thereon, wherein the transparent or translucent layer comprises synthetic material that is a thermally cured synthetic material based on a thermally cured acrylate resin based on a multifunctional acrylate monomer and an acrylate oligomer;

wherein a polyurethane coating is applied on at least one surface of the printed paper, the at least one surface of the printed paper sheet facing the transparent or translucent layer.

14. The sheet material of claim 13 , wherein the particulate particles are coated with a thermosetting binder before being glued and pressed.

15. The sheet material of claim 14 , wherein the thermosetting binder with which the particulate particles are coated before being glued and pressed is or comprises melamine formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, melamine-urea-formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, phenol-urea-formaldehyde, MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), pMDI (“polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate”), thermosetting acrylate resin or a binder obtained by reaction with dextrose, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) or polymeric methylene diisocyanate (pMDI) which comprise a polyol or a polycaprolactam or another flexible chain extender.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 066805/0445 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2022
From: CLEMENT, BENJAMIN; LEDEGEN, SAM
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 058581/0474 →