Polymer floor element
A polymer floor element includes a decorative top layer on a substrate made of polymer. The floor element has a rectangular or square surface, for which it is valid that for a strip of the floor element with a first point Q defined as a vertex of the strip, and a point P at a distance of 40 cm with respect to Q along a side of the strip, suspended over a rod with diameter 2 cm with its side on which P and Q are defined, perpendicular to the axis of the rod, so that P is located in the vertical direction at the highest point where the floor element touches the rod. The strip, with point Q along one side, hangs down from the rod under the strip's own weight; the straight line PQ intersects the vertical through P at an angle less than 15°.
1 . A polymer floor element comprising a decorative top layer on a substrate made of polymer,
wherein the floor element has a rectangular or square surface with a longest side less than 3.0 m and greater than 0.4 m, for which it is valid that for a strip of the floor element with a first point Q defined as a vertex of the strip, and a point P at a distance of 40 cm with respect to Q along a side of the strip, suspended over a rod with diameter of 2 cm with its side on which P and Q are defined, perpendicular to an axis of the rod, so that
P is located in a vertical direction at the highest point where the floor element touches the rod; and
the strip, with point Q along one side, hangs down from the rod under the strip's own weight;
a straight line PQ intersects the vertical through P at an angle less than 15°;
wherein the floor element is sheet vinyl;
wherein the sheet vinyl comprises a substrate layer comprising one or more flexible or semi-rigid PVC layers, and a finishing layer including a decorative layer and a wearing layer;
wherein the wearing layer is a flexible or semi-rigid PVC layer;
wherein the wearing layer includes more than 30 phr plasticizer;
wherein the decorative layer is a printed layer, printed directly on the flexible or semi-rigid PVC layer of the substrate laver;
wherein the flexible or semi-rigid PVC layer of the substrate layer and/or of the wearing layer is applied as a layer by means of PVC plastisol.
2 . The polymer floor element of claim 1 , wherein the floor element has a rectangular or square surface with a short side less than 0.5 m and greater than 0.08 m.
3 . The polymer floor element of claim 1 , wherein the floor element has a weight per unit area between 1500 g/m 2 and 3000 g/m 2 .
4 . The polymer floor element of claim 1 , wherein the floor element has a thickness between 1 mm and 8 mm.
5 . The polymer floor element of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyvinyl chloride.
6 . A floor covering comprising a plurality of floor elements of claim 1 .
7 . The floor covering of claim 6 , wherein the floor elements are glued on a subfloor.
8 . The floor covering of claim 7 , wherein the floor elements are glued on a subfloor by means of a nonpermanent glue.
9 . The floor covering of claim 7 , wherein the subfloor is a foamed polymer subfloor.
10 . The floor covering of claim 6 , wherein the floor elements are glued on a supporting floor structure.
11 . The floor covering of claim 10 , wherein the floor elements are glued on the supporting floor structure by means of a nonpermanent glue.
12 . A polymer floor element comprising a decorative top layer on a substrate made of polymer,
wherein the floor element has a rectangular or square surface with a longest side less than 3.0 m and greater than 0.4 m,
wherein said floor element passes a flexibility test according to ASTM F137 with a cylinder of 6 mm;
wherein the floor element is sheet vinyl;
wherein the sheet vinyl comprises a substrate layer comprising one or more flexible or semi-rigid PVC layers, and a finishing layer including a decorative layer and a wearing layer;
wherein the wearing layer is a flexible or semi-rigid PVC layer;
wherein the wearing layer includes more than 30 phr plasticizer;
wherein the decorative layer is a printed layer, printed directly on the flexible or semi-rigid PVC layer of the substrate layer;
wherein the flexible or semi-rigid PVC of the substrate layer and/or of the wearing layer is applied as a layer by means of PVC plastisol.
13 . The polymer floor element of claim 12 , wherein the floor element has a rectangular or square surface with a short side less than 0.5 m and greater than 0.08 m.