IP Library Granted Patent US 12,435,525
Granted Patent B2
US 12,435,525 · App. 17/464,978 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Rigid panel for making a floor covering

Inventor: Christian Esbelin (Bollene, FR)
Assignee: GERFLOR
E04F15/107B32B7/12B32B27/08B32B27/20B32B27/22B32B27/304E04F15/105E04F15/225B32B2264/0221B32B2307/412B32B2307/536B32B2307/54B32B2307/554B32B2307/732B32B2471/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,435,525
App. No.
17/464,978
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a multilayer panel for producing a floor covering, comprising a wear layer bonded to a back layer, said back layer being made up of at least a thermoplastic material, a plasticizer and fillers, the wear layer comprising a surface layer made up at least of PVC, said surface layer having a Shore D hardness greater than or equal to 60 and a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 1000 MPa.

Claims (23)

1. A multilayer panel for making a floor covering comprising a wear layer bonded to a back layer,

wherein the back layer is derived from at least a thermoplastic material, a plasticizer and fillers,

wherein the wear layer comprises a surface layer derived from at least polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the surface layer having a Shore D hardness greater than or equal to 60 and a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 1000 MPa,

wherein the surface layer comprises impact absorbers;

wherein the impact absorbers are polymeric plasticizers; the index of refraction of the incorporated impact absorbers being comprised between 1.52 and 1.55 at 20° C., and

wherein the polymeric plasticizers are thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) particles.

2. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a Shore D hardness greater than or equal to 70.

3. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 1500 MPa.

4. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer is transparent.

5. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbers are present in an amount of less than 25%, by weight of the surface layer.

6. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbers are present in an amount of between 2.5% and 15%, by weight of the surface layer.

7. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the impact absorbers are elastomeric polymeric particles.

8. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein a composition of the surface layer has a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 60° C. and 80° C.

9. The panel according to claim 8 , wherein the composition has a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 70° C. and 80° C.

10. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein a composition of the surface layer comprises at least one liquid plasticizer present in an amount of less than 10%, by weight of the surface layer.

11. The panel according to claim 10 , wherein the liquid plasticizer is present in an amount of less than or equal to 5% by weight of the surface layer.

12. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a thickness of between 0.1 and 3 mm.

13. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a thickness of between 0.3 and 2.5 mm.

14. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a thickness of between 5 and 30% of the total thickness of the panel.

15. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the back layer comprises a balancing layer derived from at least PVC.

16. The panel according to claim 15 , wherein the balancing layer has a Shore D hardness greater than or equal to 50 and a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 500 MPa.

17. The panel according to claim 15 , wherein the balancing layer is bonded to the wear layer.

18. The panel according to claim 17 , wherein the wear layer comprises a decorative film, the decorative film being in contact with the balancing layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2022
From: ESBELIN, CHRISTIAN
To: GERFLOR
Reel/Frame 060086/0164 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 1760628 · Nov 13, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16188353 · Nov 13, 2018
Related Publication 20210396024A1 · Dec 23, 2021
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