Flocked,foamed,embossed surface covering

Abstract

Abstract A SURFACE COVERING FOR FLOORS, WALLS, AND THE LIKE. THE PRODUCT IS MADE BY FORMING A GELLED, FOAMABLE BUT UNFOAMED PLASTISOL SHEET PREFERABLY OF A VINYL RESIN AND A PLASTICIZER THEREFOR, AND CONTAINING THE BLOWING AGENT, STABILIZERS, AND OTHER CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS. A DECORATIVE COATING IS APPLIED, PREFERABLY BY PRINTING, TO THE SURFACE OF THE GELLED, FOAMABLE PLASTISOL SHEET. A TRANSPARENT ADHESIVE LAYER, PREFERABLY OF A VINYL RESIN, IS APPLIED TO THE GELLED, FOAMABLE PLASTISOL LAYER ON TOP OF THE PRINTED DECORATIVE COATING. FLOCK IS THEN APPLIED, THE FLOCK ADHERING TO THE SHEET BY MEANS OF THE TRANSPARENT ADHESIVE LAYER. THE SYSTEM IS THEN HEATED TO FUSE AND EXPAND THE PLASTISOL LAYER TO FORM A FOAMED LAYER. THE FOAMED LAYER CARRYING THE FLOCK IS THEN MECHANICALLY EMBOSSED IN ANY DESIRED PATTERN, BUT PREFERABLY IN A PATTERN TO SIMULATE A TEXTILE CARPET, THE EMBOSSING BEING SUFFICIENTLY DEEP TO CREATE PERMANENT IMPRESSIONS IN THE FOAMED LAYER ITSELF. THE EMBOSSING STEP ENHANCES THE APPEARANCE OF THE PRINTED DECORATED COATING.

Inventors

• 👤 Robert W Snyder
• 👤 Daniel M Sigman Jr

Bibliographic Details