US5077112A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Floor covering with inorganic wear layer
Assignee: AWI Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1990-04-12
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Granted: 1991-12-31
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Expires: 2010-04-12
Abstract
Abstract A floor covering is a laminate including a hard inorganic wear layer deposited on a support, preferably by a reduced pressure environment technique such as ion assisted physical vapor deposition. The support may be selected from metal foils, films or sheets and plastics, rubbers or mineral/binder systems. The preferred support materials include stainless steel and polyester sheet molding compound.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert D. Hensel
- 👤 Leonard N. Ray, Jr.
- 👤 Joseph F. Reuwer, Jr.
- 👤 Jerome D. Wisnosky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:57
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04F; E04F15/00; E04F15/02; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23; Y10T428/239; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31678
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
49 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique selected from the group consisting of sputtering, plasma polymerization, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion plating and ion implantation, wherein the wear layer comprises a hard inorganic material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
49 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique selected from the group consisting of sputtering, plasma polymerization, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion plating and ion implantation, wherein the wear layer comprises a hard inorganic material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique, wherein the support comprises a metal component selected from the group consisting of a foil, a film and a sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique, wherein the support comprises a metal component selected from the group consisting of a foil, a film and a sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The floor covering of claim 2, wherein the metal component has a thickness of between 0.007 inches and 0.5 mils.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The floor covering of claim 2, wherein the metal component is a steel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The floor covering of claim 2, wherein the support further comprises a decorative layer overlying the metal component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The floor covering of claim 1, wherein the support further comprises a conformable layer capable of inelastic deflection.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The floor covering of claim 1, wherein the support comprises plastic, rubber or a mineral/binder system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor covering of claim 7, further comprising an ink which diffuses into the support.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The floor covering of claim 7, wherein the plastic is a thermoset plastic.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The floor covering of claim 1, wherein the wear layer is discontinuous.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The floor covering of claim 1, wherein the wear layer is at least 1 micron in thickness.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique, wherein the wear layer comprises a hard inorganic material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and metal nitrides.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A floor covering comprising a support and a wear layer deposited on said support by a reduced pressure environment technique, wherein the wear layer comprises a hard inorganic material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and metal nitrides.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The floor covering of claim 12, wherein the hard inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride and titanium nitride.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
52 words
The floor covering of claim 1, wherein the support is mounted to a base layer, said base layer being capable of conforming to the irregularities of a wood subfloor and capable of accommodating lateral movement of a wood subfloor, the support being mounted whereby the periphery of said base layer is exposed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A floor covering comprising a metal support layer and a wear layer consisting of hard inorganic material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A floor covering comprising a metal support layer and a wear layer consisting of hard inorganic material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor covering of claim 15, wherein the support layer is capable of inelastic deflection.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The floor covering of claim 15, wherein the floor covering is capable of supporting a uniform 125 lbs/sq. ft. load with a deflection of not more than one-five hardness of the span.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The floor covering of claim 15, wherein the hard inorganic material is a fused ceramic.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of making a floor covering comprising (a) providing a floor covering support, and (b) depositing a wear layer of at least 1 micron in thickness on the support by a reduced pressure environment technique selected from the group consisting of sputtering, plasma polymerization, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion plating and ion implantation.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of making a floor covering comprising (a) providing a floor covering support, and (b) depositing a wear layer of at least 1 micron in thickness on the support by a reduced pressure environment technique selected from the group consisting of sputtering, plasma polymerization, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion plating and ion implantation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 19, wherein the wear layer comprises a hard inorganic material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and metal nitrides.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 19, wherein the wear layer is deposited on the support at a deposition temperature of no greater than 170° C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the wear layer is deposited on the support at a deposition temperature of no greater than 150° C.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the wear layer is deposited in a thickness of at least 3 microns.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-12-30 | 1995-07-01 | 1995-12-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-30 | 1999-07-01 | 1999-12-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-30 | 2003-07-01 | 2003-12-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |