Floor panel and method for manufacturing a floor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987994-B2
Application number	US-202217965878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2022
Priority date	Oct 3, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

Floor panel, which includes a substrate and a top layer provided above, and preferably directly above, the substrate, where the top layer includes a décor layer, a thermoplastic wear layer, and a lacquer layer provided above, and preferably directly above, the wear layer, and where the floor panel has an upper surface showing a relief, where the relief has a maximum relief depth which is larger than 100 microns, and where the wear layer and the lacquer layer are embossed in order to form the relief.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor panel, which comprises a substrate and a top layer provided directly above the substrate, wherein the top layer comprises a decor layer, a thermoplastic wear layer, a lacquer layer provided above the wear layer, and an additional lacquer layer above the lacquer layer, and
wherein the floor panel has an upper surface showing a relief,
wherein the relief has embossed zones with a maximum relief depth which is larger than 100 microns,
wherein the wear layer and the lacquer layer are embossed in order to form the relief,
wherein said lacquer layer is thinner at a location of the embossed zones than outside the embossed zones, and wherein the decor of the decor layer is imprinted or printed;
wherein the lacquer layer is present over an entirety of the wear layer including in the embossed zones;
wherein the additional lacquer layer extends over the lacquer layer outside of the embossed zones.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor is imprinted by means of printing techniques selected from the group consisting of offset printing, gravure printing and a digital printing technique.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer is imprinted or printed directly on the substrate.

4. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor is printed on a primer present on the substrate.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer is printed or imprinted on a lower side of the wear layer.

6. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a foil or film.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is provided above, and directly above, the decor layer, in the form of a liquid mass, and cured.

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is transparent or translucent.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the embossed lacquer layer is transparent or translucent.

10. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the maximum relief depth is larger than 200 microns.

11. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the substrate, in order to form the relief, also is embossed.

12. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the floor panel comprises a bevel on at least one edge.

13. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel is suitable for forming a floating floor covering.

14. The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, is provided with integrated mechanical coupling parts and wherein these coupling parts allow effecting a locking between two of such floor panels in a direction (V) perpendicular to a plane of the coupled floor panels and in a direction (H) parallel to the plane of the coupled floor panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges.

15. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the embossed lacquer layer is realized on a basis of a polyurethane dispersion.

16. The floor panel of claim 15 , wherein the polyurethane dispersion is curable by means of radiation.

17. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the relief is or is not realized in register with the decor of the decor layer, and wherein the relief simulates a texture of a natural product selected from the group consisting of wood, stone and ceramics.

18. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer simulates a natural product selected from the group consisting of wood, stone and ceramics.

19. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic substrate layer.

20. The floor panel of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic synthetic layer is selected from the group consisting of: polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane.

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl
• Unilin Bv

Inventors

• Van Vlassenrode Kristof
• Vanhulle Nick

Classifications

• B32B37/00

  Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding · CPC title

• B32B37/0053

  Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers · CPC title

• E04F15/107 Primary

  composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels (layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04) · CPC title

• B32B3/30 Primary

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B32B5/02

  characterised by structural features of a {fibrous or filamentary} layer {(layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02)} · CPC title