Acoustic article, decorative element, and systems comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12491699-B2
Application number	US-202519174335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2025
Priority date	Nov 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

Acoustic articles, decorative elements, and system containing the same can include a decorative element having a first side and an opposing second side, and an acoustic article coupled to the opposing second side of the decorative element. The acoustic article can include an entangled fiber structure. The acoustic article can have a thickness of at least 0.4 mm, and can compress less than 25% of the thickness thereof when subjected to a pressure of 2 lbf/in 2 .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flooring system comprising:
a decorative element having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the decorative element has a first surface on the first side and a second surface on the opposing second side; an acoustic article coupled to the opposing second side of the decorative element, wherein the acoustic article:
comprises a resiliently compressible material;
has a thickness from at least 0.4 mm to about 7 mm; and
is compressible from about 5% to about 25% of the thickness when subjected to a pressure of 2 lbf/in 2 ; and
a stiffening structure between the decorative element and the acoustic article.

2 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening structure consists of a single layer.

3 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a plurality of layers.

4 . The flooring system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of layers are laminated together.

5 . The flooring system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of layers comprise a layer of thermoplastic and a structural stabilizer.

6 . The flooring system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of layers comprise two thermoplastic layers.

7 . The flooring system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of layers further comprise a structural stabilizer laminated between the two thermoplastic layers.

8 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a thermoplastic.

9 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a polyolefin, a vinyl, a rubber, or a polyester, or a combination thereof.

10 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the density of the stiffening structure has a first density and the acoustic article has a second density, wherein the first density is at least 1.5 times the second density of the acoustic article.

11 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the resiliently compressible material comprises an entangled fiber structure, foam, rubber, composite, or cork, or a combination thereof.

12 . The flooring system of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening structure and the acoustic article have respective material properties such that the stiffening structure and the acoustic article cooperate to provide a stiffness of at least 40,000 microjoules/meter when measured in accordance with ASTM D1388-18.

13 . A decorative unit comprising:
a decorative element having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the decorative element has a first surface on the first side and a second surface on the opposing second side; an acoustic article coupled to the decorative element on the opposing second side of the decorative element, wherein the acoustic article:
comprises a resiliently compressible material;
has a thickness from at least 0.4 mm to about 7 mm; and
is compressible from about 5% to about 25% of the thickness when subject to a pressure of 2 lbf/in 2 ; and
a stiffening structure between the decorative element and the acoustic article.

14 . The decorative unit of claim 13 , wherein the resiliently compressible material comprises an entangled fiber structure, foam, rubber, composite, or cork, or a combination thereof.

15 . The decorative unit of claim 13 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a thermoplastic.

16 . A subsurface article comprising:
an acoustic article comprising a resiliently compressible material, wherein the acoustic article:
has a thickness from at least 0.4 mm to about 7 mm; and
is compressible from about 5% to about 25% of the thickness when subjected to a pressure of 2 lbf/in 2 ,
wherein the acoustic article has a first side; and a stiffening structure coupled to the first side of the acoustic article, wherein the stiffening structure and the acoustic article have respective material properties such that the stiffening structure and the acoustic article cooperate to provide a stiffness of at least 40,000 microjoules/meter when measured in accordance with ASTM D1388-18.

17 . The subsurface article of claim 16 , wherein the stiffening structure consists of a single layer.

18 . The subsurface article of claim 16 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a plurality of layers.

19 . The subsurface article of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of layers comprise a layer of the thermoplastic and a structural stabilizer.

20 . The subsurface article of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of layers comprise two thermoplastic layers.

21 . The subsurface article of claim 16 , wherein the resiliently compressible material comprises an entangled fiber structure, foam, rubber, composite, or cork, or a combination thereof.

22 . The subsurface article of claim 16 , wherein the stiffening structure comprises a thermoplastic.

23 . A floor panel comprising:
a decorative portion having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the decorative portion has a first surface on the first side and a second surface on the opposing second side; an acoustic article coupled to the opposing second side of the decorative portion, wherein the acoustic article:
comprises a resiliently compressible material;
has a thickness from at least 0.4 mm to about 7 mm; and
is compressible from about 5% to about 25% of the thickness when subjected to a pressure of 2 lbf/in 2 ; and
a substrate between the decorative portion and the acoustic article.

24 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the decorative portion comprises an image layer, a wear layer, or a scratch layer, or a combination thereof.

25 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the substrate comprises a composite material.

26 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the floor panel is a luxury vinyl tile, a luxury vinyl plank, wood plastic composite panel, stone plastic composite panel, or magnesium oxide composite panel.

27 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the substrate has a thickness from about 2 mm to about 12 mm.

28 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of layers.

29 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the resiliently compressible material comprises an entangled fiber structure, foam, rubber, composite, or cork, or a combination thereof.

30 . The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein the resiliently compressible material is a non-woven resiliently compressible material.

Assignees

• Shaw Ind Group Inc

Inventors

• Hodgkins Clark
• Morton Barrett
• Brumbelow Julie
• Odum Thomas
• Hart Dennis
• Woodall Joseph Michael

Classifications

• G10K11/168

  Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches · CPC title

• B32B2471/00

  Floor coverings (B32B2419/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B2307/7265

  Non-permeable · CPC title

• B32B2307/724

  Permeability to gases, adsorption · CPC title

• B32B2307/72

  Density · CPC title